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Oceansong
“…This a brilliant and moving addition to the fantasy genre, each page brimming with all the rhythm and depth of the Bering Sea.”
- Thea Guanzon, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE HURRICANE WARS
“…making Oceansong a must-read for those who enjoy a blend of romance, mystery, and fantasy.” - Readers Favorite (5 star review)
Fish are mysteriously disappearing, starving the people in Angie Song’s Alaskan hometown. Angie, a snarky, guarded aspiring marine biologist and dock worker, enthusiastically joins the hunt to find out where the fish are gathering. When her family and the villagers discover that merfolk are responsible, they vow to destroy every last one. In the midst of the conflict, Angie faces off with a merman and fails to pull the trigger.
Inquisitive Mer-Prince Kaden is just as snarky as Angie, but he’s willing to talk and stop the brutal massacring of his people. The two form a cautious alliance to broker peace between the humans and mer before any more of them die.
Angie’s family becomes suspicious of her time near the water and threatens her future career. If the Mer-King and Queen learn of Kaden fleeing to the surface from an engagement he doesn’t want and falling for a landwalker, he’ll be exiled.
As tensions clash in this modern-day Romeo and Juliet meets The Little Mermaid, no one is safe in the desperate fight to control the sea’s resources. Despite the risks, Angie and Kaden’s forbidden relationship ignites. And as she learns about the mer’s mysterious world and the reason why the fish are gone, Angie starts to question who the true monster is, and where her loyalties lie. Taking the wrong side means choosing between family and her job, or the man she’s fallen for and the merfolk she’s come to respect—or losing it all.
CWs: Blood, Violence, Imprisonment and Torture (off screen) of mythical creatures, Parental Death (mentioned), non-consensual kiss (off screen, not involving main couple)
- Thea Guanzon, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE HURRICANE WARS
“…making Oceansong a must-read for those who enjoy a blend of romance, mystery, and fantasy.” - Readers Favorite (5 star review)
Fish are mysteriously disappearing, starving the people in Angie Song’s Alaskan hometown. Angie, a snarky, guarded aspiring marine biologist and dock worker, enthusiastically joins the hunt to find out where the fish are gathering. When her family and the villagers discover that merfolk are responsible, they vow to destroy every last one. In the midst of the conflict, Angie faces off with a merman and fails to pull the trigger.
Inquisitive Mer-Prince Kaden is just as snarky as Angie, but he’s willing to talk and stop the brutal massacring of his people. The two form a cautious alliance to broker peace between the humans and mer before any more of them die.
Angie’s family becomes suspicious of her time near the water and threatens her future career. If the Mer-King and Queen learn of Kaden fleeing to the surface from an engagement he doesn’t want and falling for a landwalker, he’ll be exiled.
As tensions clash in this modern-day Romeo and Juliet meets The Little Mermaid, no one is safe in the desperate fight to control the sea’s resources. Despite the risks, Angie and Kaden’s forbidden relationship ignites. And as she learns about the mer’s mysterious world and the reason why the fish are gone, Angie starts to question who the true monster is, and where her loyalties lie. Taking the wrong side means choosing between family and her job, or the man she’s fallen for and the merfolk she’s come to respect—or losing it all.
CWs: Blood, Violence, Imprisonment and Torture (off screen) of mythical creatures, Parental Death (mentioned), non-consensual kiss (off screen, not involving main couple)
365 pages, Paperback
First published August 27, 2024
About the author
C.W. Rose
1 book105 followersC.W. Rose is a Fantasy and Romance author who writes about ordinary Asian women in extraordinary situations, and find themselves, and sometimes—okay, usually—love along the way, and the cinnamon roll (not always human) men who adore them. She is also a certified scuba diver and lifeguard with a deep love for the world and animals around us, though she hasn’t spotted any mermaids yet. Outside of writing, you can find her buried in a great book, learning to sing in different languages, and finding any excuse to spend time outdoors. She’s also a third culture kid who grew up in Singapore, and currently lives in New York City with her family, working as a Physical Therapist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
July 9, 2024
firstly thank you so much for the opportunity to read this arc!
rating: ★★★☆☆
themes: interspecies/forbidden romance, moderate spice, dark little mermaid fantasy
synopsis: fish have gone missing, businesses are closing, humans are starving. only one thing is to blame the existence of mermaids. this story follows a war between two species, with angie a marine biologist and kaden a mer prince caught in the middle. as they begin to become closer, and feelings develop can they save both their species, before time runs out?
review: the author does an incredible job of creating tension in this war. the hatred between the two species really jumped out the page for me. with certain characters being the absolute worst, but just shows how the writing was detailed in emotion and tragedies of war. the fmc angie is strong willed and intelligent; the mmc kaden kind and open-minded. I would have liked to read more build up in the forbidden romance between the fmc and mmc. I think it needed a more detailed epilogue to really explain how things worked between them. the ending got resolved too quickly for my liking. but this is a fast paced and enjoyable read, I look forward to seeing more from this author! I do think it is a first instalment so I'd deffo read the next book if a series :)
rating: ★★★☆☆
themes: interspecies/forbidden romance, moderate spice, dark little mermaid fantasy
synopsis: fish have gone missing, businesses are closing, humans are starving. only one thing is to blame the existence of mermaids. this story follows a war between two species, with angie a marine biologist and kaden a mer prince caught in the middle. as they begin to become closer, and feelings develop can they save both their species, before time runs out?
review: the author does an incredible job of creating tension in this war. the hatred between the two species really jumped out the page for me. with certain characters being the absolute worst, but just shows how the writing was detailed in emotion and tragedies of war. the fmc angie is strong willed and intelligent; the mmc kaden kind and open-minded. I would have liked to read more build up in the forbidden romance between the fmc and mmc. I think it needed a more detailed epilogue to really explain how things worked between them. the ending got resolved too quickly for my liking. but this is a fast paced and enjoyable read, I look forward to seeing more from this author! I do think it is a first instalment so I'd deffo read the next book if a series :)
August 16, 2024
eARC Review
~ Rating: ⭐️⭐️
~ Tropes: Mermaids x Human Romance, Romeo and Juliet Retelling, Forbidden Love, Duty vs Love
~ Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
I wanted so badly to love this book. From the outside, all of the tropes and the blurb, it really seemed like this Romeo and Juliet retelling would be right up my street. Unfortunately, everything fell short for me and didn't hit the mark. The characters were uninteresting and I didn't feel any sort of attachment to them (especially when nearly all the characters who were killed were given less that a single page of writing). The plot was lacklustre and unbelievable; I mean, how can one single village only have one person who isn't fuelled by rage and acts bloodthirsty and murderous towards the mer? The romance seemed fake and never reached below the surface level of flirting until suddenly they were in love. This book had so much potential, I was really disappointed with the outcome, and had to force myself to finish reading it so I could find out what happened and write an honest review.
The pacing felt extremely weird to me, and I was highly disappointed by the almost immediate reveal of the mermaids that everyone seemed to shrug off. There was no magical moment where the humans realised they were dealing with mythical creatures. Instead, they were instantly cast as evolved fish who couldn't and wouldn't communicate with them or see reason, so why bother trying to solve things? Angie seemed like the only one to realise these "fish" were so human-like and even attempt to speak to one instead of shooting it straight in the head. We were also given a lacklustre reason as to why information about mermaids being real didn't leave this one small town in Alaska, being that people liked to keep to themselves. This was just one plot point among others that was so implausible that it pushed me further away from feeling any type of connection or understanding with the humans in this story.
Some other things that irked me included the FMC's father, Baba, and how irregular and unnatural his character seemed to act. To begin with, he was portrayed as a happy, loving family man who worked hard for a living and lived to be by the sea. Throughout the story, we hardly see Baba, who suddenly changes from being present, active and supportive in his daughters life, to disappearing altogether and never listening to her, putting the opinions and ludicrous actions of his abusive son-in-law above her. I assume this is because he was stressed and overworked with everything that was going on, however this wasn't plainly explained, only hinted at with the fact he was taking sleeping pills and looked unkempt, and I spent all of his page time metaphorically pulling out my hair at the absolute ignorance and inconsiderate way he was acting as a father and boss during a war where people were dying. He also continuously refused to close the docks, even though there were no fish to catch, so people were there for absolutely no reason other than to fight and die to the mer.
I also felt like all characters lacked emotion when it came to the deaths of the people around them. The only time we saw any sort of rage or retaliation due to the loss of friends/family is when Angie constantly sees the death of her coworkers and friends, but seems to forget about it after a few short breaths and repetitive heaving. It seemed as if she was more affected by than when the love of her life was It also astounded me that she just got up and went home after seeing it happen. Another thing that bothered me is that after she confessed her love to Kaden, she had doubts and thoughts of cutting him off, but only after
Finally, I need to talk about how infuriating she was throughout the whole book, as she continuously dodged and selfishly put off telling her father about the mer and getting him to meet Kaden to discuss a truce. I kept expecting it to happen, but it never did. She had ample opportunity to do so, and the only reason I can think of her not doing it is for selfish unrealistic reasons like wanting to keep the mer to herself, but that didn't seem the case. While the book would have been considerably shorter, it definitely would have been less frustrating and the plot more believable if she just spoke to the people in charge and told them she could stop the war.
My reasoning for giving a 2 star review is because I normally save my 1 stars for books I cannot finish. This read was confusing and unenjoyable even though I can see that C.W Rose put her heart into it. It feels like it could be a much improved book with lots of editing and time. The idea of the story was perfect but the execution let it down massively.
~ Thank you to C.W Rose & the publishers for allowing me to read this eARC!
~ Rating: ⭐️⭐️
~ Tropes: Mermaids x Human Romance, Romeo and Juliet Retelling, Forbidden Love, Duty vs Love
~ Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
I wanted so badly to love this book. From the outside, all of the tropes and the blurb, it really seemed like this Romeo and Juliet retelling would be right up my street. Unfortunately, everything fell short for me and didn't hit the mark. The characters were uninteresting and I didn't feel any sort of attachment to them (especially when nearly all the characters who were killed were given less that a single page of writing). The plot was lacklustre and unbelievable; I mean, how can one single village only have one person who isn't fuelled by rage and acts bloodthirsty and murderous towards the mer? The romance seemed fake and never reached below the surface level of flirting until suddenly they were in love. This book had so much potential, I was really disappointed with the outcome, and had to force myself to finish reading it so I could find out what happened and write an honest review.
The pacing felt extremely weird to me, and I was highly disappointed by the almost immediate reveal of the mermaids that everyone seemed to shrug off. There was no magical moment where the humans realised they were dealing with mythical creatures. Instead, they were instantly cast as evolved fish who couldn't and wouldn't communicate with them or see reason, so why bother trying to solve things? Angie seemed like the only one to realise these "fish" were so human-like and even attempt to speak to one instead of shooting it straight in the head. We were also given a lacklustre reason as to why information about mermaids being real didn't leave this one small town in Alaska, being that people liked to keep to themselves. This was just one plot point among others that was so implausible that it pushed me further away from feeling any type of connection or understanding with the humans in this story.
Some other things that irked me included the FMC's father, Baba, and how irregular and unnatural his character seemed to act. To begin with, he was portrayed as a happy, loving family man who worked hard for a living and lived to be by the sea. Throughout the story, we hardly see Baba, who suddenly changes from being present, active and supportive in his daughters life, to disappearing altogether and never listening to her, putting the opinions and ludicrous actions of his abusive son-in-law above her. I assume this is because he was stressed and overworked with everything that was going on, however this wasn't plainly explained, only hinted at with the fact he was taking sleeping pills and looked unkempt, and I spent all of his page time metaphorically pulling out my hair at the absolute ignorance and inconsiderate way he was acting as a father and boss during a war where people were dying. He also continuously refused to close the docks, even though there were no fish to catch, so people were there for absolutely no reason other than to fight and die to the mer.
I also felt like all characters lacked emotion when it came to the deaths of the people around them. The only time we saw any sort of rage or retaliation due to the loss of friends/family is when Angie constantly sees the death of her coworkers and friends, but seems to forget about it after a few short breaths and repetitive heaving. It seemed as if she was more affected by than when the love of her life was It also astounded me that she just got up and went home after seeing it happen. Another thing that bothered me is that after she confessed her love to Kaden, she had doubts and thoughts of cutting him off, but only after
Finally, I need to talk about how infuriating she was throughout the whole book, as she continuously dodged and selfishly put off telling her father about the mer and getting him to meet Kaden to discuss a truce. I kept expecting it to happen, but it never did. She had ample opportunity to do so, and the only reason I can think of her not doing it is for selfish unrealistic reasons like wanting to keep the mer to herself, but that didn't seem the case. While the book would have been considerably shorter, it definitely would have been less frustrating and the plot more believable if she just spoke to the people in charge and told them she could stop the war.
My reasoning for giving a 2 star review is because I normally save my 1 stars for books I cannot finish. This read was confusing and unenjoyable even though I can see that C.W Rose put her heart into it. It feels like it could be a much improved book with lots of editing and time. The idea of the story was perfect but the execution let it down massively.
~ Thank you to C.W Rose & the publishers for allowing me to read this eARC!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2024
I was gifted the opportunity to read Oceansong as an ARC, but prior to this, I was able to read the draft of this novel before publisher revisions. At all stages, Oceansong has been a story that strikes the whimsical side of my heart that has always loved mermaids while appealing to my current focus of how we as people are destroying the environment. It’s rare to find a romance that incorporates the bigger picture of real-world problems, particularly those which are environmental, and seeing this is CW Rose’s book is a breath of fresh air.
Angie endures a familiar battle of honor to family and desire for things beyond home. She sticks to her gut and heart, which doesn’t always allow her to make nice with people close to her, but following her instincts and morals is admirable and nice to read. Kaden is sweet, his joy and interest in the world around him is wonderful. He’s strong both physically and mentally, but can also express emotion and I LOVE seeing that in novels. The best part about Kaden, other than his complete interest and sometimes misunderstanding of humans, is that he has so much respect for Angie and her body. His focus is on her, pleasing her, loving her, and honoring her, and that's wonderful to see.
As an only child, I always adore novels that have tight sibling bonds because it’s what I always dreamt of if I were to have a sibling. There’s so much of that within this book—siblings who are close-knit—but of course it isn’t without typical sibling fights and upsets. Still, in the end they have one another’s back and that makes Angie and Kaden all the stronger in what they are striving to achieve.
The fact that this novel takes place in Alaska and not the tropics is so refreshing. I adored how Rose navigated her very human FMC and the cold waters of that northern landscape.
I truly enjoyed that Angie and Kaden find a shared interest in fighting for the health of our oceans—a very modern-day problem that often gets brushed under the rug (or waves?) due to other upsets in world news. It isn’t that they see one another and fall madly in love, it’s that there’s more substance to their relationship through shared interests and experiences despite growing up in very different cultures/locations that makes their bond so special.
But the novel isn’t only a declaration that we should be more considerate of our treatment to the earth, oceans, and marine life. There is the dangerous, slippery slope of how the idea that you are better than others can lead to destruction. That power can get to one’s head and it’s never a very good thing. There is also, of course, the story of two people overcoming preconceived prejudices to realize there’s more to one another, to join together and fight for the greater good, all while falling for each other. Without their love, so much more could have ended, but it’s through love—be it from parent to child, siblings, or romantically—that we are able to see the story through to a happy ending. Love truly can fight all and it’s when love is absent from the heart that you’re doomed.
Angie endures a familiar battle of honor to family and desire for things beyond home. She sticks to her gut and heart, which doesn’t always allow her to make nice with people close to her, but following her instincts and morals is admirable and nice to read. Kaden is sweet, his joy and interest in the world around him is wonderful. He’s strong both physically and mentally, but can also express emotion and I LOVE seeing that in novels. The best part about Kaden, other than his complete interest and sometimes misunderstanding of humans, is that he has so much respect for Angie and her body. His focus is on her, pleasing her, loving her, and honoring her, and that's wonderful to see.
As an only child, I always adore novels that have tight sibling bonds because it’s what I always dreamt of if I were to have a sibling. There’s so much of that within this book—siblings who are close-knit—but of course it isn’t without typical sibling fights and upsets. Still, in the end they have one another’s back and that makes Angie and Kaden all the stronger in what they are striving to achieve.
The fact that this novel takes place in Alaska and not the tropics is so refreshing. I adored how Rose navigated her very human FMC and the cold waters of that northern landscape.
I truly enjoyed that Angie and Kaden find a shared interest in fighting for the health of our oceans—a very modern-day problem that often gets brushed under the rug (or waves?) due to other upsets in world news. It isn’t that they see one another and fall madly in love, it’s that there’s more substance to their relationship through shared interests and experiences despite growing up in very different cultures/locations that makes their bond so special.
But the novel isn’t only a declaration that we should be more considerate of our treatment to the earth, oceans, and marine life. There is the dangerous, slippery slope of how the idea that you are better than others can lead to destruction. That power can get to one’s head and it’s never a very good thing. There is also, of course, the story of two people overcoming preconceived prejudices to realize there’s more to one another, to join together and fight for the greater good, all while falling for each other. Without their love, so much more could have ended, but it’s through love—be it from parent to child, siblings, or romantically—that we are able to see the story through to a happy ending. Love truly can fight all and it’s when love is absent from the heart that you’re doomed.
August 11, 2024
Thank you for letting me read an ARC of this fantastic story!
It took a bit for me to get into this book, but once I was hooked I mean I was HOOKED. I got about a quarter of the way through and just had to keep reading to see what would happen. It got pretty dark at times, but the moments of compassion and tenderness woven throughout the story were lovely.
I really liked Angie as an FMC. She was realistic in her behavior with her familial relationships, and while her interactions with Nick were super frustrating, it was unfortunately accurate to real life. I appreciated the complexity of Nick's personality and how he acted with Angie vs. Mia and Baba. Rosie was the cutest, I loved her energy!
Angie and Kaden were adorable. Their enemies to lovers arc was satisfying and their love for their people and passions was beautiful. I also really enjoyed Adrielle and Cyrus as side characters with dynamic personalities.
The ending, with that little hint towards ??? makes me eager to see if this story is over yet!
It took a bit for me to get into this book, but once I was hooked I mean I was HOOKED. I got about a quarter of the way through and just had to keep reading to see what would happen. It got pretty dark at times, but the moments of compassion and tenderness woven throughout the story were lovely.
I really liked Angie as an FMC. She was realistic in her behavior with her familial relationships, and while her interactions with Nick were super frustrating, it was unfortunately accurate to real life. I appreciated the complexity of Nick's personality and how he acted with Angie vs. Mia and Baba. Rosie was the cutest, I loved her energy!
Angie and Kaden were adorable. Their enemies to lovers arc was satisfying and their love for their people and passions was beautiful. I also really enjoyed Adrielle and Cyrus as side characters with dynamic personalities.
The ending, with that little hint towards ??? makes me eager to see if this story is over yet!
July 28, 2024
— ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!
— Mermaid/merman, star crossed lovers, fantasy, social issues, romeo & juliet trope, angsty
This is not your usual mermaid fantasy book, at first I thought it would be magical, enchanting, quite like the fairy tales. But the tropes weren’t lying when it says that it’s about star crossed lovers, a human and a merman. You see, Oceansong perfectly blends the societal issues of the reality and enchanting elements of fantasy. At its core, it’s a book that wants us to listen to the cries of the Ocean. The neglect and exploitation that we continue to do to the marine ecosystem, the hoarding of fishes and sea animals. Yes, these are the kind of things that you will find if you read Oceansong, but it just perfectly managed to blend those things into a beautiful story. So, no, it’s not just about a mermaid and a human who fell helplessly in love, it’s so much more than that! And these, my friends, are the very reason why you have to read it.
We have Angie Song, our female protagonist who’s the daughter of the man who managed their docks and responsible for their aquatic resources and foods throughout their village. She’s not afraid to voice out her opinions, doesn’t let anyone belittle her in a male dominated workplace, and rational about the situation. I really like her character!
We also have Kaden, our male lead who is a mer prince. His character is the one who really shows you how much damage we’ve done to the ocean. Like Angie, he’s not afraid to voice out his opinions and tries to understand the situation from different perspectives. I like Kaden’s character as well but it’s really Angie’s that stood out to me the most.
Special mention to Nick, who never failed to make my blood boil in every page he’s in. I found my most hated book villain, and it’s him. I’ll just see his name and my eyes will already roll, that’s how much I hate him😂
Admittedly, the first parts were a bit slower for me. But once it picks up its pace by the second half and towards the end, I just can’t stop reading it. Honestly, I was so intrigued what would happen next, how would the events unfold and what kind of ending will they get especially when things starts to get really messy. Towards the end, I just can’t put it down, reading so fast because I can’t wait to read what happens next. And for that, it’s an instant five star!
So, if you’re looking for a book that perfectly mixed realism and fantastical elements with mermaids and aquatic kingdom, then you should definitely keep an eye out on this book!
Thank you to C.W Rose and the publisher Hey Hey Book Publishing for this advance reader’s copy!
Bookstagram: @readwithannz
— Angie Song fanart by yours truly! Check it out on my art account @artsbyannz & give some love🩵
— Mermaid/merman, star crossed lovers, fantasy, social issues, romeo & juliet trope, angsty
This is not your usual mermaid fantasy book, at first I thought it would be magical, enchanting, quite like the fairy tales. But the tropes weren’t lying when it says that it’s about star crossed lovers, a human and a merman. You see, Oceansong perfectly blends the societal issues of the reality and enchanting elements of fantasy. At its core, it’s a book that wants us to listen to the cries of the Ocean. The neglect and exploitation that we continue to do to the marine ecosystem, the hoarding of fishes and sea animals. Yes, these are the kind of things that you will find if you read Oceansong, but it just perfectly managed to blend those things into a beautiful story. So, no, it’s not just about a mermaid and a human who fell helplessly in love, it’s so much more than that! And these, my friends, are the very reason why you have to read it.
We have Angie Song, our female protagonist who’s the daughter of the man who managed their docks and responsible for their aquatic resources and foods throughout their village. She’s not afraid to voice out her opinions, doesn’t let anyone belittle her in a male dominated workplace, and rational about the situation. I really like her character!
We also have Kaden, our male lead who is a mer prince. His character is the one who really shows you how much damage we’ve done to the ocean. Like Angie, he’s not afraid to voice out his opinions and tries to understand the situation from different perspectives. I like Kaden’s character as well but it’s really Angie’s that stood out to me the most.
Special mention to Nick, who never failed to make my blood boil in every page he’s in. I found my most hated book villain, and it’s him. I’ll just see his name and my eyes will already roll, that’s how much I hate him😂
Admittedly, the first parts were a bit slower for me. But once it picks up its pace by the second half and towards the end, I just can’t stop reading it. Honestly, I was so intrigued what would happen next, how would the events unfold and what kind of ending will they get especially when things starts to get really messy. Towards the end, I just can’t put it down, reading so fast because I can’t wait to read what happens next. And for that, it’s an instant five star!
So, if you’re looking for a book that perfectly mixed realism and fantastical elements with mermaids and aquatic kingdom, then you should definitely keep an eye out on this book!
Thank you to C.W Rose and the publisher Hey Hey Book Publishing for this advance reader’s copy!
Bookstagram: @readwithannz
— Angie Song fanart by yours truly! Check it out on my art account @artsbyannz & give some love🩵
August 8, 2024
Beautiful world building! Thorough underwater descriptions, with scientific animal names and really interesting takes on mer magic! Great climate crisis representation, with heavy emphasis on strong human-ocean relationships for a healthier world. I loved the multi-lingual writing!
The book blurb describes this as having almost everything I like or want in a book, and while technically it does have most of that, I found it difficult to enjoy at times. The pacing made this book really hard for me to finish, and was the main barrier to my engagement. Dialogue felt by turns repetitive and contradictory, sometimes forced where character introductions were involved. Kaden and Cyrus felt like the most well-developed characters. Many other characters were focused on raising kids or pregnancy, which is not something I generally enjoy reading. Marketed as a Romeo/Juliet retelling, this does not actually deliver in that regard, which was frustrating.
As this is the first book in the series, I'd like to try Book 2 or other works by the author. Maybe this book wasn't the right one for me right now, but as stated above I did enjoy a lot about it!
My thanks to the author for the ARC, and the opinions above are my own.
Update 8/4: After rereading sections, I'm adjusting my ARC review down a star.
The book blurb describes this as having almost everything I like or want in a book, and while technically it does have most of that, I found it difficult to enjoy at times. The pacing made this book really hard for me to finish, and was the main barrier to my engagement. Dialogue felt by turns repetitive and contradictory, sometimes forced where character introductions were involved. Kaden and Cyrus felt like the most well-developed characters. Many other characters were focused on raising kids or pregnancy, which is not something I generally enjoy reading. Marketed as a Romeo/Juliet retelling, this does not actually deliver in that regard, which was frustrating.
As this is the first book in the series, I'd like to try Book 2 or other works by the author. Maybe this book wasn't the right one for me right now, but as stated above I did enjoy a lot about it!
My thanks to the author for the ARC, and the opinions above are my own.
Update 8/4: After rereading sections, I'm adjusting my ARC review down a star.
June 7, 2024
Thank you StoryOrigin & C.W Rose for an ARC copy of this book for review.
I haven't read a lot of interspecies Romantasy books, at least ones other than the typical fantasy creatures i.e. Vampire, witch or wolf/shifter.
This story meets a new love for me, human/fantasy sea creature. I've often been intrigued, about the melding of the 2 worlds, and after one of my last reads (DL Blades - Sea of Zemira series) I felt the desire to read more of the same! 🧜♂️🔮
So when I came across the Oceansong, I simply HAD to read it because I got the 'tingles', which usually is my indicator that I will throw down my body in worship of a well written book. 🤔
I wasn't wrong.🙏🏻🙏🏻
This book has dark little mermaid vibes. 😈🧜🏻♀️
It has a beautiful enemies to lovers tale, not to slow, not to fast. Goldilocks timing. 👌🏻
The book is focused on the war between two species, Merfolk and Humans. The loss of the oceans fish population. The bonds of family. In a small American/Canadian town? Sorry I'm British and awful at geography, I know it's somewhere remote and in that region, I just couldn't work out where Alaska actually lied, geographically. 🫢🌏📍
The villain in this piece was excellent, I wish there was more back story into his character and why he was such a bellend. I didn't like him from the moment he stepped on the scene. With his better than thou attitude, and antagonising behaviour. So that's what made his development into an evil villain exceptionally brilliant. 😈
I won't give any spoilers, because I really feel this book will get its chance to shine without any sneaky peeks from my mouth/keyboard? 🌟
I love an indie author. I adore an indie author who can produce a novel that keeps me awake through the long hours of the night, with my mind refusing to sleep until I've read every single beautiful word.
I love this story, and I really hope I get a chance to read more of Rose' work in the future.
5 stormy sea stars for you. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another book/author for my WYR pile.🖤
I haven't read a lot of interspecies Romantasy books, at least ones other than the typical fantasy creatures i.e. Vampire, witch or wolf/shifter.
This story meets a new love for me, human/fantasy sea creature. I've often been intrigued, about the melding of the 2 worlds, and after one of my last reads (DL Blades - Sea of Zemira series) I felt the desire to read more of the same! 🧜♂️🔮
So when I came across the Oceansong, I simply HAD to read it because I got the 'tingles', which usually is my indicator that I will throw down my body in worship of a well written book. 🤔
I wasn't wrong.🙏🏻🙏🏻
This book has dark little mermaid vibes. 😈🧜🏻♀️
It has a beautiful enemies to lovers tale, not to slow, not to fast. Goldilocks timing. 👌🏻
The book is focused on the war between two species, Merfolk and Humans. The loss of the oceans fish population. The bonds of family. In a small American/Canadian town? Sorry I'm British and awful at geography, I know it's somewhere remote and in that region, I just couldn't work out where Alaska actually lied, geographically. 🫢🌏📍
The villain in this piece was excellent, I wish there was more back story into his character and why he was such a bellend. I didn't like him from the moment he stepped on the scene. With his better than thou attitude, and antagonising behaviour. So that's what made his development into an evil villain exceptionally brilliant. 😈
I won't give any spoilers, because I really feel this book will get its chance to shine without any sneaky peeks from my mouth/keyboard? 🌟
I love an indie author. I adore an indie author who can produce a novel that keeps me awake through the long hours of the night, with my mind refusing to sleep until I've read every single beautiful word.
I love this story, and I really hope I get a chance to read more of Rose' work in the future.
5 stormy sea stars for you. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another book/author for my WYR pile.🖤
July 27, 2024
ARC review. DNF’d at 50% and skimmed the rest.
Oceansong reads like a first draft of something that could be a decent novel after some heavy editing and rewriting.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot I disliked about this novel. The reveal that mermaids exist was confusing and boring. Everyone sort of brushed it off very quickly? There was zero sense of awe or wonder. We immediately move on to this “war” where the mermaids start hoarding fish, this random Alaskan village gets mad and kills a merman, then are shocked when mermaids retaliate.
The pacing is very jarring. For example, one dude is all “omg I want to be a marine scientist” then gets killed on the next page. It felt like a very cheap way to raise the stakes. There’s virtually no tension because a lot of things are told, not shown. There were way too many times where the FMC (and sometimes the MMC) went into lecture mode about marine biology.
The writing is very awkward, relies a lot on cliches, and is often corny (one non-explicit smut scene is sea-themed). The MMC specially has this budget Regency era style that I hated. Some sentences are very oddly worded. One minute you’re reading a regular sentence, the next you’re hit with “She frowned, perishing the doltish notion.”
I could not find much to enjoyed in this book personally, and I deeply disliked my reading experience.
Oceansong reads like a first draft of something that could be a decent novel after some heavy editing and rewriting.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot I disliked about this novel. The reveal that mermaids exist was confusing and boring. Everyone sort of brushed it off very quickly? There was zero sense of awe or wonder. We immediately move on to this “war” where the mermaids start hoarding fish, this random Alaskan village gets mad and kills a merman, then are shocked when mermaids retaliate.
The pacing is very jarring. For example, one dude is all “omg I want to be a marine scientist” then gets killed on the next page. It felt like a very cheap way to raise the stakes. There’s virtually no tension because a lot of things are told, not shown. There were way too many times where the FMC (and sometimes the MMC) went into lecture mode about marine biology.
The writing is very awkward, relies a lot on cliches, and is often corny (one non-explicit smut scene is sea-themed). The MMC specially has this budget Regency era style that I hated. Some sentences are very oddly worded. One minute you’re reading a regular sentence, the next you’re hit with “She frowned, perishing the doltish notion.”
I could not find much to enjoyed in this book personally, and I deeply disliked my reading experience.
August 16, 2024
“Son of a triggerfish.” - Hilarious.
"I’m afraid if we do this, I won’t be able to hold myself back anymore."
“I will never get enough of you .” *swoooon* ❤️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oceansong is a beautifully written romantasy book that has a Romeo and Juliet style of forbidden love, a pretty alaskan setting with some Asian culture intertwined.
We follow our main female character, Angie, as she returns to Alaska to get her work hours up at her fathers docks and earn some money for grad school. however, upon angies return, there seems to be a decline in the resources being produced, which is impacting the small village. The humans want to know what is causing this, which leads to the discovery of mermaids. This turns into a human vs. mermaids war for the ocean. Both sides are not willing to step down, but how far are they willing to go? and what sacrifices will be made?
I have not read a book that had mermaids in since I was a child and I was a little apprehensive as to whether I would fully enjoy it, with this being an interspecies romance between a human and a merman - but this book was fantastic! I think I have been converted into my mermaid era.🧜♀️
the writing style is gripping, descriptive, and conveys the emotions of the characters so easily.I never struggled to visualise any of the scenes or the characters. I enjoyed how well thought out the fantasy and magic elements of the book were, as again I was very curious as to how some things would work - wink, wink!! 😆😏
I like that the author touched upon real-world issues and difficult topics such as over consumption of fishing by humans, water pollution, etc. Tough family dynamics, preconceived/internalised prejudice - as these are super important topics!
Watching Angie, our MFC, grow and develop as she battles with the pressures from her family and her own moral decisions throughout the war between humans and mermaids is interesting and seeing how her walls slow fall down for the lovely merman, Kaden.
Kaden, our MMC, is a merman, and he is such a little sweetheart. He feels too innocent at times, but he really does a great job of introducing us to the world of mer and breaking down Angies armour. Their relationship is a slow romantic burn, and it will leave you wanting more!
Overall, I would recommend this book, and I can’t wait to read more about Angie and Kaden!
"I’m afraid if we do this, I won’t be able to hold myself back anymore."
“I will never get enough of you .” *swoooon* ❤️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oceansong is a beautifully written romantasy book that has a Romeo and Juliet style of forbidden love, a pretty alaskan setting with some Asian culture intertwined.
We follow our main female character, Angie, as she returns to Alaska to get her work hours up at her fathers docks and earn some money for grad school. however, upon angies return, there seems to be a decline in the resources being produced, which is impacting the small village. The humans want to know what is causing this, which leads to the discovery of mermaids. This turns into a human vs. mermaids war for the ocean. Both sides are not willing to step down, but how far are they willing to go? and what sacrifices will be made?
I have not read a book that had mermaids in since I was a child and I was a little apprehensive as to whether I would fully enjoy it, with this being an interspecies romance between a human and a merman - but this book was fantastic! I think I have been converted into my mermaid era.🧜♀️
the writing style is gripping, descriptive, and conveys the emotions of the characters so easily.I never struggled to visualise any of the scenes or the characters. I enjoyed how well thought out the fantasy and magic elements of the book were, as again I was very curious as to how some things would work - wink, wink!! 😆😏
I like that the author touched upon real-world issues and difficult topics such as over consumption of fishing by humans, water pollution, etc. Tough family dynamics, preconceived/internalised prejudice - as these are super important topics!
Watching Angie, our MFC, grow and develop as she battles with the pressures from her family and her own moral decisions throughout the war between humans and mermaids is interesting and seeing how her walls slow fall down for the lovely merman, Kaden.
Kaden, our MMC, is a merman, and he is such a little sweetheart. He feels too innocent at times, but he really does a great job of introducing us to the world of mer and breaking down Angies armour. Their relationship is a slow romantic burn, and it will leave you wanting more!
Overall, I would recommend this book, and I can’t wait to read more about Angie and Kaden!
July 7, 2024
Rounding up from 3.5. Thank you to the author for the ARC of this book!
I haven’t read merfolk fantasy before so I was grateful to get to experience from a new author’s work!
Things I liked:
- forbidden romance
- Chinese words, terminology, and religion woven into the mer culture
- Angie being a strong, smart, educated woman who wasn’t dead set on love but found it anyway
Things I didn’t love:
- the pacing felt really slow at times
- the war was really long and I wish it’d wrapped up faster
- Nick. Full stop. And also I don’t understand how her dad and sister could not believe her?? That whole dynamic was really concerning to me.
- the ending left me feeling a little unfulfilled? I wish the epilogue had been like 3 years later or when she’d finished her PhD program and we could see how Angie and Kaden ended up together and have a little more resolution?
Overall, I think this is a strong debut and I can see a lot of people really liking this. I hope C.W Rose keeps writing because I like her voice and POV. I think she’ll continue to grow as a writer and look forward to her future stories.
I haven’t read merfolk fantasy before so I was grateful to get to experience from a new author’s work!
Things I liked:
- forbidden romance
- Chinese words, terminology, and religion woven into the mer culture
- Angie being a strong, smart, educated woman who wasn’t dead set on love but found it anyway
Things I didn’t love:
- the pacing felt really slow at times
- the war was really long and I wish it’d wrapped up faster
- Nick. Full stop. And also I don’t understand how her dad and sister could not believe her?? That whole dynamic was really concerning to me.
- the ending left me feeling a little unfulfilled? I wish the epilogue had been like 3 years later or when she’d finished her PhD program and we could see how Angie and Kaden ended up together and have a little more resolution?
Overall, I think this is a strong debut and I can see a lot of people really liking this. I hope C.W Rose keeps writing because I like her voice and POV. I think she’ll continue to grow as a writer and look forward to her future stories.
May 15, 2024
I'm telling ya'all to brace yourself to Angie a headstrong aspiring marine biologist with Kaden, the sweet and handsomest mer-prince. Both would go strenuously to protect their people despite the burning star-crossed roller-coaster relationship!!! Also, I'm so honored to beta-read this book not once but T.W.I.C.E even before she has found a lovely home in the hands of a supportive publisher (so glad that she finally did and so deserving!). I absolutely highly-recommend this Little Mermaid X Asian retelling of Romeo & Juliet, not only for those who love this combination BUT for those who love to read an action-packed adventure, straight out of the pages (yeah, before it hit your nearest cinema OR Netflix!😉) . I would say read it like you're watching a movie in your coziest manner BUT make sure to grip onto your seats. Especially you have a villain that needed to be thrown out to the sharks! Lastly, I'm definitely looking forward to read this one! And I hope you all are, too! Human-Mer unite! 👩🏻🔬🧜🏻♂️
June 6, 2024
I loved this spin off of my little mermaid!
Filled with so much drama it continues to draw you in!
I did struggle with the small stagnant parts but the book is well worth it!
Filled with so much drama it continues to draw you in!
I did struggle with the small stagnant parts but the book is well worth it!
July 28, 2024
Where do I begin? While reading Oceansong, I felt ill. My chest feels tight and I feel anxious in my stomach even as I’m writing this review (no exaggeration). I have to admit, I feel horrible criticizing books when authors put their heart and soul into their work, but I want to be completely honest about my thoughts. <3
That said, this book takes place in Creston, Alaska, and is told in 24-year-old, marine biologist Angie’s pov. The story’s conflict began with merfolk hoarding fish to teach humans a lesson about the damage they’ve caused to the ocean and escalated into full-blown war when merpeople as well as humans were killed. Amidst the chaos, Angie met Kaden, a merman, and viewed him as an enemy briefly, one interaction to be exact, before coming to a mutual understanding, agreeing to work together to convince their people for a ceasefire. The ensuing romance between them had me grimacing. I couldn’t feel their love despite the feeble insistence to the contrary, also their moments together felt grossly ill-timed. At least the romance didn’t quickly escalate into love. :/
Regarding the plot, the first word that comes to mind is ludicrous. Angie’s meager efforts to stop the war were futile because the humans weren’t interested in understanding the merfolk, but rather they justified the merpeople’s claims that humanity is cruel, entitled, and greedy. Virtually all of the villagers were barbaric/archaic, gloating over murdering merfolk. The men were particularly insufferable with their exasperating tone of condescension. No one, including the merpeople, listened to reason, resulting in countless, avoidable deaths, for everyone was full of hatred and rage.
Don’t get me started on Nick. How did nobody else besides Angie see how AWFUL he was?? He talked his way out of everything and embodied someone who is abusive. Admittedly, his character is the one thing I think C.W. Rose executed well. Whereas Nick’s character was impressively revolting, Angie’s father was irritatingly impassive. His affection for his daughters indiscernible.
I admire C.W. Rose’s attempt to increase awareness of ocean pollution and overfishing, yet Oceansong remains a disappointment that I struggled to finish. There was a remarkable lack of scenes that took place in the underwater world even though it concerns merpeople. Perhaps this book would have been better if we had Kaden’s pov, or maybe, perchance, it would have been excruciatingly longer than it already felt with his perspective. All in all, w/ graphic violence, swearing, and spice, Oceansong is sadly a book I would never recommend reading for the aforementioned reasons. :(
p.s. Oceansong includes the mentioning of suicide. And I was gifted an arc of this book for review.
That said, this book takes place in Creston, Alaska, and is told in 24-year-old, marine biologist Angie’s pov. The story’s conflict began with merfolk hoarding fish to teach humans a lesson about the damage they’ve caused to the ocean and escalated into full-blown war when merpeople as well as humans were killed. Amidst the chaos, Angie met Kaden, a merman, and viewed him as an enemy briefly, one interaction to be exact, before coming to a mutual understanding, agreeing to work together to convince their people for a ceasefire. The ensuing romance between them had me grimacing. I couldn’t feel their love despite the feeble insistence to the contrary, also their moments together felt grossly ill-timed. At least the romance didn’t quickly escalate into love. :/
Regarding the plot, the first word that comes to mind is ludicrous. Angie’s meager efforts to stop the war were futile because the humans weren’t interested in understanding the merfolk, but rather they justified the merpeople’s claims that humanity is cruel, entitled, and greedy. Virtually all of the villagers were barbaric/archaic, gloating over murdering merfolk. The men were particularly insufferable with their exasperating tone of condescension. No one, including the merpeople, listened to reason, resulting in countless, avoidable deaths, for everyone was full of hatred and rage.
Don’t get me started on Nick. How did nobody else besides Angie see how AWFUL he was?? He talked his way out of everything and embodied someone who is abusive. Admittedly, his character is the one thing I think C.W. Rose executed well. Whereas Nick’s character was impressively revolting, Angie’s father was irritatingly impassive. His affection for his daughters indiscernible.
I admire C.W. Rose’s attempt to increase awareness of ocean pollution and overfishing, yet Oceansong remains a disappointment that I struggled to finish. There was a remarkable lack of scenes that took place in the underwater world even though it concerns merpeople. Perhaps this book would have been better if we had Kaden’s pov, or maybe, perchance, it would have been excruciatingly longer than it already felt with his perspective. All in all, w/ graphic violence, swearing, and spice, Oceansong is sadly a book I would never recommend reading for the aforementioned reasons. :(
p.s. Oceansong includes the mentioning of suicide. And I was gifted an arc of this book for review.
September 13, 2024
This was such a wonderful book. I love a good retelling when it’s done well and the author absolutely delivered.
This book is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet and the little mermaid. We see a love that transcends race, feuding families and cultures and the sweetest natural romance with high stakes and tensions.
I loved both Angie and Kaden, the main characters, especially the fact that their romance progressed naturally.
The descriptions of the underwater world and mermaid lore were done so well that I had no issue imagining all of the scenes and action.
I was so curious to see how the spice scenes were done and I think the author did this really well and it made sense
There are some real world topics too that are tackled in this book (humans destroying the ecosystem, taking too much food from the ocean, littering, even toxic relationships and family loyalty and issues) that are so nicely sprinkled through the book. It made me feel really emotional at times especially with the way the author made some of the more villainous characters - the humans choosing to destroy the mer-people to ‘show them who the strongest species are’ and especially the male attitude towards mermaids
Overall, this book evoked so many emotions in me and left me with a lot of thoughts regarding the real world issues mentioned. I love Kaden and Angie’s relationship and cannot wait to see where the series goes
This book is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet and the little mermaid. We see a love that transcends race, feuding families and cultures and the sweetest natural romance with high stakes and tensions.
I loved both Angie and Kaden, the main characters, especially the fact that their romance progressed naturally.
The descriptions of the underwater world and mermaid lore were done so well that I had no issue imagining all of the scenes and action.
I was so curious to see how the spice scenes were done and I think the author did this really well and it made sense
There are some real world topics too that are tackled in this book (humans destroying the ecosystem, taking too much food from the ocean, littering, even toxic relationships and family loyalty and issues) that are so nicely sprinkled through the book. It made me feel really emotional at times especially with the way the author made some of the more villainous characters - the humans choosing to destroy the mer-people to ‘show them who the strongest species are’ and especially the male attitude towards mermaids
Overall, this book evoked so many emotions in me and left me with a lot of thoughts regarding the real world issues mentioned. I love Kaden and Angie’s relationship and cannot wait to see where the series goes
August 26, 2024
I think the dedication of this book really sums it up:
"For the women who have had to choose between duty and their heart, and for the feminists and feminist allies, and the romantics and ocean children at heart."
If you fall under any or all of those categories, I think you'll really enjoy this story.
Part Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers romance, part ecological activism, part heart-wrenching war story, this book wears so many hats and does them all so well!
I loved the main character Angie. She's a scientist at heart, wanting to understand how the world, especially its oceans, works. While she is caring and has a heart of gold, she also has a backbone as witnessed by her standing up for herself to her terrible brother-in-law. I loved to hate that man, and I loved how she put him in his place. When the war with the mer-people begins, she can't decide whether to be angry at the mer for seemingly taking their food source for no reason or horrified at her own people for their bloodlust, and I loved her for that. Even when she wasn't sure she wanted to take the mer's side, she still advocated for them to have dignity during the war.
Her relationship with a merman progressed a little quickly for my tastes, but I still enjoyed it. I loved her wonder at getting to experience his world. The underwater scenes were magical, straight out of The Little Mermaid!
Overall, if you're looking for a sweet romance in the middle of a dark war with ecological importance, give this book a try!
Thank you to the author for the copy of the book. This review was left voluntarily and all opinions are my own.
"For the women who have had to choose between duty and their heart, and for the feminists and feminist allies, and the romantics and ocean children at heart."
If you fall under any or all of those categories, I think you'll really enjoy this story.
Part Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers romance, part ecological activism, part heart-wrenching war story, this book wears so many hats and does them all so well!
I loved the main character Angie. She's a scientist at heart, wanting to understand how the world, especially its oceans, works. While she is caring and has a heart of gold, she also has a backbone as witnessed by her standing up for herself to her terrible brother-in-law. I loved to hate that man, and I loved how she put him in his place. When the war with the mer-people begins, she can't decide whether to be angry at the mer for seemingly taking their food source for no reason or horrified at her own people for their bloodlust, and I loved her for that. Even when she wasn't sure she wanted to take the mer's side, she still advocated for them to have dignity during the war.
Her relationship with a merman progressed a little quickly for my tastes, but I still enjoyed it. I loved her wonder at getting to experience his world. The underwater scenes were magical, straight out of The Little Mermaid!
Overall, if you're looking for a sweet romance in the middle of a dark war with ecological importance, give this book a try!
Thank you to the author for the copy of the book. This review was left voluntarily and all opinions are my own.
August 8, 2024
• I am going to start by saying this, her writing is just BEAUTIFUL. From the first page, I am there, with Angie, smelling the sea air and on the docks with her.
• Angie Song (love her name) our FMC, I would 100% be friends with this gal. Not afraid to speak her mind and opinions. And we love an outspoken queen. She doesn’t change her views or beliefs to conform with everyone else around her, she sticks to what her heart is telling her.
• Kaden, the mer prince, from the very beginning he had me in his clutches. Also not afraid to speak his mind, I’m all for that. Meek characters drive me insane, and this book didn’t have any of that. 👏 I also love how he listens to Angie’s views about the humans and the “don’t punish the few for the masses mistakes POV.” He’s also so curious about the world, and I adored that.
• The whole story play out of this book was just 🤌🏻 You needed that build up in the beginning to understand why things went the way they did. The environmental impact humans do the ocean, I LOVE that that is in here.
• I am SO glad I got to read this early. I can’t wait for more! I’m purposely just giving you a LITTLE bit of info because I don’t want to spoil anything. You’ll just have to read it yourself to find out!
• Angie Song (love her name) our FMC, I would 100% be friends with this gal. Not afraid to speak her mind and opinions. And we love an outspoken queen. She doesn’t change her views or beliefs to conform with everyone else around her, she sticks to what her heart is telling her.
• Kaden, the mer prince, from the very beginning he had me in his clutches. Also not afraid to speak his mind, I’m all for that. Meek characters drive me insane, and this book didn’t have any of that. 👏 I also love how he listens to Angie’s views about the humans and the “don’t punish the few for the masses mistakes POV.” He’s also so curious about the world, and I adored that.
• The whole story play out of this book was just 🤌🏻 You needed that build up in the beginning to understand why things went the way they did. The environmental impact humans do the ocean, I LOVE that that is in here.
• I am SO glad I got to read this early. I can’t wait for more! I’m purposely just giving you a LITTLE bit of info because I don’t want to spoil anything. You’ll just have to read it yourself to find out!
September 1, 2024
I'm so, so sad that I didn't love this. I struggled with what to rate this because I really loved the first half of the book but, the second half went off the rails and I really hated it.
Some highs are the focus on mermaids, the alaskan setting, Kaden, and some of the secondary characters (Cyrus, Adrielle, Rosie and Mia.)
I received some pre-order items and from the quotes, I thought I was getting a cozier, romance with some tension going on in the background. Unfortunately, the romantic elements of this plot take a backseat to the tensions between the humans and merpeople.
The FMC is unlikeable and uninspiring. Often causing more problems than fixing things. Sometimes she's smart and fierce and other times she's hiding in the background.
Also would have loved to have had a scene where Kaden takes the last name Ocean to tie into the book title.
Some highs are the focus on mermaids, the alaskan setting, Kaden, and some of the secondary characters (Cyrus, Adrielle, Rosie and Mia.)
I received some pre-order items and from the quotes, I thought I was getting a cozier, romance with some tension going on in the background. Unfortunately, the romantic elements of this plot take a backseat to the tensions between the humans and merpeople.
The FMC is unlikeable and uninspiring. Often causing more problems than fixing things. Sometimes she's smart and fierce and other times she's hiding in the background.
Also would have loved to have had a scene where Kaden takes the last name Ocean to tie into the book title.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2024
This book definitely made a splash!
I truly am at a loss for words regarding this book. Start to finish it was beautifully written. The language the author used throughout for the merfolk, and incorporating some Mandarin in there as well was wonderful. I really don’t know where to start with this review so I’m going to write and see where it goes!
The world building and descriptive language CW Rose used in this novel made it a beautiful and immersive story I was so not prepared to experience. I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the ARC team who got to review this early.
****POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD READ WITH CAUTION****
Let’s start with my opinions on Angie (the FMC). Angie is a strong willed, big hearted woman. She pulled my heart strings in so many different directions. Her point of view throughout this story was inspiring. I loved that she had a dream and even through the end when her world was turning upside down, she was still determined to achieve it. She was a wonderful character who really made you want to evaluate your own self and ensure you are also as headstrong and following your own dreams.
Kaden. Hm. Well. Kaden was an AMAZING character as well. He was the MMC. Kaden to me was an interesting guy who was a bit stand offish at times, but to see the way he fell for our FMC, had my heart in pieces. I adored the way he looked at her and treated her. To me, he is the epitome of what a woman should be looking for in a man. He worshipped the ground that Angie walked on. (Literally haha). Together they made a beautiful couple and I believe (if she continues the story, and trust me I pray she does) that if the time ever came for him to rule the queendom, he would rock in his role.
The other characters were fantastic and well written as well. But Nick was a jerk and I did not like him. Haha
If you don’t have this on your TBR list, what are you doing?! You need to read this. I could not have asked for a better story, honestly. And as a fellow ocean and mermaid lover, well done darlin. You did them proud!
Until the next one!
I truly am at a loss for words regarding this book. Start to finish it was beautifully written. The language the author used throughout for the merfolk, and incorporating some Mandarin in there as well was wonderful. I really don’t know where to start with this review so I’m going to write and see where it goes!
The world building and descriptive language CW Rose used in this novel made it a beautiful and immersive story I was so not prepared to experience. I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the ARC team who got to review this early.
****POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD READ WITH CAUTION****
Let’s start with my opinions on Angie (the FMC). Angie is a strong willed, big hearted woman. She pulled my heart strings in so many different directions. Her point of view throughout this story was inspiring. I loved that she had a dream and even through the end when her world was turning upside down, she was still determined to achieve it. She was a wonderful character who really made you want to evaluate your own self and ensure you are also as headstrong and following your own dreams.
Kaden. Hm. Well. Kaden was an AMAZING character as well. He was the MMC. Kaden to me was an interesting guy who was a bit stand offish at times, but to see the way he fell for our FMC, had my heart in pieces. I adored the way he looked at her and treated her. To me, he is the epitome of what a woman should be looking for in a man. He worshipped the ground that Angie walked on. (Literally haha). Together they made a beautiful couple and I believe (if she continues the story, and trust me I pray she does) that if the time ever came for him to rule the queendom, he would rock in his role.
The other characters were fantastic and well written as well. But Nick was a jerk and I did not like him. Haha
If you don’t have this on your TBR list, what are you doing?! You need to read this. I could not have asked for a better story, honestly. And as a fellow ocean and mermaid lover, well done darlin. You did them proud!
Until the next one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2024
Angela ‘Angie’ Song is an aspiring marine biologist working at her father’s docks in an Alaskan town to get some relevant experience (and to be close to the ocean, of course). But was she surprised when the fish – the primary food source for her folks’ survival – were mysteriously disappearing? What happened when she spotted a mermaid one day while completing her shift at the docks?
Do you smell a mermaid-human romance brewing too?
However, a storm quickly gathers between the humans and the mermaids as they start fighting over the ocean’s resources and overall environmental concerns. Eventually, the tides turn the petty ‘accidental’ murders into a brutal battle between both species making things incredibly difficult for the love-struck Angie and the mermaid prince Kaden.
The best part about this book is the concern for the environment. The author tried her best to incorporate the raging issues of over-harvesting the ocean into this contemporary fantasy story. I thought that the characters were pretty memorable too. I feel like the Asian representation (especially, the family dynamics) was hard-hitting and realistic. If you love the ocean and fantasy (and smut), and if you would love to read underwater scenes, this book is a great choice for you.
What didn’t work for me though is the pace of the book. While a lot was happening, the lack of drive in the main characters made it a slow read for me. I would’ve loved the book if the main characters had more agency and were able to do something about the events instead of just talking about it.
Thanks to C. W. Rose for providing me with an opportunity to read and review Oceansong ARC.
Congratulations on your book! All the very best. 😊
Do you smell a mermaid-human romance brewing too?
However, a storm quickly gathers between the humans and the mermaids as they start fighting over the ocean’s resources and overall environmental concerns. Eventually, the tides turn the petty ‘accidental’ murders into a brutal battle between both species making things incredibly difficult for the love-struck Angie and the mermaid prince Kaden.
The best part about this book is the concern for the environment. The author tried her best to incorporate the raging issues of over-harvesting the ocean into this contemporary fantasy story. I thought that the characters were pretty memorable too. I feel like the Asian representation (especially, the family dynamics) was hard-hitting and realistic. If you love the ocean and fantasy (and smut), and if you would love to read underwater scenes, this book is a great choice for you.
What didn’t work for me though is the pace of the book. While a lot was happening, the lack of drive in the main characters made it a slow read for me. I would’ve loved the book if the main characters had more agency and were able to do something about the events instead of just talking about it.
Thanks to C. W. Rose for providing me with an opportunity to read and review Oceansong ARC.
Congratulations on your book! All the very best. 😊
May 25, 2024
Thank you to C.W. Rose for the ARC.
Plot 4.75/5
Characters 4.5/5
Ending 4/5
Interest 4.75/5
Overall 4.5/5
-I really likes this book, from the war between humans and merfolk, the contemporary world mixed with fantasy elements. It was so intriguing. I was so busy this week that I kind of felt disconnected from this book but overall, I still really enjoyed myself. The fact that it was also a mix of Romeo and Juliet and the Little Mermaid made it all the more intriguing.
-The characters were so fun to read about. I loved their meeting it was cute and fun in an enemies to lovers type of way which was great. I did feel like it evolved into lovers a bit too fast but it does make sense in a way that they had to meet again and it’s a sort of Romeo and Juliet retelling. Overall Kaden and Angie were so cute together. Side characters were alright. I liked some of the people working at the dock but I really disliked Nick. There were so many elements that just irked me and I got physical angry at him.
-The ending felt a bit “too easy” then again, I know that it wasn’t easy for any of the characters but that’s just the feeling I got from it. Probably it was a bit rushed for my liking, if it was flushed out a bit perhaps it would have been better for me. Other than that, the ending was still nice to read and I like that Angie and Kaden got their happy ending.
Plot 4.75/5
Characters 4.5/5
Ending 4/5
Interest 4.75/5
Overall 4.5/5
-I really likes this book, from the war between humans and merfolk, the contemporary world mixed with fantasy elements. It was so intriguing. I was so busy this week that I kind of felt disconnected from this book but overall, I still really enjoyed myself. The fact that it was also a mix of Romeo and Juliet and the Little Mermaid made it all the more intriguing.
-The characters were so fun to read about. I loved their meeting it was cute and fun in an enemies to lovers type of way which was great. I did feel like it evolved into lovers a bit too fast but it does make sense in a way that they had to meet again and it’s a sort of Romeo and Juliet retelling. Overall Kaden and Angie were so cute together. Side characters were alright. I liked some of the people working at the dock but I really disliked Nick. There were so many elements that just irked me and I got physical angry at him.
-The ending felt a bit “too easy” then again, I know that it wasn’t easy for any of the characters but that’s just the feeling I got from it. Probably it was a bit rushed for my liking, if it was flushed out a bit perhaps it would have been better for me. Other than that, the ending was still nice to read and I like that Angie and Kaden got their happy ending.
May 31, 2024
Firstly, thank you for choosing me to ARC your book❤️
I really enjoyed this book! It suppressed me actually because I usually don’t like reading third person point of view, mostly because I tend to feel disconnected from the characters. But you wrote it so beautifully, I was able to connect with them. ✨
I loved reading about an Asian main character, it was definitely different and I loved every bit of it. Angie along with Kaden had me swooning🫣
Though I must admit I hated Nike with a passion. Wanted to enter the damn book and drown him 🤭
Over all, the story was enjoyable and super cute. My only complaint is I wished the ending would elaborate more about how they make their relationship work, or simply just gave more details on it. I’m greedy 👀
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.3
Spice 🌶️
I really enjoyed this book! It suppressed me actually because I usually don’t like reading third person point of view, mostly because I tend to feel disconnected from the characters. But you wrote it so beautifully, I was able to connect with them. ✨
I loved reading about an Asian main character, it was definitely different and I loved every bit of it. Angie along with Kaden had me swooning🫣
Though I must admit I hated Nike with a passion. Wanted to enter the damn book and drown him 🤭
Over all, the story was enjoyable and super cute. My only complaint is I wished the ending would elaborate more about how they make their relationship work, or simply just gave more details on it. I’m greedy 👀
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.3
Spice 🌶️
August 18, 2024
"Oh. So you're like penguins? Well, most penguins."
"Now I'm a penguin." Kaden teased.
"You're a very handsome penguin."
I very much enjoyed this reverse Little Mermaid story! Angie is such a great character that really comes into her own over the course of the book. Kaden is a cinnamon roll and I love him.
Honestly, I hope there's a second book. I didn't want this story to end.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
"Now I'm a penguin." Kaden teased.
"You're a very handsome penguin."
I very much enjoyed this reverse Little Mermaid story! Angie is such a great character that really comes into her own over the course of the book. Kaden is a cinnamon roll and I love him.
Honestly, I hope there's a second book. I didn't want this story to end.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 16, 2024
I would first like to start off by saying a huge thank you to C.W. Rose for allowing me to be apart of her arc team and givin me an advanced copy of this book! It is always such a pleasure to be chosen by authors to review their work and enjoy it!
Alright down to the nitty gritty of it all.
SPOILERS AHEAD READ WITH CAUTION!
As someone who first fell in love with books reading Romeo and Juliet at my schools public library, I ate ate this story up! Forbidden romance is my bread and butter. This story very much had all those elements that I always find intriguing in my books, and this book didnt hold back in the slightest.
I loved getting to see the super raw and emotional side of humanity that I felt was expertly portrayed. The character growth was phenomenally executed. This is the type of style I am looking for when I am choosing to read a book.
Sometime when I am reading, I feel like the author has left out a big part of the plot or it got forgotten along the way. But Rose did such a great job of including all the elements into this piece. I cant wait to see what else she writes.
I also know we shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, but I am glad Nick is gone. And I stand by that.
Alright down to the nitty gritty of it all.
SPOILERS AHEAD READ WITH CAUTION!
As someone who first fell in love with books reading Romeo and Juliet at my schools public library, I ate ate this story up! Forbidden romance is my bread and butter. This story very much had all those elements that I always find intriguing in my books, and this book didnt hold back in the slightest.
I loved getting to see the super raw and emotional side of humanity that I felt was expertly portrayed. The character growth was phenomenally executed. This is the type of style I am looking for when I am choosing to read a book.
Sometime when I am reading, I feel like the author has left out a big part of the plot or it got forgotten along the way. But Rose did such a great job of including all the elements into this piece. I cant wait to see what else she writes.
I also know we shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, but I am glad Nick is gone. And I stand by that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2024
I wanted to love this. I just couldn't vibe with the writing syle
August 3, 2024
So I was super honoured to be pick by @cwroseauthor to read her upcoming romantasy Oceansong.
Not only is it a love story about a human and mer, but it has strong family values and addresses environmental issues like pollution in our oceans and sustainable fishing.
I really loved reading Kaden and Angie’s story and watching the characters develop.
I found the story to be a really good read, it’s giving Mermaid Romeo and Juliet vibes with a good serving of spice too.
I’m already hoping for a second book because I NEED to know more 👀
Also how friggin cool is this artwork…LOVE 🩵🩵🩵
Thank you again for choosing me to be part of your ARC team 🧜 🌊
September 16, 2024
Thank you so much C.W. Rose for allowing me the honor to ARC read this book for you!
I also had the privilege of beta-reading this beauty, and while I loved the mer/human conflict before, the brutality of the war between these star-(sea-?)crossed lovers, and their chemistry, I have to give C.W. an astounding round of applause for how she polished this diamond to make it MORE compelling, MORE juicy, MORE delectable, just MORE MORE MORE.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a contemporary fantasy where worlds collide and love conquers (almost) all.
Let me also say this...I hated the villain before. I hate them even more after reading this book a second time.
Angie is the sassy female (human) protagonist while Kaden is the cinnamon-roll male (mer) protagonist who meet under tense circumstances, but their chemistry is apparent from the start. Before they've even said 2 sentences to one another, I as a reader WANTED them to get together, but also wondered...how?
That's part of the beauty of this story—watching that unfold.
There's spice. There's magic. There's intrigue. There's blood. There's abs. There's a villain so despicable, you'll want to spit in their face.
An amazing debut for an amazing and beautiful author!
I also had the privilege of beta-reading this beauty, and while I loved the mer/human conflict before, the brutality of the war between these star-(sea-?)crossed lovers, and their chemistry, I have to give C.W. an astounding round of applause for how she polished this diamond to make it MORE compelling, MORE juicy, MORE delectable, just MORE MORE MORE.
I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a contemporary fantasy where worlds collide and love conquers (almost) all.
Let me also say this...I hated the villain before. I hate them even more after reading this book a second time.
Angie is the sassy female (human) protagonist while Kaden is the cinnamon-roll male (mer) protagonist who meet under tense circumstances, but their chemistry is apparent from the start. Before they've even said 2 sentences to one another, I as a reader WANTED them to get together, but also wondered...how?
That's part of the beauty of this story—watching that unfold.
There's spice. There's magic. There's intrigue. There's blood. There's abs. There's a villain so despicable, you'll want to spit in their face.
An amazing debut for an amazing and beautiful author!
June 7, 2024
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I don't even know where to begin. Like many other readers I was hooked (ha ha, fish, get it) on the "Little Mermaid x Romeo and Juliet" premise. But reading that and the blurb did not prepare me for the ride I was about to go through.
What I Loved
The prose is wonderful. I adore Ms. Rose's writing voice. The book is written from the femme lead's POV and the narration reflected that well. I truly believed I was reading the story of a young, competent, talented, intelligent woman whose life gets turned completely upside down in astounding ways. Nothing was redundant, stale, or patronizing. Delightful read.
The characters feel alive. Whether on land or sea they were warm, vibrant, and unique. This story takes place in a small Alaskan town but you'd be surprised how big a cast of characters in a small-town story can get, and Ms. Rose does a fantastic job at giving each character a strong persona that sets them apart while still making them feel true to the setting. This further strengthened the plot itself because it was able to build on the empathy we as readers have for the cast.
As for that plot... I need to address the "Little Mermaid x Romeo and Juliet" thing. Because it's not untrue, but I need to emphasize, this is a war romance. This isn't a "spat" or a "feud" or a "conflict" between families, this is a war. People die. So many people die. In so many, many ways. (Writing is not graphic but it's not wishy-washy about what's happening either.) And once I realized that's what I was really reading, I had so much admiration for how it was written. This is a war without trained soldiers, military equipment, or political pressures. It's a war of survival, on both sides, and you watch the characters work together to use their resources and knowledge to the best of their abilities, with the conflict escalating as desperation and pride rises - and the results are devastating. My heart was hammering in my throat for 75% of this book.
Major Spoilers Ahead
Including of the Ending
Please Do Not Read Further If You Do Not Want Spoilers
.
.
.
.
.
Unfortunately the ending of this book is what knocked it down from five to four stars for me, for two reasons.
The first reason is I think part of the challenge that comes from the war romance genre. Ms. Rose did a marvelous job of writing how the war gradually and yet exponentially escalated, and the final battle scene was genuinely harrowing and chilling. What frustrated me was that everything was then immediately fine. Well, "immediately fine" might be a slight exaggeration. There's still tension and a lot of healing that needs to happen. But literally what, three days after the final battle? The mer bring the human leader down to visit in a super casual manner. Like, not an official peace delegation discussion or something, just like a... "Hey queen, I know you don't like me much, mind if I kiss your son 'kay thanks?" The scenes themselves weren't bad or badly written but it felt like it happened too fast. I don't think that's a deal breaker for the book though. It just left the impression that the author may be better at starting wars than finishing and healing them. Which, for the record... if that was easy to understand, we'd live in a very different world ourselves.
The second reason actually made me personally mad here. Possible trigger warning: assault, SA, spouse abuse, verbal abuse, psychological abuse.
Angie's enemy in the book isn't the mer, it's her brother-in-law. Nick starts the book as a power-hungry misogynist who uses subtle gaslighting and psychological manipulation to maintain a relationship with his wife's family shaped in his perfect image: one where he is the father's preferred child, his wife is subservient, and her sister is a convenient scapegoat of being "emotional and flighty." He ends the book as a warmonger who sexually assaults prisoners, actively manipulates the father to secure his power and fracture Angie's connection to her family, career, and education, physically assaults Angie and his wife, and takes sadistic pleasure in destroying Angie's life with increasing ferocity.
Good news, he dies. But bad news, his wife names their newborn son after him (first name in his language instead of hers, middle name is Nicholas). This and the fact that the son strongly resembles Nick are both described as comforting, and Angie has no issues with the homage to the man who beat her, shot her boyfriend, beat her sister, sexually assaulted a prisoner of war, and (temporarily) destroyed her career and her relationships with her only surviving family.
I have personal reasons to dislike domestic abuse that may be clouding my judgement here. But if my sister's SO did all of that to me and then she named the surviving son after them? I would be going no-contact. Nick did not deserve a loving legacy. He did nothing to redeem himself. And in a world where I get to believe merpeople are real and can give humans the gift of breathing underwater, damn it I also think we should get the fantasy of justice that after you intentionally hurt so many people you get nothing. It literally felt so out of left field compared to the entire rest of the book.
In Summary
I highly recommend this book for that Venn Diagram of readers who love the ocean and war. I need to emphasize again that the strength of this book is in its depiction of how violence escalates out of desperation, ego, fear, sorrow, and anger. You'll fall in love with the characters and feel your pulse race with anxiety as you wonder how they're going to build a happily-ever-after out of this. But if you feel the same way I did when you read the epilogue... Feel free to reach out and we'll cope together.
I don't even know where to begin. Like many other readers I was hooked (ha ha, fish, get it) on the "Little Mermaid x Romeo and Juliet" premise. But reading that and the blurb did not prepare me for the ride I was about to go through.
What I Loved
The prose is wonderful. I adore Ms. Rose's writing voice. The book is written from the femme lead's POV and the narration reflected that well. I truly believed I was reading the story of a young, competent, talented, intelligent woman whose life gets turned completely upside down in astounding ways. Nothing was redundant, stale, or patronizing. Delightful read.
The characters feel alive. Whether on land or sea they were warm, vibrant, and unique. This story takes place in a small Alaskan town but you'd be surprised how big a cast of characters in a small-town story can get, and Ms. Rose does a fantastic job at giving each character a strong persona that sets them apart while still making them feel true to the setting. This further strengthened the plot itself because it was able to build on the empathy we as readers have for the cast.
As for that plot... I need to address the "Little Mermaid x Romeo and Juliet" thing. Because it's not untrue, but I need to emphasize, this is a war romance. This isn't a "spat" or a "feud" or a "conflict" between families, this is a war. People die. So many people die. In so many, many ways. (Writing is not graphic but it's not wishy-washy about what's happening either.) And once I realized that's what I was really reading, I had so much admiration for how it was written. This is a war without trained soldiers, military equipment, or political pressures. It's a war of survival, on both sides, and you watch the characters work together to use their resources and knowledge to the best of their abilities, with the conflict escalating as desperation and pride rises - and the results are devastating. My heart was hammering in my throat for 75% of this book.
Major Spoilers Ahead
Including of the Ending
Please Do Not Read Further If You Do Not Want Spoilers
.
.
.
.
.
Unfortunately the ending of this book is what knocked it down from five to four stars for me, for two reasons.
The first reason is I think part of the challenge that comes from the war romance genre. Ms. Rose did a marvelous job of writing how the war gradually and yet exponentially escalated, and the final battle scene was genuinely harrowing and chilling. What frustrated me was that everything was then immediately fine. Well, "immediately fine" might be a slight exaggeration. There's still tension and a lot of healing that needs to happen. But literally what, three days after the final battle? The mer bring the human leader down to visit in a super casual manner. Like, not an official peace delegation discussion or something, just like a... "Hey queen, I know you don't like me much, mind if I kiss your son 'kay thanks?" The scenes themselves weren't bad or badly written but it felt like it happened too fast. I don't think that's a deal breaker for the book though. It just left the impression that the author may be better at starting wars than finishing and healing them. Which, for the record... if that was easy to understand, we'd live in a very different world ourselves.
The second reason actually made me personally mad here. Possible trigger warning: assault, SA, spouse abuse, verbal abuse, psychological abuse.
Angie's enemy in the book isn't the mer, it's her brother-in-law. Nick starts the book as a power-hungry misogynist who uses subtle gaslighting and psychological manipulation to maintain a relationship with his wife's family shaped in his perfect image: one where he is the father's preferred child, his wife is subservient, and her sister is a convenient scapegoat of being "emotional and flighty." He ends the book as a warmonger who sexually assaults prisoners, actively manipulates the father to secure his power and fracture Angie's connection to her family, career, and education, physically assaults Angie and his wife, and takes sadistic pleasure in destroying Angie's life with increasing ferocity.
Good news, he dies. But bad news, his wife names their newborn son after him (first name in his language instead of hers, middle name is Nicholas). This and the fact that the son strongly resembles Nick are both described as comforting, and Angie has no issues with the homage to the man who beat her, shot her boyfriend, beat her sister, sexually assaulted a prisoner of war, and (temporarily) destroyed her career and her relationships with her only surviving family.
I have personal reasons to dislike domestic abuse that may be clouding my judgement here. But if my sister's SO did all of that to me and then she named the surviving son after them? I would be going no-contact. Nick did not deserve a loving legacy. He did nothing to redeem himself. And in a world where I get to believe merpeople are real and can give humans the gift of breathing underwater, damn it I also think we should get the fantasy of justice that after you intentionally hurt so many people you get nothing. It literally felt so out of left field compared to the entire rest of the book.
In Summary
I highly recommend this book for that Venn Diagram of readers who love the ocean and war. I need to emphasize again that the strength of this book is in its depiction of how violence escalates out of desperation, ego, fear, sorrow, and anger. You'll fall in love with the characters and feel your pulse race with anxiety as you wonder how they're going to build a happily-ever-after out of this. But if you feel the same way I did when you read the epilogue... Feel free to reach out and we'll cope together.
June 10, 2024
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you C.W. Rose for choosing me as an ARC reader for this book! This book made all my Little Mermaid forbidden romance fairytale dreams come true. From the action and tragedy to the love and sarcasm, I absolutely loved this story. This has the potential to be a summer sensation!
Angie Song is the epitome of a strong and independent woman. I absolutely loved her character. She stands up for what she believes in, fights hard for those she loves, and is passionate about what she loves. I LOVE HER!! She is beautifully and unapologetically herself and I value that so highly in an FMC. Mer-Prince Kaden is officially my favorite merman. I love his loyalty to follow his heart, to stand up for those he loves while fighting for what he believes in. He continually made me laugh, and I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting for him to pop his head back out of the water.
The romantic tension throughout this book was absolutely to DIE for. I loved Angie and Kaden’s relationship growth. From enemies, to friends, and eventually lovers, these two were perfection. I loved how authentic they were with one another, always asking questions about each other and exploring each other’s cultures, homes, beliefs (and bodies ;)). I loved the intertwining of Asian culture throughout this book, and I thought the Alaskan setting was a perfect choice for this story to seem even more realistic. I thought it was beautifully done, and I loved learning more about each of those cultures.
*Spoilers ahead*
I loved all the side characters, and thought they added great depth to the main characters, while also adding elements to the overarching story. I also absolutely HATED Nick, and found that his narcissistic and manipulative behavior made him a great villain. The conflict in this book is a classic. People are trashing and polluting the oceans and overfishing, causing the mer-people to hold back the fish, leading to the humans beginning to have a food and goods shortage. It’s a classic, but the way C.W. Rose unfolds the conflict and elaborates on the stories from both sides really causes the reader to evaluate where their loyalties really are… humans or merfolk? (I’m Team Mer All The Way!!)
There are two things that made this from a 5 star to a 4 star:
1. At times, I found the story environment hard to picture. I’m a very visual person, and I’m always trying to picture the environment surrounding the characters and almost play the book like a movie in my head. At times, I thought the details surrounding the environment or the actions occurring were missing, and I found myself having to re-read sections of the book to regain the picture for myself.
2. The ending conflict was very quick, wrapping up really fast for the amount of build-up that went behind it. And to be frank, I thought Nick didn’t suffer enough (iykyk)
Thank you C.W. Rose for choosing me as an ARC reader for this book! This book made all my Little Mermaid forbidden romance fairytale dreams come true. From the action and tragedy to the love and sarcasm, I absolutely loved this story. This has the potential to be a summer sensation!
Angie Song is the epitome of a strong and independent woman. I absolutely loved her character. She stands up for what she believes in, fights hard for those she loves, and is passionate about what she loves. I LOVE HER!! She is beautifully and unapologetically herself and I value that so highly in an FMC. Mer-Prince Kaden is officially my favorite merman. I love his loyalty to follow his heart, to stand up for those he loves while fighting for what he believes in. He continually made me laugh, and I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting for him to pop his head back out of the water.
The romantic tension throughout this book was absolutely to DIE for. I loved Angie and Kaden’s relationship growth. From enemies, to friends, and eventually lovers, these two were perfection. I loved how authentic they were with one another, always asking questions about each other and exploring each other’s cultures, homes, beliefs (and bodies ;)). I loved the intertwining of Asian culture throughout this book, and I thought the Alaskan setting was a perfect choice for this story to seem even more realistic. I thought it was beautifully done, and I loved learning more about each of those cultures.
*Spoilers ahead*
I loved all the side characters, and thought they added great depth to the main characters, while also adding elements to the overarching story. I also absolutely HATED Nick, and found that his narcissistic and manipulative behavior made him a great villain. The conflict in this book is a classic. People are trashing and polluting the oceans and overfishing, causing the mer-people to hold back the fish, leading to the humans beginning to have a food and goods shortage. It’s a classic, but the way C.W. Rose unfolds the conflict and elaborates on the stories from both sides really causes the reader to evaluate where their loyalties really are… humans or merfolk? (I’m Team Mer All The Way!!)
There are two things that made this from a 5 star to a 4 star:
1. At times, I found the story environment hard to picture. I’m a very visual person, and I’m always trying to picture the environment surrounding the characters and almost play the book like a movie in my head. At times, I thought the details surrounding the environment or the actions occurring were missing, and I found myself having to re-read sections of the book to regain the picture for myself.
2. The ending conflict was very quick, wrapping up really fast for the amount of build-up that went behind it. And to be frank, I thought Nick didn’t suffer enough (iykyk)
May 26, 2024
4.5 rounded up to 5 stars
Thank you to C.W. Rose and Hey Hey Books for the ARC. I'm glad I got a chance to read this novel as soon as I could. I have been following fellow author C.W. Rose's querying journey for a while so it's always a pleasure to see books you root for being published.
First, hear me out: I like romantasy, but it isn't what I read the most. Last year, the one and only Charlie N. Holmberg released a human/troll romantasy. I was a bit skeptical, but since I love Charlie's books, I trusted her and ended up loving it. Why am I mentioning another book in this review? Because I thought a human/troll romance was the wildest thing I had read so far, but that was before Oceansong. Again, I don't read a lot of romantasy, especially featuring interspecies relationships, so don't come at me telling me that it's nothing compared to some books out there. I know. I just don't read them usually.
Long story short, I read a human/mer romance and I liked it. The strength of this book is the pace and the author's ability to elevate again and again the stakes and the conflict between the humans and the mer, to the point that it sounds almost impossible to end well. No spoilers, but I kept wondering how she would manage to give Angie and Kaden their happy ending, considering how dark and grim it becomes through the story. Don't worry, it's still a romance, so they get their HEA, but not without going through A LOT of challenges.
As for the rest:
- The characters are well done, with a caveat: I wish we would understand better why Nick becomes such an asshole. Not that he was a great guy to begin with, but like we say, it escalated quickly.
- The dialogues felt a bit forced occasionally, as if characters were reciting their lines. Again, it was occasional, and when it was from Kaden, I could put it on him being a prince, i.e. used to speak a bit more formally than the average person.
- I loved the Alaskan setting and how the plot sounded "plausible" in our world, if mer people were real. (Also, I just love Alaska, so it helps)
- The way the relationship between Kaden and Angie evolves is well done. An "enemies-to-lovers" story with a good pace. No insta-love, no slow burn, just right in between as I like it.
Congratulations to C.W. Rose for writing such a cool story and for persisting over the years to get it out there for readers to enjoy. If you like mermaids and Alaska, don't hesitate and read Oceansong.
Thank you to C.W. Rose and Hey Hey Books for the ARC. I'm glad I got a chance to read this novel as soon as I could. I have been following fellow author C.W. Rose's querying journey for a while so it's always a pleasure to see books you root for being published.
First, hear me out: I like romantasy, but it isn't what I read the most. Last year, the one and only Charlie N. Holmberg released a human/troll romantasy. I was a bit skeptical, but since I love Charlie's books, I trusted her and ended up loving it. Why am I mentioning another book in this review? Because I thought a human/troll romance was the wildest thing I had read so far, but that was before Oceansong. Again, I don't read a lot of romantasy, especially featuring interspecies relationships, so don't come at me telling me that it's nothing compared to some books out there. I know. I just don't read them usually.
Long story short, I read a human/mer romance and I liked it. The strength of this book is the pace and the author's ability to elevate again and again the stakes and the conflict between the humans and the mer, to the point that it sounds almost impossible to end well. No spoilers, but I kept wondering how she would manage to give Angie and Kaden their happy ending, considering how dark and grim it becomes through the story. Don't worry, it's still a romance, so they get their HEA, but not without going through A LOT of challenges.
As for the rest:
- The characters are well done, with a caveat: I wish we would understand better why Nick becomes such an asshole. Not that he was a great guy to begin with, but like we say, it escalated quickly.
- The dialogues felt a bit forced occasionally, as if characters were reciting their lines. Again, it was occasional, and when it was from Kaden, I could put it on him being a prince, i.e. used to speak a bit more formally than the average person.
- I loved the Alaskan setting and how the plot sounded "plausible" in our world, if mer people were real. (Also, I just love Alaska, so it helps)
- The way the relationship between Kaden and Angie evolves is well done. An "enemies-to-lovers" story with a good pace. No insta-love, no slow burn, just right in between as I like it.
Congratulations to C.W. Rose for writing such a cool story and for persisting over the years to get it out there for readers to enjoy. If you like mermaids and Alaska, don't hesitate and read Oceansong.
July 25, 2024
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to have an ARC, it was my first.
I must say that this would be a book I wouldn't usually read, but in saying that I didn't hate it. The Romeo and Juliet inspired mermaid tale was its own kind of refreshing.
Book Themes:
Interspecies Love, Forbidden Romance (Romeo & Juliet), Family Dynamics, Light Spice, Environmentalism and War.
Synopsis:
The fish have started to go missing, businesses are going bust, and the humans are beginning to starve. With the human's discovery of Mermaids, they are quick to blame them for the fish's disappearance. The story follows the escalating war between the two species, with Angie (MFC) a student marine biologist and Kaden (MMC) a Merman, navigating a blossoming relationship while caught in the middle. With their feelings developing, along with the hate each species has for the other, can they save their families and respective species, before time runs out?
Review:
C.W. Rose has created a story with some fresh ideas/themes that made me consider, what would I do?
Example: Mermaids are real. What would I do?
As I was reading the story, considering the different Ideas/Themes as they arose, I was left wanting more, more fleshing out of said themes. e.g. Why does that character do the things they do? for a start. The hatred the two species have for each other kicks off fast, leaving me in wonder (more like why?). C.W. Rose has birthed a range of characters for you, some to love and some to hate, Angie (FMC) is stubborn, intelligent and aloof; Kaden (MMC) privileged, open-minded and strong-willed, and certain characters being the absolute worst (you will find out). The author moves the story along with a fast pace, with a detail on character emotion and tragedies of war and this could be a reason some early themes i.e. Environment, I felt didn't flow through. The ending got resolved too quickly/easily for my liking, but I guess that is a recurring feeling I had. I am not 100% sure if this is a series, but I believe it can quite easily remain a standalone with how the book ends.
C.S. Rose has created an enjoyable read with "Oceansong", for me it has the potential to be more than what it is.
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@his_fantasy_her_smut
I must say that this would be a book I wouldn't usually read, but in saying that I didn't hate it. The Romeo and Juliet inspired mermaid tale was its own kind of refreshing.
Book Themes:
Interspecies Love, Forbidden Romance (Romeo & Juliet), Family Dynamics, Light Spice, Environmentalism and War.
Synopsis:
The fish have started to go missing, businesses are going bust, and the humans are beginning to starve. With the human's discovery of Mermaids, they are quick to blame them for the fish's disappearance. The story follows the escalating war between the two species, with Angie (MFC) a student marine biologist and Kaden (MMC) a Merman, navigating a blossoming relationship while caught in the middle. With their feelings developing, along with the hate each species has for the other, can they save their families and respective species, before time runs out?
Review:
C.W. Rose has created a story with some fresh ideas/themes that made me consider, what would I do?
Example: Mermaids are real. What would I do?
As I was reading the story, considering the different Ideas/Themes as they arose, I was left wanting more, more fleshing out of said themes. e.g. Why does that character do the things they do? for a start. The hatred the two species have for each other kicks off fast, leaving me in wonder (more like why?). C.W. Rose has birthed a range of characters for you, some to love and some to hate, Angie (FMC) is stubborn, intelligent and aloof; Kaden (MMC) privileged, open-minded and strong-willed, and certain characters being the absolute worst (you will find out). The author moves the story along with a fast pace, with a detail on character emotion and tragedies of war and this could be a reason some early themes i.e. Environment, I felt didn't flow through. The ending got resolved too quickly/easily for my liking, but I guess that is a recurring feeling I had. I am not 100% sure if this is a series, but I believe it can quite easily remain a standalone with how the book ends.
C.S. Rose has created an enjoyable read with "Oceansong", for me it has the potential to be more than what it is.
@his_fantasy_her_smut
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