I’m really enjoying mermaid novels at the moment, and this one offered more action than most.

Set on a luxury sunny holiday island that has haunted by mysterious deaths, it really keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I really liked Annie as a character, she was likeable and relatable. The relationships she had with her family were well written and the author didn’t tell you everything at once which made it feel much more authentic.

I wasn’t too sure on the book at first as I expected the introductions to be quite slow, but it picks up pace quickly. There’s enough detail to paint the picture of what’s going on, but too much so it detracts from the actual plot.

I LOVE Lorelei as a character and rooted from her for. I think there are some stronger themes in this novel that are done really well too. The grief of losing Echo, the fear and trauma from being attacked. The author does an amazing job of allowing the reader to feel sympathy for a character that literally eats people!

I don’t think there was anything I didn’t like or enjoy. The ending maybe was slightly rushed and I really hated that so many good characters were killed - Adam, Tamara, Benny and Lorelei! But I think that’s also what enabled the plot to feel more believable.

I definitely think a sequel is needed with an ending like that too!

Thank you to Emily Layne and Owl Hollow Press for the ARC edition of These Wicked Waters in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this book two stars ("it was okay" rating) because it was just that, okay. The concept of this story intrigued me to request this book from NetGalley. I wish I could give it a higher rating, but there were quite a few distractions that kept me from falling in love with this story.
The main distraction was the excessive description used throughout the story. I think trimming back on some description would’ve helped the story content flow smoother. The wonderful thing about a book is how every reader can interpret different aspects of a character or setting in different ways. Too many specifics can create a complicated story to envision.

Also, the parallel stories being told in this book by Annie Mayfield (the MC) and Lorelei (the siren) was a bit confusing for me. By themselves, the stories were okay. I couldn't grasp the connection between the two until almost the end of the book.

The potential was there but unfortunately it fell short when holding my attention.

If you are interested in Greek mythology, specifically stories involving Sirens then I would say give it a try. Lorelei's story (the siren) was a bit more interesting and I wish there was more of her story told throughout this book. Everyone's reading taste varies.

Title: These Wicked Waters
Author: Emily Layne
Pub. Date: October 22, 2019
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I mainly requested this book with the hopes that it would be a quick read, and it was. Based on the synopsis I figured I’d enjoy it – which I did. I’m glad I requested and was approved.

It felt like the Jurassic World movies, but with sirens and I thought the concept was cool. I liked the blend of Greek Mythology with a Modern-Day resort, and the Mayfield Villa would be fun to go to…minus the murderous sirens. While I definitely enjoyed this book and I’m glad it hit my radar, I thought the ending was a bit rushed and I’m left wondering if there is going to be another book. It felt very open ended, but I have no idea what the premise of a second book would be.

I thought the relationship between Annie and Victor (the Love Interest) was a little forced. He’s the attractive life guard at the resort, so of course Annie (the owner’s daughter) and he get together. It was convenient and forced if that makes sense? I liked them together and they had good chemistry, it was just very forced and didn’t feel very organic.

It took me probably half the book to realize that the Lorelei parts (she’s a siren) were the past. For the first half of the book I thought they were happening in sync with Annie’s chapters. I kind of wish that had been clearer. The hints were there, but I guess I missed them. It becomes much clearer in the second half of the book that there is a time difference between Annie and Lorelei, until there isn’t.

Overall, this was a fun, enjoyable read with a bit of mystery and action. For the most part, once you start reading, you won’t want to stop until you finish. Annie’s journey is definitely a wild ride, where in the beginning she’d rather be anywhere else, and at the end…well, you’ll have to read the book to find out! Out, October 22, 2019, make sure you pick it up if you want killer sirens, mystery and a resort villa on a remote Greek Island!

Soooooo apparently The Little Mermaid and Jurassic Park had a book baby.
This was a fun, exciting, weird and easy read.
I really enjoyed it; I just wish there was more.
The ending felt rushed and the characters needed to be flushed out more than they were.
This was more of a 3.5 star rating but that doesn't exist.
Thank you NetGalley and Owl Hollow Press for my ARC.

Mermaids and the ocean love the genre. The best part of the book was not only was it a mystery but supernatural bits thrown in too
A new author to me to add to my list. Thank you for providing this book to me I enjoyed it

Wow what a story! I read this whole book in one day and can honestly say it’s one of my favorite siren/mermaid retelling. It was dark with twists here and there to keep everything so interesting. I love that the romance wasn’t insta-love but still had that spark. I loved the relationships that improved over the course of the book as well! Hopefully we will get another book or two with Annie!

I loved the premise of this book! I've never read a book with sirens before and I was super excited to sink my teeth into this, and while it didn't disappoint, it didn't quite grab me either.

The setting was probably my favourite part. We have Annie, the daughter of an island resort owner, working in this beautiful paradise. I loved the oceanic setting, the mundane odd jobs Annie was roped into doing, and her relationships with the various guests and workers.

I was really into this book, until the point of view changed to Lorelei, a siren (though I did warm up to it near the end of the novel since the shift in perspective was very important.) The siren and Annie meet each other and form an unexplainable bond.

The writing was simple but nice, the characters relatable (if a little boring.) The sirens seemed pretty generic and the way they spoke didn't feel all that authentic to me, and the love interest Victor didn't land for me either.

For instance, I really don't know much about Annie besides her love for rock climbing and Greece.

Despite my inability to really get into this novel, it was still an enjoyable read. It's a simple read with an above par setting and a bit of heart.

I recommend if you're looking for an easy, pleasant read taking place on a cool spot with supernatural creatures, to give this book a shot.

(I want to be clear, when I say simple I don't mean dumbed down or easily written. It's very hard to write a book that seems simple and flows easily. It's the best thing you can make a book, and this book has that.)

I would have adored this one as a teenager, in fact, when I was a teenager, there were too few books in this genre! Still, as a slightly older reader (ahem) I enjoyed These Wicked Waters too. Main character Annie is on her school holidays and on her way to Viaii Nisi, the island where her mother has just opened a brand new resort. Although Annie actually wanted to go rock climbing in Greece, being on the island and having to help out in the hotel is not that bad, she strikes up a friendship with one of the maids, and one of the lifeguards is most definitely very interesting. But then one of the guests disappears, and so does her friend. Soon her Spidey senses are even more a-tingling: she’s found bones and a weird skeleton and she’s spotted something in the water that surely must be a giant fish but looks a helluvalot like… a mermaid?! Annie is a great character, feisty and independent.
Alternating with Annie’s point of view, there’s the story of Lorelei, a siren who has fallen from grace.
These Wicked Waters is part mystery, part imaginative take on the siren lore, highly entertaining and a quick read. It lost me a bit in the final part of the book, because something happened that I felt was rather unbelievable and over the top, but still it kept me interested and led me to a satisfying finale.
These Wicked Waters is out on 22 October!
Many thanks to Owl Hollow Press and NetGalley for the free eARC! All opinions are my own!

**Thank you to Owl Hollow Press, Netgalley, and Emily Layne for providing me an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review**

These Wicked Waters was not the book I was expecting when I picked it up. I initially thought this was going to be high fantasy, in a magical new world - however, it is fantasy within the realms of reality. This is not a negative for me, just came unexpected in the first few pages.

Annie is our MC, and she is sent to spend her summer on a private island her mom owns (right??) after she pulled a prank at her boarding school. The island is Viaii Nisi, or violent island in Greek. Disturbing rumors abound about this island, and all of the previous owners have drowned to death. Annie gets to the island and when workers and guests start disappearing, she investigates what could be behind the rumors and disappearances...

Lorelai is a two-tailed siren, who has been forbidden by the siren Queen Thessalonike from using her song to interfere with the lung-breathers on the island. She disobeys, and the results cost her what she cared about most.

These Wicked Waters narrated back and forth between Annie and Lorelai. Background information is given slowly over the book, which is generally not the style I prefer. I spent the first half of the book pretty confused with what was going on. The story did pick up after awhile and I ended up enjoying it.

One thing I liked about These Wicked Waters is that it left the possibly of a sequel open. There was an ending that mostly wrapped everything up, but dropped one last bomb on you (a predictable bomb, but still a bomb) and could be the basis of a sequel. Currently, These Wicked Waters is a standalone but hopes for the future!

Fans of The Wicked Deep and The Sea Witch will enjoy this new spin on sirens and an ocean themed novel. Check it out!

I liked the idea of the book but as I started reading there wasn't really anything keeping me interested.
I couldn't relate or attach to the main character. I'm positive this book will interest a lot of people but it's just not for me.
DNF.

**Disclaimer: I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
This was an ok YA book, though some areas of the dialogue felt stiff and stilted. I couldn't get my head around some of it, and the mystery was tepid, but still a good read. My teen would enjoy it, so I will be picking up a copy for her.
The idea of sirens was so appealing, but I think it fell a little short.

Thank you to Owl Hollow Press for providing me this ARC to read and review!

I really enjoyed this book. The protagonist was very likable, and the story was unique. This book was a creative combination of family drama, romance, mystery, and fantasy. I loved the allusions to The Odyssey, and the intertwining stories of the humans and the sirens.

The setting was great - part vacation, part nightmare. I wanted to go to Viaii Nisi, but I also felt the claustrophobia of the guests and workers that were on the island.

There were a few plot points I wished were a little more fleshed out, but overall I found this to be an enjoyable, easy, and fun read. I would definitely keep it in my classroom library and recommend it to students.

I'm probably a little old for this, but there's plenty of action to help keep it interesting. It's not great, but good enough to recommend to mermaid and YA mystery fans.

I really appreciate the advanced copy for review!!

**Disclaimer: I was given an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

The idea that sirens still live in our oceans was so interesting and what made me want to read this book; however, I found it hard to get past 20% of this book.

The writing leaves much to the imagination as I couldn't picture the setting or the characters very well. The main character also makes it hard for you to sympathize/care for her well-being just because of how annoying she is (not that it means she shouldn't be cared for.. I just didn't want to read about her anymore, lol)!!

Dialogue seemed stilted, as well, or juvenile? Maybe going back to some of the dialogue and adding more description will help.

2.5/3 of 5 stars

An interesting mystery with a Greek-themed setting. The beginning was slow to get into but once you got to know the characters and once the plot built up this book was hard to put down. It was an interesting page-turning filled with mystery and fantasy.

Not only did Annie have other plans for this summer, but she’s been afraid of the water since almost drowning when she was ten. The island of Visio Nisi is not where she wants to be. But her mother is the new owner of the island, and it’s the opening season for the newly built resort.

Annie has heard the rumors, and when first a guest goes missing, then a couple employees, she knows there’s something out there in the water.

This was a quick, fun read. It definitely sets up at the end for a sequel, but the storyline does come to a satisfactory conclusion. It wasn’t a particularly complicated story, and there weren’t any real surprises, but I enjoyed it.

What started of as a slow, boring at times, book turned around and became fast paced. The plot was very interesting and I always like to see peoples versions of sirens. The ending left me wanting more, I can't wait to see what's in store for Annie.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. These Wicked Waters was full of angry sirens, missing people and creepy ruins. I really enjoyed the creepy ruins, the Greek aspects of the book and the siren who wanted to help save the humans from her angry family. I felt like the characters were just mediocre and the story could've used more excitement. My favorite thing was definitely the cool Greek island setting!

I really enjoyed this book and the unique way sirens are interwoven in the story.

It took me a bit to get into the story and get past the MC Annie's spoiled rich girl vibe (she's being "punished" by having to spending the summer in a resplendant villa on a tropical island owned by her mother and is angry that she couldn't rock climb in Greece by herself <eye roll> ).

Beyond that, the parallel story of Annie and the sirens was intriguing and was very well done. I did feel like the whole "I've seen sirens but no one believes me" went on a little too long, but it was eventually resolved...somewhat.

The story moved along nicely and was entertaining; I read this book in one day. If you want a light, YA read, with a little splash of sirens, pick this one up!

4/5.
Sinceramente, no esperaba que este libro me gustase tanto. Para quien no me conozca, si hay un libro de sirenas, lo tengo que leer. Junto con los dragones son mis criaturas mitológicas/fantásticas favoritas así que cuando se me presentó la oportunidad de leerlo no lo dudé.

Este libro tiene por protagonista a Annie, una chica de 16 -casi 17- años que tiene que ir a trabajar al resort que acaba de abrir su madre en una isla. ¿El problema? No solo que ella no quiere trabajar allí, sino que hay leyendas que dicen que la isla está maldita, que es peligrosa y si a eso le sumamos que ha desaparecido gente y que los anteriores dueños murieron, pues no inspira mucha confianza. Cómo no, la madre de Annie cree que son tonterías y está encantada con su nuevo negocio. Pero las cosas empiezan a torcerse cuando un cliente desaparece y nadie sabe qué ha pasado.

Tengo que admitir que el libro empieza a ser interesante cuando llevas el 20-25% leído, antes de eso es mas bien introductorio. La trama me ha gustado mucho, me ha parecido original cómo se han tratado ciertos temas de las sirenas y el final, aunque había un par de cosillas que me olía, hay otra que me ha sorprendido. Una de las cosas que más enganchada me ha tenido a la lectura ha sido el descubrir qué había pasado con las desapariciones y con las leyendas que circulaban alrededor de la isla, cómo se habían formado y por qué estaban ocurriendo todas esas cosas. La autora ha jugado conmigo en un par de ocasiones y eso me ha gustado.

Los personajes han estado bien, en su línea para las edades que tiene. Quiero decir, Annie es una chica de 17 años, no esperéis un comportamiento super madura de una chica de 25. Pero lo cierto es que me hubiese gustado saber un poco más cómo era su relación con su hermana y su padre. Son temas que aparecen en el libro pero creo que tendrían que haber tenido más profundidad.

Si os estáis preguntando por el nivel de inglés, es mas bien avanzado, no lo recomiendo como primera lectura ni mucho menos. Si bien es interesante y creo que de este libro puedes aprender mucho vocabulario, si no estás habituado a leer en inglés puede que se te haga cuesta arriba.

Finalmente solo puedo decir que, aunque este libro es autoconclusivo perfectamente podría haber una segunda parte, de hecho me gustaría, ya que como digo la trama ha tenido cierta originalidad y desde luego con ese final se puede tirar del hilo.

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.