I enjoy reading a novel that keeps you guessing and with this novel, I caught myself saying, "I did NOT see that coming!!" on several occasions.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I am a HUGE fan of The Little Mermaid and Pirates of the Caribbean and this really hit the sweet spot.
I loved how much Kenna reminded me of Merida and Moana, the call for adventure singing in her soul. She makes for a very likeable protagonist and a positive strong woman to look up to!

2.5/5

Call of the Sea is my first ARC, and I was super excited to start reading. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this book early for an honest review (though I'm still reviewing it after the publishing date. Sorry, everyone!)

That being said, from the first page, I loved Emily's writing style. I think she has some truly beautiful prose to share, and there were definitely times when I went back and re-read a few sentences because they're were just so beautifully crafted. The story is about a princess who feels a longing for the ocean but doesn't quite understand why, especially since her parents have tried to instill a fear of it since as long as she can remember. As a child, she has an encounter with a mermaid that only furthers her love of the ocean, though it also has the effect of driving others away from her, calling her strange for believing in "fairytales".

However, The Little Mermaid meets Brave when Kenna is told she has to choose a husband (why is never quite clarified, though. It doesn't seem like a Genovia situation where she has to be married to sit on the throne; she's taking over the kingdom regardless, but it's supposed to unite the clansmen somehow?), thus bringing us into a three day festival for Kenna to choose from the eligible young men who accept the invitation, including someone who isn't quite what he seems.

Kenna follows him when he leaves the mainland, revealing secrets about him and about her own past. This leads to Kenna having to make hard decisions, does she take over the throne she was born to do or follow her heart and answer the call she's been hearing since childhood?

<spoiler>Overall, the story is fine. I liked the beginning a lot more than I liked the ending. For me, it seemed like her attraction to Cameron was way too fast for someone who claims to need to form a connection before they can feel attraction for someone. It was definitely at first sight; it just seemed to negate that statement, though I could be misunderstanding. I'm a sucker for romance and the slow burn, so I loved all the information and the back and the forth of the interactions during the festival. Her following him and getting stranded on an island together was also perfect. But from there, it started to kind of go downhill for me. I thought the reveal of her being a mermaid was a little...anticlimactic. There was so much time and space for the earlier part of the book that after her secret was revealed, it seemed like a race to the end and not enough time for proper space for the real conflict to play out.

I don't agree with Ailith's actions, but the ending conflict seemed more like a pretend-play fight amongst children than a full blown fight to possible determine the future of multiple kingdoms. The sisters taunting each other, and the way Eileen downplays the fact that they were sneaking around behind her back wasn't really it. Ailith was definitely justified in her hurt for that, not enough to murder, but it wasn't a small betrayal. Also, the entire royal family, minus one, running to directly fight the threat with no guards? Where are your actual soldiers? You know, the ones paid to train and defend the kingdom? The last battle was just not too great for me; I really wanted something bigger, and it didn't deliver how I wanted it to. I think it's something for this author to work on if she's wanting to continue writing in the fantasy genre.</spoiler>

Strong start but weak ending. But even so, I'd be interested in reading something else by her as she grows as a writer. I think she has a lot of skill, and I can't wait to see what she puts out.

I loved this book! The adventure, the plot, everything was amazing! Kenna is such a strong character and it felt really inspiring!

Thank you for the opportunity to read the eARC for Call Of The Sea. The descriptions made it feel like the book was playing out as a movie in my head, which is one of my favourite parts of finding a good book to read and get lost in. Comparing the feel to Legends of Lattes is accurate, but with the little mermaid vibes.

- curvy rep, though it felt a little too on the nose some times TW: fat shaming
- bi-demisexual fmc <3
- little mermaid retelling
- fantasy romance/ romantasy
- debut novel
- slowburn, slow paced

The FMC is facinated with mermaids from an early age and I have to say I found that so freaking relatable - like the way it was written and the world building was, so relatable. The world building was immersive, just right amount of magical and real (in a fantasy setting) and variety of characters and representations were great (though ambitious and not always fleshed out - i.e. I would've liked a bit more on the FF vibes we got a glimpse of).

This book was a decent debut!
Sadly it surprised me in not a single way. Some scenes were so heavily inspired by Merida that there was barely any difference.
But I enjoyed the demisexual and fat representation in the main character a lot. Sometimes it felt a little overemphasised but we need more books with either representation, so I'll take it! We also got a gay side character, which could've been more fleshed out.

This uses the elements of Little mermaid perfectly to tell a story, it uses that to its advantage. The characters were everything that was looking for and enjoyed about the fantasy romance genre. I enjoyed getting to know Kenna and glad she was so well written. I was invested in what was happening and thought the ocean elements worked well together. Emily B Rose writes a great love story and left me wanting to read more.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. I don’t think there was necessarily anything wrong or bad about it, but personally it wasn’t for me. If I read it at another time I think there is a possibility that I could really enjoy it, but for this time, it didn’t work out.

I very enjoyed this book. The representation was great and the story just filled my heart. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. This book was good, the insta love was definitely not my cup of tea, it felt very forced and not at all like "it was always you". Besides that and the paragraphs of Kenna thinking about Calder it was good, just that really. Nothing sensational but it was a fun story to read.

Little mermaid meets brave in this romantasy tale.
Kenna will have to choose a husband as per her country’s tradition. However there are few she can trust. When the one candidate she feels a connection with disppears she follows and discovers a secret that will change her life.
I really loved the premise of this book with a gender bent little mermaid plot. The characters were well rounded and interesting to read about.
However I didn’t like the way the main character agonises over her weight. It made me feel uncomfortable. I could really empathise with her feelings but I think there was too much explanation instead of using the “show not tell” writing.
I also found the interaction between the two main characters confusing.
Loved the unique portrayal of different sexuality types.
All in all an interesting read.
The spice level was high as well so maybe avoid if that’s not for you.


Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I devoured this book and highly enjoyed it. I appreciate representation in books, and this one provided a plus Size FMC.

Call of the Sea is the story of Princess Makenna or Kenna, as she prefers to be called. A fat girl, who also has ADHD, and she is demisexual.
By the way, it was in this book that I read that word, demisexual, for the first time. For those who claim that reading is a waste of time, my answer is: no sir, by reading you always learn something new.
Emily Rose, the author of this story, is a person with a wonderful talent who has managed to incredibly intertwine two very well-known stories: that of Merida, the protagonist of Brave, and the Little Mermaid.
Emily, thank you for this beautiful story that teaches us that the most important thing is not appearance and that not all of us must be "normal" to be valued, but instead of wanting to be normal, we must strive to be better human beings and understand that each one of us is unique. I hope to read another book from you soon.
I thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
The opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think and feel about this book.

This book was marketed as The Little Mermaid meets Brave. I think that’s a little far fetched, but disregarding that comparison, this book contains important topics. The romance and fantasy aspects served the overall message of this story well. Rose’s writting and world building are whimsical in nature. There is a bit of representation. Overall, this book is good for those just dipping their toe in fantasy and looking for a simple yet enjoyable read.

Youtube: NetGalley Wrapped video upload 6/3/24
The StoryGraph: 21/2/24
Instagram: 22/2/24

This book has my whole heart! I am so grateful for the opportunity to read this advance copy. I now need to purchase the physical copy to re-read and annotate.
However, for anyone reading this for the first time I would make sure to check the trigger warnings. Although, I will say that Emily B. Rose does handle these topics with absolute respect and understanding that I haven’t otherwise seen done quite as well as this. I really appreciated the fat human representation and it was refreshing to see a setting that is accepting of people as they are - other than some fatphobia and the pressure placed on Kenna to marry and take over the kingdom. There is beautiful Scottish Gaelic language and influence in this world that was a pleasure to be immersed in. The relationship between Kenna and Tristan is beautiful, not to mention the relationship that happens later in the book. They are funny, sweet, and there were many times I got face-ache from smiling. I also appreciated the way the characters’ physicality was described and I felt that the experience of fatphobia was pretty accurate. I have never read a book where I have felt this seen and represented. I also really loved the merman twist! Sooooooo gooooooddd!!! I am sort of hoping for a sequel to this because I would love to know how they cope when things settle, and the way confidence issues can't just disappear that quickly, and also what happens to the kingdoms and how they get on.

I'm a SUCKER for a Little Mermaid retelling with a little bit of Brave for spice. Give me all the mermaids anytime day or night. I also love representation in books, and as a curvy lady, I was READY for this book.

The world building was amazing. I could see and live in the world Kenna was living in, and at times I felt like I could even breathe the sea. The fantasy was truly beautiful to read. I also really liked the genderbent essence of it as well.

If someone is looking for a lovely toe in to fantasy this is a lovely first read.

There is a lot of f@tphobia and mental health issues. And although I'm here for the representation, it did feel a bit repetitive after a bit - I realize we ALL do this, but I wanted Kenna to grow and be stronger inside as well as fighting for what she wanted on the outside. Sometimes it was confusing who was actually vying for her hand, but I did love the reveal at the end.

4 Stars
I loved it! This was a beautiful mermaid story filled with love and true beauty. This was the kind of book that you don't want to stop reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pug Press Publishing for the opportunity to read thus book.

The premise of this was so fasinating and it felt truly magical reading the first part of the book but unfortunately as the book went on I lost interest in the writing and the characters felt very underdeveloped. I think this author has promise and I would be interested to see what they think up in the future but unfortunately, for me this book fell flat.

An absolute GOAT. Sweeping, romantic, epic in scale and heart. A perfect book in every way that matters.