I really wanted to like this more than I did. Part of the problem was that when I requested an arc of this book; I did not realize it was going to be part of a series. I was not really looking to start any new series at the moment, so I was a little frustrated about that. As for the story itself, I overall enjoyed it, but did feel like it was unnecessarily long. This book was almost 500 pages and I really didn't feel like all that much happened. I did enjoy the lore surrounding the mermaids and am intrigued to see where the story goes though. I also liked Atreus and Nyel's relationship progression (It gave Luca and Roberto all grown up vibes to me). There were also a lot of different POV's in this story, so if you are not a fan of that then this may not be the book for you. All-in-all, I do think I will continue the series when the next book comes out despite having mixed feelings regarding the first book.

I enjoyed this a lot at the start but as I keep reading it I’m just not sure it’s for me. Originally I loved the 6 POVs because it moved the story along in a fast paced fun way but I’m around 60% and the POVs are now becoming an issue due to how repetitive they are. Scenes that happened 4-5 chapters before are shown from a new POV and we see that character’s feelings about what happened but it’s the same scenes I read before and keeps messing with the flow of the book. It almost feels like the chapters are out of order.

I’m also very interested in Nyel and Atreus’ growing relationship and if bonds are possible between them because it appeared to have started and then faded. However, the world details about Mer are kind of vague besides the color of the fins, halflings and what happens if they get wet. As much as I dislike a lot of heavy fantasy world building, I feel like I’m missing a lot especially for a supposed 490 page book. However, with the 6 POVs the attention isn’t just on Atreus & Nyel who are arguably the strongest characters but on the two other couples in the making and I’m sorry but I’m really not interested in either of their storylines.

The other issue I’m having are their ages. This reads like YA but the youngest character, Nyel is the only 18 year old with the others being in their mid to late 20s and beyond. It’s all been very innocent so far in terms of romance and feelings but the characters feel as if they are 15/16 not adults and it’s taking me out of the story. Part of me is super curious to see what happens next but the other part of me wants to DNF this at 60%. I’m just not sure it’s for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you netgalley for the arc but I feel like I’m not the right audience for this.

I started out really enjoying Storm and the Sea with it's unique take on mer. These mer grow tails and keep their legs unlike the classic mer. There's also multiple races with different appetites (vegetarian vs omnivore), abilities, and color patterns. Unfortunately, this book suffers a lot from technical issues. There's five POVs: four gay men (three of which are mer) and a woman. It's very repetitive as many story beats are repeated when the POV switches. This book is 490 pages and at least 100 pages could have been cut if they reduced the number of POVs and duplicate content. Additionally, the pacing was all over the place, it did not sound like it took place in 1961, the humor was pretty immature, and there was a questionable writing of characters. It was definitely a book trying to do too much and wasn't balanced as well as it should have been. I had a hard time rating this because despite it's flaws, I still enjoyed my time reading it and was entertained the whole time, but the flaws were too numerous to ignore.

Atreus/Nyle and Leo/Nelphi's stories contain very different vibes. The latter was much darker, and I don't think she made it work. There was also a very slow burn, sweet romance and a dark slow-burn romance/flirting with the hot, mysterious guy in town. Between the two developing gay relationships, there was 1 kiss. And then there's Marina POV too. Marina's segments mention her boobs multiple times. There's also a scene where she's fighting over a handsome and mysterious man (different man from who Leo is primarily interested in) with some town women. They act like children despite being 18+.

It's problematic that halflings are known to be violent and have mental illness because they're born from two different unbonded races of mer. Another issue is that Nelphi likes men that have been SAed, but he is better than them because he doesn't SA them himself. Both of these ideas went mostly unaddressed in this story. I think the former will be explored more in the next book. I'm doubtful the latter will be. The trigger warning list at the beginning should have also absolutely mentioned SA.

For a case of telling not showing, Leo and Atreus are best friends, but their relationship was established before the book started and there wasn't enough evidence in this book that they were actually friends. In fact, they think and do some pretty cruel things to each other. In a similar vein, the town citizens accepted mer too quickly and the ending was rushed. A lot of time passed in a few pages and it was missing a few conversations.

This leads to how I don't thinks she wrote women, queer people, or the townies well. She didn’t explore her ideas enough, which led to a bunch of superficial confrontations as she spread herself too thin with 5 MCs. I enjoyed the mer lore but it needed more world building. Their stories should have been split up between multiple books. I'm still undecided if I'll read the next book. I am interested to see how their relationships develop, how the villain Alvise will react, and learn more about the two halfling characters, but I had so many issues with Storm and Sea.

2.5 ⭐️

I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review!

Let me start this by saying I am a DIEHARD Luca fan. Multiple tattoos, watch it nightly movie memorized. The whole nine yards. So I was beyond ecstatic for a re-telling of my favorite movie, but made explicitly gay. I was always one of those people who felt a stronger connection to it due to the underlying queer themes it held (even if the director felt otherwise smh).

I loved the relationship between Nyel and Atreus. The slow burn is slow BURNING and I am so invested! Atreus going from Nyel’s #1 Hater to someone that protects Nyel and treats him with a newfound understanding that neither had experienced before was such a sweet bond. Their banter was so adorable as well, I kept giggling and smiling at my Kindle.

Atreus and Giovanni also, of course, held a special place in my heart. I mean duh, how could they not? Adoptive father-son gets me GOOD everytime, and this was no difference.

I LOVED the addition of the idea of halflings! It was such a perfect plot point for Atreus and really made the reader understand him and his situation so much more. It really made you feel for him, both his lack of knowledge as well as the situation he’s been put in unknowingly.

This book was a bit rough for me to start. I struggled to be engaged with it until the 60/65% mark. There were a lot of aspects I was very uncomfortable about, which were written to be uncomfortable but I did not find it to be a storyline that felt necessary and, if anything, made the plot bulkier and harder to follow. It contained content pertaining to sexual assault (although not under clothing if I’m remembering correctly, still highly uncomfortable. Not dissimilar to Angel Dust’s storyline in Hazbin Hotel, lol, and not involving either of the two main characters, but one of the other characters with POV chapters). The villainification of a character with heavy burns also made me a bit uncomfortable.

There was also a dark romance included that simply did not feel like it fit the atmosphere, especially with the naïveté that the two main characters, specifically Nyel, pertained. Nyel’s writing made him feel a solid 8-9 years younger than he truly was, which was narratively due to the fact he’d never interacted with humans before, but as a 21 year old, if I joined an alien town I’d know the basics, y’know? It definitely felt a bit strange to me, although I’m quite certain it is simply due to what this is inspired by.

Although I struggled to get into this book and had some moments with aspects of the plot, once it got going I was completely enthralled. Especially pertaining to Atreus and Nyel’s relationship, I loved seeing them grow together and into each other.

I was hoping to like this a lot more than I did, 2 stars. I wanted to stop and DNF a few times, but have a hard time DNFing books. One of the first times was when a character was having a conflict with the bad guy and we needed to learn that her body is curvy and well endowed in the middle of it? The book did not get good until about the 55%-60% point.
it is also never really set up what the community of Baia Vita feels about gay people, multiple times it is mentioned that that is not something that happens here and characters being afraid to be outted, but also very often the characters are doing gay things out in the open and yet nothing happens? along with these things, details were just forgot about later in the book. for instance when Nyel meets the humans, they set it up as he has been the friend that Atreus has been staying with every summer when he comes to the island, this is dropped and rewritten later in the book. overall, the writing style was not for me and i found myself just skipping over passages because i didn't car about what was going on. I will say that I did tear up at the 90% mark and that raised the rating for me just a bit.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this ARC.

Sadly, I had to DNF this book. I really liked the description of the book and thought it was amazing that it had Luca vibes. I truly loved watching the movie. The location, the merpeople, the plot, etc. It's like copy paste from the movie.

I thought the book was extremely slow-paced and not really exciting at all. I guess I expected more action, and the slow-burn romance was really slow.

There was one character that I thought was interesting. He has the 'bad guy' vibes, and I was intrigued. Too bad there aren't many chapters about his POV.

I might give this book another try, but right now, it's a DNF.

Storm and Sea is a new queer romantic fantasy about two young outcasts who find love, friendship, and a found family together.

The Mer in the story have complex societal structures that include belief systems and deeply held prejudices. Both Atreus and Nyel are misfits among the people for different reasons and retreat to the human world for refuge.

Including Atreus and Nyel, five characters get points of view chapters in the book. Some chapters are from a single character's POV, and others are shared between multiple characters. I was worried that this might get confusing, but POV switches are clearly marked, and characters are distinct with various plots that intertwine together. I enjoyed all five characters and liked the time we spent with each.

The only issue I had with the POV changes was that some rehashed events we'd just read about from another perspective. That felt repetitive and stalled the pacing of the story. This was especially bad in some chapters of supporting characters, which sometimes recaped larger portions of the book.

Even with this pacing issue, I enjoyed the book. The characters are delightful, the main romance is adorable, and there's a secondary Achillean romance that I'm hoping gets more focus in the sequel.
I'd recommend this most to readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories. This will probably appeal to Young Adult and New Adult readers the most.

Finally, this is the first book in a planned series, so not all plots and character arcs are wrapped neatly at the end. There is a satisfying conclusion, but some plots will presumably continue in the next book. The main relationship is one of those.

There are lots of things to like - adorable main characters, a richly imagined and cosy setting, and themes of community and working together. Personally, I found it suffered from too many points of view, but that's something I always struggle to appreciate. The author also has an annoying tendency to repeat the same scene from two points of view, which slows the pace and makes the book feel overly long. The ending tied up some threads far too easily, and left the rest open for a sequel, so it wasn't completely satisfying.

Overall, it was enjoyable but needed some polish (and quite a bit of cutting).

Gay fish? Yes please.

But seriously, this book was a love letter to Italian coastal culture as well as a story of abandonment, found famly, and new love. I'll admit I was surprised at how slow-burn the romance felt, but that's because this wasn't really a romance - it was about finding love through friendships, family, and yes, maybe a boyfriend down the line, but the self-love comes first. Atreus' embrace of Giovanni, Marina, and the whole of Baia Vita was such a beautiful turning point for his character. The voices in our head may try and stop us from finding love, but a support network helps us reach through and find it ayways. This is clearly set up for future stories in the same universe and I'm excited to see what comes next.

Storm and Sea is an absolutely beautiful story with characters you will instantly love. This book is written with such beautiful detail that its easy to fall in to the settings and really feel like your a part of the adventure. I loved the romance, found family and character growth the story brings to life. Tereza Kane has a lovely writing style i thoroughly enjoyed and I cant wait to read whats next in this series!

"Storm and Sea" by Tereza Kane is a beautiful adult reimagining of Disney’s Luca, infused with openly queer representation and an original take on Mer lore that makes it wholly its own. Set in the charming Italian fishing village of Baia Vita, the story follows Atreus, a Mer exiled for the color of his scales, who has carved out a quiet existence among humans—until Nyel, a runaway Mer fleeing rigid traditions, disrupts everything he has built. As they navigate their growing connection and the rising threat of a criminal family depleting the bay’s fish, their struggle to protect the people they love is complicated by the fear of exposing their true nature. Kane balances cozy fantasy vibes with high stakes, making this story both heartwarming and gripping.

I adored this book. The Mer lore was fascinating and layered, adding a fresh spin to the genre while deepening the worldbuilding. Atreus was incredibly relatable, his pain and mistrust stemming from past rejection, while Nyel’s sweetness made him the perfect counterbalance. Their relationship was tender and deeply satisfying, but I have to admit—Nephi and Leo stole the show for me! Their enigmatic dynamic had me desperate for more, and I would devour an entire book about them. The secondary characters were all beautifully developed, and the rich, seaside setting made the story even more immersive. Storm and Sea is a stunning, emotional journey of love, belonging, and found family, and I highly recommend it.

storm and sea follows atreus, a lonely mer living in secret among humans after his father abandoned him, and nyel, who crashes into his life after falling out with his family and leaving his quiet mer village. after some initial hiccups - which mainly stem from atreus' fear of being exposed as a mer and losing his human friends - the two develop a deep, caring friendship... and maybe something more.

from the cover (which is gorgeous, by the way) to the premise to the actual characters and plot, this novel is reminiscent of the movie luca in the best possible way. the town of baia vita is cosy and comforting, full of love and life, with vivid characters that you just have to adore.

it was a little jarring at first to read the same scenes from multiple povs; i find that it takes away a bit of the tension and can sometimes be frustrating to endure the repetition. also, i completely forgot that this was a series so i kept expecting certain plot lines in the last 100 pages - totally my fault, but be aware that this is not a standalone 😅

while i absolutely loved atreus and nyel's story, i'm not sure i can get on board with what happens in leo's arc. the antagonist is almost cartoonishly evil, so i'm a little worried it will take a deux-ex-machina level of resolution to fix it in the second book.

highly recommend storm and sea if you love mermaids, found family, queer vibes and the film luca!

Lush, immersive, and full of heart, this is a beautifully written mer fantasy with depth beyond its romance. Atreus and Nyel’s journey is both tender and heartbreaking, woven into a richly detailed world that feels alive. A slow burn that lingers long after the final page.

Did you watch “Luca” and think “This would be so much better if the boys were slightly older and could make out?” I think the author did.

I had a rough time suspending my disbelief at first because why are merfolk wearing clothes and doing TV sitcom family stuff in their homes? Then I realized I was trying too hard to be realistic in my visualization. I started picturing everything in the big colorful animation style of “Luca” and that made all the difference.

The setting is a small Italian fishing village near a colony of merfolk. Atreus has been living among humans most of his life, hiding his nature. Nyel, a mer runaway, stumbles into his life and suddenly everything is complicated.

I enjoyed this story and the budding romance between Nyel and Atreus. I’m not sure where the story goes from here, but I look forward to finding out.

My only real gripe with the book is how Atreus has negative intrusive thoughts that are displayed in a cursive script that seems out of place and it’s distracting. Maybe that’s the point.

I also thought the subplot with Leofel felt too dark at times for the overall story being told. It’s not a deal-breaker, though.

Overall, I liked it. This is what “Luca” could’ve been if the filmmakers had a little more guts.

A beautifully written and adorable tale of genuine love, found family, and hope.
I loved the characters immediately, and continued to love them throughout. The cultural aspects of this work were also done very well. I could tell how much care went into crafting the characters stories and the Italian culture they are surrounded with.

Storm and Sea by Tereza Kane scratched an itch I did not even know I had. The story follows a similar concept to Disney's Luca while breathing new life into it. Our story mainly follows Atreus and Nyle as they traverse the human world as mer. This book switches between five different character's points of view. I have mixed feelings about so many POVs on one hand it adds a lot of perspectives on the events of the book but on the other hand, it does remove some of the suspense of not knowing what other characters are thinking. This book also included a glossary placed at the beginning of the book as opposed to the end. I found this to be a welcomed change because it allowed me to refer back to the glossary without flipping through pages I had not read yet.

Special thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy.

4/5 arc review, provided by net galley

storm & sea is a novel about two mer, atreus & nyel, navigating the human world in vastly different ways and finding something (maybe love?) along the way, all while trying to find a way to help their way of life from being destroyed.

while the beginning of the book started off slow, i appreciated the depth of description in the writing. the characters and relationships are what truly made me fall in love with this book. atreus and nyel’s growing relationship really had me rooting for them. nephi was particularly intriguing, as well. and i LOVE baia vita. every description of it made me want to drop everything and help out this lovely little fishing town.

what i didn’t expect were the amount of pov’s. it was a bit jarring hopping from one pov to the next, especially if the timelines were overlapping. for example, a scene would happen and end, and then there would be a second pov that would go back in time and describe the same scene from another’s perspective. i understand why it was done, but it took quite a bit of getting used to.

there are a lot of character plot threads left hanging at the end of the book, leading to a sequel, which i didn’t expect. while i appreciate this, i also feel like the main plot of the book was wrapped up too swiftly at the end.

overall, i really liked aspects of this book and am eagerly awaiting the sequel.

Like Luca but all grown up!
I’m not going to lie, it took me sometime to get into the story, but once it picked up I was hooked. I loved the characters and the setting! Like I said, it definitely has Luca vibes but with a more grown up theme.
My heart was broken repeatedly and only sort of fixed so I will definitely need more of this story!
Give me more Atreus and Nyel and definitely give me more Leo because I need him to have some happiness in his story!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. If you love mermaids you will love this book. This was like H2O and Mako Mermaids but make it gay. I just loved how we got chapter povs from four different characters. The characters and the pods were so interesting. I also really love the interesting love triangles happening throughout the story. Can’t wait for part 2 of this story.

This book is basically Luca if Luca was for adults, gay, and had way more trigger warnings. I worry slightly about this book because it is basically Luca, the Disney movie, with the characters, the setting, the plot, and some key details.

I liked most of the characters in this book but some of the characters just rubbed me the wrong way. One of the characters is meant to do that but we don’t get his viewpoint so I can forgive it. However, there was another character that was basically the same and we did get his viewpoint. It just made me feel really gross every time that we got his point of view. The other characters were written fairly well except sometimes they feel like really stupid and oblivious when they weren’t previously. Also, the characters didn’t really develop at all through the book. It was written like they did but they really didn’t, except for the side characters which is strange.

The plot of the book was fine, very similar to Luca. Except that nothing really happens in this book. The one piece of tension in this book, one of many but the only one that gets resolved, is resolved in 1 chapter. It was super annoying and I wanted so much more from this book. Especially since this book is almost 500 pages long. Almost nothing happens in 500 pages. Ugh.

I think that this book shows a lot of potential with the writing. As the books progress, because this is a series, I think that the writing will evolve and become better. I want to see what happens with the rest of the story but if the books are super similar to this one in the future, I think it’ll have to be a pass.