4.5⭐️
2.5🌶️

‘Love is the reason for everything.
But it can also be our ruin.’

Wow. I could not put this down. I am so glad I was granted an eARC copy of this book. Thank you NetGalley.

I need book 2 now. I was not ready to leave this world behind AND I need to know what’s going to happen!

Dual POV
Small Scottish town
Mystery
Prophecy
Mer, Selkies, the Drowned
Slow burn
Dark Romantasy
Dark mysterious MMC

I wanted a mermaid/ocean fantasy and this book delivered!

Let me start by mentioning the beautiful map and glossary…..I was hooked before the story had begun. Then knowing it was set in a small Scottish town on an island and I was sold (I love anything Scottish). Also add the fact it is steeped in Scottish and Celtic mythology of the ocean….totally enraptured.

The writing was poetic and emotional. The plot and storyline was twisty without being far-fetched or predictable. The tension between our MMC and FMC was boiling, and had me yearning for them to be together. The FMC and MMC were likeable and the FMC relatable. The world building was magical and the reader discovered along with the FMC being shown through her eyes.

It ends on a plot twist that had me frustrated and wanting book 2 now!

*ARC review* Release date: May 6th
4/5 ⭐️

Sea of Evil and Desire by J. Střelou is an under the sea, mythological fantasy with a slow burn romance. The story takes you from Scotland to the deep sea discovering a world of Mer, Selkies, the Drowned, and many more. Overall, I enjoyed this book. The plot and world building was something new to me so it was a breath of fresh air. While I enjoyed the romance, I would love to see their relationship go deeper. The book leaves you on a cliffhanger- I can’t wait to see what happens next. Recommend: yes

Pros:
- Likable characters
- Dual POV
- Scene description

Cons:
- Slow start
- Inconsistent pacing
- Quick spice scenes

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book

I really love the idea and concept of this book. There are not many books that have undersea mythology. We have the Drowned, Mer’s, Selkies and whilst Sirens were mentioned a couple of times, we didn’t get any insight into what they really brought to the kingdom but hoping this will be explored in book 2.

It was a quick and easy read and I liked the world building very much. I think it really set the scene visually. I found the underwater descriptions captivating.

I did, however, struggle to connect with the characters. I feel like I only got to know Morgana & Finn on a superficial level. I really wanted to get to know them on a much deeper level.
But I did really like Edward. We got to glimpse into his past and how it affected him in the present day and the emotions from him made me feel something and I need that in a character.

As an emotional reader, I rate books based on how they make me feel. Whilst I enjoyed the lore & world building, it was the connection with the characters that fell a little short for me.

I would love to thank Julia again sending me a hardback version of the book. It’s something I’ll cherish for a long time.

Sea of Evil and Desire pulls you in with its atmospheric setting and tantalizing promise of a love story entangled in ancient lore. J. Strelou paints a vivid picture of Ruadán’s Port, a Scottish town steeped in superstition and secrets, immediately creating a sense of mystery that lingers throughout the book.

Morgana, with her unique ability to sense emotions, is an intriguing protagonist, and her connection to the town's hidden history feels organic. The introduction of Finn, the brooding and enigmatic love interest, adds to the allure. The "slow-burn romance layered with tension, secrets, and undeniable passion," as described by other readers, definitely holds true. I enjoyed watching their relationship unfold and the chemistry between them was palpable.

The narrative effectively weaves together elements of Scottish folklore, Mer mythology, and a prophecy that hints at a larger conflict brewing beneath the surface. The world-building is strong, particularly in establishing the history and animosity between the Mer and the Drowned.

However, at times the pacing felt a little uneven. There were moments where I wished the story delved deeper into certain aspects of the mythology or explored Morgana's powers more fully. The plot, while engaging, occasionally felt like it was hinting at more than it delivered, leaving me wanting a bit more substance.

Overall, Sea of Evil and Desire is a captivating read for fans of paranormal romance with a strong emphasis on atmosphere and lore. While it has a few minor pacing issues, the compelling characters, intriguing world-building, and undeniable chemistry between the protagonists make it a worthwhile escape. I'm definitely interested in seeing where the story goes next!

I really loved the premise of this story. I thought the overall storyline was really compelling overall but didn’t feel it was exacted well.

Although this is not a very long book, it still felt like it was longer than it needed to be. The pace was quite slow and I found my mind wondering while I was reading.

The characters seem very immature for it being an adult book although I can appreciate that the FMC is 20 and let’s be real 20 is an extension of teenage years for many.

I think overall this book just wasn’t for me.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read an advance copy of Sea of Evil and Desire.

Let me start by saying I really wanted to love this book. The premise held a lot of promise—set in Scotland, steeped in rich sea mythology with selkies and mer lore, Sea of Evil and Desire had the makings of a magical, atmospheric romantasy. But while the concept was captivating, the execution fell flat for me in a few key areas.

The saving grace of this book is absolutely the lore. The sea mythology—particularly the selkie elements and the Scottish coastal setting—was rich and compelling. I found myself far more invested in the worldbuilding than in the romance, which didn’t quite land for me.

The romantic plot felt rushed and lacked emotional depth. The connection between the characters formed too quickly, with little buildup or believable development. The FMC often read younger than her age, and some of her thoughts and actions came across as naive or inconsistent. At times, the spicy scenes felt more like boxes being checked than natural progressions of the relationship.

While the story didn’t fully work for me, I think readers who enjoy atmospheric settings and sea lore might still find something to love here.

i love mermaids and selkies so i was having a ball what a fun fantasy world im excited to see where this world and its characters go in the rest of the series.. i see there is atleast another book and thank god cause the ending… finn and morgana were gonna have to start communicating please god

thank you netgalley & the author for the arc!!

A huuuuge thank you to Julia & NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this in exchange for my honest review! A Sea of Evil & Desire hooked me in right away; I immediately wanted to uncover the secrets of Morgana’s family, and there were so many aspects of this that I enjoyed! The plot kept me entertained, Finn was the perfect morally grey, mysterious MMC, and the world-building was amazing; I felt like I was right on the boat with the drowned and standing next to the mer inside their underwater kingdoms. I loved the interactions between Morgana & Finn and wished we saw more of their electric chemistry, but feel that will be further fleshed out in book 2! I did struggle at times with the overall pacing of the story, and emotionally connecting with characters. The FMC was 20, but came off to me as more of a teenager, and felt there were times where the story progression didn’t move and I was waiting for things to happen. That being said, the ending (epilogue) was a bit of a shocker in a great way, and I’ll definitely continue the series!

Tropes you’ll find:
- Dual POV
- Mysterious & morally grey MC
- Slowwwww burn w/ spice
- Underwater world
- Mermaids, selkie, gods, & humans
- Ancient prophecies
- Political intrigue

Thank you to NetGalley and Julia Strelou for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am still at a loss for words over this book. The world building was phenomenal and the plot had so much potential. This was a suspenseful, quick read. I was 100% on my toes the entire time, and had no idea what was coming next. You follow the story of a young girl who discovers she has a family secret, only after she meets a dark, mysterious, handsome man (obviously).

I did not personally enjoy the book as much as I thought I would. I could not find myself connecting with any of the characters, and honestly I think I may just not be a fan of aquatic mythology. I love it as a subplot, but I heavily confused throughout the book, and I did NOT know what a Selkie was (oops). While this was not a favorite of mine, I have to say that the writing style was captivating and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Selkies, mermen, and drowned fantasy.

Thank you for the ARC! A solid and enjoyable mix of ocean creatures and romance. I love the idea of a shape-shifter being able to go underwater, which is a refreshing change of pace from typical shifting stories. I think all of the little nods during descriptions that remind you that some of the book takes place underwater is great - having suckerfish cleaning algae off tables in a hospital is specific but also very unique. There were some points that the language didn't really line up with what characters would realistically be saying (or doing), but those didn't hinder the read. I will be looking forward to the story continuing in the next book, and thankfully there was only a little bit of a cliffhanger at the end to keep you wondering what will happen next.

I would say this is a 1.5 out of 5 in spice (not for young teenagers but also not a main focus of the book).

This book took me a long time to get in to. The first part of the book the mood was set and nothing much happend in my opinion. And then the story finally took off and I did really enjoy the worldbuilding and history woven into this book. The characters and story just never fully managed to suck me in to it while the story definetely had it's interesting elements.

📖ARC Review📚
Releasing: May 6th

With a prophecy, a mad king, a power hungry villain, a broody male main character and an awkward female main character the stage has been set for a rollercoaster ride of a story.
Finn is broody, tormented by his past, and held in a chokehold by his duty. Morgana is awkward and desperate to belong after a life of loneliness and sensory overload. They are drawn together by circumstance and a small town.
While the town is an interesting grounding point much of what happens there felt like filler leaving the immersive underwater world the author has created as the true gem of this story.
The end nudges you in the direction that the next book should follow, but leaves the reader with so many questions and really just wanting more.

Thanks to @netgalley & @j.strelou for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

First off, a big thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy of Sea of Evil and Desire. I’m always excited to dive into a new fantasy world—especially one that blends mythology, romance, and the eerie allure of the sea—and this book had a concept that immediately pulled me in.

The worldbuilding was truly standout. The mer were fascinating, and the addition of the Drowned was a chilling, original touch that added depth and intrigue. I loved the atmosphere and the darker undertones that echoed throughout the story.

That said, I did find myself struggling with the pacing. While the prose was vivid and beautifully written, it often leaned too heavily into description. At times, it felt like the story paused to admire its own reflection, and I was left longing for more movement—more action, more plot progression, and especially more of those brief but electric interactions between Finn and Morgana. Their chemistry was a bright spot, and I only wish we had more of it.

Overall, a solid three stars. There’s so much potential here, and I’m curious to see where the series (if it continues) goes next.

I’m quite 50/50 about this book. On one hand, the world building was amazing, but on the other hand, I really couldn’t connect with the characters, and it led me to consider DNFing several times.

The world building was exceptionally written and described everything so well, while still leaving certain details to the imagination, which is a mix I find is hard to balance, but it was executed perfectly in this book.

However, I quite disliked the characters. I found the characters quite annoying and the chemistry between them felt quite forced, Morganas insistence that nothing can happen between her and Finn was extremely repetitive, and I felt like I was reading the same sentence every few chapters. I also felt that the characters were quite shallow. Though they had solid backgrounds, they weren’t too deeply described for me to be abl to fully connect and understand them.

Overall, this was a good read, and I feel it would be amazing, I just wasn’t the right person for it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book, all opinions are my own.

4.25/5 ⭐ – Slow-burn, Eerie, Captivating

"𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙪𝙨. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥, 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚. 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥 𝙞 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙚"

Aaaah I LOVED this book! I’ve had my eye on it for ages, so I was beyond thrilled to receive an ARC — and let me tell you, it absolutely did not disappoint. I devoured Sea of Evil and Desire in a single sitting. J. Strelou, I blame you for the state of my neglected to-do list because this story had me hooked!

Yes, I’m biased when it comes to mermaid tales — but this book delivered so much more. Think mermaids, selkies, gods, and ghosts wrapped in Scottish-inspired folklore, all set in a hauntingly atmospheric seaside town (and of course, under the sea!). The world is lush, eerie, and magnetic, with layers of mystery, ancient curses, tragic love, and fate-driven prophecy that pulled me in very quickly.

And the tension between Morgana and Finn? Magnetic. Visually, I keep picturing a darker Ariel and Eric haha, but with twist and turns that you'll just have to read yourself! The pacing is a little bit slow, but it works beautifully for the story’s haunting atmosphere. The story has a cast of intriguing side characters both on land and under the sea, and I would’ve loved to see them explored a little more deeply. And yes... I 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 the sequel asap (pleaseee) 🙈

If you’re into dark mer-fantasy romance with lore-rich storytelling, slow-burn tension, and a mysterious "who-did-this-to-you" MMC, Sea of Evil and Desire belongs on your TBR. It releases May 6 — and I highly recommend you pre-order it now!

Huge thanks to Julia Strelou and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗:
After Morganna’s grandmother passes away, she moves to Scotland to be with her grandfather. Soon she starts to experience weird happenings & is drawn into an unknown world.

𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎:
I think this is a really good start to something. I could tell it was a debut, the writing felt a little YA for an adult book. I mean, why are we actually mentioning Netflix? Can’t we just say “watch tv?” Also, the conversations about the FMC's virginity felt very YA, so basically this book has adult topics & circumstances but I don't feel like the writing matches it. That being said, the world is unique, which helps pull you into the story. I think that as the writer grows, this series will only get better!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁:
🫧 slow burn

🌊 underwater world

🫧 myths & legends

🌊 Scotland setting

🫧 dark romantasy

🌊 unique lore & magic system

🫧 political intrigue

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this book.

Sea of evil and desire was a unique book for me. I enjoyed the book being set in Scotland as we learned about the drowned, Mer, and other mystical sea creatures. Learning about the main FMC and her back story was fun to learn. I was constantly on the edge wondering what was going to happen next. I also never was sure who to trust and even at the end I’m still questioning motives.

I will be reading the next book once it comes out to see where this goes next.

This was unfortunately a DNF for me at around the 45% mark. I really did try to keep reading but when I found myself putting off reading it, I decided to give up.

I will say that I was fascinated by the world building and lore within the story. From silkies, to the mer and most especially, the Drowned. I found their story most interesting of all and I loved the concept of underwater communities for the people who have died at sea.

I think my main issue I had is that I could not get on board with the characters. Morgana seemed very immature for a young woman in her 20s and Finn just seemed to talk about how hot she was. The chemistry just wasn't there for me and seemed forced and unbelievable.

The concept, world building and detail was excellent but this failed with the characters for me.

I loved this book! Finn and Morgana had sizzling chemistry that was woah and I loved the world-building involved. The world-building was vivid and interesting while the characters kept me engaged every page I turned. I also adored how strong Morgana was despite everything she was facing and the world she was thrust in out of nowhere. This book made me appreciate the romance of the dark deep blue ocean where no one knows what’s lurking…100% would recommend reading this!

For it to be a debut novel, I’m blown away. The world building and character development is outstanding. I can’t decide if Finn is going to end up being my new favorite dark knight or the newest villain! Highly recommend snagging book one of this series when it releases May 6th!