Thanks to NetGally, Emily Layne, and Owl Hollow Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Description
A centuries-old curse plagues the island of Viaii Nisi and an ancient enemy lurks beneath the depths of the surrounding water. Annie Mayfield has heard all the stories and rumors about the island that is now home to the brand new Mayfield Villa resort, and she is definitely not psyched about having to spend her summer working there. The island's name alone Viaii Nisi, or violent island is enough to make any sane person seriously reconsider it as a vacation destination. Then there are the mysterious deaths of every previous owner! It's a history Annie's mother is quick to shrug off, but when a guest goes missing on opening night, Annie really starts to get the creeps. And then Annie makes a truly terrifying discovery: ruins filled with bones and one skeleton that seems to be half human and half fish. Intrigued by the strange remains and determined to help find the missing guest, Annie channels her inner Nancy Drew minus the skirt and pearls, of course in an attempt to uncover the truth about Viaii Nisi. But that truth is beyond anything she could ever have imagined. With her mother in complete denial and local officials unconcerned, Annie finds she'll have to face her biggest fears if she's to attempt to save those she loves.

This is her debut novel and I must give her kudos for the idea of it.
Everyone romanticizes mermaids/sirens. Heck, the tail end of 1989 had most of us loving mermaids due to Disney's The Little Mermaid. I love the fact that Layne's mermaid/siren world is anything but nice. It was dark and bloody. I don't want to give too much away - I wished or rather, I found myself wanting more of Lorelei's POV instead of the human, Annie's point of view.

I found Annie giving me a headache. I grew tired of her constant whining. I'm not a fan of YA's with characters who are spoiled brats. The ending seemed rushed, and THAT twist, wow, but left one wondering if it was a setup for a sequel or perhaps evolving into a series.

I felt the story needed to be fleshed out more. It seemed rather slow in the first part of the book though it had good character development. I could have done without the piece of romance that was thrown in there; seemed better off as being good friends.

All in all, for a first book, it wasn't bad.

My thanks to Owl Hollow Press for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘These Wicked Waters’ by Emily Layne in exchange for an honest review.

Annie Mayfield is not happy to be spending her summer working at her mother’s new venture, the Mayfield Villa Resort, on the tiny Greek island of Viaii Nisi. What she doesn’t realise is that the island is under a centuries-old curse and an ancient race, inimitable to humans, lurks beneath the waves.

Her mother shrugs off the history of the island though even when a guest goes missing. Yet he is only the first. Annie is curious to discover the truth and stumbles upon some ruins on the far side of the island. There she finds bones and one skeleton that doesn’t appear to be human.

This was quite a lot of fun. As the cover reveals the danger from under the sea links to mer-folk/sirens. Layne weaves in aspects of Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’ in the form of quotes heading sections in some chapters titled ‘Lorelei’s Song’. These take place in an underwater kingdom ruled over by the legendary Queen Thessalonike.

Even though this was clearly a fantasy, the premise of a young girl seeking to solve mysteries in Greece with echoes of ancient legends brought to mind one of my favourites from my teenage years, Mary Stewart’s ‘The Moonspinners’.

The novel was quite a slow burn, which I appreciated though the final chapters swung into high action for a dramatic climax. I was unable to tear myself away.

Personally I was very happy with how Layne ended the novel. It allows for the possibility of a sequel and introduces a new element into the story. While I don’t want to stray into spoiler territory, this links to a motif involving mythological elements that pops up on occasion in fiction and song affirming a living tradition.

Certainly I enjoyed this very much. I love novels that have mythological elements and I felt that this was well integrated into the contemporary narrative without being too fantastical.

This was a promising debut and I look forward future projects by the author.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

3,5 stars!
This was not what I was expecting! The story was told in a dual POV - Annie and Lorelei’s. Lorelei’s POV was a welcome surprise and I enjoyed reading about the events through her eyes.
I liked Annie as the protagonist. She was strong and determined. However, there was nothing that stood out for me in terms of her character. She seems to be slightly generic.

In terms of the plot, I enjoyed it! It was surprising and unpredictable. The writing style is simple yet so engaging. I was on edge most of the time.
However, the pacing of the story was rather weird. The beginning dragged on for a bit and the book suddenly picked up the pace without any warning. The ending felt a bit rushed but I am happy about how it ended.

Overall, I found the book intriguing and the twist on sirens was well done. A perfect read if you’re looking for something light yet creepy!

A solid 3 stars read!

The main reason I gave this book 3 stars was the pacing. Honestly, I feel like the first half of the book could have been either shorter or filled with more information about Annie's past or the sirens.. Instead, it was slow with very vague hints about Annie's past and family, about which we actually learnt in the lest 20%. I also didn't like the romance, mainly because I think it could have been better as a friendship!

In the second part, everything got better. We got more info about the sirens, more action and even some tragic events... I think that the best aspect of this book was the sirens. Brutal, vicious, bloody and vengeful, the way there were in most myths and not the Disney way. I have to say, I would like to see more of the sirens.

Finally, the end had a twist, which I could smell before I even started the book. and it was a shame that we met Annie;'s sister so late in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc provided, in exchange for my honest review.

I found the hard to get into and it took about a third of the book before it founds it’s pace and it seemed to flow at all, unfortunately by this point I lose interest and it doesn’t help I couldn’t relate to the characters at all. Unfortunately not for me which is a shame as so many others loved it and I was hoping to too

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I'm not usually one to go for a mermaid/siren book, but These Wicked Waters impressed me. There wasn't a time that I was bored during the book or a time where the story dragged on. The changing point of views were a nice touch, even though I was confused by the timeline that Lorelai's part of the book was taking place. The Odyssey quotes threw me off too, was Lorelai's part taking place during the Odyssey? The print copy may be different, but I wasn't thrilled with the setup of the book too, having random chapters have an Odyssey quote, followed by Lorelai's story - I wish the chapters had a label or something first of who it was following and which story. I also didn't like the twist thrown into the end, this book would be fine as a stand alone.

I received a copy of These Wicked Waters through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

These Wicked Waters is the debut novel of Emily Layne, and it takes a unique look at the classic tale of mermaids and sirens. Viaii Nisi, is an isolated island surrounded by mermaids – and a curse. It turns out that when you anger the beauties of the sea, they'll never forgive.
The Mayfield Villa resort has been established on this cursed island. Even though the owner had reason to have a concern about the location, they buried it all under the rug. And that can only lead to one thing: disaster. It's only a matter of time before the angry mermaids rise up once again.
Annie Mayfield is the daughter of the woman who owns the resort. Unlike her mother, she's willing to listen to the signs all over the island. And she believes in mermaids – especially after one of them saves her. But can she get everyone else to believe, before it's too late?
Lorelei is not the sort of mermaid you might be expecting. She has long since lost her ability to sing, and thus enchant humans. She's also got another unique feature – her twin fins. Where her sisters and queen soak in hatred, Lorelei is willing to look to the humans for something other than blood and violence.

“You might not want to advertise this,' I said, holding it up for her to see, a final jab. 'Viaii Nisi basically means violent isle in Greek.”

These Wicked Waters was one of those novels that immediately caught my attention. The cover was striking, and the description compelling. And honestly? I actually think the novel was even better than the description made it sound.
I know that there have been a ton of mermaid novels coming out lately, and I'm certainly not complaining about that fact. I've actually been digging it. That being said, I love how These Wicked Waters had such a unique take on it.
This novel is told in two main perspectives, Annie and Lorelei. Annie's story is set firmly in the present, while all of Lorelei's tale is from the past. It did take me a moment or two to figure out the timelines, but once I did it all clicked into place. And became so much more fascinating.
It didn't take long before it became clear that Annie – and everyone else on the island – was in over their heads. But at least Annie was willing to admit what her own eyes were telling her – that mermaids are real.
There were some parts of her struggle that were predictable, of course. But that didn't reduce the enjoyment in seeing them unfold. Likewise, there were plenty of twists in this story, making it as unique as it was interesting.
Lorelei was a fascinating character, and seeing her story unfold alongside Annie's gave us a different perspective on the truth of the island. And it was so much darker than I expected. I absolutely loved every minute of her tale.
This novel is very clearly the first in a new series, as Annie's tale has only just begun. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the final revelations surrounding Annie's character. It has the potential to be interesting. But it also felt a little bit heavy handed. Perhaps if it had been revealed at the beginning of the next novel, I wouldn't have felt that way. I'm not sure. But are far as complaints go, that's actually a relatively minor one. So I'm pretty happy with this book on the whole.
I am looking forward to seeing more of Annie and Lorelei, and finding out how their paths will cross again. I guess I'll just have to be patient in order to see what happens next.

After reading the synopsis I really wanted to like this book however I just could not get into it. I didn't find myself feeling attached to any of the characters and found myself not wanting to carry on reading so dnf'd it.

This story just wasnt for me which is sad because it's been getting some really good reviews.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

I’m not usually a fan of mermaid stories, but was intrigued by the mystery element of this one and I'm glad I read it.

The story follows Annie, who comes to her mother's luxury holiday island to work in the hotel as a punishment for acting out at school. The island has an ominous name and is the centre of rumours of mysterious deaths, so Annie (who hates the water for good reason) isn't best pleased to be there.

There's plenty of action and the book really kept my attention. I also liked Annie, and following her adventures and gradually finding out more about her relationships with her family. Lorelei too, was a great character - even if sirens do eat people, I liked her, her relationship with Echo, and felt for her for the things she'd suffered in the past.

A good read, despite the fact I'm way too old to be classed a YA and I'll be looking for other books by this author.

This is a fun, weird, folklorish, easy read. Set on a tropical island with a newly opened resort, the story follows 17 year old Annie, daughter of the resort owner, on a hunt for the person responsible for a spate of missing resort goers and employees. What follow is part adventure, part romance and art thriller. I really enjoyed this book and recommend highly. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A centuries-old curse plagues the island of Viaii Nisi and an ancient enemy lurks beneath the depths of the surrounding water. Annie Mayfield has heard all the stories and rumors about the island that is now home to the brand new Mayfield Villa resort, and she is definitely not psyched about having to spend her summer working there. The island s name alone Viaii Nisi, or violent island is enough to make any sane person seriously reconsider it as a vacation destination. Then there are the mysterious deaths of every previous owner! It’s a history Annie’s mother is quick to shrug off, but when a guest goes missing on opening night, Annie really starts to get the creeps. And then Annie makes a truly terrifying discovery: ruins filled with bones and one skeleton that seems to be half human and half fish. Intrigued by the strange remains and determined to help find the missing guest, Annie channels her inner Nancy Drew minus the skirt and pearls, of course in an attempt to uncover the truth about Viaii Nisi. But that truth is beyond anything she could ever have imagined. With her mother in complete denial and local officials unconcerned, Annie finds she’ll have to face her biggest fears if she’s to attempt to save everyone she loves.

Mermaids/Sirens? Mystery? Some Greek mythology? Count me in! It was a bit more YA than what I was expecting but I actually really enjoyed this book. Layne did an excellent job with the world building and character development. This book definitely has some To Kill a Kingdom and Daughter of the Siren Queen vibes.

I hope we get to see more of “Rybka” in the future, because the book certainly ends up sounding like there could be more. If you’re looking for romance, this book has a PG or even less rating in that department so don’t get too excited about that.

Thank you to netgalley and Owl Hollow Press for the copy in exchange for the honest review! These Wicked Waters publishes on October 22nd, 2019!

I had a hard time getting into the story but about 100 pages in I was able to start enjoying it more. I dint really connect with the characters but I liked the concept of the story, the writing was also really well done.

For starters I really enjoyed this book and had a hard time putting it down. I was captivated within the first few chapters, and my attention was held throughout the whole book. I even sneaked my Kindle into work so I could keep reading while no one was watching! The story is told through two perspectives. I thought the main character, Annie, was well developed, and enjoyed learning about her past throughout the book. The second perspective is told through the eyes of of siren, or mermaid. Her story is not as detailed as the main character, but it does help to understand the overall conflict in the story. I did enjoy the language that the sirens use to describe things, I found it creative and it helped distinguish the sirens from the humans. And I loved the connections to Ancient Greek mythology, it gave the book depth.

What I liked most about this book was I did not find the to be predictable. From the first few chapters, it is clear that there is going to be interaction between humans, or as sirens call them 'lung-breathers'. It starts out with the main character arriving at an island resort her mother owns and runs. It is made clear that she is working at the resort as a form of punishment rather than enjoyment. I found this relatable. everyone has punishments that they haven't wanted to do. Things quickly go wrong at the resort when both visitors and staff start to go missing. And Annie discovers some ancient ruins and skeletal remains she believes is connected to the disappearances. On the other side, we have our siren character telling her story of how the 'lung-breathers' became their enemies. Eventually both characters meet, and the conflict between the sirens and humans is revealed. This book kept me guessing and wanting the answers right up till the end. And I have to say I was satisfied with the ending.

Thank you Netgalley for sending me this arc. I will be reviewing this book in the near future with an honest rating and review.

This book gave me serious The Wicked Deep vibes. There is something enthralling about magical beings and mysteries involving the ocean. Perhaps it is because it is so vast, so deep, that perhaps there are things lurking, other than fish and crustaceons.

I enjoyed the writing style and world building of this novel, I did struggle with the protaginist, I found her rather naive and young. But perhaps I am on the too old, section of the YA spectrum.

I have no doubt this will be a popular read, especially with its perfect release time, being during spooky month.

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.