I fell in love with this world while reading Eight Simple Rules of Dating a Dragon. I meant to go back and read the first two, but time got away from me and here we are at book five. Clearly, I will be going back and reading the others. Normally, I never read a series out of order. It worked for books 3 and 5, but I recommend reading them in order as there is an overarching storyline.

One of the characters I absolutely fell for when I picked up this series was Brody, so it’s no wonder I didn’t want to wait to read his story. But surprisingly, it wasn’t Brody who shined the brightest in this story…it was Maeve. She’s the baby of the five sisters and treated as such. At times, she comes across as very young…well, she is. But she grew in maturity, strength and confidence throughout this story. She absolutely deserved not only her happily ever after, but the role she has found herself in not just by marrying Brody (relax, it’s PNR…everyone gets a HEA), but by birthright.

As for Brody and Maeve’s love story, it’s sweet and simple, with a few bumps in the road. After all, he is a dog twenty-two hours of the day. But these two don’t let that get in their way…much. Actually, this story was so much more about their pasts. Both have a few shocks in store for them and it’s the way that they handled it that made me love them all the move. Overall, they were great characters with lots of spunk.

There’s also a bonus romance plot line in the book, that of Colonel Nevis Harden, Brody’s best friend. I’ll just say that the author gave him the perfect woman to keep him on his toes. I almost liked their romance even more. Almost.

The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea was a wonderful wrap up of the Embraced series and I recommend this to paranormal romance fans.

Unfortunately I did not realize this was the final book in a series when I requested it. I was hoping this was the second book and it would be easy to catch up, but it's actually the fifth book in the series. I tried to read it but felt like I was missing a lot. I will try again after I can catch up with the previous four books. For now it's a DNF.

A very fitting end to the series. I loved Maeve and Brody together. However the story did feel rushed. The final battle was anti climactic and too many revelations seemed rushed. I wondered if this was a sprint to the finale just to end it. However I really loved who Maeve ends up being in her own right.

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I actually enjoyed this book more than I had originally thought I would. I enjoyed the shape shifting and felt the plot was pretty unique. There were quite a few surprises that I did not see coming. The relationship between Maeve and Brody is delightful to see develop throughout the story. The other characters are a nice enhancement to the story and compliment the mc’s very well. Overall I would definitely recommend this book.

Synopsis (from book)
Raised on the magic-seeped Isle of Moon, Maeve is used to unusual powers—and the way they fuel the politics of her world. But when she discovers an ability to shape-shift at will, she knows who she wants to share it with first. Brody, the enigmatic, infuriating shifter-spy has always made time for Maeve. But it’s been almost two months since she’s seen him. And though no one else believes Brody is in danger, Maeve is more than ready to rescue him herself.
The rumors Brody’s investigating are terrifying: a secret army of magic-users, in the service of the cruel Circle of Five. But when he uncovers the identity of one of the Five, the mission becomes personal. Cursed as a boy by the Sea Witch, Brody can spend only two hours a day in his human form, a restriction that limits his future and muzzles his heart. Plus Maeve teases him for being such a pretty doggy instead of appreciating his manly charms. To win his freedom, he must take on a terrible disguise. And when Maeve finds out, she’ll unleash a tempest like no other . . .

This is the fifth and final book in the Embraced series. The first three books were published by one publisher under the Embraced series name. The final two were published by a second publisher under the series name Embraced by Magic. I would recommend starting with the first book, [book:How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days|29875893]. The premise of the series is explained and the characters are introduced. The series follows five young women raised as sisters at a convent. Each is "Embraced." In other words, they have some sort of paranormal powers.

[book:The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea|49195174] is about Maeve, the youngest sister and a seal shifter who can also talk to seals. She has a singing voice like a siren. She is in love with Brody, who has been in all five books. Brody was cursed to shift for all but 2 hours of the day, when he can be human. He usually shifts into dog form, but is often an eagle. He has been working as a spy for King Leo. Brody is in love with Maeve, but feels he isn't good enough for her. Who would want someone who is only human 2 hours per day?

In this book Maeve and Brody (separately) try to find the last two members of the evil Circle of Five, and the Embraced Army that they have gathered. Along the way, many secrets are learned and revealed about Maeve and Brody. Neither is who they knew or seemed to be. Eventually, Brody and Maeve are reunited.

What I love most about Kerrelyn Sparks's books is the humor. Sometimes it's silly, but most of the time it's understated humor or clever wordplay.

I was so happy that Brody got his HEA. The poor guy had suffered through five books. It was a fitting end to the series.

Although this says 2nd in a series, I would suggest reading the other 4 books first. I did listen to book #3 or #1, depending how you view that, and found it gave me enough to go forward with. That being said, since I enjoyed this #1 and this one, I think the rest would be just as good reads.

This book is Maeve & Brody's story. Both finding the missing pieces they have been looking for. Since it is the 2nd book, I am excited to see what comes next!

I did not realize that this book was part of a series and I did not read the previous books. That said the book had enough discussion of past events that I did not feel lost or confused while reading it. The world was very well written and despite knowing I was missing some background information and world building I found very intriguing and well done.

The characters were interesting and I really enjoyed their back stories as well as their history together. The main character’s had great character development and it was interesting to see how they reacted to all the secrets as they unfolded throughout the book. The magic system of this series is really cool and I loved everything I got to experience in this book. There was a wide variety of magic powers and while the main characters were explained more in depth, the author did a great job of showing the strengths and weaknesses of the different character’s powers. Overall it was a very enjoyable book.

I am so sorry I did not realize that this book was a sequel so I will not be reading this at this time.

A satisfying conclusion at last

I would like to thank Kerrelyn Sparks, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yaaaay! FINALLY we get answers to the questions we’ve had for years! Well, it’s only been a little over three years… It feels longer. Nevertheless, it was quite satisfying to shed light on the remaining mysteries of the Embraced series.

I can’t think of any problems to talk about. I highlighted the lines I found funniest, and I made note of things I thought would be problems, but those were actually resolved soon after I noted them, so they were null. If I had to dig deep, maybe Brody and Maeve’s relationship could have been fleshed out a bit more; at times they felt almost like an afterthought, especially in the last quarter, when the final battle took center stage. Splitting time among several POVs didn’t help that, either. And perhaps the final battle in the throne room could have been more fleshed out and dramatized; we spent far more time with the battle outside than the one inside, and the imbalance was felt. But none of that really bothered me, personally; there was a lot to do and a lot going on, and I think Sparks handled it all as skillfully and cleverly as she could.

No, I loved this book from start to finish. The pace moved quickly but not so quickly that the plot was rushed or the characters underdeveloped. I loved meeting the Seer and having his tragic tale added to the lore, I loved learning about Brody and Maeve’s backgrounds, I loved discovering the Embraced army and everything about them. Watching Nevis find his HEA was an unexpected treat.

Overall, I loved this book, and I loved this series. While most of me is glad to have a satisfying conclusion, part of me is sad to see our time on Aerthlan come to an end. But I’m also excited to see what Sparks does next; as far as I know, it should be a spin-off of her vampire series focusing on the children of the OGs. I’m not sure how successful that will be for her, considering the vampire trend is long over, but I plan to check it out when the time comes.

This is a good conclusion to this series. We finally got Brodie an Maeve’s story. Brody is on a mission to find the Embraced Army and the remaining two of the circle of five. When Brody has not been seen for two months Maeve who has loved him from afar gets worried and decides to search for him. When she finds him, he tries to send her home fearing for her safety but she is determined to help. When she hears about the Isle of Secrets as a possible location for the Enchanted army, she changes into her Selkie form to investigate on her own. Brodie must find her before she is destroyed by the Sea Witch Queen who is known to destroy ships and sailors. This was a good adventure and I liked the description of the Isle of Secrets and the castle. I enjoyed learning about the various powers the Enchanted children possessed. I liked all the characters, too, they were well developed. I did have a feeling that this story was rushed. Things were too easy. Brodys sister, Elinor, and Nevis snuck into the island and 30 guards and the Enchanted army never noticed. If they are so formidable, it shouldn’t have been that easy. Also, the dialogue was not very natural, at times it was choppy and sometimes strange. I know what the author was trying to convey but again the writing seemed rushed. The final battle was very anticlimactic. I was glad to see a happy ending for this series but it felt like the author was ready to get this over with. Don’t get me wrong, the story was good but I think it needed a little more fleshing out and some polishing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have been eager to read this installment of the series for a very long time, and now that it's finally here, it's bittersweet! I am so excited to have finally gotten the Maeve/Brody love story we've all seen coming, but I am sad that it signals the end of a wonderful series. Kerrelyn Sparks has a gift of weaving magic into every story she writes, not just in the subject matter but in the creation of characters that embed themselves in the hearts of readers. This book was an excellent comeback from the previous book as well, which I was really glad to see. The 4th book was one I didn't care for, and I thought I had lost my beloved author, but she is definitely back with this one. Reading it felt like old times again, and I'm so excited to see Kerrelyn hasn't lost her spark (pun intended). :)

Maeve has loved Brody from afar from years, even though most of their interaction has not been while human. With the power to change into a seal, Maeve knows she is special, but she has never been sure of herself around Brody. They interact once a month when she turns into a seal and plays with him in the ocean, though she has never let on that she knows it's him. Brody is cursed to be trapped in the body of an animal, with only two hours of freedom allowed as a human each day. WIth such a bleak future ahead of him, he can only watch Maeve grow into a beautiful young woman and hope she can find happiness without him. When Brody disappears to hunt for the secret Embraced army, Maeve knows something is wrong. He's never gone this long without seeing her, and after no one takes her concern seriously, she takes matters into her own hands and goes searching for him. What she finds is much more than she bargained for, and it will take both her and Brody working together, and realizing their feelings for each other, to finally have their happily ever after.

I loved Maeve and Brody, and I always have through each book. It was difficult at first to read about Maeve as the heroine this time, because I always thought of her as a young girl, but in this book, you see her as a grown woman with all the passion and strength that goes along with it. Brody was a wonderful secondary character, and readers loved him, but this was the first book where we got to truly see him as his own person and learn his backstory. And what a backstory! Both he and Maeve had amazing stories to explain who they were, and I think they actually have the most interesting histories of all the Embraced books. I never would have thought that they came from...where they came from...and how entwined their lives were from the very beginning. Maeve grew up so much over the course of this book, and for Brody to see how much she meant to him, it was utterly romantic. A perfect way to end the series.

Whatever Kerrelyn Sparks writes next, know that I will be one of the first in line to get my hands on it. I have been a fan for a very long time and will remain one. Highly recommended to all!

The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea by Kerrelyn Sparks was phenomenal!! OMG Brody was my favorite! I had no idea where Sparks was going to go to end this amazing series and I was NOT disappointed! I'm only sad that we're saying goodbye to the series and world I loved so much!

I received a free advanced copy of this book. I have been waiting for this since the first one when we met Brody. I am in love with this entire series. I don't think there is anything by Ms. Sparks that I have not read. I loved the fact that Maeve waited for Brody and loved him from afar and was finally able to remove his curse.

The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea is the conclusion of a series by one of my favorite authors Kerrelyn Sparks. A wonderful magical mythical world where 5 orphaned sisters find their happily ever after. You’ll be pulled into the story with humor, suspense, romance and supernatural twists. Thanks to NetGalley the author and her publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea.

What a wonderful conclusion to the series! I’ve been waiting for Brody’s story since book 1 and it was everything I had hoped for!


This was filled with action and adventure as Maeve and Brody work together to bring the Circle of Five to an end. There were so many twists as secrets are revealed, things I never saw coming. Add in the addition of a new trick for Brody and I couldn’t stop reading.


While this was certainly laced with drama, it still had the romance that I’ve come to expect as well as the angst that kept me wondering how this couple would find their happy ever after. Nothing is predictable here which made the ending all the more enjoyable.


This was a pretty fast read that included all the characters from the previous books and the continuation of solving who the true villain was, therefore I would recommend you read this series in order. With a hero and heroine that were perfect for each other and chemistry that was felt throughout the story, I fell even more in love with Maeve and Brody.

I received this story free through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone without any problem.

I loved Maeve's story but I think it is because I always loved the character of Brody and couldn't wait for him to have his day. Maeve's "sisters" have all found love and she feels so left out with their talk of marriage and babies.

Maeve and Brody have cared about one another for 4 years but Brody will not pursue the relationship until his "curse"has been lifted. He was cursed by the Sea Witch in retaliation of his surviving the sinking of the ship he, his brother and their father was on. He feels he cannot have a normal life when he can only be in his own form for 2 hours a day.

I think I found Maeve's story to be the most complex. She finds out who her parents are but this just opens another whole can of worms! It will bring a great responsibility on her. Being the kind person she is, she also strives to help the others victims of her mothers evilness.

I loved seeing the of Kingdoms of Aerthlan come together for peace in their lands and I loved this whole series. These stories are so detailed that it is hard to go into anything without giving something away.

Ms Sparks really give us great writing. I have read most of her books, loving them, and always ready for a new one! I can't wait to see what she brings us next...

The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea by Kerrelyn Sparks

3 stars. The end of this series of 5 sisters (not of blood) who find their way to the place of their birth and love too. It’s a fantasy series with people with powers, shifters, witches, and curses. You know.

Maeve is the last sister who isn’t married yet. Brody, their friend, spy and the one she wants to be with, is cursed to spend only 2 hours a day in his true form. And his missing. So she decides to look for him. And finds her roots and more.

This book, this series is light and fun, a nice quick escape on quiet afternoons when you don’t want to immerse yourself into a world too much. The language of the characters are modern, despite being kings, queens, princesses with magic powers and clearly not set in the modern times. Throws you off a bit but it’s ok.

So anyway, thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for the arc of this book. It was nice.

I’ve loved the embraced series since I read the first book. And this is the book I’ve been eagerly awaiting - Brody and Maeve.

Brody has been the unsung hero of this series. He’s been behind the scenes working tirelessly to defeat the bad guys and gets no credit.

Maeve is the youngest of the sisters, close to all of them but since they are all married, she has less in common now.

It was a feeling she’d struggled with since childhood. Not that she was ignored. Her sisters had doted on her as the baby of the group. But it had always been clear that the eldest two, Luciana and Brigitta, were the best of friends. And the next two, Gwennore and Sorcha, were equally close to each other. Maeve was always the baby. The fifth wheel. And now she felt even more left out. Her sisters and their husbands had become an exclusive group she could never join.

As Brody investigates the witch who cursed him, Maeve sets off own her own adventure to find out more about her parents. Their paths intertwine and Brody isn’t going to let Maeve go.

It’s a wonderful conclusion to a great series. It was great seeing all the characters one last time and I am so happy Brody finally got his happy ending. Sneaky Brody - he’s been in every book and still has secrets. Oh and I laughed so hard at the fate of the Chameleon. It was perfect

Sadly, even though this is the finale of the series, it is also my least favorite. Maeve and Brody, I couldn't see the connection between them. The main plot was also a bit lack luster for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I finished the series but I also wanted more of an action battle or something.

I do love this cover (the last two actually in regards to being published by Kensington).

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The last book if the series, and I am sad that it had to end. So beautify written and so entertaining. There are so many revelations that will shock and you will love. The ending...it is really worth reading the whole series.


Whatever books Ms. Sparks would write. I will diligently wait for it.