Kiss the Girl
By Zoraida Córdova
4.5 stars

If you’re like me and can sing every song from Disney’s The Little Mermaid (1989 cartoon version), then you too will LOVE Kiss the Girl. In this version, Ariel is a member of Siren Seven, a world famous girl band with her sisters. Having played their last show, Ariel is looking forward to a break and figuring out what she wants to do next. But, her dad, and head of Atlantica Records has different plans. Seeking one night of rebellion, Ariel sneaks out to see a battle of the bands and meets Eric Reyes, frontman for Star Crossed, an up and coming band about to set out on their first U.S. tour (that may already be cursed). Sparks fly! Eric, not knowing who Ariel really is, invites her to be their new merch girl (the old one just quit). After a huge blow up with her dad, Ariel jumps at this chance to get away and, with her sisters’ blessing, runs off to meet the bus. The band’s manager, Odelia Garcia, immediately recognizes Ariel (turns out there is bad blood between Odelia and Ariel’s parents) and agrees to let Ariel join the tour only if she stays away from Eric. Easier said than done. Even knowing Ariel and Eric are destined to end up together (this is the Disney version after all), the book still has fun surprises along the way. There is great banter. I loved the relationships between Eric and his bandmates and Ariel and her sisters as much as their developing romance. Although written for adults, this could easily be recommended to teens especially with the new live action movie version in theaters now.

This book. Loved the characters (except the evil dad!) I was not sure what to make of the Little Mermaid connection, but I thought it was really well done. Ariel’s adventures with the band warmed my heart and I definitely enjoyed this book!

This book is a perfect addition to the Meant to Be book collection. Reading this book was a joy as the audience is constantly given easter eggs connected to the classic Disney film. Córdova successfully modernizes this story, making Ariel and Eric a likable couple without the problematic components of their relationship in the original telling.

I continue to enjoy the entries in this series. I thought that this book took an interesting spin on the story of the Little Mermaid - reimagining Ariel and her sisters as pop stars.

This book had an interesting way of retelling the Disney classic The Little Mermaid. Ariel, part of a famous girl group with her sisters wants something different. Eric, part of a band starting a tour is trying to hit it big with his band. The two meet and fall in love, but like in many stories their relationship wasn’t easy.

Oh my corazoncito!
This was an excellent, loving, feel-good read.
My first from Cordova, but definitely not my last.
You’ll find humor, family/found-family antics & drama, LOVE of course, a bit of angst, adventure and so much more.
The details were everything and tied wonderfully together. The references to the Little Mermaid were well executed and not obvious or obnoxious. The side characters were intriguing, and I hope we get to see more of them in the future.

This was an EXCELLANT re-telling not just of 'The Little Mermaid', but specifically of Disney's Little mermaid, set in the modern music world - so Ariel and her sisters become a pop girl band, King Triton is now a music industry king with his own record label company, the French chef becomes the band 'Le Poussin Bleu', the rowboat scene is a music video, Max the dog is now Max the animal rights activist/musician, and Prince Eric himself is a rising star in the music world with just ridiculously good looks, smile, hair and eyes, and can actually sing - plus much more!

The book also acknowledges what every fan always knew - that Ursula and Triton had some sort of history - while also delightfully flipping the script on who is the real villain here.

Ariel has quit her pop princess life for a taste of "the real world," becoming a merch girl and roadie for the band Star Crossed - and while she is doing this very much against her father's wishes, I absolutely LOVED that her sisters load her up with gifts on her way out the door, constantly in touch via texts and calls, helping her out whenever she asks, and supporting her every step of the way. Huzzah for healthy sibling relationships!

A delightful retelling both on its own and for every little girl that grew up with The Little Mermaid.

What a incredible sweet retelling of The Little Mermaid. I loved the aspect of the music industry through out the book. And all the little easter eggs to the original.

I loved the relationship that Ariel and her sisters had. And that the sisters supported each other and would go out of their to help Ariel succeed in her new adventure.

I loved getting Eric's POV and hearing his inner thoughts. The tension that was growing between Eric and Ariel was so much fun, especially after the hotel.

Eric's bandmates were such lovely characters. I wish the band was real and to listen to their songs. I loved all their misadventures.

Having the articles and other headlines between the chapters was really cool. It was fun to see what was trending.

This is my third book in the 'A Meant to Be' series, modern retellings of Disney stories. I really loved the first two but this one might be my new favorite. I was wondering how the author was going to put a twist on Ariel losing her voice and it was wonderful. A story of someone who doesn't necessarily lose something but never knew it was there to be found until given the opportunity to explore, (pardon the pun), part of their world. Ariel, a member of the wildly successful band Siren Seven is hoping to enjoy her first summer off in, well, her whole life, but her father has other plans for her to launch her solo career. Instead, Ariel runs off with Eric for the summer to explore his world of underground concerts, different music, and falls in love while discovering who she is outside of her family. Love love love! It pulled together the story of A Little Mermaid in a modern, feminist way that was as refreshing as it was entertaining. Couldn't read this fast enough!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book.

I loved Kiss the Girl! Zoraida Còrdova’s take on the Little Mermaid was delightful. The characters were so fun and lovable, the story was exciting, and I believed the romance.

I couldn’t put this book down. I just really loved it,

As a kid, The Little Mermaid was always one of my favorite movies; the idea of a young woman searching to find a world different from controlling parents resonated with me. Kiss the Girl honors that original message so wonderfully in a delightful romcom about a famous singer who defies her controlling father to go incognito as a merch sales person for a handsome up-and-coming musician, falling for him as well as for his found family, made up of the band, his manager, and their tour bus driver.

I loved the way the characters and the plot from the original movie were referenced, but with fresh twists that made them delightfully suited to a contemporary romance story. This was a charming, nostalgic read.

If you're a fan of Disney and the drama of child stars growing up, I think you'll really enjoy this read! Ariel is the youngest in her family and she and her sisters make up a hit girl group called Siren Seven. After a hit two year farewell tour, Ariel is supposed to be transitioning to a solo career, something her father and uncle have been orchestrating for years. But after fifteen years on stage, she's ready to do her own thing. When Ariel meets Eric, it's love at first sight and she decides to disobey her father for the first time in her life and travel with him and his band for the summer. With nods to NYC Hispanic culture, this book is a charming read that is sure to tickle any Disney fan's fancy. Keep an eye out for this title in August 2023!

I liked the idea of this story, but the writing style didn't really do it for me. Maybe when it comes out in audiobook format, I'll finally finish it.

What a clever remix of The Little Mermaid (Disney version)! This was a fun twist on the Disney movie, with the characters reimagined as the leads in a traveling band. The romance is slow burn with a lot of mutual pining but very little on-page graphic description. It's clear the author knows her Little Mermaid stuff inside out, and the author's note at the back was a particularly wholesome touch.

This book is so much fun! I love fairytale retellings, but I might love Disney movie retellings even more. Watching Eric and Ariel fall in love as two musicians was an absolute delight. The characters are wonderful, and I loved trying to figure out who was who from the movie. Some, like Max or Ignacio Sebastian, are obvious. Others, like Carly, are not. All of the characters are unique reimaginings of the characters I know and love, and I loved picking up on all the little easter eggs thrown in for fans of The Little Mermaid movie.
The slow burn between the leads was exquisite, and seeing both Ariel and Eric hold back for different reasons even as they got pulled together was so much fun. I was burning with them, that's for sure! There are a lot of tropes, such as forced proximity, only one bed, secret past, and forbidden love. Luckily I love that sort of thing. Sure, it makes things a little bit predictable, but I loved getting my hopes up, figuring out where a scene was going, and groaning as their love gets foiled once again.
Some of the formatting was a little wonky, but that's to be expected from an advanced copy. My one complaint is that it didn't get spicy enough! Some of the language used implied that there would be some proper sexy scenes, but there is only one instance and it fades to black. Still, I loved this book and stayed up late reading it several nights in a row. Would definitely recommend to adult Disney fans!

Thank you so much to Netgalley for the ARC!

I just love these Meant To Be romances - this is a great story on it's own, but seeing how the author took inspiration from the Little Mermaid is wonderful. The same themes are there but the story is unique and so fun!

I was pleasantly surprised with this book! The first three chapters were hard for me to get through. After reading them, I thought this book was going to be a cheesy retelling of The Little Mermaid, but I was wrong and I am soooooo glad that I decided to keep reading.

This book follows Ariel "Melody" del Mar, after wrapping up her farewell tour with the Siren Seven. Her plans are to take a well deserved break, but her dad decides otherwise. Ariel becomes fed up with her father's choices so she decides to leave home. Her plan is to run away with Eric, the lead singer of a band she met the night before. The two end up on the road, along with a few other quirky bandmates, a tour manager, and an eccentric bus driver. Soon, Ariel and Eric start falling for one another but there is one big problem, Eric does not know who Ariel really is.

I truly enjoyed how elements from The Little Mermaid, were weaved into the story while also creating a brand new storyline. Kiss the Girl has everything you could want from forbidden romance, quirky characters, funny dialogue, and an overall enjoyable plot. This book is a cute, quick, and easy read that I would recommend to all romance lovers!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

When I read that this was a modern retelling of "The Little Mermaid" I was curious as to how it would work. It was a good story summed up by a line toward the end of the book. "She needed to get a little lost to find her voice."

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read this ARC prior to release. Also, thank you to Zoraida Cordova for such a wonderful book!

The Meant to Be series has been a beautiful, romantic, and lovely ride. I will 100% say That "Kiss the Girl" is by far the best of the entire series. While, "If the Shoe Fits" had such a fun and amazing premise and "By the Book" was slow burn, KISS THE GIRL had me from the beginning! The falling in love the first night and how Ariel/Melody and Eric's relationship evolves throughout that first evening! I just can't even get over the BEST FIRST DATE EVER!

Zoraida Codova has captured the beauty and essence of a true modern fairytale. I am recommending this book to anyone and everyone who needs a sweet romance...strangers to lovers...rock star love! It is all the greatness that a true romance novel needs.

I just reviewed Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova. #KisstheGirl #NetGalley

First off, this is an excellent and ingenious retelling of The Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid story, both the original fairy tale and the Disney version, are, in my opinion, deeply problematic. None of those elements are present here. The style of writing is also fun and different- two POVs plus Instagram, Twitter, and blog posts that are relevant to the story and make sense with who the characters are.
Ariel Del Mar has been part of the all-girl family pop group Siren Seven for her entire life. Now in her mid-twenties, the band has met their obligations with their controlling, record label owning father and can do what they choose. Except their father does not intend to let Ariel go. After a chance meeting with singer and dreamboat Eric Reyes and his band Starcrossed, Ariel (going by her first name Melody) joins their band on their tour as their merch person. Her and Eric slowly fall in love but he doesn’t know who she really is. Will he still want to be with her once he finds out that she’s Ariel Del Mar and that her ruthless father will stop at nothing to get her back under his control?