Great book loved the dialogue and the way this was written definitely worth the read! great portrayal of characters. the plot was amazing! and just what any fantasy lover would like

Before I read this, I downloaded the first book on kindle unlimited. I really enjoyed it but found that it was about 150 pages too long. There was a lot of information that didn't need to be in there. Going into this I wasn’t as excited as I was originally. However I throughly enjoyed this book, it was more exciting. I started to like Ellara more and well Thatcher you can’t go wrong with him.

Thank you so much for sending me this. I will be downloading the 3rd book on release day.

The cover is absolutely gorgeous. The story was fantastic as well. I could totally see this as a movie or series on Netflix.

So I didn't realize this is the second book, and while it felt weird at times, I didn't have much problems understanding this book without reading the first one.

The story is quite interesting and I was really curious about what will happen from the beginning. I'm not sure how I feel about introducing a new love interest, but I'm sure it would have had another effect if I had read the first book.

All in all, a good book, especially if you want to read more books with mermaids (I feel like they are a bit too rare compared to elves or vampires tbh)

SO I made a whoopsie and requested this book without realizing it was book 2 in a series! As far as I can tell it picks up right from the end of the 1st book honestly it worked fine as a standalone! While it opens with her and her lover from book one, there's a new enemies to lovers romance and it seems he was introduced previously, but I didn't feel like I was missing much. Ellara is a mermaid in a tough spot who made a deal to save her friends and ends up in sea-slavery, to get out of it she has to take the big bad merman Thatcher across the dangerous ocean to her king. This was a really fun adventure with lots of action and banter. It was a pretty long book at just over 600 pages but I never found myself getting bored!

I do love a good mermaid story and Julie Catherine's story was such a fun read. I loved the main character, the setting and the storyline. Sometimes the main character did make decisions that annoyed me, but the fact that I got annoyed with her only proves how good a writer Julie Catherine is. Dark and Lovely Mermaids is absolutely thrilling!

Unfortunately, when I requested this ARC, I didn’t realize that it was a sequel. First mistake. I tried really hard to get through this book, but I do not care for any characters or the plot. The writing is clunky and not well written. The dialogue is awkward and I did not care for the action scenes…or really any scenes. I’m sorry if this is considered harsh, it just really wasn’t for me. That said, to the author, congrats for writing and completing a book. That’s something I can’t say that I’ve done. The cover art is beautiful.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

I requested this book not realizing it was the second book. It was good! Although, a little long. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I read the first but I just didn't have time. A great story that I enjoyed!

This book is OK. It really does drag on. This book really shouldn't have been almost 700 pages. You need to be more concise with situations instead of constantly dragging things on.

Also, these covers need to go. Someone on Tiktok has already claimed these designs and they are creepy AF.

This was such a fun and unique read to me. Julie Catherine did such a great job at world building and I could picture everything I was reading. It was so magical!

Ellara Merme (yes for real) is the main character of this book. She is a shallow character. She has two best friends, Pen and Blonde and Blonde is the meanest mean girl you'll read about. Seriously, why are they friends? She is a jerk to her. I did not read this first book, I'm hoping that's why these characters fell flat and the story seemed ridiculous. Even the "romance" elements felt juvenile.

So I felt a bit silly not having read the first book so I went ahead and read that before starting this one.

I have never read this type of book before and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I would recommend this book easily to others as the story was really great as well as the relationship between the main characters as well as the adventure they undergo.

3.5 Stars

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the ARC to read and review*

This was definitely an improvement on the first book - it was better written (mostly), more mature and dealt with some interesting topics. Plus, it was an enemies to lovers adventure, what’s not to like there?

I wasn’t sure where it was going to go but several of my issues with the first book were resolved in this second book. The romance was much better developed. Ellara as a character went through a lot of growth. The story made a lot more sense and was compelling if a little repetitive with all the creature attacks and absolutely darker in concept.

I really enjoyed the gendered dynamics, the differing cultures amongst the different mer peoples, and the Neptune/Poseidon rivalry. I’d be interested in delving further into that. The world building was quite elevated compared to the first book.

I also really loved Thatcher Gray - he was just fun on page. The chemistry was there, he was a true romantic hero, and the development of the his romance with Ellara was everything that was lacking in the first book. I even liked how self aware the book was about how ridiculous the romance of the first book actually was and how incompatible they really were. I’d love to see more of him and more of him and Ellara together.

Overall, I had a good time with this book.

Dark & Lovely Mermaids is the second book Broken Mermaid series, This story is suited for those who love adventure and fantasy. Ellara takes on a mission to elevate her second class servant position and become the Fert she once was, The Merme are a cruel and vicious society they wiped Ellara’s human lovers mind so he couldn’t remember her, She agrees to take her enemy Thatcher( a spy) across the sea and deliver him to Neptune, Their adventure is full of threats from deadly sea life. This tale is full of underwater adventure and betrayal.

This is an enchanting enemies-to-lovers paranormal romance. Ellara Merme, trapped in sea slavery after a desperate deal to save her friends and human sweetheart, is offered a chance at freedom: delivering a merman prisoner to Neptune's army. The journey is perilous, filled with monstrous threats and unexpected feelings for her charming captive. Ellara’s struggle between duty and growing affection creates a captivating dynamic. The vividly described underwater world and the thrilling adventure, along with the electric chemistry between the characters, kept me hooked. This story perfectly blends danger, manipulation, and romance, making it an unforgettable read. Highly recommended for fans of romantic and thrilling underwater tales.

A merman and a mermaid (enemies, duh) in a forced proximity journey across dangerous waters?? Honestly that was all I needed to read to know this book was about to suck me in, and boy did it deliver.

Ellara might not be the mermaid with the most common sense in Merme, but she's smart, thinks on her feet (.. I mean, fin), and doesn't give up easily. If she has a goal, she is DETERMINED to achieve it - and this achievement is one she's strived for her entire life, so naturally she'll agree to take this dangerous trek across the ocean to deliver her prisoner, Thatcher Gray, to Prince Neptune himself. Fueled by anger and determination, Ellara sets off to complete her task and return to the new life she's been promised - but things quickly go haywire. Fr0m battling different ocean creatures who view merpeople as nothing but their next meal, meeting some new and unlikely friends (lookin at you, Goob), and realizing that maybe the life she's so desperately seeking isn't the one that she actually wants.

This was a solid 4.75 read for me - I'm a Thatcher Gray girlie for sure and only wanted to smack Ellara upside the head a few times at her dumb choices. As always, big big shoutout to NetGalley for the opportunity and showing me one of my new favorite stories.

I really liked the story itself; it felt like there was great pacing, and as I read I was excited to keep going and see what would happen next. It was a really good adventure!

The “romance” aspects all felt pretty cringy to me though, especially the first two chapters. I understand why it focused on Ellara and Henderson’s physical relationship the way that it did, but I feel like it all could have been written in a more subtle way. Even later in the story with Thatcher and Ellara, I just didn’t like the way those intimate relationships were written.

There were a lot of loose ends, so I was surprised to see that it doesn’t look like there will be a third book. The story was good though, and if a third book were released I would want to read it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was such a fun surprise!

That cover is absolutely stunning and is what made me request this book!I did not know that this was the second book in a series until I started it, but I felt like I was able to pick it up and get most of the first story just from reading it.

On that note, this was SUCH a fun and unique read to me. Julie Catherine did such a great job at world building and I could picture everything I was reading. It was so magical!

The little mermaid was my absolute favorite Disney movie as a kid and this just had me in all the feels. Although the story is very different, it still had a magical world and a forbidden romance.

I loved Ellaras character growth in this. Seeing her in the beginning and what her goal was, and how it changed in the end was so much fun. I think she ended up with the absolute perfect person, no spoilers!

Thank you NetGalley and GCMW Publications for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

-forbidden romance
-mermaids
-enemies to lovers

I would like to note that I received this ARC with the mindset that I would provide an honest review.
The art on this cover is what initially drew me in. The front cover is absolutely gorgeous. When I signed up for this ARC, I did not realize that this book was the sequel in the series but I am actually glad that it was because I got two for the price of one. I had to read the first book in the series before I could read this one for full appreciation.
This book is my first mermaid book and it took me for a ride. I really loved the characters in this book and the journey that they go through from start to finish. The enemies-to-lovers relationship trope is one of my favorites and this book gave its readers a fun ride through their challenges.
One of the best things that a book can provide me as a reader is questions. I love when I cannot predict what will happen next in a book and have to stop while I read to think. With the manipulation and hidden details, the readers are left wondering and wanting to read more to uncover everything.

This book was fun and worth the read. I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope and to those that just enjoy a story that leaves you wanting more.

I enjoy mermaid books but was a little skeptical going into this one because of the premise. You've read one mermaid book, you've read them all right? Wrong! I was immediately pulled into the story and actually read this in one sitting. The authors is SO creative in bringing Ellara to life. I appreciate the new spin on the mermaid concept, and I'm very much looking forward to the next books in this series!
STUNNING cover!