This book was an interesting twist on a romance novel with merfolk.
I have honestly never watched Luca and you don't need to have seen it to be able to enjoy this.

There were some snags with the story with changing POV's having repeated dialogue for a page or two and then catching up with new content. Or having Italian words mixed in that you can somewhat get by without needing context, but it does make reading slightly lower when you want perfect comprehension.

I liked how the characters weren't perfect they each had their own flaws and inner monologues that showed more of who they were. Although the brief history and lore makes me want a compendium or at least a bonus chapter to explain species, abilities, and how mer and humans used to interact.

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc!!

whew okay this is finished. i've put this off for a bit solely because of the short glossary at the beginning and i didn't have the patience to sit and digest it before starting the book until today. and oh boy i'm so glad i finally got around to it. i've been in a loop of epic romantasy and emotionally damaging danmei so this cozy fantasy was such a breath of fresh air.

i love the small italian town setting of this and the way this is seen through our main five characters— the seasoned disguised mer Atreus, the newly arrived mer Nyel, Atreus' best friend Leo, Nyel's halfling brother Nephi and his sister (not blood related) Marina. the way Alvise represents the overcommercialisation and taking over of local heritage is well represented and i was very surprised to find myself drawn into this particular plotline. i didn't expect the mers to help overcome this by herding the fish and driving Alvise's ships out but i wish we saw more of the process instead of the timeskip to after it worked.

i feel like i didn't fully digest Leo's story. it is so dark compared to the rest of the characters. i expected the whole, big family breadwinner arc and the struggles of that, but hot damn, that whole thing where he became Alvise's property and the abuse he went through? honestly it pained me, especially how there was no resolution to it. seeing the light die in his eyes, especially through Nephi's perspective is excrutiating to read and executed well. i am very curious to see how their romance develops, especially now that Nephi has run away. but that isn't the point because Leo absolutely has to find a way out of this. oh god this hurts.


Marina's story is a mixed bag for me. i like how she learns that she doesn't always have to be the ray of sunshine her mother wants her to be, but i found the romance with the doctor a bit off putting, especially with him being a new guy in town who makes his rounds with the women and literally uses the same lines on all of them. i'd like to see how this goes forward though.

personally i liked the arc that Atreus and Nyel go through. and though the romance is VERY slow burn, i enjoyed seeing how they both grow with each other's help, namely Nyel helping Atreus get over his fears of hiding and being the first to accept him as a halfling, and Atreus' presence pushing Nyel to take steps to unifying the mers of Corallina and the humans of Biata Vita. who doesn't love a power couple who help each other become better? their sunshine grumpy dynamic is always very cute to read and i can't wait to see where this story goes now that Nyel is off to the mainland to study with Marina.

very excitedly waiting for book 2!!

3.5 rounded up

a new take on mermen?
I’ve never seen Disney’s Luca, but after some sleuthing, it looks like this is being marketed as a queer reimagining of it. So when I read, ‘Atreus retained all four limbs upon transformation but gained a powerful tail…‘ I was like, okay—that’s new.

One of the first things that caught my eye was the beautiful cover art—and honestly, if I’d taken a second to look at the artwork on the back, I probably would’ve had a much easier time picturing what the mer looked like. Lol, my bad.

This book had its fair share of issues, but overall, it was pretty charming. Once I let go of trying to make sense of the mermaid physics—like how exactly you’re supposed to set a table underwater—I found myself enjoying it a lot more.

Characters
I actually quite enjoyed most of the characters in this. Nyel was definitely my least favorite as he was the most insufferable/ignorant but it suits his character so it wasn’t such as huge deal for me. While Atreus and Nyel were the main focus, the other characters and their relationships actually got a decent amount of ‘screentime’ too, which I’m not sure was the right move.

My biggest gripe? Leo and Atreus were meant to be best friends for years, but they were just painfully lukewarm towards each other. Atreus honestly acted like he couldn’t care less about Leo?

Plot/Pacing
The pacing was kind of all over the place. I don’t usually read a lot of multiple POV books, and this one felt like it had a million. A lot of the time, it was just the same scene repeated from different perspectives, which made things drag.

The author could’ve kept the mob storyline but removed the whole ‘pet’ subplot and just made the mob boss money-hungry instead of a sexual predator.

Thus, this definitely toed the line of fanfiction at first and then kind of went full-on towards the end, with all the trauma and hurt/comfort tropes happening. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it—I did, just wasn’t expecting it.

worldbuilding/setting
This is where I think the book struggled the most but also did its best? There were so many charming elements about the island and the different mer communities. But here’s the thing—the book was supposedly set in the 1960s or 70s (I think? The ARC’s already gone from my library, so I can’t check). Yet, the dialogue and characters felt very modern.

writing
I actually didn’t have any major issues with the writing. Aside from the above issues, I was pleasantly surprised by how it was written.

in conclusion
This book was kind of absurd, but I also didn’t mind it? If I saw a special edition with illustrations—especially if they were by the same artist who did the cover—I’d definitely be picking it up.

Storm & Sea:

📌MM fantasy romance

📌 found family

📌hurt/comfort

📌slowburn

The pure bliss of happiness and anticipation is what this book was. I loved every single aspect, every detail and most importantly the characters. Who wouldn't fall in love with them.

The complexity and the pain these characters go through and the arc... The arc that the characters had made you feel like you are on a journey with them, and you grew up with them as well.

I want to say so much but I don't have words for that. With the gravitas the author has described certain scenes and the way the character acts make you realize that even though a book is written with research it doesn't mean that emotional depth should be missing and this book made sure to hit all the right emotional notes at the right time.

Can't wait to read more from this series. A must have book and must-read book.

I don’t usually write my thoughts before finishing a book but I couldn’t help myself with this one. I felt conflicted because I didn’t know how I felt about the story while reading it. As a result, this is a combination of my thoughts during and after finishing the book.

I felt bad for Atreus throughout this book because I could relate to him. Atreus was scared and lonely. Left to his own thoughts, he was haunted by his inner demons that were never revealed or overcome by the end of this book. And it hurt seeing him struggle because he was a good kid who deserved the world. That said, I disliked how it was mentioned that Atreus was supposedly loved by everyone because it didn’t feel like that. Yes, Atreus has a thorny personality and a few did genuinely love him, but the rest was likely earned through Atreus’ hard work after countless years and the care didn’t show.

This story felt like it was meant for Nyel. Nyel was the main character. He was the perfect character, loved by all instantly, naturally talented, gifted, strong and confident, while also being sincere and innocent. It’s hard to dislike a character like Nyel but I couldn’t really love him. There was nothing that compelled me to love his character and instead I kept questioning why Nyel and not Atreus or Leo.

Leo was a character I also felt immensely bad for because he was suffering. Leo didn’t confide in anyone, nor did he complain. He accepted his situation quietly by putting up a brave front. And I hated that on such a small island he was able to hide the abuse physically evident on his body. Or was it just the folks ignoring it to not get involved. Either way, I started to dislike the island folks because even if they were scared and struggling to survive they could have said something. Anything really, or at least an acknowledgement of Leo’s situation. I understand the times were tough on the island, but unity and support is what should help them get through it.

That said, the story is somewhat interesting. I originally liked the concept but by the end of this book, I felt it may be following a cliche storyline into the next book. This book keeps Atreus’ past largely a mystery, Nelphie is also a questionable character and let’s not forget the villain. A true despicable villain who is non-redeemable. These are the few reasons that are keeping me intrigued with this series.

The writing felt a bit confusing to me at times. Honestly, I couldn’t understand how the mermaids looked so I came up with my own version. The writing is faithful to each characters’ personality but it’s execution is sometimes lacking because they start to sound similar. This story takes the multiple POV approach which is enjoyable when done well. However, this story repeats events in one or more characters’ perspectives. If it was a reference or added value, then I’d have no issues but sometimes I was re-reading entire scenes again from a different viewpoint. They didn’t add value or paint the characters differently and it ultimately made me lose focus.

The romance is slow and isn’t very evident until later on in this book. Though I felt like there was a lack of scenes between Atreus and Nyel that supported the growth of their feelings. Sometimes I wondered if those feelings developed because of their circumstances and if it would be different had there been another mermaid.

Overall, this was a story I liked but disliked. After many days, I still don’t have a clear stance but I know that this is a book I could re-read. I would still find the same parts both enjoyable or not, but I would also find new things. This book seems to have quite a bit of content that can be easily missed. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I feel like Tereza wrote this story in such a smart way. First off, the multiple perspectives were done in a way that kept the story going without throwing the reader around everywhere. It’s crazy how this story of self love and really finding out who you are resonated with my youth growing up gay and trying to understand it! Not going to lie there are multiple parts where I was cry crying!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars rounded up. I would have given this book 4 stars but Nephi raised it to 5 stars for me.

If you love the movie “Luca” you will love this novel, especially if you were wishing they would get together romantically!

I loved the setting and the characters! It had so many tropes that were perfect for me. I was going insane at so many lines in the novel. I swooned, I was giddy and happy and angry and disgusted at times (by a certain someone’s actions who was so evil in this novel it was terrifying). I felt so many emotions while reading. It also had a lot of funny lines and banter moments between all the characters that had me laughing out loud.

Not only did I love the plot and the setting, but the characters were fantastic. Every single one of them. Of course I loved Atreus and Nyel, but Giovanni and Marina were also amazing side characters.

I wasn’t expecting to love Nephi as much as I did, but he stole my heart from the second I met him! He completely stole the show the whole novel! I love him so much, he is easily one of my favorite characters just in general. I am a sucker for the tortured bad boy that secretly has a heart of gold but still keeps his sass, which is exactly who he was.

I honestly cared more about him and Leo than I did Nyel and Atreus. Though I loved them too. Leo and Nephi just had such a great dynamic. The back and forth of Nephi wanted to end Leo because he hates humans but he can’t help but be attached to Leo, was so deliciously good. Their parts together were my favorite part of the book, especially the scene where Nephi told Leo he would be at the beach a lot.

I liked Leo, but sometimes he wasn’t a great friend to Atreus. I also could have done without him liking Nyel. But that is probably because I shipped him and Nephi so hard. I thought Leo was going to be a sunshine boy, but he actually had a lot of layers which was very interesting. My heart broke for him and his situation. I wanted to hug him and save him so badly!

I really enjoyed the dynamic between Nyel and Nephi as well. I loved that at first they didn’t look at each other as brothers but by the end they were family. It’s not a perfect relationship, and I didn’t expect it to change in a day, but it’s better than it was to start. Even Nephi and Atreus’s banter was so funny. The scene where they were deciding who would stay up to keep watch had me cackling.

Nyel and Atreus’s relationship was the slowest of all slow burns! It killed me! I am so happy we are getting more books because I would have lost it if this was all we got. I’m especially glad we are getting more books because if it ended how it ended I would have been so disappointed, even though it is very similar to the ending of “Luca.”

The one thing I didn’t like about this was the repeating of the same scenes just in different POVs. I understand the author wanting to show the other characters feelings on the matter, but it could have been a quick reference to that scene then show their feelings instead of repeating the dialogue word for word. It was too repetitive and it happened a lot when it didn’t need to be in there.

I highly recommend this novel. Even if you’ve never seen the movie “Luca,” this is a great ride of a novel. There are so many components to it. You will laugh and you will cry, and your heart will be so full by the end. I can’t wait to read more!

I really wanted to like this more than I did. Part of the problem was that when I requested an arc of this book; I did not realize it was going to be part of a series. I was not really looking to start any new series at the moment, so I was a little frustrated about that. As for the story itself, I overall enjoyed it, but did feel like it was unnecessarily long. This book was almost 500 pages and I really didn't feel like all that much happened. I did enjoy the lore surrounding the mermaids and am intrigued to see where the story goes though. I also liked Atreus and Nyel's relationship progression (It gave Luca and Roberto all grown up vibes to me). There were also a lot of different POV's in this story, so if you are not a fan of that then this may not be the book for you. All-in-all, I do think I will continue the series when the next book comes out despite having mixed feelings regarding the first book.

I enjoyed this a lot at the start but as I keep reading it I’m just not sure it’s for me. Originally I loved the 6 POVs because it moved the story along in a fast paced fun way but I’m around 60% and the POVs are now becoming an issue due to how repetitive they are. Scenes that happened 4-5 chapters before are shown from a new POV and we see that character’s feelings about what happened but it’s the same scenes I read before and keeps messing with the flow of the book. It almost feels like the chapters are out of order.

I’m also very interested in Nyel and Atreus’ growing relationship and if bonds are possible between them because it appeared to have started and then faded. However, the world details about Mer are kind of vague besides the color of the fins, halflings and what happens if they get wet. As much as I dislike a lot of heavy fantasy world building, I feel like I’m missing a lot especially for a supposed 490 page book. However, with the 6 POVs the attention isn’t just on Atreus & Nyel who are arguably the strongest characters but on the two other couples in the making and I’m sorry but I’m really not interested in either of their storylines.

The other issue I’m having are their ages. This reads like YA but the youngest character, Nyel is the only 18 year old with the others being in their mid to late 20s and beyond. It’s all been very innocent so far in terms of romance and feelings but the characters feel as if they are 15/16 not adults and it’s taking me out of the story. Part of me is super curious to see what happens next but the other part of me wants to DNF this at 60%. I’m just not sure it’s for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you netgalley for the arc but I feel like I’m not the right audience for this.

I started out really enjoying Storm and the Sea with it's unique take on mer. These mer grow tails and keep their legs unlike the classic mer. There's also multiple races with different appetites (vegetarian vs omnivore), abilities, and color patterns. Unfortunately, this book suffers a lot from technical issues. There's five POVs: four gay men (three of which are mer) and a woman. It's very repetitive as many story beats are repeated when the POV switches. This book is 490 pages and at least 100 pages could have been cut if they reduced the number of POVs and duplicate content. Additionally, the pacing was all over the place, it did not sound like it took place in 1961, the humor was pretty immature, and there was a questionable writing of characters. It was definitely a book trying to do too much and wasn't balanced as well as it should have been. I had a hard time rating this because despite it's flaws, I still enjoyed my time reading it and was entertained the whole time, but the flaws were too numerous to ignore.

Atreus/Nyle and Leo/Nelphi's stories contain very different vibes. The latter was much darker, and I don't think she made it work. There was also a very slow burn, sweet romance and a dark slow-burn romance/flirting with the hot, mysterious guy in town. Between the two developing gay relationships, there was 1 kiss. And then there's Marina POV too. Marina's segments mention her boobs multiple times. There's also a scene where she's fighting over a handsome and mysterious man (different man from who Leo is primarily interested in) with some town women. They act like children despite being 18+.

It's problematic that halflings are known to be violent and have mental illness because they're born from two different unbonded races of mer. Another issue is that Nelphi likes men that have been SAed, but he is better than them because he doesn't SA them himself. Both of these ideas went mostly unaddressed in this story. I think the former will be explored more in the next book. I'm doubtful the latter will be. The trigger warning list at the beginning should have also absolutely mentioned SA.

For a case of telling not showing, Leo and Atreus are best friends, but their relationship was established before the book started and there wasn't enough evidence in this book that they were actually friends. In fact, they think and do some pretty cruel things to each other. In a similar vein, the town citizens accepted mer too quickly and the ending was rushed. A lot of time passed in a few pages and it was missing a few conversations.

This leads to how I don't thinks she wrote women, queer people, or the townies well. She didn’t explore her ideas enough, which led to a bunch of superficial confrontations as she spread herself too thin with 5 MCs. I enjoyed the mer lore but it needed more world building. Their stories should have been split up between multiple books. I'm still undecided if I'll read the next book. I am interested to see how their relationships develop, how the villain Alvise will react, and learn more about the two halfling characters, but I had so many issues with Storm and Sea.

2.5 ⭐️

I received an e-ARC and am giving my honest review!

Let me start this by saying I am a DIEHARD Luca fan. Multiple tattoos, watch it nightly movie memorized. The whole nine yards. So I was beyond ecstatic for a re-telling of my favorite movie, but made explicitly gay. I was always one of those people who felt a stronger connection to it due to the underlying queer themes it held (even if the director felt otherwise smh).

I loved the relationship between Nyel and Atreus. The slow burn is slow BURNING and I am so invested! Atreus going from Nyel’s #1 Hater to someone that protects Nyel and treats him with a newfound understanding that neither had experienced before was such a sweet bond. Their banter was so adorable as well, I kept giggling and smiling at my Kindle.

Atreus and Giovanni also, of course, held a special place in my heart. I mean duh, how could they not? Adoptive father-son gets me GOOD everytime, and this was no difference.

I LOVED the addition of the idea of halflings! It was such a perfect plot point for Atreus and really made the reader understand him and his situation so much more. It really made you feel for him, both his lack of knowledge as well as the situation he’s been put in unknowingly.

This book was a bit rough for me to start. I struggled to be engaged with it until the 60/65% mark. There were a lot of aspects I was very uncomfortable about, which were written to be uncomfortable but I did not find it to be a storyline that felt necessary and, if anything, made the plot bulkier and harder to follow. It contained content pertaining to sexual assault (although not under clothing if I’m remembering correctly, still highly uncomfortable. Not dissimilar to Angel Dust’s storyline in Hazbin Hotel, lol, and not involving either of the two main characters, but one of the other characters with POV chapters). The villainification of a character with heavy burns also made me a bit uncomfortable.

There was also a dark romance included that simply did not feel like it fit the atmosphere, especially with the naïveté that the two main characters, specifically Nyel, pertained. Nyel’s writing made him feel a solid 8-9 years younger than he truly was, which was narratively due to the fact he’d never interacted with humans before, but as a 21 year old, if I joined an alien town I’d know the basics, y’know? It definitely felt a bit strange to me, although I’m quite certain it is simply due to what this is inspired by.

Although I struggled to get into this book and had some moments with aspects of the plot, once it got going I was completely enthralled. Especially pertaining to Atreus and Nyel’s relationship, I loved seeing them grow together and into each other.

I was hoping to like this a lot more than I did, 2 stars. I wanted to stop and DNF a few times, but have a hard time DNFing books. One of the first times was when a character was having a conflict with the bad guy and we needed to learn that her body is curvy and well endowed in the middle of it? The book did not get good until about the 55%-60% point.
it is also never really set up what the community of Baia Vita feels about gay people, multiple times it is mentioned that that is not something that happens here and characters being afraid to be outted, but also very often the characters are doing gay things out in the open and yet nothing happens? along with these things, details were just forgot about later in the book. for instance when Nyel meets the humans, they set it up as he has been the friend that Atreus has been staying with every summer when he comes to the island, this is dropped and rewritten later in the book. overall, the writing style was not for me and i found myself just skipping over passages because i didn't car about what was going on. I will say that I did tear up at the 90% mark and that raised the rating for me just a bit.

Thank you, Netgalley, for this ARC.

Sadly, I had to DNF this book. I really liked the description of the book and thought it was amazing that it had Luca vibes. I truly loved watching the movie. The location, the merpeople, the plot, etc. It's like copy paste from the movie.

I thought the book was extremely slow-paced and not really exciting at all. I guess I expected more action, and the slow-burn romance was really slow.

There was one character that I thought was interesting. He has the 'bad guy' vibes, and I was intrigued. Too bad there aren't many chapters about his POV.

I might give this book another try, but right now, it's a DNF.

Storm and Sea is a new queer romantic fantasy about two young outcasts who find love, friendship, and a found family together.

The Mer in the story have complex societal structures that include belief systems and deeply held prejudices. Both Atreus and Nyel are misfits among the people for different reasons and retreat to the human world for refuge.

Including Atreus and Nyel, five characters get points of view chapters in the book. Some chapters are from a single character's POV, and others are shared between multiple characters. I was worried that this might get confusing, but POV switches are clearly marked, and characters are distinct with various plots that intertwine together. I enjoyed all five characters and liked the time we spent with each.

The only issue I had with the POV changes was that some rehashed events we'd just read about from another perspective. That felt repetitive and stalled the pacing of the story. This was especially bad in some chapters of supporting characters, which sometimes recaped larger portions of the book.

Even with this pacing issue, I enjoyed the book. The characters are delightful, the main romance is adorable, and there's a secondary Achillean romance that I'm hoping gets more focus in the sequel.
I'd recommend this most to readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories. This will probably appeal to Young Adult and New Adult readers the most.

Finally, this is the first book in a planned series, so not all plots and character arcs are wrapped neatly at the end. There is a satisfying conclusion, but some plots will presumably continue in the next book. The main relationship is one of those.

There are lots of things to like - adorable main characters, a richly imagined and cosy setting, and themes of community and working together. Personally, I found it suffered from too many points of view, but that's something I always struggle to appreciate. The author also has an annoying tendency to repeat the same scene from two points of view, which slows the pace and makes the book feel overly long. The ending tied up some threads far too easily, and left the rest open for a sequel, so it wasn't completely satisfying.

Overall, it was enjoyable but needed some polish (and quite a bit of cutting).

Gay fish? Yes please.

But seriously, this book was a love letter to Italian coastal culture as well as a story of abandonment, found famly, and new love. I'll admit I was surprised at how slow-burn the romance felt, but that's because this wasn't really a romance - it was about finding love through friendships, family, and yes, maybe a boyfriend down the line, but the self-love comes first. Atreus' embrace of Giovanni, Marina, and the whole of Baia Vita was such a beautiful turning point for his character. The voices in our head may try and stop us from finding love, but a support network helps us reach through and find it ayways. This is clearly set up for future stories in the same universe and I'm excited to see what comes next.

Storm and Sea is an absolutely beautiful story with characters you will instantly love. This book is written with such beautiful detail that its easy to fall in to the settings and really feel like your a part of the adventure. I loved the romance, found family and character growth the story brings to life. Tereza Kane has a lovely writing style i thoroughly enjoyed and I cant wait to read whats next in this series!

"Storm and Sea" by Tereza Kane is a beautiful adult reimagining of Disney’s Luca, infused with openly queer representation and an original take on Mer lore that makes it wholly its own. Set in the charming Italian fishing village of Baia Vita, the story follows Atreus, a Mer exiled for the color of his scales, who has carved out a quiet existence among humans—until Nyel, a runaway Mer fleeing rigid traditions, disrupts everything he has built. As they navigate their growing connection and the rising threat of a criminal family depleting the bay’s fish, their struggle to protect the people they love is complicated by the fear of exposing their true nature. Kane balances cozy fantasy vibes with high stakes, making this story both heartwarming and gripping.

I adored this book. The Mer lore was fascinating and layered, adding a fresh spin to the genre while deepening the worldbuilding. Atreus was incredibly relatable, his pain and mistrust stemming from past rejection, while Nyel’s sweetness made him the perfect counterbalance. Their relationship was tender and deeply satisfying, but I have to admit—Nephi and Leo stole the show for me! Their enigmatic dynamic had me desperate for more, and I would devour an entire book about them. The secondary characters were all beautifully developed, and the rich, seaside setting made the story even more immersive. Storm and Sea is a stunning, emotional journey of love, belonging, and found family, and I highly recommend it.

storm and sea follows atreus, a lonely mer living in secret among humans after his father abandoned him, and nyel, who crashes into his life after falling out with his family and leaving his quiet mer village. after some initial hiccups - which mainly stem from atreus' fear of being exposed as a mer and losing his human friends - the two develop a deep, caring friendship... and maybe something more.

from the cover (which is gorgeous, by the way) to the premise to the actual characters and plot, this novel is reminiscent of the movie luca in the best possible way. the town of baia vita is cosy and comforting, full of love and life, with vivid characters that you just have to adore.

it was a little jarring at first to read the same scenes from multiple povs; i find that it takes away a bit of the tension and can sometimes be frustrating to endure the repetition. also, i completely forgot that this was a series so i kept expecting certain plot lines in the last 100 pages - totally my fault, but be aware that this is not a standalone 😅

while i absolutely loved atreus and nyel's story, i'm not sure i can get on board with what happens in leo's arc. the antagonist is almost cartoonishly evil, so i'm a little worried it will take a deux-ex-machina level of resolution to fix it in the second book.

highly recommend storm and sea if you love mermaids, found family, queer vibes and the film luca!

Lush, immersive, and full of heart, this is a beautifully written mer fantasy with depth beyond its romance. Atreus and Nyel’s journey is both tender and heartbreaking, woven into a richly detailed world that feels alive. A slow burn that lingers long after the final page.