Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Emerge (Mer Chronicles #1) by Tobie Easton

Title: Emerge
Series: Mer Chronicles #1
Author: Tobie Easton
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC
Publication Date: April 19, 2016
Pages: 300
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy
Source: ARC from publisher
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Synopsis:
Lia Nautilus may be a Mermaid, but she’s never lived in the ocean. Ever since the infamous Little Mermaid unleashed a curse that stripped Mer of their immortality, war has ravaged the Seven Seas.

So Lia has grown up in a secret community of land-dwelling Mer hidden among Malibu’s seaside mansions. Her biggest problems are surviving P.E. and keeping her feelings for Clay Ericson in check. Sure, he’s gorgeous in that cocky, leather jacket sort of way and makes her feel like there’s a school of fish swimming in her stomach, but getting involved with a human could put Lia's entire community at risk. So it’s for the best that he’s dating that new girl, right?

That is, until Lia finds out she isn't the only one at school keeping a potentially deadly secret. And this new girl? Her eyes are dead set on Clay, who doesn't realize the danger he's in. If Lia hopes to save him, she’ll have to get closer to Clay than ever. Lia’s parents would totally flip if they found out she was falling for a human boy, but the more time she spends with Clay, the harder it is for Lia to deny her feelings.After making a horrible mistake, Lia will risk everything to stop Clay from falling in love with the wrong girl.

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Review

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a great read! This story has everything that a good story needs- awesome world building, intriguing characters, magic, and mystery. Everything is put together magnificently to form a unique story. While I thought that some things could have been added to the story to give it more appeal, the story is quite enjoyable. 

What I liked
I loved the story. I was enchanted by it. The plot was well thought through and the story came together nicely. I enjoyed hearing the tale of The Little Mermaid and how it applied in this story. I also loved how the tale of The Little Mermaid was more along the lines of the Hans Christian Andersen version, instead of the cartoon version that we all know so well. 

I loved seeing the diversity regarding same sex relationships. One of the mermaid characters is falling in love for the first time, and she is falling for another female. I loved seeing that in this book. It just made me adore it that much more. We could certainly use more diversity in young adult books, so I applaud Tobie Easton for including it in this book.

The story is very creative. I loved reading about how the mermaids live on land and why they even have legs to begin with. It is such a unique take on mermaids. All of the backstory about mermaids and how they live on a day to day basis is so very interesting.

The main character, Lia, is so likable! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her in this book. She is such a darling, and I really felt what she felt while reading this. I identified with her struggles and relished in her happiness. 

What I didn't like
Much of the book was fairly predictable. Even from the first chapter I read things that I instantly found revealed the way the story was going. The book was a pleasant read, but the sense of surprise and mystery was not there for me. 

Spoilers in this paragraph. Ye be warned. I would have liked to see Lia and Clay come together more when he was not under the sireny magic. At the beginning of the book they really started to develop something, and then it waned off while she was trying to keep her secret safe. And then Mel comes along and he is put under her spell. We get to see glimpses of how he really feels about her when Mel's spells wear off, but in general he was under the sireny spell for most of the book. 

The main characters names a little too closely resembled the names of the Disney characters for my liking. Aurelia Nautilus....Ariel. Clay Ericson...Eric. I would have loved something more original.

While I enjoyed this book very much, it felt like it was missing that little bit of "oomph" that could have made it outstanding. I truly think that adding a little something to the story could blow readers out of the water. It has the makings to become something epic.

Would I Recommend It
Yes. This was such a lovely story. I enjoyed every moment of it! I am longingly anticipating the next book in this series! It is perfect for fans of Fantasy that have a soft spot for fairy tales. 

Tobie Easton was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she’s grown from a little girl who dreamed about magic to a twenty-something who writes about it. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California, Tobie hosts book clubs for tweens and teens. She and her very kissable husband enjoy traveling the globe and fostering packs of rescue puppies. Learn more about Tobie and her upcoming books at www.TobieEaston.com.

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