A deep dive into danger . . .Ava was born to lead. The oldest of the three royal daughters from Sirenia, she’s been by Mother’s side from the moment she first learned to swim. Her inevitable legacy notwithstanding, she is resentful of the adventures her sisters Zoe and Kyra have had while she’s been in charge. But when Mother goes missing Ava’s world teeters on the brink of change. If Mother … brink of change. If Mother returns, Ava’s life in the shadows will continue. If Mother is gone forever, Ava’s new responsibilities may overwhelm her.
What happens when an unexpected threat disrupts your underwater village?
If you’re the next-mermaid-in-line, you might have to assume control.
Ostracized by the other mermaids, she focuses on learning the truth—even if it means confronting the lies she’s learned to believe. Was this a coup, or did mother have enemies? Ava is used to the politics of Sirenia, but what happens when those who may have taken her mother are the ones she was taught to trust? Can she become what she doesn’t know she wants in order to protect what the other mermaids need?
You’ll love swimming in the virtual world of Sirenia, because mermaid mysteries are fun in the sun . . . under water.
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Ava is the oldest daughter of Mother, and as such has been groomed to take over the leadership of Sirenia, their merfolk territory under the sea, someday. Most view Ava as aloof and bossy, but Ava will be the first to tell you she is really afraid – afraid her past will come out and afraid she will fail when the time comes. The time comes sooner than she expected when Mother is kidnapped and Ava must take over leadership immediately. Then comes word that sharks are encroaching on mermaid territory. Can Ava deal with this crisis?
This is the third novella about three mermaid sisters, and it is another fantastic tale. Ava finally gets her chance to step into the spotlight, and she fully comes alive for us. As the story unfolds, we get to see her grapple with what she has been handed and rise to the occasion. Yes, this is another fantastic coming of age story with a strong mystery to keep you turning pages. These novellas are best read in order, but there is enough background to follow Ava’s story. It’s been wonderful getting to spend some time under the sea with all three of these sisters.
NOTE: NOTE: This story, along with the stories of Ava’s sisters, are included in the Mermaid Mysteries anthology. Buy them individually or as a set, but there is no need to buy both.
This family-friendly tale is the story of Ava, the oldest of the mermaid sisters and takes about a day. I read an ARC and this voluntary review is my own opinion.
The third book in Diane Vallere’s Mermaid trilogy has dropped and it has everything you would expect it to have, based on the first two books, plus there are sharks this time around! The first two books in the series focused on the other two mermaid sisters, Kyra and Zoe, and now the oldest sister Ava gets her chance to shine.
The cozy mystery setting fits well with the light and breezy tone of the book. There are some thrills and scares (did I mention the sharks? Yes? Okay, noted!), some developing romance, a mystery to unravel, and some personal growth to experience. The author turns the sea setting into “Sirena”, a neighborhood where fish have thoughts and feelings (aside from “Must eat” or “Swim, swim, I’m swimming”) and interact with the mermaids and crabs and squid, who are also “humanized”. It is a fun setting that is used to tell Ava’s story and how she overcomes an deep seated trauma to grow into and overcome the expectations that have been placed on her.
Even though this is supposedly the last book in the series, there are still a few loose ends, or rather life yet to be lived. I can see how that could lead to additional stories about these characters. In the last book, Murky Waters, I was thinking that a fourth book should focus on the mermaid’s mother but after reading this book, I had a change of heart.
The books have been about family relationships and finding your individual path outside of that family. Each book in the series focused on a single sister and the other sisters were used as a counterpoint to the development and growth they experienced in their story. Now that we have seen that for each sister, the next logical thing would be to show how their newly found strengths are combined to make the family stronger and the community a richer and more rewarding place to live. Let’s hope for more stories!
(In exchange for an advanced reading copy, I am giving this honest opinion about the book.)
Sleeping with the Fishes by Diane Vallere is book three in her humorous Mermaid Mystery series. In Sirenia, a mermaid colony in unchartered water, live three sisters. As the eldest daughter, Ava was born to lead, always accompanying her mother on colony business. However, Ava is not happy with her life, she is resentful of the adventures her sisters Zoe and Kyra get to have while she’s working with their mother. When their Mother goes missing, Ava’s world is turned upside, down. With her mother missing, it’s up to Ava to take charge and figure out what is happening to her village; but she is overwhelmed with all these new responsibilities . When a dead mermaid is left on the front steps, Ava needs to determine who is behind this threat on her village. Ava has more enemies than friends, due to her responsibilities to people of the village. When Ava encounters those threatening her village, will others come to her side to help keep this danger at bay?
Ms. Vallere wrote a wonderful story that should definitely not be missed, was riveting and kept my attention to the very end. This story was filled with wonderful dialogue, lots of clues – even some red herrings, an imaginative view of ocean life, and endearing characters. This story cleared up a number of questions I had about Ava from the previous books. I highly recommend Sleeping with the Fishes to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Sleeping with the Fishes is another excellent installment in Vallere’s mermaid fantasy series. This book focuses on the eldest of three royal mermaid sisters, Ava. After seeing glimpses and hints about who Ava is in previous books, this book allows the reader to see that things aren’t always what they seem. When Ava finds herself embroiled in a mystery, she gets the opportunity to learn that her sisters have grown and changed because of their adventures and this adventure helps her to do the same. Ava has been haunted by her past and the responsibility that she will face in the future as the eldest royal daughter. This adventure allows her to take charge of her destiny and show her to be the mermaid she always feared that she wasn’t.
Vallere has done a great job with her world building of the under the sea world, and this adventure brings the reader even more knowledge about this magical world. Sleeping with the Fishes proves to be a great read that captures the reader’s interest from the very beginning and never lets go. Ava is very well developed, and after reading the previous two books, I was excited to see her backstory. I also loved seeing the secondary characters back again adding to the story. Overall Sleeping with the Fishes is a great read that I would most definitely recommend.
Received a copy of Sleeping with the Fishes from the author in exchange for my honest review.
What a delightful series! This is our final trip to the undersea world of mermaids. As expected of this author, the writing is top-notch, the plot is tight and multi-layered, and the characters are well drawn and believable. I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.
Quick, enjoyable read. Stand alone third book of a fun series on mermaids and their lives under the sea. I was given a free ARC by the author. My review is freely and honestly given
Find a comfy chair and a place you won’t be interrupted, so you can easily finish this short, easy, quick read by Diane Vallere. This book, although part of a series, does just fine as a standalone. (but, you are going to want to read the others!) An enjoyable story of three mermaid sisters, Ava being the oldest and how they come to be who they are and how they interact with each other – an engrossing plot, twists, and turns as secrets are exposed, danger lurks, and a super surprise ending! The perfect way to unwind into a fantasy world, even if it’s just for a couple of hours. Get this novella, (and the others) you won’t be disappointed.
This is the last installment of this series about three sisters who are mermaids. The story flowed, and the plot kept me engrossed. I learned a lot about the characters, how they interacted, and what made them who they are. This is a great story with a lot of plot twists that I did not see coming. I highly recommend this book and this series!