Forgive My Fins (Forgive My Fins, #1)

by Tera Lynn Childs

High school is hard enough without fins

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid—she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems—like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher—but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type—the instant they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

• ISBN10: 0061914657
• ISBN13: 9780061914652
• Publish Date: 1 June 2010
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 22 June 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperCollins
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 304
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.com.au/9780061914652

Reviews

"Some people find beauty in chaos." (Quince Fletcher)

It's been a long time since I read a mermaid book... an extremely long time. I've never been a fan of fish, water or The Little Mermaid, which explains my hesitation when it comes to reading mermaid books. However, if you give me a siren book, I would probably become your BFF... This book was a pleasant mermaid surprise.

This book has a chick-lit feel to it. Its tone reminded me of The Princess Diaries Series and Hunting Lila. This book is light, fluffy, fun and adorable. It's such a quick and easy read.

Even although the world-building wasn't the focus of Forgive my Fins, it was on point. The manner in which Childs envisioned mermaids and the bonding process was imaginative and interesting to read about. She also used ocean and fish-like puns which furthered the whole entire mermaid concept and made this novel even more gripping.

Lily Sanderson is a half-mermaid, half-human. We see her life under the sea in her kingdom of Thalassinia and how it affects her stay on land. I found Lily to be extremely annoying as the story progressed. She kept focusing her attention on Brody, who didn't really care about her, when there was somebody who she was ignoring that did. I wanted to slap some sense into her so many times. I do have to admit that I found her growth and development at the end of the novel, especially when she showed sacrifice, made me warm up to her character.

Forgive my Fins focal point is romance. This book earned many points because it contained ALL of my favourite romance tropes. We have the hate-love banter, an awkward situation that forces two people together and "fake" dating with feelings bubbling under the surface. The romance was seriously the best part. It provided so much of funny and awkward moments and provided Lily with some much needed character depth...And there's Quince... Thee most adorably, awesome, motorcycle loving, vulnerable under the surface human being...

My only serious complaint is the epilogue of Forgive my Fins. I felt that the epilogue didn't fit the theme and tone of story. I'll probably read book two to see if this 'new tone' in the epilogue will be translated there, but I hope not. The Fins series needs to keep on being adorable!