About the Book

Book: The Mermaid’s Tale

Author: L. E. Richmond

Genre: YA Fantasy Retelling

Release Date: October 10, 2023

A Tail Could Tell a Tale

Locklyn Adair has never fit in. The legs she inherited as a result of her great-great-grandmother’s curse make it impossible for her to belong under the sea. When her niece is also born without a tail, Locklyn is determined to save her from similar rejection by sending her to the only place in the Undersea Realm where legs are acceptable – the Lost Island of Atlantis.

Darin Aalto would do anything to protect his family, even spearheading an impossible quest to find treasure that has been lost for over a hundred years. But when his best friend, Locklyn, joins his crew, his ability to keep her safe—and his shot at winning her heart—comes perilously close to being swept away.

A family curse, lost treasure, unrequited love, and a race against time intertwine as Locklyn and Darin seek to save their family, their kingdom, and eventually the entire Undersea Realm without losing each other.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review:

I love anything mermaid. That's just the easy part. I feel at home in the water, getting to know these characters that sucked me right in. Think of this as picking up where the not Disney story left off in a way. What if Ursula didn't accept payment from Ariel, or Ariel didn't pay her back?

Suffering from a curse, Locklyn can't stand to have it keep happening to her family. So, she's headed to find Atlantis, and change things. She really needs tail abilities back, but that's not easy task. Darin needs to find treasure and so there's a potential romance here, depending on the other "suitors". They are brave and fun to read.

My only stress is the ending. I do struggle with clifhangers. It makes me feel like I forgot to read the end of the book. That said, it's a series so I'm trying to not hold my breath, uness I'm underwater, till I can read the next book.

5 Stars

About the Author

L.E. Richmond was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest by an American composition teacher and a German bookseller. Her childhood consisted in a large part of imagining stories for her Playmobil characters and checking out as many books from the library as her family could fit on six library cards. Now she spends her time chasing two blonde baby boys, reading aloud to the hazel-eyed young man who has her heart, and attempting to transfer the stories in her head into words for others. Her passion is for words and stories that thrill the soul and she is continually amazed by the One who crafted the most epic story of all time.

More from L.E.

I am a discovery writer, so when I first started The Mermaid’s Tale, I knew only the general plot and that the romance would be between the main character and the older brother of her brother-in-law.

The catalyst for this choice came from a novel published in England in 1815.

Darin Aalto, famous treasure hunting Merman from the Mediterranean, was inspired by none other than Mr. Knightley from Shropshire. He, like Jane Austen’s hero, is kind, experienced, confident, and attentive to the needs of others. On the other hand, my heroine, Locklyn Adair, is not much like Emma Wodehouse, struggling with a lack of confidence rather than the overabundance which plagues the young mistress of Hartfield.

Even though Locklyn differs greatly from Emma in temperament, she shares one marked similarity with her – a deep devotion to her sister’s children. In fact, it is to save her niece from the rejection which legs bring to Mermaids that leads Locklyn to encourage Darin to claim a disputed treasure which in turn leads to hostility from the warrior queen of a neighboring kingdom which leads to a duel to the death which leads to . . . You’ll have to read the book to find out.