Just You Wait Hadrian Higgins | A Review of My Fair Mermaid
- MommaSaurus
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Looking for a no-spice, young adult The Little Mermaid retelling with a twist? Check out My Fair Mermaid by Sarah Beran. It's The Little Mermaid meets Pygmalion (or My Fair Lady if you’ve seen the movie).
Quick Summary
Genre: Fantasy
Recommended Age: Young Adult 13+
Possibly Concerning Content* (details below)
🤬 Profanity: None
❤️ Romance: Kisses only
🛡️Violence: There is an attempted assassination.
‼️ Heads-Up: They all worship 'The Almighty.' Sirens sing magic.
Who is this for?
The Tropes: Mermaids and humans. Fairytale retellings.
The Vibe: Ticking clock, sweet closed-door romance.
For Fans of: My Fair Lady.
Our Review: Just You Wait Hadrian Higgins, Just You Wait!
(Except, in this, he won't be sorry). Maribel is the cousin to the mermaid King’s five daughters. They take advantage of her desire to be wanted by using her to run errands and bully her into things she’d rather not do. Like joining her youngest cousin, Naia, on land as humans even though every step is like glass in her feet. Naia has one season to win the love of the Prince, even though it’s clear he’s already in love with someone else, or she will fade into sea foam. Meanwhile, his best friend, the scholarly Hadrian, has taken an interest in Maribel and is determined to prove his worth as a linguist and teacher by passing her off as a duchess at his best friend’s wedding.
You guys, I read this in a day and a half and could not put it down. It was so good! I’m a longtime fan of My Fair Lady so when I realized this was a Little Mermaid meets My Fair Lady mix I was thrilled! I loved Hadrian Higgins, who plays a much more likable version of Professor Henry Higgins from the movie/play, and I was surprised by how much I really liked Prince Frederick. I did not like her cousins and their bullying but by the end of the book I was cheering for Maribel as she learned to speak up for herself and ‘find her voice.'
It was a relatively quick read and honestly I could have stayed with Hadrian and Maribel all night (hums Could Have Danced All Night) and still have begged for me. Sorry, I'll stop. I’ve already download the next book A Bond of Ice and Sunshine about Freddie and his ice princess, whom I suspect may be cursed.
I adored all the My Fair Lady easter eggs and highly recommend this book! Now I’ll have to go back and Chords of Green and Gold as I skipped that one in my eagerness to read this one.
Possibly Concerning Content Guide*
🤬 Q: Is there profanity in My Fair Mermaid? A: No, there is no foul language, swears, or profanity of any kind in this book.
❤️ Q: Is there a romance in My Fair Mermaid? A: Yes! The romance is a sweet, no-spice romance with a single kiss between the two main characters that was a perfect moment.
🛡️Q: What kind of violence is there in TMy Fair Mermaid?
A: There is an attempt on the Prince's life.
‼️ Q: Are there any heavy themes, scary moments, or touchy subjects in My Fair Mermaid?
A: They all worship 'The Almighty.' The Sirens are able to use their song as magic.
Possible Spoilers
I was a little hesitant about this book because the Siren is a friend of Maribell's and the others call her the Sea Witch.
The way it was explained:
In the old days, all mermaids had the ability to sing magic. They were supposed to use it to help sailors weather storms, etc. Instead, they began using it to lure sailors to their death. Beacuse of this, the Almighty removed the ability from all but a few mermaids who were 'chosen' as trustworthy to have this ability. They are called Sirens and they are shunned from society because the other mermaids are 'jealous' of their song.
The Siren 'friend' of Maribell's warns the mermaids that the Almighty made them perfectly as they were and that there would be repercussions for trying to use magic to change that.
There is apparently another siren later on who has gone evil and uses her magic to do something bad.
Official Blurb
"The Little Mermaid meets Pygmalion…
Maribel has learned to stay quiet. As an orphan relying on the generosity of family, and with six outspoken and energetic cousins, silencing her own voice is often the easiest way to keep the peace and ensure her own acceptance.
After helping her cousin rescue Prince Frederick from a shipwreck, Maribel finds herself as the unwitting accomplice in her cousin’s plot to marry the human prince. The plan is simple: Maribel will distract Frederick’s grumpy best friend, Professor Hadrian Higsley, so that the scheming mermaid can cozy up to the prince.
Between a friendly wager over slippers, her growing attraction to a certain translator, the appearance of a foreign fiancée, and an increasingly desperate cousin, Maribel finds it harder and harder to remain a silent observer. Will she finally find the courage to speak? Or will the little mermaid choose once again to give up her voice?" - From Amazon
Grab your copy
Grab a copy on Amazon*
📍*Possibly Concerning Content Disclaimer: I try my best to include all relevant content notes, or possibly concerning content, but I may not catch everything and/or you may feel things are concerning that I do not. Please research individually if you’re sensitive to specific topics/subjects! 📍
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