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Kookie Krysp

Where to find Kookie Krysp online

Twitter: @Kookiekrysp88
Blog: http://kookiekrysp.com/

Kookie Krysp's favorite authors on Smashwords

Derrolyn Anderson

Latest book: After Last Call.
Published March 24, 2015. (3.00 from 1 review)

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Smashwords book reviews by Kookie Krysp

The Athena Effect on May 10, 2014

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved everything about this book! It was the perfect fit for me! don't you just love it when that happens? While I was reading I experienced all of the feelings that remind me why I love to read. I found myself rushing to get back to it whenever I was doing something else, and I became momentarily depressed when I noticed that I was halfway through because that meant that it would be over too soon. I'm so glad that it's a series! I want to have as much time with this story and it's characters as possible. Usually when I read a romance, I find myself getting bored when the story focuses on anything other than the Hero and Heroine for more than ten pages. If it's not about their relationship, I tune out. The other storylines just aren't important to me, and I start to get that antsy "just get to the good part" feeling. I never got the chance to get antsy with this story! Cali is my new favorite romantic novel heroine! I tend to get annoyed with the woman in romantic novels at least once while I'm reading, but that never happened with Cali. I was always on her side and even if I didn't agree with her choices I understood why she was doing what she was doing. She grew up very sheltered from the world, and when she moves in with her aunt after her parents death, she experiences a lot of things for the first time. She also has an amazing ability that involves seeing emotions. The author does such a great job of developing this ability, and if I tried to describe it, I wouldn't be able to do it justice so you'll just have to pick up a copy if you want to find out more. ;) In an attempt to protect her, Cali's parents brought her up in a very secluded environment and never allowed her contact with the outside world. Even though they were being hunted down like animals and suffered from the side effects of the experiments that they were subjected to before she was born, Cali's parents worked hard to provide her with a loving home and mad sure that she was very well-educated They taught their daughter how to survive, and gave her what I consider to be a priceless gift by opening her up to the world of books and art. Cali may have been innocent, but she was never naive, and I give her parents full credit for that. They did the best they could in a terrible situation, and their best was responsible for raising an amazing child. I would say that this book is a light read, but sometimes it felt like Cali couldn't catch a break. Not only was she being chased down by an evil scientist and his thugs, but she was afraid to go home most of the time and face the predatory creep that lived with her aunt. Cali is a girl who knows how to take care of herself, and that's what keeps the book from becoming depressing. Every time I found myself wishing that Cal would show up and rescue her, she would surprise the heck out of me and save herself! I love that! Cal was such a great hero! He started out as a jerk, but that was until he met Cali/Cal ( I love how they have the same nickname!). Once we get to know him, we find out that Cal isn't quite what he seems. He was very lonely and bored before he met Cali; sleeping around and occasionally engaging in criminal activities was the only life he knew. Meeting Cali doesn't turn him into a different person; it wakes him up and helps him find out who he wants to be. He actually has to put forth some effort, because he know she won't have him any other way. From the beginning, Cali accepts him for who he is, but she wasn't willing to put up with his crap either. When faced with the choice of either growing up or being placed in the friend zone, Cal grows up over night. ;) Whenever Call and Cali were together, sparks flew! I adored how much they cared for one another. Cali had some insecurities about Cal and how experienced he was, but she never let those insecurities get her down. When she had those moments where she questioned what type of feelings he had for her, she decided that being friends with him was going to have to be enough. The girl had standards, and she stuck with them! Cal was actually more insecure than Cali. He felt like he wasn't good enough for her because of his past, and that caused him to overcompensate by placing Cali in the "do not touch" category. He drove me crazy with that, but I also loved the suspense! You know that scene in The Little Mermaid when they're trying to get the prince to kiss her and break the spell, and they keep almost kissing? Tell me that scene doesn't make you smile and want to pull your hair out at the same time?! When the prince FINALLY "Kissed the Girl" at the end of that movie, it meant so much more because he earned it. That's what Cal is determined to do. He refuses to even kiss Cali until he earns it. He needs to know that he will treat her with the respect that she deserves before he will attempt to take things to the next level. If you're one of those people (like me) who hates reading a romance where the main characters don't get together till the end, don't worry. You will get plenty of adorable moments with them as a couple, but I suggest that you enjoy everything that leads up to them getting together. Those almost kisses were just as romantic and sweet, as the many actual kisses that they share later. I smiled constantly while reading this, and I dare you not to fall head over heels for the two Cals and their love story! If you're in the mood for an overdose of cute, an interesting adventure, and some fantastic characters then I suggest you... READ! THIS! NOW! :D This book is very clean, but there are some mentions of sex and a few "fade to black" love scenes.
The Caledonian Inheritance on May 10, 2014

I received a free copy of this book from the author. every time I finish a book in this series, I have the hugest smile on my face! smile (3238) Animated Gif on Giphy I have to admit that I wasn't the biggest Layla fan before this book. She can be a little spoiled and childish, but now I like her almost as much as Cali! She is still childish at times, but that is really a part of her charm. She is so full of life and joy and she really just wants to be free to live her life with the people she loves. She and Cali, have a lot in common Like their shared ability to see and effect people's moods and the fact that are both have an endearing innocence about them, but I think that it is the differences between Layla nad Cali that I enjoy the most. Cali is more likely to be mature and realistic than Layla and she is a bit of a tomboy, but Layla is very spirited and 100% girly girl. Calie would be the woman you want to have your back in a fight, and layla is the girl you call up when you're in the mood to power shop. they are both very strong in different ways, and I like that the author managed to make two very different but equally likeable characters. Now, for the portion of the review that is always the easiest for me to write, the part where I talk about the romance. The relationship between Layla and Ramon was as well-developed and almost as enjoyable to read about as Cali and Cal's relationship. I say "almost" because no one can really top the two Cals. (I mean come one? they are so meant for each other that they share the same nickname!) Besides, I liked them first, and everyone knows that the first always holds a special place in your heart. It didn't feel like the author was trying to top or copy the relationship that Cal and Cali have. Why would she? We already have their story. No, Layla and Ramon have their own brand of cuteness. One thing that really stood out for me with their relationship was how comfortable Layla was with her attraction for Ramon.I am all for the virginal heroine, but I feel like virgins get a bad rap in books. Just because a woman has never had sex, that doesn't mean she is afraid of it! Layla was neither a prude nor promiscuous, and I like that just fine. And I don't blame her for wanting some kisses from Ramon. Not only is he a cop (I loves me a man in uniform!), but he was a reformed bad boy by the time she met him. Tha means that he is all the fun of the guy that you know you should stay away from and all the safety of the guy who you should marry. It's a win win situation, and Layla is a lucky girl. Even Cali wasn't luck enough to meet Cal after he decided to grow up and be a good man. She met him right when he was choosing what type of person he wanted to be and inspired him to become a great guy, but he was a bit of a dog when she met him. Ramon was all grown up before he knew Layla existed and chose to be a good man without any influence from her at all. Gotta love a reformed bad boy! This book is my second favorite in the series, and I love the way this author writes about new love. She captures the intensity, nervousness, and passion so well, and she does it all without ever being crass. There was a cliffhanger at the end of this book, but the characters are all in a good place right now so I am happy. I think I can wait until the next one comes out, but you better bet that I will read it as soon as possible! Because of mild language, violence, and sexual content, I would recommend this book for ages 14 and up.
Waiting for the Rain on May 11, 2014

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. There were a lot of things to like about this story. It focused more on the sweet aspects of romance, and the main characters were truly best friends. The story-line was familiar, but the writing style took some getting used to. It felt like I was actually experiencing everyday life with these characters. Sometimes that was enjoyable because it made it very easy to imagine the scenes as I was reading, but other times it was too much. There was a lot of focus on cooking, bull riding, and the other aspects of the main characters lives, but the character development of those main characters suffered a little bit. Because I am such a huge fan of character development, I need something equally as entertaining to fill the void when it is lacking. The secondary characters and the chemistry between the main characters, Mac and Josh, are what kept this story interesting. Every time Josh and Mac shared the page together it was great. They didn't do things that would be considered traditionally romantic, but they made the everyday things that girlfriends and boyfriends do seem adorable. There were quite a few secondary characters that piqued my interest. Cody, Josh's fellow bull rider, best-friend was the comedic relief. Bree is mac's parentally neglected best friend, who despite her very unhealthy home life, still manages to keep a positive attitude. And possibly the most offensive, annoying, and yet still likable character in the book is Asia, Mac's mouthy black best friend. I mention the fact that she is black solely because she finds the need to mention EVERY time she speaks. Everything was about race with her. It was always, "white folks do this" and "Black people do that". Every other word out of her mouth could be considered offensive by any number of people, but for some reason, I still liked her. In fact, I liked her so much that I wished the author had written her story. I do that a lot when the secondary characters are better developed than the main characters. Authors tend to take more risk with story lines and personalities, when the characters involved are not the main focus, and that was definitely the case here as well. I am both black and have lived in the South for the majority of my life so I've known people like Asia. This character was more exaggerated than anyone I know, but I have definitely known people who make a much bigger deal out of race than is necessary. The thing I liked so much about this character is the fact that she is all talk. She says offensive things, but I didn't actually believe she meant them. It was a case of "will say anything to shock" more than anything else. Her boyfriend is white, all her best friends are white, and never did she say anything with the intention of being cruel. She was more bark than bite. Now a little about the main characters: Mac's biggest obstacle in life was an overprotective father. She is a good girl who has a firm set of morals and values that she adheres to and, she was also a decent hardworking student with aspirations of becoming a chef. Because she was such a "good girl", I thought it was strange that her father would have such a problem with his 17-year-old daughter dating a 19-year-old. That felt a little over the top while I was reading it, but southern fathers have been know to be extreme when it comes to their daughters so maybe it's not that far-fetched. I enjoyed one aspect of this story more than any other, and that was Josh. He was such a southern gentleman and I loved him to pieces. He meets a girl that he likes, learns right away that she is going to be a lot of work, and commits to her anyway. I love, love, love that trait in a man! Mac has had a dream to receive a first kiss in the rain since she was a young girl, and Josh has every intention of helping her reach that goal. The fact that they live in one of the rainiest cities in the country leads them both to believe that they won't have much of a wait, but soon it becomes obvious that having this kiss won't be as easy as they thought. They never seemed to be able to be in the same place at the same time when it rains or something happens that makes it the wrong moment when they do manage to be together. However, none of this keeps Josh from sticking with her. He has moments when he pouts and tries to convince her to give him a kiss, but he also respects her desire to wait for the perfect moment and the perfect rain storm. All of the near misses when it came to the rain did become tedious after a while, but I always get frustrated with romance novels like this after a while. All in all it wasn't too bad of a wait. The book still managed to be romantic without a bunch of kissing scenes. This book also focused a lot on the importance of family and friendship. Josh and Mac had a lot of people in their lives who cared for them deeply, and they felt just as strongly about them. This was a very sweet and innocent love story, and I would recommend it to anyone in the mood for a clean romance. Because of language I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up.
Deuce on May 11, 2014

I received a free copy of this book from the author via YA Bound Book Tour in exchange for an honest review. This is the third book in the Vortex series, and it is also my favorite! The entire series is very cute and fun, but this book had a little more drama added in with the adorable. Cassie and Trent go through a lot in this book. They suffer some major losses and have to figure out how to deal with the fact that Cassie is now a time traveler too, but thankfully they work through all of their problems together. Cassie took to her new time traveling abilities very well. It really surprised me how easily she got the hang of everything. She did have Trent to help her, but mostly she is just really good at being a time traveler. I think she may actually be more suited for in than Trent. Like in the first two books, Trent and Cassie face more than just supernatural obstacles. Cassie's ex boyfriend from her two other lives, Jeff, is still around, but this time he and Cassie never dated so he shouldn't be a problem anymore, right? Wrong! Even when he thinks of Cassie like a sister, Jeff still finds a way to make trouble for her and Trent. However, the main cause of drama for Cassie and Trent this time came from an unexpected place, her parents. In her first life, Cassie had a near perfect relationship with her parents. They cared about her, but they also allowed her a certain amount of freedom so it was easy for her to be with Trent. In her second life, her parents had so many of their own issues that they didn't focus enough on Cassie and her brother. This also made it easy for her to be with Trent, but she missed having good parents. In this life, Cassie's parents more than make up for bad parenting in the previous life because they require her to explain everything about Trent's strange life. Now, I know that Trent is a great guy, but I also understood why her parents didn't think so. They never met his parents, Their daughter was recently kidnapped because of him, and he has a bad habit of disappearing when Cassie needs him most. Add the fact that their daughter is now also missing curfew and staying out all night into that equation, and I completely get why her parents were freaking out! It was an obstical that made sense. I wanted Cassie and Trent to be able to spend time together, but I also understood why her parents didn't allow it. I actually felt like they were being more than fair. I was very happy that the author finally addressed Trent's jealousy in this book because that has always been my main issue with him. I get that Jeff is a problem, and he always seems to be a problem, but that has nothing to do with Cassie. Cassie dumped the boy in two separate lifetimes, and made sure not to even kiss him in a third, he has never been competition for Trent, and it was about time that both Jeff and Trent got that through their thick skulls. Cassie finally grew enough backbone to tell Trent to cool it with the jealousy, and that conversation was long overdue in my opinion. Will all of the obstacles they faced, I don't want to leave you with the impression that there was all drama and no romance in the book. Trent is not afraid to tell Cassie exactly how much he loves her, and he always finds the sweetest things to say. This is definitely a romance novel because most teenage boys wouldn't be caught dead saying some of the things he does to Cassie, but that's why we read book like these. If men said stuff like that, the books would serve no purpose, and it wouldn't be fiction. I personally like it when the romance is slightly more grounded and the guy shows the girl that he loves her more often than he tells her. Trent shows Cassie he loves her plenty of times, but he also tells her constantly so it got a little old after a while. Even he acknowledges that he goes a little overboard when it comes to her so I think the author did that on purpose. Trent hasn't had the opportunity to love very many people in his life, and he is loved by even fewer so he makes sure that Cassie knows how much she means to him as often as he can. Can't fault a guy too much for being loving, now can I? This book was sadder than the others, but the author made a couple of bold choices and I always respect that. Once again, I enjoyed the last few chapters a lot, and I'm not sure if this is the last book in the series, but although there was no cliffhanger, the ending certainly left room for there to be another one. Overall, this was a pleasant, and possibly final installment to the series, and fans of time travel romance novels should enjoy it very much. because of mild sexual content, I would recommend this book for ages twelve and up.
Double Fault on May 11, 2014

I received a free copy of this book from the author via YA Bound Book Tours. There was more action in the second installment of this series than the first. I finally got to meet the terrible Dr. Fox who has been hunting Trent for the past five years, and he is definitely a deranged villain who I have zero sympathy for. The relationship between Cassie and Trent hits a few snags in this book. Trent has a real problem with jealousy, and spent too much time stressing over the fact that Cassie had a good relationship with her ex boyfriend. If you read the first book in this series, then you know that Will was a huge jerk to Cassie, but since Trent took it upon himself to change Cassie's life by going back in time and preventing her from being shot, Cassie was more confident and demanded that Will treat her better in this life so he did. Will is actually a pretty decent guy for most of this book, but his jerk tendencies still show up every now and then. I didn't like the way Trent handled his jealousy though. As soon as Cassie remembered him, she dumped Will, who was actually a pretty good boyfriend to her, and ran to tell Trent how much she loved him. Trent should trust that love enough to not let her past have an effect on how he feels. So what if she did things with Will before she remembered her love for Trent. That had nothing to do with him, and she wasn't cheating on or betraying him! I do however understand that Trent has abandonment issues and puts way too much pressure on himself to save people. He comes from a place of love not control so his jealousy, while annoying, was not abusive. Once Cassie remembered how she felt about Trent, and the way Will treated her in tan alternate reality, of course she would regret having given so much of herself to Will. I get why Cassie had a problem with it, I just think that Trent needs to learn to have faith in their relationship. However, Cassie's relationship with Will is not the only thing that has gone wrong in her life since Trent went back in time and changed things. Her father is obsessed with her becoming a tennis star, and that has put a strain on her whole family. Her parents fight constantly and her little brother is withdrawing into himself more and more. Her relationship with her best friend is also not as strong as it was in the first reality. I didn't enjoy the romance in this book as much as the first in the series but the action and science fiction elements were better so I liked both books about the same. The books in this series really pick up in the last few chapters, and I wish that they maintained that quality of action throughout. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy anything but the last few chapters, but if the author would sprinkle some of that magic that she finds at the end of her novels throughout the rest of the book, I would give them a higher rating. There was a pretty big cliffhanger at the end of this one. Something very exciting and a little bit scary happened with Cassie, and I am glad that I don't have to wait long to find out what happens next! Because of mild sexual content, I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up.
The Redcastle Redemption on Feb. 14, 2015

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This was a wonderful ending to one of my favorite series! All the loose ends were taken care of and each character had an ending that suited them perfectly. This book starts out with Cal, Callie, Layla, Ramon, and Michael getting a much-needed break from the chaos that has consumed their lives recently. I thought (or hoped) that the first half of the book was going to contain nothing but roses and sunshine, and the last half would focus on the action and mystery solving. But I should have known that this book wouldn't follow the same formula I am used to because none of the other books in this series has. There are plenty of things that I have come to expect from a Derrolyn Anderson novel. I know when I pick up one of her books I will get subtle humor, emotionally mature romantic relationships, great action sequences, and strong heroines who know how to take charge in one moment and be vulnerable with the people they love in the next. And what I also expect from this author is storytelling that keeps me guessing. There's not one great big mystery to solve in this book, but I was still constantly wondering what was going to happen next. . Some horrible things happened to Callie and her friends/family, but it never felt like they were suffering just for the sake of suffering. Everything they went through made them stronger, and they weren’t put in those horrible situations just to make the reader feel on edge. The trauma they endured was balanced by all the wonderfully peaceful and joyful moments they got to experience. If the entire book had been professions of love and happy moments, it would have been boring, but if they just kept getting pounded with one terrible tragedy after another, that would frustrated me. This book and all the other books in the series finds that perfect balance between dramatic and peaceful moments. They endured some challenges, but they became stronger and better people because of those challenges. And everyone also gets to have moments of exceptional happiness, and there is no shortage of cute scenes that will cause you to smile and swoon. I know I am gushing a lot, but I rarely find a series like this so I feel I deserve the right to gush! These characters became important to me, and it was nice to see them all get to a good place in their lives. A happy ending means more when it is earned, and these people earned their happy ending. Also the blending of romance and action in this series was tailor made for me. This final adventure had my pulse racing because of the suspense and the romance, and that is exactly what I wanted. If you've read some or all the other books in the series and liked them, do not hesitate to read this. If you haven’t even read the first book, and you are cheating (like I so often do) by reading reviews of all the book in the series to see if it has a good ending, I can guarantee you that it does. You’ll fall in love with the main characters, hate the crap out of the villains, probably tear up once or twice, and have a great time while you are reading. Just in case I haven’t made myself clear… GO READ THIS BOOK! Because of violence, I would recommend this book for ages 15 and up.
The Moon And The Tide on Feb. 21, 2016

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. This in no way effected my opinion of this book. In The Moon and the Tide, things have gone from bad to worse for Marina and Ethan. Their relationship is tested by both new and old obstacles and they spend a lot of time either fighting for their love or fighting with each other. When they did argue, I never quite knew whose side to be on. Ethan came off as over protective and bossy, but he was just trying to keep the girl he loved safe. Marina has a choice between spending a normal life on land with him or spending and eternal life in the sea with other mermaids and he is afraid that the temptation of the sea is to strong for Marina to resist forever. Marina on the other hand is positive that she wants to remain on land with Ethan and everyone else she loves. At least she says she is positive that this is what she wants. Honestly her behavior in this book makes it easy to see why Ethan is so afraid. Marina falls deeply in love with surfing and spends a little bit too much time doing in alone or with her mermaid friend Lorelei. Her strong desire to spend time surfing bigger and more dangerous waves leads to several dangerous situations so she came off as more reckless and wild than she was in the first book. By the end, I decided that neither of them were right or wrong, they were just people and sometimes people disagree. No one has to be wrong. The relationship stuff is handled in a very mature (and by "mature" I do not mean sexual) manner that has me rooting for Ethan and Marina as a couple. A good chunk of this book focuses on relationship stuff, but it also progressed the broader plot of the entire series. I got some great scenes where Marina let loose and gave into her love of the sea. Like I said, she was wilder in this book than the first, but I never said that was a bad thing. Mermaids are portrayed as being wild, free and beautiful creatures, and it was fun to read about Marina's transformation. Because she is not a full mermaid, Marina has some interesting powers that I'm not sure her full blooded counterparts have. She has some psychic abilities that add to the drama, but by far the coolest thing about her is that she is a muse. Before reading this, I knew muses inspired artist to be more artistic, but the power they posses in The Moon and the Tide is stronger and cooler. Marina is more powerful than your average half mermaid so her ability to inspire people is stronger and more dangerous. She could help a hero save the world just as easily as she could help a villain burn the world to the ground. And that is freaking scary! The Moon and the Tide was a fun and slightly different take on the mermaid Lore, and I am having a great time with the series. I am also looking forward to learning more about Marina's muse powers in the next book! Because of some mild violence, I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up.
The Fate Of The Muse on Feb. 24, 2016

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way effects my opinion of this book. One of my favorite things about not only this book but the entire series so far is how fantastic and exciting the lives of Marina and her friends are. Marina is this talented artist whose paintings are already selling for a couple thousand dollars a pop, her cousin Cruz is on the verge of becoming the next big fashion designer, her best friend Megan's music is rocketing to the top of the charts, and her other best gal pal shayla has just become America's next top model without having to smize for anyone. To say that these kids lead a charmed life when it comes to success is an understatement, and it is a lot of fun to read. They do the kind of things like travelling to Paris on a private jet and then ditching said Parisian adventure a few days early so they can go surfing in Hawaii. Not to mention they have a rich fairy godmother named Evie whose favorite hobby is buying them cute clothes to wear and lending them cars from her massive collection. Suffice it to say, these are some lucky kids! Although, Marina and the gang have a bit of an advantage in the luck department. Not only is Marina a muse with the power to pretty much guarantee the success of anyone she cares about, her aunt Evie also has these same powers. So everyone in Marina's life with a little talent has received a double whammy of muse power. As I mentioned in my review of the second book in the series, I really like Marina's muse powers so I was looking forward to learning more about them in this book. While I did learn more, I am still pretty confused about how they work. More than once, someone says that a muse cannot be forced to make anyone succeed if she doesn't want to, but that kind of happens to Marina a lot. Plus it seems like Marina's powers are pretty all over the place as far as what they inspire people to do. Sometimes she just makes a dude fall in love with her and other times she makes him want to hurt her. However, it is the unpredictability of Marina's powers that keep me interested. One thing I could have done without in this book was the constant fighting that went on with Marina and Ethan. Don't let my complaining scare you, they have plenty of cute scenes where they are lovey dovey, but they did fight an awful lot. At the end of the last book they got engaged, and I have to be honest, I don't know if getting married when you can't go a week without fighting is such a good idea. Even though they are very mature, they are just a couple of seventeen year old kids who have to deal with a lot of drama. I love that the author acknowledges this fact too. I don't think that Marina and Ethan are being presented as a perfect couple. They are being presented as a couple that could become great if they learn to be honest with each other and work through things together instead of apart. It is a refreshing take on the teen romance dynamic, but I can be a lazy romance reader sometimes so I hope they fight less and love more in the next book. This is the second to last book in this four part series, and I am sad that I only have one more book left, but I am also excited to see where Marina and the gang end up. I am a huge fan of this author so I know she won't let me down! Because of mild language and some violence, I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up.
The Turning Tides on Feb. 26, 2016

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of this book. Sadly, Marina’s tales have come to an end, but thankfully, her final adventure was filled with plenty of action, romance, happiness, and surfing. While I love the romance, magic, and adventure that took place in all four books, my favorite aspect of the Marina’s Tales series is the character growth. Every single character grew leaps and bounds in just a year’s time. Marina’s friends Megan, Cruz, and Shayla all went from average high school students to superstars; all the adults in Marina and Ethan’s life found wonderful romances of their own; and Marina and Ethan fought hard for their love and learned how to better communicate with each other. Even the ever childlike mermaids grew over the course of these books. They seemed to learn how to better protect themselves and keep an eye out for danger without losing their love of life and innocence. Evie, Marina’s aunt and fairy godmother, also learned to be more careful about who she trust and that money truly buy safety, happiness, or love. Yep, there was a whole lot of growing and learning that took place in this series and it all lead up to a very exciting, fulfilling and happy ending for everyone. I had a blast reading these books. The fresh take on mermaids was wonderfully accompanied by Marina’s love of surfing and marine life. There were plenty of action packed and suspenseful moments that had me holding my breath. And I even learned to love Marina and Ethan as a couple despite all of my earlier complaints. It was nice to read a YA book that was so bluntly honest about the flaws in the main couple. Marina and Ethan were a first for me. They instantly fell in love, but they never felt like a done deal. They weren’t blind to each other’s flaws, and neither one of them was perfect. All that being said, they still managed to slip more than a few cute moments in on me and this last book was the most adorable of the four. If you are wondering if you should finish up this series or simply checking to see if you should start it, then let me encourage you. The Marina’s Tales series is a fun, refreshing, and fabulous! Read it! Because of violence and mild sexual content, I would recommend this book for ages 14 and up. There were no sexual scenes.