Book picks similar to
Kai by Jessica Santiago


mermaids
mermaid-mermen
fantasy-paranormal-mythology

Lost Voices


Sarah Porter - 2011
    After her father vanishes in a storm at sea, she is stuck in a grim, gray Alaskan fishing village with her alcoholic uncle. When her uncle crosses an unspeakable line, Luce reaches the depths of despair. Abandoned on the cliffs near her home, she expects to die when she tumbles to the icy, churning waves below. Instead, she undergoes an astonishing transformation and becomes a mermaid. A tribe of mermaids finds Luce and welcomes her in—all of them, like her, lost girls who surrendered their humanity in the darkest moments of their lives. The mermaids are beautiful, free, and ageless, and Luce is thrilled with her new life until she discovers the catch: they feel an uncontrollable desire to drown seafarers, using their enchanted voices to lure ships into the rocks.Luce’s own talent at singing captures the attention of the tribe’s queen, the fierce and elegant Catarina, and Luce soon finds herself pressured to join in committing mass murder. Luce’s struggle to retain her inner humanity puts her at odds with her friends; even worse, Catarina seems to regard Luce as a potential rival. But the appearance of a devious new mermaid brings a real threat to Catarina’s leadership and endangers the very existence of the tribe. Can Luce find the courage to challenge the newcomer, even at the risk of becoming rejected and alone once again?Lost Voices is a captivating and wildly original tale about finding a voice, the healing power of friendship, and the strength it takes to forgive.

Tempest Rising


Tracy Deebs - 2011
    Surfing the killer waves. Taking care of her brothers and dad. Loving her longtime boyfriend, Mark. But the weight of her secret is pulling her under, toward the ocean's ever-growing call.Among the waves...Tempest's secret? She is half mermaid, a legacy left by her absent mother, who returned to the ocean many years ago. And now Tempest has her own choice to make. Complicating matters is Kona, an enigmatic newcomer whose otherworldly abilities hint at a shared passion and common secrets.Beyond the sea...But there is more at stake besides Tempest's heart and her identity - her life may be in danger too. Because the waters hide a mysterious and dark secret world of their own, one full of sweeping romance and thrilling adventure - but one where nobody, least of all Tempest, is safe.

Mers


Ami Blackwelder - 2011
     Who are the Mers? Who is Mira? Mira always knew she was different. Growing up with Mers, she never quite fit in. When Mira breaks the rules and takes Niren across the border that divides Ellis Island and New Jersey, a border that divides two vastly different worlds, she thought the journey to find out who she really is would be an easy one. But as the world in Jersey proves to be a convoluted mix of Aristocrats who hate the Mers, Pirates who want to sell them, and Magi who want to use them...finding her true identity will be a challenge, especially when her best friend Niren is a Mer willing to fight to the death.

The Secret of the Emerald Sea


Heather Matthews - 2010
    When a young girl from a small seaside village decides to explore this hidden world one rainy night, she learns a shocking secret that leads to the adventure of a lifetime...

The Mermaid's Pendant


LeAnn Neal Reilly - 2010
    At times lyrical, this novel is a fantastic journey filled with magic, myth, romance, and adventure. Four years after John Wilkerson claims the mermaid Tamarind for his wife, they have an idyllic marriage that depends on a talisman that she crafted on their island paradise. But Tamarind learns a painful truth: it takes more than legs to live on land and more than magic to sustain a bond. When the talisman breaks, she and John are forced to rely on themselves instead of magic. Three wise women play key roles in the young lovers’ journey to mature love. Ana, Tamarind’s aging mentor, casts spells and performs seductions to keep the lovers apart. Valerie, an expat jewelry maker cum fairy godmother, works her own magic to bring them together. Lucy, their widowed neighbor, grounds the couple in the realities of marriage, parenting, and family.

Between the Land and the Sea


Derrolyn Anderson - 2011
    Traveling the world with her scientist father, doted on by her wealthy and glamorous neighbor Evie, Marina’s life seems perfect.Everything changes in the summer of her sixteenth year when she is sent to live with her Aunt Abby and Cousin Cruz in the lovely seaside town of Aptos, California.Only a few weeks after arriving, sixteen year-old Marina has nearly drowned twice, enchanted the hottest guy in high school, and discovered a supernatural creature. If she can manage to survive some increasingly dangerous encounters with unpredictable mermaids, she might be able to unlock the mystery of her past and appease the mysterious forces that want something from her...And maybe even find true love along the way.

The Mermen Trilogy Boxed Set


Mimi Jean Pamfiloff - 2016
    Yes, he knows it. And no, he doesn’t care. He’s got money and power, and he depends on no one. But when his estranged father dies, willing him a secret island, Roen will come face to face with an even bigger secret: its occupants. And these savage, sea-obsessed warriors are quick to make their position clear: Leave now or die. There’s only one problem. Nobody tells Roen what to do. Ever. Oh, and one other thing. He’s just met the island’s other new “guest” and something about her brings out his possessive side. SOLE SHIPWRECK SURVIVOR LIV STRATTON had been adrift at sea for ten grueling days when salvation miraculously appeared: an uncharted island. Only, the deceivingly beautiful men who live there aren’t interested in saving her. No, not at all. Because they somehow believe she is their property, a gift from the ocean to do with as they please. This is not good. Her only hope? Billionaire Roen Doran, of all people. A man who’s said to care for nothing and no one. But if he’s so heartless, then why is he about to risk everything to help her? ~~~~~~~~~~ MERMADMEN: Book 2 HE NEVER WANTED THIS. HE ONLY WANTED HER... EVERYTHING ABOUT THE ISLAND OF EL CORAZÓN IS WRONG. The men are ruthless warriors who call themselves mermen but don't have any fish parts, the island isn't exactly an island, and the women...well, let's just say their story isn't pretty. More like a nightmare. Which is exactly why billionaire Roen Doran will do anything to protect the woman he can't live without from that violent place. Including becoming the island's leader and giving her up forever. WHEN LIV STRATTON ESCAPED THAT TERRIFYING ISLAND in the North Pacific after being shipwrecked, she didn't just leave behind the horror, she left behind Roen Doran. A man she didn't know, but who risked everything to save her. And now her heart can't seem to move on. So part of her wonders if it's somehow her fault she's been taken against her will and locked inside a ship bound for El Corazón. But an even bigger part wonders if Roen will lift a finger to save her this time. After all, now he's one of them... ~~~~~~~~~~ MERCILESS: Book 3 ONE GIRL. ONE EVIL ISLAND. AND A FIGHT TO THE LAST BREATH. Liv Stratton has had enough of evil mermen and the psychotic living island they call home. She’s been kidnapped, caged, attacked by sea creatures, and nearly drowned. A nice small-town girl can only take so much. But after beating the impossible odds, Liv is finally safe at home in Alaska, only to realize that everything she holds dearest in this world is still back on that crazy island. Possibly dead. And if she wants to know what has become of the man she loves and her sister, she’ll have to return and confront the one thing she’s been trying to get away from: the island herself. Only this time, Liv isn’t the same frightened human she once was. This time, they’ve messed with the wrong girl.

Siren's Call


Devyn Quinn - 2010
    During a violent storm, Tessa spots a man thrashing in the ice-cold waters and dives in to save him, using her ability as a mermaid to easily pull him to shore.When Kenneth Randall awakens on the beach, he is alone, left with the haunting memory of his beautiful flame-haired savior. And a year later, when Kenneth meets Tessa again, he's determined not to let her slip away. Just as the desire between them begins to burn, Tessa's ex-lover comes back to town with a tantalizing clue to her murky heritage.The trio travels to the Mediterranean in search of answers, and what they find there will change Tessa's life forever. She'll have to choose between the world of her people and the call of her heart....

Fire of the Sea


Lyndsay Johnson - 2014
    Like the dagger she has worn since childhood, eighteen-year-old Aeva is all three of these things. But there is something else that this mermaid and her prized weapon share – they are both hunted.Hidden within the caves off Iceland’s dark shore, Aeva waits to take her place as the next ruler of the Mermaids. But when Aeva uses her potent and alluring song to save a drowning human, she disrupts a delicate balance. Realizing she has unexpectedly bound herself to Gunnar, Aeva is torn between duty and love.Aeva severs one life to begin another, and soon finds herself not only rejected by the sea, but also stalked by an old enemy. As the worlds of myth and man intertwine, Aeva will challenge fate to protect her own sacred relic and the man she loves.But legend and lies cast an intricate net. With time and safety quickly unraveling for Aeva and Gunnar, there is only one clear course: Find and defeat Delphine before she can shift again.

Coral and Bone


Tiffany Daune - 2014
    It’s actually the key to saving the world. As Halen Windspeare returns to the place her father drowned, she thinks controlling the sparks beneath her fingertips is her only problem. But when she is dragged into the underwater realm of Elosia, she discovers she is the solution to a century old conflict.Earth is on the path to destruction at the will of a sinister siren, and Halen is the only person powerful enough to stop him. She’s not ready, but the fate of the world rests solely in her hands. Coral and Bone is the first book in the Siren Chronicles, a unique paranormal urban fantasy series by Tiffany Daune. Fans of Cassandra Clare and Mary Weber will love this vivid world and original twist on mermaids.

Flukes


Nichole Chase - 2012
    When court-appointed community-service workers are assigned to Flukes, the family-owned animal sanctuary, everyone is on high alert. It doesn’t help that Meena finds herself attracted to sexy-as-sin Blake Weathering, one of the new workers. If he wasn’t so distracting, she might be able to land Flukes a much-needed cruise-line contract.Blake Weathering, the first in his family to attend public school, has developed a tough image. Unfortunately, it lands him in trouble. Now banned from his high school graduation ceremony, getting his diploma is dependent upon a community-service gig cleaning up fish crap. No diploma, no trust fund fortune—and no way to escape his overbearing father. The last thing he needs is the distraction of a mysterious girl with teal eyes who pulls at his heartstrings.When Blake discovers Meena’s secret, they are both thrown into a desperate search for information about her past. Two worlds pull them in opposite directions, and they will have to fight to hold on to all that really matters.*** This novel is not intended for young readers. ***

Tangled Tides


Karen Amanda Hooper - 2011
    Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious.Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people--until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process--or she might open the gateway to a love that's deeper than the oceans.

Pretty in Pearls


Tera Lynn Childs - 2014
     As best friend and emissary to her mer kingdom’s princess, Periwinkle Wentletrap juggles many responsibilities. At the moment those include getting the princess (and herself) ready for the upcoming Sea Harvest Dance. When a trip to the Thalassinian marketplace for pearls and dress-making supplies leads to a reunion with her long-time crush, Peri is once again caught up in the swirl of emotions she feels for a thoughtful pearl trader who reminds her of a dashing pirate. But things are never simple with Riatus Ballenato. The shadows of his past have come back to haunt him and he will do anything to keep those he cares about from getting caught in the darkness. Even if that means pushing away the girl he’s falling for. With the dance fast approaching, it might take a little outside help to bring Peri and her crush together at last. Pretty in Pearls is a standalone novella in Tera Lynn Childs’s popular Forgive My Fins series. If you like mermaids, romance, and boys who make you swoon, you’ll love the world of Thalassinia and the merfolk (and occasional human) who live, laugh, and love in this underwater realm. Buy this fintastic tale and get swept away with the romance today! —» Forgive My Fins series order: Forgive My Fins #1 Fins Are Forever #2 Just For Fins #3 Pretty in Pearls #3.1 —» Want more magical romance? Download two free books: teralynnchilds.com/getfae

The Marked Ones


S.K. Munt - 2013
    And yet she hasn’t known a day’s happiness since she came of age and was forced to abandon the human boy she loved, Lincoln Grey.Ivyanne has always known that she was to marry one of ‘The Marked Ones’ sons of a carefully cultivated bloodline created for the sole purpose of breeding with the royal family, and she had resigned herself to it. But now two betrothals have been severed in cruel twists of fate, leaving her untouched and lonely at twenty-eight, while being frozen both physically and emotionally, as a sixteen year old girl.When her parents declare that she can choose her next match, Ivyanne is overwhelmed by the weight of her decision, specifically because her best friend Ardhi, has put himself, and his heart, forward in an unprecedented declaration that cracks the foundation beneath her. Ivyanne begs permission to return to the Seaview Resort while she weighs her options, to live and work as a human, and gain some peace.But when she arrives, she is startled to learn that Lincoln has never left the Seaview. He is now the owner, and he has been waiting a decade for her return. The moment their eyes lock, Ivyanne knows that their chemistry hasn’t faded any more than her memories, and though she tries to push him away, the siren inside her draws him closer.But Ivyanne’s belief that her life couldn’t get any more complicated dissolves when Tristan Loveridge, the most arrogant and desired specimen of merman within the kingdom, arrives at the queens bidding, to lure the princess into a swift marriage. And Tristan Loveridge has never failed at anything. Only this time, he gets caught in his own magnificent net, because he has finally met a girl who's raw sexuality and brilliance, eclipses his own.And as Ivyanne is torn between what her heart wants, and what her body and kingdom demand, her best friend Ardhi is lurking in the shadows, growing angrier with each passing minute, and vowing to do whatever it takes to win the crown-with catastrophic consequences for all.

Veiled


Stacey Rourke - 2017
    Fanged teddy bears misunderstood thanks to archaic lore. Activists picket for them to be welcomed into our society. They claim vamps don't kill. They preach we are safe. They ... are dead wrong. One year ago a hive slaughtered my family and left me for dead. Found by a team of scientists with their own agenda, I was forged into an unstoppable weapon. I possess their strength, with none of their weaknesses. I can move among them free from their crippling hunger. I am their greatest threat. Armed with this arsenal, vengeance will feed my desire to penetrate the seedy underbelly of their fetishized lifestyle and expose them for the monsters they truly are.