The Mermaid Hypothesis by Siri Caldwell is a paranormal romance between an ages old mermaid and a rock scientist on a research ship dredging the ocean floor.
Sneaking onto a ship is old hat for Niua. She’s done it many times during the month every eighteen years when she can go on two legs if she wants. Dazzling men with just a look, getting them to do whatever she wants is even easier. The hard part is going to be figuring out this new thing called a computer, since no one carries charts anymore. The most difficult thing is going to be dealing with the woman scientist who cannot be dazzled, and who is suspicious from the start.
Mallory only has a couple of weeks on her grant to explore the composition of the sea floor. The sudden appearance of a beautiful woman onto a research ship in the middle of the ocean is suspicious enough, but the other scientists’ tongue lolling cooperation makes her see red. Even if the woman is not a spy, she’s slowing down the research. Having to share a tiny bunk makes things even more difficult.
Niua sets out to charm Mallory so she will help with her desperate search for a bit of lost pirate treasure that is not simply a hunk of gold. As Niua’s days on land grow short, she must choose between breaking both their hearts or losing her chance at finding the treasure forever.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
Mallory and Niua are so not right for each other at the beginning of the story. Niua’s constant flirting with the men and their instant devotion to her is funny for the reader and infuriating for Mallory. Both of them long for connections that have been and will be difficult to find. The journey to find each other is fun, and the search for the long lost treasure that will change everything is thrilling.
I found the depiction of scientists to be spot on. Their laser focus on work can make them socially awkward, and Mallory carries an extra layer of anxiety because she would rather be in the ocean learning instead of dredging up rocks. Her feelings of inadequacy were tough to read because she’s so earnest and smart, and every time one of her colleagues treated her like a dumb girl I wanted to shake some sense into him.
Niua is a mass of contradictions. She’s been a mermaid for a very long time and is used to manipulating humans, but technology has recently been outpacing her once-every-eighteen-years ability to live in the human world, suddenly making her a fish out of water. Her search for paper charts on the research vessel and her shock at finding a woman on board is humorous.
The author puts the two in close proximity and they learn to like and respect each other. It’s fun to see what seemed like mismatched puzzle pieces begin to fit together. I liked the book more and more as it progressed, until an end that made me very happy. I would enjoy reading more about their lives.
Cons And Heads Up
Mallory works in a sexist world, so she takes some guff from her colleagues.
The Conclusion
It’s especially easy to root for these two to fall in love. Both are capable on their own, but it’s gratifying to see them realize that maybe they don’t have to go it alone, that maybe they deserve love and have a lot to offer as well. The pace of their fall is steady and enjoyable, and the treasure hunt adds a good measure of thrill to the story. Reading this book was a very satisfying experience.
Excerpt from The Mermaid Hypothesis by Siri Caldwell
The captain let loose a how-can-you-be-so-daft-you-stupid-landlubber? sort of snort. “Anyone standing on this bridge could familiarize themselves with our geographic location. It doesn’t make her a spy.”
Mallory scowled for a fraction of a second before schooling her features into a bland, neutral expression so quickly that if Niua hadn’t been paying close attention, she would have missed it.
It was convenient that the captain found Mallory’s suspicions unfounded, but he didn’t need to laugh at her. How dare he.
Niua had lived a long life. She had lured quite a number of ship’s captains to their deaths.
She ignored her unsteady knees and moved into his personal space, close enough to count the hairs in his bushy eyebrows. She thought about how easy it would be to get revenge…and smiled.
Mallory sucked in a breath. “Don’t flirt with him.”
“I’m not flirting,” Niua said.
“I don’t mind,” the captain said.
Niua flashed him more teeth.
“He won’t fall for it,” Mallory said.
“Of course not,” Niua agreed pleasantly.
“Everyone on this ship is working twelve hour days. We don’t have time for this. So just…don’t.” Mallory let go of the chair and tested her balance. “I’ll show you to your quarters. You can settle in and start making yourself useful.”
Niua winked goodbye to the captain, just to see what Mallory would do.
“You’re not that sexy,” Mallory muttered, stumbling for the exit without checking whether Niua was following her out. The ship rocked and her shoulder hit the bulkhead. “There’s got to someone around here who’s immune.”
“There is,” Niua assured her. “You.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 978-0-9974023-7-7
Publisher: Brussels Sprout Press
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