Also by this author: Dead Trees 2, Dead Trees, Z ChildrenWhen the land becomes a desert, the water will quench your soul
Orphan Lena McMillan used to think that what she shared with Truman Kent was real. Now she sees their relationship for what it really is- controlling and abusive.
She has to choose to die slowly from ‘love’ or say goodbye to the family she’s always desired. Leaving scares her though, so much so that dying seems like her only option.
But fate won’t let her quit life and Truman won’t let her quit his love. Not without a fight.
Under the layers of a lonely childhood and an adulthood romance gone wrong, a starfish holds the key to Lena’s parentage and the answer to the mesmeric ocean dreams that haunt her.
If she can find the strength to leave the only life she knows, Lena will discover the truth. And she will find a new world, one that will cleanse her of the memories of false love and abuse.
One that will finally lead her home.
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Mermaids aren’t normally my thing. I’m not sure why, but I’ve just never been interested in Mermaids or any kind of human/ocean creature hybrids. I chose to read The Water is Sweeter because I’ve enjoyed Eli Constant’s other books immensely, so I decided to give it a chance. I was pleasantly surprised. I expected the writing to be good and I wasn’t disappointed in the least. What I didn’t expect was to feel so emotionally invested in the main character, Lena.
Lena is one of those characters that seem so lost, you aren’t sure if you want to feel sorry for her or hate her for appearing so weak. She has some serious issues due to growing up in the foster system after she is found on a beach, abandoned, with no parents as a newborn. Her fiancée isn’t all that he seems and I really didn’t like him from the beginning.
One thing I enjoy about The Water is Sweeter is the very beginning. We are given a glimpse into the lives of the mermaids and what they sacrifice to keep their bloodlines going. I was hoping for more information about them as the story went on than I got, so I am hoping Eli writes another book featuring some of these same characters.
I think the story could have been much more expanded on. For me, there were many unanswered questions that I was really hoping would be answered in the end. I’m pretty sure Eli had a length limit on this story, so if that is the case, that would explain why it wasn’t longer and filling in some of the blanks for me. The ending felt somewhat open ended, making it seem as though there could be another book associated with this world, but I have yet to hear any kind of confirmation on that.
The writing was of the high standards I have come to expect from this author. While it wasn’t my normal cup of tea, I really did enjoy this story. It was more about the changes Lena is going through in her life than it was about Mermaids; though I always had the feeling they were somewhere in the background. There is some romance in this book but not so much that it overwhelms the basic storyline. The ending was truly amazing. I was seriously not ready to stop reading!
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes books about Mermaids, or who is open to the idea of reading something a little bit different that is maybe outside their normal realm of familiarity.
This review is also posted on Amazon.
I was given a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The receipt of this book does not guarantee a positive review, not does it affect my opinion of the book being reviewed.
Purchase links
Amazon
You can preorder the anthology,
Falling In Deep Collection now
for only 99¢!
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Also by Eli
Z Children Dead Trees Drag.N Mastic
Let’s Scare Cancer to Death
Falling in Deep Collection
- May 26 – Pauline Creeden, Scales
- June 2 – Melanie Karsak: Ink
- June 9 – Amber Draeger, Of Ocean & Ash
- June 16 – JM Miller, Deep Breathe
- June 23: Carrie Wells, At the Heart of the Deep
- June 30: Ella Malone
- July 7: Erin Hayes: How to be a Mermaid
- July 14: Poppy Lawless, The Glass Mermaid
- July 21: Blaire Edens (Lateia): An Officer & a Mermaid
- July 28: Eli Constant (Elizabeth): The Water is Sweeter
- Aug 4: Bokerah Brumley: Cold Water Bridegroom
- Aug 18: Katie Hayoz: Immersed
- Aug 25: Margo Bond Collins, Siren’s Kiss
- Sept. 1: Anna Albergucci: To Each His Own
About Eli Constant
Eli attended USC-L, Columbia College, Texas A&M, & George Mason University. She studied everything from Mariculture to Differential Equations. Settling on Biology, Eli participated in research fellowships in Texas and at NIH, worked a few random jobs, and finally settled into a Virginia lab where she focused on mastering diagnosis procedures and implementations of histology and pathology. Choosing to be a dedicated homemaker after the birth of her first child, Eli rediscovered her passion for writing. She's never regretted the decision; not only are her kids the most amazing creatures, but writing fulfills her soul in a way science never did.
Eli calls herself an author of speculative, mind-bending fiction. She adores all things quirky and nerdy and she once thought she’d marry Martin Short… until she discovered Alan Rickman. #Always. She also writes as Eli Grace & Eliza Grace. She is the author of The Dead Trees Series, The Shadow Forest Series, DRAG.N, The Tears of Chios, The Water is Sweeter and more. Her books are available in eBook, paperback, & audio formats.
