I love the world Godrouy created. It was rich, and the characters felt real. Great read!

I found Beyond the Shore and Shadows to be a quick, superficial read. Things moved along at a fast pace which I appreciate, but I found the characters and conflict to be lacking depth and dimension. The overall premise was interesting and I have always been fascinated by mermaid stories. I wish that it had been a little more complex. ( )

Firstly, my copy of this book was an ebook. The first several pages was some forward by another person bragging about the author, which would have been ok if it had been just a few lines. SO going into reading the actual story had me feeling put off.
My main impression is, it's very angst-y, everything seems to be an issue for Lena who constantly blames herself for anything anyone does or says. I got very tired of reading pages of the same rehash that its her fault for someone else's actions. Very predictable plot but not in a bad way, I did like the thought out culture of the merrows and not making them perfect creatures. I found the time line for things rather weird as she goes from being able to barely walk to running or walking long distances. Over all I think both books could have been edited more and made into one and thus a better read. That said, I can see people that enjoy mermaids, little mermaid or YA books liking this book. It just wasn't to my taste, and the author could be engaging at times. ( )

This is a satisfying conclusion to the Lena Series/duology. The pace is a bit slow at the beginning, but overall it picks up as the book goes on. The language is great and Lena and Soren are fleshed out very well. I enjoyed the ending of the book and found myself very satisfied.

This is not a recap, just a review and recommendation for a great series.
A great ending!! This duology series is so much more than A Little Mermaid retelling. The depth of character creation and relatability of Lena is so strong. In life you sometimes have to make hard decisions. As long as you learn from the decisions you make and deal with the outcome you have growth. The beautiful descriptions and story building just make this tale more engaging and whimsical. This book focuses on the consequences from the first book and wraps up nicely in a beautiful ending. It kept me on the edge of my seat and reading into the early morning hours to know what happens with Lena! Will it be land or sea? Who will be by her side, if anyone?! I highly recommend this series and can’t wait to read more works by Chantal Gadoury! 🌊 I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy. ( )