Fins

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush. Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid-she's a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems-like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher-but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type-the instant they "bond," it's for life. When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

On Lily Sanderson's eighteenth birthday she'll become just a girl-still a mergirl, true, but signing the renunciation will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being-human thing once and for all. Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer bond or not, she's almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, the waves start to get rough. Lily's father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelashes at Lily's former crush, Brody? The seafoam on the raging surf comes when a merboy from Lily's past shows up-Tellin asks Lily for something that clouds her view of the horizon. There's a future with Quince on land, her loyalty to the kingdom in the sea, and Lily tossing on the waves in the middle. Will she find a way to reconcile her love, her duty, and her own dreams? Tera Lynn Childs's sequel to Forgive My Fins offers another tail-flicking romance with plenty of fun, sun, and underwater adventure.

Tera Lynn Childs brings a delightful mix of wit, romance, and fantasy to her books. Fins, her YA mermaid series, is a great pick for fans of Meg Cabot's humorous love stories. In Just for Fins, third in the series, half-human, half-mermaid Lily Sanderson has decided to remain Crown Princess Waterlily of the mermaid kingdom Thalassinia. She's made a promise to help to help Prince Tellin. Climate change and human pollution are causing suffering in his kingdom, and Lily and Tellin have to convince all the mermaid royals to work together to save the oceans. Lily is distracted by the situation with Quince, the boy she loves. He must pass three tests to prove his love for her or they will be parted forever.

Crushes collide at a magical underwater dance. 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.

Fake dating her real crush. What could go wrong? What straight-A student and all-around good mergirl Coral Ballenato wants is to forget her longtime crush on her best friend's older brother. Four years of pining from not-so-afar is more than enough. Moving on should be easy now that he's swum off to college. Until Zak Marlin comes home for a charity event, newly-single and begging her to be his pretend girlfriend for the week. She should say no...but surely she can handle playing the role of Zak's sweetheart. After all, she's been dreaming about it for years. She just has to make sure her heart is braced for the inevitable end. But when every minute they spend together makes her fall deeper and deeper for the merguy she's always loved, how will Coral ever be able to move on when the week is over? If you love mermaids, romance, and boys who make you swoon, then dive into the underwater world of Thalassinia in the Forgive My Fins series.