This special collector's edition of bestselling author Deborah Smith's first romantic fantasy novel has been called "Magical" by Romantic Times Mag...
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Oct 12, 2008
Kim
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Alice Riley is a special young woman, with mysterious abilities, an affinity for water, and webbed toes. She has always been an outsider, but when she rescues a little girl from drowning, she is thrust uncomfortably into the spotlight and draws the attention of the Bonavendier sisters, who claim to be her kin. . .and mermaids. Alice moves from the insular world of Riley, Georgia, to the Bonavendier's actual island of Sainte's Point, she learns about her past, and is torn between loyalty to her
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Apr 24, 2011
Debbie
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I had zero expectations going into the book. I'd heard of the author before but hadn't read anything by her. I have had Waterlilies #2 on my shelf forever, so decided I should finally get around to reading the first in the series.
I liked this book. It's a very different take on mermaids, and had a very sensual, lush narration. I really liked how Alice and Griffin were both finding themselves together, and how the plot line ties into very intriguing backstories of the sisters.
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I liked this book. It's a very different take on mermaids, and had a very sensual, lush narration. I really liked how Alice and Griffin were both finding themselves together, and how the plot line ties into very intriguing backstories of the sisters.
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Dec 11, 2008
Becky
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I read this one fast enough that it never even made it into my "currently-reading" list. I thought it would take a few days, but the type was set somewhat larger than I'm used to, so the pages went by pretty fast.
It was a magical sort of story - mermaids exist! Only not in the storybook fantasy (Disney) sort of way they're typically portrayed. A young girl with strange abilities feels like a freak and an outcast, until one day her relatives find her, and she must go on a jo More...
It was a magical sort of story - mermaids exist! Only not in the storybook fantasy (Disney) sort of way they're typically portrayed. A young girl with strange abilities feels like a freak and an outcast, until one day her relatives find her, and she must go on a jo More...
Jan 22, 2012
Melisande
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Pour changer un peu, j’ai lu ce livre : de la romance (ouais, étrange, venant de ma part mais ça a son explication ^^) et portant sur les sirènes (très rare vu qu’en France, ça n’a pas l’air d’arriver alors qu’aux Etats Unis, ça semble être le « thème » du moment). Donc voilà, j’ai lu ce livre et je dois dire que je n’ai pas du tout été déçue. Je ne m’attendais à rien de spéciale et sachant que c’était très romance, bien qu’il y ait une partie fantastique importante, je suis assez difficile vu q
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Apr 30, 2011
Rhonda
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Its a charming story of water people, excepting differences in our selves and others. Alice lived most of her life being hated for being different. Boys assaulted her and laughed. Her family hated her. She was told her teenage mom killed herself because of her.
Alice lives alone by a lake in a cabin. Where she feels safer and more at peace swimming in the lake. Alice works at a pet store. Alice has never left her area.
One day while swimming nude in the freezing water sh More...
Alice lives alone by a lake in a cabin. Where she feels safer and more at peace swimming in the lake. Alice works at a pet store. Alice has never left her area.
One day while swimming nude in the freezing water sh More...
Mar 18, 2011
Tisa
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I just finished reading Alice at Heart and I am really on the bubble as what to rate it and how to review it. This one was a quick read, and I thought it had it's good points and it's bad. One of the main things I really enjoyed about this book was the subject. I have not seen a mermaid romance novel lately. In this age of vampires and other creatures this one was a refreshing change. I liked the basic plot of the story, long lost sister, finding family and love always appeals to me. I like
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Oct 07, 2011
Marva
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Beautiful and evocative writing sucks you in, but about half-way through I wanted Alice to actually do something other than bitch and moan. You see? I got irritated with the main character and that detracted from my enjoyment of an original and interesting take on mermaids.
Griffin annoyed me from the first. His attitude sucked hugely, possibly as hugely as he thinks his...well, never mind. Essentially, I found him insufferable. So, the big central story of the romance fell flat for m More...
Griffin annoyed me from the first. His attitude sucked hugely, possibly as hugely as he thinks his...well, never mind. Essentially, I found him insufferable. So, the big central story of the romance fell flat for m More...
Apr 17, 2011
Kristen
rated it:
i downloaded this book from amazon.com as a freebie for the kindle. the premise sounded really interesting! i love the idea of a paranormal story about something other than vampires, werewolves or fairies! and i have always loved the idea of mermaids, even as a little kid. :)
i gave this book 3 stars b/c i did enjoy reading it, and i love the setting of the story and the romanticism behind it, but i felt like the book was lacking something. it's kind of hard to put my finger on exactl More...
i gave this book 3 stars b/c i did enjoy reading it, and i love the setting of the story and the romanticism behind it, but i felt like the book was lacking something. it's kind of hard to put my finger on exactl More...
Mar 21, 2011
Erika
rated it:
3.5 stars.
The premise was really interesting, the prose was captivating. The characterization was OK, could have had a little more depth. My Problem is that everything for Alice was really easy. We never really see her struggle with her new life. Now I wonder, if I am only having this issue in hindsight, because when I was reading the book, it didn't bother me, she had to go through so much as a child/teenager that I thought it was as it should be, her finally having an easier time. M More...
The premise was really interesting, the prose was captivating. The characterization was OK, could have had a little more depth. My Problem is that everything for Alice was really easy. We never really see her struggle with her new life. Now I wonder, if I am only having this issue in hindsight, because when I was reading the book, it didn't bother me, she had to go through so much as a child/teenager that I thought it was as it should be, her finally having an easier time. M More...
Dec 17, 2009
Stephanie
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This is a really sweet story about a woman who discovers how extraordinary she is. She grew up with her Aunt, who, alone with the rest of the town, made her feel like an outsider. Odd Alice, they called her. Through a accidental heroic act, she discovers her half-sisters, and finds out that all her oddities are really the traits of a very old, very powerful, family.
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Jul 24, 2011
Dava
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This is a romance, but with elements of fantasy thrown in. Maybe it would be closer to call it magical realism.in any case, the writing is lovely, and the story is fun. It is not exciting, nor are you supposed to think it could be happening next door. It is poetic, though, and pretty.
Several other reviewers talk about explicit sex scenes, but they really are not terribly explicit. Some sexual situations are described, but isn't that to be expected in a romantic novel? Also, you aren' More...
Several other reviewers talk about explicit sex scenes, but they really are not terribly explicit. Some sexual situations are described, but isn't that to be expected in a romantic novel? Also, you aren' More...
Aug 07, 2011
Stephanie
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Poetic and as different from Smith's Crossroads Cafe as opera is from Grand Ol' Opry, This is a fable of personal transformation and discovery, of unlearning what you "know" is true. There are entwined love stories and losses, For some more loss than love. At the same time the writing is rythmic and soothing like the waves lapping the shore. Land and water are both necessary to living. The meet each other without fighting.
I don't get the mermaid singing thing, In Splash More...
I don't get the mermaid singing thing, In Splash More...
Jul 03, 2011
Dc13
rated it:
I thought that this book was pretty amazing!
It was haunting...I guess that's the best way I know to describe it. Beautifully written, with a flowing type of language that amazed me. It was romantic....without being sleazy....it was at times extremely sad....but was written so well that the sadness didn't degrade from it at all.
I actually don't feel like I can do a very good job a describing this book....it was beautiful....that good enough?
I've heard that the second book in t More...
It was haunting...I guess that's the best way I know to describe it. Beautifully written, with a flowing type of language that amazed me. It was romantic....without being sleazy....it was at times extremely sad....but was written so well that the sadness didn't degrade from it at all.
I actually don't feel like I can do a very good job a describing this book....it was beautiful....that good enough?
I've heard that the second book in t More...
Mar 07, 2011
Bree
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http://breesabookworm.blogspot.com/
This one is different than the other books I've read of hers, as it has fantasy, however, it was still good! Great even!
This one is different than the other books I've read of hers, as it has fantasy, however, it was still good! Great even!
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Jun 23, 2011
Lisa
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OK - seriously the best book I have read in a long time. First I have to say it is so beautifully written that I would stop and just linger over paragraphs and savor the written word! If there is a book I would want read to me when I am lying on my death bed or in a coma - this would be it. The writing is supurb! This book deserves to be read out loud to the one you love! The story in itself was so intriguing and kept me engrossed throughout the entire book. I also loved the end where the author
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Apr 05, 2011
Maggie
rated it: 
This book was free on Amazon (Kindle edition), which was why I downloaded it. I'm glad I didn't pay money for it. It didn't suck really terribly, but definitely lacked the depth that would have made it satisfying. I have nothing against mermaids and I like this concept, but it was wrapped in a superficial, cheesy, romance-novelish shell that made me embarassed to be reading it and glad that I was reading the Kindle version, as I'm sure the printed version would have had Fabio on the cover. (I kn
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Jan 31, 2009
Miriam
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On the plot level, this was an all right story: Alice is a small town girl with no parents. She has never fit in. When she saves a drowning child, people begin to suspect that she has a secret, although they don't know that it is her ability to breath under water. Harrassed by neighbors and relatives, she flees to her long-lost half-sisters, who have the same magical abilities. To live happily ever after with Griffin, whose family has a long-standing enmity with hers, she must discover secrets t
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Oct 26, 2008
Jodi
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Oct 24, 2008
JG (The Introverted Reader)
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Alice has always been the odd one in her small Appalachian community. She loves water, her hair grows incredibly fast, her feet are slightly webbed, and somehow her personality has just never "fit in." She's done her best all her life to blend into the background, but she gets quite a bit of publicity when she rescues someone. She hates being in the public eye, but ultimately it brings her to the attention of some women who can give her answers about her past and why she's so differ
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Nov 27, 2011
Cara
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This is definitely not a book I would have picked up on my own,(It's a firstread book from goodreads giveaway)but I'm glad I did.
Alice grew up in a mountain town as a freak. Her family barely tolerated her existence, and her mother committed suicide when she was just a few days old. Then, everything changes. Alice is out swimming when she rescues a child from drowning. The amazing thing is, she was quite a distance away from the girl when she fell in, and no one should have been able to ge More...
Alice grew up in a mountain town as a freak. Her family barely tolerated her existence, and her mother committed suicide when she was just a few days old. Then, everything changes. Alice is out swimming when she rescues a child from drowning. The amazing thing is, she was quite a distance away from the girl when she fell in, and no one should have been able to ge More...
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Oct 24, 2008
Jill
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I got this book from the giveaway book section (First Reads) on Goodreads, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It's definitely not a book that I would have picked up on my own in the library or bookstore, but I want to give it a fair review because it is well written.
Deborah Smith certainly has technical skill and is accomplished in her craft. In order to create a modern-day, believable world where humans interact with mermaids (or "Water People" as she calls them), Smith ob More...
Deborah Smith certainly has technical skill and is accomplished in her craft. In order to create a modern-day, believable world where humans interact with mermaids (or "Water People" as she calls them), Smith ob More...
Oct 06, 2008
Jessica
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Alice grew up different. She feels more at home under water, than on land. She can swim for long periods of time. The cold temperatures of an icy winter lake don’t bother her. She can ‘sing’ underwater, and hear others’ songs… And then there is her hair, which grows two inches every day. And her eating preferences, butter of all things. And the toes that she hides in her big and bulky boots! When her conception and birth embarrassed her family, they made it clear to her she was unwanted, a mista
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Nov 12, 2008
new_user
rated it:
I expected chick lit when I started Alice at Heart, but this book is far from. There's romance, sure, and the Bonavendier sisters have an eye for fashion. Even the author seems to want to advertise these women as spoiled Southern belles-- but that's just skimming the surface.
While those elements are present, particularly that tone of Southern mystery and charm, there's a consistent feeling of knowing, of deep, sad wisdom, present in the novel that suits the ageless characters with th More...
While those elements are present, particularly that tone of Southern mystery and charm, there's a consistent feeling of knowing, of deep, sad wisdom, present in the novel that suits the ageless characters with th More...
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Oct 16, 2008
Lisse
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I like the idea behind Alice at Heart - a mermaid (not the kind with the tail that we grew up hearing stories about, but the real deal with webbed toes, hair that grows about two inches a day and the ability to swim under water for immense periods of time. Oh, there's also the talking with dolphins thing and their singing to your soul bit as well) who doesn't know she is one until her sisters come and find her and show her her true self. I like the way Alice comes into her own in the book, but
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Apr 01, 2011
Melissa
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I didn't hate it, but I wanted so much more from this. I though the concept was interesting and different from other things I have read, but the entire book was so slow I felt like I was waiting for it to ~really~ start the entire time I was reading it. I also didn't find the main character and her entire change of attitude very believable and there wasn't really anything about her I was drawn to or interested in. The author did a fairly decent job on scenery description, though, and it made me
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Oct 31, 2008
Andrew
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Well, I won this book as a free giveaway on Good Reads and I am glad I did. It was a really facinitating book. Deborah Smith gave me a new insight on "merpeople". With her fantasy outlook, and breaking the mold of your "typical" mermaid, you get some really good literature.
To me, the book is a little confusing at the beginning, because the characters just sound delusional. With their special abilities, and the extreme circumstances, I got confused. This is the onl More...
To me, the book is a little confusing at the beginning, because the characters just sound delusional. With their special abilities, and the extreme circumstances, I got confused. This is the onl More...
Jan 02, 2010
Jennifer
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Deborah Smith wrote one of my favorite romances ever, When Venus Fell. Alice at Heart is nothing like book. It is hard to see that they were written by the same author. Venus is an unlikely love story between two bitter, damaged and funny people. Alice is a fairy tale with a lot of romance, lyricism and passion. At some point I would like to read more in the series but I do not feel compelled to run out and get something from the library right now. If there was a new book about Venus, I would be
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Mar 29, 2011
Julia
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I enjoyed reading this book. The story about modern day mermaids was interesting and unique. I don't remember ever reading a book on the subject. The character Alice was a bit too much of a victim for me, but by the end of the book she had found herself. All the women in the book had a tragic past, I don't know why they couldn't have any happiness. But the story was well written and made me want to learn more about the characters.
May 03, 2011
I am really drawn into this book. I feel lucky to finally be able to read this book. I entered the giveaway here on Goodreads but did not win. When I saw the book on Amazon I was so eager to download it. I've always been considered the "mermaid" with all of the diving and swimming, my need to live close to the water and know that it isn't too far away. I have anxiety when I know the water is not within my reach. Alice at Heart touches and so many topics from isolation, withdrawal, loss
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Nov 25, 2011
Miki
rated it:
Enjoyable paranormal romance, and nice to have the supernatural element be mermaids not vampires or zombies. In many ways this is just the classic "misfit girl discovers she really is special" story. But Alice is really well drawn as are the cast of supporting characters, particularly her eccentric half sisters. If you have a Kindle and Amazon Prime, this is availbkle on the kindle lending.g library.
