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Promises

(Syrenka #1)

Amber Garr (Goodreads Author)

3.70 · Rating details · 958 ratings · 141 reviews

Sometimes following your heart can end up destroying the ones you love. When seventeen-year-old Eviana Dumahl is faced with the responsibility of an arranged marriage and clan leadership, she is forced to choose between the life required of a mermaid and one of a teenage girl simply infatuated with the wrong guy. Kain, her devoted fiance, would make a wonderful husband exc ...more

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Paperback, 251 pages

Published April 8th 2012 by CreateSpace (first published December 7th 2011)

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· 958 ratings · 141 reviews

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Dec 18, 2014 Karlyflower *The Vampire Ninja, Luminescent Monster & Wendigo Nerd Goddess of Canada (according to The Hulk)* rated it it was ok

Shelves: buddy-reads, you-call-this-romance, willow-says-bored-now, fans-of-fins

Guys!!! Guys!! It's a book about mermaids, guys!!

Buddy-read with the fabulous Jess and the amazing Heather to take place at some point in august :)

2 Stars

I have been having the devil of a time with novels lately. I just can’t seem to find a story that satisfies me. Promises is no exception, while there are some truly interesting moments the book as a whole ultimately failed me.

Probably the biggest reason for that is INCONSISTENCY. I had such a hard time figuring out motivations for these char ...more

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Nov 24, 2013 Jess ❈Harbinger of Blood-Soaked Rainbows❈ rated it it was ok

Shelves: i-d-rather-be-a-mermaid, 2-stars, buddy-reads, own-read, for-kindle, a-bit-o-magical-realism, ya, reviewed, popsugar-2015

Hey, guys, did you know I'm obsessed with mermaids?

Thank you to my fierce Karly and fearless Heather for buddy-reading this one with me in August.

Admit it. You know you'd rather be one of them too!

-----------------

Read a book with a love triangle.

2 stars.

This is another one I just never got around to writing a review for. Overall this was a miss but there were a couple things I liked.

THE GOOD

Mermaids
Well this is me, so this should be expected. And I liked that the mermaids in this novel are ...more

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Mar 31, 2015 Heather *Undercover Goth Queen* rated it did not like it

Shelves: ebooks, stupid-heroine, buddy-reads, indie, 2015, ya, series, mermaids-etc, free, popsugar-challenge

Another buddy read with The Fabulous Jess and Karly! (Because I invite myself to things like that.) Set for August.

REVIEW

I almost don't want to give this one star, since I think there was actually good idea here. Somewhere.

I liked the initial setup. Mermaid loves selkie, mermaid is set to marry merman, (view spoiler). The main issue was the characters' ages, really. It was hard for me to believe a clan of merpeople would be okay a ...more

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Feb 10, 2020 Ashley Daviau rated it did not like it

I’m always eager to read anything involving mermaids so when I picked this book I was really excited and had high hopes. Sadly those hopes were quickly dashed to ribbons and then set on fire with the ashes left to scatter in the winds. This book was just PAINFUL to read. Not only were the characters and the writing cringeworthy but it was riddled with errors and weird formatting that just made my brain hurt. Do yourself a favour and skip this one. I went through the pain so you didn’t have to.

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Jul 23, 2012 Nickle Love rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tbr-challenge, july2012-faes-and-mers, tbr-challenge3, 2012-reading-challenge, 2012-paranormal-fantasy

Read my review at my blog, Night Owl Reads ...more

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Jan 31, 2012 Erika rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2012

Title: Promises (The Syrenka Series #1)
Author: Amber Garr
Number of Pages: 276
Date of Release: December 7th, 2011
Summary From Goodreads:

Sometimes following your heart can end up destroying the ones you love.

When seventeen-year-old Eviana Dumahl is faced with the responsibility of an arranged marriage and clan leadership, she is forced to choose between the life required of a mermaid and one of a teenage girl simply infatuated with the wrong guy. Kain, her devoted fiancé would make a wonderful hu Title: Promises (The Syrenka Series #1)
Author: Amber Garr
Number of Pages: 276
Date of Release: December 7th, 2011
Summary From Goodreads:

Sometimes following your heart can end up destroying the ones you love.

When seventeen-year-old Eviana Dumahl is faced with the responsibility of an arranged marriage and clan leadership, she is forced to choose between the life required of a mermaid and one of a teenage girl simply infatuated with the wrong guy. Kain, her devoted fiancé would make a wonderful husband except that she’s been in love with Brendan, a shape-shifting selkie, ever since they were kids. Choosing to abandon her family, her clan, and her life with Kain will have dire consequences far beyond anything she could have imagined.

A war is brewing amongst the clans and Eviana unwittingly becomes a pawn in the intricate schemes of a twisted mastermind. With Brendan’s life on the line, she has no choice but to involve those who she once considered friends. Amidst encountering senseless tragedies and immense loss, Eviana discovers that she is more valuable as a clan leader than anyone ever suspected. Her survival is not only dependent upon the loyalty of her friends, but also on her acceptance of a life that she had so adamantly tried to escape.

Promises is the first book of The Syrenka Series trilogy following Eviana and her friends through the perils of growing up in a discrete world that inherently threatens human society.

Review: I don’t even know where to begin in this review! Let’s start with the cover that I cannot take my eyes off of. The design is not only breathtaking but also fits flawlessly with the novel. I am always leery of mermaid stories, because I haven’t had a good history with them. I was not expecting Promises to take me on such a ride! Promises is a breathtaking debut, that will leave your heart aching for Eviana. Amber Garr’s writing is effortless and the refined way she writes, left me needing more.

Eviana, has a sweet name, who has read a book with a character with that name before? I know I haven’t and I liked the originality. Anyways, I thought being trapped between two guys would make her kind of a well not nice person who I would hate to read about. That so didn’t happen and I loved every minute of her narration. The way Amber portrayed her as a character and the situations she put her in, was what made the novel. Seeing how Eviana was being forced to marry Kain, I expected him to be kind of dull, but man oh man was he HOT! There are things that he said to Evianna, that I just keep thinking about and man oh man that rarely happens. Not only that but he is one of the sweetest guys I have read about in a long time. Brendan while I knew was really sweet held back a lot, and it was that which made me a Kain fan instantly, but as you read on the favorite, kind of blurs. So now I have no idea which one is my favorite I am so TORN!!

So while I did anticipate some of the key plot points, it didn’t bother me because it was the minor conversations and events in those points that were such a surprise. Like I mentioned before, there is just something so effortless and lyrical about Ambers writing style and I can’t quite put my finger on it yet, but I love it. Another cool part of the novel was the legends and folklore that was added in on all of these creatures that you have only ever briefly heard of. I really liked that element and it made Promises truly unique. The only thing I really disliked was how Promises sucked me in and then spit me out! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME AMBER! I really need more, right now I am like a junkie waiting for my next fix.
...more

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Sep 04, 2012 Teresa rated it it was ok

[More of a rant than review]

I do not know where to start with this book.

But lately, I've been getting into indie reads and trying to discover something awesome, particularly in supernatural or folklore stuff, something as good as Angelfall.

But it turns out not every indie read can be expected to be as good as a debut as Susan Ee's book.

When I first read the blurb/summary for this story, I thought, sure, why not? It's a mermaid/selkie story and I haven't read anything fishy since the Little Merma ...more

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Nov 09, 2013 Jessie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I really don't know where to start with this book. There were so many times with it where I felt like I've been there, done that. I was bored with so many areas of the novel that I just wanted to put it down and pick up something else. Right when I was about to do that, something would happen in the book that would keep me reading it.

I love selkies, and that's probably the biggest reason I kept going with this because there just aren't enough selkie novels out there. But I really felt like the ...more

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Aug 25, 2015 S.K. Munt rated it liked it

Shelves: all-about-ya-100ebooks-1-year, romance, love-triangle, love-the-cover, ya-challenge-shelf, paranormal-romance-ya, fairytale, ya, ya-book-challenge, mermaid

This is going to be my most to the point review in history. In short:

*I do NOT like the selfish, stoopid heroine.
*I do not get hot for seals.
*There is only Kain...but I hate it in love triangles, when the other guy (you like) is divided.
*The level of tragedy was not cohesive to the girlish and flimsy narrative.
*This got depressing, fast-and stayed there

And finally???? Still one if the most intriguing mer books I've read, which has me scratching my head...it has to be Kain. Reminds me of Bi ...more

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Jun 02, 2018 A Bear and a Bee Books rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: purchase-soon

So first, confession time, I love mermaids! In fact, I’m pretty sure I thought I was one for a time period. That said, let’s talk about my overall impression of this book. I did enjoy it but would have loved more description relating to the water scenes. There is one portion with caves that I found very appealing. The characters are interesting but I would have loved some more back story regarding the friend group. They seemed to become lifelong friends extremely quickly. In addition, the writin ...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Sarah Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: r2r-complete, read-2012

Promises
(I received a digital copy of this book for free as part of the ‘Syrenka’ Blog Tour!)
This is book 1 in the ‘Syrenka’ series.
17-year-old Eviana is a mermaid. Not only is she a mermaid, but she is her clan leaders eldest child, which means that she will be the next clan leader. Mermaids are a dying species, which means that they must marry and breed appropriately. Eviana’s parents have arranged a marriage for her, to Kain – the heir of the Matthew’s clan, who as mermen go, is quite a catc Promises
(I received a digital copy of this book for free as part of the ‘Syrenka’ Blog Tour!)
This is book 1 in the ‘Syrenka’ series.
17-year-old Eviana is a mermaid. Not only is she a mermaid, but she is her clan leaders eldest child, which means that she will be the next clan leader. Mermaids are a dying species, which means that they must marry and breed appropriately. Eviana’s parents have arranged a marriage for her, to Kain – the heir of the Matthew’s clan, who as mermen go, is quite a catch.
Eviana and Kain have known about this arrangement since they were very young, but while Kain obviously has feelings for Eviana, Eviana has a boyfriend, a selkie (seal) called Brandon who her parents don’t approve of (as mermaids and selki’s can’t breed together).
With Eviana’s 18th birthday only a few weeks away, her marriage is fast approaching, and she knows that as much as she likes Kain, she belongs with Brandon, and they begin to make plans to run away together.
With tensions running high between Eviana and her parents, a Syrenka Cottilion to attend, and her wedding day looming, Eviana throws her entire life away to run away with Brandon, even when she knows that Kain would be a great husband and that they would be good together.
But when disaster strikes, and Brandon’s life is on the line, Eviana finds that having no family and friends to turn to could mean that she loses the only thing that she ever truly wanted, and she must swallow her embarrassment and ask the people that she left behind for help.

I really enjoyed this book, from the very first page I was swept into Eviana’s world, with both it’s magical beings, and teenage normalcy. I loved how Eviana’s problems were so similar to those of a normal teen – parents wanting her to do what she doesn’t want to do, parents not approving of her boyfriend, and also very different – being forced into an arranged marriage, and having to content with being the next leader of her clan.

I totally understood Eviana’s desire to run off with her boyfriend, and her wish to not have to marry at 18, but at the same time, I never for a moment thought that she would go through with it. I thought she would have a change of heart or change of circumstance and that she would stay and do her duty.
I personally was secretly hoping that she would stay and marry Kain who was a total sweetheart. He was more than happy to do his duty, especially when faced with his father’s impending death, and even offered to let Eviana continue to see Brandon in secret once they were married, which was obviously something that he knew would mean a lot to her.

Eviana was a strong female lead, she did what she wanted, but only after considering the consequences of her actions. She must have been so in love with Brandon to risk everything to be with him. Not only was she leaving her family, but her friends, clan, and way of life too. I don’t think I could ever do something like that, and I both applaud and frown upon her decision to run away. Whilst I understand that she loved Brendon and wanted to be with him, I also felt for Kain who was being jilted at the alter.

Eviana was always determined to get what she wanted, and this came across even more strongly when she was fighting for those that she loved and cared for.
If I had one complaint about the book it was when Eviana and Brendon slept together for the first time, and we were teased a bit and then told that they had ‘a wonderful night together’, I would have loved a little bit more here, nothing sordid or ‘fifty shades’, but just a little more than what we got!
Overall I liked this book though, and am looking forward to reading the second book in the series – Betrayal.
8 out of 10. ...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Emily Blake rated it liked it

Shelves: finished-copy-for-review, blog-tour, signed, for-review, disappointing, ya-romance, young-adult, review, ok, 2011

*A copy was provided by Amber Garr for review purposes*

I haven’t read a lot of mermaid books in my life, so I’m trying to get more into the genre. Promises by Amber Garr seemed to be a great book to read, and it was okay. There were a few things that I didn’t really like, but overall it was a pretty good story.

I’ll just go right into it and rant about the things I didn’t like. The huge thing was the writing. I understand that as a self-published author you have to edit your own work and it’s har ...more

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May 09, 2012 Kat rated it it was amazing

Shelves: e-reader

With my crazy schedule and only a few hours to spare between, I spent every lax second reading this book. I refused sleep in favor of just a few more words. And I now stare bewildered at my Kindle wondering “Where has this book been all my life?” I am in awe! This is my first book involving Selkies , water spirits, and so many other paranormal water creatures. I've said it once and I'll reiterate: Mermaids are the new “it” supernatural. This book showcase a different variation to mere culture. M With my crazy schedule and only a few hours to spare between, I spent every lax second reading this book. I refused sleep in favor of just a few more words. And I now stare bewildered at my Kindle wondering “Where has this book been all my life?” I am in awe! This is my first book involving Selkies , water spirits, and so many other paranormal water creatures. I've said it once and I'll reiterate: Mermaids are the new “it” supernatural. This book showcase a different variation to mere culture. Mer-folk are presented as shape shifters. They live dual water/land lives in Monarch societies divided into clans and have manipulation powers like you wouldn't believe. I was simply fascinated.

This is not your little mermaid.

These fins are almost legal and leaving broken hearts in her wake!

Promises tells the tragic story of a stubborn teen in love. Eviana is next in line to inherit the leadership of her people alongside an arranged marriage. Yet her heart belongs to another. Her chosen beau is frowned upon, yet the statutes of these restrictions is hidden until a moment of intensity. So Eviana runs with her heart forsaking her throne, her status, as well as her family and friends. It was once said, “Decisions based on emotion tend to bite with rational karma.” Thus was the case with Eviana. When turmoil came knocking, her selfish act came back around; and she had to sleep in the bed that she made. Everything she was sheltered from as a youth pose a larger threat; and it's time she's opened her eyes to see the bigger picture.

This was a very fast paced ride with twists, turns, excitement, and unexpected young love with many obstacles. In the end our heroine learned responsibility the hard way. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. There was no misconstruing the age of the characters. They were believable for older teens and their level of maturity was very accurate. I am hard pressed to announce that any one character was my favorite. I adored them all! The plot was very engaging and demanded the attention of the reader. The way each detail was spoon fed to the reader was both teasing and addicting. I am really excited to see what happens next in this series. Please be sure to check out my review of book two, “Betrayal”.

Many thanks to the author for entrusting me with an honest review.

I would recommend this fans of shifters, mermaids, Sottish lore, and fantasy. ...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Avry15 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, reviewed, paranormal-romance, young-adult, fantasy

originally appeared on:Bookshelf Confessions

First, I’d like to say that I loved the cover. It fits wonderfully into the theme of the novel.

“Promises” is the first book of The Syrenka Series trilogy following Eviana and her friends through the perils of clan wars, tragedies and immense loss.
I admit that it’s easy to predict the storyline in the first chapters, but soon I’d find a lot of unexpected turns and twist that left me stunned and emotionally affected. And from there, I was totally hooked originally appeared on:Bookshelf Confessions

First, I’d like to say that I loved the cover. It fits wonderfully into the theme of the novel.

“Promises” is the first book of The Syrenka Series trilogy following Eviana and her friends through the perils of clan wars, tragedies and immense loss.
I admit that it’s easy to predict the storyline in the first chapters, but soon I’d find a lot of unexpected turns and twist that left me stunned and emotionally affected. And from there, I was totally hooked with the story.

What makes the story so relatable and enjoying to read is Ms. Garr’s writing. I enjoyed reading the conversations, and she made the story flow naturally.
I enjoyed the author’s description especially how these sea creatures change from human form to their magical form. It’s easy to picture it happening. I enjoyed the mermaid lore and other stuffs about them. This is actually my first mermaid novel and I was not disappointed.

This book is a love triangle, and even though it was Brendan that Eviana loves, I find Kain to be charming and lovable. With Eviana’s narration, it’s easy to see that she has a mounting feeling for Kain, which makes Kain almost the center of the book. There was more detail on him than Brendan, but I hope to learn more of Brendan in the next book too.

Eviana meanwhile, even though I want to smack her most of the times, her character was developed as the story goes on. In every situation she was put in, she grows and learns something from it.

The ending of this book meanwhile is a little too-happily-ever-after for me. But the excerpt of the second book takes that feeling back and replaces it with thrill and excitement..:)

All in all, Promises is a great book to start The Syrenka Series. I was deeply absorbed with the book from beginning til end. YA Romance mixed with sea folklores and legends make “Promises” a unique book that is fascinating, engaging and over-all a must-read!

Highly Recommended to everyone!..:)

P.S.There is a free excerpt of the Chapter 1 of Betrayal , the sequel at the back of the book. It promises another Eviana and Kain moment, and a little bit creepy…:)
...more

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Jan 21, 2012 MeMe Belikova First lady Ivashkov rated it really liked it

I am happy to say that 'Promises' was my first mermaid book and I enjoyed it! Amber Garr did an AMAZING job creating this magical world of mermaids, nymphs, water sprites and Selkies. I fell in love with all of the characters they played a great roll in the story/plot.

The Plot:
Seventeen year old Evianna Dummahl is a mermaid that just wants to live her life, her way. That is clearly impossible for Eviana because she is next in line to be clan leader of her tribe and she also is being forced to ma ...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle-books

Very few books about merfolk hook me after the first chapter, sad but a true fact. This one however (and thankfully) was not the norm, it completely had me entangled in the story after just the first few pages.

The writing was beautifully done and flowed so smoothly that I started the book and before I knew it I looked down and I was almost half way through it. It felt like no time had passed at all as I became so immersed in the story that I had lost track of everything else around me.

The chara ...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: blog-tour-review, 2012-summer-must-reads

Promises is a FABULOUS read! Once I started reading it I could not put it down. I had to continue reading to see what would happen. I have the honor of being on The Syrenka Series Blog Tour and I have to say this series so far is AMAZING. There is something about Mermaids and Mermen that draws you in and you can't help but want to read and read until you get to the end. In Promises there are so many twists and turns you would have never thought but the way Amber weaves her story makes it fit nic ...more

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Apr 03, 2012 CαthεεBooks rated it really liked it

Shelves: great-reads, books-i-own, beautiful-covers, books-received-to-review

Title : Promises
Series : The Syrenka Series 1
Author : Amber Garr
Pages : 251
Release Date : Dec 7 2011
Publisher : Self-pub
Format : Paperback
Source :
**From the author in exchange of an honest review**

My Opinion :

It seems like mermaid books are getting more and more popular, and, I am really happy about that, because I love them and books about them!

Promises is a debut that will leave you curious for more!

Sometimes following your heart can end up destroying the ones you love.
Promises is the story s ...more

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Nov 30, 2016 Beatrice Rivers rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Mermaids and selkies are not allowed to be together so, of course, Evian and Brendan have it in for them. But I didn’t foresee the complications that Brendan's seal skin brought him or the fact that everything would go downhill for the couple as the book neared the end…

I cannot choose – Brendan or Kyle? Or even Daniel for that matter? I think that I finally decided that I would have Daniel as my boyfriend because he seems like the most patient, loving and even tempered of the three of them, and ...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Rebekah rated it really liked it

Originally posted at Reflections of a Bookworm

What worked: The cover completely drew me in but before I read Promises, I had never read a mermaid book before but if the rest of the series is anything like this book, I'm in for a treat! Amber really has a talent for conjuring up really vivid scenes in your imagination and I have to say that I'm Team Kain all the way. I found the world and hierarchy's that Amber created were really intriguing and I loved all of the characters, especially Kain of c ...more

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Sep 19, 2013 Myndi rated it it was amazing

Ok, the first thing I must make clear is that I LOVE mermaids. I have since I was a kid. That will color my opinion of mermaid related books, just to be clear.
That being said, I did love this book. It's got everything a great YA or Paranormal Romance book needs. We've got a forbidden love, some disapproving parents, tragic circumstances, adventure, danger, and mystery all rolled into the first installment of Syrenka. Eviana is our main mermaid character...I found her to be strong willed, and opi ...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Caketress rated it it was ok

*sigh* I've liked all of the mermaid books I have read but for some reason, this one.. I don't know. It moved way too fast for me. And not only that, I feel like I never got a good idea or mental picture of the characters or locations/surroundings. This story felt so rushed to me.. it makes me not want to read the next two. I suppose I'm just not a fan of Garr's writing style. I liked the storyline but the pace of the book was frustrating. ...more

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Jan 26, 2017 Natalie rated it liked it

Recommends it for: young adult, female

Shelves: yal

Eviana is a seventeen-year-old and the first born of her mother Mistress Dumahl, the clan leader. Which means she has certain privileges, but along with those privileges come responsibility, responsibilities that Eviana doesn't want to have to face. As her eighteenth birthday is nearing, so is the time that she should be married and start having children to ensure the future of their clans. In Eviana's case, this is one of the very last things that she wants to do, become a teenage bride and sta Eviana is a seventeen-year-old and the first born of her mother Mistress Dumahl, the clan leader. Which means she has certain privileges, but along with those privileges come responsibility, responsibilities that Eviana doesn't want to have to face. As her eighteenth birthday is nearing, so is the time that she should be married and start having children to ensure the future of their clans. In Eviana's case, this is one of the very last things that she wants to do, become a teenage bride and start having children, let alone the fact that it's to be an arranged marriage. Her mother promised her to the Matthews clan when she was a mere toddler, hoping that their union would finally bring the two clans together and give them not only a better standing in their world, but also larger numbers. Kain, the young man that Eviana has been promised to, is the picture of amazing and any girl would love the chance to be married to him and a part of his life. He has beautiful blonde hair, caring blue eyes, a smile that lights up the world, and a good heart. It doesn't hurt that he's next in line to be the leader of their clan, which will probably happen sooner rather than later as his father is in failing health.
However, Eviana has plans of her own. Her heart belongs to Brendan, a selkie (or seal shape-shifter) that she's been best friends with and seeing for years. Her heart belongs to him and she would do anything to be with him, but their parents don't support it, neither do their species. As the mer-world that Eviana is a part of, she is supposed to produce mer-children. When is comes to selkie-mer relations, children aren't conceived. Plus, mers look to selkies for the most part as underlings or something that is beneath them to be in relationships with. Eviana can't see why on Earth this is and ignores her family, her clan, and everything her people have taught her as she continues to choose Brendan over Kain. When push comes to shove and the clan leaders set a date for her and Kain to be married she does the most heart-wrenching thing that she could do to her parents and secretly plans to leave them and her world behind in order to stay with Brendan.
Unbeknownst to her, there's a lot more going on in the mer-world than she's ever been aware of in her life. Her family has protected her and her younger sister their whole lives, sheltering them from the truths that they may have to one day face. There is a war brooding among her people, betrayals, alliances, and deals are being struck behind closed doors; tensions are getting high and their societal way of life is becoming more and more in jeopardy. They aren't the only water creatures left in existence, the fairies, water spirits, etc. that they have been told are endangered or extinct are in fact alive and trying to survive in their own ways as well. Their lives, way of surviving, and reasons to fear the mer-people are still all a mystery to Eviana, but those mysteries are about to become a large part of her life as she flees from the mantle of responsibility in order to continue her forbidden love.
Will Eviana and her beloved selkie Brendan be able to stay away from the mer-world for long enough? Will they be able to enjoy their love, lives, and happiness together? Or will the politics of the mer (or worse her parents) catch up to them and force Eviana into a marriage that she doesn't want? What else have her parents and the clan adults been hiding from her and her sister?
Good for young adult, female; themes of relationships, betrayal/lies, family matters, fairy tale. ...more

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May 07, 2018 abby • thecourtofreading rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, mythological, fantasy, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really liked this book. My Mum put it onto my Kindle when I first received it for Christmas in 2016 since it was a freebie. I read the first few pages and thought “ugh this is boring” so I deleted it.

More recently, I was swiping through my clippings and I saw a nice description from this book. So I thought “hey, why not give this another try?” so I downloaded it again to give it a second chance.

Actually, I’m really glad I did. I think this was really well written for a book that didn’t have I really liked this book. My Mum put it onto my Kindle when I first received it for Christmas in 2016 since it was a freebie. I read the first few pages and thought “ugh this is boring” so I deleted it.

More recently, I was swiping through my clippings and I saw a nice description from this book. So I thought “hey, why not give this another try?” so I downloaded it again to give it a second chance.

Actually, I’m really glad I did. I think this was really well written for a book that didn’t have many good reviews. I read on one review that it seemed a lot like another book, but I haven’t read the other book it was compared to, so I can’t make that link and accusation.

The story comes from Eviana’s point of view. She’s a mermaid and the girlfriend of Brendan, a selkie whom she is not allowed to be with. But she’s also promised to a boy called Kain, who is the heir of a clan that Eviana’s family is close to. However Eviana and Kain go on sort of like a camp thingy which I forgot the name of which teaches them how to act royally. To my surprise, Kain and Eviana grow quite close. However Kain’s Dad dies during the dance and Kain had to be appointed leader of his clan. Much to my happiness, Eviana and Kain share a long kiss which makes me like Kain even more. Then, Brendan — such a mood killer — suggests Eviana runs away with him, abandoning Kain on their wedding day. She does and this causes upheaval in both clans; resulting to Eviana’s parents dying and the start of a war between a merman called Lucien (made me think of ACOTAR there 😊). I thought it was a bit mean of Eviana because she seemed quite selfish, and if I was in her situation, I would have gone with Kain because it meant I would have a solid, worthwhile relationship. This is because I learnt throughout the novel that selkies tend to have sex with their mermaid girlfriend/wife, stay with them and then take the child away from its mother once it’s old enough and teach it selkie ways. With Kain, Eviana would not have had the potential danger of this. Brendan then decides to take a break from Eviana which makes me really happy because I disliked him when he made Eviana go away with him.

Overall, this was well worth the second chance because I actually enjoyed this and I may even go as far as purchasing the next books. ...more

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Nov 13, 2012 YA Reads Book Reviews rated it liked it

Shelves: nichole

Originally posted on www.yareads.com, reviewed by Nichole.

Sometimes following your heart can end up destroying the ones you love.
When seventeen-year-old Eviana Dumahl is faced with the responsibility of an arranged marriage and clan leadership, she is forced to choose between the life required of a mermaid and one of a teenage girl simply infatuated with the wrong guy. Kain, her devoted fiancé would make a wonderful husband except that she’s been in love with Brendan, a shape-shifting selkie, ev Originally posted on www.yareads.com, reviewed by Nichole.

Sometimes following your heart can end up destroying the ones you love.
When seventeen-year-old Eviana Dumahl is faced with the responsibility of an arranged marriage and clan leadership, she is forced to choose between the life required of a mermaid and one of a teenage girl simply infatuated with the wrong guy. Kain, her devoted fiancé would make a wonderful husband except that she’s been in love with Brendan, a shape-shifting selkie, ever since they were kids. Choosing to abandon her family, her clan, and her life with Kain will have dire consequences far beyond anything she could have imagined.
A war is brewing amongst the clans and Eviana unwittingly becomes a pawn in the intricate schemes of a twisted mastermind. With Brendan’s life on the line, she has no choice but to involve those who she once considered friends. Amidst encountering senseless tragedies and immense loss, Eviana discovers that she is more valuable as a clan leader than anyone ever suspected. Her survival is not only dependent upon the loyalty of her friends, but also on her acceptance of a life that she had so adamantly tried to escape.
Promises is the first book of The Syrenka Series trilogy following Eviana and her friends through the perils of growing up in a discrete world that inherently threatens human society.
At seventeen-years old a lot is expected of Eviana Dumahl. She’s expected to become a clan leader, marry Kain, and have children all within the next few years. Unfortunately for everyone else, Eviana is determined to be with her one true love, Brendan, who is not a fellow Syrenka. Eviana’s mother, the clan leader, does not approve of Brendan and makes it clear from the get-go that Eviana is going to marry Kain whether she likes it or not. So, naturally, Eviana and Brendan make a plan to run away together, leaving their families and friends behind forever.
Once Eviana and Brendan travel half way across the world to get away from their families, things seem to be so much better. While times are now tough, they have eachother, which is all they ever really needed. But things take a dark twist when someone steals Brendan’s seal skin, something he needs in order to survive. Now Eviana must face her fears and call upon the people that she left behind in order to save Brendan’s life.

I was first attracted to Promises because of how gorgeous the cover is. I love the blue-greenish colors that make up the cover. I also really liked the idea of the syrenka, or mermaids. I’m not an overly HUGE mermaid fan, so I was a tad nervous to begin reading Promises, but I just had a feeling that it was going to be good.
The first….50 or 60 or so pages of Promises were a little slow for my taste. I thought I knew everything that was going to happen in the book, so I set myself up for early disappointment. Honestly, I almost set the book down, because there really is no action in the beginning parts of the book. There was a specific part of the book, though, that absolutely changed my opinion. All of a sudden all of these things that I never expected to happen were happening. Action scenes started to become more frequent and intense, and I was on the edge of my seat throughout a large chunk of the book.
There were many times that I wanted to compare Amber Garr to authors such as Richelle Mead or Anna Banks. While their writing styles and storylines are very different, I could tell that Garr had that extra spark that I like my writing to have. She didn’t quite reach the potential that I know she has in her in Promises, but I’m definitely expecting it as the series progresses. I was really impressed with how Garr completely blindsided me on what happened throughout the book. I expected Eviana and Brendan to get caught before they could run away together, Eviana to marry Kain right away, and no action to happen whatsoever. I was prepared for it, and I was going to set the book down as soon as it happened. I don’t even know how to explain what DID happen. It was great. It was brilliant. It was just…..entertaining and shocking.
I did have a bit of a problem with how everyone was just always….naked. I think it bugged me the most when Eviana was naked in front of her parents and it was just supposed to be normal. I get that that was the Syrenka life style or culture, but I was a little creeped out by that factor. Thankfully, it didn’t happen very often. There were really only two parts that seriously bugged me. 1. the parent’s section in the beginning and 2. when all the kids get out of the water at the end and walk around naked. It was weird. It didn’t take away from the story or the writing, but it was weird.
I also found it interesting how I am not a fan of Brendan at all. I am 100% team Kain and that will never ever ever change. I found Brendan to be too soft and whiney for my taste. I guess he really didn’t whine during the book, I just kind of associated the term with him. I expect a lot from Kain in the future books. I don’t know how it’s all going to play out, but I really hope he’s the one that Eviana chooses. I’m not a big fan of love triangles, because I don’t really see the point. The author obviously knows who the main character is going to ultimately end up with, and I would just rather see that relationship progress. Let’s be honest, most of us don’t get two hunky guys fighting for our attention on a regular basis. Love triangles usually do one or two things for me. 1. they upset me because I already know what’s going to happen or 2. they make me insanely angry like the love triangle between Rose/Dimitri/Adriane in Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series. I just want to see the original relationship play out.
Overall, I was a big fan of Promises. I would definitely recommend it to fans of Anna Banks. I would also recommend it to fans of Indie Author, Leigh Michael. The characters and plot were very strong, and it was a intense read that I’m going to hold on to for a very long time. I cannot wait to read more from Amber Garr!
Pages: 251
Publication Date: December 7th, 2011
Publisher: Self-published
Rating: : 3.5

Teaser Quote: “Once I slide into the back seat, I held the bottle up in front of me, searching for Abhainn. We were on the road heading to my hotel when a tiny face suddenly appeared pressed against the side of the clear plastic. I almost screamed and dropped my new friend, but recovered quickly enough to avoid disaster.” ...more

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Jan 19, 2019 ashbagash28 rated it liked it · review of another edition

Quick and ok read

Honestly not sure how I feel about this book. In some aspects I really enjoyed it. Always love a female lead but this one definitely acted her age.
She’s 17 and forced into an arranged marriage when she’s expected to jump into politics and having babies. I get it. Back in the day getting married and having babies was what was expected. But you’d think they would’ve changed with the times. Had the mermaids going to college and rubbing shoulders with high rollers.
This book just foc ...more

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Sep 05, 2020 Crissy rated it liked it

I listened to the audible version of this story. It's the first story I have heard from this author and I liked it a lot. The characters were great, the storyline was an interesting one and there was never a dull moment. I finished this story in a day and I'm excited to listen to the next one. I have to say that when it comes to Brendan and Kain that I love them both. Eviana was determined in the beginning to what she felt was necessary for her and Brendan. She came off as strong and rebellious. ...more

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Sep 04, 2019 Gabby Rockhill rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, dropped

I only got to page 65, so this isn't a fair review. But honestly, I'm bored. The characters fall flat (so far), the world building is an interesting concept but so far is poorly fleshed out, and I'm not the biggest fan of love triangles and this book seems to focus more on the love triangle than the fact that they are mermaids! You'd think doing a modern fantasy with mermaids and other water-based mythical creatures would be a bigger selling point than yet another YA love triangle.

I might pick ...more

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Nov 29, 2020 Samuel Fu rated it it was amazing

I definitely thought this was a good book and loved reading every chapter. I’ve always been interested in the idea of mermaids as well as the different stories and legends that surround them. I thought this book had another great spin on where mermaids might have come from and how they could be living among us regular people. I really liked the character of Eviana, she just wanted to be free to make her own decisions, but I don’t think she really thought about what that freedom would cost her an ...more

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May 24, 2017 Kushnuma rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 1st-in-unfinished-series, amazon-freebies

Promises is book 1 in the Syrenka series.

I had mixed feelings about this book. There were moments where I actually enjoyed the book but I could not get myself to like any of the characters.

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About Amber Garr

Amber Garr

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Amber Garr spends her days as a scientist and nights writing about other worlds. Her childhood imaginary friend was a witch, Halloween is sacred, and she is certain she has a supernatural sense of smell. Amber is a multiple Royal Palm Literary Award winner, author of the bestselling The Syrenka Series, The Leila Marx Novels, the award-winning The Water Crisis Chronicles, and the The Second Rising ...more