Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings (Real Mermaids #1)

Helene Boudreau has written a humorous coming-of-age story; brilliantly combining contemporary and fantasy! I wish that this book was around when I was a tween - so witty, entertaining and fun - loved every second I spent with Jade!

Jade is your average tween just trying to find the perfect swimsuit for her best friend's pool party... so happy to have found the perfect one, she was not prepared for all that happens afterwards!
First period. First crush run-in. Major embarrassing moment with Dad in front of first crush.
Could Jade's day get any worse?
How 'bout a giant fish-tail???
Yes. It is completely possible for a bad day to get worse.
Poor Jade! In less than 24 hours, Jade 'becomes a woman' and finds out that she's half human, half mermaid. And that her mother used to be a mermaid too.
Her mother who drowned in the lake last summer.

Everything about Jade, her family and friends, her life seemed so realistic. Her attitude, whit and independence made Jade such a strong character that many girls will love and admire. Jade is inspiring, no matter what happened, she dealt with it the best way she could. And I loved that she was so close to her dad and was able to go to him for anything that she needed help with - including the embarrassing trip to the store! Which made their relationship and story so much more realistic and relatable. There were so many laugh-out-loud moments, I was smiling the entire time. And of course, there were moments where my heart went out to Jade - this is an age where a girl really could use a mother figure and she was truly missing her mom so much, there were quite a few tender moments where she needed her so much.

Oh, and Jade's crush, Luke.
I wasn't sure at first if he was a keeper or not. Still not sure.
But Luke's got a few secrets of his own!
He's a keeper, for now!

Also, the way that the author was able to integrate Jade's transformation from human to mermaid was so natural. Every time it happened it seemed like something normal, something that may actually be able to happen in real life. The changes that Jade went through physically were not simple, but the explanation and details made it seem very believable and mesmerizing.

I am really looking forward to watching Jade grow and blossom, and also learning more about Luke and what has happened to Jade's mom in the next book,
Real Mermaids Don't Hold Their Breath.

This was a good read. Likeable characters and an interesting plot. I'm always buzzing for budding relationships and Jade and Luke had me smiling whenever they were together. The relationship felt authentic with just the right amount of awkwardness. I especially liked the fact that it wasn't corny and over the top, which I often see in young adult fiction.

There was a huge twist I didn't see coming involving Luke, which I won't give away, and although it did surprise me, I didn't take well to it. I would have preferred it not to have ended the way it had, but that's just my opinion. Overall, a worthwhile read.