Evermore (Mer Tales Book 4)

WoW!!! This is one of my absolute favorite series, and this book did not disappoint. Brenda sent me on an emotional roller coaster, and I loved every minute of it. The emotion in her writing is so raw, and real, and the character development is amazing. You would think after what they went through in the first 3 books, this one would have been calmer, but the action was a mile a minute. I love this world, these characters, and certainly hope that this is not the last we see of them. If you read the previous ones, you can't miss this book, and if you didn't, go read book one(Everblue), you'll thank me!!!

I red the first three books while pregnant two years ago, I loved them so much I now have my almost two year old daughter Ashlynn running around while I read the 4th book, she reminds me how much I love this series!! I would love to see more!!!

Over the past four years, Brenda Pandos has entertained readers – both young and old – with her Mer Tales series. Evermore is the latest and hopefully, not the last, installment. Like its predecessors, Evermore is a fast-paced story with copious plot twists and turns which will keep fans guessing until the very end.

The story opens following a very eventful five months for both Ashley Lanski and Finley Helton. Fin has saved Ash’s life, the couple have become promised mates, Ash has become a mermaid, Ash has discovered she was originally born a mermaid, the couple have been part of a coup d’etat in Natatoria, and all this only begins to scratch the surface.

Now, the two are preparing to return home from Natatoria, the aquatic realm beneath the earth’s mantle with a political system worthy of a dozen doctoral dissertations, and reunite with her adoptive parents. If only things were that simple. Ash and Fin will arrive on the shores of Lake Tahoe to find they are in hot water with the authorities, Ash’s parents, and there are still four more weeks of school left before graduation. Throw in the announcement that Ash and Fin are engaged and plan to be married in August and you have the beginnings of a perfect storm.
"My heart gushed with happiness as I listened to him defend his love for me, that I was his everything."

Natatorian males have a persuasive way about them and no, this does not mean brass knuckles. They possess the ability to sing their way out of most situations involving humans and Fin is quite capable when it comes to handling things. This is precisely what Ash does not want him to do. She is tired of watching her family enter a zombie-like state whenever Fin warbles their way out of sticky situations.

Ash would prefer to handle things with carefully thought out and honest – well, mostly honest – explanations. This desire is honoured more in the breach than the observance as there are just too many odd things happening and too many sights which should not be seen. This conglomeration is something that simply cannot explained away as their wedding day approaches. Ash fears her human family will wind up with minds of mush before it’s all over.

As if there was not enough drama, Ash discovers she is in the family way and the wedding needs to take place sooner rather than later. The reason for this is because Brenda’s mermaids have a radically foreshortened gestation period. While it is not too unusual for human brides to be carrying something in addition to a bouquet as they walk down the aisle, Ash will be on the cusp of an exponentially expanding baby bump when the wedding takes place three weeks hence.

With the bride’s three month planning schedule contracting into three weeks, additional help is needed to stage this wedding before the bride starts experiencing contractions. Help arrives in the form of Natatorians, most of whom have never been out of their native waters. Most are eager to pitch in while some – like Ash’s biological mother – are simply nosey. There’s plenty to be done – building a honeymoon cottage is high on the list – and before too long, a sense or organized chaos takes hold. Now, if only the hired help would remember how to act and speak like humans.

Brenda’s genius for writing and imagery really comes to the fore at this point in the story and she has expertly crafted action which is readily visible in the mind’s eye. Fantasy writers will often place constraints on their characters to limit what they can or cannot do in various situations. Superman and Kryptonite are one such example. In the case of Brenda’s Natatorians, their Kryptonite is sunset – a time of day when they revert back to their natural fishiness. Throughout the Mer Tales series, the reader has been treated to scenes of Fin shredding his blue jeans and board shorts because he’s pushed the envelope just a little too much by talking to Ash on the phone longer than he ought to.

“I know we’ve had our issues, but I feel like this wedding has healed us. That by bringing Fin into our family, I finally understand you.”

Evermore sees Ash, the newly minted mermaid, run afoul of the setting sun. Fin has persuaded the Lanski family that Ash needs to go to her room and study every evening and once the door is closed, they are not to disturb her. Meanwhile, Ash will open her window, climb down a conveniently placed trellis, and dash for the lake in those last fleeting moments of daylight.

On one evening, Ash is caught out by a poignant scene with her mother where veils and wedding plans are discussed. Ash makes it to her room in time to close the door but not in time to slink down the trellis and she must spend the night in the bath tub. Of course, her bratty younger sister, Lucy, is no help at all. Such are the dangers of being a mermaid in the world Ms. Pandos has created.

It is against this reviewer’s policy to divulge details of the latter part of any story. The goal, of course, is to give the potential reader a taste of what is to be found within the story in the hope that they will want to buy a copy and learn the rest for themselves.

Rules are meant to be broken – or at least bent a little – and this reviewer will divulge two phrases that describe the action in the Evermore’s later chapters.

Heart-breaking
Heart-stopping

It’s now upon the reader to find out just what is meant by those phrases – preferably sooner rather than later.

Once again, Brenda Pandos has given us ample proof of her marvelous skills as a spinner of stories. Her memorable characters of Ash and Fin are guaranteed to find their way into the reader’s heart and stay with them for many years to come. It does not matter if the reader is in their Young Adult years or decades past that point, Brenda’s gift of Evermore will be a lasting treasure.

No doubt, many readers – including this reviewer – assumed Evermore was to be a last hurrah; a victory lap of sorts wherein all loose ends would be tied up and the beloved characters of this series would swim off into the sunset. Apparently, this is not the case as Ms. Pandos has asked her followers if they would like to read more about Ash and Fin. If Brenda Pandos can maintain the level of crisp, engaging story-telling demonstrated throughout her Mer Tales series, then the answer is a resounding, unequivocal, “YES!”

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided an electronic copy of Evermore in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Howard Parsons is the author of Urban Mermaid, the first installment in his series, Tails from Colony Island.

I absolutely love this series and was so excited when this forth book was released. Fin and Ash are finally going to get to have their day. They are going to get married. Fin and Ash return to Tahoe to see Ash’s family and explain where they have been and for Fin to ask for permission to marry Ash. Things don’t go as planned. Fin’s automatic reaction is to sing everything they way they want it. Ash wants her parents to be happy for her for real not because Fin told them to. Instead of the wedding bringing everyone together is seems to pushing people apart; even Fin and Ash at times. Will they be able to make it work? Is Natatoria finally going to get to live in peace or power hungry forces just working in the shadows waiting for the time to strike. Fin and Ash have been through so much during the series will they finally get their happily ever after or should they still be looking over their shoulders watching their back. Ash is so excited to see her family again and for Fin to ask for permission to marry her. Things get so messed up when they come back. Ash is beginning to see that being part Mer makes being part human extremely hard. How is she supposed to explain what they are doing and or where they have been? She doesn’t want Fin to fix everything by singing but at the same time sometimes it’s the only way. Ash wants to finish out the few weeks of high school she has left but realizes that in the end it isn’t really going to matter for her. I felt so bad for Ash through most of the book. Fin’s uncle Alistar stole Ash’s future and now even though she is madly in love with Fin and would want to be a Mer she still didn’t make the choice herself. Nothing is happening the way she thought it would and is forced to deal with all the fall out and has to make all the tough decisions. Fin just wants Ash to be happy; he will do whatever he needs to for that to happen. I love this series and would love to read more about the characters. Great job Brenda.
I was given this book in return for an honest review.

What a fantastic continuation to an awesome series. I hope there is more.
Brenda Pandos outdoes herself with each book she writes.
Ash and Fin plan their future together but as usual a nasty family member tries to scupper it.
Will Ash finish high school?
Will her family find out the truth about her?
Most of all do Fin and Ash get their H.E.A.?
Read Evermore to find out.

Unpredictable, funny, dark and sad. I feel this last book in this series has a little bit of everything. I even found some of dialogue of the background characters made me laugh out loud over lunch. Brenda Pandos, has done a fantastic job of writing this series.