I really loved this. I haven't read anything by the author before, but if her other books are anything like this then I hope to rectify that soon. 
 The basic plot is Elyse, a young singer from Tobago has an accident that means she will never sing or talk again, so, unable to face her family and the remnants of her broken dreams, she goes to stay with a family friend in America, where she tries to pick up the remnants of her life and rebuild herself. There, with no voice, she finds herself slowly pulled along with things until she meets the local playboy and somehow, due to an unfortunate bet made by the mayor and Christian's father, ends up offering him her help in a local boat race in order to save some houses in the town. 
 So far, so predictable, right? And it is - it's effectively a retelling of The Little Mermaid after all, but at the same time, it didn't feel predictable. Christian and Elyse's relationship feels very natural and believable - there's no silly misunderstanding, or convoluted drama - it's not always easy, but that's because of other things. And they get each other. They don't force things, they don't change for each other, they want to be with the other as they are, not as they want the other to be. You know how rare that one is sometimes? 
 The romance is only a small part of what is so lovely about this book though - Christian has a little brother, a lovely young child who is obsessed with mermaids and seeing him being told that he can't walk in a Mermaid parade because he's a boy really gets to you as you read and his and Christian's relationship, and his and Elyse's relationship is written beautifully. 
 There are so many points in this book that just makes you appreciate how good YA can be when it is done right. Watching a woman will herself stronger from a very real problem, watch bonds grow and seeing people find themselves is just something that I don't believe we get to see often enough. 
 I really would love to read a follow up to this one day - let's see Elyse and Christian ten years down the line, and find out whether Sebastian ever finds his mermaid, or Kirby & Noah make it...there is so much scope with a book like this. 
 I just really loved it - I felt happy and apprehensive and giddy and nervous at various points throughout it, and that is all I want from a book, one to grab me and this book definitely did that.