Kiss The Girl by Zoraida Córdova (Review by Shay Tibbs)

4.5 stars

When I tell you I am a Little Mermaid fan, it does not grasp the love I have for the Disney classic. I will happily claim the Disney adult title and have passed that love for the parks, characters, and magic to my kiddos. I believe finding the joy in the things we loved in childhood to be just as important and impactful to our adult selves, and the Meant to Be series from Disney Hyperion has touched my heart in such a special way!

If you haven’t read the first two titles, If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy + By the Book by Jasmine Guillory they are all stand-alones, but I highly recommend picking up each of these modern retellings! I’ve loved that with each of these titles I was already a fan of the author’s writing style, so to see some of my favorite characters ever being written from their point of view is just incredible.

As much as I love Ariel, she is probably the princess I’ve read the least amount of retellings about, but the concept of KISS THE GIRL sold me immediately. Córdova found such a unique way to bring her to life, which made so much sense to do with the love this under-the-sea family has for music in the original, I was tickled by the idea of King Triton being the manager and the head of Atlantica Records. The Siren Seven creates such a fun backstory for this version of Ariel, I loved how close the sisters were, how it was so easy for fall for a girl group at the height of their popularity, deciding to step away from the spotlight and embrace their passions solo.

As the leading lady, Ariel has always felt so much pressure to please her father, and for the sake of her sister’s happiness, she’s agreed to a solo singing career she’s not sure she’s ready for. Right before the announcement, she meets Eric, who’s headed on the road for a summer tour, and gives her an invite to come with. She disobeys her father and finds herself having the time of her life, finding out details from her parent’s past that could change her future and help her find love unexpectedly.

I LOVED the focus on “finding her voice,” both as an individual and as a singer, and those familiar themes of dreaming big, never giving up on ourselves, how important our friends and family are, and of course, that our voices are important, had me gushing through this romance read. I was so excited to read this book, and it was everything I was hoping for and more.