Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs

On Lily Sanderson’s eighteenth birthday she’ll become just a girl—still a mergirl, true, but signing the renunciation will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being-human thing once and for all.
Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer bond or not, she’s almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, the waves start to get rough. Lily’s father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelashes at Lily’s former crush, Brody?
The seafoam on the raging surf comes when a merboy from Lily’s past shows up—Tellin asks Lily for something that clouds her view of the horizon. There’s a future with Quince on land, her loyalty to the kingdom in the sea, and Lily tossing on the waves in the middle. Will she find a way to reconcile her love, her duty, and her own dreams?
Tera Lynn Childs’s sequel to Forgive My Fins offers another tail-flicking romance with plenty of fun, sun, and underwater adventure.

First Line: "At the moment I am sole heir to the throne of Thalassinia, one of the most prosperous underwater kingdoms in the world."

I enjoyed this book as much as Forgive My Fins. I found the second book in a trilogy isn't as strong but this one is good. Lily, mermaid princess, will become a "normal" girl on her birthday. With Quince by her side, she can do anything.
But when an angry cousin and a childhood boy friend surface in Lily's town, she must choose who she is and where she belongs.
Still love the "mermaid" slang words! Ms. Childs does a great job in descriptions, world building and characters. I enjoyed watching each person grow and change, especially the cousin.
Cute, sweet, story that any girl age 10 and up would enjoy. I read this book in just over two hours.
(I predict a love triangle in the next book.)

Rating: PG
S: No
L: No
V: No

25% test (p. 65):
"...and disappears out the cafeteria doors. Her interest in Brody is a little too interested for my peace of mind.
Before the human food lessons, I have to make one thing very clear. I will not let my final act as royal princess end in a bonding disaster that can only bring trouble to my kingdom.
As soon as Brody's out of sight, I say, "No."
Doe looks innocent. "No what?"
"No Brody," I explain. "Absolutely, unequivocally no."
She shrugs. "Whatever."
I'm not sure if it's an I-don't-really-care-about-him-so-no-big-deal shrug, or an I-like-him-and-and-I-don't-really-care-what-you-think one. Or maybe it's a you're-not-the-boss-of-me shrug.
"Dosinia," I say, not willing to let this go," this is serious. You can't mess around with Brody. I don't know if I told, but he accidentally found out the truth about me a couple of weeks ago."
"So?" she asks in a bored tone.
"So he didn't take it very well. He acted like a jerk and I had to--"
"Ancient history." She reaches down and grabs a lip gloss from her briefcase, swiping it perfectly across her lips without a mirror.
Grrr. I can envy her makeup skills later; right now I'm trying to make a point. "You can't mess with an human, Doe. The risk is too high. Think of what's best for the kingdom."

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

Quick, clean, fun read. A mermaid story from the very beginning.
Lily is a mermaid princess whose (dead) mother is human and father is a mer king.
Lily was given the chance to see what living among the "terrapeds"and falls for Brody, who doesn't know she exists except as the swim team manager.
Lily's neighbor, Quince, is a pain in her fins next door neighbor who happens to like Lily. Only Lily can't figure this out through 1/2 the book and the rest of the book is how she doesn't like Quince, she likes Brody.
When Quince kisses Lily, their futures change and Lily has to reveal her biggest secret to him.
I liked the story. I didn't know it was a trilogy until I was into the book. But this is okay to stand alone. No real cliff hanger for the second book. Sounds like the second book will be from the viewpoint of Lily's cousin who despises her.
I wish the author would've fleshed out Brody and Shannen (BFF) a little bit more. Especially when it came to them finding out Lily's secret.
Lily uses tons of sea-inspired vocab and swear words like: "son of a swordfish,""blowfish," and "damselfish" (personal favorite).

Rating PG
V: No
L: No
S: kissing

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25% test (page 73):
"8
Meet me at Seaview Beach Park at three.
I slipped the note under Quince's front door first thing in the morning and then disappeared. A night's lack of sleep hadn't cleared things up for me, and I needed a full day to figure out how to explain...well, everything...to him.
As the sun heads west behind me, I sit staring out at the ocean horizon. Still not sure how I'm going to proceed.
How do you tell a guy you're a mermaid? And that's he's turning mer, too? I've spent three years fantasizing about telling Brody, but this is different. Quince is different.
He doesn't say anything when he walks up behind me, but I feel him. In the sand, in the air. Everywhere. For a minute, I let the tension--or maybe it's the bond, I still can't believe I'm bonded to Quince Fletcher--crackle between us. I'd always heard the bond was an addictive high. I never..."