I'm so muddled on my opinions for this book but after a lot of thought, I settled on this: 3.75 stars.

The writing was astounding. I have no problems in seeing why it was chosen to be short-listed for the Women's Fiction Prize. The writing was spectacular and engaging and so drool-worthy, it was even good enough to distract me from the dragging, slightly boring plot and the fact that I did not feel much for the characters. While the mermaid, or lack thereof, enticed me to continue, it was really all that kept me reading. I wasn't engaged in the characters' lives or really cared what happened to them, but I couldn't hate the book either because it was so well written. It outshone any sort of a drag. It wasn't a bad book, in fact, I quite enjoyed it, but the lack of plot and relatable/likable characters is what is preventing this from being a 5-star read.