This was a quick fun read, but it suffers from one glaring problem – Fred is basically Betsy (of the Undead series) with fins and without the love for shoes. If you’ve read any of that series, it’s really difficult to read this without Betsy’s voice in your head. Despite the voice problems, Fred is a unique character, a half human and half mermaid who works in the only natural choice for a hybrid mermaid – at an aquarium. When she has to figure out who is polluting Boston Harbor (and therefore, oceans everywhere), she ends up with not one, but two love interests. It’s their interactions that will keep you reading. ( )

It's not something I'd read again, it's a light read, a little entertaining since I've always been fascinated with mermaids. It has an average plot, an average storyline, and predictable characters. It made me laugh sometimes but I prefer her Queen Betsy series. Despite all I've mentioned, I'm still going to read the rest of the series just to find out whom she ends up with. ( )

More fun from MaryJanice Davidson. I love how her heroine doesn't go for all the traditional romantic stereotypes and darned well makes sure even the laddies vying for her attention help her get stuff done. It's a entertaining light read, but don't expect anything too deep out of this one. (*groan* there are so many puns I could make...) ( )

I picked up this book because I really enjoy MaryJanice Davidson’s Undead series about Betsy the Vampire, and since there are so many series about vampires, I was looking forward to a new supernatural series with mermaids for a change. Unfortunately, this book just didn’t live up to my expectations. In the author’s defence, she does include an Acknowledgement at the start of the book that mentions that the writing of the book was plagued with troubles both personal and professional. That being said, perhaps the book should not have come out until these issues could be resolved, because the errors throughout are extremely distracting.

I found the overall plot to be fine – someone is polluting the harbour waters, and Fred (the mermaid) and her friends team up to find out who’s behind it. Not completely original, but just fine. But, while the characters have pasts and personalities, there’s little else going on with any of them. For the most part, they’re not that bright, and have some odd priorities, but they’re likeable enough. Except for maybe Fred who is bitter and rather depressing. However, when you compile an average plot with average characters, you’d better hope for some snappy dialogue to keep people reading, and that’s where Sleeping With the Fishes is sorely lacking. The dialogue doesn’t flow naturally, and sometimes I had to re-read portions to figure out who’s saying what. But my biggest issue with Sleeping With the Fishes is that there are some GLARING continuity errors. For example: why does Fred have to call and ask a friend to find out the name of someone she dated? The book contradicts itself more than once, and while the ending which sets up a future love-triangle almost intrigued enough to give Swimming Without A Net - the 2nd novel in the series a try, the lazy writing will keep me away. ( )

In the front of the book, MJD thanks her editor for keeping Sleeping with the Fishes from being "Betsy with fins" by suggesting the switch to third-person. But the truth is, you know what you're getting with a contemporary paranormal romance by MaryJanice Davidson, and you either like it or you don't. She has a very distinct voice that carries through regardless of the series (though her romantica does have a definitely different tone), and her heroines tend to have similar wisecracking voices.

In Sleeping with the Fishes, Fred is half-mermaid, and her life has just become way too exciting. It starts with her walking in on her parents having sex, which, even for a grown-up, is just too icky to contemplate. Then in short order, a mer-prince arrives and announces she's his queen; she gets a new mermaid-Barbie-clone intern; the fish at the aquarium where she works are on a hunger strike, demanding she play the Pet Shop Boys for them; a hunky new marine biologist arrives and actually sees that her hair is green, not the blue most people see... oh, and someone's dumping waste in the harbor.

It's a fun, fast read, full of humor and one-liners.... if I Love Lucy had fins, this would be the novel version. I'm looking forward to seeing these characters again. ( )

I liked this book. A lot. I read the complaints about it on here and I have to agree the plot was a little forced and the bad guy was a little unbelievable. But I know I read MJD for the dialougue mostly. I love the paranormal genre. I read lots of 'dark' vampire series/were type series. With MJD I know I get something different and thats what I like about it. Yes, I hope that the plots become more detailed. I'd love to see Fred have to go back to the Dark Sea w/ Arthur and 'see' how he lives. Tons of potential here. Far too much to give up on just yet. I for one, can't wait to read more about Fred and her friends. ( )

A unique book in the genre of mystical beings, I can honestly say I've never read a book about a half woman, half mermaid. Think of the movie Splash with an environmental twist to it. The main character (Fred) works as a marine biologist and works to uncover the cause of the toxins in the Bay where she lives. It was a quick read and original. Fred seems to have a little more depth and thought behind her than some of other of the characters from other books the author has written. If your looking for something quick, they won't necessarily fill you up or leave you thinking about it for days, this might be the one for you. ( )

I've read MaryJanice Davidson's Undead and Un... Series of books. I like them. Not the best written, or the deepest characters around, but there is a charm to those books. Unfortunately, this book by the same author held none of the fun loving, cuteness that I liked in her other series. Fred was annoying, and for a marine biologists, not very knowledgeable. Her gay best friend (er, make that metrosexual) spent more time mooning over Fred's boss rather than doing whatever he did. And the suitors - the merman was an idiot, the good look male marine biologist had a good begining, but it all went downhill once Love got in the way. These people seem to get paid to do nothing but stare at each other with starry eyes. This book seems to be missing all the things I liked about her Undead series, while reusing the same characters in a slightly different setting and making them somehow even more shallow. If you want to read a shallow, fun, feel good, fast, supernatural urban romance, go with the Undead and Unwed (Queen Betsy, Book 1), it at least has a queen who cares. ( )

Light and fun, a great quick read. ( )

A very cute romance featuring a half mermaid. Very enjoyable quick read. ( )

Cute. A good idea, but awful execution. Fred was totally unlikable, her love interests were just bland, and her boss and metro (but not gay - hah! biggest twist in the book) friend were thrown in simply so there could be a sex scene. The author mentions in the acknowledgments that she had to rewrite the book from first to third person because otherwise the main character sounded like "Betsy with fins". I like Betsy, but just couldn't like Fred. ( )

This book is dumb. Very, very dumb. But it made me laugh out loud on the train, more than once, so it's staying.

A cute little novel. Suggested by a long misplaced book review. Like candy, good every once and awhile but not part of a balanced diet. Finished it in an afternoon. ( )

Very cute...not the world's best or most complex plot, but I look forward to a sequel.

I thought this would be a really cute book, but in my opinion it was awful and not worth the little amount of time it took to read it. Save your money and buy one of her Sookie Stackhouse novels instead. ( )

This is the first book I've read by MaryJanice and I have to say I wasn't that impressed. Fred just wasn't a character I cared about. After reading other reviews, I may give her other series a try but I won't be reading the next in this series.

Sleeping with the Fishes by Mary Janice Davidson is an extremely quick read. I finished the book in one day. Mermaid Fred has to find out what is threatening Boston Harbor. Along to help her are fellow Marine Biologist, Thomas, and Artur, prince of the seafolk. I really didn't find Fred to be a character I could relate to. She's extremely cranky, self-centered and quite obtuse at times. I found the side story about her best friend and her boss to be more entertaining. The author has an interesting take on the tale of the mermaid though. I give her credit for that. I'm not sure if I'll follow along with the further adventures of Fred. I know the next book has come out, but I didn't find either of Fred's suitors to be all that interesting. Although both are described as exceedingly handsome, both seemed extremely arrogant. I didn't see much in their characterizations to find either endearing.

Although the character of Fred has a lot of similarities with Betsy, MJD's heroine of her Undead series. I find Betsy to be more humorous in her self-centered shallowness. ( )

A one-off (at least I hope so) book by the author of the "Undead and Unwed" series. The premise is cute, about a marine biologist who is half human/half mermaid, although I didn't feel much affinity for Fred, the mermaid (and yes, she is female; Fred is short for Frederika). She's just not very likeable, which sometimes works in fiction; this time, it didn't work, at least not for me. The story was interesting enough - someone is polluting Boston Harbor, and Fred finds herself trying to find out who. This was fine, but I thought the book was poorly written. The prose was choppy and abrupt (kind of like Fred's character). This could have been a good bit of fluff, but I found that it fell flat. This book is definitely a couple of steps down from the ones in the vampire series, which I've really enjoyed. ( )

MJD is really like the girl with the curl for me - when she's good, she's very, very, good but when she's bad, she's horrid! I really enjoy her werewolf series, where the men have the supernatural element. I realize that I don't like it when her heroines are supernatural. She creates these whiny stupid women I'm meant to identify with but I just find them annoying and don't care if they find love or not. Queen Betsy is not funny and not interesting (I realize I'm in a minority here, the vampire books are national best sellers.) So if you like the vampire books, you'll probably love this one. But if you are hestiant or find her hit and miss, then definitely give this on a miss.

Confession time - I didn't finish it. The sqealing intro was enough to put me off and I skimmed and then put it down. It was that unengaging for me. ( )

Fredrika Bimm (Fred) is a PhD and works at the New England Aquarium. She meets her new colleague who is concerned with toxins in the New England water. Oh, yes, Fred is a mermaid. Well, technically, she is half mermaid. The mermaid prince, Artur, has also come to New England about the toxins. So the three of them, along with Fred's best friend Jonas (who has a major thing for Fred's uptight boss) tackle the toxin problem.

Absolutely adorable. Although not as well fleshed out as some of her others, Davidson delivers while tackling another supernatural being. While Fred is less sweetness and light and more p*ss and vinegar than say Betsy (of the Undead series), she is no less amusing. The other characters are well fleshed and entertaining. The romance between Jonas and Dr. Barb is sweet and amusing at the same time. Loved it! ( )

Fred works in an Aquarium. As a human she has problems swimming but in her alternative shape, a mermaid, she can swim very well. She's trying to find out who is polluting the bay with the encouragement of a hunk of a marine biologist and a High Prince of the Black Sea. Full of the usual MaryJanice Davidson conventions and quite a quick read, I wanted to slap the characters a few times but overall it was amusing. ( )

Definitely felt like an introduction to a series. Enjoyed the characters and their introductions more than the actual "mystery" plot. Would like to see the next book. ( )

Fred is a mermaid with an attitude. While working at the New England Aquarium, Fred learns that there are weird levels of toxins in the local seawater. A gorgeous marine biologist wants her help investigating. So does her merperson ruler, the High Prince of the Black Sea. ( )

Comments have been made that all of MJD's characters are the same, but for me that's not a problem because I love their sass. This book is no different.

The heroine is a smart, sassy mermaid and our two could-be heroes are delightfully opposite and yet both so perfect for her. I can't wait to read more in the series to see who she ends up with and what misadventures they come across. ( )

Not good. This wasn't the worst book I've ever read, I was able to finish it and the mermaid stuff was interesting. The plot was ridiculous however and although the little blurbs all over the cover lead me to believe that this was going to be funny. It wasn't. Not that the author wasn't trying her hardest. ( )