When Mina sacrifices herself to the Sea God in place of her brother's beloved, she discovers an enchanted world below the water caught in a curse affecting both worlds.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea is an interesting twist on (apparently) a well-known Korean legend. The romance between Mina and Shin is beautiful, especially given the connection that also grows between her and the Sea God. It almost has the impression of a love triangle (and, if you've read any of my recent reviews, you know how I HATE love triangles), but it transcends romance to show the importance of all types of love - familial, romantic, and universal. The loyalty Mina has for her people, both those of the above world and the connections she grows below, is admirable. The secondary characters, descriptive worldbuilding, and surprising twist at the end of the story all weave together to create a memorable and entertaining read. Also, look at how utterly beautiful this cover is!
My two complaints are targeted at my preferences in the genre, not this story. I prefer romances where the characters have more time to get to know each other over a longer period of time than a month. I'm also tired of the "but I'm not like other women" narrative. Mina does not view herself as brave or beautiful, and yet she is both. This is a common occurrence with most female leads, and part of their journey is coming to view themselves in a new light. I need to read some different genres to cleanse the pallet (so to speak) because I don't see this trope changing anytime soon in the fantasy romance genre.
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