“Part of Your World” by Abby Jimenez is a contemporary, gender swapped modern day retelling of “The Little Mermaid,” and it is full of lighthearted romance, strong female main characters and a touch of magic.  

The story starts by following Alex Montgomery as she finds her world turned upside down over the course of a single night. She goes from stalling her car in a ditch in a quiet town and getting rescued by a mystery guy to bumping into him later that night at a bar in his town. After having a memorable night at his rustic ranch, Alex thinks she can put that happy memory behind her, but Daniel Grant is worlds different than the uptight, wealthy lifestyle she was raised in, and it’s refreshing, to say the least. Not to mention he’s ten years younger and fills his days working on carpentry and maintaining his beloved bed and breakfast. To her, Daniel is like a breath of fresh air.  

Alex can’t help but crave to be in Daniel’s company, and as they completely ignore their initial deal to keep things casual, they can’t help but circle each other and strengthen the bond they share For Alex, who deals with the pressures on her to carry on her family legacy by being a world-renowned surgeon but simply wants to save lives, being with Daniel allows her to just be herself and gives her the freedom to dream of a life away from her tone-deaf family and just exist without the pressure to make others happy. Allowing Daniel into her world feels impossible, but so does resisting the chemistry they shared from the very start of their whirlwind romance. Yes, they have more differences than similarities between them, but their connection is strong enough to have Alex struggling to choose between her posh world or his simple, happy lifestyle. 

From the start, this book was easy to read and addictive to get through. The author didn’t waste any time getting into the story, and that as a writing tactic was a relief. Some books make you wade through the first hundred or so pages before the plot begins and the drama starts happening, but this book had the characters hit it off right away and deal with the repercussions of their actions and feelings from there. It could at times feel like love at first sight but done in a way that makes sense for their situations. 

This was definitely a character-driven story. As realistic and entertaining as their chemistry was, the setting of Daniel’s town or Alex’s posh neighborhood felt a little blank and not fully fleshed out, with just a simple backdrop for our characters to act out their issues. With that said, this story was instantly a new favorite for me. From the title you can tell it’s a gender reversed Little Mermaid, but it had the perfect blend of fairy tale wistfulness and the drama of contemporary romance, not to mention with characters that defy traditional norms and the expectations placed upon them.