Publication Date - 29th July 2010
Paperback - 480 pages
Genre - Paranormal Romance
Source - Purchased
Rating - 3 out of 5: I liked it
Book Info - For Lev Prakenskii, the last thing he remembers is being lost in the swirling currents of the ocean and sucked deeper into the nothingness of a freezing black eddy off the coastal town of Sea Haven. Just as quickly, just as miraculously, he was saved – pulled ashore by a beautiful stranger – but Lev has no memory of who he was – or why he seems to possess the violent instincts of a trained killer. All he knows is that he fears for his life, and the life of his unexpected saviour. Her name is Rikki, a sea-urchin diver in the small town of Sea Haven. She always felt an affinity for the ocean and the seductive pull of the tides – and now, for the enigmatic man she rescued. But soon they will be bound by something even stronger – each other’s tantalising secrets that will engulf them both in a whirlpool of dizzying passion and inescapable danger.
My Thoughts - This book is the first in the Sisters of the Heart series, but it is tied to another series written by Feehan – the Sea Haven series. Although there are quite a few references to events that happened in the other series, I did not have any trouble reading this book as a stand alone from the other series.
The biggest strength of this book is the way that Feehan is able to describe her characters and bring them to life. Rikki is a troubled young woman with a lot of problems. She has had a tragic past but she also suffers from autism and has to live by her routines. She gets so overwhelmed by lights, sounds, people and deviations from this routine that at times she is not able to function. Feehan describes these breakdowns so well that you feel as if you are right inside Rikki’s head and you can’t help but feel for her. Lev has also had a tragic past and has been trained as a killer. Although he believes himself to be a bad man, he finds a different side to himself whenever he is around Rikki. You can really feel his pain as he tries to discover who he is, as well as who he would like to be.
The romance between these two characters is well written and believable. I have read quite a lot of paranormal romance books lately and it seems the norm that the main characters jump into bed with each other and then fall in love with each other later. However, in Water Bound, Rikki and Lev take time to get to know each other and give their love time to grow before starting a relationship. This just gave the book a more romantic feel than some others I have read recently. I also enjoyed reading about the psychic link between Rikki and Lev as this added a new dimension to their love for each other.
However, I wasn’t very impressed with the mystery part of the novel. They are both in danger from unknown sources and this should have brought in an element of intrigue and excitement. But I felt like this part of the story moved too slowly and I will admit to being bored during a few parts. Also, I just wasn’t happy with the way that the mystery part of the story was concluded. To me it felt a bit rushed and I found it a bit unbelievable, leaving me with a slightly unsatisfied feeling.
Summary - Despite my dissatisfaction with the mystery elements of Water Bound, I did still enjoy it and I am hoping to try more from this author soon.
Other books in this series:
1. Water Bound
2. Spirit Bound
Other reviews of this book:
Book Binge / Book Chick City / Smexy Books
It's a pity about the letdown with the mystery aspect of the story - the rest sounds like something I'd like to read.
ReplyDeleteIt baffles me when this happens - why include the mystery if you're not going to handle it properly? But maybe that's just me.
Great review Chrissie.
It is a pity as everything else in the story worked really well. So much so that I still want to read more by the author :)
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