Water Bound (A Sea Haven Novel)

I really like this series. There are sections that are slightly repetitive but the building of this relationship is beautiful to watch. I can't wait for the third book in the series. No pressure Mrs. Feehan, but... hurry up. :-)

I read it because Rikki seemed interesting when she was mentioned in an other book. U was nit disappointed even as the book ended. Her gift and her autism as well as the fire starting element added some thing else of interest.

I love everything Christine Feehan writes. Her books keep you interested from the first page till the last. This book is no exception. Her characters are so real you can picture everything about them. The combining of the characters is fantastic and always leaves you wanting more.

The first book I read was The Dark Prince. I was captivated, and I then bought all the previous books. I have read each series and I am still captivated by the GREAT STORY TELLING! I think this is a very talented author. Please keep telling your stories.

The first novel that evolves from the Drake sister's series, Water Bound starts with Lev Prakenski being rescue by Rikki, who looks into each others eyes and know they belong to each other. Rikki, is a highly functional autistic diver, who has had a devastating childhood and shies away from everyone. Lev while recovering from his injuries, becomes attach to Rikki, both romatically and physically, and helps Rikki to not only overcome her fears, but helps her to strenghten her psychic talent (she is a element to water). I like the story, and I love the patience that Lev has with Rikki in her dealing with her talent and fears. Sweet story, I can't wait for the following novels.

Good story line, loved the characters. Thank you for a woman who is handicapped and still can have a full, happy life and a man who can look at his emotions and let them guide him. I would recommend this book to friends.

This book was artfully crafted and uniquely designed to pull you into the storyline with the characters and experience all of the adventures and passions that run deep that make for such sizzling love scenes! You will find yourself riveted and endlessly enchanted by how wonderful this author creates masterpieces from which to choose from!!!

One of Your Greatest Fans,

Lena deLeon
[email protected]

I loved the Drake sisters series, but I was leery of the this new series. But the unusual element of Rikki was a surprise and she was endearing. This book takes off where the Drake sisters ended and it begins after the sinking of Stavros' yacht. Lev Prakenskii made an appearance in Hidden Currents and this is his story. The twists and turns and new characters, with cameos from some old characters has me excited by this new series. I do not believe anyone who has read the Drake sisters series will be disappointed. Even if you have not read any Christine Feehan books, you will probably get hooked after reading this one.

I haven't read Drake series, so after reading the reviews, I was surprised to see so many negative reviews most which centered on characters from Drake series not being in the book more for this series. Not having read Drake series, I think this bok was an awesome romance and what I would expect from Me Feehan. One of my favorite authors.

I love Christine Feehan, I own every single one of her books. So of course I would recommend this book to everyone, well that is if you are interested in paranormal romance. The seller was also a great person to work through. I got the book a lot faster and then even I assumed I would get it.

Shallow characters and scattered plot. I like Christine Feehan's Carpathian novels, but this one was a total unpleasant surprise. When she writes it is like you are there going through whatever the person on the story is. I laugh cry she keeps me on the edge of my seat.

Christine Feehan is one of my favorite authors. I have read A LOT of Feehan's books including the first 16 books of her Dark Series, Her Ghostwalkers Series and her Drake Sisters series and I am having a difficult time believing she penned this story. It was not written in her normal writing style and took a severe detour that was like reading a high school short story contest winner; not like the paranormal romance writer that Feehan is and that I'm used to reading. The concept of exploring the Prakenskii brothers is one that I was hoping the author would do after reading the Drake Sister Series, she left me wanting to know more about Ilya and his brothers. I hope the rest of the series drastically improves. Water Bound was poorly written and overstated the flaws of the main characters over and over again. The plot didn't flow very well and I found I was confused on whether or not Lev really remembered or pretended not to remember. Rikki's personality didn't come to light as well as Feehan's previous heroines and for me the entire book was a hard read.
It doesn't bode well for me looking forward to the second book in this series, Spell Bound, which I will read if for no other reason than out of respect for her earlier work.

Rikki and Lev don't seem like they would make a good couple based on who they are but this story pulls them together and shows how one persons weakness can be filled by anothers strength. They both need each other and not just for Romance but to be able to function and interact with other people. I loved how sweet this romance was compared to others she has done lately. No horrible rape or abuse scenes. Lev just tried to strangle Rikki once in the beginning. Feehan kind of implied he didn't know what he was doing that it was out of instinct for survival.

I did think it ended kind of strange a little too quick and also was shocked that Ilya and Lev did not meet up. I have been over to this area of the California coast and the communities are really small and I am sure everyone knows everyone else. If you have ever lived on a farm or ranch you know that you know everyone within a large radius. Since they were grocery shopping in the same small store that is in all the other books that means they would have been close by to everyone in the other books. In real life Ilya would have heard about Lev right away and been over there checking it out. Especially since he knew Lev was on the boat based on the previous book. Thin in that area but otherwise I am so much happier with this book than the last one. Thanks for leaving out the violence and giving us a romance!

Being an avid Christine Feehan reader, I greatly looked forward to the release of this new book. I am hugely disappointed. This is most certainly not up to the usual Christine Feehan standards. There is so much missing in the plot. While I have no issue with a main character who has a challenge, these characters could have been much for deeply developed, more deeply interwoven with others, and the plot left quite a lot to be desired. It was long-winded in areas which did not need to be, and not enough in areas which could have added greatly to the entire book. Overall, I don't think I would recommend.

I love Christine Feehan, all her books, she is an automatic buy for me, but this book was hard to get into. I loved the hero, but I just did not get into the heroine character. Rikki, is such an emotional baggage machine, and just not endearing at all. I had a really hard time feeling for this character and that has never happened with one of Christine Feehan's characters. I am still looking forward to the rest of the books about Rikki's "sisters", as but just beware before buying this one.

I am a huge Christine Feehan fan. I own all of her books and re-read them often. Unfortunately this one comes up short. The story just isnt as good as they normally are, and the Characters don't grab you the way they normally do. A little bit of fire has gone out of the story.

I really love this book and every other book Christine Feehan has put out. I got this book and read it in three days. I just admire the way she writes and joins the characters in each story so it all comes together so nicely. Keep writing so we can keep reading.

I think this is the best thing I can say about the book. I read the entire thing. No... I also think that it was great to have Jonas and Hannah in the book. If it weren't for these two items I would have given it a 1* review.

I just felt bad after reading it. I understand the OCD, and the autism issues. It just felt wrong. A person who has never met this girl, and he falls immediately and irrevocably in love with her, despite her problems. They never talked (that I can remember - although maybe I have put some of it out of my mind)of his having relatives, friends, etc.. .with any of these issues. He just knew how to deal with them all - no problem. None. There was no building up to it, no explanation. It did not make sense.

That doesn't even address his presence in the previous book and who he meets in this one. Out of all the family he meets Jonas and Hannah. Really? REALLY? Not Ilya or seeing Elle. That just was wrong. No explanation about why he didn't help Elle, how he knew what was happening, and did nothing. Jonas chatted about it briefly, but it was not very good, and really didn't address anything.

I have read books where people have emotional issues / disabilities. I have read books where the main character / hero was a previous villain. That wasn't the issue. In this book - it just didn't work for me.

Feehan keeps repeating the story over and over like her readers will miss the point that Rikki is afraid of fire and needs water around her at all times. I bet if you compared sections you would find that she actually cut and pasted sections to keep telling us how she need to walk around her house to check the hoses. I wanted to scream that "I got it" at my Kindle! I love the books about the Drake sisters but this one I almost deleted. Buy this book if you are ready for a slooooow read.

I was a big fan of the Drake Sisters and I'm thrilled with the new series. I love Christine Feehan's big, flowery and verbose descriptions and dialog. She never leaves you wondering what something looked like or how someone feels. It's such great fun to read her work; I'm looking forward to the next book.

The characters and plot were well done. However, most of the parts in the book when the author was describing the emotions and histories of the characters were just too wordy and repetetive for me. Sometimes these description lasted several pages and it made the story crawl. After a while, I found myself skipping a lot of these passages since they simply lost my interest. I actually fell asleep trying to read one of these passages. I wanted more action and character dialogue. I was looking forward to this book but in the end, I was disappointed.

Christine Feehan is one of my favorite authors but the wordiness in her descriptions was the same reason that I did not like the later books in the Drake Sisters series and several books in her Jaguar series and Game series. One really good part in the book was the preview of Dark Peril in the back. I hope that book doesn't disappoint.

i just wrote a bad review of a favorite author that has always been keepers, but her last book was terrible. i think we all have our favorites, but maybe the authors are pushed to hard to produce and sometimes their books are not as good as they could be. there is also the basic fact, that no one can please everyone, i don't care who you are or how popular your books are. i am a big fan of christine feehan and have been for several years. there are some of her books i like better than others, but overall i think she is a good writer with a great talent. it can't be easy to sit down in front of a computer and come up with great stories, especially when she is exploring three different series. my hat is off to you ms feehan, keep up the good work and yes i really enjoyed this book, and i also recommend that readers start with the drake sisters series first before this or they will miss out on a lot that does not make sense.

Yes, it's fiction, but there are a few rules if you want people to purchase your books, the main one is to make them feel good.
Attempting to turn a man who did nothing to prevent the rape and torture of a helpless woman in a previous book, into a loving mate for an autistic woman in a book of his own, is insulting to all people regardless of their mental and emotional condition.
This book and the preceeding one (which included the aforementioned rape and torture) are offensive.
I have no idea if the author or any of her family or acquaintences have ever been raped, but I'll absolutely quarantee her that rape victims do not bounce back and have great sex without a great deal of emotional support, counseling, and time to heal and recover.
Books that portray rape with casual treatment and romantic results, are an insult to all vicims of rape, those people who struggle to regain normal lives, and spend years, not to mention very large amounts of money in counseling just to survive.
I absolutely do not see this as entertainment, nor is it going to get out of my mind or my dreams in a hurry.

I started the Sea Haven/Sisters of the Heart series not realizing its a spinoff of the Drake series. I was just scrolling through my library audiobooks, and this one sounded interesting so I grabbed it. While it is not absolutely necessary that you read the earlier series, I wish I would have. There seems to be quite a bit of character crossover, and I think I would have liked this one a little more if I had the history. I would also call this "paranormal lite" - it seemed much more a contemporary romantic suspense with a few special abilities thrown in, but they were not the focus of the story.

The heroine in this book is Rikki Sitmore, a sea urchin diver and water element in the town of Sea Haven. Rikki is also autistic, albeit a high functioning one. Rikki is a tortured heroine in that everyone she has loved in the past has died in a horrible fires. Being caught in one of the fires herself, Rikki carries scars on her legs and feet. Most people see her as odd due to her autistic characteristics, and are quick to believe that she was the one who started all the fires. She is starting to believe it now herself. Rikki is not a typical heroine, or even one that has just a touch of Aspberger's or pervasive personality disorder. Rikki is truly autistic and displays a lot of the common signs and behaviors.

Our hero is Lev Prakenskii, a Russian operative who Rikki literally pulls out of the water after a yacht explosion. Lev's injuries cause him some memory loss, which he slowly gets back over the course of the book. However, even without his memory, Lev knows that he is a dangerous man. For starters, he is loaded down with weapons and his first instinct is to kill. He is also a bit broken and broody, and given his dangerous nature and ass-kicking abilities, he is the type of hero that I usually like.

I liked the idea of this book and, don't get me wrong, it was okay. I think I would have liked it more if I had read the Drake Sisters series first. But the execution and characters just didn't work for me in a way that would have let me connect and drawn me into the story. And I hate myself for saying this and have debated whether to even put it out there... but the main reason I couldn't connect was the autistic heroine.

I am a reader that likes to imagine myself as the heroine or main character. That helps me connect with the story, it allows me to go on the adventure, what have you. I was not able to put myself in Rikki's place as the heroine - her problems were just too detailed and specific for me to fit myself into the mold. I have also never been around any autistic adults, or even autistic children really. I have not watched any autistic adults on television (other than light Aspberger's cases). So I had a hard time picturing Rikki's autism as anything but what I have seen of autistic children on TV. And Rikki did display a lot of those behaviors/characteristics: rocking, fixation, hand movements, sensory problems, outbursts, etc. So relating to her character as a child really made it impossible for me to see her as a romantic figure. The sex between her and the hero just felt wrong to me. Actually, the whole pairing of her with this dangerous hero felt wrong. No matter how I looked at it, the relationship just didn't work.

The story also meandered along and started dragging. Listening to it in audio as I was, I found myself zoning out and having to rewind once I realized it. With a paranormal, that was geared toward romantic suspense, I wanted more action and faster pacing. Instead a lot of the book was Lev trying to overcome Rikki's disability, or Rikki's extreme reactions to normal situations. I think if there would have been a little less focus on Rikki's disability, then I would have enjoyed the story more. Sometimes less is more when it comes to these things.

I will probably continue the series, but not until after I go back and read the Drake Sisters. 3 stars / 3 flames.

I liked it, and I liked the characters. It was easy to put down for a week before picking it up again, but I did want to pick it up again so usually that would rate 4 stars from me.
It's only 3 stars because I didn't appreciate the lectures from the autistic character about how everyone should have treated her child self better. For example, she was mainstreamed in school with her own private assistant (not cheap) but the school should have gone the extra mile and changed out all their florescent lighting! Do people realize that one of the main reasons our school budgets are blown out of the water with no increases in test scores is the mainstreaming of people who would be better off in specialized schools? Apparently, Ms. Feehan believes that every music program and every athletic program and every art program should be decimated to provide yet more funding for disabled teens and children. Alternatively, Ms. Feehan may believe in the 'bottomless bucket of money' theory wherein there are always ample funds to be extracted from taxpayers.

I started this series because I want to read Judgement Road (i’m an MC fan) and it sounded like I needed the background from this series to understand Judgement Road. (“Sigh”) I forgot how wordy and repetitive Christine Feehan is. I finally started skipping over what she had written several times and picking the story up again when she added new dialog. Not the best way to read a book but in then I can say I enjoyed this book. I’m going to read something else before I start the next book in the series since I'm sure i’all have to skip with all in this series.

Rikki is collecting sea urchins off Sea Haven when a huge wave hits. In the wave’s wake she spots the body of a man, Lev Prakenskii. She rescues him and he persuades her to take him home. He can’t remember exactly who he is but he knows that he was doing dodgy things for the Russian government. He wants a chance to be someone else however and take care of Rikki.

This might seem like a fairly generic romance from the cheesy cover but there is a lot to like about it. On the one hand you have a sexy assassin Russian and on the other an autistic and possibly psychopathic fire-lighting heroine. Kudos to Feehan for tackling autism in a fairly sensitive fashion. I haven’t read that many romance books where one of the lead characters had a neurobiological disorder and was pleasantly surprised when the other characters focused less on Rikki’s deficits and more on her capabilities. She was strong, had mastered her water gift and was key in the group’s survival.

I absolutely loved the way that Lev fitted himself into Rikki’s life. He quickly worked out what she could and couldn’t handle and didn’t force her to change. The relationship progressed on her terms and she gradually began to see the advantages of having him around. He gained a measure of peace from her that he hadn’t managed before and a chance to redeem himself.

The downside to the series is that Feehan loves to use a lot of descriptive language and seems to take a more is more approach. Why settle for a sentence when a paragraph or a page will do? This means that there is a fair amount of repetition and the pace is slow for the first half of the book. I wish the action sequences at the end had been lengthened however as they were wrapped up fairly quickly.

I had fun with this book and can unreservedly recommend it to fans of Feehan as they would be familiar with her wordy style. If you haven’t tried one of her books before, I suggest you start with the other Sea Haven series which focuses on the Drake series to see if it works for you.

I'm definitely not batting a thousand with my audible books lately as this is the third ho hum review I've written....and I normally LOVE Feehan's writing! I would rate this one a 2 star but since I am listening to it on Audible I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt that it may be better in my own mind if I were to read the book itself. Since I am listening to it instead I have to say this story has so much potential...but so much is missing. I like that the main female character has a social disability, that adds dimension to her but this time Feehan goes into so much detail and description of mundane things that it becomes irksome after awhile. I really don't need to know in-depth detail about equipment on this woman's boat, her diving gear, nets etc. I get it...she has a boat, she works on the sea, she has the proper equipment and it's all kept in immaculate condition! The reader does not need to be beat over the head with this information, or the fact that she loves water and is afraid of fire. Since I'm not someone who spends time on the sea....brand names and massive detail mean nothing to me....it would only mean something to someone who knew about diving. It doesn't add to the story to give ad-nauseum detail about it, it detracts from it. I'm used to much better by Feehan.

Edited to add...I've finished the audio book now and sadly, it just didn't get any better for me. Without spoiling anything I was extremely disappointed in the reason that the heroine is placed in such danger....seriously??!!! It was feeble! There was really no true reason to pull for these two main characters at all. I'm actually going back and downgrading to a 2-star review from my original 3; I've never done that with a Feehan novel before. I'm not sure what it is with Feehan's stories lately, perhaps she's just simply run out of steam (literally) the last three of her books I've read (including the two newest releases of her "Dark" series) just simply do not compare to her previous books, these last three have been a serious snooze-fest! It's as if someone else has ghost-written for her. That classic Feehan quality that draws you in and gets you invested in the characters just isn't there in these last several books. We need that Feehan "spark" back!

My granddaughter suggested I read Feehan's books. I liked the sound of Water Bound and tried it first. I was sucked in.

This is the first time I've read an author's works wherein she understands highly functional autistic persons. The descriptions of her patterns, what she could handle and what bothered her were on point.

The pages describing their sexual contacts were done very well and more from the view of people who love each other and not one-night stands getting it off.

The reason the man was chasing her to burn her was lame, but probable. I liked the way she handled the Russian exterminator. Of course most of us like the idea of her "saving" Lev from his horrible past and him beginning to fall in love with Rikki. I like a good underdog story.

I now have the second book in the series and once I catch a good night's sleep, I will start it.

Feehan is a new-to-me author. This series, Sisters of the Heart, revolves around six women who meet during grief counselling and are all victims of violent crimes. The women are drawn to each other and decide to jointly purchase a 130-acre farm in Sea Haven, where they share the responsibility of taking care of the property in addition to pursuing their own interests. They work to restore the farm so that it is operational, and each of them receives five acres to herself. They all work together in building each other's homes. Each of the women also has a psychic gift: They all appear to be bound to an element. Their love for each other also binds them together. Although they may not be related by blood, their affinity for each other binds them in their hearts.

Rikki, the protagonist, is a sea urchin diver. She loves the water and is drawn to it. Her autism makes every-day life a challenge: She cannot buy groceries because fluorescent lighting has a negative effect on her, she needs her routines to give her stability, her diet is very limited because she doesn't like certain food textures, and she does not like anyone in her personal space. However, when she is in the water - her element - she is free. There is nothing more calming for her. Rikki cannot create water that isn't there, but she can manipulate the water around her - directing the rain to beat down faster or slower or making the waves increase or decrease in intensity.

As if her autism was not challenging enough, Rikki has had a lot of tragedy in her life. At the age of 13, her parents were killed in a house fire. Rikki was bounced around from foster home to foster home, and two of the foster homes that she lived in were also destroyed by fire although there were no casualties in either incident. Even her fiancé was killed in a fire on her houseboat. Although never criminally charged for any of the crimes, Rikki's biggest fear is that she somehow caused the fires or started the fires while she was asleep! How can it be merely a coincidence to have been affected by fire on so many occasions?

When Rikki rescues a man during a storm at sea, her world is turned upside-down. This man has no memory of who he is or what happened to him. He tells Rikki that his name is Lev and that he is in danger. She wants to take him to the hospital for treatment of his concussion, but he insists that it would not be safe for him there and that she take him back to her home. Although his first instinct is to act defensively and in self-preservation mode, Rikki is not scared of him - not even when he grasps her around the neck as if to choke her in his confusion while drifting in and out of consciousness. What is it about this man that Rikki feels driven to defend and protect?

Rikki's world changes with Lev in it and, while recuperating, the two begin to fall in love. Lev gets his memory back, and we learn that he and his brothers (the Prakenskiis) were taken from their parents as young children and trained by government operatives to be spies/assassins for their country. They learned to withstand pain and torture, and each also developed psychic gifts. Lev's gift is that he is able to communicate with animals.

On the day that Rikki rescued Lev, a yacht owned by a wealthy man went down and his bodyguard was presumed dead. Lev, working undercover, is that bodyguard and his presence puts Rikki in danger when a "cleaner" (someone who is sent to "clean up" messes by way of assassination) is sent to Sea Haven to determine whether Lev really did perish in the accident.

I could not help but fall in love with Rikki. She is such a unique and unusual heroine. Feehan has a way of writing that immerses you into the character's world. Her insight into autism makes me wonder whether she is autistic herself or has a loved one who is. Despite her autism, Rikki finds a way to make a life for herself where she not only copes but thrives. She truly is a remarkable woman!

I enjoyed the effect that Rikki had on Lev, and I enjoyed how their relationship developed. I love the way that Lev accepts Rikki's boundaries, but he also pushes her a little out of her comfort zone all the while giving her stability to ground her. I really couldn't help but fall in love with Lev, too!

Rikki's and Lev's steamy scenes are totally hot! One scene went on for one whole part of the audiobook, which was over an hour! I am glad that I wasn't driving when I was listening to that part, but it sure made doing the laundry a whole lot more fun! I think that this book is the most explicit that I have listened to.

During the story, we learn that the Drake Sisters of Sea Haven also have special powers and that one of Lev's brothers is married to a Drake sister. Well, imagine my surprise when I discovered that there is an entire series for the Drake Sisters! Not only do I plan to continue reading the Sisters of the Heart series, but now I simply must read the Drake Sisters series as this one seems to be a spin-off of that one.

I became so sucked into this series that I just had to host a Reading Challenge for it on my blog!

The narrator, Angela Brazil, suited Rikki perfectly! She is an absolute pleasure to listen to. I loved her Russian accent for Lev's voice at the beginning, although I wish she would have continued it throughout the book. Unfortunately, once Lev assumed the identity of "Levi," he no longer used his accent. Sometimes it can be hard for female narrators to successfully pull off narrating male voices, but not so in this case!

MY RATING: 5 stars!! Loved it!!

Water Bound (A Sea Haven Novel) by Christine Feehan
Paranormal Romance- July 27, 2010
5 stars

Water Bound is a spellbinding romance that will sweep you away and never let you go! I was mesmerized by the beauty and moving romance in this new paranormal series set in the same world as the Drake sisters' series.

Rikki has a talent for water. It soothes and comforts her and she is able to manipulate it. But Rikki is troubled. Her parents were murdered and disaster after disaster has followed her since their death. She has finally found a small place where she can find peace with a band of adopted sisters who have their own special brand of magic. When she decides to go out to a dangerous part of the ocean to hunt for the precious sea urchins that support her living a freak disaster causes the water to nearly kill her. But in the water she finds another human set adrift, a man who draws her. She saves him and instantly regrets it. Although he is handsome and magnetic she realizes he carries secrets and they will disrupt the hard earned serenity she has finally found. But for some reason she is unable to abandon him.

Lev Prakenskii is a man without a past or an identity. He has killed, lied and seduced for his country. A country that feels he is expendable. But since he was violently taken from his family and indoctrinated by the Soviet government he has no other purpose. That is until he meets the courageous and eccentric Rikki. She draws him and only with her does he feel human. Lev knows Rikki is his only chance at humanity and he wants to stay and love her. But his government is set to exterminate him and an evil from Rikki's past threatens to tear them apart.

This was a highly emotional and poignant story. This book was unusual in that while Rikki was attracted to Lev she really did want to get rid of him since his presence disrupted her own mental health. He is a complication she doesn't need or want. But Lev immediately realizes a good thing when he sees it and although Rikki has many quirks only he sees the true woman who can accept him when he cannot. Rikki is his salvation. Reading how such a fierce alpha male is determined to be gentle and strong enough to fight for their relationship was very moving. As Christine Feehan explores their love I really felt I knew each of these individuals and I became so invested in each of them that I craved for them to be together. These characters were intensely 3 dimensional. I really got the feeling that they were the only ones who could truly understand each other.

In addition, the author seamlessly adds touches of her Drake series by introducing beloved characters which adds a feeling of coming home that devoted readers will be sure to embrace.

This is a book to cherish. I loved this story and only regret I read it so fast that I didn't get to savor it more! I only hope her future books will have more mesmerizing Prakenskii brothers featured!

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

I won't go over the plot again - other reviews have done that. I enjoyed the respect that Lev showed to Rikki, and his acceptance of her as she was. Her struggles in adapting to Lev living in her home were so well written, and I absolutely loved all of the descriptions of water in the book. I may never look at water the same way.

I personally think this book was one of her finest. I have not read the Drake series, but definitely will now. I read Water Bound from the library but intend to buy my own copy. It's a keeper.

The story seemed very rich to me and perfectly balanced. There was the mystery of her stalker pyromaniac, the developing love between Rikki and Lev, Lev's past and the cleaner searching for him to kill him, and family issues for them both.

If I have one nitpick, and it is just one, Rikki is supposed to have met her sisters during grief counseling. I can't imagine this character as written ever going to such a thing. However, this is virtually one line in this book, and the circumstances were not explained.

I had a deep connection to this book. I've read all the books in the sea haven series, and I was very sad when I thought it would Elle Drake. Apparently this is not the case and there is a new set of "sisters" in the area! I fell in love with Rikki as I have alot of the same problems, Ms. Feehan made this character seem very real. The problems with food and the need for a special blanket really hit home. Also too many people and loud sounds really bothered her as well. Yet she was able to cope with the world, not just cope but be a person, and live on her own. Everyone thinks that people with these kind of problems need to be take care of and thought of as children, this book really told the true story (in a fantasy way) of how people with disabilites live. I thank you sooo much for this book, as it really touched my heart. I hope the Drake sisters find their way into these new stories!

I give up. I simply could not finish this book. I got to about page 300. I really really tried. It's not that the writing is bad. Feehan is very good writer. And her stories are good, as well. The problem, and I should note I've run into this before with Feehan's work, is that the story moves at a slooow pace. I mean, it totally crawls. We have to read about what the character is thinking at least 10 times in 10 different ways. I can see a story developing here as I got to page 300, but it took too long to get to such a point. She is a bit overly wordy I guess you could say. I like a good description. I like to know a character's inner dialogue. Feehan seems to have a tendency to overdo it. I really hate not finishing books but this was going so slow for me and I was getting antsy to move on to something else. Maybe the last third of the book is the best part, I don't know. But I'm okay with not knowing. She does a fairly good job with character development. Some things in the story were a little hard for me to believe. Such as Rikki taking Lev into her home so easily. I have no problems with a character that has autistic tendencies. It helps make for an interesting character. And Lev's quest to make himself over as a better person is a nice part of the storyline. But I felt I was reading so many pages and nothing was really happening. I can only take so much of it. I was getting bored, to be honest. I just had to stop because i have other books waiting for me and I'm hungry for a good story that moves along a bit faster.

As for Feehan's work in general, I will continue to attempt to read her stuff. She is creative and definitely a decent author. I hope to find something in the future by her that reads more easily for me.

I fell in love with Christine Feehan's Drake series. So I was thrilled to see that Feehan was expanding on the Sea Haven stories and the Prakenskii family.

I read this book rather quickly and enjoyed it. It was a bit different than what Christine Feehan normally does though in a few ways. For one, she usually keeps new readers in mind and gives some background knowledge but this one was a little vaguer in past details. So step one: READ the drake series first. I recommend all of them in order just because it is a little more fun that way but the last one is a definite must.

Our main man is a Prakenskii brother--Lev from Elle Drake's book (the last one)--but is nothing like you would expect. He says he is a bad man but can't remember details for most of the book. However, the reader gets a different idea of "Levi" than he tries to portray. He seems to love easily and is patient and is not the dominant man that you would expect from a Prakenskii. He is actually very gentle and very accepting of the concept of home. Joley's Illya Prakenskii is a bit more aggressive and you would expect the same from his brother considering the same background and childhood experiences.

Rikki is an enigma. She is a different character than what I have ever read from Feehan. Granted, I have not read all of her books "yet" but she was different. She has a disability--autism--but despite that she has become a strong independent woman. She wasn't famous like the other Drake women or as beautiful. Lev saw her beautiful in her own way. Because of her autism she had certain quirks that made her a little more difficult almost like someone with OCD. Kind of like Monk meets Charmed. But there was something to respect and admire about her and her uniqueness made her an interesting read. It is probably good that Lev was different than Illya because those aggressive, he-man techniques would not have worked on her. While the autism aspect is different and intriguing, it also makes it difficult to imagine a sensual side to her in terms of sex. It almost makes it seem like he was taking advantage of her but that is my own misconceptions coming out and sabotaging my imagination. I am sure that high-functioning adults with autism are perfectly capable of having healthy sex lives. However, her unique career choice also adds to her allure. I loved reading about diving for sea urchins. The new element theme was good too but her antagonist's motivations were a bit weak. Actually, all of the antagonists were pretty weak as far as character development was concerned.

The book is rather long and repetitious. I suppose that due to Rikki's special needs that the couple is very isolated and that kind of takes away from the book because the additional characters are supposed to support the book. In this case, there was a lack of characters. However, Feehan did stick to her natural progression by revealing little about the new characters but readers should expect to see more of them and stories of their own if Feehan follows her normal pattern. The other "Sisters of the Heart" seem really intriguing and there is a homeless guy that was mentioned a few times. I can expect we will see quite a bit of them in future books. I was disappointed that we didn't see more of the Drake family in this book though. I would have loved to see how Lev reacted to Jackson, Elle, and Illya. Maybe in future books. But I suppose a honeymoon was a plausible explanation since they all did just get married.

I actually really enjoyed the details that she put into the diving aspect. There was more thinking and analyzing rather than sex. So if you are looking for the sex-filled pages that you normally get from Feehan you may be disappointed. There seemed to be less sex than what Feehan fans are used to. However, the nice thing about Feehan's writing is that she can do gentle and rough.

All in all, pretty good. I think it was Rikki, and her unique character, that made it as good as it was.

Having never read the Drake sister's series as other reviewers have I could not compare Water Bound to the Drakes. Therefore I enjoyed WB flaws and all; this book did make me curious enough to get a copy of Hidden Currents. I want to give major kudos to the author for not curing Rikki of her autism when she fell in love. She remained true to her character which made the story a lot more interesting. In so many books there will be a person flawed in some way that will all of a sudden become "normal" the moment they get a love interest which causes the story to loose its edge. I also liked that we were allowed to experience Rikki and Lev falling in love then lust before they made love. There was an attempt to build a relationship before the sex came into the picture, so that when it happened you were just as anxious as the H/h. IMO that is the essence of romance, not the instant sex after the introduction so prevalent in romance books today. Lev was definitely a keeper, he loved hard and was not afraid to express his feelings and was still able to maintain his machismo without being a caveman.

I did become a little impatient waiting for the action to start. Besides the H/h falling in love the entire book focused on 2 themes, 1. Rikki's autistic behavior and water element powers and 2. Lev's ruthless actions as a Russian government assassin. We got a boat load of info on Rikki and I did not mind to much because the author made her so fascinating. But what drove me crazy was how Christine Feehan with all her writing ability could end this book with a wimpy fizzle. She spent the entire book setting Lev up as the baddest of the bad and when his expertise in killing and mayhem is needed he couldn't see to shoot the bad guy because of rain interference. Give me a break, how the villain finally get his come up-pence is sooo lame. Another sour note was how the hit-man that was sent to take out Lev gave up the chase so easily. In spite of my negatives I still enjoyed this book and will probably read the next in the series.

The Sea Haven sisters and their men provide lots of interesting reading. They experience awful and wonderful things in this small town, but the sisters' bond is part of the fun. In each book, you learn more things about the sisters, their legacy and their gifts. There are always some tense moments of danger that do get resolved. A good read.

When Rikki pulls a stranger out of the ocean, she doesn't expect the killing machine with holes in his memory and the drive to survive at all costs that might be more of a danger to her. Or the changes that his presence make upon her life as he inserts himself into her home. As a high functioning autistic with an affinity for the sea and a sordid past of her own, Rikki finds herself connected to Lev in a way she has never connected with another human being.

Although Rikki searches for answers to the questions that have plagued her past and Lev hides from those wanting him dead, Water Bound was a little slow in the action department. It was more of a book about the inner conflict of the characters, their struggles to overcome their basic nature and allow another in. I enjoyed the loving attention that Lev bestows on Rikki as he learns her idiosyncrasy and her acceptance of the man she sees underneath the hard man he was trained to be. I would suggest this book to anyone who wants a tender romance with hot sex.

While some people found Rikki's story boring, I found it very entertaining. I've read this book not once, but twice, and will probably read it again. I have yet to find a book written by Christine Feehan that I didn't enjoy. I look forward to them all.

Rikki is slightly autistic, and Ms Feehan describes the trials that she had with her environment and relationships with others. This is a totally different twist and any other book I've read, and I've read thousands.

She is a water element. This means that she can call the water to her, she can direct water where it's needed, so she's naturally more comfortable in and around the water.

Her parents were killed in a house fire, and two of her foster homes had fires as well. Hence the police thought she was the one setting the fires. Little did they know.

The setting takes place in and around Sea Haven, so there is indeed interactions with the Drake Sisters, and Jonas.

I liked this story, and look forward to all of her "sister's" stories as well.

If you enjoy reading all of Christine Feehan's books, then you may (or may not) like this series. Read it and draw your own conclusions.

Happy Reading!

I am not going to give a synopsis of this book, as that has already been done.

I got this book when it first came out. I reread the book several weeks ago and I still like it. I think Feehan did a wonderful job of describing the issues and problems of autism, and how a significant other must learn to deal with them. I like the idea that even though Rikki is autistic, in some ways she is the stronger person of the couple.

My only complaint really isn't just about this book but about all of Christine Feehan's books. I am just sick and tired of the explicit love (sex) scenes that just go on and on and on. To me they are just filler.

This is the 1st of a new series called "Sisters of the Heart". I just finished the third book and highly recommend all of them. I am a big fan of Christine Feehan's books and this one didn't disappoint. My only problem with her writing is she is working on so many series that it seems to take so long to get the next book in each series. I am currently impatiently waiting until Sept to get the next "Dark" book. I would highly recommend this book and all of her books to anyone who likes the paranormal romance. I have yet to read a Christine Feehan book which I have not greatly enjoyed.

Tangential story of the Sea Haven series. Excellent read. I don't know how Ms. Feehan thinks up these fascinating paranormal worlds. Personal experience, maybe? Hmmmm. I love how she is able to, with words, make her characters come alive. You can feel what they feel, see what they see. This is one of the main reasons I read - to be someone else, to live a different life - if just for the length of the book. Absolutely riveting. I can't wait to read the next book, 'Spirit Bound'.

This book was fantastic, i had to order myself to put it down so i could sleep n eat n stuff. Was also nice to hear in detail how some autistic people feel/hear things, like fluorescent lights being painful, and textures in their mouth awful, I am starting Spirit Bound right away

It's hard for me to decide which of Christine Feehan's series I love the most. None have been 100% perfect, not by a long shot, each having ones I thoroughly enjoyed and have read multiple times and ones that left me shaking my head and hoping for better luck next time. However, I always come back, hopeful that "this one" will be one of those I can't bear to let go of after I finish.

I won't go in to detail about the storyline--others have done that far more thoroughly than I would. But having just closed the book with a frown and a sense of disappointment, I can tell you what I did and didn't like about the story.

**Possible Spoilers**
I liked that we continued into the Sea Haven world of the Drake Sisters. I liked that while Rikki was autistic and something of a self made social outcast, she was also very likable. That is NOT to say someone who chooses to live outside societies norms or is autistic can't be a likable character. What that means is that too often an author works in so many quirks to a characters personality in order to really show the reader the depth of the (physical/mental/emotional) challenge that the quirks get annoying and over shadow the character. They become exhausting and instead of liking the character for who he/she is, you hate the endless narration on what they struggle with. Every encounter is an example. At times, yes, Feehan goes into it one too many times or in too much detail but overall, you can put it aside and "see" Rikki as the person she is, not for all her odd quirks and habits. I love that Rikki is independent. I love that she knows her limits and does what she can to make her life as comfortable and uncomplicated as possible. I love that she is a STRONG female. I liked Lev from the start, heck, I liked him in Elle's story and we barely had a taste of him. I liked that the time line of Elle's story and the disappearance of Stavros' yacht coincided with the day Rikki opted to go diving so she could find Lev and thus begin that story.

What I found disappointing was the lack of Drake appearances in this story. Yes, yes, they "all" went off on their honeymoons except for Hannah and Jonas so it was convenient none of them popped up. For several weeks? NO ONE came home? Aleksandr & Ilya were my two favorite male leads in the Drake series and we NEVER SAW THEM! COME ON?! Does this make sense? They were Russian and Ilya is Lev's baby brother! I know this wasn't a Drake Sisters novel but I was so looking forward to a little by play between the long separated brothers. The explanations that would be demanded by Ilya and Jackson from Lev on behalf of Elle. Ilya wanting to know about his other brothers. This was Lev's story. I really don't see how such a huge resolution for that character can be written into another characters story and be handled properly. When Lev explained to Rikki about an American named "Damon Wilder" I was SURE the Drakes & men were on their way but it was merely an off hand comment. During the pursuit of the arsonist, Jonas never once contacted Hannah nor Hannah Jonas, when in the past Hannah would be calling the wind to aid Jonas in any way she could.

Overall, this is probably not a book I will keep. I've kept all the Carpathian's, even the ones I don't like. I've kept the Drake Sisters and the Ghostwalkers. However, I just don't see myself re-reading this. It was a very long, drawn out story, with very little action. Very little interaction with any other characters besides Lev and Rikki, and sometimes Blythe. I practically cheered when Blythe insisted that they call Jonas--and was disappointed when he showed up with just Hannah. I expected ONE of his brothers in law to come with him as well. Silly me.

I still feel Ms. Feehan is an excellent writer. I will read the next story in the Sisters of the Heart series, because I have my undying love/loyalty for Ilya. I just won't rush out to buy it brand new next time, but wait for it on the paperback swap.

I have read and re-read all of the books in the Drake sisters series and I was excited to read about Ilya's brother, plus to learn that more are coming from Ilya's family. I loved the series with the Drake sisters and thought it had ended, but this is a nice continuation into a new group. The lead has a disability, which is something you do not see written about very often. Good job Christine!! I liked how the story came together and how the lead character lead her life with the disability, because it reminds all of us to fight for what we want when things are tough in our life. The two characters had a wonderful romantic story and good ending; this book was hard to put down, so be ready to stay up at night to read it.

I have never read a book where the main character was autistic. Rikki has had to overcome so much in her life and her trials have made her a very interesting and strong heroine. Her ability to put routine in her life allows her to cope with her autism, and having Lev in her life is another struggle for her. It is a testament to her feelings for him that she is able to coexist with him. Also, for him to have the past that we know of from the narrative in the book is a testament to his feelings for Nikki. I was excited to learn about his past and how it linked him with the Drake sisters. I really enjoyed how Lev and Rikki communicated and shared their talents with each other. Rikki's talents are unique from any I've read about, and combined with Lev's abilities offer an interesting parallel to their relationship. There is a lot of narrative in this book. I found myself skimming through some of it even though it was obvious the author has put a lot of time in researching autism and sea urchin diving. Rikki's "sisters" are all secondary characters and while all play a small part in this book, Blythe is the most active. It will be interesting to learn more about their stories and how they all became "heart sisters." Water Bound did drag in places with all the narration but the plot was decent. There was some ebb and flow to the plot but I still had a hard time putting it down. I thought their physical relationship was more believable because of the lack of abundant sex even though the narrative let us know their sex life was more active than was actually written about. Overall, it was a good set up for the new series and I hope future books will have less narrative than this one. You can never be disappointed with a Feehan book! Her independent heroines and strong alpha heroes show she is a master at writing the kind of romance we all crave! - Lisa Freeman

In Sea Haven, Rikki Sitmore dives for sea urchins. However, her attention radically changes when she notices a man in trouble in the swirling currents. Rikki rescues severely injured Lev Prakenskii. Besides his physical traumas, Lev suffers from situational amnesia, but is well aware he must remain hidden as someone wants him dead.

Reluctantly Rikki takes Lev to the estate she and her five "sisters of the heart" call home. Like Lev, Rikki has issues as she cherishes the water and loathes the fire as a tragedy left its imprint on her. Each has deadly enemies coming for them, but together with two hearts beating as one, they can overcome anything even lethal predators and autism.

Returning to Sea Haven, home of the Drake Sisters, Christine Feehan begins a new saga as once again some paranormal is blended inside a mystery, which in turn is inside a powerful romance. Though somewhat similar in tone to the "parent" Drake Sisters' series, the audience will relish this action-packed tale from the moment Rikki saves Lev from drowning and fans will enjoy this entertaining thriller. Ironically even with a strong love story between two traumatized souls and plenty of suspense, it is the deep look at what haunts the pair especially Rikki and the tragic fire that brings compassion to the tale.

Harriet Klausner

I love all three of these books. I love the main characters in here. Never ever undermate what we call disability the main character is a high functioning autics (I may not spelled that word right). Also never judge a person who might be really a good guy in disguise.
This series got me interested in the Drake sisters series. This series is next.

I own every single Feehan book ever written. Some have been lackluster and some wonderful. This was lackluster, I'm afraid. Way too repetitive. The heroine was just not likeable to me. It had nothing to do with her autism or OCD...she just wasn't a nice person & came across as way too child-like to be considered sexy. Lev didn't do much throughout most of the book except try to get memory back. The fact that he never stopped Elle's rape (in final Drake Sisters book) was disturbing, and his lack of interaction with Ilya was disappointing too. And, as others have pointed out, too much info repeated regarding sea urchin diving, boating equiptment, etc. I hope the next in the series is better.

Really great story of believable characters overcoming painful & difficult pasts to move forward, better & stronger than ever. Love to read about strong resilient women. First in a series. Loved it

I love Mrs.Feehan's books. However lately she has been falling short in my eye. I read this book because I absolutely LOVE the Drake sisters series. This book however I wasn't a big fan of. It's kind of confusing. I was looking forward to the moment Iliya and lev met and it never happened.... like most of the reviews on here I found myself skimming past the sex scenes as well as some just kind of boring parts.

I picked up a paperback copy of Spirit Bound (A Sea Haven Novel) (the 2nd in the series) at the hotel store while on a weekend getaway. I'd read the Drake Sisters series, and when I realized that Spirit Bound is the second in the new Sea Haven series, I came online to find the first one. I found it rather odd that the Kindle version is more expensive than the mass market paperback printing, and just slightly less than the hardcover copy.

C'mon, the store... give us a break! The Kindle version price should always be at or below the retail paperback copy price!

I have all of Christine Feehan's books for all of her different series and rank her in my top five favorite authors. Water Bound has moved to the top of my all time favorites of hers. It had everything I look for in a Paranormal Romance, a alpha H, a strong h,and a great storyline. I enjoyed the Drake Sisters series but always felt like the first 3 books, although good, didn't quite hit the mark. The last books in that series started to get better as they went along but I feel Water Bound has given me just what I wanted. I can't wait for the next book in the Sea Haven series to come out. Christine Feehan is on my "buy the day it comes out, be it paperback, hardback or Kindle".

As the first book in a new series Water Bound works well for me. I really enjoyed the interaction between Lev and Rikki, two very unique characters that were perfect for each other. The insights into how Rikki's mind worked and why were fascinating to me.

If I wished for more of that interaction between the two instead of the other details that set up the new series I guess that's normal for the first book in a series.

In the end it was a good story, with none of the gruesome violence CF can sometimes throw in. I'm looking forward to the rest of the "sisters" stories.

Rikki has felt isolated from the rest of humanity since she was young. Bound to the element of water, she has unique gifts that allow her to control it in whatever form it takes. But in Rikki's case, having fantastic, mystical abilities doesn't translate well towards being a "normal" member of society. At a loss to really fit in except with her family of adopted "sisters", she turns to her best source of comfort: the sea, where she makes a living diving for urchins. Then one day, she rescues a man from drowning in the ocean, and nothing can be the same again.

Lev is a damaged hero with emotional pain to rival Rikki's. His memories are broken, but he knows that he is an assassin. His mission and how he ended up being cared for by the element-tied woman remain a mystery to him, but he does know that he has never before experienced a connection like he has with Rikki; able to read her thoughts and communicate with her telepathically, he is perhaps the only man truly able to understand her as she needs to be understood.

These are both very unique characters; I know the idea of characters having special, element-associated abilities has been played with before, and an assassin-hero is nothing new, but Feehan has given a lot of depth to the concepts. Rikki is far from perfect, but so is Lev, in a different way - together they complement and strengthen one another, understanding and reassuring each other in spite of their own failings.

Though a little slow to start moving, plot-wise, the book takes a lot of time to introduce the characters and the dynamics between them, and it really helps to develop the romantic aspects of the story. This is bolstered by excellent descriptions, especially of the settings, which really color this book and give it life; it's easy to get caught up in her world and picture it, which adds so much to the story.

Set alongside Feehan's "Drake Sisters" books but still standalone, "Water Bound" should be picked up by anyone looking for a romance well-based in emotion and interaction between the characters -- this isn't just for paranormal fans. I really like this start to her new series and I look forward to seeing more of these books.

I liked the idea of this book more than the actual book itself. The concept of elemental women seemed very interesting and intriguing. What the book actually was, however, was a sappy suffocating romance novel. I guess I can't complain- I should have expected that, but I was hoping for a little more substance to the story.

After the last Drake sister book, I was a bit hesitant about reading Water Bound because I wasn't sure I was up to more literally tortured or brutalized leads, but Feehan takes it easy on her starring pair in this new Drake Sister's series spin-off. I believe that in this new Sea Haven series each book will star one of the six remaining magical Prakenskii brothers and pair him with with one of six equally magical woman who are not sisters by birth but who are 'sisters' by choice.

Waterbound begins just before the end of Elle's book, Hidden Currents. Lev Prakenskii - aka Sid the bodyguard - is facing a watery death deep below the ocean when he is pulled from the sea by urchin diver Rikki. Lev comes out of the water massively injured and remembering little of his past except that he is a man of shadows and a dealer of death, but he latches on to Rikki because without her he will not survive.

Rikki is a very unusual woman, she has strong elemental powers which give her the ability to control water, but she is also a higher functioning autistic. Rikki relies heavily on routine and rigid control over her environment - and lots of peanut butter - to allow her to get by on her own and live independantly. Rikki doesn't tolerate well interactions with other people, and can't stand to be touched, so having Lev in her home is going to be a trial. But Rikki pulled Lev out of the sea so - even though she keeps thinking about throwing Lev back - in her mind he's hers.

The combination of Lev and Rikki as a starring pair sounds really weird but somehow it works, as Lev's seizes the opportunity his 'death' presents to grab a chance at a new life and to become a better man for Rikki and as Rikki expands her boundaries slowly and finds love. Even though I liked that Feehan has Lev move slowly and holds off the consummation between the pair, the result is that there is a great deal of talking and not much action - not talking steamy action here - while Lev works to stretch Rikki's limits enough to fit himself into her life. I am used to Feehan's tendancy to be repetitous in her loves scenes, but actually in Waterbound the repetition makes its way out of the bedroom, Lev constantly reiterates his fears, his plans, and his hopes for Rikki. It does initially work to add intensity to his feelings, but eventually gets a bit tiring.

Really when all was said and done, the interaction between the pair was interesting but there wasn't enough other things happening in the book. Waterbound had the heart of a novella with a short introduction to some of Rikki's magical 'sister's of the heart, along with small confrontation between Jonas and Lev over Lev's role in the ordeal Elle suffered in the last book, and an easily resolved background plot which comes to the foreground briefly late in the story. So, I am not really sure how to rate Waterbound. I think I would have really liked 'Waterbound - the novella' but Waterbound as written fell more in the range of ok to pretty good.

I listened to this book on my kindle and I was just what I was looking for, great unique story line, fun characters, some mystery and lots of action and adventure plus a wonderful love story to tie it all together. The background to these character is wonderful and I can't wait for the rest of the series.

This was a very good read. I am always looking for something different. The heroine here is a very high functioning autistic. Plus she has a magical power. The hero was briefly in the book about Elle in the Drake sisters series. He is the brother of Ilya who is married to Joley. He is one of seven brothers who all also have some sort of powers.

He seemed to be more damaged than Ilya. But once he discovers Rikki he leaves his old life behind and never looks back. He does a very good job coping with someone who is different. You know that he will continue to do everything he can to make her life easy. I loved the way he loved her.

She is very well written. I'm sure it might have been easy to make her a stereotype. You could see her OCD/autism but you could see how she learned to function around it. She was a flawed yet very strong character. I enjoyed reading about her.

Here and there the writing was a bit heavy handed when the author kept mentioning for example that she had no people skills. Once would have done it with some follow up showing scenes. But that is a pretty minor quibble. There were 3 rather lengthly love scenes that for me held up the action. They weren't bad or anything but I guess I was so interested in the story that they dragged the pace down.

This one avoided the overly sweet feeling that some of the Drake books gave me. I really enjoyed it.

Christine Feehan's "Water Bound" is sort-of a continuation of her Drake Sisters series, but not really. It is set in the same town of Sea Haven and features a handful of our familiar characters. Our hero is Lev Prakenskii -an undercover Russian operative who has lost chunks of his memory and identity following an accident at sea. Our heroine is the spunky sea urchin diver, Rikki, who finds him in the water and saves his life and later, his soul.

PLOT SPOILERS:
The book picks up loosely where Hidden Currents (Drake Sisters, Book 7) left off. Lev (which I think is pronounced LEEV, but I'm not sure and it bugs me) is in the water after his yacht goes down. Rikki is diving in the water; she finds him and they have a "moment" beneath the surface. She takes him home to nurse him back to health. It's revealed Rikki is a "water-element" and can manipulate water and rain. She's also autistic. In her past, are several fires where her loved ones have died. She's not sure if she is to blame or if she was a target. Rikki now lives on a farm with 6 other women who have created a makeshift family where they work a farm together and help each other out. Lev falls for Rikki and she helps him put his dark, violent past to rest... while he helps her uncover what sparked those old fires and protects her from it happening again.

WHAT WORKS:
I love the fact that we're seeing more of the Prakenskii brothers. I would have loved a spinoff series featuring them. But alas, we can only hope for cameo appearances.

WHAT DOESN'T:
I felt icky with an autistic heroine. Maybe my understanding of autism is limited, but I kept thinking that a man like Lev would be seriously taking advantage of an autistic woman. I know it was written that his feelings for her were real, but it bothered me.

I also felt like there was way too much detail wrapped up in the diving process, scenery and the like. Give me more dialogue and action. And sex. If I'm reading a Feehan book, it's not to learn about diving, people. And I feel cheated that I didn't get to see Lev's reunion with his brother Ilya.

OVERALL:
Probably one of my least favorite Feehan books. Too much time spent talking about stuff I'm not interested. And the heroine's disability kept me from connecting with the story. 3 stars... maybe 2 1/2.

Borrowed from the local public library for my Kindle. Interesting characters, intriguing plot and a nautical background created a page turner that held my interest to the end. Looking forward to the next book.

Feehan has make me terribly curious about Russians! Great story, lovable heroine, & lots of action. Formatting is rough, took me out of the story a couple times. Would've liked to see the brothers meet.
Maybe in a later book??? I'll read the rest & find out.
I think I need a boat.......

I used to eagerly pay full price for each new CF book but after reading this and her recently released Dark Peril I am not so sure it wouldn't be better to wait until I can buy a cheaper used copy.
I wanted to like these characters but they just seem to annoy me more than anything else.
Rikki as a person is believable but as a romantic heroine a flop to me. When I read a book I want to find something that allows ME to sort of become the heroine in my imagination. All the autistic mannerisms and thoughts just made me impatient and wanting to "leave" the story, like leaving a situation if I were to encounter Rickki in "real life". Not what I personally want in a adventure/romance book.
As for Lev...ummm well I just thought it was too easy for him to adjust to her behaviors and make himself at home and indispensable to her life. I did feel for his memories of his brothers and hope that when their stories are told that I will enjoy them more than this one.
I am not ready to give up on Christine Feehan but have hopes for better stories in the future.
I will say that I enjoyed seeing and hearing about characters from the Drake sisters series and wanted to jump right in with Jonas when he confronted Lev.

I am a HUGE Christine Feehan fan, but I've got to admit, I really didn't enjoy 'Water Bound,' at all. I started reading the book with great expectations (which I normally do with all of her books,) but after a few pages, I couldn't believe that it was an actual "Christine Feehan" book I was reading. All of her other books were so wonderful and enjoyable, holding your attention from the first to the last page. I totally enjoyed 'The Drake Sisters' series, but after reading a few pages of Waterbound and getting bored quickly, I really didn't want to put the book down just yet, thinking that maybe later on it'll get more interesting. I literally skimmed through the rest of the book, and am still waiting for the "Christine Feehan" quality I'm accustomed to.

Once again another great book i saw alot of reviews that where negative. I really need to make my own choices from now on. The book is great and i loved it. Looking forward to the new one coming out in December.

Others have reviewed the plot, so I will just give my impression of this rather strange story. I did find this book a bit slow as nearly all the action takes place in Rikki's home, however the fact that she is autistic and a water element made her very reluctant relationship with our alpha male all the more intriguing. I'm rather fond of heroines who are flawed, and Nikki really does have issues. I loved the way Lev dealt with her OCD and autism and how he found her lovable. I think the book will make people a little more tolerant of those who are viewed as "different." If for no other reason, I recommend this book.

Rikki Sitmore is not your average female. She has strange reactions to things people may consider normal. She only likes to eat peanut butter and broccoli and likes everything to be pristine and untouched. She might also be a sociopath because her parents, foster families, and fiancé's houses all burned down and many of them died. But being a possible serial arsonist is not even the oddest thing about her. The winner is that she has the ability to control water (think water-bending in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" style). Rikki is therefore surprised that she didn't sense the giant tidal wave until it was literally crashing down upon her. The tidal wave doesn't just bring water, however, but also the most dangerous-looking and handsome man Rikki has ever seen. Against her better instinct, she decides to save him. During the rescue, she shares a moment with this dangerous man that is sure to shake her world.

Lev Prakenskii is a very dangerous, deadly, and handsome man. This is the one thing he knows as he finds himself slammed against the rocks after falling into the ocean. The next thing he knows, he is saved by a beautiful woman whom he can't help thinking must be a mermaid. She pulls Lev out of the ocean and the dizziness and uncertainly causes him to react in a way that would have King Triton stabbing him with his triton. Rather than throwing him back into the ocean, the strange woman responds angrily to his actions. This rather sobers Lev up to the fact that Ariel did not save him, since she is yelling and not singing to him. Despite his dangerous behavior, the woman takes him home. Lev soon realizes he can't remember anything except that he has killed a lot of people. The one thing he does know is that he wants to spend his life with this mermaid-like woman.

I'm the first to admit that I'm no literary expert, but my biggest problem with this book was what I found to be poor writing. The author overuses adjectives and has the tendency to be repetitive and redundant. I did not need to be reminded on every page that Rikki is a strange woman. I also got the point after the first fifty times that Lev is a deadly and dangerous man who has killed a lot of people. I was tempted to start a drinking game every time I came across the words strange, deadly, dangerous, handsome, and a quite a few others. Needless to say, I would have been very drunk by the time I came to page two hundred, and the book is near five hundred pages long. Also, do we need a twenty page sex scene? A paragraph about walking into a grocery store? This book really could have benefitted from a strong editorial hand. The weak editing really ruined the story for me. I could not concentrate or care about the story because I kept trying to edit it in my mind.

Setting aside the editing issue, the story was rather weak as well. I really felt no connection to either Lev or Rikki. None. I've never read a book where I've never even felt a small connection. Because I felt no connection to either of the characters, I could not care less about what happened to them. There were exciting scenes here and there, but they are quickly overridden with the overuse of repeating themes and thoughts. I really thought when Lev's past was revealed, the story would take an interesting turn. It didn't. The major plot points are who is starting the fires and trying to kill Rikki and whether Lev can escape from his dangerous and deadly past. Both are resolved in the most lackluster way possible.

Oh yeah, Rikki and Lev got together at the end and I was relieved that the book was over. Those who don't mind a lot of adjectives and repetitiveness will probably like this book better than I did. As it is, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

I love Christine Feehan! I look forward to all her books but this one was a disappointment. It dragged on and on and on. I kept waiting for things to pick up but they never did. Lev was trained to be a heartless killer and Rikki is autistic...I got that in the first 100 pages no need to restate it over and over in for the next 200 pages. I applaud the use of an autistic heroine and Feehans shedding light on an important and seldom discussed issue, however 100 pages of her habits and fears would have been enough. Riki is a great character but Feehan spent way too much time explaining her and in the end sacrificed the plot. If you haven't read her books before don't start with this one!

** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS**.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*.........................................................................

I really enjoyed all of the drake sisters novels!...and this new series is no exception!
Rikki and Lev (ILYA'S PRAKENSKII'S BROTHER) reminded me so much of his youngest brother...I enjoyed the fact although Rikki suffered much with her autisum and her adoptive sisters care for deeply.
Lev is so darn sexy and although Rikki is naive to his dangerous nature she see's him for who he really is and that what makes the big bad wolf(Lev)fall head over heels!!
This is a book thats truly enjoyable ...thnxs a bunch Ms Feehan!!

I enjoyed the book and the characters and anything w/ special abilities is something that attracts me, but i have to admit i was a bit irritated in the fact that she reffers to Fort Bragg, this is supposed to be set in CA off RT 1 (cal 1 to those from the area) but Fort Bragg is out of North Carolina. For fellow army brats this is something thats going to get noticed.

I normally like Christine Feehan's work. I own almost everything she's written. Long story short, this book was soooooo boring that I haven't finished it. Not saying that the characters aren't interesting - they are. Rikki is a very different kind of heroine and Lev is also an interesting hero, per se. However the way that the story is delivered is ... tired. That's the best description I can give it. Not up to Ms. Feehan's usual standard. I hope this is simply a poor start to another interesting series.

I actually pre-ordered this book and I regret it. I don't mean to be cold-hearted but this book took me two days to finish when I usually finish Feehan's books in four-five hours...so that tells you something. I didnt expect it to be so emotional and calm. I wanted action. This storyline pretty much sucked until you get to the ending where Jonas shows up. The most interesting part of the book wasn't their love story but the anticipation of future books where Lev will finally clash with Jackson...if Feehan ever gets to it. I honestly wished she did cuz that would be the only way i would rate this as a four rather than a three star book. Other than that...the book was...different. It's not a typical Drake sister storyline. They all had action...this one barely had any, if even, then it was all in the end.

If you want to read about strong-alpha male hero that is eager to grasp love when he finds it w/o acting like an chauvinist male...and an emotional story that gives a perspective on being different from the norm, you might enjoy this book. I wasn't expecting it to be so....action-less...that's probably why i was disappointed. I hope the future series will have way better excitement.

I hope she doesnt continue to write like that...

Water Bound is a compelling and well written story.

Rikki is a sea-urchin diver in Sea Haven and has rescued Lev Prakenskii from certain death. He is helpless and injured in the depths of a cold ocean. Although, she is a loner by nature, mainly because she is a high functioning autistic and terrified by fire. Yet, she feels compelled to help this stranger.

Each of these characters has tremendous obstacles to overcome. However, the author gives us compelling insights and reasons why their relationship might work.

You are rooting that Rikki is able to overcome her aversion to have anyone in her orbit but "the sisters of her heart." Lev has to accept that he is not only the dark, cold person he believes himself to be. He is also a protector.

Two unlikely people, who find themselves while looking into each other eyes.

I did not even mention the action that is packed into the book.

I love that this story deals with complex issues with such insight.

I just loved this book and am so excited to see some of the Drakes again. I will agree with the one reviewer that she does repeat herself a bit too much in this book, but if you can overlook that tiny little annoyance, it is SO WORTH the read. Sexy, steamy, and exciting as always. I can't wait to read about the other sisters.

If you love the way Feehan writes, you won't be disappointed !!

Lent not paid, thank goodness. This was one of those prolog books before a series starts, and way too long.... I would call it a PWP but then again that didn't start till like 280 or so. This was a different kind of read. The main character was autistic to the point of OCD and had a thing for peanut butter. (Way too many scenes with peanut butter... think she meant it as a cutesy thing.) This book had many of the same observations over and over again. She had whole paragraphs of descriptions rewrote throughout the story. I liked the concept of the story, but felt the book could have been at least a hundred pages less (if they had taken out the repeated scenes). This was an off shoot of the Drake sister's stories, and had Jonah and Hannah only in it. Also, I got the feeling the characters were older than they appeared. The hero was a Russian hero with complete Americanized ideas and terms of speech and American cooking. I liked the Elemental themes, and the psychic parts. I didn't like that the hero was a hero because he lost his memories, and when he gained them back no change was aparent that I could see.... Uh, anyway, overall I'd give the story a C+.

I am a huge Christine Feehan fan, I have read all of her books. This book was on the boring side. I skipped a lot of the book in order to get through it. The book had very little interaction with the Drakes, and no interaction with Ilya. Lev's character was undeveloped, I was looking forward to his character. A reunion of the Prakenskiis would have been nice, and maybe would have helped with how drawn out the book was. The book was probably 100 pages or more longer than it needed to be. Rikki's character was totally unbelievable and boring. This is hands down my least favorite of her books, had this been my first it probably would have been my last.

I thought this was a great love story, very emotional, with an unlikely couple finding each other, true soulmates. It builds up nicely to the action at the end but it never eclipses the sweetness of the love and bonding of the couple. Beautiful story. I am looking forward to more in this series.

I am a big fan of the carpatian novels. I saw this book and tought I would give it a try. It was entertaining enough but not one of her best. There were a few slow parts the book could have lost about 40 pages and still been good.

This will be short and sweet, I am done with Christine Feehan. There was a time that I waited so eagerly for her books to come out, now after attempting to read, her latest and definitely not her greatest, I can officially say I am over my Feehan addiction. One word says it all...redundant! If I could have given this book a negative star rating, I would have.

Love all the Drake sisters books and the Ghost Walkers books but am getting a little tired of Christine Feehan's use of the word cock and the use of oral sex to make the male characters' "hearts stop" etc. Some of your readers, Ms. Feehan, are getting older and these graphic sex scenes are getting irritating and old hat. Sorry, but the graphic sex is tarnishing the Drake sisters series(Elle's rape, etc) and the Sisters of the Heart series for me.

***SPOILERS*** I've enjoyed reading Feehan's other novels, especially the Drake Sisters. So I was very excited that she was starting a new series and that it was in Sea Haven. I was especially excited to see that Lev would be in it. Boy was I wrong. I had to force myself to finish this book. Normally I would finish off one of her books the same day but this one actually took me about 2 months. I just kept putting it down and forgetting I even had it and re-reading something else I had. Yes, it was that bad. Rikki is a very annoying character (tho when it came out she was autistic I backed off a little bit) but I just couldn't handle it. Everything she did was "meticulous this, meticulous that, meticulously..." She must have used the word meticulous or some variation of meticulous at least 47,000 times. And if you expect some showdown between Lev and Ilya or Lev and Jackson you can forget it. The only redeeming thing about this book is that Jonas and Hannah were in it but only for about 10 seconds. I'm debating whether I will get the next one in the series because I hated this one so much. I may just because I'm waiting for the showdown to happen between the Prakenskiis and Jackson and there was mention of another Prakenskii brother.

There are enough 1 and 2 star reviews to cover most of the reasons I disliked this book. One I did not see mentioned was the weird hypocrisy of this woman who loved the sea and it's creatures so much we had to wade thru pages of excruciating details regarding it - yet she makes her living harvesting sea urchins. I found that particularly distasteful when she was marveling at all of the magnificent animals she saw while bagging the urchins. One of the most boring books I've ever picked up.

I gave up on the Dark books long time ago, but kept reading the Drake sister books and loved them. I bought this one unsure of what to expect with a spin off. Loved it! Great storyline, good characters. I loved that the heroine was autistic, there are so few heroes and heroines in romance that have disabilities. I really liked how the two characters complimented each others' personalities.

very different hero and heroine. Love the new twists and focus on personalities. Still has plenty of action regardless of what others say. only wish the firestarter background was more relevant and detailed...kind of just through in a possible tie in at the end

This book is not good or not real bad. I believe Ms. Feehan rush to finish this book before deadline. This is not her best work. Hopefully, the next (A Sea Haven Series) will be better. I am a loyal fan, I will still buy her books.