Air Bound (A Sea Haven Novel)

Air Bound was way better than the first two books from the Sister of the Heart series put together. I can see myself reading this book over again unlike the other two. IMO this book should had been released after Hidden Currents.

This was a great book like all the other Christine Feehan books. I enjoyed every minute of it. It was as exciting as all the other Sisters Of The Heart books as well as all of the Drake sisters books. I love all of Christine's books. I have all the books from all her series.

I really really did. I kept hoping it would get better. I loved Water Bound so I fully expected to at least like Air Bound. I didn't. I found myself doing ANYTHING to avoid finishing it. At least I can say that I did finish it.

I have read most of her books. What I like best about her series is the way she links them so its like they make you right there with them .I can identify with the characters. Yet the surprises keep coming.

I preordered this book months ago!!! Because Christine Feehan used to be my favorite author...... BUT..... It seems to me she just don't have the skill she used to have... it hurts me to leave such a bad review. But SERIOUSLY!!! If you've read any of her previous stories. Then you don't need to bother with another.. I'm starting to really believe that she only knows a very few sentences,, and that she fills her books with page after page of repeated lines over and over and over again!!! As usual she describes the two main characters until your SICK of hearing about what they look like !!! I mean WHO CARES AFTER THE 100th time????? I WILL NOT PREORDER ANYTHING FROM HER AGAIN ! Furthermore I will not read another thing that she writes without looking at ALL THE REVIEWS!!!! And the sea haven novels are NOT Like they used to be. I'm just very upset also the sex scenes are the same EXACT SCENES FROM PREVIOUS STORIES!!! Get a new fantasy!!! Watch a x rated flick if needed. .But Pleassse. Get some new material. I skipped 14 pages of this book because of going stir crazy! It's like ground hog day!!! Sorry but I have to be honest. Maybe if more of her readers would let her know what they really think we would get the Old CHRISTINE FEEHAN BACK!!! Beth.N

I had been waiting for the latest Christine Feehan Sisters of the Heart that I had pre ordered, well worth waiting for action all the way worth seeing some evil people get their comeuppance, but with a HEA, now have to wait for the next one. Sisters of the Heart, Drake Sisters and Ghostwalkers are my favourites of all her books she writes. But they all have so much going on its easy to give a 5 star.

Had to read it straight through without stopping. I hate human trafficking and these types of stories bring them to the forefront and win. I also like the romantic tease between the heroes. This storyline is not finished.

Loved it but it left me wanting more. Can't wait for the next story to get published wow these brothers are simply outstanding. Llya needs to get pulled into these stories in some way or the other before the finale.

At one time I loved Mrs Feehan's books. Now she just uses repetitive sex scenes instead of a story. If you took out the sex scenes her books would be half the length. I have no problem with them in context of a good story, but she uses them as filler. Boring and a waste of talent and imagination.

I've read all the Drake Sisters books & they are on my keeper shelf. I've also read the other books in the Sea Haven series, and they are worthwhile. On Air Bound, after a while I started skimming through the endlessly repetitive scenes of violent death and then I decided that this was just a waste of my time. I couldn't finish this one. Ms. Feehan has proved to be imaginative in her descriptions of hand-to-hand combat, but really??? Do I really need to read all the details about every single one? I had THOUGHT this was a paranormal romance, but after all the fist fights, knife fights, gun fights, garrotte deaths, etc., I found myself losing track of what little interactions might pass for romance. After a certain point (say, maybe the first 10 or 15?? I stopped counting around 20), all the fights become tedious.

There's no charm in this book and the romance, magic, and PLOT are secondary to all the violence. If I wanted that much violence, I'd watch the news. Feehan has been a automatic pre-order for me, but no more.

A wonderfully seductive and enthralling read as usual but not quite as enticing and romantic as the previous sea haven novels. The story lacked the usual center attention being focused on the intense love between the female and male characters connection. It was still captivating however!

I enjoyed this more than any other book written by Ms Feehan in the last few years, and of any of her series. Air Bound had more action; lately it has seemed that all her characters just talk to each other incessantly, whether vocally or psychically. This was fun. I'm not ever going to stop reading anything Ms Feehan writes, but I'll put this book on the top of the pile lately.

I usually love Ms. Feehan's work. They are usually enjoyable and erotic. An amuse bouche if you will

This novel would be a notable exception. The body count has to be well above 100, and this is for a romance novel. The scenes involving the human trafficking would be great in a gritty, noir spy novel and would add to it. Not for a romance novel. In fact, there is very little romance and while I admire the fact that the heroine quickly learns to kill people with little to no emotional consequences, I don't feel any emotional connection between the hero and heroine. In fact, without the bond, a plot device if there ever was one, I don't really see what these two characters have in common at all. Great sex, of which there is almost none, doesn't make a relationship.

Give this one a miss and hope for the next one Ms. Feehan's editor gets her back to doing what she does best: romances.

Sadly, for me, this is another one of Ms. Feehan’s novel that rambles on and on and on….and as I write this sentence… I have only made it to the end of chapter 2! Rest assured though that I am not going to write this whole thing having only read that far, the rest of this review is written after completing the book.

Normally, I really love Ms. Feehan’s writing but lately it seems she is getting too bogged down in unnecessary detail and overly sappy dialogue that comes across to this reader as endlessly repetitive; this has been an issue in her Dark Hunter series as well. I hate saying this but it felt to me as though Ms. Feehan was simply trying to make word-count for the book, not writing a genuinely well-crafted story and that makes me sad for this author as I am genuinely a fan of her past work.

I understand the premise of how the author has worked the elements of air, fire, water, earth into the characters of this series and how a bond is created between like elements in the stories; I’m just simply not buying how quickly things happened between the two main characters in this book. Airiana Ridell honestly came across to me more as a victim of Stockholm syndrome rather than a woman who truly fell in love with her kidnapper/rescuer…Maxim Prakenskii. I can easily buy an intense physical attraction, but love….eh, not so much. Not in that short of a time-frame.

The book did pick up a bit for me in the middle once they were on the ship; the human trafficking element did help the story but as soon as they got back to relative safety at the resort the sappiness revved right up to a nauseating degree and I found myself skipping over chunks of needless dialogue.

The main issue I had towards the end of the book, aside from the sappy dialogue, was repetition of the dialogue itself. Honestly, I can handle a certain amount of saccharine sweet sappiness; what I absolutely hate is repetition and that’s what I noticed in this book, particularly with the sappiness. It crossed the line from sweet dialogue between lovers to nails on a chalkboard. I felt as a reader that I was being beaten over the head with it and detracted from what really could have been a great story instead of an okay one.

I hate writing bad or blah reviews for a writer, especially when I have been a fan for so long but I also feel I need to be honest about what I think and this book was really lacking. It had great potential…there were many directions this story could go, many avenues that could have been explored with all the characters but Ms. Feehan just didn’t take advantage of it. Ugh! I hate writing these! When I wish I could give Ms. Feehan a 3 star rating for this book (honestly, I wish I could give higher)…this only gets 2 stars from me.

I really wanted to like this book but it was just really bad. Maxim is a cartoon GI Joe who whines non-stop about how he isn't good enough for Airiana who non-stop tells him how wonderful he is, all while the two of them kill roughly 100 bad guys, rescue children, jump off boats, and save the world from more bad guys. Maxim calls her his woman and says how he can't believe he loves her in 24 hours but wait, he really doesn't because he is such an awful person. Let's not forget Airiana is beautiful, fragile, brilliant, a virgin, etc etc etc. This is a bad joke of a book.

This one was better than Spirit Bound but I would have liked some one-on-one time with the couple without them being surrounded or on the run. There just seemed to be way too much going on to really get a feel for the couple.

They were either resting or on the move and even when they got home, no real alone time so I couldn’t really get a sense of how they came to know each other, it was basically just them giving each other looks while they were on the run. I kind of feel like it was savior love? Someone saves you and you have this euphoric feeling like you’re in love with them.

The cover is a little better, there really isn’t a way to convey the air element so her on the ship set the tone for the story better than what it did for Spirit Bound. The pace was a little all over the place, fast and slow. There really wasn’t that much time with the sisters either.

There was a review on Spirit Bound that I read with a comment about the Drake sisters and I have to say that I agree. Aren’t the Drakes supposed to be the most powerful family or at the very least powerful enough that they should feel all of the energy that’s being used when the sisters get together? I know we’re supposed to focus on these girls right now but shouldn’t there be some interaction with them besides wondering how Jackson is going to react when they get back? Not make them almost forgotten background characters?

I thought the first book in this series, Water Bound, was my favorite. I do love Lev and Rikki! I have to say though, that I enjoyed certain elements (no pun intended) of this story just as much... if not a little more than Water Bound.

Air Bound had A LOT of violence in it. An avid Feehan reader, I'm kind of used to that. This one was still a little over the top. I'm torn between cautiously understanding why Feehan is including the explicit depravity of sex trafficking... and then strongly believing that it did not belong in a romance novel. But, when has this author stuck to the warm and fuzzy concept? Um, never! I think what Feehan is trying, desperately, to get across to her readers is the travesty that is taking place right under our own noses. One that so many of us would rather ignore. If that is her aim, she's got my attention. Although, she could've had my attention without the explicitness of child rape and the inside dialogue of pedophiles. Really doesn't warm me up to love scenes between the main characters! Be warned... there are a few scenes that are disturbing.

The main characters... ahhh, Maxim and Airiana! Loved them! Their chemistry was sweet, they rocked as a team, and Maxim wasn't a complete d***. I enjoyed that most of all. He treated Airiana respectfully and was attentive to her feelings. Some of Feehan's other books have had some abusive jerks as leads! Not the case here.

If you like action flicks with a lot of fighting and killing, alpha-like romance, blood-thirsty (yet compassionate) leads, and secondary characters (literally) magically kicking butt while working as a team... this book is for you! I recommend it.

Third in the Sisters of the Heart follow-on series and tenth in the overall Sea Haven (Drake Sisters) paranormal romance series revolving around troubled but gifted women who have banded together to support each other.

The couple focus is on Airi and Maxim, and it’s insta-love, awww.

My Take
If you must read this, get it from the library. Air Bound is inconsistent. It swings from too simplistic to slightly more realistic. The insta-love is too lame for words; there is nothing believable in their romance, and it's way too convenient.

There are a few good bits in here: a sensible trope that introduces more drama. No, I'm serious. This is a good thing, lol. Airi doesn't want Maxim coming home with her, based on how it will affect the kids. She'd rather not tear at them again and again. Then there's Jonas' stance which is quite commendable, even if he is trying to cause other problems. The air power thing each has is rather fun, and quite useful, and Feehan is quite inventive in the different ways air can be twisted, woven, and blown. I am surprised they don't use it as part of their underwater adventures.

Feehan does a nice job of informing us of Airi's past and her mother with this session between the girls. Maxim's memories of when the Paretskii family was destroyed and the boys taken is also done well. No info dumps here!

The negatives outweigh these positives. Feehan leaps in with no preparation. One minute Lissa is consoling Airi about a nightmare, and the next minute, they're discussing the terrifying possibilities of another Prakenskii brother showing up to marry one of them. Oooh, foretelling, anyone?? A little obvious, perhaps?? Info dumpy as well. And I'm not getting the impression from what they chat about minutes later that they consider the Prakenskiis all that terrifying. Good cook? Great at teaching self-defense? Yep, scary, all right *eye roll*.

WTF? They just get finished talking about the odds of the six of them getting together in one place, and shock!, all of them having an elemental magic! Oh, wow. The next paragraph, Airi is worried that if she were to call Lissa back and tell her about the patterns she sees, that Lissa will think she's nuts. Airi moans on and on wondering if she's going crazy because she sees these patterns. WTF. Again. This is the woman who is supposed to be so frickin' brilliant? She does remember that conversation about elemental gifts, right? The counselor she and the other girls have seen before knows about this. Talk to her. Stop pissing and moaning in my ear! I'm tired of it, and I'm only 31 pages in. Sigh, she is, at least, a fighter. Arghhh! How lame is this! And it's like this throughout the entire story.

It's too easy in some scenes and fraught with danger in others. Maxim is determined not to put his mark on her, so of course he slams it right down. He's denying it right up to the point he marks her, and he keeps denying it. So why mark her? Give me something to believe in here.

Okay, on the one hand, Shackler-Gastros doesn't care what condition she's in as long as she's alive swings over to she is to be in excellent health leave me confused and wondering what else doesn't make any sense. Fortunately, hmmm, or is that unfortunately?, Feehan keeps me confused all the way through. Do they really have worldwide motorcycle gangs? Seems kinda lame that Damon is a neighbor, married to a Drake, in the same field (working on Airi's project!), and yet he's never really spoken to her.

Oh, please. Jonas recognizes Maxim as a Prakenskii and must realize how lethal his brothers are.

Aww, the kids are still so freaked and they come in Maxim and Airi's bedroom. Every night. You can imagine how Maxim is starting to feel.

On the plus side, I can tick off having read this installment. Um, I'm trying to think of more pluses…

Psst, Feehan, you might want to change that Harrison back to Harrington before Jonas finds out.

The Story
Airi thinks she’s been going mad for a while now. She sees patterns everywhere, and she can’t stop devouring any book in her path. Hmmm, I can understand that one.

Luckily??, she won't have long to worry as she's been targeted by some very powerful people. The project she worked on as a child has stymied some of the world's greatest minds, and Airi could well be the answer to their problems.

The Characters
Airiana "Airi" Riddell was a mathematical child prodigy who was taken in by the government to a special school when she was seven, and today she has nightmares of that day she got home from school. Marina is Airi's brilliant mom struggling to cope with her "gift" with alcohol and loud music. It rarely works. Her true name is Marinochka Venediktov, and she was a student at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Theodotus Solovyov is her father, a great and brilliant physicist in his native Russia. His legal wife, Elena, is a vicious, social-climbing bitch.

Maxim Prakenskii is an arms dealer. He's also Max Walberg. Gavriil Prakenskii is his brother, and he's asked Maxim to help Theodotus. Viktor is their oldest brother.

The farm is…
…the girls' refuge. Lissa Pinar is their warrior woman and has tried to teach the girls self-defense moves. Thomas Vincent, a.k.a., Stefan Prakenskii, is an art dealer and married to Judith Henderson (her element is spirit) who has a gallery in town. Levi Hammond is really Lev Prakensii, and he's married to the autistic Rikki, who has power over water. Lexi Thompson, the youngest, has an earth gift and works their greenhouse and manages the farm. Blythe is the oldest of them with a gift for unifying the elements of the others; she's also a Drake cousin.

The Drake sisters are…
…the most powerful magical family in Sea Haven and includes Joely Drake is married to Ilya Prakenskii; Sarah Drake is married to Damon Wilder, who works for the Defense Department; Elle Drake is married to Jackson; Sheriff Jonas Harrington is married to Hannah Drake who's in labor; and, Libby Drake and Tyson.

Lucia, Benito, Nicia and Sofia are twins, and Siena are Italian children who were "kidnapped". Shackler-Gratsos' clients will enjoy them very much.

Jorge Estrada is the owner of the resort.

Cyreck is a Greek who works for Evan Shackler-Gratsos, and he wants a piece of Airi. Leone Marciante, a bully and a brutal killer, and Ricco D'Amato were neighbors as children; now they kill together. They're guarding Galati who likes his boys young. Cahill and Lance work the engine room.

On board the slave ship, Prince Saeed is one of the worst perverts. He likes 'em young. His bodyguards include Conley and Shamar Dover, Yosuf and Jamel, and Sasha. On board the submarine, we meet Valentin Blatov, a "friend" of Maxim's. On board the boat, we encounter Feliks and Akim, two of the guards; Gorya is the steward; and, Boris is the first mate.

Uri Sorbacov wants his father's, Kostya's, crimes swept under the table and that includes what was done to the Prakensiis. The disappeared Dennet Laurent is suggested as a possible enemy.

Sea Haven is a small harbor town in California where the Drake sisters and the girls live. Frank Warner is Inez's fiancé.

Debra Jems is the counselor who brought these six gifted and traumatized women together in group therapy. Wanda Payne only moved into the Riddells' neighborhood a few years ago. Westwood was a contact at Airi's boarding school.

The Cover
The cover is a blue-green with creams of air currents swirling and whirling with a three-quarter profile of Airi in the upper left corner.

The title is what Airi’s and Maxim's power is and where her heart lies, Air Bound.

I give this book two stars because I can not bear to give anything Christine Feehan has written a one star. I love the woman's books more than anything. Typically they are dark, deep, and filled with roiling emotions. But man, I think she was just trying to get this one sister out of the way.

Arianna does not have much about her that stands out. Nothing is really unique to her that really sets her apart or gives her a predictable personality. However, she is revered as having one of the most brilliant minds in the world. You would never guess it. In fact, you will completely forget it because there is absolutely nothing about her that is brilliant. Add to that the fact that she falls in love with a killer the very first day she meets him (after hating him) and suddenly she seems more like an idiot than anything.

The love story, sadly, did not exist. Or start. Or end. Or even peep its head in for a hello. One minute they hate/don't care for each other, the next they are in love. After that, their relationship just seems laughable because no time was taken for them to actually be in a relationship to begin with. As other reviewers have already said, that is it for the romance. The rest was non-stop action. And not the good action either, the long, drawn-out, descriptive, Lord-of-the-Rings-dear-God-stop-describing-things type of action. The whole first half of the novel is a giant action scene that takes place in one setting. Then it is finally over and you take a breath...only to realize that the whole second half of the novel is a giant action scene that takes place in a setting identical to the first one.

I slogged through this due to my undying love for Christine Feehan (not without repercussions; I now have tiny men in my head killing each other on a boat while I am trying to concentrate at work). This book is not for everyone.

One morning when Airiana wakes up because of her own nightmares, she just knows that danger is coming to Sea Haven. Soon. Her friends and Sisters of the Heart living on the farm with her, want to protect her and be there for her, especially as someone from her past suddenly contacts her again. As a child she did some ultra secret work for the government, but when her mother was murdered, she stopped. She just could not do it anymore. How could they believe her mother was selling secrets abroad?

But now evil has come to Sea Haven to find her, to kidnap her. But one of her kidnappers insists he is not working for them, but for her father. Airiana doesn’t even know who her father is, so why should she believe him? But he has the same powers she has, only he knows how to use them for battle better than she imagined possible. She has no chance against him. Or against the desire growing between them.
Is Maxim really her only chance at safety, at ever seeing Sea Haven again? Or will she just bring the danger back to her sisters?

Maxim is a Prakenskii, and like his brothers, he was raised by the Russian Government as a spy, an assassin, a weapon. Maxim thinks he has done too much evil to deserve a life of his own. To keep his brothers safe, he is willing to be killed himself. But now he has met Airiana, will he take a chance at life after all?

Together they saved some Italian children from powerful predators, and those children deserve a new home as well. Both Maxim and Airiana feel protective of them, and Airiana is willing to open her house and her heart for them. But can Maxim do the same? If he wants to keep them safe, he will have to join them, as the evil ones will not let go of Airiana easily. Three of his brothers are in Safe Heaven already, can he risk exposing them to their mutual enemies? They have found a new life for themselves, dare he hope for the same?

An action packed and emotion filled book. I do love this series, but Christine Feehan’s heroes certainly are very overbearing and take charge kind of guys. If the heroine will give him a finger, he will take over her life completely. Luckily, Airiana is not so easily intimidated, and she will tell Maxim her thoughts and feelings.

If you can’t deal with child abuse and female slavery, you really should not read this book, even if it is off page. But this is used to have the main couple act as heroes, and saving others. One of the bad guys is popping up throughout the series, and the Prakenskii guys really have to take him down, sooner rather than later.

I liked Airiana a lot, she does not give up, she keeps fighting, and she keeps fighting along Maxim when possible. He does not like it, and he is very hard for her, like making her swim when she can’t swim and is terrified of water, but it is necessary to survive. Maxim is a hard man, he does not give in easily, but he has never met a woman like Airiana, a woman who makes him actually feel things, and who distracts him so easily. A danger he cannot have in his line of work.

It is fast paced, with hardly any time for the main characters to catch their breath. In the end, the whole family fights together, and I did love that very much. I look forward to the next book already.

9 stars.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian </p>

I really enjoyed spending the day back in Sea Haven with my beloved Prakenskii brothers. After a 2-year wait, which felt like forever, Ms. Feehan finally gave us Max's story.

Like his brothers before him, Max was lethal, disciplined, and detached—until he placed his soul mate mark on Airiana. Everything about Airi screamed gentle, compassionate and loving yet fierce, sassy, and brave. I would say she was exactly what the doctor ordered. Poor Max, Airiana came out of nowhere blindsiding him. She rocked his carefully built axis, making him yearn for things he had never even begun to entertain. As you can expect, Max did not go down without a fight. Our boy fought against every ounce of temptation hard (did I mention these men tend to be a bit tenacious); however, his body and heart had a mind of their own. And once he accepted she was what fate had in store for him all bets were off.

I loved Air Bound; however, I was not head over heels in love with it. Max and Airiana’s story is a fast, wild ride of nonstop twist and turns, abduction, deception, trafficking and slow burning gravitation.

If I adored the characters so much, why was I not head over heels in love?

For me, it was the simple fact that the romance felt second best to the nonstop action and descriptive trafficking scenes. Due to this, it was really hard to connect with our hero and heroine as fated soul mates. Each time the author gave us the opportunity to experience them as a couple it would seem as though we were thrown right back into more action. Only getting quick glimpses of them in "couple" time. Therefore, the structure of their relationship, even though they were a lot of fun, just did not allow time for that special brand of magnetism I have been searching for since I laid eyes on my first Prakenskii brother.

Ilya Prakenskii (Turbulent Sea) has always been my absolute favorite brother; so far, the other Prakenskii brothers have not been able to compete with him. In my opinion, no matter how much Ms. Feehan tries she cannot match the same level of chemistry with their significant others that he holds with his. Ilya and Joley are absolutely kick ass together; they set your heart on fire with their intense emotional and physical connection. I know it is probably not fair, but each time I start a new Prakenskii, I compare their love story to the original brother's.

Max and Airi were intriguing set of characters, and I think if the author focused a little bit more on their relationship and a little less on the trafficking I would have been completely captivated by them. In the end, what it comes down to is that there was too much guts and gore for my taste and not enough focus in the romance department.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, especially if you are a Feehan lover such as myself. Even though this one fell slightly flat for me, I am anxious to see which Prakenskii brother we meet next. I am also hoping it does not take the author another 2 years to release it.

Thank you, Berkley/Jove and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of Air Bound in exchange for my honest opinion.

I gave this book four stars because its written really well, and the graphic detail is so stomach turning that you have to respect that after so many books that she would have to amp it up to keep readers interested. It takes a lot of talent to be able to make readers squirm these days. However I expected to find that kind of dark gritty stuff in the GAME series not this one. Regardless Christine has written a fantastic book. Unfortunately there was so much about it I honestly didn't like. It took me several tries just to finish it which is more strange for me because I usually can't put her books down once I've started them. I really love the intensity of Christine's work and I really love that its not all just fluff and butter romance anymore. There is something real and vital to cling to. I just really wish I had gotten more of that intensity from her characters. Everything else was up to the max but what was going on with our characters? Both Airiana and Maxim felt as if they didn't even belong in the same story together much less in this story. I didn't care for either one of them or their personalities. I still respect the work Christine is doing and I will continue to read more of her work in the future but I was left feeling a bit out of sorts after reading this one.

I've read all Christine Feehan's books in her Drake Sisters series as well as the Carpathian Series. I've loved her books and when we got to spend more time in Sea Haven, I jumped at the chance to read more about strong women who have a connection to the world around them.

Airiana is an air elemental with a brilliant mind. She sees patterns in the world around her. After the horrible death of her mom, she doesn't see herself as valuable yet has come together with the women of Sea Haven to provide for a safe home and community. When her unknown father wants her back, Maxim Prakenskii is sent to retrieve her and keep her safe.

Sparks fly between Max and Airiana who are both air elementals. They learn from each other and fall in love. They are determined to keep Sea Haven and their loved ones safe.

I loved how their love story unfolded. Airiana has a strong backbone and won't let Max boss her around but she's more concerned about him and others than her own safety. She like an Earth mom who will do anything for her loved ones. Max quickly becomes a part of that circle and together they are formidable.

I really enjoyed how their story ended but it didn't really resolve the threat. So there's sure to be more books that will showcase some of my favorite characters.

I've been a big fan of Christine Feehan's for a long time. I've especially enjoyed her Carpathian series, but this book may be my last. I know that she is trying to draw attention to the issue of human trafficking, but let's face it. It's fluffy bunny romance-style attention that undermines the reality. I've worked with victims of this. Sexual and human trafficking often leads to intense psychological trauma and the "we're a family now and it's all going to be find" mentality undermines the lived struggle many people face as a result of it. There are also very few assassins that act like a combination of Rambo, Spiderman, and Bruce Lee out there who leave ghost ships behind and kill hundreds without a qualm. More than that, not all traffickers are billionaires on yachts with bizarre vendettas. They're a lot more "normal" than that. Also, her gender stereotypes are so blatant in this one (e.g. "a man likes to take care of his woman", her acceptance of his dominance because he's perfect and wants to protect her, love is her total surrender to him, etc.), it's nauseating. For a smart woman, Arianna doesn't seem to have any self-identity, though she learned to kill without being bothered about it pretty quickly. And while I'm at it, accepting the fact that the characters are supposed to be soul mates and love each other "madly" after only 3 days, just what kind of a man gets aroused--while "his woman" is lying bruised and battered--so much that he has to "take care of it" while she's bathing? And what kind of a woman, bruised and battered, in a room with a Rambo-style assassin she's known for less than 72 hours, offers to "help him"? Christine always writes about her strong, feminine characters, but in reality, they're almost always stick thin, young, pixie/fragile looking who inevitably give way to their predator/dominating male counterparts. Take Elle Drake, for example, who was strong enough to work undercover, but because another undercover agent didn't blow the entire operation to save her butt and her dominant partner is all ticked off because of it, the sisters may all have to move. What? In the end, it might be that I'm to cynical to read this drivel anymore. I'll own that, if need be. But there's a part of me that thinks, while Arianna might have been afraid of the shark, Christine Feehan has managed to jump it.

while i was reading this series the first word that sprang to mind was superficial. the series touches briefly on really deep subjects and never delves into the drama-quagmire that these subjects, sex trafficking mostly, engender. the concept of the books and characters hooked me into reading three installments. but there wasn't enough story to keep me going.

Air Bound was the better of the three story line wise because of the increased activity. the characters were physically busy- improbably kicking arse and not taking names, though they knew everybody's name- and didn't have time to sit around and ruminate, ad nauseam, about what a bad catch he is and what a tortured victim she is; which is very characteristic of Water Bound and Spirit Bound.

in short, the story was ok. if it wasn't part of a chain store series, slotted into all of the other books Feehan pumps out annually, it would have been better.

This is the third book in this wonderful series, this one is for Airiana and Maxim. Christine has a way of making her characters come to life for you, you can easily see yourself absorbed in the town of Sea Haven and watching this all play out. I love how she takes such strong men and watch them fall in love...something they never thought they were capable of doing. When you watch how they fight what they know is about to happen and then to acceptance, the dialog sweeps you away in the romance of it all. Not to worry this series is packed with action...with the Prakenskii brothers involved how can it not! This series touches my heart since I too belong to a group of Sisters of the Heart, I wait impatiently for each of these books to be released. I know any series I reach for that has Christine's name on it will be a winner for me.

This is book three in the Sisters of the Heart Series, which is a spinoff from the Drake Sisters series. While it is titled after the women, and they do all live together as "sisters of the heart", really, if you are following the series, this series is about the women who will be matched up with the six remaining Prakenskii brothers. The Prakenskii family is like the male version of the Drake family in that they have magical powers and the seventh child will have seven children to pass on the magical legacy. The first book in this spinoff featured a heroine who has autism and a hero with amnesia and I adored that book, but the second book just really fell flat for me.

Ariana grew up a child prodigy and genius. She was in a government-sponsored think tank/school when her mother was tortured and murdered which caused her to quit doing the work. The government finally released her when she was 20 at which time she met the other "sisters" in group therapy. Maxim Prakenskii who seems to be closest (if you can in any way consider the Prakenskii brothers "close") to Gavril, kidnaps Ariana as a way to protect her from other people who are trying to kidnap her to use her for her incredible mind and talents. This plan naturally backfires in a big way.

The first 50 pages or so are full of awkward info dumping about the series as it has been portrayed so far and about the main characters. Stick it out though, because from there it is pretty much a nonstop action packed ride. While this particular book did not quite reach the enjoyment level of Water Bound (for me anyway, YMMV) it is head and shoulders above Spirit Bound. I really enjoyed the chemistry between these two characters. Maxim is such an adorably befuddled alpha male. He's way more caring and intuitive than he thinks. And unlike Stefan/Thomas from Spirit Bound, he actually treats his mate like a human being with thoughts and capabilities rather than like a witless child or a pet. They argue, they compromise and it is really very sweet to see. I also enjoyed the way their relationship progressed, they didn't immediately decide they would become a couple (though it was still a standard Christine Feehan destined mate thing) and they didn't immediately hop into bed together. And when they finally did get physical, it wasn't perfect and magical and real life awkwardness ensued, at least the first time, which was rather refreshing to see.

This story also really furthered the series story arc with their own super villain and how the Prakenskii brothers are being drawn in to Sea Haven and how they are and will be integrated into the family and the community as a whole. This story also marks the turning point for how the Prakenskii's are going to be integrated into the Drake family. Jackson and Elle will be coming home soon, so hopefully that conflict will be fairly quickly resolved, though honestly I can imagine that their biggest problem may not be Jackson, but Joley, despite her marriage to another Prakenskii, she isn't exactly the forgiving type.

I think what I prefer about the Sisters of the Heart series is that these women seem a lot stronger, a lot fiercer and willing to get their hands dirty than the Drake sisters. And the way they interact with each other and how much more of a "match" their mates are makes it feel more balanced to me. The relationships just feel more connected in this series. So, while I was somewhat apprehensive about this series, this book is more than enough to keep me on board, and frankly, I was worried about that after Spirit Bound. A solid 4 stars from me.

Was looking forward to this book and was let down after the first chapter.. I have enjoyed all the Sea Haven Books about the Drake Sisters but once she moved onto this series of the Brothers I have been disappointed with all the books including this one.. I get it that the brothers had a darker side of growing up and that they wanted revenge but to drag child rape and violence into the books is just disgusting and wrong..... I will not continue the series at all.. Her writing has changed and not for the good at all in my personal opinion.. there are other authors that do a much better job of writing....Took me over a week to finish readling and that was with skimming some pages since i couldnt read all of it.... Dont bother buying at all....

I cannot say that I am a fan of this series. The first book was the only book so far and I have really liked. This book had many times where there was a repetitive description. There were too many times that Maxim reflective on how he was taken as a boy and beaten and tortured. Just how many times did we need to be told that same thing? The other is the numerous times that Maxim said he would not let anything happen to Airiana, but then she is physically assaulted on more than one occasion. Black eyes, bruised up face, bruised ribs, hips, thighs are all something that happened to her.
There were examples where Ms. Feehan seem to forget what it is she wrote. In the book Maxim rescued the two girls that were in the cargo hold after killing two of the engine room workers and "shoved them out of sight in a small storage closet" at the beginning of chapter 7. Three pages later it is written that Maxim "signaled to Lucia to pick up Siena when they approached the stairs where the bodies of the two men who worked in the engine room were." Another example is she writes Maxim saying how he had to kill all aboard in order to ensure the safety of the children, and because they were all aware of the depraved behaviors of human trafficking with these children and then later on he is taking men and locking them up in one of the storage containers?
A part of the story that did not fit to me was when Airiana met her father and he started calling her by the same nickname her mother called her and she did not correct him to say that her name was Airiana not Airi. also what didn't fit for me was the fact that both Airiana and Maxim can manipulate air yet neither seem to use it in all of what is going on in order to protect themselves. Most annoying was Airiana's whining about using her gift when she had to protect herself from a man who was trying to kill her and killed him instead and her ridiculousness of trying to stop killers from killing other killers, the very ones who are trying to do her harm. I guess I have to give some leeway being that her father was among those in the room, supposedly.
I did like many of the interactions between Maxim and Airiana. Airiana had me laugh out loud several times on comments that she threw back at Maxim. I found some of Maxim's self reflections and the self expressed irritations he had with himself in trying to deal with his reactions with Airiana enduring or humorous.
The scene at the end of the book was fairly decent. I liked seeing they were all together all working together. Would have liked to see a little bit more crossover being that one of the ladies is a Drake. They are all about family so why aren't the Drake sisters more involved, at least visiting every once in a while? Would have also have liked to read about the reunion between the brothers.
This book was a little hard to get through. I found myself easily distracted from it on numerous occasions. What I think I have the hardest with story is it just not believable. These stories are about the seven probably most deadly men and they can't find and take out the head bad men, though Maxim spoke at least a couple times of the head evil guys he was able to get to and take out?
This series needs to just be wrapped up. The Drake series worked very well. This spinoff series not so much. The next book she needs to just bring in the last three brothers all in one story and get it over with.

Human trafficking? Billionaire sexual predators with private staterooms on a yacht, killing their child sexual victims, with more victims waiting in the wings? This is Christine Feehan’s book about Airiana and Maxim? Once I got to this part I almost didn’t finish the book. I am aware of the horrible, horrible problems with human trafficking, but using it as a “plot” in a book meant for entertainment purposes seems so wrong to me. It’s giving the subject voyeuristic properties. Yes I know the Prakenskiis are only used for ugly work, but for me this subject was just too real in this book. Feehan didn’t just allude to the sexual exploitation, she just about showed it. The scene with the one boy, I was so upset I had to stop reading for a while.

As far as Maxim and Airiana, their love story was about par for the course as has been said here. I did feel their chemistry was better than Judith’s and Thomas’. I also liked the way they used the air elements. I enjoyed their relationship with the children, children being a totally new element in the Sea Haven stories.

Human trafficking was first used, as far as I know, in Elle’s story (Drake Sisters). Feehan has taken it from a 1 or a 2 in that book and driven it up to a 10 in this book. Why? Why is she taking this route? There is another sister with a sad past Feehan could use in a similar way. I only hope she does not, and finds another story for the rest of these sisters and their Prakenskiis.

This book was well written and had a lot of action but it certainly wasn't a romance novel! There's nothing romantic about children being raped, tortured, and murdered. The level of depravity in all of Feehan's books is rising. She had a similar story line a few years ago in her Dark series. I just don't want to read my ROMANCE novels with this type of violence and oh so real occurrences in it. As far as I'm concerned, this is the last of the Feehan books I read / purchase. I don't care that I've been waiting for almost 20 years for the Dark series to reach its story conclusion either - after 20 years - I HAVE LOST ALL INTEREST!

I am sorry to say that this book kept going over information that was already given. Now lets go back to Sarah Drake's book that had no information at all about her or her sisters. That book was just as sad. Hope to get the next book if it is Earth bound, leave out all of the repetitive items about the men. We get it the first time. If you need so many pages per book, after they get out of their predicament, then give us some information on how they settle together, since these men are from terrible backgrounds.

Christine Feehan is a wonderful story teller. I enjoy the way she is able to make each book independent and yet intertwine the story with characters from other novels that occur in the same region. My only negative in this story was the extreme body count. Not that she dwells on each death as some writers, but rather that she is willing to kill so many villains off without any respect for life. None die that do not deserve it... But so very many die as to be depressing to me. Over all she does a great job, I just hope her next in this series involves less death.

I did enjoy this book and i love the way all of the characters are included within the story from the other books.........but.........I did find it very repetitive and found myself speed reading through some of it. None the less a very good easy read with good strong characters and story line. I love Christine Feehan's books and look forward to the next one.

The Sisters of the Heart series once again gives the reader a thrilling and heartwarming story. Christine Feehan brings readers to wonderful and magical worlds with all her books and this one is no different. It gives the reader’s everything they could possible want in a story, romance, family, loyalty, community, danger, travel, courage, overcoming adversity, and the mystical and I can’t wait to read the next one.

See my full review at: Paranormal Haven .com

I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this book since finishing its predecessor. I like the storyline; characters were engaging. The challenge I had with the book was the endless, numerous, inner thoughts the main characters had, many being repetitious - not just once but over and over. I would have preferred more interactions between characters. There had to be more questions as to what had happened and the reuniting of characters. That being said I look forward to Ms. Feehan's next "Sea Haven" story. I like her characters from the Drake Sister Series and this one. I hope we get to revisit them in her upcoming books.

I have purchased and enjoyed all her shifter and military stories. I just wished they could be published faster.

Christine Feehan never fails to entertain me with her vast imagination, interesting plot, and very creative characters! I go back to my very favorite and # 1 Sisters of the Heart Book "Waterbound" and start reading/audiobook listening all over again. I am so ready for the next story in line about one of the "SISTERS OF THE HEART". They are all good. I am so ready for EARTHBOUND !*!*! Keep them coming Christine.

Another spectacular book by Christine! I love Airiana and her powers. She is strong, loving, and highly intelligent. Even though the first impression of Max was not very well received she eventually came to trust him and love him. As always there is some action and these two have to fight to stay a live, not only for themselves but for the kids they saved. I can't say much more because of spoilers but it's a must read! I couldn't put this book down. I can't wait for the other books in the series to be out!

The audiobook version of this book is narrated by Phil Gigante, which is normally a good thing. He's a good reader. This time, however, he's deepened the hero's voice to the point of being nearly unintelligible. Also, for some reason, he pronounced Levi's name as lev-ee, instead of lee-vi, which really jarred the first few times. At least he did it consistently throughout the book. Found the storyline very interesting and a good addition to the Sisters.

Continuation of the Sisters of Sea Haven -- has a similar plot to the other stories -- brother of the bad guy Stavros Gratsos just as corrupted into human trafficing, weapons and drugs, Max good guy doesn't realize he deserves love and a family. Airiana brilliant mind talent with weather. Worked on project as child, mother killed -- tramatized by event. Then her long lost unknown Russian father has her kidnapped, then bad guy tries to kidnap her with Max along for the ride. Bad guys blackmail countries and want Airiana to work on a destructive weather device that can affect the every nation on earth.

But, you can tell it is a continuation of the other stories as it was the same old line the same old theme. I kind of like the action -- but I didn't care for the beating up of Airiana, she could shoot but not really fight enough to save her battered face -- where was Max when she really needed him to save her face. Why was that necessary to have her beat up; I would have liked to see that she was a Xena warrior princess in training and could kick-a**
Are there enough women to go around for the Prakenskii brothers (there are 7 of them); going to have to add extra women so they all end up married and out of the deadly games they play. I liked the fact that Airiana had air talents but would have liked to see more or it and that she was better skilled at it.

This book was more violent than I expected, I have to admit, I was uncomfortable with parts of it. As to the main story, I almost felt like I had already read it before in previous Sea Haven Novels. It was that familiar. So, while I liked the book I really hope subsequent books are different, or this is one reader who will bail out. Maybe I should have given this book a just "ok rating", but as a long time Christine Feehan fan, I just couldn't do it.

As always Ms. Feehan has written another terrific read. When I started buying her books, the book store I used didn't carry her books. I had to order from the publishers. It was well worth the trouble. I have enjoyed everyone of her books. I also keep them all and have all of her books. It took awhile for her to get this last (Sea Haven) novel out, but was well worth the wait. If you haven't read her other novels, you should. You wouldn't be disappointed.

Christine always gets the story written in such a wonderrful way that I have a hard time putting it down. As usual this one is no exeption. I love the P. brothers, and each one is more intreresting than the next. The stories are very complicated but the dynamics involving all the characters are great. Can't wait to read the next one. I love the paranormal.

Airiana and Max...wow, I loved this one! Christine Feehan has done it again. I have been a huge fan for a long time! This story has a lot of action, gun fire, knifes, facing fears, elements in fascinating use! Lots of storyline that keeps you engrossed to the pages! Strong and violent Max gets to see what love really is and feels like. Scary as hell!

The Sisters of the Heart is a wonderful series. Each sister is different in personality, bound together by violence in their past (and a therapist in common). Mix in the Prakenski brothers and oh boy are you in for a ride. This is the third book, 3 more sisters left...and 3 more Prakenski brothers out there. Can't hardly wait for the next book

Christine Feehan continues her story of the women who have bound themselves together as sisters. She fills the pages full of romance, excitement and yes sex. You feel a connection to each woman on the farm, the men they meet and the town. With each book in the series, you just want to know more about her next character and the next adventure.

Air Bound is the 3rd book in Christine Feehan’s Sisters of the Heart series, which is part of her Sea Haven series. I loved the first arc of Sea Haven, the Drake Sisters, which is one of my favorite series. Sisters of the Heart is different, though it does take place in the town the Drakes sisters live in. The sisters are not related, but have been brought together from a common bond, something terrible that happened to them in their earlier lives; they also have elemental powers, with each having something different. The sisters live on a farm land, with each having their own homes on the land that is protected to keep them safe. As we are in the third book, the first two sisters, Rikki and Judith are happily married to a Prakenskii; men who are former powerful Russian mercenaries/undercover agents, and whom will do everything to protect the land. We already know the other sisters will eventually find their mates within the remaining brothers.

Air Bound belongs to Airiana who is an air elemental. We spend a short time with the girls, as Airiana wakes up screaming from a bad dream. If her dreams are beginning again, it is a bad omen, as something is going happen. Not too long later, Airiana is kidnapped and taken on a ship. We meet our hero, Maxim, who helps protect Airiana from the other men involved in the kidnapping. He tells her she is being brought to meet her scientist father, whom she knows nothing about.

What follows is an exciting story that begins from the start, and continues on a wild ride to the finish. Maxim is all business, trying to protect Airiana. But it doesn’t take long for both of them to feel their attraction, though Maxim will fight it a lot longer. He refuses to allow his feelings to put them in danger. As I noted, it is a wild tension & action filled ride, with danger, fighting, death at each stop. Along the way, Airiana does meet her father, but there are so many twists, betrayals, and bloodshed, that if you blink for a second, you will miss something. We also get to meet some new permanent characters that are being added.
We know Maxim is a killing machine, and at times I found it hard to believe he could get out of all those dangerous situations. They worked well together, and Airiana learned how to help Maxim and fight back.

With all the non-stop action and excitement, the romance between them built fairly quickly, and became sizzling. I loved Airiana, especially when she became surer of herself. But once again, another Prakenskii comes along and I fall in love all over again. Except for maybe Ilya, Maxim is now my favorite. There were a number of villains, and one who I’m sure will be part of the next book or thereafter. The entire story was excitement every single moment, but it was great to see in the last quarter of the book, how the sisters used their elemental powers to team with the three Prakenskii men in a fantastic exciting climax.

Christine Feehan has given us another fabulous Sisters of the Heart story, with Air Bound and I look forward to the next one.

Definitely a keeper. Easy to follow and get a sense of the story in the background as well the story you were currently involved with. Story line draws you in and keeps you focused and wanting to read until the end. Will continue to follow this author and this family.

I love Christine freehan. She writes across several genres. Her books are usually series with 5 to 6 books in a series. I love the writing style because she make the women strong without being off putting and the men strong and reliable .

A ready good series. It got me reading the Drake sisters series. I love the character in this series. I love all the characters. I am sure there is probably going to be a least 3 more books written. Can't wait.

Well this author has taken her readers back to Sea Haven with this her third book in the Sisters of the Heart series and it's a cracker full of non stop action. Fans of this author were probably bitterly disappointed when her series about the Drake sisters drew to a close but Ms Feehan has managed to find equally magical characters living within the towns limits! This book has been much anticipated and yet again readers are set for an enthralling ride.
Airiana has finally found somewhere safe where she feels she belongs. Somehow fate has seen fit to grace her with the love of true friends who will always stand at her side. Airiana has tried to keep a low profile since her mother was brutally murdered and living in Sea Haven has finally given her a home. Airiana has an amazing gift which paints a target on her back but her friends will fight to protect her if that's what's needed and unfortunately that's what's about to happen!
Maxim is one of the much feared Prakenskii brothers, trained from childhood to infiltrate and remove any target. His latest assignment takes him to Sea Haven where he helps kidnap Airiana but Maxim has his own agenda! Taking the troublesome and very stubborn Airiana far away from her home Maxim tries to convince her that he has her safety at heart but what if it's Airianas heart in danger? Airiana has never before met a man quite like Maxim but can she really trust him? He's dangerous and about to put Airiana through more trials then should be humanly possible but together they just might survive.
I have been a fan of this author since I first discovered her Dark Carpathian series and love the suspense twist that she's putting on this newer series . I wasn't sure just how she could continue to bring fresh life to Sea Haven but have to admit these characters are just so interesting! Airiana whilst quiet and demure has a wicked sense of humour and her courage is astounding! Not all heroines are kick ass but when called for this strong woman makes a stand . As for the hero Maxim he's a bossy and arrogant type but it certainly works in this story. Emotionally scarred and alone he has had to rely solely on himself and trust does not come easy to him. Reading his journey from automaton to lover was heartwarming.
Now I've mentioned the word lover so feel I should broach the sexual content. Ms Feehan always seems to write very sensual stories that can be quite explicit but in this book it feels as if the sex takes a back seat which really works very well. So often various authors play the virgin card and have them literally at it like rabbits and it just doesn't fit! The romance here builds up gradually as the actual plot is much more important (hurray) and indeed when the couple finally get physically close it's not exactly the usual fireworks! Do not misunderstand though there is plenty of heat in this book it's just that the story is chock full of action and really fast paced . There is just so much happening as the author picks up the sex trafficking storyline from previous books and runs with it. Caution though as it's not pleasant.
So incredibly strong characters, a storyline that's very emotional , villains who deserve everything that's coming to them and you just know that there's more to come! If I have a gripe it's that it ends quite abruptly but that's just me, no matter how long a book I always want more!

I really enjoyed this book. The storyline was strong. The characters all strong and supportive. Simply can't wait for the next story in the series. I've enjoyed every book I've read so far by Christine Feehan.

If you were to ask me which of Ms. Feehan’s series I like most I would probably say whichever I am reading at the time. I don’t think she can put out a bad read. I do tend to re-read the Drake Sisters and Sea Haven books more often though. Air Bound is a great addition to the series. Max isn’t quite as good looking as his brothers but he has the same need to protect wired in his DNA. He is an unapologetic killer but that is just what Airiana will need to keep her alive. This book is not as erotic as some of the earlier books but has an abundance of action and adventure to make up for it. I do hope the wait for the next installment isn’t quite as long.

I enjoy reading Christine Feehan's books. What do get when you put an intelligent, actually a genius, lady with a muscle bound Prakenski? A very interesting love story with many twists. Especially when both of their abilities enable them to control air. Lot of action scenes. A very good read! If you haven't read any of the "Sea Haven" sister books, I would highly recommend those as well.

I love anything by Christine Feehan. Air Bound is the third in an exciting series. I read it twice in the first week. I bought it on Kindle since I couldn't find it at the store. Then I bought the book to complete my collection and had to read it again.

The story continues. This is a book I will reread just like the ones I have read before this. I look forward to reading the next one. I got that both Maxim and Arriana are air elements, but think Maxim has more. I was never sure what though. Evan Gratsos is still out there so I am figuring he will have something to do with another book. I do hope at some point the Drake sisters and Sisters of the heart do get together.

Will not order another book by this author until I read the reviews or order the book from the local library. No plot, no action, had to skip pages since it was the same over and over again. Does she now have a ghost writer?

Excelent story, as well as characters. Another great series like the Drake Sisters, except these are sisters of the heart, by choice. They live on their own 5 acre tact of land, each in their own home. We should all remember Rickis story and Judiths, the
artist.Now we have Ariana being kidnapped for her mind, and a Prakenski brother neing sent to rescue her and keep her alive.

I enjoyed the Drake series very much and the first books in this series have been ok, but the dialog is slow, repetitive and the characters boring. This was just a yawn. It took me over two weeks to finish since I just didn't care and I actually skipped the last couple of pages since it didn't even matter. Definitely NOT worth reading (or buying). Dropping Feehan from my read list.

Horrible. Have never read anything before by this author and will avoid her in future. Sexist, annoying and badly written. This was like trying to turn a James Bond movie into a paranormal romance and failing miserably. Awful.