Title: Turbulent Sea
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: Drake Sisters #6, Sea Haven #6
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: The Coast, Family, Magic, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Jove
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: That man was with the Reverend’s demented flock, and he had a can of spray paint in his hand to mark you as the devil’s harlot.

The star: Joley Drake was born with a legacy of unexpected magical gifts, but it was the gift of singing that made her an overnight sensation – a rock-and-roll goddess trapped by fame, fortune and ambition. Heated by the flush of success, Joley can have any man she wants. And there’s only one man who can give her what she really needs.

The bodyguard: Ilya Prakenskii, cool, inscrutable, dangerously sexy and working in the shadow of his infamous reputation – that of a secret Russian hit man on the payroll of a notorious mobster. He’s the last man Joley should get close to, yet when her life is threatened on tour, she has nowhere left to turn. But in the seductive safety of Ilya’s embrace, is Joley really as secure as she imagines?

As soon as I read the blurb for this story, I had the theme song from Whitney Houston’s The Bodyguard stuck in my head. I had it stuck in my head for the four hours that it took me to read this from cover to cover. There are quite a few similarities. Although I was so incredibly hopeful that Turbulent Sea wouldn’t end in the same way as the movie. It didn’t. We’re good (I would have flung the book across the room if it ended that sadly).

Joley is wonderfully independent, incredibly fierce and completely able to stand up for herself. But, as the book unfolds, its also obvious that she’s very lonely, vulnerable and cares a lot about everyone around her. Not necessarily a bad thing, but placed in the world of a Rockstar, it does lead to her burn out. As someone who is currently experiencing a bit of an emotional burn out myself, it was nice to read about someone else who is experiencing this. It was also great that she finds someone who can recognise that and support her.

Oceans of Fire first introduced issues with the Russian mob to the Drake Sisters world. It also introduced Ilya Prakenskii, a scary and somewhat sexy SOB. The stakes were raised further in Safe Harbor and the dangers are just increased in Turbulent Sea. Their presence and the interconnectedness of the sisters with law enforcement and the Russians keeps on raising the stakes and creating a fast paced, intense tale. It made it completely impossible to put down Turbulent Sea and I have now banned myself from picking up Hidden Currents until I get a little more productive work done…

Image source: Christine Feehan

Title: Safe Harbor
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: Drake Sisters #5, Sea Haven #5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: The Coast, Family, Magic, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Jove
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: The cameras jumped from inside the show to outside, wheree a crowd pushed along the sidewalk hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the celebrities.

One of seven daughters in a line of extraordinary women, Hannah Drake has been the elusive object of affection for Jonas Harrington for as long as the rugged sheriff can remember. It only the stunning supermodel was driven by a passion other than her career. But Jonas isn’t the only one with desires for Hannah.

From the shadows has emerged a vengeful figure who stalks the beauty with one terrifying purpose: to strip her of all she is and destroy her. Only one man was destined as her protector. Now, out of a storm of danger, Jonas must guide the woman he loves from a sinister darkness that threatens not only Hannah, but the entire Drake family.

I’ve been waiting for Hannah and Jonas’ story since I first read Magic in the Wind. It was obvious from the get-go that they were meant to be together, and I absolutely loved both characters. So I simply devoured this book.

Unlike the rest of the Drake Sisters stories, Jonas and Hannah get together very quickly and have their first couple moment. Which makes sense, because the work up to their relationship has really gone on throughout the first four books. But, since this is a whole novel and there needs to be something that comes between them, it so quickly turns badly. Hannah’s attack is so unlike the rest of the trials that the sisters have to face. And I loved it because although it comes between the lead couple, it doesn’t come between their love – just the ways in which they have to deal with one another.

Although Hannah is a supermodel, she is always described as homely and loving by the rest of the sisters. The fact that this is how she wants to be – a homely, motherly figure is kind of fun. It’s a great reminder that although women get to be strong and independent, it’s also okay to want to stay at home and be a mother and wife. Jonas’ love of and acceptance of her just makes this all the more sweet. But, ultimately it’s the way that he is able to see the true her when even her sisters can’t that just made my heart melt. I’m loving every single couple in the Drake Sisters series, but these two hold a special place in my literary heart.

Image source: Christine Feehan

Title: Dangerous Tides
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: Drake Sisters #4, Sea Haven #4
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: The Coast, Family, Magic, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Jove
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: I have dirt on my face?

Dr. Libby Drake is sensible and practical. To her more adventurous sisters, she’s always been the “good girl”. Certainly not the kind to attract the attention of a genius like Ty Derrick – until a tragic accident leaves the handsome biochemist at her mercy.

Acting on her uncanny ability to heal, she stirs in the reawakened Ty his own long-suppressed desires for the woman who saved his life. But he’s not the only man with designs on Libby Drake. Her miraculous and selfless power has also captured the attention of a dangerously influential admirer. He’s pursuing the elementally gifted beauty for his own wicked purpose. And he’s willing to go to deadly lengths to make it happen.

Libby is so cute and sweet. A little bit annoyingly so, but that’s mostly because I can’t imagine anyone being that naïve and sweet. At all. Ever. So it was good fun and refreshing to read a tale about someone like that. But I also occasionally wanted to reach through the pages of the book and smack her for not seeing the world clearly. Probably because I am a naturally cynical and sarcastic child who doesn’t really trust anyone…

I was honestly lucky to get some sleep last night, because I started reading this just before bedtime. I got about two thirds of the way through before I decided I had to responsibly adult and go to sleep. So the first thing I did when I woke up? Finish the tale of Libby and Ty. I love that they are so different to the other couples in the Drake Sisters series so far. Ty still has the cave man, alpha male thing going on. Which in theory I hate, but when I read about it, it makes me go more than a little gooey. And then I remember that I have my own controlling caveman, and much like the Drake Sisters, I agree and then do whatever the hell I want anyway. Actually, the reason I found Libby the hardest to relate to so far is that she didn’t just shrug off what he said and do whatever, she actually listened to him and had compassion for his forceful suggestions. It’s not something I’m quite capable of myself…

As a scientist, I related to Ty incredibly. I get this insane tunnel vision and often forget to eat. I actually specifically don’t plug in my laptop and have a Fitbit that goes off every hour so that I remember things. I’m not quite so bad, I normally remember the big, important things, but the little ones like meetings and events… I do quite often forget those. The fact that Feehan obviously did a lot of research to get the experience of the science and the technicalities of Ty’s ill-fortuned rescue venture correct really read well. And they just added to the idea of his brilliance, and the completely different world that a reader will find themselves in when they are thrown into the incredibly weird world of single-minded scientists.

Image source: Amazon

Title: Oceans of Fire
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: Drake Sisters #3, Sea Haven #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: The Coast, Family, Magic, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Piatkus
Year: 2005
5th sentence, 74th page: It shows up in the form of a handprint every time she flirts.

Seven sisters…
and a legacy of magical secrets.

The third daughter in a magical bloodline, Abigail Drake was born with a mystical affinity for water and possesses a particularly strong bond with dolphins. She has spent her entire life studying them, learning from them, and swimming among them in the waters off her hometown of Sea Haven.

However, her calm is shattered when she witnesses a cold-blooded murder on shore and finds herself fleeing for her life – right into the arms of Aleksandr Volstov. An Interpol agent on the trail of stolen Russian antiquities, Aleksandr is a relentless man who gets what he goes after – and the man who broke Abigail’s heart. But he isn’t going to let the only woman he ever loved be placed in harm’s way – or allow her to slip away from his embrace a second time.

I’m sad that this is over. And I’m sad that I now have to wait a whole week until I get my hands on Dangerous Tides. I thought that I was feeling obsessive over the Drake Sisters after the first two tales, but this just tipped me over the edge. I loved Abigail and her journey with the Russians. I also loved that she is a marine biologist… it’s a similar field to my terrestrial ecologist field.

As much as I enjoy paranormal romance, sometimes I find it incredibly unrealistic that a couple meets and falls madly in love within mere moments. Alright, it does happen (I feel in lust with my partner when I first met him), but it’s not exactly the most realistic way for people to form a relationship. The fact that Alexsandr and Abigail had a prior relationship showed that Feehan is able to write about both kinds of love. There is a horrible past between the two characters, but they are able to find their future happiness as they run towards safety and try to escape Russian mobsters.

Oceans of Fire also introduces a few key characters that I think are going to pop up and create issues for the Drake Sisters throughout the rest of the Sea Haven series. I’m obsessing over stories like this at the moment because they feature all new people each and every tale that you can be swept away by and fall in love with. Yet, those that I’ve previously fell in love with are still present. I’m actually completely captivated by Ilya, and the first thing I did after finishing this was read the blurbs for the rest of this series’ stories. So now I just have to wait until Turbulent Seas where Ilya will appear again…

Image source: Bookdepository

Title: The Twilight Before Christmas
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: Drake Sisters #2, Sea Haven #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: The Coast, Family, Magic, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: She was so serious all of a sudden, so distant from him, that he was actually beginning to believe she was on the trail of something evil.

SEVEN SISTERS…
AND A LEGACY OF MAGICAL SECRETS.

Bestselling novelist Kate Drake is one of seven sisters gifted with amazing powers of witchcraft. Returning home in time for her northern California town’s annual Christmas pageant, Kate catches the spirit of the season and decides to open a bookstore in a charming but run-down historic mill. Decorated former U.S. Army Ranger Matt Granite, now a local contractor, doesn’t mind working in the undeniably eerie house – not if it means getting closer to Kate. There’s something about the quiet, sensual woman that powerfully attracts him.

When an earthquake cracks the mill’s foundation and reveals a burial crypt, Kate senses that a centuries-old evil has been unleashed… and that it’s coming after her. Though Matt vows to guard her from dusk till dawn, Kate knows she will have to summon all of her and her sisters’ powers to battle the darkness threatening to destroy both Christmas and the gift of soul-searing passion her hometown hero wants to keep forever…

The spirit of Christmas is beautiful. It is everything that family and friendship and all those happy, gooey things should be. And generally, completely unrealistic. But, hey, I love the idea of Christmas and the Christmas spirit. Which this story encompasses completely. The feeling of joy, family and love. The idea of putting yourself before others and accepting people, flaws and all.

I thoroughly enjoy romance stories – it’s always nice to imagine that everyone has their perfect partner out there. And that there is somebody for everyone. The idea that Matt would be completely enamoured with Kate since the first moment he laid eyes on her is completely sweet. Yet, kind of creepy. It’s such a recurring theme, the possession and the protectiveness. And when it is something that is returned and also felt, it works out incredibly romantic. But, part of me, while reading this couldn’t help but imagine what would happen if Kate didn’t return the feelings and impulses of her male counterpart. Luckily for my romantic bone, this doesn’t happen and Feehan writes everything so sweetly and romantically that I was completely swept away by their love story.

I identified with Kate a lot more than I thought I would. I’m not elegant or put together, but I am kind of removed from the world. I would rather read than do and I’m more than happy observing the world around me. I still like to throw myself into my life, but in doing so, I tend to throw myself into more research and books. The fact that this lifestyle makes Kate feel like she’s in the shadows instead of truly living her life was both familiar to me, and a little sad. After all, it takes all kinds, and there’s nothing wrong (I hope) with watching the world whirl by instead of being completely swept away in the hailstorm of your surrounds.

Image source: Simon & Schuster