TBR Challenge: Christine Feehan - Water Bound

The last thing Lev Prakenskii remembered was being lost in the swirling currents of the ocean and getting sucked deeper into the nothingness of a freezing black eddy off the coastal town of Sea Haven. Just as quickly, just a miraculously, he was saved—pulled ashore by a beautiful stranger. But Lev has no memory of who he is—or why he seems to possess the violent instincts of a trained killer. All he knows is that he fears for his life, and for the life of his unexpected savior.
Her name is Rikki, a sea~urchin diver in Sea Haven. She has always felt an affinity for the ocean, and for the seductive pull of the tides. And now she feels drawn in the same way to the enigmatic man she rescued. But soon they will be bound by something even stronger, and their tantalizing secrets will engulf them both in a whirlpool of dizzying passion and inescapable danger.

Comment: It's time for the challenge book of the month. October has the theme of paranormal or romantic suspense. I chose this book because it's been in my TBR list for three years and I thought it would suit the paranormal part, the romantic one and even the suspense as well! So, three in one on this one. It might not be most fascinating pick but it will be one out of the pile, so...

This book is a spin off of the Drake Sisters series and it focuses on another set of sisters, not biological, but from the heart. 
This story is about Rikki, she has an affinity with water and her work is all about catching sea-urchins to sell. She has a troubled past and has been running from fire all her life since her parents died. She found safety with her new sisters who take care of her and made possible for her to have a good life and close to the ocean, which she needs to be around.
Lev Prakenskii is found by Rikki after a huge wave rocks her boat. He was on another boat and escapes from an explosion barely alive. Rikki rescues and helps him and while he recuperates, he starts seeing the possibility of a live with her, but only if he takes care of who's after her first.

This book wasn't that bad, and it provided  good enough storyline and scenes. It had some changes from what I'm used to from her other novels. This book was a bit more easy to follow in terms of plot and character building, something not always easy in other books because most times, the author wants to delay things.
I thin this book wasn't as prolonged as others and I think it wasn't so bad in the plot development; it was possible to see where things were going in a more decisive way. Still, when the book was over and I had turned the last page I had the immediate thought the 443 pages used could have been less and I'm pretty sure one hundred pages less would have gotten the job done as well and probably not all that bad either. The author takes a long time writing things that could be shorter. But I guess for those hard core fans this is also part of her appeal as a writer, so... it's just that, for me, after all the books by her I've read it can become a bit tiresome.

The characters were likable enough too. Lev is the image of her trademark heroes, mysterious, dark and dangerous when not with people he trusts. You now, the usual. A big part of the plot was about his new identity and how he coped with the things he did in the past.
The real surprise was Rikki, she is a heroine I don't remember seeing in the author's novels and I liked her a lot. She has a disability and has managed to build up her life despite that and even after many hard times and experiences. She was quite the refreshing heroine and it was very interesting to follow her and her mental processes and way of life. I liked her a lot and she saved he book for me.

The plot isn't new or surprising. It's about two people surviving a wave at sea, then she helps him, he wants a new life, he helps her and she shows him he is worthy of love while telling her she has the right to be loved as well. Simple.

Apart from the usual elements expected in this author's books and the prolonged size of the text, I actually had a good time reading because what was predictable I didn't hate and in the end some things were different enough to grab my attention. I think this is an author whether you like and set your hopes on a good routine thus loving her work, or you like some things and find other annoying (like it happens to me).

All in all, a good enough book, strong elements and a solid enough story to base the plot and voilá, the usual trademark by the author in an emotional and hopeful story.
Grade: 6/10