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Seaborne #1
Seaborne
Enter the realm of Seaborne. . .and the achingly romantic world of Katherine Irons, a new talent who will break your heart and heal it all at the same time. . .
Take Me Away
Shrouded in mist, the hidden shoreline near her family's Maine estate is a place of refuge for Claire Bishop. There, she can forget the physical limitations imposed by a tragic accident and escape judgmental eyes. Yet someone is watching from the depths of the sea, a being who senses her inner despair and is drawn to help her. Prince Morgan, risen from the waves and as perfect a man Claire has ever laid eyes on. She is sure she has dreamed him into existence--Morgan's masculine beauty and sensual tenderness cannot be real. Then the dream overtakes reality. . .
With Morgan at her side, Claire is suddenly freed, swimming with him to a lost paradise, a fantastic underwater world with a sunken stone city at its heart. Soon the lovers find that their union has aroused the wrath of his warring clan--but Claire would rather die than return to her crippling life on earth, and Morgan will not live without the woman he adores...
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
15 people are currently reading
552 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Irons
3 books24 followersA native of Delaware, Katherine Irons lives in a 300-year-old farmhouse with her husband. When not writing, she enjoys reading, travel, and beach combing. She is currently at work on her next novel in the Seaborne series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
March 22, 2011
Claire Bishop stays at Seaborne, an estate her grandmother left her, after a tragic boating accident leaves Claire paralyzed from the waist down. Her adoptive father worries that self-piety is making her to stay locked away in the estate. He calls on Claire’s ex-husband to help him make sure she is okay. Prince Morgan has watched Claire from the beach at Seaborne, and he finally comes out of the ocean to see her. Connections with humans are forbidden in the undersea world, but he is willing to pay the price.
Claire was a problem in the story for me. Her wheelchair life is very sad, but on the plus side she has enough money to have three lifetimes. She is wallowing in self-piety throughout a large portion of the story. Once Morgan enters the picture she decides to be confident, but at the first sign of a challenge she backs off and becomes weak again. I think I would have had more piety for her if she had been more proactive in her own affairs at the start.
Morgan on the other hand is a strong character. The only problem with him is that we are told he feels certain ways about Claire in the first moments they are together, but I never see it develop. Instead he pines watching the woman he can’t get out of his head. When he finally meets her it is like a switch is flipped and we are told all these feelings he has for her.
This was my first undersea mer-like people story. So in the first scenes when I have these strange, fishy men chatting back and forth underwater I was confused. It wasn’t until much later that it was explained that underwater chatting is half telepathic…sort of… I still don’t understand that. Underwater battles were just as strange. The mer-ish people use tridents and swords, even bows, but they move with a normal speed, some of the time. I found it hard to imagine the Atlanteans sweating, or crying in their ocean home, yet they did it. None of these small things were explained and bothered me throughout the story.
Morgan is by far the strongest of our characters but Claire saves him, twice. I don’t really consider either time ‘saving.’ The main problem was that I didn’t buy into Claire and Morgan as a couple. I didn’t really buy into Claire as a character. They have a few graphic scenes with one another, but they were never that powerful.
Most of the drama comes from Morgan’s very strange family, but there is some building with Claire’s ex-husband that makes for fast paced ending. I really wished for more tension before the ending. I am left feeling a little confused and not as happy for some of the characters. On an up note it could be the inconsistent fishy life that threw me off of the story.
- Beth (Guest Reviewer)
Claire was a problem in the story for me. Her wheelchair life is very sad, but on the plus side she has enough money to have three lifetimes. She is wallowing in self-piety throughout a large portion of the story. Once Morgan enters the picture she decides to be confident, but at the first sign of a challenge she backs off and becomes weak again. I think I would have had more piety for her if she had been more proactive in her own affairs at the start.
Morgan on the other hand is a strong character. The only problem with him is that we are told he feels certain ways about Claire in the first moments they are together, but I never see it develop. Instead he pines watching the woman he can’t get out of his head. When he finally meets her it is like a switch is flipped and we are told all these feelings he has for her.
This was my first undersea mer-like people story. So in the first scenes when I have these strange, fishy men chatting back and forth underwater I was confused. It wasn’t until much later that it was explained that underwater chatting is half telepathic…sort of… I still don’t understand that. Underwater battles were just as strange. The mer-ish people use tridents and swords, even bows, but they move with a normal speed, some of the time. I found it hard to imagine the Atlanteans sweating, or crying in their ocean home, yet they did it. None of these small things were explained and bothered me throughout the story.
Morgan is by far the strongest of our characters but Claire saves him, twice. I don’t really consider either time ‘saving.’ The main problem was that I didn’t buy into Claire and Morgan as a couple. I didn’t really buy into Claire as a character. They have a few graphic scenes with one another, but they were never that powerful.
Most of the drama comes from Morgan’s very strange family, but there is some building with Claire’s ex-husband that makes for fast paced ending. I really wished for more tension before the ending. I am left feeling a little confused and not as happy for some of the characters. On an up note it could be the inconsistent fishy life that threw me off of the story.
- Beth (Guest Reviewer)
dnf
March 9, 2013I'm so flipping disappointed. This has mermaids! I love mermaids. However, I dislike Claire. Claire was in a horrible accident that left her paralyzed. She (of course) has money out the wahzoo. Claire also (at least for the 50 or pages I've read) poor me, poor me, poor me! I can take only so much of that attitude. Plus, I think it's creepy how controlling her father is (oops! I mean adoptive father!). It's also weird (at least to me) how her (adoptive) father didn't want her calling him dad, daddy, pop; instead preferring her to use his first name. Weird, yes?
May 31, 2013
Claire is in a wheelchair due to a boating accident. Morgan is an Atlantean (think mer-man) and lives in the ocean.
Isn't that enough? Couldn't that be enough of a story, romance, trouble, etc.
***SPOILER ALLERT***
Apparently the author doesn't think so. She adds:
-A crazy ex-husband who is a sex addict, deals in drugs and a murderer
-A controlling adoptive father (who turns out to be her real father) who won't trust her despite the fact that she is a rich, intelligent, 30 year old woman.
-The king of Atlantis that hates humans.
-One of the kings wives who hates Morgan.
-A plot to kill the king.
-The devil of the underworld and his minions who suck the life out of humans.
-A human child who is turned into an Atlantean.
OMG - it goes on and on. I can't believe how much crap the author threw into this book.
The parts with Claire and Morgan were good. The rest was crap.
Isn't that enough? Couldn't that be enough of a story, romance, trouble, etc.
***SPOILER ALLERT***
Apparently the author doesn't think so. She adds:
-A crazy ex-husband who is a sex addict, deals in drugs and a murderer
-A controlling adoptive father (who turns out to be her real father) who won't trust her despite the fact that she is a rich, intelligent, 30 year old woman.
-The king of Atlantis that hates humans.
-One of the kings wives who hates Morgan.
-A plot to kill the king.
-The devil of the underworld and his minions who suck the life out of humans.
-A human child who is turned into an Atlantean.
OMG - it goes on and on. I can't believe how much crap the author threw into this book.
The parts with Claire and Morgan were good. The rest was crap.
did-not-finish
March 8, 2017Didn't even get a third of the way through, but so many problems. The way disability and chronic pain is handled is sketchy, but it may turn around over the course of the story so I can't rail against it outright. There's no nuance - the bad guys are super bad (), the good guys are super good, and the heroine is being tossed around by the winds of fate. I haven't seen her choose anything yet, for goodness sake. The housekeeper plops down meals in front of her like she's a three-year-old, doctors are called in whether she wants/needs them or not, and the hero hauls her off into the sea with dubious consent and makes her basically forget the whole thing afterwards.
Way too old skool for me so no, no, no.
Way too old skool for me so no, no, no.
March 22, 2011
Claire Bishop stays at Seaborne, an estate her grandmother left her, after a tragic boating accident leaves Claire paralyzed from the waist down. Her adoptive father worries that self-piety is making her to stay locked away in the estate. He calls on Claire’s ex-husband to help him make sure she is okay. Prince Morgan has watched Claire from the beach at Seaborne, and he finally comes out of the ocean to see her. Connections with humans are forbidden in the undersea world, but he is willing to pay the price.
Claire was a problem in the story for me. Her wheelchair life is very sad, but on the plus side she has enough money to have three lifetimes. She is wallowing in self-piety throughout a large portion of the story. Once Morgan enters the picture she decides to be confident, but at the first sign of a challenge she backs off and becomes weak again. I think I would have had more piety for her if she had been more proactive in her own affairs at the start.
Morgan on the other hand is a strong character. The only problem with him is that we are told he feels certain ways about Claire in the first moments they are together, but I never see it develop. Instead he pines watching the woman he can’t get out of his head. When he finally meets her it is like a switch is flipped and we are told all these feelings he has for her.
This was my first undersea mer-like people story. So in the first scenes when I have these strange, fishy men chatting back and forth underwater I was confused. It wasn’t until much later that it was explained that underwater chatting is half telepathic…sort of… I still don’t understand that. Underwater battles were just as strange. The mer-ish people use tridents and swords, even bows, but they move with a normal speed, some of the time. I found it hard to imagine the Atlanteans sweating, or crying in their ocean home, yet they did it. None of these small things were explained and bothered me throughout the story.
Morgan is by far the strongest of our characters but Claire saves him, twice. I don’t really consider either time ‘saving.’ The main problem was that I didn’t buy into Claire and Morgan as a couple. I didn’t really buy into Claire as a character. They have a few graphic scenes with one another, but they were never that powerful.
Most of the drama comes from Morgan’s very strange family, but there is some building with Claire’s ex-husband that makes for fast paced ending. I really wished for more tension before the ending. I am left feeling a little confused and not as happy for some of the characters. On an up note it could be the inconsistent fishy life that threw me off of the story.
Claire was a problem in the story for me. Her wheelchair life is very sad, but on the plus side she has enough money to have three lifetimes. She is wallowing in self-piety throughout a large portion of the story. Once Morgan enters the picture she decides to be confident, but at the first sign of a challenge she backs off and becomes weak again. I think I would have had more piety for her if she had been more proactive in her own affairs at the start.
Morgan on the other hand is a strong character. The only problem with him is that we are told he feels certain ways about Claire in the first moments they are together, but I never see it develop. Instead he pines watching the woman he can’t get out of his head. When he finally meets her it is like a switch is flipped and we are told all these feelings he has for her.
This was my first undersea mer-like people story. So in the first scenes when I have these strange, fishy men chatting back and forth underwater I was confused. It wasn’t until much later that it was explained that underwater chatting is half telepathic…sort of… I still don’t understand that. Underwater battles were just as strange. The mer-ish people use tridents and swords, even bows, but they move with a normal speed, some of the time. I found it hard to imagine the Atlanteans sweating, or crying in their ocean home, yet they did it. None of these small things were explained and bothered me throughout the story.
Morgan is by far the strongest of our characters but Claire saves him, twice. I don’t really consider either time ‘saving.’ The main problem was that I didn’t buy into Claire and Morgan as a couple. I didn’t really buy into Claire as a character. They have a few graphic scenes with one another, but they were never that powerful.
Most of the drama comes from Morgan’s very strange family, but there is some building with Claire’s ex-husband that makes for fast paced ending. I really wished for more tension before the ending. I am left feeling a little confused and not as happy for some of the characters. On an up note it could be the inconsistent fishy life that threw me off of the story.
February 12, 2020
NOT WORTH READING.
This is not just a bad book, it is outright harmful in its depiction of a paraplegic woman. It fails two of the three dimensions of The Fries Test on disability representation in our culture. Perhaps the most disappointing point is that
As a fantasy novel, the worldbuilding is painfully deficient. Other reviewers have pointed out major flaws: see the review by Allyson Orr for a brief summary of major flaws. Irons has given no thought to this undersea world, and the lack of logic makes it hard to visualize any of the scenes described and hard to engage with any of it.
As a romance novel, the love between the two major characters had no basis, so there was nothing emotionally satisfying in reading about it. The sex scenes were titillating at times, if repetitive; Irons quickly runs out of ideas on how to describe the characters and sex between them. Here's an example of the kind of repetition I'm talking about:
As a novel, there are way too many sub-plots that add nothing to the story. They clutter up this book. See Chris' review which will give you an idea of how many ridiculous sub-plots have been included (spoiler alert). The space could have been put to better use in character development and allowing the relationship between the romantic leads to develop. I suspect some of it is intended to re-surface in later books in this series, and that leaves me feeling that the sequels will be equally cluttered and lacking in development.
I could go on, but I think I've made my point.
~bint
This is not just a bad book, it is outright harmful in its depiction of a paraplegic woman. It fails two of the three dimensions of The Fries Test on disability representation in our culture. Perhaps the most disappointing point is that
As a fantasy novel, the worldbuilding is painfully deficient. Other reviewers have pointed out major flaws: see the review by Allyson Orr for a brief summary of major flaws. Irons has given no thought to this undersea world, and the lack of logic makes it hard to visualize any of the scenes described and hard to engage with any of it.
As a romance novel, the love between the two major characters had no basis, so there was nothing emotionally satisfying in reading about it. The sex scenes were titillating at times, if repetitive; Irons quickly runs out of ideas on how to describe the characters and sex between them. Here's an example of the kind of repetition I'm talking about:
p.43 "the room smelled of salt and sand and rolling waves"
p.44 "She could taste Morgan's lips, his sweet breath mingled with hers, smell the clean, salty scent of his skin."
p.151 "She gripped him tightly, running her fingers through his hair, inhaling the scent that was his alone, all brine and sea and virile male."
p.204 "He tasted of salt and sea and virile male."
As a novel, there are way too many sub-plots that add nothing to the story. They clutter up this book. See Chris' review which will give you an idea of how many ridiculous sub-plots have been included (spoiler alert). The space could have been put to better use in character development and allowing the relationship between the romantic leads to develop. I suspect some of it is intended to re-surface in later books in this series, and that leaves me feeling that the sequels will be equally cluttered and lacking in development.
I could go on, but I think I've made my point.
~bint
October 10, 2011
This story is about Prince Morgan, son of Poseidon. He is next in line to take the thrown but in order to do so he needs to keep in line...There are rules to follow, like not mingling with humans. However he comes across a girl named Claire. He sees she's fragile but there is something about her that he just can't get out of his mind. It's forbidden of course to be involved with a human...His mother was even killed by one. However, he has to get to know her and this urge to do so has it's consequences.
Claire is a woman who was recently hurt in a boating accident. She is to never walk again, she's paralyzed from the waist down. The only time she feels somewhat normal is in her Maine home at Seaborne. There she enjoys sitting out in the sun enjoying the ocean. This is where Morgan sees Claire for the first time. Unable to stay away anymore he greets her. However their conversation gets interrupted by Claire's house keeper and Morgan disappears. Claire had some serious brain injury in her accident and thinks maybe she made Morgan up? However Morgan starts visiting her at night. He starts to show her his world and when he does Claire's legs are no longer paralyzed. How is this possible? Is he even real or is this all a dream? As the two get to know each other better there are others who don't want them together. And there are others who want to be king and in order for that to happen Prince Morgan needs to be out of the picture. So now it's not just Morgan who's life is in danger...Claire's is too...Will they survive this and in the end be together with all the odds against them?
I enjoyed this book but I did think the beginning was a little slow. There were times I thought the dialog was corny but overall I did enjoy the book. I've never read a book dealing with the water world and I think the author gave very descriptive details as what you would expect to find living there. It was nice to see Claire come alive when she was in the water. I had my theories about her and glad what I thought came out in the end. The second book is about the brother Orion and I enjoyed his character so I'll definitely be reading the next one. The thing that bothered me most was what happened with her father. I won't give anything away but I was just really bummed about how things happened and that was that with him.
Claire is a woman who was recently hurt in a boating accident. She is to never walk again, she's paralyzed from the waist down. The only time she feels somewhat normal is in her Maine home at Seaborne. There she enjoys sitting out in the sun enjoying the ocean. This is where Morgan sees Claire for the first time. Unable to stay away anymore he greets her. However their conversation gets interrupted by Claire's house keeper and Morgan disappears. Claire had some serious brain injury in her accident and thinks maybe she made Morgan up? However Morgan starts visiting her at night. He starts to show her his world and when he does Claire's legs are no longer paralyzed. How is this possible? Is he even real or is this all a dream? As the two get to know each other better there are others who don't want them together. And there are others who want to be king and in order for that to happen Prince Morgan needs to be out of the picture. So now it's not just Morgan who's life is in danger...Claire's is too...Will they survive this and in the end be together with all the odds against them?
I enjoyed this book but I did think the beginning was a little slow. There were times I thought the dialog was corny but overall I did enjoy the book. I've never read a book dealing with the water world and I think the author gave very descriptive details as what you would expect to find living there. It was nice to see Claire come alive when she was in the water. I had my theories about her and glad what I thought came out in the end. The second book is about the brother Orion and I enjoyed his character so I'll definitely be reading the next one. The thing that bothered me most was what happened with her father. I won't give anything away but I was just really bummed about how things happened and that was that with him.
April 23, 2011
Seaborne is a memorable debut that I could not put down. It's a different, unique story that was engaging and fast paced. I was charmed and enchanted by Morgan, a sea creature who knows the rules, but his heart is on his sleeve, and he tends to think with it instead of his head.
The heroine, Claire, is a heroine with a tragic past. Because of an accident, she is permanately disabled and has come to Seaborne to heal emotionally and to be left alone. She begins having dreams, and dreams of Morgan. Her dreams are surreal and erotic. The line between real and what's in a dream blend, and puts Claire in a state of confusion. All the while it worries the people at Seaborne who have been taking care of Claire, and also worries her father.
This story is captivating and breathtaking. I did find some confusion in the beginning when Morgan only met Claire in her dreams, but that didn't take me away from the story too much, and it ended up getting better and better as time went on. Katherine Irons created such memorable characters in Claire, Morgan, and the people that surround them. Secrets are unveiled and truths are told. It all boils down to an important decision that Claire must make.
If you need a refreshing break from the same type of paranormals out there, look no further than Seaborne. If you pick up this book you won't want to stop reading until the final page has been turned.
November 17, 2014
synopsis:
claire has retreated to her home in maine following an accident that leaves her paralysed from the waiste down. morgan, who is not supposed to have contact with humnas, sees claire and is drawn to her. he takes her under the sea with him.
what i liked: the premise. people of the sea? that's different, count me in!
what i didn't like: the execution. rather than every thing being clear, it felt like you were swimming through mud. it was a struggle for me to finish it. i didn't really care for the main characters, either.
claire has retreated to her home in maine following an accident that leaves her paralysed from the waiste down. morgan, who is not supposed to have contact with humnas, sees claire and is drawn to her. he takes her under the sea with him.
what i liked: the premise. people of the sea? that's different, count me in!
what i didn't like: the execution. rather than every thing being clear, it felt like you were swimming through mud. it was a struggle for me to finish it. i didn't really care for the main characters, either.
November 9, 2018
Not a terrible book, but suffers from some occasional moments that made me snort "really??" Mostly due to the ridiculous evilness of the ex-husband. Like, we gotta craft the sketchiest, evilest bisexual deviant we can here! Let's just make him the worst.
Enjoyed a few of the characters (handsome handsome Alex), but mostly liked the lore building stuff. Mermaids and fancy cities and dropping random facts about the other magical races.
Don't think I'll pick up any of the others, but wasn't an awful read for what I paid for it.
Enjoyed a few of the characters (handsome handsome Alex), but mostly liked the lore building stuff. Mermaids and fancy cities and dropping random facts about the other magical races.
Don't think I'll pick up any of the others, but wasn't an awful read for what I paid for it.
December 30, 2014
Typical PNR fluff. Sadly lacking in worldbuilding. If you're going to write a story about people who live underwater, at least put a little thought into how their lives might be different from ours. They would probably not eat soup or drink wine from goblets. They certainly wouldn't have fountains in the courtyard. If you think about that one too long your brain will explode.
December 28, 2025
The story wasn't what I expected, and it had so many subplots that it became quite tedious as it progressed. The story intertwines the tragedy and desolation of a woman left disabled after an accident with an Atlantean prince who longs for freedom but is also bound by his responsibilities. It blends palace intrigue with a long-term crime. Something that seems to lose its impact is that Claire's father's death appears to have no real significance, and her reunion with her mother in Atlantis lacks real relevance despite being a central mystery. And there were so many characters that it was difficult to follow the story from so many different perspectives.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2017
absolutely loved this book! I love the idea of mermaid romance novels, but this one was the best one i've read so far. while the story seemed a bit cliche (as is the case with 99% of romance novels), it was still a great book with great character development and passionate romance. i totally recommend this to anyone who loves mermaids and romance!
January 23, 2021
Last I read a few pages was back on June 28 and it was with a sad depiction of ex-husband knows best.
Her father obviously knows best too.
And the kilted merman wasn't that great.
So it's time to put this in the DNF list.
Chapter 5=17%
Her father obviously knows best too.
And the kilted merman wasn't that great.
So it's time to put this in the DNF list.
Chapter 5=17%
October 3, 2024
Loved this cute story filled with deep emotions, lots of inner-character conflict, and glimpses of hopes and dreams. The ending was quite a thrill between two different characters’ timelines, fun to see which one’s wins out… the real world or her dream world.
February 14, 2012
Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Hot Prince. ‘Nuff said.
Opening Sentence: The summer storm swept in without warning.
The Review:
Today, ladies and gentlemen, we travel to the beautiful Maine coastline. Here on this secluded private beach you will find all the comforts of home and sea. Let’s spend a few peaceful moments enjoying the sand and surf, for our next stop will be very exciting. You see, in a few pages we will be experiencing the underwater world of the “lost” city of Atlantis. There, we will discover several different species, some more well recognized than others. We will also meet many people and perhaps we might even catch a glimpse of the royalty! Such a thrill. Though, I do hope that all of that craziness has died down since my last trip. Ah well, carrying on…
Meet Claire Bishop, 29. Two years ago she was involved in a boating accident that killed her good friend. The accident left her crippled, destroying her Olympic career, her ability to ride horses, etc. She also was married until she found her husband’s secretary in their bed, covered in her perfume, wearing her best negligee, screwing her husband, the psychiatrist. So after all these events, Claire escapes to Seaborne, the Coastal Maine estate she inherited from her grandmother.
Meet Prince Morgan, age in the hundreds, son of Poseidon, heir to the throne of Atlantis. This guy is hot, hot, hot…and in the beginning he defies the laws of his kingdom to save the life of a young human boy…so what are we poor readers to do but fall madly in love with him.
Their journey towards happiness is not an easy one. Morgan must overcome a trial, war with one of his siblings and an attempted assassination of his king and all his family members. Claire, in her own way, is also dealing with a familial war and attempted assassination. In short, about half way through the book, everything goes to Hades in the proverbial hand basket. But the couple; like most for this is a romance novel; overcome it all and obtain their HEA.
Claire’s ex is the strangest shrink I’ve ever read. I wonder exactly what he thought Claire’s “feelings” were going to be about his philandering. Plus, this guy is a deranged murderer, drug addict (if Viagra can be considered addictive), and sexual deviant. Just an all around straight up psycho.
Anyway, this book has it all. Murder, mayhem, lust, love, adventure, and drama. All the self pity in the novel was a bit grating at times, but nonetheless I enjoyed this story. This is a great debut to what looks like a great series with the potential for a long life span. Seriously, Morgan has something like 50 siblings. This could go on for years. Awesome!
Notable Scene:
She let go of his hands, balled a fist and hit him as hard as she could in the face.
Justin swore and pressed down harder.
I’m dying, she thought. This is what it feels like to die.
Abruptly, Justin’s fingers were torn away. She gasped for air, chocking and gagging. Justin screamed as Morgan through him across the room and he smashed into the French doors.
“Claire? Are you—“
She nodded her head, weeping now, unable to utter more than a rasp through her battered throat. “He killed my father.” She touched him. “Are you real?” she managed. “You’re not dead?”
In answer, he picked her up and started for the door. She could tell by the way he walked that his wounds had drained his strength. “I have to get to the sea,” he said.
“Go, save yourself,” she urged him. “Leave me.”
“Never again.”
Outside, the storm had grown worse. The wind was coming off the ocean and the force of it hit them in the face as they crossed the lawn. “Take the elevator to the beach,” she shouted in Morgan’s ear. “The stairs are too steep. You can never make it down carrying me.”
Ignoring her pleas, he passed the elevator platform and began to climb down the slippery stone steps to the sand. They were halfway to the bottom, and Morgan was clinging to the metal rail and attempting to catch his breath when another shot rang out. Blood and flesh exploded from Morgan’s shoulder and he grunted in pain.
“Morgan!”
Claire looked up and her heart kicked against her ribs as she made out Justin’s shadowy form at the top of the cliff. The muzzle of his gun spat fire.
The Seaborne Series:
1. Seaborne
2. Oceanborne
3. Waterborne
FTC Advisory: Kensington provided me with a copy of Seaborne. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Hot Prince. ‘Nuff said.
Opening Sentence: The summer storm swept in without warning.
The Review:
Today, ladies and gentlemen, we travel to the beautiful Maine coastline. Here on this secluded private beach you will find all the comforts of home and sea. Let’s spend a few peaceful moments enjoying the sand and surf, for our next stop will be very exciting. You see, in a few pages we will be experiencing the underwater world of the “lost” city of Atlantis. There, we will discover several different species, some more well recognized than others. We will also meet many people and perhaps we might even catch a glimpse of the royalty! Such a thrill. Though, I do hope that all of that craziness has died down since my last trip. Ah well, carrying on…
Meet Claire Bishop, 29. Two years ago she was involved in a boating accident that killed her good friend. The accident left her crippled, destroying her Olympic career, her ability to ride horses, etc. She also was married until she found her husband’s secretary in their bed, covered in her perfume, wearing her best negligee, screwing her husband, the psychiatrist. So after all these events, Claire escapes to Seaborne, the Coastal Maine estate she inherited from her grandmother.
Meet Prince Morgan, age in the hundreds, son of Poseidon, heir to the throne of Atlantis. This guy is hot, hot, hot…and in the beginning he defies the laws of his kingdom to save the life of a young human boy…so what are we poor readers to do but fall madly in love with him.
Their journey towards happiness is not an easy one. Morgan must overcome a trial, war with one of his siblings and an attempted assassination of his king and all his family members. Claire, in her own way, is also dealing with a familial war and attempted assassination. In short, about half way through the book, everything goes to Hades in the proverbial hand basket. But the couple; like most for this is a romance novel; overcome it all and obtain their HEA.
Claire’s ex is the strangest shrink I’ve ever read. I wonder exactly what he thought Claire’s “feelings” were going to be about his philandering. Plus, this guy is a deranged murderer, drug addict (if Viagra can be considered addictive), and sexual deviant. Just an all around straight up psycho.
Anyway, this book has it all. Murder, mayhem, lust, love, adventure, and drama. All the self pity in the novel was a bit grating at times, but nonetheless I enjoyed this story. This is a great debut to what looks like a great series with the potential for a long life span. Seriously, Morgan has something like 50 siblings. This could go on for years. Awesome!
Notable Scene:
She let go of his hands, balled a fist and hit him as hard as she could in the face.
Justin swore and pressed down harder.
I’m dying, she thought. This is what it feels like to die.
Abruptly, Justin’s fingers were torn away. She gasped for air, chocking and gagging. Justin screamed as Morgan through him across the room and he smashed into the French doors.
“Claire? Are you—“
She nodded her head, weeping now, unable to utter more than a rasp through her battered throat. “He killed my father.” She touched him. “Are you real?” she managed. “You’re not dead?”
In answer, he picked her up and started for the door. She could tell by the way he walked that his wounds had drained his strength. “I have to get to the sea,” he said.
“Go, save yourself,” she urged him. “Leave me.”
“Never again.”
Outside, the storm had grown worse. The wind was coming off the ocean and the force of it hit them in the face as they crossed the lawn. “Take the elevator to the beach,” she shouted in Morgan’s ear. “The stairs are too steep. You can never make it down carrying me.”
Ignoring her pleas, he passed the elevator platform and began to climb down the slippery stone steps to the sand. They were halfway to the bottom, and Morgan was clinging to the metal rail and attempting to catch his breath when another shot rang out. Blood and flesh exploded from Morgan’s shoulder and he grunted in pain.
“Morgan!”
Claire looked up and her heart kicked against her ribs as she made out Justin’s shadowy form at the top of the cliff. The muzzle of his gun spat fire.
The Seaborne Series:
1. Seaborne
2. Oceanborne
3. Waterborne
FTC Advisory: Kensington provided me with a copy of Seaborne. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
October 30, 2011
2.5 Stars
I was really looking forward to reading this book and was disappointed that it wasn't what I had originally anticipated. I liked the author's idea of the hidden world of Atlantis and the people that it inhabits. The story was to "choppy" and awkward to read and didn't have the flow it should have. There were so many subplots which I found unnecessary and took away from the romance.
Morgan is the eldest son of King Poseidon. But rather than a Warrior, like his father, he is a kind and gentle hearted man who loves the sea and the creatures that live in his world. From a young age he was thought that humans/land walkers were the enemy and should be avoided. The story begins with Morgan saving a human child from drowning, which was witnessed by his half brother whom he has never gotten along with. The incident was reported to the High Council and Morgan was charged of breaking the law. This point of the book was actually interesting to read. The reader is brought into the world where as children we learned about in fairy tales.
Claire was a woman whom Morgan has been watching from afar (not really detailed how it began), but was implied. She had left her life in the city and moved into the house her grandmother left her at Seaborne, Maine. She was in a boating accident which left her unable to walk and in need of a wheelchair. In addition to being crippled, she had suffered headaches and had trouble concentrating and was in constant need of pain medications. As an only child of a wealthy attorney, she was raised in a luxurious lifestyle. She was once married, but divorced when she discovered her husband cheating. (The addition of his story and background spoiled the main story for this reader - WAS NOT NEEDED IMO).
There were so many secondary characters introduced in the story (which usually work for "world" building), but rather than help the story move along, it was too much and was not needed. The distractions with POV from the numerous characters left this reader confused (keeping track of who, what and why). I didn't feel a real connection with the lead couple and found them boring, due to the lack of character development. Their story got lost in the story within the story and felt secondary. The world of Atlantis and it's inhabitants was a great premise to this book, which is the reason for the higher rating of 2.5 stars. Unfortunately, the "jumping" around style of storytelling, the lack of character building and a rushed climatic ending left this reader disappointed.
I was really looking forward to reading this book and was disappointed that it wasn't what I had originally anticipated. I liked the author's idea of the hidden world of Atlantis and the people that it inhabits. The story was to "choppy" and awkward to read and didn't have the flow it should have. There were so many subplots which I found unnecessary and took away from the romance.
Morgan is the eldest son of King Poseidon. But rather than a Warrior, like his father, he is a kind and gentle hearted man who loves the sea and the creatures that live in his world. From a young age he was thought that humans/land walkers were the enemy and should be avoided. The story begins with Morgan saving a human child from drowning, which was witnessed by his half brother whom he has never gotten along with. The incident was reported to the High Council and Morgan was charged of breaking the law. This point of the book was actually interesting to read. The reader is brought into the world where as children we learned about in fairy tales.
Claire was a woman whom Morgan has been watching from afar (not really detailed how it began), but was implied. She had left her life in the city and moved into the house her grandmother left her at Seaborne, Maine. She was in a boating accident which left her unable to walk and in need of a wheelchair. In addition to being crippled, she had suffered headaches and had trouble concentrating and was in constant need of pain medications. As an only child of a wealthy attorney, she was raised in a luxurious lifestyle. She was once married, but divorced when she discovered her husband cheating. (The addition of his story and background spoiled the main story for this reader - WAS NOT NEEDED IMO).
There were so many secondary characters introduced in the story (which usually work for "world" building), but rather than help the story move along, it was too much and was not needed. The distractions with POV from the numerous characters left this reader confused (keeping track of who, what and why). I didn't feel a real connection with the lead couple and found them boring, due to the lack of character development. Their story got lost in the story within the story and felt secondary. The world of Atlantis and it's inhabitants was a great premise to this book, which is the reason for the higher rating of 2.5 stars. Unfortunately, the "jumping" around style of storytelling, the lack of character building and a rushed climatic ending left this reader disappointed.
August 28, 2016
As I read this I was reminded of Catch of a Lifetime by Judi Fennell, which I liked OK except for the tone, the weird mashup between something childlike and erotic. Thankfully, I didn't get the same vibe out of Seaborne, but the underwater themes are the same. There's this separate species and secret society living in the sea, one more ancient and magical than the human beings that live on land. This book does have a child in the story as well, but it's not the central focus — it doesn't have that Disney feel, and the sex is done well, doesn't seem out of place.
All in all, I felt that Irons handled the subject better — it didn't feel cartoonish or animated; it felt more real, a darker fantasy, and it borrowed more from older ideas and legends of underwater people, like the mythic city of Atlantis, and not so much from the more modern mermaid myths told to kids today.
That said, the fantasy part of the story still has a bit of a derivative feel to it. I think that's partly because the details are somewhat glossed over, and the Atlanteans, for people who are not supposed to come into contact with humans, seem to have a very human, modern, American vernacular. So it doesn't have a very well-thought-out feel to the world building, and it doesn't feel otherworldly.
Specific to the characters and the story, Claire's heritage was a little too obvious with the early mention of her search for her birth mother, and I was disappointed that she didn't get any closure with her father Richard in the end. Justin's plan of murder seems a little forced, but otherwise, the suspense and its timing is pretty good.
Could be better, but not a bad read. I enjoyed reading the book.
All in all, I felt that Irons handled the subject better — it didn't feel cartoonish or animated; it felt more real, a darker fantasy, and it borrowed more from older ideas and legends of underwater people, like the mythic city of Atlantis, and not so much from the more modern mermaid myths told to kids today.
That said, the fantasy part of the story still has a bit of a derivative feel to it. I think that's partly because the details are somewhat glossed over, and the Atlanteans, for people who are not supposed to come into contact with humans, seem to have a very human, modern, American vernacular. So it doesn't have a very well-thought-out feel to the world building, and it doesn't feel otherworldly.
Specific to the characters and the story, Claire's heritage was a little too obvious with the early mention of her search for her birth mother, and I was disappointed that she didn't get any closure with her father Richard in the end. Justin's plan of murder seems a little forced, but otherwise, the suspense and its timing is pretty good.
Could be better, but not a bad read. I enjoyed reading the book.
March 2, 2015
Enter the realm of Seaborne. . .and the achingly romantic world of Katherine Irons, a new talent who will break your heart and heal it all at the same time. . .
Take Me Away
Shrouded in mist, the hidden shoreline near her family's Maine estate is a place of refuge for Claire Bishop. There, she can forget the physical limitations imposed by a tragic accident and escape judgmental eyes. Yet someone is watching from the depths of the sea, a being who senses her inner despair and is drawn to help her. Prince Morgan, risen from the waves and as perfect a man Claire has ever laid eyes on. She is sure she has dreamed him into existence--Morgan's masculine beauty and sensual tenderness cannot be real. Then the dream overtakes reality. . .
With Morgan at her side, Claire is suddenly freed, swimming with him to a lost paradise, a fantastic underwater world with a sunken stone city at its heart. Soon the lovers find that their union has aroused the wrath of his warring clan--but Claire would rather die than return to her crippling life on earth, and Morgan will not live without the woman he adores...
Take Me Away
Shrouded in mist, the hidden shoreline near her family's Maine estate is a place of refuge for Claire Bishop. There, she can forget the physical limitations imposed by a tragic accident and escape judgmental eyes. Yet someone is watching from the depths of the sea, a being who senses her inner despair and is drawn to help her. Prince Morgan, risen from the waves and as perfect a man Claire has ever laid eyes on. She is sure she has dreamed him into existence--Morgan's masculine beauty and sensual tenderness cannot be real. Then the dream overtakes reality. . .
With Morgan at her side, Claire is suddenly freed, swimming with him to a lost paradise, a fantastic underwater world with a sunken stone city at its heart. Soon the lovers find that their union has aroused the wrath of his warring clan--but Claire would rather die than return to her crippling life on earth, and Morgan will not live without the woman he adores...
February 27, 2016
I enjoyed this book. It was a light read that I didn't become too emotionally invested in. That being said, I do recommend it as a book when you don't really know what else to read but you don't want to become invested in a new series. The main character, Claire, was paralyzed and stuck in a wheelchair. That was one of my favorite differences between this book and others in the same genre. Most heroines are flawless and strong with an issue or other that proves to the male love interest how incredible they are. But Claire wasn't a perpetually happy character. She was struggling in coming to terms with what had happened to her, while also trying to hold onto her self-worth. Morgan was, of course, the perfect guy. The romance developed quickly and it was fairly easy to predict what was going to happen at the end of the book. Seaborne is told from multiple POV, which usually I like but I felt like it was TOO many POV. Than again, that could just be because I was looking for a quick read. Pick up this book if your in between series, like paranormal romance and don't wanna have your heart ripped out.
December 27, 2011
I was fairly absorbed in this free Kindle novel at first—a formerly athletic and vivacious woman is now handicapped and alone in a beach house in Maine when she encounters an Atlantean prince (merman). But once they started feeling that magnetic attraction, I couldn't read it anymore and didn't pick it back up for a couple months. I remedied this by merely flipping through those scenes and Irons' descriptions of Atlantis. Overall, not an unbearable novel with somewhat developed characters but lacks world building and a realistic romance. I realize that may be too much to ask of a merman meets soulmate type novel but I didn't really care about their love story. Also, Irons never follows through with her villains' plot, clearly setting up for the sequel, but never leaving those key clues to the true villain revealed at the end. Probably won't pick up the next novel Oceanborne but I do feel I had an enjoyable read.
November 21, 2024
Y’all want to hear an absolutely true story?
Whoever “Katharine Irons” is knew me—at least peripherally. At the time this truly execrable book was written (drinking soup underwater?), I lived on the coast of Maine in a 1700s-era home, rode horses, and my spouse was…and is…from Delaware. Oh, and our house’s name, which was well-known and which we have maintained for over 25 years? Yeah. It’s Seaborne.
I’m still hoping this was somebody non-murdery punking me, and subsequently being (rightfully) too embarrassed to admit it—because the idea that it was some creepy stalker-type still bothers me. In all honesty, however, I’m certain nobody I’m related to (or otherwise in my circle) is troglodyte enough to write anything this screamingly regrettable.
So, cheers, “Katharine,” wherever you are. I’ll keep popping up periodically to remind you that I’m still out here, and still discomfited.
(11/2024: Still out here and still annoyed, you creepy Muppet!)
Whoever “Katharine Irons” is knew me—at least peripherally. At the time this truly execrable book was written (drinking soup underwater?), I lived on the coast of Maine in a 1700s-era home, rode horses, and my spouse was…and is…from Delaware. Oh, and our house’s name, which was well-known and which we have maintained for over 25 years? Yeah. It’s Seaborne.
I’m still hoping this was somebody non-murdery punking me, and subsequently being (rightfully) too embarrassed to admit it—because the idea that it was some creepy stalker-type still bothers me. In all honesty, however, I’m certain nobody I’m related to (or otherwise in my circle) is troglodyte enough to write anything this screamingly regrettable.
So, cheers, “Katharine,” wherever you are. I’ll keep popping up periodically to remind you that I’m still out here, and still discomfited.
(11/2024: Still out here and still annoyed, you creepy Muppet!)
October 24, 2011
This is a unique story that is charming and has you wanting the hero Morgan to succeed. The underwater world that Katherine Irons creates is an interesting fantasy world that you want to spend time getting to know. I did think some of the scenes with Justin were unnecessary and distracted from the story. We could have gotten just how depraved Justine was without some of the scenes being played out for us. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. On my Nook this book had 282 pages.
Enter the realm of Seaborne. . .and the achingly romantic world of Katherine Irons, a new talent who will break your heart and heal it all at the same time. . .
Take Me Away
Shrouded in mist, the hidden shoreline near her family's Maine estate is a place of refuge for Claire Bishop. There, she can forget the physical limitations imposed by a tragic accident and escape judgment.
Enter the realm of Seaborne. . .and the achingly romantic world of Katherine Irons, a new talent who will break your heart and heal it all at the same time. . .
Take Me Away
Shrouded in mist, the hidden shoreline near her family's Maine estate is a place of refuge for Claire Bishop. There, she can forget the physical limitations imposed by a tragic accident and escape judgment.
January 2, 2014
The writing is clunky. The dialogue is ridiculous. The inner monologues are ludicrous. The world is kind of neat but is delivered ham-handedly. There are a few grammatical errors, and one of the tertiary characters changed from being named Markos to Marcos about 2/3 through the book. I picked this up because the sequel came across my check-in desk at the library and I couldn't put it down I was laughing so hard (which is not what the author was going for, I think), so when I went to put it on Goodreads and saw there was a previous one, I decide to pick that one up too, because I'm apparently a masochist. There's a third one? Guess I'm putting that on hold too!
September 9, 2013
Beautiful, romantic and poetic.
I loved the setting, how a woman who lost everything still fights for her life and finally finds happiness.
Morgan is so sweet amd romantic. Could have been more of an alpha male, knowing he is Crown Prince but I couldn t hold it against him. The undersea world is beautifully described, as the many characters involved and give a trye personnality and originality to this book. It is sometimes almost like a painting and makes you want to dive with the Atlanteans.
I loved the setting, how a woman who lost everything still fights for her life and finally finds happiness.
Morgan is so sweet amd romantic. Could have been more of an alpha male, knowing he is Crown Prince but I couldn t hold it against him. The undersea world is beautifully described, as the many characters involved and give a trye personnality and originality to this book. It is sometimes almost like a painting and makes you want to dive with the Atlanteans.
January 3, 2013
Ummmm yeah ok.
It was missing some depth because while we learnt a bit about the Atlantean world it didn't go into any detail. There were no emotions engaged. Then add into the mix that the author gave the bad guy had the heroes name as his surname. If the author was trying to be funny well ahh nope not funny.
And I'm not entirely sure I agree with assessments that Poseidon and Richard were 'great' fathers...from what little we are told it seems unlikely.
I would like to read Alex and Orion's story though so I will probably continue on.
It was missing some depth because while we learnt a bit about the Atlantean world it didn't go into any detail. There were no emotions engaged. Then add into the mix that the author gave the bad guy had the heroes name as his surname. If the author was trying to be funny well ahh nope not funny.
And I'm not entirely sure I agree with assessments that Poseidon and Richard were 'great' fathers...from what little we are told it seems unlikely.
I would like to read Alex and Orion's story though so I will probably continue on.
January 10, 2012
This was an average story for me. I never really felt the connection between Claire and Morgan. There were a lot of things going on, but when there was something you wanted to know, that got glossed over. Maybe she was setting up for the next book, but this book was slow in the beginning but it did have some good moments on the second half. I did not hate it, but I think I will wait for the paperback for the second story.
June 11, 2012
This was a different type of read for me. This is my first 'mermaid' type book. I actually liked the book although it took a while for me to really get into it. I also have to say that there were some extraneous characters that I wish had gotten more attention and more of a background explained about them.
Overall, I'd give this book a 3 1/2 stars. It was a quick read, a bit predictable, but that was what I was looking for.
Overall, I'd give this book a 3 1/2 stars. It was a quick read, a bit predictable, but that was what I was looking for.
August 17, 2013
This book started out kinda slow, but things quickly ramped up. It's not your typical mermaid story, for in this case we have a merman, but it is surprisingly well written! Claire's need for independence in spite of her infirmity was a cornerstone of the book, and allowed her to accept the love that was offered to her. I really enjoyed this book, but am not wanting to give it all away, so all I can do is heartily recommend it!
October 19, 2011
So I was hesitant on this book at first. It started out slow, but turned out to be absolutely amazing! I love how there's a strong independant woman who has so many people working against her just because she's paralyzed from the waist down. She fights them all so she can maintain her independence. I would definitely recommend this book!
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