Waters That Drown Us

Syndicate of Fate #3

by Rae Douglas

The secrets we keep to survive. The love we allow to ruin us.

Emily Costa knows what she must do. It doesn’t matter that she fell in love with Alisa Zakharov at first sight, when she was only sixteen. The ethereal, angelic violist she watched from a distance is long gone, and a threat to Emily’s family stands in her place. She must infiltrate Alisa’s life, not only to extract every drop of knowledge possible about Alisa’s father, but to ensure that the woman herself isn’t a liability. And handle it if she is.

Alisa Zakharov is dead. The delicate flower who once lived pinned to her father’s lapel has disintegrated. She’s transformed herself into Alice Zimmerman, a ghost of a woman that has been hiding along the Pacific coastline for years, desperately hoping her father and fiancé never discover that she faked her death. But too many people have died keeping her safe. And Alice is done hiding.

In a quiet town on the Oregon coastline, Emily and Alice will face the fears that crawl from the deep to haunt them. Even if they become monsters along the way.

Waters That Drown Us is a dark organized crime romance with mature themes and is not suited for readers under the age of eighteen. Please check content warnings for additional information.

Genres: Lesbian, Dark Romance

245 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 3, 2025

Reviews

[thebeespot72 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waters that Drown Us is Book 3 in the Syndicate of Fate Series and continues with the Costa family. In this story, the focus is on Emily Costa and Alisa. And like the other two books, it carries suspense, secrets, romance, and spice.

Emily has a job to do, and though she knows Alisa from way back, things are different. But so is Alisa, because time has passed, and she is trying to dodge some things and people from her past.

Waters that Drown Us is shorter than the other two books, and I was okay with that, as the pacing didn’t affect the storytelling. I still enjoyed the story.

Thank you to Good Girls PR and Author Rae Douglas for the gifted copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[CarlyBookss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me feeling everything. Rae Douglas knows how to write tension and not just romantic tension, but that emotional, slow-burn kind that builds between trust and betrayal. I loved how dark and atmospheric it felt, yet still so full of heart. The chemistry here is undeniable, and the way the author balances softness and danger is just chef’s kiss.
It’s not a perfect book I felt there were a few pacing dips and open-ended threads kept it from a full five for me, but it absolutely stayed with me. The writing is sharp, emotional, and addictive in the best way. If you love messy, morally gray characters and sapphic romance with teeth, this one’s worth diving into.

** also I have not read the other books in this series as I was informed it could be read as a standalone, but maybe that would change my review

[Elizabeth Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can something have a plot but no plot at the same time? I'm so confused but I liked the book so do what you will with that information 😁

[Kylie Jordyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so this is my first book by this author and I didn’t realize this was a series, I just saw sapphic and something about boats and was like “HELL YEAH!”

Thank you to Good Girls PR and Rae Douglas for this ARC, I feel honored to be chosen🖤

Anyways so, I would give this book a 4.5 all in all because I didn’t fully understand the backstory with other characters and fuuuuuck I wish I did!

Emily and Alice have this really interesting cat and mouse kind of relationship. Alice enjoys being the mouse for sure. Emily is a complex character, she has had a crush on Alice for a very very long time and after Alice faked her death, Emily is tasked with finding her to use her as bait to lure out Alice’s evil dad who killed someone very important to the Syndicate of Fate (Emily’s family organization, the superheroes of the underworld (; )
Poor Emily is trying so hard to separate her childhood crush from the mission but unfortunately for her, she cannot do that. Fortunately though, she still gets to have a… taste of Alice.
Alice, my girl, she really just wanted to escape and then kill her ex-fiancé who was a pain in the ass. And spoiler alert, she dooooooesssssss.
The dynamic between these two is not something I have read often in books, but I really enjoyed it. I love Mafia/ Underworld/ Spy romances and this one really took the cake for me.
The lies, the spice, the love between these two? Chefs kiss✨
I am actually going to have to read the first two books and I hope my girl Bea gets a good story!

[MJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good! I haven’t read the books before hand as I was told this could be read as a standalone. Which definitely can. You do miss a little of the backstory but not enough to spoil the current story as it’s a different pairing to the other two books, which I believe are MF.

The scene with the whale watching was so well described, it almost brought a tear to my own eyes like I was experiencing it myself! That’s such a great sign of beautiful writing and storytelling.

This was very close to 4.5 stars but I was just a little disappointed with the ending. It’s just felt a little 🤔 not sure the word. Like it was missing something? I personally could have done with another chapter of them resolving their relationship a little more. But that’s just me personally.

I still recommend this book and it’s made me want to go back and read the others! But can definitely be done as a standalone if you’re only looking for sapphic books!

Written in first person with 2x POV’s. Book Three in the Syndicate of Fate series. Check TW’s. Sapphic Dark Romance, Hidden Identity, Forbidden Love, Organised Crime/Mafia Vibes. 4x Spicy Scenes.

[Montes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not read the previous books in the series but it’s not too difficult to keep up with the storyline. The involvement of Emily with her family and why Alice is her target is explained pretty well from the beginning so if, like me, this is the first book you’re reading, you won’t be completely lost but you will get some spoilers.

The spice is really spicy, there are more than a few kinks presented and I actually loved them. Emily is a muscle mommy and Alice is an absolute brat with a lot of trauma. They tell each other a lot of half truths and blatant lies but the attraction is there from the beginning. You can’t help but root for them. Toxic, I know.

The author provides trigger warnings, read them to know if you’ll be uncomfortable with anything. If not uncomfortable, you should definitely read this book. I think I’ll be giving the rest of the series a try too.

Thank you to Rae Douglas and Good Girls PR for providing me with an eARC.

[autwenreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first time reading something by Rae Douglas and also my first f/f romance, and it was honestly such an interesting read. The writing feels poetic and emotional, giving the whole story a dark and haunting vibe. It really dives into love, betrayal, and survival, and how messy things can get when those collide.

I did feel the pacing was a bit slow, and I wanted a little more intensity from the plot. But the tension between Emily and Alisa (or Alice) was written beautifully and kept me curious till the end.
Overall, it’s dark, emotional, and layered, perfect if you’re into organized crime romance with complex female characters and that moody atmosphere.

Thank you to Good Girls PR and Rae Douglas for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jade Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've really been enjoying the Syndicate of Fate series, and this book is no exception. I've been looking forward to Emily's book, and was even more intrigued when Rae hinted at who the love interest would be. one thing I will note is that because this is book 3 of a 4 book series, the end of this book still has loose ends which I imagine will be all closed off in the final story, but the romance does have a happy ending

super excited for Beas story!

[☁️˚ʚ oriana ɞ˚☁️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

i loved this book!!! the only part i didn't like is that it ended. the chemistry between the two fmcs was to die for. i hope the author continues to write more sapphic dark romances within this series. emily is my new book gf and i already miss her

[Nia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waters That Drown Us
4 ⭐
Emily Costa is assigned to slip into Alisa’s life and gather information about Alisa’s father. But how is she supposed to remind herself that Alisa is only a target-not the same ethereal girl she fell for at sixteen, not the one she could never stop shadowing, not the fantasy she built in her mind, when the version that she's getting to know makes it impossible to stay away?

I love love this! Like oh wow~!
• This had angst, mutual pining and inordinate amount of simping for each other!
• The atmosphere, the vibes were just immaculate and particularly gripping as I clearly felt that slow creeping dread and suspense of how and when everything is gonna explode, and when is did-? Ahh ohmyyy it was so good!
• This was my first ever Sapphic romance and all I can say is I loveee women 😂 (like can I get Emily or Alisa or maybe both, they're the book wife/soulmate material.. ❤️ )
• I love the how the story progresses....like the way they both fall for each other and long for forever in each other's arm...had me whimpering, it was THAT good!
• So, I kinda swore off mafia books, my mafia romance era being done and dusted but this book proved me oh so wrong!
Though the overall plot is not yet completely resolved
• I love Alice she is so strong, cunning and intelligent THE perfect embodiment of looks can be deceiving..
• And Emily oh oh the way this lady was yearning was hopelessly fun 🤤 and yes yes Alisa was definitely "just" a target~ you definitely didn't spend the years since you've known Alisa pining after her, made her the standard of beauty...and thought that Alisa would be the one who'd drag you to death🤣
• The way Emily and Alisa were lying to each other and being pained and angsty about it made me hurt and cackle at the same time 😂
• The way after knowing everything, the lies they told eachother-they worked out their issues and put a lot of efforts to build back that trust was unholyyy good!
• The entire plot (mafia) is not yet resolved but the strings fir Alisa and Emily were definitely tied and VERY VERY nicely too!
Overall this book is amazing and superfun that I absolutely adored!!

I got this as an ARC, All opinions are my own.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

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5 reviews for:

Waters That Drown Us

Rae Douglas

4.13 AVERAGE

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Your review

4.75

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Stepping into this book, I thought I knew what I was getting into. Target x Mafia associate, falling for one another, living on the run… You know, somewhat normal mafia romance stuff. 

I have never been more pleased to be proven wrong. 
Alice's story was heart-wrenching and had you feeling for her from the beginning. Growing up, Alice was always kept quiet and told to be polite (ie, silent and out of the way). After her mother died, her life got worse. She did what she had to in order to escape. 
Emily steps in, and you get a whole different take on the mafia daughter. She's the one who was trained to do the work, raised in the trenches, and ready to help at a moment's notice. 

The pair growing and learning about one another despite the lies and turmoil between them was written beautifully. Emily being what Alice needed to feel something, while Alice slowly learned she could trust others.

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised at the story. I loved every second of it. Alice and Emily were a joy to watch grow together, especially toward the end. 

If you love mafia romance with darker twists, I highly recommend this book. It is the third in a series, but I have not read the first two books, and I still felt like I understood what I needed to.

[Heather Monterosso · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚 Waters That Drown Us by Rae Douglas continues the emotionally charged journey of the Syndicate of Fate series, and it’s nothing short of devastatingly beautiful. I received an ARC of this book, but when I realized it was part of a series, I immediately went back and read Threads That Bind Us and Lies That Break Us—and I’m so glad I did. The emotional depth and character arcs hit even harder with the full context.

This installment centers on Emily Costa, a woman torn between duty and desire, as she’s tasked with immersing herself in the life of Alisa Zakharov, whom she’s loved since she was sixteen. But Alisa isn’t just a memory or a muse; she’s now a threat, and Emily must decide whether love can survive the weight of secrets and sacrifice.

What makes this book sing is Douglas’s blend of mutual obsession, family trauma, and ethereal prose. The tension between Emily and Alisa is palpable—layered with longing, grief, and the ache of what could have been. Douglas doesn’t shy away from the complexities of love in dangerous places, nor the cost of loyalty when survival is on the line.

✨ Favorite themes: morally gray choices and the haunting question—can love be both weapon and salvation?

Though this isn’t the final book in the series—Douglas has hinted at one more to come—it feels like a reckoning. A storm gathering on the horizon. And I’m already bracing myself.

Solid 4.5 🌟

💬 #BookReview #WatersThatDrownUs #RaeDouglas #GoodGirlsPR #SyndicateOfFate #DarkRomance #EmotionalReads #ARCReview

[Bekah Mondy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when it's time to visit my friends in the Syndicate of Fate for a new adventure and this book is no exception! Alice and Emily are amazing, and while they each have their own problems and secrets, through their relationship with each other, they learn how to overcome those and work together to become even stronger both together and individually. Alice trying to escape her past and Emily trying to balance her work for her family and her budding relationship with Alice make for a story that I couldn't put down. The overall story arc from the series also continues to develop in an incredibly captivating way, bringing in characters we've already met, reminding us of our overall goal, and leaning a bit more heavily on the character who book four will center on to give a glimpse into where her story will go. I can't wait to see the conclusion with book four and I await with bated breath!

[Lucelia M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be one of my favorite books I’ve ever read. The clear lines of consent, the action they got up to, it was amazing. Yes, it’s a mafia dark romance. and still, the humanity of these characters shines through. i love the love story of Emily and Alice. this book, while perfectly readable as a standalone, is book 3 in a series which i will absolutely be reading now. which says a lot for me, since this is the only Sapphic book in the series (so far, i don’t know about the sexuality of the MC for the next book). also, the CNC on a boat i saw mentioned? quite possibly one of the best scenes in any book i’ve read. i’ve been excited for this moment since i picked the book up and it deserved every bit of my excitement and more. i can’t wait to read more about these characters in the future

[Thia's Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been really enjoying this series, but this book wasn't my favourite.

The continuation of the overarching plot was good and I was glad to get in Emily's POV. I did like her and Alice together but felt like a part of the build up to their relationship was missing. I think that was because it felt like there was less character development/exploration in this book compared to the first 2 books. Therefore I wasn't super invested in Alice and while I liked Emily, a lot of that was from what I'd seen of her earlier in the series.

I enjoyed the moments with the other Costas and the climax at the end. Overall not my favourite but I am looking forward to Bea's book and how the story of the Syndicate continues.

Thanks to Good Girls PR for the ARC, this is my honest review.

[JoAnne Cochran · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Rae Douglas and Good Girls PR for an ARC of Waters That Drown Us. I really wanted to love this book, but it didn’t hit for me. This is the third in the series, and I feel like I should have read those first to have a better understanding of the characters and their roles in society. I feel like the characters were severely underdeveloped and the story was incredibly boring. I felt like I was reading the same inner dialogue over and over. Or maybe this book was just a stepping stone to get a character where the author wants her for the climax of the series. If that’s the case, that could have been done in a chapter or two in another book. This was a quick read, but took me forever to finish. 2 ⭐️ and 2 🌶️

[Nelli Lakatos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sapphic dark mafia romance with forbidden love and a coastline setting. I couldn't imagine anything better, especially when it has a stunning cover like this one with those beautiful jellyfish.

While this is a third book in the Syndicate of Fate series, it's not necessary to read the previous books to understand this one. I haven't read those yet and had no trouble understanding everything that happened in 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐔𝐬. I really enjoyed meeting Emily and Alice, and getting lost in this mysterious and gripping tale.

I highly recommend checking out this beautiful read!

Thank you so much @authorraedouglas & @good.girls.pr for the ARC opportunity! ♡

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝐭𝐡

[Kayleigh Stelling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely ate up this book. I’m a huge fan of mafia romances but this was my first sapphic mafia romance. It absolutely did not disappoint. It was a short, fast paced read that I never wanted to put down. The spice is so good and so plentiful without sacrificing the plot which was also fantastic. So many lies to keep track of but Emily and Alice are worth the trouble they cause.
This book isn’t gonna be for everyone, it’s intense and you should absolutely check the content warnings before reading.
I’m so honored to have been given the opportunity to read this as an arc and I can’t wait for book four <3

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I could probably draw her from memory alone, and I'm no artist."

Absolutely loved this story! The internal monologues of both FMCs were so funny, poignant, and believable. So often the mutual deception trope can be so poorly handled you can't believe neither character figures it out (and it drags on too long). Douglas handled this perfectly, building just enough tension for the story while providing payoffs in... other ways ;)

The main family arc has not concluded, so I am V excited for the next installment! Which I can assume will also involve some light romantic stalking... "I think it's a family trait, the toxic relationships."

[Alyssa Grimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ohhh how I adore this mafia-esque world Rae has created and these two women did not disappoint! Imagine being sent to capture the woman you’ve adored from afar since you were a teenager and then fully being smitten on sight as an adult and being like f*ck them all, it’s her or I choose 💀👌 Emily is exactly my type of woman, dominant, strong, excellent with the praise and Alice is the best brat;) The boat scene will live rent free in my head for sometime🥵 Also was reminded how much I love Clara from book 2, she really steps into her power in this book and we love to see it!

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Character POV chapters, secret agendas, strong FMCs and constant edge of your seat tension for when the lies will be exposed! A little bit of spice that came in waves (pun intended) with the right amount of character personality made for a quick read because I couldn’t put it down! Crime family drama that doesn’t get too graphic in the details but gives just an idea of what the MCs are up against. Dry dark humor, a splash of CNC, loads of sapphic chemistry between two FMCs, and a bit of family tension keeps you on your feet chasing what the next chapter brings!

[Kaija · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so bingeable! I love a good mafia romance.
I love Alice and Emily’s story! The pacing and the way they meet a connect, and then when Alice finds out the truth and ends up needing to decide to forgive Emily or not?! There’s just so much that happens and I don’t know how to review without spoiling it!
Also I love the connection to the story and the cover!!!
It’s an amazing addition to this series and I love getting their story!

This is a page turning, sapphic romance, with mafia, forbidden romance, BDSM and so much more!

Big thanks to GoodGirlsPR for this eARC

[Jacqueline Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow

This story has romance, spice, romance and crime. The story follows Emily and Alice, two people who have a past and now one with a job to do. We get the information we need as to why she is a target. The story is a stand alone, easy read and great story. Definitely read triggers the story is a stand alone but must tie into the others. I haven’t read the previous ones but now i’m invested in this family. The toxic relationship is everything and the kink is definitely given.

[Emily M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waters that Drown Us is the next book in the Syndicate of Fate Series and. In this book they show the dynamic focus of Emily and Alisa. Throughout the book, it shows how these main characters get caught in feelings, emotions, their past and wanting a future or a chance at one. This book has it all from drama, action, romance and even jellies lol. A great book to face fears of the ocean or evil ex-fiancé

[salty · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by this author and I’m pleasantly surprised!
Emily and Alice had me hooked from the start with Emily’s quiet obsession and Alice proving she’s more than what she seems. Their lies drove a good angsty plot that I ate right up. Would definitely come back to this world to see more of them!

[Taylor Higgins · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was fun! I loved diving deeper into this world and enjoyed getting to read Emily and Alice’s story. It felt a little repetitive at times but that’s typical with books full of yearning. Overall a solid book!

[Jen Wycech · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 3 Syndicate of Fate series

A good short read. The plot is intriguing and captivating. Great characters and an overall good read.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

The great moments were brilliant but I felt there was just a lot of “eh” moments. I love the other books in the series though!

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely ATE this book up! Seriously couldn't put it down once I picked it up. It was soooo refreshing reading a GOOD sapphic novel with flawed characters and actual spice!!!!

[XauraReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 🌊💙