A stolen identity. A hidden power. One summer changes everything.
Caris…
It was supposed to be two months of fun in the sun. Two months to spend with my dad and finally get answers about a mother he refused to talk about.
Instead, I discover my life is a lie. The sun and water betray me, exposing magic I didn’t know I possess and powers I don’t understand.
The one bright light in my crumbling world is Noah Jacobs, the boy I saved from a pack of bullies. I can’t resist his ocean eyes. He can’t resist my Song. What at first felt like a gift, now feels like a curse. I don’t want to hurt him.
Noah…
I want to hate her. She’s seen me at my worst. I was happy in my self-imposed exile. Until she called me home. But home hurts. It holds too many memories of the family I lost, too many reminders of my failures.
Resisting her Song proves futile, and soon I don’t want to. She thinks she’ll hurt me. She thinks she needs to protect me from the magic. But I’m not weak. It’s my job to protect her. If only she’ll let me.
Sweet. Dangerous. And swoon-worthy guys. Water Song is the first installment in the Waterborn series. If you love YA paranormal romance full of emotion, self-discovery, fated mates, magic, family intrigue, and a cast of characters you’ll grow to love, then immerse yourself in the world of Water Song.
**Note. Water Song is an updated edited edition of a book previously published under the title Water Born.
Kimberly lives in Florida and spends her time riding her bike, walking on the beach, and writing. Wine and french fries are her favorites with a side of Cheez-Its. Extra Toasty only.
She sits at her computer a lot while her two labs stare at her.
I saw this on Amazon and the cover really captured my attention. This kind of a had a mermaid vibe, but the author gave it her own unique twist and it was absolutely wonderful. It had all the aspects that I love: a beach setting, mystery, romance, and dark secrets. My favorite thing was that the book is told from both POV's, so I got a good look into both of their minds
Noah was such a intriguing young man, passionate and caring, yet understandably guarded, and not to mention very handsome. I really admired his loyal friendship with Erin. And the things he did for Caris were very swoon worthy. I loved Caris as the narrator, she was brave, fun and I enjoyed her curious nature. The connection between Noah and Caris was very strong and I loved their moments together.
There was no cliffhanger, which I was very happy for, but I am very excited to know that this is a series. I am definitely looking forward to more of Noah and Caris, and the other characters from the Emerald series.
It is so nice to see a strong female character that doesn't spend the majority of the book waiting to be saved by the male character. The best part of this book, for me, is the moment Caris realizes that she holds the power to help herself. Caris is the heroine of this story.
The interactions between Noah and Caris are organic. There is a nice mix of humor that helps to balance the darker issues that each character faces. I really enjoyed the minor characters' storylines (Erin's especially) and can't wait for them to be fleshed out in future books.
Waterborn is an entertaining story with depth and enough excitement to keep you glued to the pages until the end.
This book has been on my To-Be-Read and Must-Buy list for a while, so when the author offered this for Read 2 Review, I grabbed the chance! I never read anything about sea creatures... well, except for Little Mermaid which I watched as a kid. ( I love Ariel! ..and now I am hearing "Part of my world" playing inside my head! haha. )
I just loved the cover of this book! There's something ethereal about it.Under the sea or the deep was entirely a different world. It was vast ..deep ...and for me, very mysterious. Many times , this question crossed my very curious mind: Are there any "life forms" underneath other than the sea creatures we are familiar with? Stories of long ago tells us there are mermaids, a half human , half fish...if it was true, then we are never alone?
I loved how Ms. Kimberly James described everything in this book. It opened all my senses. I was surprised I felt the waves like it was slowly caressing my feet ... when the wind blew, I felt it touch my face...and smelled the salty air. Yes, it was that good! When Caris Harper set her foot to Emerald Coast, I feel I was with her too.
I love the pace of the story. It was really descriptive that will sucked you into the story. I don't even know how to swim ( yeah, it's a bummer. Sigh.) but when Noah gave Caris her swimming lessons, I felt I was actually learning to swim! ( oh yeah! With a water breather ...a hottie? )
The moment Caris went and embrace the deep after knowing the truth about who she was... she felt she finally belong. The charm weakened then her hair grew longer, she actually had gills and a web on her foot.. like a water breather . I had a dream-like moment as I read this part.
I just loved their underwater moments. The kisses... and literally playing with a pod of dolphins?! It was way ..way... Swoony! I could totally imagine that scene.. like this... Swoony..swoony..swoony!
This new, unexplored slowly growing something she had for Noah gave her mixed feelings. There is hesitation. She knew she was falling for him...but Noah? Did he really felt the same or is it because of her Song? Because he had no choice? And Noah, will he still felt the same for her if there is no Song? All these questions are about to get their answers as these two learned about self discovery, friendship,love, trust , what family truly means and making a choice.
Overall, it was a wonderful read. The ending is what I had in mind. It was perfect! I would be so looking forward to what's next for both Noah and Caris.
If you are a firm believer of "Happily Ever Afters" like I do... and won't mind swimming ( and probably drown?!) in an ocean of Swoons with equally lovable water breathers like Noah and Caris... then what are you waiting for? Dive ..ooops! I mean, grab this book fast and be captivated like I did.
I've been eager to read a mermaid book for a while - and while the waterbreathers aren't technically mermaids (no tails and they don't live solely underwater), this book pretty much hit the spot.
The negatives:
Some grammatical errors. The book could have used a good edit - the errors were not egregious, but they were definitely noticeable.
A bit of a slow start. I felt like the beginning of the book was a little bit slow. There were quite a few mysteries set up - about who Caris' mom really is and what happened to Noah's brother - but it took till about 40% before you got any real answers. The book was still enjoyable before that, but it occasionally felt a bit slow.
What I loved:
The waterbreathers. I thought that James did a great job of creating the world of the waterbreathers. It was definitely different from what I was expecting - I thought that they were going to be something along the lines of mermaids, but they really weren't. They're more like people who can breathe underwater and have some other powers - but they live in regular society, not underwater. A lot of the book had to do with the relations between the waterbreathers and the regular humans. Many of the humans knew about the waterbreathers, and not all of them were thrilled about it.
Complex family relationships. The family relationships in this book were complicated, to say the least. Caris grew up without her mother and her father has never told her anything about her. There are so many mysteries surrounding Caris and her family (and it just gets more and more complicated). Then there's Noah's family - his father was dead and his brother was missing - presumed dead. These complex family relationships really added to the book.
Caris and Noah. I was worried at first that the connection between Caris and Noah was going to turn into insta-love, but luckily it didn't work out that way. Instead their romance moved at a very reasonable, slow pace, which I definitely appreciated. Meanwhile, the connection between them was strong, and I definitely found myself rooting for them.
Waterborn was a great paranormal romance. While the book didn't end on a cliffhanger, I think there's plenty more of this story to tell and I hope there will be another book to follow up. I give it 4/5 stars.
I would give this a 3,5 (if Goodreads allowed me to lol). I'm trying to improve my reviews so let's see if this is any good :)
This book has an incredible idea of a mermaid-like creature. Totally interesting and a bit more 'realistic' and 'believable' (things that aren't usually necessary when talking about fantasy, right?). Well, I really loved the whole premise of the characters and what they are. This was incredible. I guess I've always been deeply fascinated with the idea of being 'special' or even having super powers. I'm a total sucker for that :) Both the main characters are really relateable, even though they are messed up and they breathe underwater, you just really cheer them on and hope that everything turns out alright. The book also had a really wonderful quality to it, which is the fact that it captured me. I had a hard time putting it down. There are two different points of view, switching back and forth from the two main characters. This gives it the very interesting point of seeing each part of the story from a different side.
SO, why not all the stars? Simply because I had some small problems with grammar (drug instead of dragged - I'm nowhere near perfect but that bothered me, don't know why!), but very small indeed as the vocabulary in this book is quite diverse and compelling. The other reason thing that left a little to be desired was the amount of times that the main character (Caris) described the perfectness of her love interest (Noah). I get it, he's INSANELY HOT. But constantly describing his muscles over and over kind of made it more of a romantic erotic thing than the fantasy, which was what had won me over in the first place. This happens in increasing amount towards the end, where I believe that there could've been a little bit more plot, a little less drooling over the awesome Noah. Don't get me wrong, he's hot. I'd be drooling too :D I know this might have been the point, but I wanted more magic and incredible powers... That's just my own personal taste (I wouldn't have left out the romance you see, it's important and exciting and fun, but at the end I wanted more of the story!). This also means that the end was a bit abrupt. I get it, there are (or will be?! Haven't checked yet!) more books of the series, but it felt like something was missing.
Well, I really enjoyed the book overall and I intend on continuing the series. :)
*I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!*
3.5 stars
I’m surprised to say that I really liked this book! It was a pretty cool and original concept and it worked out well. I found a few typos, but they didn’t bother me that much. Kimberly gives her own spin on mermaids and sirens and mixed that with some cool action, fantastic underwater scenes and a passionate romance.
Waterborn is about Caris. She just moved to a little town near the sea from Kentucky with her dad and she can’t help but feel different here. Like the sea is calling her. And then she meets Noah, not knowing what he is. Noah is a waterbreather and he hears Caris’ song in his head and he can’t help but feel attracted to her. Soon enough, Caris finds out what and who she is. But is that really who she wants to be?
The writing in this book was very good. I couldn’t put this book down once I picked it up. I was pulled into Caris’ world and wanted to find the answers to her questions just as much as she did. The story was cool and I got just the right amount of action and in the end my questions were answered. The romance was so sweet and passionate at the same time, I couldn’t get enough of it.
But despite the fact that there was some action, I never felt like it was enough. I kept waiting for something big, but it never really happened. And that took a bit from the story for me. I wanted more.
I really liked Caris, she was a cool main character, but sometimes she annoyed me quite a bit. I can’t even tell you why because I don’t know. Maybe the way she acted around Noah in the beginning? And I liked Noah, he was sweet and he had some issues to deal with. And I got that. And it wasn’t really insta-love between him and Caris because of the whole siren-song thing. I didn’t like Sol and Pax, obviously. I loved Maggie and Erin and Caris’ dad. I’m a bit conflicted about Athen, though. I’m not sure if I should like him or hate him.
Overall, this is a good mermaid-ish story. Kimberly gave her own spin on it all and that was pretty cool but I finished the book wanting more. So yes, I have yet to find a book in this genre that completely blows my socks off. But I do recommend it, maybe you like it more than I did.
I really liked the concept of this book. It wasn't your typical mermaid story. I liked the idea of their being a whole subset of species among humans that could breathe underwater. I loved Caris' character. Considering she had so much to learn about herself, she was strong and handled things quite well. Noah was equally likeable. I loved how he treated Caris and the parts about his family really helped to relate to him. I enjoyed reading about how each of them reconciled themselves with their pasts, losses and figured out who they were wanted to be.
Now for why I gave the book only 3 stars. I really felt there was no character development with the minor characters. I would have liked to see them play a major role in the story. I wanted to get to know them more. Plus, I wished there was more of fantasy in the story. I felt the story relied and revolved more around romance. I was happy that the attraction between Caris and Noah was a slow build. However, towards the end of the story, I felt it became too heavy and intense. I don't care for graphic sex scenes. I prefer tender romances. That's just my preference but someone else might not mind it and please let this in no way stop you from reading the book.
The other flaw was that there were a couple of plot holes like Caris' siren ability was not explained as well her connection with Noah. Also there were a couple of other things that still don't make sense to me. I won't go into details as I don't wish to spoil the story for anyone. Maybe this will be cleared up in book 2?
Anyway, I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a nice summer read and wants to try something different in the mermaid genre.
I loved this book! I don't normally read fantasy, but this book wasn't way out there. The book takes place on the Emerald Coast of Florida, where I grew up. I recognized places mentioned and found that made it all the more interesting to me. My sister recommended the book. It was written by a local author and the sister of one of her high school classmates. I hope she will write more books, and soon!
I'm speechless! This book is beyond amazing. I was so happy it was not a mermaid book! Water breathers, a different and rare species some with magical gifts. Caris, being a Siren and being able to manipulate the weather. This honestly is one of the best books of our time! Noah, hears Caris call while searching for his brother. The love between the two is just beautiful. Best book hands down!
From the very first chapter I was sucked into this book! Not only is it well written but the characters are well crafted and the plot is unlike anything I've read before.
I enjoyed all the doors opened in this first installment, leaving you with tons of questions, most of which are left unanswered at the end. At the same time if you aren't one for reading a series you could read this one book and be completely content.
This book was amazing. Its my all time favorite. I love how it is based around Seaside Florida where I visit my family. This story is so exciting and riviting. I haven't been so excited about a book on a while. The author creates a world with characters you don't want to leave. I can't wait for more. Caris and Noah are goals!!!
I really enjoyed this book, it's a different take on a group of waterborne people who aren't at all mer people, but a different breed. If that makes any sense? There are characters who you'll love, then there are characters you will hate, but each of them likeable in their own way.
I love finding books that you don't expect to blow you away! I love this story. It's magical, romantic, thrilling and tragic all at the same time! Can't wait to read the rest of the series!
I have enjoyed reading this book immensely, i like that its a story I havnt heard before. The interaction between characters is good. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
Writing this retrospectively after reading books 2 and 3 as well. Love the story. Well written. Mystery, romance, whimsical, strong female. Great read.
I’ve missed reading the fantasy genre lately. I’m intrigued as to our siren lost her song and am hopeful we uncover some of the magic we’ve learned about more fully as the series continues.
This book is amazing! I really really enjoyed it since page 1. It was a story of loss, grieve and moving on; seizing what life brings you, and self-discovery. I thought the plot was very original and thought provoking. I fell in love with these wonderful beings, the breathers, I would certainly want to be one of them and have the freedom and ability to swim like that. I especially liked that the story wasn’t all about Caris, but you got to learn about the other characters as well. I didn’t want the book to end, but when it did, I felt that it could have used an extra chapter. But all in all, it was great. No lose ends.
I liked Caris, her name is so pretty, plus I could really relate to her. I think everyone feels once in a while like you don’t belong and it is amazing to finally find a place to fit in. She was very mature in handling her problems. I mean, it is normal to struggle a bit and feel frustrated, that is only human, but in the end she learned to cope with things well. Noah on the other hand, I loved. He was so noble and sweet. I love a guy who puts you as his first priority, specially a protective kind of guy; and Noah was all of them. I hate when guys think that only bad guys attract women, because in my case I prefer the good guys, the type of guy you can depend on. So I am really glad that Caris saw that too, because I agree with her, noble is not boring it is sexy as hell.
The other characters added something to the story as well. Erin for instance, she was so brave and attentive, you can learn a lot from her and I think everyone should have a friend like her. Jeb was funny, and Maggie was, well…a bit weird, which was her best feature. I liked that they all thought you a different face of love.
You get to experience both sides of the story, because the book was written from both, Noah and Caris’ point of view, so you get the whole picture. It was very clear and there wasn’t a chance to get mixed up on who’s point of view you were reading, because each chapter was named after the character’s whose point of view it was written in.
I found a few typos along the way. They were very scarce, and hardly a bother, but some people are very picky with this stuff.
To sum up, this book was good in so many levels, which is why I give it 4.5 stars and would totally recommend it to anyone!
*Note: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review, but my opinion was not biased in any way by this fact.
**I received this book for free from the author for an honest review. Thank you so very much!!**
~~~~~~~
Caris-
"I could hardly tell him what I really thought. That all I saw was a beautiful, mythical creature, and I was mesmerized by him."
Noah-
"Dripping wet, red faced from crying, she was beautiful. I wondered how I ever thought maybe she wasn't pretty. I wondered how I ever thought I could hate her."
~~~~~
I got this book for free to review and it was the best! I wish there was a second book because I would've definitely bought it when it came out. Is it a series? I'm not sure but I'll find out, and when I do, I'll be buying it on Amazon when it comes out.
When I started this book, I knew I was going to get what I wanted. A fantasy book (OMG!) filled with hope, honesty, and especially mermaids. Well, not technically mermaids but mythical creatures.
My reaction when I got the book:
Man, the things I would do to Noah. He's eye candy, I'll tell you that. Just his description: dirty blond hair, sea green eyes, tan skin. It's enough to make me drool. Seriously. And long hair? Is that even possible?!
Waterborn was a book that is really about Caris finding herself, her purpose. Ever since she was young she felt different, and once she came to her birthplace by the Gulf of Mexico, suddenly everything made sense. With Caris and Noah, you can feel the sexual tension growing between them from the start of it all. It was like love at first sight. Just luv it!
Made it about half way in a day then lost interest for a few weeks then got so into it tonight i finished it fighting sleep and all i love this book ugh so good and gives you all the feelings could noah be anymore perfect so ready to read the rest of the series!!!
So good Noah is so perfect I love this book I'm so excited to finish the rest of the series
I strayed away from YA & NA for a long time since I'm a little older now & most of the younger books tend to be immature & annoying 2 me. I'm also now into books that are flooded with romance. But.. Alas, I am a sucker for mermaid or in this case water breather novels. I love the ocean & everything about it. The cover of the book & title also lured me in. I was on a road trip so I decided to give this book a shot. My honest review would be that I liked it. Caris really surprised me with her strength & integrity. She wasn't the typical teen boppy girl. I also loved the author's originality with the concept of water breathers & also the side of normality the characters got. Due to my location, I felt that I could go to my local beach & possibly interact with the tribe of water breathers in this book. That is how real it felt. I truly applaud the author for her imagination & writing style. The only negative I would say about the book is that at some small points the book would drag a little bit. I wanted to rush to get to the next chapter. And of course I like more steamy sensual scenes in a book but given the genre & target audience I know why the author didn't go there. Overall I liked this book & will read the next one because the author has spiked my curiosity for the characters.
I was giving his book in exchange for an honest review by the author. This is no way shape or form affected my opinion.
My patience with books is very thin and if I'm not into it I have a hard time continuing, with that being said this book had me hooked ( no pun intended) right out the gate. I have never read anything like this story in the heavily saturated YA genre I cling to. It was a breathe of fresh air or should I say a fresh water?
The main protagonist Caris (awesome name) has always felt different and she has so many reasons to. Well I don't think this will spoil anyones day considering the title of the book but she is known as a breather, a race of beings that can breathe underwater. It is a story of finding yourself and were you feel you belong, and of course what would be complete without a lust-worthy man involved. I know this sounds typical but I felt this book was anything but. I am usually good at telling what will happen next and my favorite thing was I couldn't tell anything with this story. I was constantly intrigued. If you need a break from the witch,wizard,fae, theme this is "the perfect catch" of a book. Please excuse my puns but it was just to easy.
Downloaded this book for free, but was iffy about reading it after seeing reviews. That said, I'm glad I read it anyway.
Caris is our heroine, and she does a pretty decent job of carrying the story. I thought she was fairly believable, though she left some room under the "characteristics-still-desired" column. She is 18 and has pretty much had a part of herself cut off, so I guess this is understandable...sorta.
Noah is the male lead and he seems like a stand up guy who's been through some tough sh*t. Actually, that seems to be a common theme in this book, though I think that has to do with how the author has set up the "world" (mostly with regards to Erin and Noah's family).
I could have used more about the various characters in the book. We're told a bit about Maggie, but Jeb, Sol, Levi, Daniel, Quinn, etc are just kind of dropped on you, with information sprinkled throughout the book. Maybe this is the first of the series, so these characters will be expanded on later? Not sure if I want to read the next one, but who know? :)
**** ARC exchanges for an honest review ((((( spoilers )))))****
OK, i am jumping in head first!
I am only giving this book 3 stars because i feel as if it is unfinished. Yes we get a great love story and i am happy with the outcome but i want more with the plot. Is there going to be another book?
I want to know will she lead the way to having landers and breathers co exists rather than landers being controlling and domineering towards the breathers.
What is going to happen with the dads? Will she ever forgive her biological dad? What about her real dad... What role will he play in the whole scheme? What is Marshall to Nohas mom?
I have soo many questions and i hate to leave a book with questions. I feel like it should be wrapped up or there should be another one! Please make another one!
Read this book because it is weirdly good, just expect to have questions after the fact!
This book is about a girl returning home, finding love and finding her place underwater.
I've really enjoyed this book. The heroine, Caris, seemed a sweetheart and a spitfire at once. She meets Noah (cuuuuuuute) and he falls under her spell, completely against his will. That makes for some interesting situations (which i'll not spoil) that may or may not be funny ;). Then, she discovers her true nature due to her 'new' family, that will alter her life forever. It has some adventure in it, but not the 'fast anf furious' kind, so it was great. I liked the characters, even though I'd have given Ally a little bit more protagonism, as I really didn't understand why she was around that jerk of a boyfriend. Also, am I the only one who noticed the 'Noah's legs were hairless and smooth part'? I'd kill to have that! And did Caris' legs become hairless also?
I'd love to read more of this story and know what becomes of this community!
I really enjoyed reading this book! I enjoyed the chemistry between Noah and Caris, and I really enjoyed the premise of the story. I was excited about how the water was like a living breathing being, who had a real pull and control over Noah. I wished the ending was more epic, or more put together, in terms of a strong ending battle or climax. I wish that there could be a sequel because I feel these lovers' story isn't over. I would absolutely recommend this book to others, and I really enjoyed reading it! I couldn't put it down! I just wanted it to keep going. Happy Reading to all those who want a great love story - this is it!!
I loved this book. It's one of those stories that gives you a book hangover after finishing it, and you can't stop thinking about it for days. I have also had an overwhelming desire to find a beach and go swimming ever since finishing it.
The characters felt very real, and were likeable. Caris wasn't annoying, like so many female protagonists are these days. Her reactions to finding out about her new identity were realistic for a teenage girl, which helped the ground the fantasy elements.
I would definitely recommend this book. I can't wait for the next one, and will be checking the author's blog for updates.
4.5 I really don't have anything against this book. I actually really liked it and the cover is freaking gorgeous! But the reason it didn't make it to 5 stars is just that it wasn't AMAZING. I tend to be very stingy with giving out my 5 stars. So while I loved it, it wasn't exactly on par with say Red Queen for example. That being said I still want to get the next three books like asap. Although I must say this book easily could have been a standalone if only certain things were taken out. However I am still glad that it isn't because I am very interested to see what else happens with Noah and Caris.