Review (+ Giveaway): Hidden Currents by Christine Feehan

Posted July 3, 2009 by Holly in Giveaways, Reviews | 30 Comments

Review (+ Giveaway): Hidden Currents by Christine FeehanReviewer: Holly
Hidden Currents by Christine Feehan
Series: Drake Sisters #7,
Also in this series: Turbulent Sea, Magic in the Wind, The Twilight Before Christmas, Oceans of Fire, Dangerous Tides, Safe Harbor, Turbulent Sea, Hidden Currents, Hidden Currents, Dangerous Tides
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: June 30th 2009
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 480
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-half-stars

Elle Drake has gone missing. She’s a strong telepath and even her six magical sisters cannot find her, although they all agree she is alive. Something terrible has happened or she would have contacted them and let them know where she is.

Jackson Deveau, a deputy sheriff in the small village of Sea Haven, off the northern California coast, has known that Elle is destined for him. When she disappears, he gathers with his friends, Jonas Harrington and Ilya Prakenskii, and Elle’s sisters to find her and bring her safely home. But Sea Haven is no longer safe for any of them and it takes every bit of strength the combination of all the Drakes and their men to survive the coming storm.

Hidden Currents is the 7th and final book in Christine Feehan’s Drake Sisters series, and for me, the most anticipated. I would like to start out by saying that if you haven’t read the previous entries in this series, this is not the place to start. Many things from the previous books are referenced and I think someone starting the series with this book would only come away lost and confused.

Elle Drake is working undercover trying to find evidence that billionaire shipping magnate Stavros Grastos is involved in human trafficking – and avoiding Jackson Deveraux, the man she’s destined to be with but who has made it clear he doesn’t want her – when she’s taken captive on Stavros’ private island. Although Elle is a strong telepath, for some reason she can’t psychically read Stavros and once on her island, her abilities are completely blocked.

Alone, frightened and confused, Elle experiences brutalities no woman should face. Just when she’s convinced she can hold on no longer, Jackson touches her, bringing her back from the brink of madness. Although she would rather retreat into her own mind, Jackson asks to live, knowing what he asks but needing her in his world.

Jackson has been out of his mind worrying over Elle. Even though she was physically away from him, her mind always touched his. Until she was no longer there. Even her sisters couldn’t connect with her. He’d only been waiting for Elle to realize she had to come when she disappeared. Now, finally, he’s connected with her and he isn’t letting her go. Through her he experiences some of the horrors she’s been facing on her own, and he knows she needs to be rescued as soon as possible. But once he finally gets her home, he realizes the trouble is far from over. Stavros escapes during the raid and he continues to torture the entire family as Elle struggles to recover.

I was very surprised by the intensity of the opening of this book. Although Feehan has pushed some boundaries in the past, there was a certain line I never really expected her to cross. She definitely crossed it in this book. After the first quarter or so, however, the intensity fades and the romance becomes the focal point of the story.

In previous books, I was unsure about Jackson. He seemed closed off and..almost cold. I knew there was something in his past that had scarred him, but I had no idea what. Finding out really just added another layer of depth to his relationship with Elle. I expected him to be domineering and cold, but instead he was tender and sensitive, staying strong for Elle and yet giving her space.

Elle was a very strong woman. Though she suffered at the hands of a monster for months, she did her best to work through her pain and trauma. She didn’t just lie down and die. Her need for Jackson scared her at first, because she was afraid to rely on him completely, but after awhile she came to value him and appreciated that he was constantly with her.

The connection between Elle and Jackson was strong right from the beginning. Watching them heal together and learn to trust one another was the more powerful part of the story, I think. In the face of their relationship, the drama of Elle’s capture and subsequent torture took a back seat. Therefore I don’t think Stavros seemed as much of a threat as was intended. I was so focused on Elle and Jackson that Stavros seemed more an annoyance than anything.

It’s not that I doubted the threat, it’s just that I wasn’t very interested in his story or how they eliminated the threat. The first half of the book was much more interesting in that respect. Once Elle and Jackson connected, everything else took a backseat.

If I have a complaint it’s that Elle’s physical recovery seemed glossed over. I had to suspend disbelief quite a bit to accept that she was held captive – and suffered untold horrors – for a month and yet spent no time in the hospital and saw no doctor. She didn’t even let her sisters work on her (they have healing powers) until she’d been home for several days.

Also, the way the book ended..I wonder if she isn’t going to create a spin-off? While part of me thinks that would be great (I’m really not quite ready for the series to be over) another part of me would be very disappointed in her.

Although tough to read at times (because of the content) overall it was very well done. Kudos to Feehan for closing out the series in such a great way.

4.5 out of 5

Book CoverBook CoverBook CoverBook CoverBook CoverBook CoverBook Cover
This book is available from Jove. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

GIVEAWAY Leave a comment telling me what your favorite Drake book is (or, if you haven’t read them, why you’d like to) and you’ll be entered to win a copy. GIVEAWAY

four-half-stars


Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

30 responses to “Review (+ Giveaway): Hidden Currents by Christine Feehan

  1. I haven’t read a single one, but I have this friend who once told me to read paranormal books. And one of those she mentioned was Feehan, only 2 years ago, and no luck yet

  2. Hi 🙂
    Thank you for sharing. What a great review. I haven’t read any of these books but you have made me want to!
    Please enter me in this contest.
    Love From Canada
    twitter.com/RKCharron
    xoxo

  3. maered

    I haven’t read any of this series, yet. Feehan is a hot or a miss for me, can’t read her books one after another.

    This looks good though, so enter me, please!

  4. Ooh, Ooh, pick me pick me!!! I want to read this one so badly. 😀

    My favorite Drake book (so far) is probably Safe Harbor.

  5. I’ve only read two of the books so far (The first two, in fact), and out of those, I think my favorite was Magic in the Wind. I have the next couple in my pile right now though.

    Don’t get me wrong– the Drake Sister’s books are still good reads, but personally I like Feehan’s Carpathians and feline shapeshifters. 😉

    Still, count me in!

    TBQ

  6. Anonymous

    Yes, there will be a spin-off.

    On Feehan’s website, she talks about her new series, Water Bound, that will start next year. It centers around six magical Russian brothers — clearly Ilya’s brothers — and takes place in Sea Haven (where the Drake series is set).

  7. Great review. I have not read this series by Christine Feehan but I love her other series. I want to read this series now. 🙂

  8. Great review. I have not read this series by Christine Feehan but I love her other series. I want to read this series now. 🙂

  9. I have read all of these but Hidden Currents They are all very good and it is hard to pick just one. I guess I will pick Dangerous Tides, because I enjoyed Libby’s story a lot.

  10. I really liked Joley and ilya’s story, book #6 best . . . so far. It seems like each consecutive book just got better as each sister’s story was told, because I felt like I already knew them from reading about them in each book. Looking forward to this one! Thanks for contest!!

  11. Jane

    I haven’t read the Drake books yet, but I do love Christine’s Ghost Walker series and would love to try her other books.

  12. Dangerous Tides is my fav of the Drake Sisters novels. It was the first one I read of the series, and liked it so much that it prompted me to go back and read all of the previous ones. It still remains my fav.

    I would love to win this book!

    cldivineATyahooDOTcom

  13. I’ve read the first two. And really loved the first. This is a series I need to catch up on Would love to win this one.

  14. Patti

    I must confess I haven’t read any of these books yet but I have heard so many good things about these books and so want to read them. Please enter me in your drawing.

    budletsmom at yahoo dot com

  15. I haven’t read any of them but have heard they are great. The book covers look great. I would love to enter your contest.

  16. I’ve read all the Drake sisters and I would have to say my fave was Turbulent Seas. I love Joley and Ilya. I couldn’t wait for their book.

  17. I’ve read three parts (1, 3, 5). I liked them all, but maybe the third is my favorite. But I have a feeling if I’d read the whole series in order, I’d like the fifth part the most.

  18. I haven’t read any Drake book but I have always enjoyed Christine Feehan’s books and paranormal romances!

  19. I haven’t read any Drake book . I love paranormal though. A lot of people say that the series is good, and, for me, that is a good reason to start reading it.

  20. I’ve tried to get the book at a number of places , but so far no luck…
    I’ve read all the books so far and was eagerly awaiting its arrival in the library, but so far nothing has happended…

Leave a Reply to RKCharron Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.