cover image Oceanborne

Oceanborne

Katherine Irons. Kensington/Brava, $14 trade paper (368p) ISBN 978-0-7582-6142-7

In this strong paranormal sequel to Seaborne, Irons continues her imaginative world-building and introduces a markedly more charming, nuanced heroine, though this time around the hero is a rather spoiled playboy. Underwater archeologist Elena Carter thinks her eyes deceive her when she spots an extraordinarily gorgeous man fighting for his life in a storm-tossed ocean off the Greek coast. Prince Orion of Atlantis pursues a typically lusty existence in his fairly indulgent native culture. The one thing strictly forbidden is sex with a human woman, but as soon as he and Elena rescue each other, their somewhat improbable instant attraction (fueled by Orion’s magic, a fact he neglects to mention to Elena) leads to blazing undersea sex. Pointed jabs at humans trashing the world’s oceans add humor to Elena’s dreamy, often befuddling journey through Atlantis, which blends nicely with plot intrigues and tension that build on the previous title. (Oct.)