Synopsis
Live young. Live hard. Love deep.
Charley Redford was just an ordinary girl until Jake Caplin moved to her small town in Indiana and convinced her she was extraordinary. Almost from day one Jake pulled Charley into the deep and promised he was right there with her. But when a tragic incident darkened Jake’s life he waded out into the shallows and left Charley behind.
Almost four years later Charley thinks she’s moved on. That is until she takes a study year abroad in Edinburgh and bumps into none other than Jake Caplin at a party with his new girlfriend. The bad-boy-turned-good attempts to convince Charley to forgive him, and as her best friend starts spending time with Jake’s, Charley calls a truce, only to find herself tumbling back into a friendship with him.
As they grow closer, the spark between them flares and begins playing havoc with their lives and relationships. When jealousy and longing rear their destructive heads, Charley and Jake struggle to come to grips with what they mean to one another.
And even if they work it out, there is no guarantee Charley will ever trust Jake to lead her back into the deep…
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Lynne’s Thoughts
New adult. The genre that brings up many questions. Oftentimes I read new adult novels that feel like adult novels but with “younger” characters. This has always somewhat bothered me. I don’t think new adult novels should feel like adult novels, because they’re not. So when I decided to read Samantha Young’s NA novel, I had already resolved in my head that it would read a lot like her On Dublin Street series. While the writing style is the similar, I feel Young captured the new adult spirit flawlessly. I did not feel like Charley and Jake were older than they are. They did not feel on the same age or maturity level of Joss, Braden, and their friends. The angst, romance, and hotness factors were all in Into The Deep just like her adult novels, but it felt like I was reading about 20 year-olds. I’ve always hated watching TV shows about high school students where they act like they are 30. College age students are all over the place! They make mistakes constantly, they’re scared of everything, and totally abuse their parentless freedom. They shouldn’t act and respond to situations like adults because they maybe adults legally, but they aren’t emotionally. This is truth coming from the views of a 21 year old. I am not an adult. I may act like it, but I’m not. Therefore feeling the maturity difference in characters between these two series was incredibly refreshing. Charley does stupid stuff, Jake does stupid stuff. They are both so emotionally heightened, it isn’t even funny. But you know what? I loved it. I loved that we got to return to Edinburgh. I love that they created a tight knit group of friends that I want to know more about. I loved that Charley and Jake were so in love with each other, it was infuriating that they weren’t together. Especially because you knew their friends were annoyed as well. Charley and Jake’s issues were very real, because what sixteen year old doesn’t make the stupidest decisions then regret them later? Overall, Into The Deep was lovely, engaging, and real. I truly loved it. If you have read the On Dublin Street series, I would highly recommend this book. The angst, family-like friend group, and extremely likable characters that Young cultivates in that series is ever present in this one as well. I cannot wait for the conclusion of this series with Out Of The Shallows, coming April 2014!