Deep Blue (Blue #1)
Jules Barnard
Genre: New Adult, Romance
Release Date: March 6, 2014
In the Blue Series, a summer in Lake Tahoe is anything but carefree when recent college grads discover that finding real love means looking beneath the surface.
When Cali Morgan kicks off her perfect post-college summer in Lake Tahoe, she has everything she ever wanted: acceptance into a top law program, a gorgeous boyfriend, and an incredible summer planned with her best friend.
Confident about her place in the world, Cali makes it her mission to be her friend’s wingwoman and help her meet guys. What Cali doesn’t count on is running into Jaeger Lang, one of her older brother’s high school friends, or the sparks that fly when she’s around him.
Jaeger has changed, and it’s not just the added height and muscle. There’s something about him that’s deep and a little scarred. In spite of the changes, Jaeger becomes a top pick for her friend—if Cali can keep her hands off him.
But when Cali’s boyfriend dumps her and her carefully laid plans begin to unravel, she finds herself questioning what it is she truly desires. In the midst of doubts about her future, one thing is very clear: she wants Jaeger for her own. The question is, has her friend already fallen for him?
This New Adult book is intended for readers over the age of 18 due to adult language, sexual content, and adult situations.
Where do I even begin? I did not know what to expect when I started reading this book. Jules Barnard was a new author on my radar and I had never heard of her work. So naturally I was ready for anything and what I found was fantastic! I truly enjoyed this book! It was true to the New Adult genre and had everything you wanted from the genre without being over zealous and over dramatic in different areas.
Let’s start with the characters. Cali was a great female lead. She was a strong confident woman who admitted her faults and looked for ways to live life to the fullest, all while staying true to herself. Jaeger was the perfect man candy. The whole package of a sweet and amazing guy with so much going for him. He is a truly outstanding character within the New Adult genre. The two of them together were fantastic. Their chemistry was great and their banter was easy and believable. They were written in such a way that one would never thrive without the other. This fact truly does bleed off the page.
The moral compass of this story was something I truly appreciated. In a world of books that glorifies things such as unfaithfulness in a relationship as long as you truly love someone, it was refreshing to see how Cali really struggled with balancing her fizzling relationship and the feelings she was developing for Jaeger. She is able to maneuver that storm well, and I loved seeing her process through the scenarios. It made my heart so happy.
Another thing I enjoyed about this story was the many moving parts and how well everything fits together. You have a great group of secondary characters. You have drama with Cali’s job at the casino, such a crazy drama that leads to even more uncertainty and frustration. I admired the way she handled the situations she faced within the working world. The drama was never overblown yet not glossed over, but addressed in such a way that it is a lesson to women everywhere. I don’t want to give anything away but I really did respect the way things were handled. Her relationship with Jaeger is well played out and paced beautifully. They are the perfect puzzle pieces together. When things start to play out and Jaeger’s past tries to derail them, they attempt to handle things in a way that makes them stronger and more of a collective unit. Again, seeing Cali deal with the drama and the uncertainty was hard but her determination and confidence made for a great story and ending. I really loved this story and I cannot wait to read Gen’s tale in Blue Crush. Jules Barnard is definitely an author to keep your eye on. If you need a fun and impressive read, then check this story out!
Jules Barnard writes New Adult fiction. In her debut Blue Series, a summer in Lake Tahoe is anything but carefree when a group of recent college grads discovers that to find real love, sometimes you have to look beneath the surface.
Jules is a Northern California native living on the coast with her husband and two children. She has no impulse control around cupcakes and credits herself with the ability to read while running on the treadmill or burning dinner.