7.7.2014 | Monday

The Deeper We Get

Item: The Deeper We Get
Rating: 5
Author: Kim

category: Book Reviews
tag(s): adult
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title: The Deeper We Get
author: Jessica Gibson
series: The Harder I Fall #2
published: 8 July 2014
publisher: self-published
genre(s): contemporary, romance
pages: 199
source: author
format: eARC
buy/shelve it: Amazon | B&N | BookBub | Goodreads

rating:

| series rating:

WARNING: This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

the blurb

Chad Langer was always running. Running from his past, afraid of letting himself be happy and free. College was going to be his new start. New city, new school, new people.

Scarlett would be his undoing. He knew it the moment he saw her. Something in her eyes called to him. She was just as broken as he was.

Sometimes the past doesn’t stay in the past. Will they be able to overcome the obstacles set in their path?

my review

This series is such a great read! The characters are deep and realistic, with no glossing over the less savory parts of life. I loved Chad in the first book in the series, The Harder I Fall, and I loved him even more in The Deeper We Get.

Chad is a fantastic character! He is smart and seemingly has it all together. But he is deeply damaged after a life of traumatic events that no one should have to ever experience. And for the most part, no one really knows just how damaged he is. Our heroine, Scarlet, is just as flawed and damaged as he is and she doesn’t have much more of a handle on things than Chad does. I love that his character, nor any of the characters, are created to be ideals. They are damaged. They are flawed. They have real problems and real emotions. The author doesn’t shy away from the raw, the dark, the gritty.

There are some dark themes and situations in this book. Themes of physical and emotional abuse. Themes of substance abuse. There are moments of unbearable sadness and frustration. There are uncomfortable situations and moments, too. But it is an emotional and touching moment.

NOTE: If you have read the first book, which I recommend, keep in mind that this one is set a few years in the future. I kept forgetting that and kept envisioning Chad is an early high schooler at first!!

Things to love…

The dark themes and how well they were handled.
The flawed and damaged nature of the characters.

Things I wanted more/less of…

More of Chad’s struggles with his father.

A fantastic story with some very real situations! I would definitely recommend reading The Harder I Fall first to really complete the picture of Chad’s past.

About Jessica Gibson

Hi, my name is Jessica Gibson, I’m a recovering bookaholic, down from four books a week to a more reasonable one. It was that love of words and creativity that made me dream about writing my first book. That dream was hidden for years, always put on the back burner, filed away in the “someday” section, until my husband Matt gave me the kick in the pants I needed to actually get off my butt and write.
My husband and I live in Southern California and have a serious addiction to reality tv shows like Pawn Stars and American Restoration. We have one son and hope to add to the family in the near future.