Into the Deep by Samantha Young

Into the Deep (Into the Deep, #1)

by Samantha Young

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…

Reviewed by Ashley on

4 of 5 stars

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If you're a fan of Samantha Young's On Dublin Street series, Into the Deep is a must-read! It's just as hot, romantic, and captivating as the On Dublin Street series, but it's still different and has its own unique story.

My favourite thing about Into the Deep was that it felt different. It didn't feel like a rehashed romance story with a cliché plot. Something about the way this book was written made it feel so unique! The book is told from two different time periods: back when Charley and Jake were in high school and "young in love", and in "current time" when they're both studying abroad in university.

The "then" chapters made me fall in love with both Charley and Jake! They were two characters with amazing personalities and ohmygod the chemistry between them was HOT HOT HOT. But they both felt like separate characters with their own personalities and quirks. Charley was super witty, funny, and independent. She's the kind of female main character you can really love and admire. And Jake is cocky as hell, but not in an asshole way. You can see he's a great guy, and pretty hilarious.

Then there are the "now" chapters. In these chapters, Charley and Jake are no longer dating. You know that something horrible happened years ago to tear them apart, but you don't know what. And man, this really addicted me to the book! I so desperately wanted to find out what happened! It's so devastating because you see how fiercely in love Charley and Jake were (not that wishy washy teenage love, but REAL love!), and it broke my heart to know that something got between them.

Into the Deep was incredibly fun, romantic, interesting, and had that little mystery that really kept me reading. The characters are truly unforgettable—even the side characters. I'm totally itching to read a spinoff about Claudia (Charley's best friend) and Beck (Jake's friend). Even Lowe (another side character/friend) was awesome! Every single character had their own personality that made them stand out.

My only gripe was the ending. That ending didn't make the book feel like a self-contained book. There was no climax/resolution. Or, there was a climax but it happened way too early, which made the ending feel cut off (because I thought something ELSE was going to happen). It just.. ended. This book is the first in a series so there's more to come, but the ending didn't feel like a cliffhanger; it literally felt like the book was cut in half. That just left me feeling not quite as happy/excited about the book when all was said and done. But I'll definitely be continuing with the series!

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  • Started reading
  • 1 May, 2014: Finished reading
  • 1 May, 2014: Reviewed