Review: Deeper by Blue Ashcroft

Posted December 21, 2013 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Deeper by Blue AshcroftReviewer: Holly
Deeper by Blue Ashcroft
Series: Lifeguards #1

Publication Date: November 3rd 2013
Pages: 226
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one-half-stars
Series Rating: two-stars

Rain Wilson isn't ever going to love again.

It's a promise she made the day her boyfriend died in a water park accident, one she still blames herself for. Now she's a senior lifeguard in a new town with a new pool and she's just going to keep her head down and everyone safe. Until a mysterious guy follows her into the waves at the pre-season bonfire and kisses her senseless. It's just one mistake, and Rain is determined to put it behind her, until the dark haired, blue eyed hottie turns out to be her new co-supervisor Knight Mcallister.

Knight is hot, tatted, and carrying baggage of his own. He's not happy about having Rain for a co-supervisor, and he's even less happy about his attraction to her. But between lifeguard drama, hot underwater kisses, and a growing attraction between them that can't be stopped, Knight and Rain are being pulled deeper into their pasts, and realizing that sometimes too much broken can make a relationship impossible.

Then again sometimes it's the broken parts of us that fit together best.

 

Fair warning, this book is focused on some heavy issues: death, rape and suicide.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t deal well with either issue. What could have been a gritty, emotionally compelling read was instead boring and a little ridiculous. I felt no connection to either character or to the story. The lifeguard training was probably the most interesting thing about the book and that wasn’t even all that interesting.

Due to an accident involving the death of a boy that Rain blames herself for, she’s made a vow to never have sex or fall in love. She figures if the boy who died doesn’t have the option of living a happy life, neither should she. She locked herself in her dorm room her entire freshman year at college and is determined to keep to herself at her summer lifeguard job. Which seems easy enough until she meets her co-manager, Knight.

Knight is struggling with his own demons; his girlfriend died when he was in high school and he doesn’t want to get involved. Rain makes him feel things he never thought he’d feel again and he doesn’t like it. But he’s drawn to her and can’t seem to stay away. Because of events from his past he feels the need to protect all women, especially Rain. She’s determined to help others, even if it’s at the detriment of her own safety.

Knight isn’t sure he can be with someone who deliberately puts herself in danger…and Rain isn’t sure she can be with someone who won’t allow her to make decisions for herself.

Rain’s reasons for keeping her distance from everyone made little sense past a superficial level. Knight’s need to protect and save made a little more sense based on his past, but wasn’t written well. Instead of coming off as a bit damaged and over-protective, he read as chauvinistic. That she allowed – even encouraged – such behavior in him killed all her claims of being ‘strong’ and ‘independent’.

I think the big problem is the lack of connection I felt to either character or the tragedies they suffered. I wasn’t invested enough to care what happened one way or another.

The hours I spent reading this are ones I can’t get back, and that makes me sad.

1.5 out of 5

This book is self-published. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

one-half-stars


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