Gracie has just finished her freshman year of college in Memphis when she takes a job at a local pizza joint in her home town of McKenzie, Tennessee. She is the epitome of innocence when she meets Noah. Noah is unabashedly handsome, intriguingly reckless and just cocky enough to be sexy. Gracie’s instincts tell her to stay far away from him and based on the stories she hears from her co-workers he leaves broken hearts in his wake. But still, she can’t explain her fascination with him.
Noah puts aside his bad boy ways when what he thought was a summer crush has him unexpectedly falling in love. But soon after Gracie transfers to UT Knoxville to be with Noah, their unexpected love becomes riddled with anger, deceit and humiliation.
Jake, Noah’s former roommate and Gracie’s best friend, can no longer be a bystander. Gracie’s world falls out from beneath her and when she breaks she turns to Jake for strength. As Jake talks her through a decision she’s not yet strong enough to make, together they uncover a truth so ugly neither of them is prepared for its fallout. Will Jake pull her to the surface or is Gracie Jordan finally In Too Deep?
Nicky's Review
3.5 Stars
Characters- Loved some, disliked some, tolerated some...
Plot/Storyline- The Story was really well written from the perspective of an emotionally abused female and it flowed, but I would change a few things... If I was a writer of course, which I am not.
Steam Factor- With one guy it was sad and demeaning, with the other guy it was sweet and HOT!!
Cover- Beautiful, Raw, and emotional.
Cliffhanger- NO Cliffhanger. This is their story but I would love another book or epilogue for Gracie and the continuation of her story as a survivor.
Overall- Really enjoyed the book and how well written it was but it was very depressing at times, which I'm sure was the point because I really felt the force pulling Gracie down, but I think the writer needed to give a reprieve every now and then because it just became a little difficult to read such a struggle with no hopes of a light at the end of the tunnel.
This book was REALLY well written and I did enjoy reading it, but there are a few things I wish were different, but first let me tell you about the work of art that this book is.
This book is told from Gracies's POV and she is a sweet innocent girl until she meets her world's demise, Noah. He is beautiful and sexy and a master manipulator. You, as the reader, experience his initial sweetness and fall in love with his bad ass just as Gracie does. You feel her happiness and see his sweet approach with her.
Then all hell breaks loose and Noah just isn't the same guy Gracie fell in love with. This book is a constant struggle for Gracie. She is stepped on and belittled constantly by Noah, but then he flips the switch, becomes sweet again, apologizes, and pulls Gracie back into his grip. This happens for most of the book and that is where it gets a little hard to continue. You can only watch a girl be trampled so many times before it just gets hard to watch/read. I feel that I would have still had the same understanding of Gracie's pain and battle even if the length of her struggle was 200 pages long rather than 400 pages long. It just made me frustrated as HELL with Gracie on so many levels. I truly understand that there really are girls that suffer like this and it isn't a short lived process, but in order to keep the reader motivated to keep going I feel that there has to be a reprieve of some kind, some promise of hope. I feel like the extra 200 pages that focused on her constant struggle with Noah could have been used to explain how Jake and Gracie interacted outside of him constantly being there every time Noah wiped his feet on the Gracie doormat. Anyway, that is my one and only major gripe with this book. The story was so well written though and you really do get sucked into the story and the characters, which I think is why it was so hard to read sometimes.
Gracie has a few friends that she confides in: Stacy, Becki, Jake, and Sam. They are all great supporting characters and see what is going on with Noah, even when Gracie can't. Stacy is Gracie's roommate and she tires of her drama the fastest, Becki is the great listener who only gives advice when she feels advice is needed, Sam is just the sweet friend who stays out of the loop and lives his own life but does offer hugs and words of support here and there, and Jake... Oh Jake. He is the pillar of strength for Gracie. He give hugs, kisses, advice, a listening ear, and unconditional love. I must talk more about Jake because, Good Golly, he is FREAKING HOT and AMAZEBALLS!!
Jake is every girl's dream. He is the Knight in Shining Armour that gives more than he takes, worships the girl he is with, appreciates and respects that girl, and provides safety and unconditional love. Oh... and he's GORGEOUS!! Whether Gracie gets with Jake or stays with Noah, because as the book gets toward the end Noah does change a bit for the good, will be for you to read and find out.
I would recommend this book for anyone in an emotionally abusive relationship because I feel it gives you an outsider and insider perspective which may help you see what is really going on in your relationship because it is harder to see what is going on when your in the eye of the storm but from the outside it's like its written in neon lights. I would also recommend this to anyone wanting a dark read that makes you FEEL the character's struggle and eventual growth. This book, I reiterate, was REALLY well written and deserves so much appreciation for the attention to detail and dialogue. I don't know the author, but this book is so true and raw that I might venture to say that someone she knows VERY closely has been emotionally abused because it is written THAT well. Great job Michelle Kemper Brownlow.
Favorite Quotes:
"This former bad boy had opened up to me and showed me a side of him no one else knew. No one. It was like our own little miracle. Our oasis. He truly loved me. We were bound by the one-time gift I had given him just months into our relationship. My soul was married to his. Our relationship defined me."
"'Gracie, our mistakes don't define us, they help us make the choices that will one day be woven into who we become.'"
"'the Gracie I know,' he laid his hand on my cheek and kissed me on the tip of my nose, 'is one of the most incredible people I have ever met. Her smile lights up a room and everyone feels her joy because, take it or leave it, she comes with no pretenses. You get all of her. the second you meet her, you've got her heart. And her security in her convictions is what makes her shine.'"
"'A gift you won't get back. Make sure you save it for the right one, not just the one right now.'"
"His strong arms were around me in no time, my face was buried in his neck and his chin rested on top of my head. 'Get some sleep, beautiful. No one's going to hurt you tonight.'"
"He walked over to me and wiped my tears. He took my face in his hands. 'Because sometimes being the best friend means telling the truth even when it hurts.'"
"'True love and a mean spirit cannot coexist in a relationship. They are two opposing forces. Someone who is consistently and/or intentionally mean, in my opinion, is not able to accept or give unconditional love.'"
"There was an ache stronger than anything I had ever felt throbbing between my legs. I wondered if that feeling was the girl equivalent to a boner. At that moment, I was glad I was a girl- I didn't need him knowing how turned on I was."
Purchase this book
Kindle http://www.amazon.com/In-Too-Deep-ebook/dp/B00D6T70LO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1380396806&sr=1-1&keywords=in+too+deep
Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-too-deep-michelle-kemper-brownlow/1115479302?ean=2940016620589
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Brittany's Review
3.75 Stars
Characters- I liked the characters for this story. Jake is so sweet!
Plot/Storyline- The story was well written and very in depths at times.
Steam Factor- Mild but good. It depends on which guy were talking about.
Cover- Beautiful, Raw, and emotional. I love the black and white with the pop of color.
Cliffhanger-No cliffhanger but their is a book 2 releasing about the continuation of their story.
Overall- The story was good, intriguing but I agree with Nicky it was rather depressing. I actually had a hard time getting through some parts because I could actually feel myself sinking deeper and deeper like Gracie. I guess in ways that's a good thing.
This book starts off really good. You find out a lot about Gracie and Noah, her boyfriend. You get flashbacks from their past so you can understand their relationship and how it started. Gracie switched colleges so she could go to the same school as Noah. Everything was going great until Noah's true colors shine through. He becomes really demeaning and possessive. A lot of this stems from his own insecurities about his past and the things he has done behind Gracie's back. Noah doesn't know who he really is and basically takes it out on Gracie. He's trying to fit in with his sorority and also coming from a broken home didn't help. Unfortunately, Gracie becomes his victim to this emotional abuse. Since she thinks she loves him and he loves her she makes A TON of excuses on why he is acting this way and ultimately every time forgives him. This was something that definitely drove me CRAZY! But, in real life this is what happens to people in emotionally abusive relationships. So I could almost completely relate to what someone like that is going through. I could feel all those emotions throughout the book. The author did an amazing job with describing every emotion and making you feel them through Gracie.
Then comes the amazing saviour and hottie best friend Jake. Jake and Sam are Gracie's friends. They are the ones she runs to when things are going bad between her and Noah. Jake especially knows how to make her laugh and feel better about herself. Gracie has always been attracted to Jake but since she had Noah and he had a girlfriend they just let things be. Jake is so sweet!!! He always has the right thing to say and really gives Gracie the confidence and self esteem she needs. You just can't help but root for them to be together!
As the story progresses, things take a turn for the worse and with Noah and Gracie starts spending more tine with Jake. They begin to really like each other. Noah actually starts to figure things out and want to change. I can't give away anything about the ending, so make sure you read to find out who gets the girl and if the girl gains that self esteem she needs to survive.
Favorite Quotes:
"I looked on the outside like I used to feel on the inside, confident, fun and funky. Because that's who he fell in love with."
"Gracie, our mistakes don't define us, they help us make the choices that will one day be woven into who we become."
"Wow."
"What?"
"You're deep at two a.m."
"Because sometimes being the best friend means telling the truth even when it hurts"
Purchase this book
Kindle http://www.amazon.com/In-Too-Deep-ebook/dp/B00D6T70LO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1380396806&sr=1-1&keywords=in+too+deep
Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-too-deep-michelle-kemper-brownlow/1115479302?ean=2940016620589
Cast:
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