Submerged ~ A book review

Last week I read Submerged by Dani Pettrey.  

Synopsis:

A sabotaged plane. Two dead deep-water divers.

Yancey, Alaska was a quiet town...until the truth of what was hidden in the depths off the coast began to appear.

Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey again. She has a past, and a reputation--and Yancey's a small town. She's returned to bury a loved one killed in the plane crash and is determined not to stay even an hour more than necessary. But then dark evidence emerges and Bailey's own expertise becomes invaluable for the case.

Cole McKenna can handle the deep-sea dives and helping the police recover evidence. He can even handle the fact that a murderer has settled in his town and doesn't appear to be moving on. But dealing with the reality of Bailey's reappearance is a tougher challenge. She broke his heart, but she is not the same girl who left Yancey. He let her down, but he's not the same guy she left behind. Can they move beyond the hurts of their pasts and find a future together?

My review:

This book grabbed me from the very first page.  I can't say that about many books I open.  Usually it takes getting through the first chapter or two before the serious interest kicks in, but not with Submerged.   Once I got going, I just couldn't put it down.

 First of all, I love that this book is set in Alaska.  Granted, it's in a much more romantic setting than interior Alaska, but still...it is the same State...with a similar "unique" cast of characters like are often seen around here.  I would love to visit the seas of Alaska someday, especially after the descriptions offered in Submerged.

I don't typically like suspense and murder novels, because I end up reading through the night so that I can get the mystery over with.  I have an overactive imagination, and they're just just too intense for me.  Submerged was intense, but was nicely balanced with proactive and intelligent people that didn't make stupid mistakes.  I was on the edge of my seat for most of it, while at the same time thoroughly enjoying the book.

The large cast of characters were very easy to relate to.  I sympathized intensely with Bailey as she goes back to Yancey, AK and has to rise above a past that she made HUGE mistakes in.  Her heart has been significantly changed by the God who forgives so readily, but she struggles with forgiving herself.  I was rooting for her the whole time I was reading.  Cole is a man who pursues Bailey's heart with a quiet passion that is intent on honoring God.  The scenes describe and show real struggle and honest feelings when it comes to romance, which is something that is often missing in Christian literature.

The entire McKenna Family as well as their close friends are those I feel invested in wanting to know how their lives turn out.  I am so excited to read the rest of the series "Alaska Courage" when the subsequent books are released.  I'm hoping it will follow Landon and Piper and the other McKenna siblings.  

Dani Pettrey has done a fabulous job with this book.  Her writing style is relate-able, clear, clean and so very inspiring.  I can honestly it's the most excited I've been over a book in a very long time and I am looking forward to reading more of her novels.  

 In exchange for my honest review, I received a copy of the book from Bethany House.