Released: April 10th, 2014
From the New York Times bestselling author of Into the Deep
LIVE YOUNG. LIVE HARD. LOVE DEEP.
Charley and Jake’s story concludes in Out of the Shallows…
Somehow, after everything they’ve been through, Jake Caplin and Charley Redford made their way back to one another. But finding each other and staying together are two completely different things.
When Charley’s world is flipped upside down, she begins to question the choices and decisions she’s made since her arrival in Edinburgh, and in an effort to grip onto what she holds most dear she believes she must sacrifice her love for Jake.
Returning to the States for her senior year, Charley struggles to find peace and happiness. While everyone else seems to be finding themselves in college, Charley is terrified that, along with almost everything else that’s important to her, she’s lost herself.
While friends and family deal with their own tumultuous lives, there is one person resolved to uncover the reason behind Charley’s sudden defection and unhappiness. Refusing to give up without a fight, Jake believes he is the only one who can truly understand what Charley is going through, and this time he’s determined to prove he’s there for her no matter what obstacles are thrown in their way.
However, as Charley strives to make it through the biggest personal journey of her life thus far, there is no guarantee that the woman she is becoming will still need Jake as much as the girl she once was did..
"The people are one of our dreams too. Sometimes you just can't chase them all. So you've got to choose."
Just like Samantha Young's other books, this novel was absolutely moving and fueled with emotion and heartache. In this book, it's Charley's turn to deal with demons from her past and present, and along the way we see the development of more of the characters as well as a look into their pasts. Out of the Shallows took me on a journey that I'll never forget, a journey that twisted my stomach but tugged on my heart.
Although I must honestly admit that this book came off as a disappointment compared to the previous one, it was still one of the best books I've read this year. Samantha Young is one of those authors who, even though it's her worst work, it's still one of the best. She's still going to be one of my favorites of all time because I've followed her from On Dublin Street and I've never been disappointed once.
We met Charley in Into the Deep and we see her as this strong, sarcastic and hilarious character. I loved Charley in that novel so deeply because she was so vulnerable and fragile but at the same time, strong and sassy. I love those kinds of heroines who can pick themselves up after a horrible tragedy and push themselves forward.
However in this book, Charley is faced with an even harder decision. She has to decide whether to follow her heart or her mind. As Charley explores her options, she ends up hurting those around her unconsciously. Even after she realizes, she seems to want to stick to her "honorable" side and cave to her parents' wishes and her promise.
But, Charley is extremely stubborn in this book. I can't put myself in her shoes, especially after what she's been through, but I understand where she's coming from. But, I felt like this issue was too prolonged in the novel.
And then there's Jake Caplin.
He's turned into this wonderful, wonderful character. God, I love how he actually chases after her and he knows exactly what she needs to push her through. He knows how to pull on her strings and how to manipulate her, as sinister as that sounds. But Jake understands her and he knows when he's pushed her too hard.
Jake is extremely patient in this book that I was so surprised. He's always been the jealous type – hell, he still is – but waiting for Charley to come around? For her to deal with her demons? It takes some serious guts and patience… and love, to deal with all that.
But he knows it'll be worth it. He knows she's worth it.
"I'd never met a girl like you and i'd never met anyone who I connected with so quickly. At the end of that party, I knew that everything had changed. I couldn't give a shit about any other girl. I wanted to get to know you better. I wanted to deserve to get to know you."
And their relationship reminds me of Caleb and Olivia's in the
Love Me with Lies series by Tarryn Fisher, albeit less extreme and destructive. But, that was it, they knew that they were each other's perfect pair (don't believe in the soulmates idea, complete bullshit). No matter what obstacles life threw their way, they were always going to find their way back to each other.
Charley: “Can’t you
just be angry with me, resent me, hate me, and then leave it at that?”
Jake: “Oh, I’m angry,
But I also love you, so the answer to that question is no.”
But the structure of the story was undeniably frustrating but brilliant. You could draw so many parallels and contrasts from the past and the present. It helps compare where they were then and why it was that they were in that situation at that present time. It gave us an insight to the past. This novel is what you – and Charley and Jake – can describe as "delayed gratification". Frustrating but worth it.
4 – 4.5 APPLES!!!!!
✭ BOOK LINKS ✭
(Click book cover for Goodreads link)
♕ Into the Deep (Into the Deep #1) ♕
Samantha Young is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author from Stirlingshire, Scotland. She's been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Author and Best Romance for her international bestseller ON DUBLIN STREET. ON DUBLIN STREET is Samantha's first adult contemporary romance and has sold in twenty-five countries.
Check her out in these sites:
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Michelle moved around the Midwest most of her life, transferring from school to school before settling down in the outskirts of Chicago ten years ago, where she now resides with her husband and two kids. She developed a love of reading at a young age, which helped lay the foundation for her passion to write. With the encouragement of her family, she finally sat down and wrote one of the many stories that have been floating around in her head. When she isn’t reading or writing, she can be found playing with her kids, talking to her mom on the phone, or hanging out with her family and friends. But after chasing around twin preschoolers all day, she always cherishes her relaxation time after putting the kids to bed.
