Special new release price of just 99 cents!Just when I think I’ve got it all figured out – BOOM! – in walks trouble.It’s taken me years, but my life is finally back on track – new job, new friends, a complete new Violet! I don’t even cry myself to sleep every night anymore. But then he walks through the front door of my new workplace. How dare he come in here and ruin everything for me – again!… dare he come in here and ruin everything for me – again!
Luke Freaking Bauer. Not the boy who got away. Nuh-uh. Not even close. The boy who tossed me aside when I needed him the most.
But when I look deep into those hurt eyes, I forget I’m the one who was wronged. Oh boy. I’m knee-deep in trouble and sinking fast.
Hit Buy Now to find out if Violet gives Luke a second chance!
Knee Deep is book 4 of the Love in the Suburbs series but can be read as a standalone.
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*** I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review ***
This read was very hard for me to review. Because this is a perfectly fine romance but one that I personally didn’t particularly like. So basically, a fine read – for someone else. Please keep that in mind when reading my review.
There’s a lot to like about this read. The dynamics between Violet and her girlfriends is great. There’s lots of banter and I do love me some good, on-point, banter. The writing is pretty good and Haggerty keeps up a fast story-telling pace. I liked how Violet’s an Luke’s previous mental issues added another layer to the story, and more depth in general. I read Knee Deep as a stand-alone, which was fine, but it’s clear I would have appreciated the world-building and Violet’s circle of friends much more if I’d read the first three installments. The story is emotional – which is a plus if you swing that way – and the sexytimes are hot – which obviously is a plus if you ask me.
And I really, really, wanted to like this book.
But I had such a hard time with Violet’s and Luke’s immaturity and – I’m sad to say – what I perceived as stupidity, that the positives of the read couldn’t compensate for the irritation I felt over their behaviour. Violet and Luke are supposed to be adults. But really, after years and years, there’s no excuse for continuing to be oblivious. I can’t go into details without spoilers, so I won’t. But the premise of the book is based on on-going, less than smart, behaviour. Yes, there were absolutely extenuating circumstances explaining the way things went down in the first place, but ten years later both Violet and Luke should have been able to reassess and rethink. But no, they just kept at it.
Also, it really didn’t help that the plot-twist (which was obvious from a mile away) was a continuation of that unintelligent thinking and one of my least favourite tropes to boot.
So, obviously, this was not a read for me. I’d say this is more a book for the readers who have read the three previous Love in the Suburbs installments and loved them. But since I haven’t, I don’t wear the rose-tinted glasses of a Suburbs-enthusiast, and my rating will have to be an average 3.