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Deeper
Some lovers never leave you...
Twenty years ago she had her whole life spread out before her like a mesmerizing map. She was Bess Walsh, a fresh-scrubbed, middle-class student ready to conquer the design world. And she was taken. Absolutely and completely.
But not by Andy, her well-groomed, intellectual boyfriend who hinted more than once about a ring. No. During that hot summer as a waitress and living on the beach, she met Nick, a dark haired, local bad boy. He was, to put it mildly, not someone she could take home to Daddy.
Instead, Nick became her dirty little secret; a fervent sexual accomplice who knew how to ignite an all-consuming obsession she had no idea she carried deep within her.
Bess had always wondered what happened to Nick after that summer, after their promise to meet again. And now, back at the beach house and taking a break from responsibility, from marriage, from life, she discovers his heartbreaking fate--and why he never came back for her. Suddenly Nick's name is on her lips...his hands on her thighs...dark hair and eyes called back from the swirling gray of purgatory's depths.
Dead, alive, or something in-between, they can't stop their hunger.
She wouldn't dare.
Twenty years ago she had her whole life spread out before her like a mesmerizing map. She was Bess Walsh, a fresh-scrubbed, middle-class student ready to conquer the design world. And she was taken. Absolutely and completely.
But not by Andy, her well-groomed, intellectual boyfriend who hinted more than once about a ring. No. During that hot summer as a waitress and living on the beach, she met Nick, a dark haired, local bad boy. He was, to put it mildly, not someone she could take home to Daddy.
Instead, Nick became her dirty little secret; a fervent sexual accomplice who knew how to ignite an all-consuming obsession she had no idea she carried deep within her.
Bess had always wondered what happened to Nick after that summer, after their promise to meet again. And now, back at the beach house and taking a break from responsibility, from marriage, from life, she discovers his heartbreaking fate--and why he never came back for her. Suddenly Nick's name is on her lips...his hands on her thighs...dark hair and eyes called back from the swirling gray of purgatory's depths.
Dead, alive, or something in-between, they can't stop their hunger.
She wouldn't dare.
376 pages, Paperback
First published June 23, 2009
133 people are currently reading
3733 people want to read
About the author
Megan Hart
265 books4,058 followersMegan Hart has written in almost every genre of romantic fiction, including historical, contemporary, romantic suspense, romantic comedy, futuristic, fantasy and perhaps most notably, erotic. She also writes non-erotic fantasy and science fiction, as well as continuing to occasionally dabble in horror.
--from the author's website
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
For Megan Hart, the nutritionist, click here
--from the author's website
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
For Megan Hart, the nutritionist, click here
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 434 reviews
October 20, 2014
Ok, I just finished this and I can't seem to stop crying for the past half hour. I'm just glad my husband's out tonight and my children asleep, so they won't see me in this terrible mess:)
This started as great, became slow and contrite after 100 pages and picked up pace again after 70-80 pages. I must admit that before I read the last 2-3 chapters, I was very angry with Bess and meant to rate it with 3 stars but the ending changed my mind. It was like a punch in the gut and I'm not still sure if I mean it in a good way:)
To be honest, I had guessed from the reviews and even the book's back cover why Bess and Nick were originally separated, so it wasn't a surprise for me. Still reading about it, was different from imagining it and it moved me profoundly -my heap of sodden kleenex is solid proof of that:).
I will say that Nick was the ultimate bad boy as we imagine him in our twenties: Handsome, charming, plays around and never stays for long. But in the end, I couldn't help but fall for his charm. He hides a scared boy inside him that Bess, being the ultimate good girl and complete opposite of him, surprisingly manages to reach. I really understood the way he reacted to Bess's pressure; he was not a guy to react well in pressure or emotional blackmail -no proud man or woman is- and although he was harsh, he was never mean.
Bess however got on my nerves. I have never seen a woman muddle up every single important conversation in her life before her. She either didn't know what she wanted and expected others to give her the answer, or managed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. She didn't speak a clear sentence in her life except in the very end: "I think we're over", "I don't know if I love him", "I 'sort of' have a boyfriend"... I was so angry with her. Just when I was ready to give up on her, she made one clear choice -and one with which I agreed obviously- and saved the day. However, I found her too weak and that's what mainly made me rate it with 4 stars.
I have only recently started to tap on erotica/romantica, but this one had much more depth and serious plot that any other I've read. Also the sex is rather tame -think Passion by Lisa Valdez- for erotica, if plenty.
If you're looking for a real bawler, this is it. I just hope I can get my eyes dry before my husband comes home cause I'll start crying once again, if I have to tell him the story:)
This started as great, became slow and contrite after 100 pages and picked up pace again after 70-80 pages. I must admit that before I read the last 2-3 chapters, I was very angry with Bess and meant to rate it with 3 stars but the ending changed my mind. It was like a punch in the gut and I'm not still sure if I mean it in a good way:)
To be honest, I had guessed from the reviews and even the book's back cover why Bess and Nick were originally separated, so it wasn't a surprise for me. Still reading about it, was different from imagining it and it moved me profoundly -my heap of sodden kleenex is solid proof of that:).
I will say that Nick was the ultimate bad boy as we imagine him in our twenties: Handsome, charming, plays around and never stays for long. But in the end, I couldn't help but fall for his charm. He hides a scared boy inside him that Bess, being the ultimate good girl and complete opposite of him, surprisingly manages to reach. I really understood the way he reacted to Bess's pressure; he was not a guy to react well in pressure or emotional blackmail -no proud man or woman is- and although he was harsh, he was never mean.
Bess however got on my nerves. I have never seen a woman muddle up every single important conversation in her life before her. She either didn't know what she wanted and expected others to give her the answer, or managed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. She didn't speak a clear sentence in her life except in the very end: "I think we're over", "I don't know if I love him", "I 'sort of' have a boyfriend"... I was so angry with her. Just when I was ready to give up on her, she made one clear choice -and one with which I agreed obviously- and saved the day. However, I found her too weak and that's what mainly made me rate it with 4 stars.
I have only recently started to tap on erotica/romantica, but this one had much more depth and serious plot that any other I've read. Also the sex is rather tame -think Passion by Lisa Valdez- for erotica, if plenty.
If you're looking for a real bawler, this is it. I just hope I can get my eyes dry before my husband comes home cause I'll start crying once again, if I have to tell him the story:)
February 27, 2011
This should probably be a 2 star rating for the story, but the quality of the writing just edges it up to 3.
Unfortunately, Deeper was a massive disappointment for me. Broken was one of my top reads for 2010, and created some pretty high expectations of this author’s work. I had heard that Deeper was fairly controversial, and I can usually appreciate that in a book. The reviews are polarised, and it seems to invoke a love/hate response in readers, so at the very least, I was expecting to have strong feelings about the book. Ummm... No.
There was nothing about this book that made me care enough to have a strong reaction, either positive or negative. On the whole I found it (or, to be more accurate, my experience) to be decidedly mediocre, which was the complete opposite of what I was expecting. Any positives were counterbalanced by negatives, so I just ended up feeling a bit ‘meh’ about the whole experience.
Firstly, I was already aware of what I expected to be a big spoiler in that the hero was . Well given that was announced on the back cover and was made pretty clear by the end of the first chapter, there was no big twist or reveal in play. I have seen this author be pretty darn clever in her writing, so I was looking forward to seeing how she handled that (even knowing it in advance), only to find out that there was no secret to reveal.
Secondly, these would have to be among the most unsympathetic, uninspiring characters to have ever graced the author’s pages. If I cared a whit about the characters I probably would have forgiven the fact that the story took three quarters of the book to actually progress to any extent. As it was, I read chapters about ‘Then’ that too closely resembled a YA novel about teenage angst, with chapters from ‘Now’ populated with the same characters that I didn’t particularly like, who had no depth. By the time there was actually some significant movement in the story, I was almost beyond caring.
The author does write with some amazing insight and detail, and more of that was on display here, but it seems to me now that maybe she only excels with fractured relationships. This book really only captured my interest in the last third when we finally got a little bit of angst and heartbreak going after pages of nothingness. What I will say, is that the emotions had more impact because of the contrast and the pages and pages of mundaneness preceding them.
If I was able to connect with the main characters on some level, then this might have been quite a powerful way of unfolding the story and adding layers at the end. Part of me can observe that and appreciate it in theory, but that was unfortunately not my reality. So while the writing was lovely, as I expected, and I did like one of the secondary characters quite a lot, I wasn’t engaged until the end of the story – and by then, it was too little, too late.
I wasn’t completely sold on the romance when they were younger, told in the ‘Then’ chapters; and the ‘Now’ chapters focused almost exclusively on their (repetitive) sexual relationship, which meant that my emotions were never fully engaged. This is not a romance, erotic or otherwise, but it did have the potential to be a wonderful love story, and there are certainly many readers who feel that it achieved that mark. Unfortunately, I am not among their number.
Oh, and for what it’s worth, I have heard many complaints about the ‘wall-banger’ ending. I didn’t have any issues with the ending - it was one of the few times these characters actually got it right! And a special heads-up for those of you who don’t tolerate cheating in your books – although it wasn’t one of my complaints, it might be one of yours.
Unfortunately, Deeper was a massive disappointment for me. Broken was one of my top reads for 2010, and created some pretty high expectations of this author’s work. I had heard that Deeper was fairly controversial, and I can usually appreciate that in a book. The reviews are polarised, and it seems to invoke a love/hate response in readers, so at the very least, I was expecting to have strong feelings about the book. Ummm... No.
There was nothing about this book that made me care enough to have a strong reaction, either positive or negative. On the whole I found it (or, to be more accurate, my experience) to be decidedly mediocre, which was the complete opposite of what I was expecting. Any positives were counterbalanced by negatives, so I just ended up feeling a bit ‘meh’ about the whole experience.
Firstly, I was already aware of what I expected to be a big spoiler in that the hero was . Well given that was announced on the back cover and was made pretty clear by the end of the first chapter, there was no big twist or reveal in play. I have seen this author be pretty darn clever in her writing, so I was looking forward to seeing how she handled that (even knowing it in advance), only to find out that there was no secret to reveal.
Secondly, these would have to be among the most unsympathetic, uninspiring characters to have ever graced the author’s pages. If I cared a whit about the characters I probably would have forgiven the fact that the story took three quarters of the book to actually progress to any extent. As it was, I read chapters about ‘Then’ that too closely resembled a YA novel about teenage angst, with chapters from ‘Now’ populated with the same characters that I didn’t particularly like, who had no depth. By the time there was actually some significant movement in the story, I was almost beyond caring.
The author does write with some amazing insight and detail, and more of that was on display here, but it seems to me now that maybe she only excels with fractured relationships. This book really only captured my interest in the last third when we finally got a little bit of angst and heartbreak going after pages of nothingness. What I will say, is that the emotions had more impact because of the contrast and the pages and pages of mundaneness preceding them.
If I was able to connect with the main characters on some level, then this might have been quite a powerful way of unfolding the story and adding layers at the end. Part of me can observe that and appreciate it in theory, but that was unfortunately not my reality. So while the writing was lovely, as I expected, and I did like one of the secondary characters quite a lot, I wasn’t engaged until the end of the story – and by then, it was too little, too late.
I wasn’t completely sold on the romance when they were younger, told in the ‘Then’ chapters; and the ‘Now’ chapters focused almost exclusively on their (repetitive) sexual relationship, which meant that my emotions were never fully engaged. This is not a romance, erotic or otherwise, but it did have the potential to be a wonderful love story, and there are certainly many readers who feel that it achieved that mark. Unfortunately, I am not among their number.
Oh, and for what it’s worth, I have heard many complaints about the ‘wall-banger’ ending. I didn’t have any issues with the ending - it was one of the few times these characters actually got it right! And a special heads-up for those of you who don’t tolerate cheating in your books – although it wasn’t one of my complaints, it might be one of yours.
July 26, 2010
Wallbangers (**sigh sigh**). There are wallbangers that make you mad because the book is over and the ending isn’t quite what you expected. There are those that make you mad because they were eternal and you want to release your frustration at having finally made it through the endlessly long uphill climb, and there are wallbangers that get you so wound up emotionally that you’re crying buckets because it’s so sad. Then there are those wallbangers that you chuck so hard at the wall you keep doing it again and again leaving pockmarks and dents all over as the pages go flying out –and you’re still beyond livid at the dumb-ass book (!). That’s this book and I haven’t read one of those in, gee whiz, a mighty long time. This book was excellent up to the end, but then the author did this flippin’ stupid out of nowhere switch that I was ready to spit nails when I read the last line. Rarely does a book rile me like this one did.
The story is about bad boy Nick and good girl Bess who meet over the summer and have some “fun in the sun” basically. The writing is excellent. Hart does an impressive job of showing the h/h as young and carefree summertime lovers in their early 20s and then as older people with the heroine in her late 30s. The chapters are subtitled “then” and “now” so that the reader knows what period they’re reading. Hart's beach scenes with laid back beach life are exceptionally well-done. You can nearly see and hear the waves rolling on the shore or get a feel for those lazy days spent doing nothing with friends and family on vacation. When she switches back to Bess as an adult you can feel how much more mature she’s become and the whole setting, even though in the same beachside town, has a nostalgic feel to it. The steam is very spicy but not raunchy and not overdone. It blended well with the story. Hart gets the reader very emotionally involved with the characters so much so that you can sense an undertone of dread that you know is lurking in dark corner somewhere just biding it's time before it sucker punches you right in the face --hard.
So why is this book a cootie-shelfer? ************Spoilers Coming***********Well you can’t set up the reader in a real life situation only to have it veer into the paranormal at the end giving you a whiplash “what the…?!?” situation, that’s why! :-o The hero was actually real which made no sense at all (unless you believe in the living dead seeing as he died 15 years prior!). Apparently he was never "fully" dead but lived in a kind of limbo and Bess brought him back because she thought about him so strongly. The whole time you’re thinking that she’s imagining it all or she’s in the middle of a mental breakdown, either leading up to a very sad ending that could turn into a kind of Megan Hart style HEA because there’s a long lost guy friend back in the picture too. Well no. Nick goes back to drown himself for good this time and tries to take her with him. ID-I-O-TIC! Even more idiotic is that her kids have seen Nick and talked with him, he goes out (to some extent) and interacts with the young beach crowd as if he had never left. He could’ve re-drowned himself in her head and I’d have bought it as a sad love story of what could have been but the fact that it was supposed to be a real story just had me going all scrunch-faced "what kind of spastic book is this"?!! To top it all off Nick, as the hero, is supposed to be nice in the end, yeah, well, not quite. Nick is also a total ass towards the end when he starts kissing some other broad to prove a point that I really didn’t get. The last 20 pages or so and this book was just shot to hell.
This is not a romance novel nor is it a tragic love story. It’s a story about a woman who comes to grips with her life by realizing that what she had in her early 20s was a summer romance and unfortunately the guy she was with died and she’s had a hard time getting over it. She married a moron who treated her like crap and now she has to pick up the pieces of her life and move on --ALONE. There is no great love story here. For me Spice made a huge mistake trying to pass it off as one. If the story were just sad that would’ve been fine, but by throwing in that really stupid back-from-the-dead bit suddenly at the end turned the book into a disaster. It’s one thing to fudge a bit on the book’s back blurb but it’s something completely different to pass off a book for something that it isn’t: it’s not a contemporary erotic romance, it’s paranormal women's fiction. And oh yeah, it’s a wallbanger, one of the best around too :-/
The story is about bad boy Nick and good girl Bess who meet over the summer and have some “fun in the sun” basically. The writing is excellent. Hart does an impressive job of showing the h/h as young and carefree summertime lovers in their early 20s and then as older people with the heroine in her late 30s. The chapters are subtitled “then” and “now” so that the reader knows what period they’re reading. Hart's beach scenes with laid back beach life are exceptionally well-done. You can nearly see and hear the waves rolling on the shore or get a feel for those lazy days spent doing nothing with friends and family on vacation. When she switches back to Bess as an adult you can feel how much more mature she’s become and the whole setting, even though in the same beachside town, has a nostalgic feel to it. The steam is very spicy but not raunchy and not overdone. It blended well with the story. Hart gets the reader very emotionally involved with the characters so much so that you can sense an undertone of dread that you know is lurking in dark corner somewhere just biding it's time before it sucker punches you right in the face --hard.
So why is this book a cootie-shelfer? ************Spoilers Coming***********Well you can’t set up the reader in a real life situation only to have it veer into the paranormal at the end giving you a whiplash “what the…?!?” situation, that’s why! :-o The hero was actually real which made no sense at all (unless you believe in the living dead seeing as he died 15 years prior!). Apparently he was never "fully" dead but lived in a kind of limbo and Bess brought him back because she thought about him so strongly. The whole time you’re thinking that she’s imagining it all or she’s in the middle of a mental breakdown, either leading up to a very sad ending that could turn into a kind of Megan Hart style HEA because there’s a long lost guy friend back in the picture too. Well no. Nick goes back to drown himself for good this time and tries to take her with him. ID-I-O-TIC! Even more idiotic is that her kids have seen Nick and talked with him, he goes out (to some extent) and interacts with the young beach crowd as if he had never left. He could’ve re-drowned himself in her head and I’d have bought it as a sad love story of what could have been but the fact that it was supposed to be a real story just had me going all scrunch-faced "what kind of spastic book is this"?!! To top it all off Nick, as the hero, is supposed to be nice in the end, yeah, well, not quite. Nick is also a total ass towards the end when he starts kissing some other broad to prove a point that I really didn’t get. The last 20 pages or so and this book was just shot to hell.
This is not a romance novel nor is it a tragic love story. It’s a story about a woman who comes to grips with her life by realizing that what she had in her early 20s was a summer romance and unfortunately the guy she was with died and she’s had a hard time getting over it. She married a moron who treated her like crap and now she has to pick up the pieces of her life and move on --ALONE. There is no great love story here. For me Spice made a huge mistake trying to pass it off as one. If the story were just sad that would’ve been fine, but by throwing in that really stupid back-from-the-dead bit suddenly at the end turned the book into a disaster. It’s one thing to fudge a bit on the book’s back blurb but it’s something completely different to pass off a book for something that it isn’t: it’s not a contemporary erotic romance, it’s paranormal women's fiction. And oh yeah, it’s a wallbanger, one of the best around too :-/
March 23, 2013
3-3.5 stars...
I am apologizing upfront if this review is everywhere... this book left me a little down in the dumps and my thoughts are a little all over the place!
The story starts with Bess, a 40 year old woman returning to her family’s beach house for the first time in 20 years after separating from her husband. While on the beach, she see’s an old flame- from 20 years ago, Nick Hamilton. The thing about Nick is, he hasn’t changed .
Bess hasn’t heard from Nick since that summer. He promised to come and see her and he sort of just disappeared. She always wondered what happened to Nick, but she never imagined it was this. We get glimpses into the past, back and forth between then and now. We see Nick and Bess’s relationship when they were young, and we see whats going on with them now. Nick and Bess have some major chemistry, but I didn’t feel a strong connection with either of them. In fact, they both frustrated me at times. The only characters in the book I really can say I loved, were Eddie and Bess’s son, Robbie.
Now on to the ending... There were three ways that I thought it would make sense to end the book and none happened... but it didn't’ really pan out that way. The ending left me really sad- not a boohoo sad more of a depressed sad.
Things I did like about the book... The writing was good, part of the story really intrigued me for a while. And the sex scenes between Nick and Bess were hot! Plus- I really liked Eddie... even more than Nick most of the time... he was such a sweet guy, I found my self wanting them together more than Bess and Nick.
This was my first Megan Hart book, and honestly- I’m not sure how I feel about it... I wanted to love it, but sadly, it didn’t work for me. The writing was excellent, I just ended up feeling depressed at the end. I didn’t hate the book, and it had good parts, but overall just didn’t do it for me. It was well written, and the sex scenes were hot, so I will probably give another one of her books a go. I could see how others loved this book, this one in particular was just disappointing for me.
August 7, 2009
[REVIEW UPDATED BELOW.:] 5++++!! Just completed this book (audio version) right now, and I'm still completely stunned and deeply emotional over it!! One reviewer already said they "bawled their eyes out," and I have to say the tears were just a'rollin' for me as well! I HIGHLY recommend this to erotic romance lovers (it's highly erotic), and for those who "don't mind a REALLY WELL WRITTEN romantica, don't miss this one. Additionally, if you are an audiobook listener, skip reading it and indulge in the complete emotional journey (including the music at beginning and end) that Savannah Richards takes you on in her narration of this audiobook. Whew! I'll update my review with a bit more "book information" after I've "decompressed."
***********
EDITED TO ADD: I've been thinking about what I could (or "should" or even "can") add to my review on this book. It's difficult because this is such an unconventional "romance" that the smallest comments seem to "take away" from the mystery and plotline of the book. And it's one that even I [Queen of wanting to know the "spoilers":] was glad I only had the tiniest amount of information on. Suffice it to say that you should be warned it will not conform with many of your "romance sterotypes in the end," but that said, take it as a draw to one of the (if not "THE") most haunting and captivating erotic romances you'll EVER read. Megan Hart is a fabulous weaver of emotional storytelling. The story is told between "THEN" and "NOW," in a back and forth fashion. I was never "lost in flash forward/flash back," because each chapter change specifically started out with the word "THEN," and "NOW," so once I was aware of the flow of it, I easily transitioned between the times, and it became part of the entire spellbinding build-up of the tale she was weaving (literally)!
Bess migrates to the shore each summer with her family, which owns a large beach house; hosting the entire "clan," a new extended family member (aunts/uncles and counsins) every other week of the summer season. Bess spends her time working at a local candy/ice-cream shop and hanging and partying with her beachfront community college-age friends. Although Bess is not really big on drinking and rabble-rousing herself, she seems to tolerate her buddies on this account fairly well and goes along for the ride. On one such balmy-beach evening, she hangs at the impromptu party of her less than "BFF" friend Missy, and runs into Nick, whose got a reputation as the local bad boy. When she inquires of Missy who the guy across the room is that's silently bouncing "sparks" off of her to her great surprise, Missy states, "Who, 'Nick the Pri*k' you mean?!" With that, Bess begins a journey of a love like no other, and Hart makes you feel every pang that Nick and her experience in this story: giddiness, joy, jealousy, sadness and lust . . . and lust! ;) But most of all deep and abiding, long-lasting love for one another . . . that's never forgotten.
I'm having a hard time choosing another book . . . this story is so emotionally intense, it's one of those that is very hard to move on from. It's going to haunt me like nothing else I've read in recent memory, for a long time. Read or listen to this book - don't forget about it.
K.
***********
EDITED TO ADD: I've been thinking about what I could (or "should" or even "can") add to my review on this book. It's difficult because this is such an unconventional "romance" that the smallest comments seem to "take away" from the mystery and plotline of the book. And it's one that even I [Queen of wanting to know the "spoilers":] was glad I only had the tiniest amount of information on. Suffice it to say that you should be warned it will not conform with many of your "romance sterotypes in the end," but that said, take it as a draw to one of the (if not "THE") most haunting and captivating erotic romances you'll EVER read. Megan Hart is a fabulous weaver of emotional storytelling. The story is told between "THEN" and "NOW," in a back and forth fashion. I was never "lost in flash forward/flash back," because each chapter change specifically started out with the word "THEN," and "NOW," so once I was aware of the flow of it, I easily transitioned between the times, and it became part of the entire spellbinding build-up of the tale she was weaving (literally)!
Bess migrates to the shore each summer with her family, which owns a large beach house; hosting the entire "clan," a new extended family member (aunts/uncles and counsins) every other week of the summer season. Bess spends her time working at a local candy/ice-cream shop and hanging and partying with her beachfront community college-age friends. Although Bess is not really big on drinking and rabble-rousing herself, she seems to tolerate her buddies on this account fairly well and goes along for the ride. On one such balmy-beach evening, she hangs at the impromptu party of her less than "BFF" friend Missy, and runs into Nick, whose got a reputation as the local bad boy. When she inquires of Missy who the guy across the room is that's silently bouncing "sparks" off of her to her great surprise, Missy states, "Who, 'Nick the Pri*k' you mean?!" With that, Bess begins a journey of a love like no other, and Hart makes you feel every pang that Nick and her experience in this story: giddiness, joy, jealousy, sadness and lust . . . and lust! ;) But most of all deep and abiding, long-lasting love for one another . . . that's never forgotten.
I'm having a hard time choosing another book . . . this story is so emotionally intense, it's one of those that is very hard to move on from. It's going to haunt me like nothing else I've read in recent memory, for a long time. Read or listen to this book - don't forget about it.
K.
August 26, 2009
3.5 stars. I know many of you loved this one, but in the end I skipped through the last third of the book as the story didn't seem to be moving along. And by that time the repetative sex scenes were also getting cliche'. It did have quite a tear jerker punch to it, so I can see why so many people were moved by this story. But I didn't care for Bess as too much of her story is told around a bad relationship/marriage that simply didn't make sense to me. And while Nick was great in bed, that seamed to be his entire role in the book. And for those who prefer romances, this isn't really something I would put in that category. Womans erotic fiction, but not romance.
January 29, 2011
This type of book (erotic romance) isn't one that I would typically read. I decided to read this book out of curiosity. I wanted to know why romance novels are so popular with so many females on Goodreads. These are smart intelligent women who also read and understand James Joyce, Leo Tolstoy, Franz Kafka, and others whose work is frequently discussed and debated. Why would they spend their precious reading time with a romance novel?
This book started out strong. Megan Hart spent time developing the characters, vividly describing them using all five senses; sight, sound, touch, smell and taste (although this was mostly "salty"). Bess Walsh is at the end of a 20 year marriage. She has decided to divorce her husband and spend some time alone, staying at her parents beach house. Here she bumps into Nick, her "bad boy" flirt and fuck friend from her high school days. Herein lies the twist. Nick's been missing for 20 years. Where has he been is Bess going thou a "Ghost" like experience, imagining Nick? The story heats up as Bess's two, nearly grown sons join her at the beach house to spend the summer.
There is plenty of sex in this book. Sometimes it seemed as if the sex was only separated by 50 or 100 or so words, placed between the sex sequences so the sex wouldn't all run together. (This would have been okay with me.)
Due to my lack of experience in this category (erotic fiction) I really can't speak about how this book compares to to others in the genre. If you like erotic romance this book is pretty good. You might enjoy reading it.
Here's why I will likely read more books like this and why I recommend this book to my male, heterosexual friends;
While reading this book it occurred to me that the book should have been titled "Deeper; A view in the mind of Venus". I wondered if the mind of Bess Walsh was typical of heterosexual females? Do sexually active females respond to the type of foreplay and sex between Bess and Nick so vividly described in this book? I'm a scientist and so I set out to experiment with my newly formed postulate. My research indicates the answer is a resounding yes! So guys, If you want to increase the amount of sex you're getting and improve your ability to please your partner skip the boring self help sex books and videos and read this book. Your lover(s) will be so grateful that they will want to show you again and again just how grateful they are. K, gotta go, I hear the shower running.
This book started out strong. Megan Hart spent time developing the characters, vividly describing them using all five senses; sight, sound, touch, smell and taste (although this was mostly "salty"). Bess Walsh is at the end of a 20 year marriage. She has decided to divorce her husband and spend some time alone, staying at her parents beach house. Here she bumps into Nick, her "bad boy" flirt and fuck friend from her high school days. Herein lies the twist. Nick's been missing for 20 years. Where has he been is Bess going thou a "Ghost" like experience, imagining Nick? The story heats up as Bess's two, nearly grown sons join her at the beach house to spend the summer.
There is plenty of sex in this book. Sometimes it seemed as if the sex was only separated by 50 or 100 or so words, placed between the sex sequences so the sex wouldn't all run together. (This would have been okay with me.)
Due to my lack of experience in this category (erotic fiction) I really can't speak about how this book compares to to others in the genre. If you like erotic romance this book is pretty good. You might enjoy reading it.
Here's why I will likely read more books like this and why I recommend this book to my male, heterosexual friends;
While reading this book it occurred to me that the book should have been titled "Deeper; A view in the mind of Venus". I wondered if the mind of Bess Walsh was typical of heterosexual females? Do sexually active females respond to the type of foreplay and sex between Bess and Nick so vividly described in this book? I'm a scientist and so I set out to experiment with my newly formed postulate. My research indicates the answer is a resounding yes! So guys, If you want to increase the amount of sex you're getting and improve your ability to please your partner skip the boring self help sex books and videos and read this book. Your lover(s) will be so grateful that they will want to show you again and again just how grateful they are. K, gotta go, I hear the shower running.
September 22, 2009
*********5 Stars is NOT enough to do this story justice********
An awsome book!! Beautiful, beautiful love story. I'm too much of an emotional reck at the moment to write a review without tearing up...perhapes this afternoon when I get home from work:)
I have tried to write a review for this wonderful book but find that I can not. The story seems to have reached into the centre of my being and stolen a tiny piece of my heart. What I really need is someone to hug and sob with. So instead I've written how this book made me feel.
I hope you understand.
Everyone who has read a review of this book will know that it's the story of Bess and Nick. The story is about what they had once, what have now, and what happened in between. I loved both parts of their story I loved Bess because on a personel level I understaood exactly how she ticked , she was me at the same age...never knew/couldn't say the right thing at the right time,I fully understood how she came to be where she is now, because I too could've made the same decision given the same set of choices. I loved Nick both as he was then and the Nick he became. They were both given a chance to put things right between them and I felt that they did.
I loved the way the story was writen, I loved the way it moved between now and then and to be honest I was there with them, totally swept up into the story. I can picture the Beach , the town. Sugarland, Bess on her bike! Nick on the beach, both then and now. I think the way this book makes me feel is the way a good book should make people feel and whilst I agree that the unconventional ending may put some people off for me it was the right way for things happen.
This story doesn't lend itself to being a Romance, but it is a Love story. For me the sexual relationship between Bess and Nick was part of who they were then, and who they became. Beautiful and touching, sad and intense are all words that describe this for me.!
Ifyou love a good, well written erotic love story this one may be for you, just remember the tissues.
An awsome book!! Beautiful, beautiful love story. I'm too much of an emotional reck at the moment to write a review without tearing up...perhapes this afternoon when I get home from work:)
I have tried to write a review for this wonderful book but find that I can not. The story seems to have reached into the centre of my being and stolen a tiny piece of my heart. What I really need is someone to hug and sob with. So instead I've written how this book made me feel.
I hope you understand.
Everyone who has read a review of this book will know that it's the story of Bess and Nick. The story is about what they had once, what have now, and what happened in between. I loved both parts of their story I loved Bess because on a personel level I understaood exactly how she ticked , she was me at the same age...never knew/couldn't say the right thing at the right time,I fully understood how she came to be where she is now, because I too could've made the same decision given the same set of choices. I loved Nick both as he was then and the Nick he became. They were both given a chance to put things right between them and I felt that they did.
I loved the way the story was writen, I loved the way it moved between now and then and to be honest I was there with them, totally swept up into the story. I can picture the Beach , the town. Sugarland, Bess on her bike! Nick on the beach, both then and now. I think the way this book makes me feel is the way a good book should make people feel and whilst I agree that the unconventional ending may put some people off for me it was the right way for things happen.
This story doesn't lend itself to being a Romance, but it is a Love story. For me the sexual relationship between Bess and Nick was part of who they were then, and who they became. Beautiful and touching, sad and intense are all words that describe this for me.!
Ifyou love a good, well written erotic love story this one may be for you, just remember the tissues.
April 19, 2011
When I first stumbled upon Broken, I was so blown away that I rushed to read all of Megan Hart's other highly rated books. Problem was I skipped over this one. Big Mistake. I realize why people rated this novel so poorly. It is bizarre and the ending made me rush to the bathroom so no one could se me crying over the damn thing, but it is profoundly poignant. It's beautiful, really.
This is not a love story, this is a story about love. What love is, and what it means. 98% of romances depict love as being a black or white type emotion, but anyone who lives in reality knows this is not true. We wish it could be, but it simply isn't. Love is indefinable, confusing, and easy to second-guess. Maybe such a thing is just a word after all since there is no correct emotion to express it.
Deeper has alternating chapters between the past and the present. Suprisingly, I was equally engaged in both. The Past tells the storyline of how 20 year-old Bess cheats on her cheating boyfriend with "Nick the Prick", the townie man-slut, while she's away at the beach one summer. The Present, tells the story of 40 year-old Bess and 21 year-old Nick, who has returned from "the gray" to be with her after she seperates from her husband Andy (the cheating boyfriend) and returns to the same beach all those years later.
Besides the fact that the leading man is dead, the other main reason people didn't like this book were the characters themselves. Both of them are complete assholes. Nowhere in the book is there an "I love you" from Nick; and that I believe is the whole point--the point that people are missing when they read this. Some things shouldn't have to be expressed with vapid words to appreciate. Then again, sometimes they should.
This is not a love story, this is a story about love. What love is, and what it means. 98% of romances depict love as being a black or white type emotion, but anyone who lives in reality knows this is not true. We wish it could be, but it simply isn't. Love is indefinable, confusing, and easy to second-guess. Maybe such a thing is just a word after all since there is no correct emotion to express it.
Deeper has alternating chapters between the past and the present. Suprisingly, I was equally engaged in both. The Past tells the storyline of how 20 year-old Bess cheats on her cheating boyfriend with "Nick the Prick", the townie man-slut, while she's away at the beach one summer. The Present, tells the story of 40 year-old Bess and 21 year-old Nick, who has returned from "the gray" to be with her after she seperates from her husband Andy (the cheating boyfriend) and returns to the same beach all those years later.
Besides the fact that the leading man is dead, the other main reason people didn't like this book were the characters themselves. Both of them are complete assholes. Nowhere in the book is there an "I love you" from Nick; and that I believe is the whole point--the point that people are missing when they read this. Some things shouldn't have to be expressed with vapid words to appreciate. Then again, sometimes they should.
May 20, 2011
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Deeper – Well holy dooly, I don’t often cry in books but this one did it with the upmost success. I would hate to think what my family think of me, when they look at mummy and see my bottom lip trembling....
Bess spends each and every summer at her family’s beach house where she works for the summer season at the local Ice Cream shop and just hanging with her friends, like a normal young woman. One night while hanging with her ‘friend’ Missy (who might I add is a complete bitch); they decide to throw an impromptu party where Bess meets Nick.
Nick is the bad boy, or not more appropriately named ‘Nick the Prick or Nick the Dick’- he is the handsome charmer who knows how to pluck all the right chords. He had this reputation, but dang if I didn’t want to jump his bones. I can’t say he was extremely romantic, but he was most defiantly passionate.
Without giving too much away, the book alternates between the summer Bess spent with Nick and tells the story of Bess who has a boyfriend (Andy) and her hot passionate summer romance with Nick. After the summer the pair decides to meet up... but Nick never arrives. To the present day where Bess is going through a divorce and 21 year old Nick has returned from what is described as the ‘grey’. Bess always wondered what happened to Nick and why he never showed but now 20 years later she discovers just what really happened. I never felt confused or misguided, as both were separated very clearly.
I can’t say that this is a book with a HEA – it’s not. It’s not a romantic book about a love story. This is a book about the trials and tribulations about love. Do I wish there had been a happily ever after for, Bess? YES! But the way Hart aligned everything right down to the last page will have you knowing that everything will be alright.
Also, I haven’t commented on a cover of a book for a long time, but this cover is so appropriate for the book. And the man is just effing delicious!
By the end of this book I was crying like a banshee, because as per usual Megan Hart has pushed the boundaries with her heart wrenching stories. This pun is not deliberate but she really makes her stories go deeper than any other writer I have read.
Deeper – Well holy dooly, I don’t often cry in books but this one did it with the upmost success. I would hate to think what my family think of me, when they look at mummy and see my bottom lip trembling....
Bess spends each and every summer at her family’s beach house where she works for the summer season at the local Ice Cream shop and just hanging with her friends, like a normal young woman. One night while hanging with her ‘friend’ Missy (who might I add is a complete bitch); they decide to throw an impromptu party where Bess meets Nick.
Nick is the bad boy, or not more appropriately named ‘Nick the Prick or Nick the Dick’- he is the handsome charmer who knows how to pluck all the right chords. He had this reputation, but dang if I didn’t want to jump his bones. I can’t say he was extremely romantic, but he was most defiantly passionate.
Without giving too much away, the book alternates between the summer Bess spent with Nick and tells the story of Bess who has a boyfriend (Andy) and her hot passionate summer romance with Nick. After the summer the pair decides to meet up... but Nick never arrives. To the present day where Bess is going through a divorce and 21 year old Nick has returned from what is described as the ‘grey’. Bess always wondered what happened to Nick and why he never showed but now 20 years later she discovers just what really happened. I never felt confused or misguided, as both were separated very clearly.
I can’t say that this is a book with a HEA – it’s not. It’s not a romantic book about a love story. This is a book about the trials and tribulations about love. Do I wish there had been a happily ever after for, Bess? YES! But the way Hart aligned everything right down to the last page will have you knowing that everything will be alright.
Also, I haven’t commented on a cover of a book for a long time, but this cover is so appropriate for the book. And the man is just effing delicious!
By the end of this book I was crying like a banshee, because as per usual Megan Hart has pushed the boundaries with her heart wrenching stories. This pun is not deliberate but she really makes her stories go deeper than any other writer I have read.
March 28, 2010
SPOILERS. BIG, FAT, EXPLICIT SPOILERS.
As I am dabbling in paranormal fiction and because this was recommended by a friend, I read it.
I don't have anything against ghost stories, really I don't. I don't even mind corporal ghosts who are capable of mind blowing sex. But if the author goes into too much detail about the nature of the ghost's physical being, then I have problems. In this case Nick, Bess's lover of 20 years ago, shows up from the gray (as he calls it) with no idea where he's been. But he insists he is real, and Bess is so overwhelmed by his physical presence (to put it politely) that she is easily convinced.
Don't get me wrong. I liked the back story, I liked Bess and Nick both. The sex scenes (as numerous and explicit as they are) are well done, and I admire the skill that went into writing them.
But if you're going this route, it's not a good idea to tell me that Nick of the enormous erections and tireless libido does not breathe, has no heart beat, doesn't eat and doesn't sleep. Because now I'm all caught up in the mechanics, and I can't enjoy the story anymore. I want to say to the author things like:
You do realize that Nick's chest won't hitch unless he's breathing, right? And that without breathing, there's no talking. Air moving through the vocal chords is what makes the sound. And if there's no heartbeat, there's no circulation, and without circulation there's no erection. If Nick doesn't ejaculate, why does he sweat, and how is it he has saliva?
Things would have been much better if the author had never raised the subject of breathing or heartbeat. Then I could have appreciated the story itself, which has a lot to recommend it.
As I am dabbling in paranormal fiction and because this was recommended by a friend, I read it.
I don't have anything against ghost stories, really I don't. I don't even mind corporal ghosts who are capable of mind blowing sex. But if the author goes into too much detail about the nature of the ghost's physical being, then I have problems. In this case Nick, Bess's lover of 20 years ago, shows up from the gray (as he calls it) with no idea where he's been. But he insists he is real, and Bess is so overwhelmed by his physical presence (to put it politely) that she is easily convinced.
Don't get me wrong. I liked the back story, I liked Bess and Nick both. The sex scenes (as numerous and explicit as they are) are well done, and I admire the skill that went into writing them.
But if you're going this route, it's not a good idea to tell me that Nick of the enormous erections and tireless libido does not breathe, has no heart beat, doesn't eat and doesn't sleep. Because now I'm all caught up in the mechanics, and I can't enjoy the story anymore. I want to say to the author things like:
You do realize that Nick's chest won't hitch unless he's breathing, right? And that without breathing, there's no talking. Air moving through the vocal chords is what makes the sound. And if there's no heartbeat, there's no circulation, and without circulation there's no erection. If Nick doesn't ejaculate, why does he sweat, and how is it he has saliva?
Things would have been much better if the author had never raised the subject of breathing or heartbeat. Then I could have appreciated the story itself, which has a lot to recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2012
Good god, this book was boring. I gave up after reading about 60% of the thing.
Nick was boring, Bess was boring and the 'best friend' (forgot the name already) was a complete bitch. I don't even know why anybody would want a friend like that. At one point Bess mentions how the BFF wants to prove how every guy likes her more (= she makes up stories, about Nick being queer, for example)
The entire story has a weird angle, but I just couldn't be bothered anymore and I completely lost interest after dragging myself through the pages.
Nick was boring, Bess was boring and the 'best friend' (forgot the name already) was a complete bitch. I don't even know why anybody would want a friend like that. At one point Bess mentions how the BFF wants to prove how every guy likes her more (= she makes up stories, about Nick being queer, for example)
The entire story has a weird angle, but I just couldn't be bothered anymore and I completely lost interest after dragging myself through the pages.
February 28, 2017
In usual Megan Hart fashioned very detailed writing. What's was different that I didn't like was that every chapter flipped from present to past. A great romance of a second chance love story unfortunately it ends not like what I thought. Nick is so hot I feel so sad for him in the end. The book is hot and sad at times.
January 15, 2013
3.5 THIS IS A RANT REVIEW
THIS IS WHAT I FEEL LIKE DOING TO LUCY (my nook)!!! breathe 1234567... its not Lucy's fault.
YOU HAVE TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!!! I AM SO FUCKING PISSED RIGHT NOW....
I loved so much of this book... everything was going great and even though it dragged on and on, it kept me hooked. I loved reliving Nick through Bess's eyes. I felt her pain of the unfolding of her marriage and struggling with kids and emotions. I didn't get creeped out with her relationship with Nick in the present day. Nick sometimes annoyed the hell out of me, but in a good way. Why can't you just tell her how you feel? He was the perfect broody kind of boy, the I hold so much pain I don't deserve love kind of bad boy. The sex scenes were freaking awesome. EVERYTHING I tell you, EVERYTHING showed the promise of a 5 star book. So that that is why I am so heartbroken. ***tears and sobs *** I was taken so high on the build up of this story, so high I am flying. Here I am in my room anticipating the outcome that was being promised, I had the kids in bed hubby asleep, light off with Lucy in bed. Even waited and held the last 15% till then, needed to make sure I was going to have uninterrupted reading, yes this high was that high. I never believed that it wouldn't be delivered. The build-up was always there, waiting pulling you deeper and deeper (hence the title i guess, stupid), keeping you guessing of how the hell this was going to work out between them. Everything led to an awesome ending, and granted I never believed it would be the HEA ending I envisioned, but a better fucking ending than this!!!! In the end the closing to this story was weak and disappointing. I marvel on how this author can have such a great skill in pulling me in only to leave wet and waiting. I loved her words and although I still have unanswered questions and didn't get the ending I like, I believe Megan Hart has much talent and I would like to read more of her work. If I keep getting these endings I may have to rethink that though.
April 28, 2011
This book is killing me slowly. NO IT'S NOT BAD!!!!
It is gut wrenching and I KNOW I'D BE SOBBING LIKE LUNATIC AT THE END JUST AS I DID AT
but the masochist in me is pushing me DEEPER!!!
Update on Apr 28th
Leave it to Megan Hart to cut me open with her beautiful stories. Some authors out there should read her books because then they'll hopefully learn how to mix everything that makes great romance and great, raw sex so yummy with characters who are real and have depth without going all cheezy and writing a book sans clichés that usually make me want to puke.
I was sobbing at the end. I was resisting the urge to stop listening to the beautiful voice of Savannah Richards not because it was boring. On the contrary. It was too intense, but which of her books isn't. I loved paranormal aspect of this particular story and didn't find it nor creepy nor morbid. I loved the development of the story transitioning from past to present. Do I wish the ending would have found the miracle I was looking for in the book? No, what is a romance without loss?
Great work Ms Hart and a great choice of the narrator. Savannah's voice was best suited for Bess!
It is gut wrenching and I KNOW I'D BE SOBBING LIKE LUNATIC AT THE END JUST AS I DID AT
but the masochist in me is pushing me DEEPER!!!Update on Apr 28th
Leave it to Megan Hart to cut me open with her beautiful stories. Some authors out there should read her books because then they'll hopefully learn how to mix everything that makes great romance and great, raw sex so yummy with characters who are real and have depth without going all cheezy and writing a book sans clichés that usually make me want to puke.
I was sobbing at the end. I was resisting the urge to stop listening to the beautiful voice of Savannah Richards not because it was boring. On the contrary. It was too intense, but which of her books isn't. I loved paranormal aspect of this particular story and didn't find it nor creepy nor morbid. I loved the development of the story transitioning from past to present. Do I wish the ending would have found the miracle I was looking for in the book? No, what is a romance without loss?
Great work Ms Hart and a great choice of the narrator. Savannah's voice was best suited for Bess!
March 22, 2013
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Okay, first thing is first when it comes to Deeper by Megan Hart… WOW!!!!!
I saw this book at the bookstore and had NO IDEA it is a semi-paranormal book romance novel. When I say semi… it’s because it’s not all about paranormal activity like with vampires. But let’s talk about the book firs and I’ll explain….
While Bess was 20 she meets the bad boy of town Nick. Bess instantly is attracted to him even though she is with Andy, her boyfriend of four years who is cheating on her and ignoring her all summer while they are apart. Bess and Nick instantly get together understanding what they are doing is just sex. As the summer goes on their relationship develops into more even if neither will admit their feelings. As their summer ends Bess leaves and Nick vanishes, nobody knows where he went. Some think he joined the military, others in the small beach town thinks he went with Bess to school, and Bess she thinks he just moved on from her.
Twenty years later Bess is now 40 years old, divorcing Andy and a mom of to two teenage boys. Bess moves back into the beach house and to the small town she called home for three summers during college. While walking the beach she sees him… Nick, but he looks exactly the same, he hasn’t aged. That is because he is Bess is taken back but their chemistry is as hot as ever having hot ghost sex all over her beach house. It isn’t until others see him that Bess actually believes he is real and she isn’t crazy. Their relationship is odd and they have no idea how long they have together or what to make of it.
I LOVED this novel. Even as silly as sleeping with a may sound, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the relationship between young Bess when she first meets Nick and their instant chemistry. Bess LOVED Nick and wanted him to go with her to college and I believe Nick did love her too even if he could not admit it. I wanted so badly for Nick to tell Bess he loved her, even 20 years later when he returned to her but he never did. I cried at the end when Nick told Bess Their lives could have been totally different if didn’t happen. The sex scenes were erotic, the dialogue was spectacular. My heart broke for Nick… to finally trust someone and to love someone.
Do not let the strange story line make you not read this novel. It is beautiful, touching and will make you laugh, be sad, cry, and cry some more. I adored Bess and Nick and wish things were different for them. It was hard to read knowing there wouldn’t be a happy ending for them but their story was still touching.
Okay, first thing is first when it comes to Deeper by Megan Hart… WOW!!!!!
I saw this book at the bookstore and had NO IDEA it is a semi-paranormal book romance novel. When I say semi… it’s because it’s not all about paranormal activity like with vampires. But let’s talk about the book firs and I’ll explain….
While Bess was 20 she meets the bad boy of town Nick. Bess instantly is attracted to him even though she is with Andy, her boyfriend of four years who is cheating on her and ignoring her all summer while they are apart. Bess and Nick instantly get together understanding what they are doing is just sex. As the summer goes on their relationship develops into more even if neither will admit their feelings. As their summer ends Bess leaves and Nick vanishes, nobody knows where he went. Some think he joined the military, others in the small beach town thinks he went with Bess to school, and Bess she thinks he just moved on from her.
Twenty years later Bess is now 40 years old, divorcing Andy and a mom of to two teenage boys. Bess moves back into the beach house and to the small town she called home for three summers during college. While walking the beach she sees him… Nick, but he looks exactly the same, he hasn’t aged. That is because he is Bess is taken back but their chemistry is as hot as ever having hot ghost sex all over her beach house. It isn’t until others see him that Bess actually believes he is real and she isn’t crazy. Their relationship is odd and they have no idea how long they have together or what to make of it.
I LOVED this novel. Even as silly as sleeping with a may sound, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the relationship between young Bess when she first meets Nick and their instant chemistry. Bess LOVED Nick and wanted him to go with her to college and I believe Nick did love her too even if he could not admit it. I wanted so badly for Nick to tell Bess he loved her, even 20 years later when he returned to her but he never did. I cried at the end when Nick told Bess Their lives could have been totally different if didn’t happen. The sex scenes were erotic, the dialogue was spectacular. My heart broke for Nick… to finally trust someone and to love someone.
Do not let the strange story line make you not read this novel. It is beautiful, touching and will make you laugh, be sad, cry, and cry some more. I adored Bess and Nick and wish things were different for them. It was hard to read knowing there wouldn’t be a happy ending for them but their story was still touching.
November 3, 2010
This is not really a review. It is more of a rambling commentary…I’d read many spoilers for Deeper prior to reading it, so I wasn’t surprised at anything. Readers seem to love or hate this book, and after reading it, I honestly can’t say I thought either. It is very well written.
Likes:
∞ I liked how the author separated the chapters with ‘Then’ and ‘Now’ so you’d never get confused.
∞ The steam factor was high; however it was just frequent vanilla sex.
∞ I found the maturity level of young Nick and Andy to be right on.
∞ I liked the ending. Yes, in a way it was sad that he is a ghost and they can’t be together, but I am not sure they were right for each other outside of the bedroom. We’ll never know, because he died before had a chance to mature.
Dislikes:
∞ You get very little background on Nick. Near the very end we learn his mom was a junkie and he lived with a foster family. I’d liked to have known why he was a dick prior to the last 5 pages.
∞ I can’t believe I am going to say this, but there was too much sex. In no way am I a prude, but a lot of it was just filler. Every time she saw Nick, she jumped on his dick for two full pages. Honestly, I got bored with it and skipped because I wanted to get back to the story. It wasn’t like it was some new bizarre position each time, to mix it up. I know this contradicts one of my 'likes', but hey-that's me--deal with it.
Overall, I recommend this those looking for an emotional read. For those that have never read a Hart book, be aware that this is not a romance, it is a downer, and it may or may not have HEA. It is all in your interpretation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2010
I read this book nearly 6 months ago...but there it sat, in my GR "currently reading" stack because I loved it so much, I just didn't think I could do it justice. And I still don't think I can. I will say it's deeply moving, emotional, and unlike any erotic romance I've ever read. It tore at my heart and felt so very real...and for those reasons, it was one of my favorite reads of 2009, one I can see myself reading again. There's heartache, love, regret, sex...you'll feel it all. The book goes back and forth between the "Then" and the "Now" with each chapter...but as the chapters get shorter, the truth of the "Then" collides with the "Now"....The heroine Beth is having a summer relationship with sexy, bad boy Nick in the "Then"...and a more mature (although he looks exactly like he did 20 years ago) Nick - if it's really Nick...in the "Now." I. Just. Loved This. No other book has made me feel like this one. I was initially turned off by the premise - is he ghost?? What's going on?? I thank my sister for urging me to read this. This was very unconventional and hard to describe, but just amazing and you'll never forget it. And I'm thrilled to have more work by Megan Hart books in my book closet.
February 16, 2014
"Love couldn't be turned on and off like a light switch. Couldn't be shrugged out of like a jacket that had grown too heavy. Love was complicated and deeper…"
Really, there is no way I can describe this book without spoiling it. So, I'll just say this… if you are looking for a book to keep you guessing, mess with your mind, drive you crazy, and that has some hot scenes in it, this book is just what you are looking for. Deeper mentally drained me. I had about a thousand different theories going on trying to figure it all out. This is not your typical book. I was seriously surprised at the twist in the storyline. Deeper is definitely unique and I doubt I will ever forget it.
"Bess had become the ocean, always breaking against the rocks but never staying broken. Her love was the ocean, too, endless and always changing, yet forever the same."
Really, there is no way I can describe this book without spoiling it. So, I'll just say this… if you are looking for a book to keep you guessing, mess with your mind, drive you crazy, and that has some hot scenes in it, this book is just what you are looking for. Deeper mentally drained me. I had about a thousand different theories going on trying to figure it all out. This is not your typical book. I was seriously surprised at the twist in the storyline. Deeper is definitely unique and I doubt I will ever forget it.
"Bess had become the ocean, always breaking against the rocks but never staying broken. Her love was the ocean, too, endless and always changing, yet forever the same."
July 9, 2009
With each new release, Megan Hart takes us on a journey of emotion--love, pain, anger, regret, joy, all of it. DEEPER is a journey through regret. Choices made and pasts we can't escape. Loves we never forget.
It's nearly impossible to say what I loved about this book without spoiling it. For both its simplicity and complexity, it's a wonderful story, and the ending (which is also the best kind of new beginning for heroine Bess) was a perfect fit. I think DEEPER has just surpassed BROKEN as my favorite Hart novel.
It doesn't hurt that I have a soft spot for the location of the novel. Having been raised at the Delaware beaches, I loved that this one was set in Bethany Beach. Spot on.
It's nearly impossible to say what I loved about this book without spoiling it. For both its simplicity and complexity, it's a wonderful story, and the ending (which is also the best kind of new beginning for heroine Bess) was a perfect fit. I think DEEPER has just surpassed BROKEN as my favorite Hart novel.
It doesn't hurt that I have a soft spot for the location of the novel. Having been raised at the Delaware beaches, I loved that this one was set in Bethany Beach. Spot on.
July 9, 2010
This emotional book captured my attention from the first page to the last. Hart is a wonderful storyteller and she weaved a tale that was both heartwarming and heartachingly poignant. What would you do if you had a second chance with a lost love? Nick and Bess were given that chance, but sometimes love is not enough, sometimes what you find is peace and forgiveness. I highly recommend this book, no it is not your typically erotic romance and it may not have ended with the ending we all wished for, but it did end how it should have ended with love and sacrifice. Sometimes love means letting go.
August 10, 2009
Okay... now for my words!!!
Short Review:
Bess, soon to be a divorced mother of two teenage boys, is dealing with a lot.
Her husband, Andy, is that guy that always screws up a relationship, but gives you those eyes for another chance.
Nick, the lover of some many years ago, who is still haunting Bess's dreams.
Bess and Andy dated while Bess was in high school through college. Everyone thought they were the couple that was perfect. Well, we all know how true that is NOT! I don't care who you are, your relationship is far from perfect. But that is how it looked on the outside to everyone. Until that summer Bess met Nick.
Nick was the bad ass of those days. He was the one every girl wanted, but every mother wanted you to stay away from.
This book was rocky for me to start because each chapter goes from Now - to Then and it keeps flip flopping. I found myself just reading the Then... then coming back to the Now sometimes.
And normally I am NOT a skipper.
Bess annoyed me a little because I felt she had no strong backbone. I wanted to take her and shake her sometimes and say "Hey... WTF???? What are you doing?? Andy cheated on you. And yet you go back!!!!" But that is her downfall. She wants everyone else to be happy; and sometimes that costs her. But you will see... that these characters are weaved together in such a way, that it will take you back to those days when you had options of who to date and when the decisions you made affected the outcome of everyone.
Now on for my more thorough review!
The Main Players:
Bess is going through a divorce and trying to adjust to what her new life is going to be like. She moves out of her old house, into the beach house her parents passed down to her. She spent her summers at this house when she was in college. The memories, the lover, the heartbreak, the sea.... all comes back to her! The sea engulfs her, mind, body and soul. She is a stable person, capable of holding her own. She is a person though, that does not like to move outside of her comfort zone. And when forced to step out of that zone... what will happen?
Nick is your bad ass. He is the one your Mom warned you about. Everyone in his world has betrayed his trust, love and loyalty. He is such a charmer that you immediately fall in love with him. Bess comes into his world and he sees hope - or a glimmer of it. He is a very passionate and sexual man. If bad boy, tortured soul is what you are looking for... Then met Nick! His body alone is made to be sex on a stick and when you read his scenes... Wow, you better have a glass of ice ice ice water near you... Because Nick will take you Deeper than you have ever been...
Andy is Bess's soon to be ex-husband. Now, I did not care for him at all... From the beginning of the story... in the Now and Then, I did not like him. In the Then, he was known to play the field but swears to Bess that he loves her. You know the type: you are good enough to have my bank account because I trust you, but you are not good enough to be naughty with. He is one of those. Once a cheater, always a cheater. I can't even say something nice about him. But believe me, I wanted to slash his tires, put sugar in his gas tank and some few other things that I would rather not mention... **yea, I am evil**
Eddie: He is my sex on a stick man!!! When we meet him from the Then, he is the "geek" of the story; pimple faced, shy, fluster very easily, and very self-conscious. He is in love with Bess and there is nothing he would not do for her. I love him, from geek to man, I love him. He is the one you need to keep you eye out for. He is the rock in this story. Not where I thought it would have came from, but when I saw the how it was coming... I fell!!!
My Thoughts:
Bess bothered me. I felt that she was not as strong as I would have like to have seen her. Having gone through a divorce myself, I know how rough the situation can be and especially with children. Bess has two teenage boys that she is trying to "spare" them the burnt of the divorce. She does not want to disrupt their lives. She is a people pleaser person; she trys to keep everyone else happy or comfortable, but does not consider herself to much. She let Andy walk over her time and time again. I wanted to b*tch slap her and ask her WTH are you thinking!?:!?! While she was in college, she lived at her families beach house and worked part time. I did admire her for that. She did what was needed, she pushed through life when she kinda had no one, but (gessh) Andy there with her. Until she met Nick.... the life she thought she knew, slowly started to slip away like the sands of the beach themselves. She was pushed out of her comfort zone. And we all know how we are felt when we are pushed out of comfort zone... it is not nice.
I will put a twist on this... Eddie was my hero in this book. You will see why, I promise. He was the rock throughout the whole book.
Now, this book deals with things of the past that we need to let go of. It is about things we never say that we should say. You never know when you day will come... and the question you need to ask is "do people know what you really meant to say? do they know how much you love them or how much you hurt them??"
Holding on to the past does not change our future. What you decide to do with what you holding is another story. Bess is literally holding onto to something that is no longer. Nick.
Hussy purring over the sex scenes. They were amazing, and there were a lot of them!! But this book is an erotic novel. But at the same time, to me this was more a love story than an erotic novel.
The cover meant more to me when I finished the book. It really captures the story. This book really is a deep book... pun intended! Nick is her sea... sea of lost love.
Okay... here is all the info I can dish on her right now...
Here is her web site --->>> Megan Hart
Here is her blog site --->>> Megan Hart Blog
Please stop by and show her some love or give a shout out to her!!!
To get a complete list of what is to come from Ms. Hart please click --->>>here!!!
I know I sure can't wait!!!
For an excerpt of Deeper, please go --->>> here.
If you would like to read reviews (that I have done) of her other books I have read.. Please check these out:
Broken
Tempted
Stranger
Now please remember... these are only my own thoughts!!! And I am a HUGE fan of her's!!!
Now with all this being said... please go buy the book or books and enjoy!!!
And let me know if you have read this book and if you did... please let me know what you thought of it!!!! I would love to discuss this book and see other POV's!
Short Review:
Bess, soon to be a divorced mother of two teenage boys, is dealing with a lot.
Her husband, Andy, is that guy that always screws up a relationship, but gives you those eyes for another chance.
Nick, the lover of some many years ago, who is still haunting Bess's dreams.
Bess and Andy dated while Bess was in high school through college. Everyone thought they were the couple that was perfect. Well, we all know how true that is NOT! I don't care who you are, your relationship is far from perfect. But that is how it looked on the outside to everyone. Until that summer Bess met Nick.
Nick was the bad ass of those days. He was the one every girl wanted, but every mother wanted you to stay away from.
This book was rocky for me to start because each chapter goes from Now - to Then and it keeps flip flopping. I found myself just reading the Then... then coming back to the Now sometimes.
And normally I am NOT a skipper.
Bess annoyed me a little because I felt she had no strong backbone. I wanted to take her and shake her sometimes and say "Hey... WTF???? What are you doing?? Andy cheated on you. And yet you go back!!!!" But that is her downfall. She wants everyone else to be happy; and sometimes that costs her. But you will see... that these characters are weaved together in such a way, that it will take you back to those days when you had options of who to date and when the decisions you made affected the outcome of everyone.
Now on for my more thorough review!
The Main Players:
Bess is going through a divorce and trying to adjust to what her new life is going to be like. She moves out of her old house, into the beach house her parents passed down to her. She spent her summers at this house when she was in college. The memories, the lover, the heartbreak, the sea.... all comes back to her! The sea engulfs her, mind, body and soul. She is a stable person, capable of holding her own. She is a person though, that does not like to move outside of her comfort zone. And when forced to step out of that zone... what will happen?
Nick is your bad ass. He is the one your Mom warned you about. Everyone in his world has betrayed his trust, love and loyalty. He is such a charmer that you immediately fall in love with him. Bess comes into his world and he sees hope - or a glimmer of it. He is a very passionate and sexual man. If bad boy, tortured soul is what you are looking for... Then met Nick! His body alone is made to be sex on a stick and when you read his scenes... Wow, you better have a glass of ice ice ice water near you... Because Nick will take you Deeper than you have ever been...
Andy is Bess's soon to be ex-husband. Now, I did not care for him at all... From the beginning of the story... in the Now and Then, I did not like him. In the Then, he was known to play the field but swears to Bess that he loves her. You know the type: you are good enough to have my bank account because I trust you, but you are not good enough to be naughty with. He is one of those. Once a cheater, always a cheater. I can't even say something nice about him. But believe me, I wanted to slash his tires, put sugar in his gas tank and some few other things that I would rather not mention... **yea, I am evil**
Eddie: He is my sex on a stick man!!! When we meet him from the Then, he is the "geek" of the story; pimple faced, shy, fluster very easily, and very self-conscious. He is in love with Bess and there is nothing he would not do for her. I love him, from geek to man, I love him. He is the one you need to keep you eye out for. He is the rock in this story. Not where I thought it would have came from, but when I saw the how it was coming... I fell!!!
My Thoughts:
Bess bothered me. I felt that she was not as strong as I would have like to have seen her. Having gone through a divorce myself, I know how rough the situation can be and especially with children. Bess has two teenage boys that she is trying to "spare" them the burnt of the divorce. She does not want to disrupt their lives. She is a people pleaser person; she trys to keep everyone else happy or comfortable, but does not consider herself to much. She let Andy walk over her time and time again. I wanted to b*tch slap her and ask her WTH are you thinking!?:!?! While she was in college, she lived at her families beach house and worked part time. I did admire her for that. She did what was needed, she pushed through life when she kinda had no one, but (gessh) Andy there with her. Until she met Nick.... the life she thought she knew, slowly started to slip away like the sands of the beach themselves. She was pushed out of her comfort zone. And we all know how we are felt when we are pushed out of comfort zone... it is not nice.
I will put a twist on this... Eddie was my hero in this book. You will see why, I promise. He was the rock throughout the whole book.
Now, this book deals with things of the past that we need to let go of. It is about things we never say that we should say. You never know when you day will come... and the question you need to ask is "do people know what you really meant to say? do they know how much you love them or how much you hurt them??"
Holding on to the past does not change our future. What you decide to do with what you holding is another story. Bess is literally holding onto to something that is no longer. Nick.
Hussy purring over the sex scenes. They were amazing, and there were a lot of them!! But this book is an erotic novel. But at the same time, to me this was more a love story than an erotic novel.
The cover meant more to me when I finished the book. It really captures the story. This book really is a deep book... pun intended! Nick is her sea... sea of lost love.
Okay... here is all the info I can dish on her right now...
Here is her web site --->>> Megan Hart
Here is her blog site --->>> Megan Hart Blog
Please stop by and show her some love or give a shout out to her!!!
To get a complete list of what is to come from Ms. Hart please click --->>>here!!!
I know I sure can't wait!!!
For an excerpt of Deeper, please go --->>> here.
If you would like to read reviews (that I have done) of her other books I have read.. Please check these out:
Broken
Tempted
Stranger
Now please remember... these are only my own thoughts!!! And I am a HUGE fan of her's!!!
Now with all this being said... please go buy the book or books and enjoy!!!
And let me know if you have read this book and if you did... please let me know what you thought of it!!!! I would love to discuss this book and see other POV's!
November 24, 2012
Initial reactions: "Deeper" was the first full novel from Megan Hart I ever read and with the second read through, I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. I liked following Bess's perspective and could sympathize with her, though I'll admit there were elements of it that also frustrated me this time around that didn't on my initial read. Hope to expand a little more in the full review.
Full review:
I'll wholeheartedly admit that over the past couple of months, I've read quite a fair share of books by Megan Hart than a little bit. I think that's been a combination of my ability to access her works at my local library among other elements. Even if my enjoyment of each novel has varied, there's no doubt that I respect her writing and the way she delves into some of her characters and their respective situations. "Deeper" was the first full erotic novel that I read from Hart, quite some time ago, but I never had the chance to review it until now. Reading it a second time, I definitely found quite a bit to like with it, though there were parts of it I was less fond of this time around than on my initial read of it.
One thing I'll say off the bat is that if you have a hard time with past/present time switching in a novel, this might be a tough read. Another thing I will say, is that if you are expecting an HEA (happily ever after), you may also be sorely disappointed. This is very much a story of grief with a very flawed heroine who has to deal with quite a bit of pain. Personally, I had no trouble with either aspect and appreciated the way it was told, the flow was very smooth and easy for me to follow after a little bit, though there is an initial hump to get over. I actually liked the paranormal twist this novel has, among other elements that pepper Bess's experience, dealing with her respective family unresolved issues of the past, as well as her way of navigating her present relationships and way of stepping into her own self. It's a tough road, and not one without a degree of heartache, but certainly worth watching how it ultimately unfolds.
"Deeper" toggles its narrative between two time frames: between the college aged Bess dealing with a boyfriend (Andy) who - for lack of a better term - is a jerk and isn't attentive to her needs, a friend who insists on lying to her about the odd bad boy (Nick) who people say is "no good" for her, and the distant friend who may or may not have have a crush on her (Eddie, whom I adored in this novel). Fast forward about 20 years and Bess has two teenage sons, is expecting to divorce from Andy, and is generally in a sore place until Nick suddenly makes an appearance back in her life in a way she never thought possible.
At that point, Bess has to confront some tough realities of her past as well as come to terms with where she must go in the future. I definitely liked the focus on Bess's family life, her relationship with Eddie, even the sensual scenes with Nick and ultimately her coming to terms with what/who he is. It's not an easy read, and ultimately the flawed characters come across with a great deal of frustrating dimensions. Yet, they all seem in context and palpable. I guess the one question I had in retrospect was why Bess chose the remain with the relationships she had that made her so unhappy, but ultimately, since this is a coming to terms story, I didn't really judge her and just followed along to how she learned that she needed not to "doubt herself" anymore. Her relationship with Eddie provided the more full measure of a relationship for me in this novel, while I'll admit the erotic scenes Bess had with Nick were steamy and well-written. I kind of wish her relationship with Eddie came to more fruition than it did.
Andy was a jerk and I never liked him, and I never saw what Bess saw in him, but I could understand how frustrated she was with him and ultimately her longing for a relationship to hold onto. I did also feel her hurt and betrayal in spurts, but I think towards the end of the novel, the measure of how rushed the narrative was became more apparent and in areas, it wasn't properly fleshed out (even contradicted itself in a point when Bess showed absolutely no appropriate emotion to a certain turn in events). That frustrated me, and I think it could've been done better in retrospect, but overall, I did appreciate what the overarching story was going for, and I liked it. I do think that this novel is a little harder to get into than some of Hart's other works, but I found it worth the price of admission.
Overall score: 3.5/5
Full review:
I'll wholeheartedly admit that over the past couple of months, I've read quite a fair share of books by Megan Hart than a little bit. I think that's been a combination of my ability to access her works at my local library among other elements. Even if my enjoyment of each novel has varied, there's no doubt that I respect her writing and the way she delves into some of her characters and their respective situations. "Deeper" was the first full erotic novel that I read from Hart, quite some time ago, but I never had the chance to review it until now. Reading it a second time, I definitely found quite a bit to like with it, though there were parts of it I was less fond of this time around than on my initial read of it.
One thing I'll say off the bat is that if you have a hard time with past/present time switching in a novel, this might be a tough read. Another thing I will say, is that if you are expecting an HEA (happily ever after), you may also be sorely disappointed. This is very much a story of grief with a very flawed heroine who has to deal with quite a bit of pain. Personally, I had no trouble with either aspect and appreciated the way it was told, the flow was very smooth and easy for me to follow after a little bit, though there is an initial hump to get over. I actually liked the paranormal twist this novel has, among other elements that pepper Bess's experience, dealing with her respective family unresolved issues of the past, as well as her way of navigating her present relationships and way of stepping into her own self. It's a tough road, and not one without a degree of heartache, but certainly worth watching how it ultimately unfolds.
"Deeper" toggles its narrative between two time frames: between the college aged Bess dealing with a boyfriend (Andy) who - for lack of a better term - is a jerk and isn't attentive to her needs, a friend who insists on lying to her about the odd bad boy (Nick) who people say is "no good" for her, and the distant friend who may or may not have have a crush on her (Eddie, whom I adored in this novel). Fast forward about 20 years and Bess has two teenage sons, is expecting to divorce from Andy, and is generally in a sore place until Nick suddenly makes an appearance back in her life in a way she never thought possible.
At that point, Bess has to confront some tough realities of her past as well as come to terms with where she must go in the future. I definitely liked the focus on Bess's family life, her relationship with Eddie, even the sensual scenes with Nick and ultimately her coming to terms with what/who he is. It's not an easy read, and ultimately the flawed characters come across with a great deal of frustrating dimensions. Yet, they all seem in context and palpable. I guess the one question I had in retrospect was why Bess chose the remain with the relationships she had that made her so unhappy, but ultimately, since this is a coming to terms story, I didn't really judge her and just followed along to how she learned that she needed not to "doubt herself" anymore. Her relationship with Eddie provided the more full measure of a relationship for me in this novel, while I'll admit the erotic scenes Bess had with Nick were steamy and well-written. I kind of wish her relationship with Eddie came to more fruition than it did.
Andy was a jerk and I never liked him, and I never saw what Bess saw in him, but I could understand how frustrated she was with him and ultimately her longing for a relationship to hold onto. I did also feel her hurt and betrayal in spurts, but I think towards the end of the novel, the measure of how rushed the narrative was became more apparent and in areas, it wasn't properly fleshed out (even contradicted itself in a point when Bess showed absolutely no appropriate emotion to a certain turn in events). That frustrated me, and I think it could've been done better in retrospect, but overall, I did appreciate what the overarching story was going for, and I liked it. I do think that this novel is a little harder to get into than some of Hart's other works, but I found it worth the price of admission.
Overall score: 3.5/5
May 24, 2012
Well, it had to happen eventually. After so many amazing books, it appears that Megan Hart let me down with Deeper. This story switches between past and present. Then being twenty years ago when Bess spent the summer away from college in a beach town. She cheated on her emotionally (and geographically) distant long term boyfriend, Andy, with the town bad boy, Nick. Alternate chapters titled Now revisit Bess, Nick and Andy back at the beach house in present time. You know the phrase, "you can't go home again"? Apparently, in this book you can.
Back then Bess spent the summer managing an ice-cream shop. Her four-year relationship with Andy was on the rocks. Her new relationship with Nick was exciting. Adding to the story are nerdy co-worker Eddie (who has a massive crush on Bess) and token-gay co-worker Brian (who not only cheerleads Bess, but grinds on her at dance parties and pops a boner, despite being gay.) There is also an odd frenemy, Missy. She and Bess are about as different as two people can be. In addition, Missy takes bitch to a whole new level, prompting me to wonder exactly how and why they became friends to begin with.
Fast-forward to now when Bess and Andy are married but separated. Bess is again spending the summer at the beach house, with Nick. Good old Eddie has grown up to buy the ice-cream shop and even offers Bess her old job back. So, over a span of twenty years, we find people still stuck in the same roles and attempting to recapture what had once been.
In Bess, we have a woman who simply doesn’t know what she wants. The pseudo-stability of her unfaithful husband Andy? The intense sexual relationship with Nick? The friendship with Eddie? Bess doesn't make decisions for herself, she simply reacts.
As for all of the men in Bess’ life, Hart never gives a sense of any of them. This was perhaps the biggest disappointment for me. One thing Hart usually does so well (in addition to the smut) is creating well-rounded characters with deep, realistic relationships. But none of these people ever felt real. We know that all these men wanted Bess, but damned if I know why. She is an unlikable character, and frankly I saw no chemistry between her and any of the men.
As a short story or novella this might have been more powerful and enjoyable. But as a full length novel, it reads as extreme wish-fulfillment. Who doesn’t want to go back to an amazing time in their life, get that moment back, tie up loose ends and get closure? I know I do. But I also know that as meaningful as it may be to me, that little segment of my life would be a huge snooze fest to anyone else forced to endure it.
Don’t get me wrong. I still love Megan Hart and plan to continue reading her. The woman has written so many novels and short stories, some of them are bound to be less than spectacular.
Back then Bess spent the summer managing an ice-cream shop. Her four-year relationship with Andy was on the rocks. Her new relationship with Nick was exciting. Adding to the story are nerdy co-worker Eddie (who has a massive crush on Bess) and token-gay co-worker Brian (who not only cheerleads Bess, but grinds on her at dance parties and pops a boner, despite being gay.) There is also an odd frenemy, Missy. She and Bess are about as different as two people can be. In addition, Missy takes bitch to a whole new level, prompting me to wonder exactly how and why they became friends to begin with.
Fast-forward to now when Bess and Andy are married but separated. Bess is again spending the summer at the beach house, with Nick. Good old Eddie has grown up to buy the ice-cream shop and even offers Bess her old job back. So, over a span of twenty years, we find people still stuck in the same roles and attempting to recapture what had once been.
In Bess, we have a woman who simply doesn’t know what she wants. The pseudo-stability of her unfaithful husband Andy? The intense sexual relationship with Nick? The friendship with Eddie? Bess doesn't make decisions for herself, she simply reacts.
As for all of the men in Bess’ life, Hart never gives a sense of any of them. This was perhaps the biggest disappointment for me. One thing Hart usually does so well (in addition to the smut) is creating well-rounded characters with deep, realistic relationships. But none of these people ever felt real. We know that all these men wanted Bess, but damned if I know why. She is an unlikable character, and frankly I saw no chemistry between her and any of the men.
As a short story or novella this might have been more powerful and enjoyable. But as a full length novel, it reads as extreme wish-fulfillment. Who doesn’t want to go back to an amazing time in their life, get that moment back, tie up loose ends and get closure? I know I do. But I also know that as meaningful as it may be to me, that little segment of my life would be a huge snooze fest to anyone else forced to endure it.
Don’t get me wrong. I still love Megan Hart and plan to continue reading her. The woman has written so many novels and short stories, some of them are bound to be less than spectacular.
January 5, 2010
Why did I ever think this book is boring? Now, I think it was amazing, beautiful and very sad. I would even re-read it to be honest, her memories with Nick were amazing, specially the one when they were looking at the stars (You know what the best part of star is?.....They're the same no matter what sky you're standing under. I mean...yeah, they might move or look like they're in a different place, but they're the same stars, so even when you're apart from someone you want to be with, you can look up at the stars and know they're looking at the same ones) or where she kept asking him to kiss her and he finally did. Ugh I wanna die now, I feel so depressed, Who knew an erotica book could be so emotional? even Nicholas Sparks' "A Walk to remember" or "The Notebook" didn't make me this sad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2026
Manche Liebhaber verlassen Dich nie
Bess verbringt als Studentin ihre Sommer im Strandhaus der Familie, jobbt und feiert Partys. Dabei lernt sie Nick – den Traum aller Mädchen kennen und beide beginnen eine leidenschaftliche Beziehung für einen Sommer. Jetzt, 20 Jahre später, ist ihre Ehe mit Alex zerbrochen und Bess kehrt mit ihren fast erwachsenen Söhnen in das Strandhaus zurück. Dort begegnet ihr Nick wieder, unverändert als wäre die Zeit an ihm spurlos vorbei gegangen. Die alte Leidenschaft bricht mit aller Heftigkeit wieder hervor und die beiden versuchen so viel Sinnlichkeit wie möglich nachzuholen. Aber wie kann es sein, das Nick immer noch der jugendliche Beachboy ist, während Bess und die anderen Cliquenfreunde in der Lebensmitte angekommen sind?
Das Buch erzählt zwei Geschichten – „Damals“ umfasst den Sommer ihrer Jugend, ihres Kennenlernens und „Jetzt“ beschreibt ihr Wiedersehen. Der Leser sieht die Parallelen ihrer Beziehung, die stürmische Hingabe, wenn ohne wenn und aber nur die Zweisamkeit zählt und dann allmählich drängt der Alltag in diesen Traum und verdrängt mehr und mehr die pure Verliebtheit. Der Schreibstil ist flüssig, bildhaft und unterhaltsam, die Sexszenen sind erotisch gut in Szene gesetzt, wirken nicht plump, sondern lassen das Kopfkino anspringen.
Das Buch entspricht zwar nicht meinem typischen Beuteschema, hat mich aber positiv überrascht.
Bess verbringt als Studentin ihre Sommer im Strandhaus der Familie, jobbt und feiert Partys. Dabei lernt sie Nick – den Traum aller Mädchen kennen und beide beginnen eine leidenschaftliche Beziehung für einen Sommer. Jetzt, 20 Jahre später, ist ihre Ehe mit Alex zerbrochen und Bess kehrt mit ihren fast erwachsenen Söhnen in das Strandhaus zurück. Dort begegnet ihr Nick wieder, unverändert als wäre die Zeit an ihm spurlos vorbei gegangen. Die alte Leidenschaft bricht mit aller Heftigkeit wieder hervor und die beiden versuchen so viel Sinnlichkeit wie möglich nachzuholen. Aber wie kann es sein, das Nick immer noch der jugendliche Beachboy ist, während Bess und die anderen Cliquenfreunde in der Lebensmitte angekommen sind?
Das Buch erzählt zwei Geschichten – „Damals“ umfasst den Sommer ihrer Jugend, ihres Kennenlernens und „Jetzt“ beschreibt ihr Wiedersehen. Der Leser sieht die Parallelen ihrer Beziehung, die stürmische Hingabe, wenn ohne wenn und aber nur die Zweisamkeit zählt und dann allmählich drängt der Alltag in diesen Traum und verdrängt mehr und mehr die pure Verliebtheit. Der Schreibstil ist flüssig, bildhaft und unterhaltsam, die Sexszenen sind erotisch gut in Szene gesetzt, wirken nicht plump, sondern lassen das Kopfkino anspringen.
Das Buch entspricht zwar nicht meinem typischen Beuteschema, hat mich aber positiv überrascht.
June 19, 2012
Just as a warning, my review will have some spoilers.
So, I'm on this huge Megan Hart kick, and I'm quickly reading everything she's written. Dirty was my first; I loved it. I read Broken next, and in the last two days I've read Deeper, which was so, so different from the previous two ... but not bad. Not bad at all.
Megan's books are catagorized as erotica, but I'm quickly learning they are so much more than that. Her writing is very emotional and sexy, and realistic. I like sex as much as the next girl, but it's the smut in erotica that usually throws me off. That is not the case here. She writes sensual sex, quick sex, hard and soft sex ... love making, and it's all fun to read. It's not overdone or too much. It's enough to make me blush and squeeze my thighs.
Deeper has a fantastic plot, and I loved the switch between the past and present. Bess, whose family owned a beach house, met the bad boy and quickly fell in love. Without giving too much away, at the end of summer she was left with a choice. Andy, her boyfriend of four years, or Nick, the summer love.
To me, the chioce was easy, but this is a book.
"I can be there in three hours." This was the most romantic part in the entire book, and it made me cry my eyes out. But I won't tell you why.
Twenty years later, her past come back from the dead, and it's an emotional rollercoaster!
While I loved this book, I felt like there was something missing, and I think that something was the lack of "I love you" from Nick. Especially in the end. I just don't understand why it wasn't there. We got the entire history of Bess and Nick, and it was so awesome, so why did Megan leave that part out?
The end left me wanting more. I got it, and I even expected it, but it was done so quickly. And while it was good, it could have been epic.
I want it so bad I might write it myself. Megan Hart fan fiction, anyone?
Yes, please.
So, I'm on this huge Megan Hart kick, and I'm quickly reading everything she's written. Dirty was my first; I loved it. I read Broken next, and in the last two days I've read Deeper, which was so, so different from the previous two ... but not bad. Not bad at all.
Megan's books are catagorized as erotica, but I'm quickly learning they are so much more than that. Her writing is very emotional and sexy, and realistic. I like sex as much as the next girl, but it's the smut in erotica that usually throws me off. That is not the case here. She writes sensual sex, quick sex, hard and soft sex ... love making, and it's all fun to read. It's not overdone or too much. It's enough to make me blush and squeeze my thighs.
Deeper has a fantastic plot, and I loved the switch between the past and present. Bess, whose family owned a beach house, met the bad boy and quickly fell in love. Without giving too much away, at the end of summer she was left with a choice. Andy, her boyfriend of four years, or Nick, the summer love.
To me, the chioce was easy, but this is a book.
"I can be there in three hours." This was the most romantic part in the entire book, and it made me cry my eyes out. But I won't tell you why.
Twenty years later, her past come back from the dead, and it's an emotional rollercoaster!
While I loved this book, I felt like there was something missing, and I think that something was the lack of "I love you" from Nick. Especially in the end. I just don't understand why it wasn't there. We got the entire history of Bess and Nick, and it was so awesome, so why did Megan leave that part out?
The end left me wanting more. I got it, and I even expected it, but it was done so quickly. And while it was good, it could have been epic.
I want it so bad I might write it myself. Megan Hart fan fiction, anyone?
Yes, please.
December 11, 2017
3.5 Stars
June 10, 2010
Deeper is the heartbreaking story of Bess Walsh told from two different vantage points, Then and Now. Then was one summer twenty years ago when Bess met bad boy Nick who consumed all her waking thoughts. They had a whirlwind romance and promised to meet, but something happened along the way to interfere. Now is Bess separated from her husband Andy and has decided to reevaluate her life. She is staying back at the beach house where it all began and she begins to think about Nick and what happened to him. As if she conjured him up herself he appears to her unchanged by twenty years. Strangely enough Nick is as real as any other person, only he has no heartbeat and doesn't need to eat or sleep. Finally, Bess finds out what happened that fateful night long ago.
Megan Hart is a fantastic storyteller. Her writing will engross readers the minute they turn that first page. She has a way of evoking a wide spectrum of emotions, due in a large part to her great, realistic characters. She chooses Beth and Nick with whom readers will largely relate too. They share the same hopes and dreams, fears and concerns that everyone faces at some point in their lives. Hart doesn't shy away from the gritty details and she is certainly not afraid to have her characters make some tough decisions. Sure enough Bess and Nick both face heartbreaking choices and they don't always make the right decision. They have to live with their mistakes and learn from them.
For some readers, Bess and Nick will frustrate them. Bess has a tendency to make choices she deems safe, even though it may not be the right choice for her. Look where her safe choices lead her - to constantly wondering what might have been. Nick constantly refers to himself as an asshole. At times he does act like a jerk, but he isn't an asshole. It's just that he is a young kid who is unsure of himself and he needs to grow up.
Deeper is not a romance. This is a book about self discovery. It is about learning who you are, what you are capable of and learning that if something is worth while then you have to take a risk. I will be honest, the ending of this book is heart wrenching. There is not a traditional HEA (happily ever after) and I am fairly certain that readers of romance will not be satisfied with the ending of this book. I had a very difficult time rating this book. It is a deeply moving book, one that will resonate with readers long after they finish it. Even though the book is capable of making such an impact, it is not one that I would likely read again or place among my cherished favorites. It's just too bittersweet.
Megan Hart is a fantastic storyteller. Her writing will engross readers the minute they turn that first page. She has a way of evoking a wide spectrum of emotions, due in a large part to her great, realistic characters. She chooses Beth and Nick with whom readers will largely relate too. They share the same hopes and dreams, fears and concerns that everyone faces at some point in their lives. Hart doesn't shy away from the gritty details and she is certainly not afraid to have her characters make some tough decisions. Sure enough Bess and Nick both face heartbreaking choices and they don't always make the right decision. They have to live with their mistakes and learn from them.
For some readers, Bess and Nick will frustrate them. Bess has a tendency to make choices she deems safe, even though it may not be the right choice for her. Look where her safe choices lead her - to constantly wondering what might have been. Nick constantly refers to himself as an asshole. At times he does act like a jerk, but he isn't an asshole. It's just that he is a young kid who is unsure of himself and he needs to grow up.
Deeper is not a romance. This is a book about self discovery. It is about learning who you are, what you are capable of and learning that if something is worth while then you have to take a risk. I will be honest, the ending of this book is heart wrenching. There is not a traditional HEA (happily ever after) and I am fairly certain that readers of romance will not be satisfied with the ending of this book. I had a very difficult time rating this book. It is a deeply moving book, one that will resonate with readers long after they finish it. Even though the book is capable of making such an impact, it is not one that I would likely read again or place among my cherished favorites. It's just too bittersweet.
December 18, 2009
From the Publisher:
Twenty years ago she had her whole life spread out before her. She was Bess Walsh, a fresh-scrubbed, middle-class student ready to conquer the design world. And she was taken. Absolutely and completely.
But not by Andy, her well-groomed, intellectual boyfriend who had hinted more than once about a ring. No. During that hot summer as a waitress and living on the beach, she met Nick, the moody, dark-haired, local bad boy. He was, to put it mildly, not someone she could take home to Daddy.
Instead, Nick became her dirty little secret, a fervent sexual accomplice who knew how to ignite an all-consuming obsession she had no idea she carried deep within her.
Bess had always wondered what happened to Nick after that summer, after their promise to meet again. And now, back at the beach house and taking a break from responsibility, from marriage, from life, she discovers his heartbreaking fate—and why he never came back for her. Suddenly Nick's name is on her lips, his hands on her thighs, dark hair and eyes called back from the swirling gray of purgatory''s depths.
Dead, alive, or something in between, they can't stop their hunger.
She wouldn''t dare.
My review:
Megan Hart has become one of my favorite authors. Her attention to detail and just her take on relationshiops is what makes her such a great writer and captures the reader. This book had me in tears even after reading it. It's a very emotional read, the ending bittersweet but it ended the way it should have.
Great book!
Twenty years ago she had her whole life spread out before her. She was Bess Walsh, a fresh-scrubbed, middle-class student ready to conquer the design world. And she was taken. Absolutely and completely.
But not by Andy, her well-groomed, intellectual boyfriend who had hinted more than once about a ring. No. During that hot summer as a waitress and living on the beach, she met Nick, the moody, dark-haired, local bad boy. He was, to put it mildly, not someone she could take home to Daddy.
Instead, Nick became her dirty little secret, a fervent sexual accomplice who knew how to ignite an all-consuming obsession she had no idea she carried deep within her.
Bess had always wondered what happened to Nick after that summer, after their promise to meet again. And now, back at the beach house and taking a break from responsibility, from marriage, from life, she discovers his heartbreaking fate—and why he never came back for her. Suddenly Nick's name is on her lips, his hands on her thighs, dark hair and eyes called back from the swirling gray of purgatory''s depths.
Dead, alive, or something in between, they can't stop their hunger.
She wouldn''t dare.
My review:
Megan Hart has become one of my favorite authors. Her attention to detail and just her take on relationshiops is what makes her such a great writer and captures the reader. This book had me in tears even after reading it. It's a very emotional read, the ending bittersweet but it ended the way it should have.
Great book!
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