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Diving In

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A heartfelt journey of loss, self-discovery, and one epic love story that will have you ready to dive in.

Fly in, tie up loose ends, and fly out. Three days. Seventy-two hours. And not a second longer.

At least that was the plan.

Georgia Windsor has a good job in New York, a charming best friend, and a perfectly adequate man, but she also has an undeniable urge to control it all. She’s planned every last detail of her entire life, allowing for no surprises to throw her off balance, and she’s not about to shift her trajectory now.

But life has a funny way of changing our plans.

After receiving news of her estranged father’s death, Georgia is not only forced to confront the painful feelings she’s tucked away for so long, but she’s also forced return to the one place she swore she’d never go back to: Sullivan’s Island.

With one tiny carry-on and absolutely no time to spare, Georgia lands in her once-beloved sleepy beach town only to find it’s not exactly as she remembered, especially once she sees Callahan Thomas. The tall, backwards-hat-wearing, blue-eyed surfer boy has a few surprises up his sleeve, namely pushing Georgia beyond her comfort zone and making her relinquish all control.

While Georgia is steadfast in sticking to her goal of dealing with her father’s affairs and getting off the island as quickly as possible, she can’t ignore the nagging feeling that maybe her life plan isn’t actually what she wants after all.

But when she finds a letter from her dead father, few things seem as important as seeing it through to the end.

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 29, 2024

113 people are currently reading
6833 people want to read

About the author

Bianca Miller

2 books221 followers
I'm an extra bubbly, introvert, who thrives in the chaos of storytelling. I write romance novels with BIG feelings and even BIGGER happy endings.

I’ve been writing ever since I can remember. It’s always been an outlet, one that allowed me to handle my own emotions while creating an escape for others too. Over time, the only thing that changed was that my diaries morphed into voice memos and sticky notes.

I will say, I have to credit my success as a writer to my 2008 self who stayed up way too late writing fanfiction about Panic! At The Disco. There is truly nothing more authentic than a 14-year-old writer who fully believes she’s going to marry a band member.

When I’m not writing, I’m either chasing my tiny human in circles, frantically packing for a trip the night before, or figuring out how to create stories that will make people feel the same way they did at the Eras Tour.

So, buckle up, Buttercup. And grab the tissues, because it’s about to hurt so good.

STAY IN TOUCH:
+ www.authorbiancamiller.com
+ instagram.com/biancamillerwrites

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5 stars
488 (40%)
4 stars
416 (34%)
3 stars
234 (19%)
2 stars
66 (5%)
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15 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 257 reviews
Profile Image for Megan Cullum.
63 reviews2 followers
March 15, 2024
I really wanted to love this book. I can only imagine how vulnerable and exciting it must be to write your first novel and then hold your breath for the world to judge.

But, this is a review and I gotta be honest.

First - I read it in 2 days so it was clearly a captivating story. It dealt with grief and romance and painted a beautiful picture of an island I would love to visit.

The first half of the book, I was not into it - but then halfway through the story picked up and I was invested in the happy ending.

My biggest issue is with the way the story is written. It felt more presentational - like we were reading reflections on moments instead of authentic reactions of the characters. The dialogue was hit or miss. But I definitely didn’t buy in to a lot of it. I really wanted to root for Georgia and Cal - but I was really missing some build up, backstory, development - their love story and spicy parts (though those parts were really well written!) just didn’t pay off in the way I wanted them to.

I hope the author writes more and plays more with her characters. I think the story itself is a wonderful bit of romantic fiction - I just didn’t believe the characters & didn’t root or fall in love with them the way I wanted to.


Profile Image for Halley Urich.
7 reviews3 followers
February 21, 2024
I cannot believe this is Bianca’s debut novel! This was so fantastically written. An easy to follow story about Georgia and her heartbreak with family members trying to find answers for them and herself during a period of grief. Georgia was such a relatable character- witty, funny, but serious when needed. I found myself having all the emotions reading this novel!

Will definitely recommend this cute easy read for anyone looking for a quick read or something in between heavier books ❤️ Well done, Bianca!
Profile Image for Shanna Hutcheson.
85 reviews325 followers
March 8, 2024
such an amazing read!!!

I absolutely loved this book! From the very beginning, I was intrigued by the story & characters, and every day I found myself excited to dive back in, literally. ;) This is right up my alley in terms of the genre I enjoy the most, and I found it to be such an easy / fast, but also truly enjoyable read. I thought Bianca did an amazing job of tying everything up at the end as well. I loved reading this and absolutely recommend it to any other romance book lovers out there!!! WAY TO GO BIANCA!!!!
Profile Image for Addison.
107 reviews8 followers
March 14, 2024
This book was…very bad. It took me a week to get 55 pages and I finally had to DNF. Im actually so surprised by the 5 star reviews. Did we read the same book?!?

The sheer amount of TELLING and the long and boring inner monologue did me in. We don’t need a play by play of every small bodily movement the FMC makes (chapter 5 includes but is not limited to descriptions of: packing bags, leaving in Uber for airport at 7:27 AM, witnessing an accident on the way to the airport that adds 40 mins to the drive, taxi pulls up to southwest ticket door, she prides herself on getting to the airport early, stopped at Starbucks after security, we know exactly what she orders, she is going to gate C27, “I placed my AirPods in both ears”, bad weather during takeoff, etc. etc. etc.) — scene setting is important but god damn the useless info dumps are exhausting to read. It’s like the author is world building for a 10 book fantasy series.


This also just wasn’t edited very well. Commas in incorrect places, incorrect tenses. So many instances of using the same word in a sentence multiple times which isn’t grammatically incorrect but still reads terribly (ex: “making my way through the AIRPORT, I ordered an Uber so that it was waiting for me when I reached the front of the AIRPORT”)

The thing that really made me DNF was the fact that I saw this entire story happens over the span of less than a week???? Insta love is a NO FROM ME. I need a man to pine over me for weeks, months, years!!!!!!!!
Profile Image for Jordan Metcalf.
15 reviews
March 9, 2024
I really enjoyed the premise of this book; it very much reminded me of what could be a Hallmark movie. However, the pacing of the story and repetitive internal dialogue was hard for me. I found myself skipping chunks of the FMC's internal musings because, after a while, it just didn't seem to help the story develop. The character dialogue felt a bit flat, too polished for me; it made the characters feel kind of underdeveloped and surface level. Plus, the excessive use of f-bombs turned me off a bit.

Georgia's estranged father dies and she is tasked with returning to the idyllic island the family used to call home to wrap up some loose ends. She gives herself 72 hours to complete the task but doesn't account for the toll the grief, repressed memories, and a hunky man for her past will drum up. Can she forgive her dad? Can she heal a deep wound left by a tragic accident that happened on the island? Will this closed-off, must-be-in-control woman finally allow herself to fall in love with someone who make her feel spontaneous and vulnerable?
Profile Image for Karla♡.
37 reviews15 followers
February 29, 2024
“The most important thing is that you’re here now. You’re on the island that will always hold a piece of both of them. As long as you’re here, you’ll feel them. You’ll feel them in the sand between your toes, in the sun on your face, and in every little corner of this magical place.” 🩵🐚🧜🏼‍♀️👙🧋🌟
DIVING IN (e-arc) REVIEW
5/5 ★’s




This review was written approximately 30
seconds after reading the book. One of my favorite things ever is to capture all of my feelings the minute i feel them for a book and this one had so many feelings to capture in all its glory. By the time you read this, it’ll already be release day but i’d like to say some things this book has made so special for me.

First and foremost, having control over every aspect of your life is pointless, please live and breathe and laugh as loud as you want. Hug the people the you love, cherish the pain you can feel as human being. stare at the worlds natural beauties like the ocean, the ocean will always remember, i’ve learned that recently but it will. There’s no meaning as to what this means, so find your own definition, to me, the ocean remembers me and all the love i feel for it. The ocean heals, it protects, it nutures. It’s kind but at the same time unforgiving. It loves but breaks too and that’s what makes it such a beautiful aspect of our world, the balance of the two largest feelings in the universe rest upon even something inanimate like a body of water. I grew up on the water, being a native to florida, i remember there was a time as a child that i thought everyone else in the world had access to a beach down the street or max 15 minutes from them. As a kid I couldn’t fathom that someone didn’t, i remember crying when i found out some people didn’t just because of where they lived. I thought everyone needed an ocean, even a child could understand the concept of the way the ocean made me feel, safe and beautiful under clouds of blue. I’ve suffered from anxiety my whole life and the ocean is the one place i always say feels “healing.” when the sun is dimming and the clouds are low and the sky is cotton candy pink and the waves are aqua blue - that’s the moment when life aligns and you realize this is what matters. Bianca has created characters that have made me feel every crevice of my heart in the rawest form of realization and love. The experience and ambiance or this book is like diving into a perfect day described so many times in this book. I frequently gave Bianca updates of the emotions she made my heart feel throughout this book and although she thought that me loving this book was making her life better, truly it was making mine better. As humans we live our day to day lives not noticing the small things we take for granted, like family who we just have with us everyday, the place we live and maybe we’ve known our whole lives. But if you were to leave it all behind and have so many parts of your home taken from you out of pure necessity to survive within your own grief, would you be ok?

Our fmc, Georgia James has turned so many keys in my heart. Fled from her hometown of Sullivan’s Island, NC after her brothers unexpected death and the downfall of her family have led her to succumb to a safe and steady life in bustling New york. A nice job, a good boyfriend with a respectable job, a planned future and all her plots in a line. So when she receives the news that her father - Wren has passed away, the chance of needing to return to where it all started racks up a mess crazier than a riptide- and yet it all falls where it needs to.

Georgia not only had one of the greatest character developments i’ve ever seen but was just genuinely a girl trying to figure out where to lay all the pieces. Figure out who she really was and not the person she was pretending to be, the way she slowly sheds her fears, her past, her bad habits and learns that life is meant to be lived free, full of laughter and mistakes- was something that as a young girl in her 20’s we all need to read and see the experience come to life. This is the time to fall and continue falling, understand where we’re wrong and realize life’s too short to hold on to people that don’t make us feel like we’re ablaze. Georgia James, you’ll be an inspiration forever 👙


Our mmc, Callahan Thomas aka Cal is actually a glorious man on paper. First off, i’d like to let you know my second last name is Cal, so i felt very special at this moment because he is a DREAM come true. Literally immediate fan cast being Rudy Pankow ( JJ , Obx) Because i feel like both characters hold the same emotional depth yet the rugged look of being your dream, island, marina, all ocean loving man. Cal is the epitome of a man recovering, fighting his own demons, navigating the loss of his own best friends death and the feelings he’s kept under wraps for years for Georgia. But she’s back now, and the secrets, the fears, and the wants he’s had for over 10 years now can’t be contained. His character also brought me an immense amount of comfort. I don’t think i’ve ever found actual comfort in a male main characters but the vibe he radiates throughout the book are full comfy, cozy, protective and loving as Georgia navigates her own pains and struggles. He really is the epitome of a nice cozy beach house in peak sunset time, with a nice view of the waves crashing. A man of perfect substance, Callahan Thomas 🩵


One of my absolute favorite debut novels ever, Bianca has done a phenomenal job at creating a place with perfect world building, and emotional development. I hadn’t cried over a book in a long time, and yet this one made me cry an approximation of 6 times, both sad and happy tears. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to review this early, one of my favorite arcs ever. Congrats on officially being an author queen! 🧜🏼‍♀️
Profile Image for Janelle Henry.
38 reviews3 followers
March 6, 2024
I was lucky enough to part of the ARC team and I was so impressed by this debut! I love a romance, but a romance that explores deeper feelings of loss and growth? Yes, please! My biggest regret, if you will, is that it felt too short. I could have easily read another 100 pages to feel more fully invested. As it reads, everything seemingly happens so abruptly- but not necessarily in a bad way! I could have definitely seen myself on that island for longer.

I really did love the exploration of grief, but it's definitely worth noting that the main character, Georgia, has some major losses in her life. I love the way the author handled it, as someone who has not experienced such loss. The death of immediate family members is a sensitive topic and I felt it was navigated very well.

This is definitely worth reading!
Profile Image for Danielle Howell.
20 reviews1 follower
March 21, 2024
Thank you to Bianca for an ARC copy of Diving In and the opportunity to review this book prior to release! This was a great debut romance novel!

This book explores grief, complicated family relationships, healing, and new beginnings. Bianca is a very descriptive writer and I found myself feeling really connected to Georgia and Sullivan’s Island by the end! It was really beautiful to watch the main characters growth throughout the book. There were some aspects that impacted my rating- Some of the plot points and dialog felt a little unrealistic at times. I really enjoyed the main characters by the end, however I wish we would have had a little more background about their history. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read more from Bianca!
Profile Image for Malinda.
173 reviews
February 29, 2024
Oh my goodness, still sobbing after finishing this wonderful debut novel from Bianca! This book is for anyone who loves a beach read; a love story with a little light spice. Both character leads are thoughtfully written and relatable. The way all the characters navigate love and loss is authentic, and the emotions draw you into the story. Bianca knows how to write a heartfelt romance novel! I can’t wait to read more of her work in the future.

Note: I received an ARC of this book to share my review.
1 review
March 14, 2024
This was a very quick read - think Lifetime movie. I really wanted to like this book; I love this genre and have a soft spot for beach towns and marine life. While I think this is impressive as a debut novel, there were some major issues that took me out of the story and distracted from enjoying the book.

The inciting incident is the death of Georgia's father, leading her back to the small island town where she grew up to "put his affairs in order." However, Georgia doesn't so much as sign a single piece of paperwork. All she does is run around the island with her father's colleague "finding herself." Who is planning the funeral? Who is tending to his finances and real estate assets? Doesn't she have some lawyers to talk to? I wish the author would have done some research on how to actually handle the logistics of a family member's death.

Aside from the main character, all other characters were underdeveloped and one-dimensional. Even Cal, the love interest didn't get a backstory. They were all just there as props in Georgia's journey of self discovery. I wanted there to be a little more nuance and character development.

There were several other writing issues: overused commas and ellipses, incorrect use of tense, unrealistic dialogue, an abundance of overly specific details irrelevant to the story, continuity errors, etc. All this being said, I did stick with it and finish the book and I'm glad I did - it had a very sweet and happy ending.
Profile Image for Samantha.
90 reviews
April 15, 2024
An easy read.

I teared up in some parts but the book itself felt rushed. And then the timeline itself, 3 days. It just wasn't enough. I wanted more build up, more development, just more.

I Felt like Georgia knew she was a self sabotager but had no thought process on even trying to better herself or teach herself not to be one. She put in zero efforts for her well-being and self.

Callahan gave me creepy vibes honestly. He knew her as a child and teen, not as an adult but he suddenly knows her so well and everything about her and what she wants and how she will react? No way. Not over the course of three days.

The fact that G never meets Lauren is mind-blowing to me. This is an important character, especially with how Beau was raised and we just don't get into her character, at all? Very odd. Why even bring her up as much as you did then?

Again, it was just rushed. I think it could have used another 150 pages.

I really look forward to more books by Bianca Miller, hopefully longer ones. Also, get a new editor. There were so many grammatical errors in this book, it was somewhat nauseating to read it. Your editor didn't seem to care about your book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Stephanie Gail Reads.
87 reviews2 followers
March 3, 2024
This book not only brought about a fast paced romance with likable characters; it broke your heart and then pieced it back together!

I loved Georgia’s journey of self healing and finding courage. I highlighted so many beautiful quotes in this book; and having lost my own brother, it definitely hit close to home.

I think trauma and grief look different for everyone, but Bianca was able to give us some insight if we ever find ourselves in a similar predicament.

Grief and healing aside; Georgia & Callum’s love story was inspiring! With a mixture of compassion and definitely some spicy scenes, this is sure to be a top contemporary romance of the year!!

Profile Image for Alyssa Renee.
88 reviews1 follower
April 10, 2025
3.5 ⭐️

Liked but did not love - Georgia was a relatively relatable character navigating love and loss. Some of the romantic dialogue was cringy, but overall I liked that it wasn’t an overly sappy love story and focused on some deeper themes & feelings around the relationship with her estranged dad and brother
Profile Image for Hannah.
90 reviews11 followers
August 6, 2025
Truly a beautiful story! While this is a romance, the author did a phenomenal job covering grief & heavier topics. It honestly reminded me of another big author whose books are set in cozy beach towns & always make me emotional. I’m shocked to learn that this is a debut novel! Very excited to read more from this author in the future!
Profile Image for Katie Chamberlain.
5 reviews1 follower
February 21, 2024
So happy to have been a part of the ARC team! Thank you so much Bianca! Diving In is SO GOOD! So much more than a romance. So many feelings of grief and overcoming so beautifully written. Such an amazing debut novel and I can’t wait to read more and more by Bianca ❤️
Profile Image for Emma Wentz-Hall.
3 reviews
March 26, 2024
I haven’t cried reading a feel good book in so long! Bianca absolutely crushed this storyline, I would’ve never known it was her debut. Love love love Georgia and Cal, give me a sequel !!!
Profile Image for Maddie.
290 reviews9 followers
December 22, 2024
3.5 stars

First I need to say that I read this book and not even two days, so obviously, I was captivated😂

I was absolutely enthralled by the story. Love and loss and grief and finding yourself and Georgia overcoming her fears was all so so good🥹

The biggest problem for me was the romance, which was a really big part of the book. Georgia and her mom left Sullivan’s Island after her brother Fletcher died when she was 14, leaving her (now divorced) dad Jack behind. She and Cal (our MMC) were at best acquaintances since he was Fletcher’s best friend at the time. Now living in NYC, Georgia finds out that Jack passed away and needs her to come back to the island she’s been avoiding for over a decade to tie up some loose ends. Cal is in charge of giving her letters from Jack, and the two hit it off.

I think this is a really cute romance, but they basically knew of each other when she lived on the island since she never really hung out with him, and they hadn’t talked once in the 14 years that she’d been gone. It felt very 0 to 100 romance wise, especially considering she was visiting the island for three days… and then proclamations of love are made.

Ultimately the anxiety and grief rep was incredible!! The romance felt really flat for me with the monologues that didn’t feel realistic, and how fast it all happened.
Profile Image for Erin Bern.
1 review
August 4, 2024
A romance novel with substance! 👏🏼 very well written and the sub plots kept me hooked just as much as the romantic plot line did. The setting was described so beautifully, I could picture this adorable island in my head the whole way through. I can’t wait to see what Bianca miller writes next!
Profile Image for Ashley Graves.
404 reviews
February 29, 2024
This is so much more than your average romance…this is truly a story of grieving, healing, and self love and I was here for it! The personal growth Georgia shows throughout this book was inspiring 👏🏻👏🏻 Also the beach vibes were amazing…I’ve been to Sullivan’s Island and Bianca’s words made me feel like I was right back there in the middle of a sleepy beach town. Without giving away any spoilers, some of the plot points were just a little too unrealistic for me, and insta-love is not my thing (but that’s just a personal preference). Overall this was an amazing debut and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next!

Thank you Bianca Miller for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Lyra Tucker.
8 reviews3 followers
February 22, 2024
First - Thank you, Bianca Miller, for allowing me to be part of the ARC team for your DEBUT novel!

This was hands down one of the best contemporary romance novels I’ve read in a while, and it blows my mind that this is Bianca’s debut. I cannot wait to see where this takes her and just know I will be adding any book she writes to my bookshelf! 🫶🏼

As the reader, it was really felt through her writing how much this story means to her. I appreciated that this story was so much more than just a romance. It’s a beautiful journey of personal growth, as the FMC, Georgia, takes you through her journey of loss & forgiveness, and in that loss she finds her self unexpectedly. In that discovery of herself, shes finally able to face her fears that have held her back for so long from the true happiness she deserves. She didn’t need the romance to discover these pieces of her self that she was missing but it definitely helped her feel all the emotions she was bottling up for so long. And don’t get me wrong I REALLY appreciated the romance too….the spice was *chefs kiss* 🤌🏼 also thank you Bianca for gifting us with Callahan Thomas - the book boyfriend we all desperately needed in our lives.

“Sometimes people found themselves in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere people found themselves.”

“Georgia James, sometimes the scariest moments lead us to some of the most exciting ones.”
Profile Image for Lara Elizabeth.
17 reviews141 followers
February 25, 2024
Bianca! Thank you for including me in your ARC family! Such a sweet story of love, loss & more. Bianca has a really great way with words that makes her characters lovable and witty. It definitely leaves you wanting more, and I'd consider this one of those really good/quick summer/vacation beach reads! The amount of f bombs felt a little excessive for me but aside from that, a sweet little love story!
Profile Image for Shanna - Cozy Grey Library.
267 reviews143 followers
May 5, 2024
"Diving In" by Bianca Miller marks the author's debut novel, and what a stunning debut it is! From start to finish, this book takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster, weaving together humor, sadness, love, and, of course, plenty of lust.

Set against the backdrop of a small beach town, the story follows Georgia Windsor, a woman who has meticulously planned every aspect of her life. But when news of her estranged father's death forces her to return to Sullivan's Island, Georgia's carefully constructed world is turned upside down.

What follows is a heartfelt journey of loss, self-discovery, and one epic love story that will have readers ready to dive right in. With themes of second chances, found family, and the slow burn of unexpected romance, this book is sure to tug at the heartstrings.

Miller's writing is both poignant and captivating, drawing readers into Georgia's world and keeping them hooked until the very end. From the charming beach town setting to the swoon-worthy romance with surfer boy Callahan Thomas, every detail feels authentic and engaging.

As Georgia navigates her father's affairs and grapples with her own desires, readers will find themselves rooting for her every step of the way. And when she discovers a letter from her deceased father, the stakes are raised even higher, making for a truly unforgettable read.

Overall, "Diving In" is a remarkable debut novel that showcases Miller's talent as a storyteller. It's a book that will make readers laugh, cry, and ultimately fall in love with its unforgettable characters and heartfelt story.
Profile Image for Bri Holmlund.
105 reviews
February 28, 2024
3.5 stars.. Thank you Bianca Miller for the ARC of your debut novel!!

This book is a good quick summer/beach read. Some good spice and likable characters. It explores grief and finding yourself alongside finding love, which I appreciated. The letters were very sweet to read. There was some good spice in the 2nd half of the book as well.


I knocked a few stars off for a couple reasons..
-The pacing of the book seemed off, some parts moved really fast and some really slow. It was a little bit difficult to believe this all happened in 3 days as well, but I suppose that’s a classic insta-love trope!
-I wish we would have found out about how Jack got all this money. She talks about the massively expensive home on the water, buying the Scoop, and owning the aquarium and their old home. Georgia mentions she doesn’t know how he afforded it all and yet there’s no explanation for it in the end.
-Lastly the word f*ck was very overused. Whether it was used descriptively or in a spicy scene it became repetitive and was overall distracting. It was just too much for my personal preference.



Overall I liked this book and Bianca does a great job describing the quaint little town that is Sullivan’s island. I’d go visit there any day!
6 reviews
August 4, 2024
Miller’s stunning debut novel, Diving In, is a raw and real look at loss and what it means to find yourself after putting yourself back together. She seamlessly integrates grief, resentment, loss, joy, love, and closure throughout the novel in a way that is compelling and authentic. I particularly liked the way that she incorporated the letters from Jack to Georgia to emphasize the point that not everything is the way that it seems—only when you force yourself to dig deeper or “dive in” are you able to realize the truth, disconcerting as it might be. There is something for a lot of people in this book and the appeal stretches from romance lovers to readers looking for something cathartic (there are some truly emotional moments). In the end, Miller does a phenomenal job using Georgia’s journey of self-acceptance to allow the reader to take a closer look at themself.


I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading what Bianca writes next!
Profile Image for Lisa.
74 reviews1 follower
July 19, 2024
Here's the thing: Some people LOVE these types of stories- the light, fluffy, copy-and-paste Hallmark movie in book form. So, I see what the author was trying to achieve here. And if that was the intention, great. Based on the 4+ star rating, there are people who got exactly what they were looking for with "Diving In." However, I am not one of those people.

For a contemporary romance to work for me, I need character development. I need showing vs. telling, I need to actually WATCH the characters fall in love, and I need the love interest to have a reason for existence other than to be the love interest. Also, it would be nice to have SOME element of surprise or a differentiator in the story, even if I know it is going to end in happily ever after.
Profile Image for Susannah.
442 reviews15 followers
August 27, 2024
DNF at 42%

The writing is subpar. There is a lot of missing info to be able to connect and root for the main characters (as individuals and a couple). It also focused way too much on sexual attraction and lust versus them falling in love. It was a creepy insta-love feel and just didn’t make sense to me.

There was just a lot left to be desired for me and I didn’t want to waste my time trying to force myself through it.

This book really needed to go through editing maybe five or so more times. The grammatical errors were truly awful.

Bonus points for the author including Dermot Kennedy, though!
Profile Image for Erin Baldwin.
169 reviews23 followers
February 28, 2025
“Sometimes people found themselves in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere people found themselves.”

Thank you Bianca, for gifting me with an ARC copy of your debut book! This story of Georgia was so well written and easy to read. I absolutely loved the backdrop of Sullivan’s island. The letters from Georgia’s dad were a beautiful touch to this story. Diving In is so much more than a romance novel- it has complicated family relationships and character depth that was top notch. Five stars for Diving In. I sure hope Bianca has more books in store for us down the road!
Profile Image for Bri Hull.
32 reviews8 followers
July 14, 2025
3.5⭐️ I really related to the main character in so many ways and thought cal was a gem although I wish Georgia and cal’s relationship had more build up. I didn’t enjoy the letters aspect of the story because it felt like a childish scavenger hunt at times. I wish the letters were given to Georgia all at once or that she found them all at once. The setting was beautiful and I found myself rooting for the cozy little beach town. Ian, not even going to talk about him 🙄
Profile Image for Whitney Matthews.
96 reviews1 follower
February 28, 2024
I've followed Bianca online for a while. She's local to me and as a fellow teacher, she was always sharing some of the cutest things and incredible recipes! When she announced her book I was so incredibly excited for her. I have been addicted to romance books since the 5th grade when I found one of my grandma's old harlequin novels. So knowing that Bianca was writing my favorite kind of book-I knew I had to read it. I followed her writing journey and knew that her book would be special because of how much love and attention she put into writing the story she wanted it to be, so when she sent me an advanced copy I was so excited that I would get to read what I had watched her create before it's big debut.

REVIEW:
HOLY CRAP, I was not prepared for this emotional rollercoaster. Georgia’s journey through grief and the growth she experiences brought me to tears so many times. At one point, my husband paused his video games to see if I was okay because I was just sobbing while huddled under a blanket with my Kindle. So many times I just wanted to be able to hug Georgia (and I’m not a hug kind of person, and I don’t think Georgia would be either).

I am always a sucker for a brother’s best friend trope, especially when he’s described as wearing his ball cap backward. Um, excuse me, that’s my favorite. Cal has always noticed and adored Georgia and that’s so obvious in the way he speaks to her and helps her process her grief so that she can finally start living her life after years of only doing things that she could fully control. The way this man would do anything to support Georgia no matter what is so swoon-worthy and makes you fall for him right away. He’s so far away from the terrible ex-boyfriend (freaking IAN) who I wanted to yell at every time he spoke. It’s been a few days since reading and I still kind of want to slap that man. Everything about him irritated me and I was so glad that Georgia stood firm in ending things because she deserved so much better-and she found it.

Georgia and Cal share so many memories of Georgia’s brother, and as she explores her grief on her return to Sullivan’s Island it’s clear that these two are bonded in ways that many people will likely never experience. I loved them together even through the tears and trauma it took to get them where they both needed to be.

While I normally read books with a much higher level of spice, I did enjoy the few intimate glimpses into Georgia and Cal’s chemistry that we did get to read. Would I like more? Yes, always. But there was enough that I was still fully invested and the plot with the little bits of spice was enough to make me not want to put it down.

I loved the journey that I went on with Georgia and Cal, and I would highly recommend it. If you’re a mood reader, maybe wait until you’re ready for a good cry, but it is so worth it.

Spoilers, probably. Maybe don’t read this part until you finish the book.:

I was not prepared for Fletcher’s son to be thrown into the mix, and that added grief about missing so much of her nephew’s life made Gerogia’s story more heartwarming and left me feeling so warm and fuzzy inside. While a child can never replace another loved one, the fact that Georgia recognizes this connection to her beloved brother and doesn’t run from the connection to the grief she lives with daily is so beautiful. Also, Georgia taking the boat out to the spot where her brother died was such an amazing step that had me reading through the tears running down my face, and the fact that Cal is right behind her to support her makes it so much sweeter.

I am still fuming at freaking IAN. He was a jerk. Knowing that a long-time girlfriend just lost her father, you should want to be there to support her. It shouldn’t be about you, and he damn sure should have left his dinner. I don’t care who his client was, they shouldn’t have been more important than Georgia. I will not forgive him for this. I will hold a grudge forever, and I don’t care that he isn’t real. Also, it’s super creepy to show up IN HER FATHER’S HOUSE without notice, permission, or even the fact that Georiga was very clear in not wanting him to show up or be anywhere near her.

Jack’s letters were so touching and I found myself crying with each new letter, because holy cow, it is so clear that he loved Georgia so much but struggled so much with his grief that he was unable to leave his last connection to his son Fletcher. Those letters showed so much emotion and trauma from Jack’s perspective that gave Georgia some insight into things she never knew or saw about her late father. In the next to last letter when Jack revealed to Georgia that Cal had been on the dive that claimed her brother’s life and had saved Jack’s life I lost it in the same way that Georgia did in the restaurant. I don’t how she regained her composure that quickly because I would have been a hot mess for hours after that bombshell. The restraint Georgia had to not just RUN to Cal was so much stronger than I will ever be.

I can’t stop thinking about everything I loved in this book and I am so proud of Bianca for all of her hard work and love that she poured into it. I can’t wait for everyone else to love it and for Bianca to continue writing because I am ready for more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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