Diving In

by Sage Donnell

Morgan has finally had enough success as an author to pursue writing full time. She goes to Bonaire to write, but mostly ends up diving while gripped with a case of, well, not exactly writer’s block, but perhaps writer’s trickle. Words are coming, just slowly and painfully. When a mom and son move into the rental across the yard from her, at first she thinks it will make things worse. And, in terms of writing, it does, at least for a while. But getting to know Ash and Jake is definitely worth it.

Ash and her ten-year-old son, Jake, have been through a rough couple of years. When a windfall comes her way, Ash decides that they need a reset, and she takes Jake on the diving trip he’s always wanted. The across-the-yard neighbor is entirely too attractive, friendly, and competent, making Ash feel bumbling in comparison. But the more she gets to know Morgan, the less she wants to keep her distance.

As Ash and Morgan dive together, spend time in their shared yard, and bond over being Jake fans, the vacation fling starts to seem like more.

Genres: Lesbian Romance, Bisexual

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2021

Reviews

[Mildred Gail Digby · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing a gripping power-read, I was in the mood for something lighter and Diving In is a perfect summer vacation read. Set on a tropical island, we follow Morgan and Ash on their journey from wary neighbors, to a summer fling, to much more than that.

The story is simple, and features the couple from Puppy Love, a previously released novel by the same author. The setting is idyllic and the love story is very slow to start, and once it does there are a few bumps along the way that are dealt with in a realistic manner. The largest obstacle being Jake, Ash’s ten-year old son.

Both MCs are adults, and communicate well with some cute moments, domestic bliss, and a lot of diving. A great deal of the narrative is taken up by diving and other ocean sports. The author really knows her stuff so it’s an educational read in that aspect.

Jake, the son and professional Beaver Dam is intuitive, eloquent, wise beyond his years, but still whimsically imaginative and is a major part of the story. The adults tiptoe around their attraction to each other until Jake is suddenly on board and the love story takes off once he finds a child-filled family that become impromptu babysitters for days (and nights) on end. He does have some sulky and difficult moments between his precocious observations.

This is a feel-good romance with very little angst, mature communication, and an interesting look at an unusual lifestyle where the vacation never ends. Overall, the writing is clear and polished and easy to read.

You won’t find a fiery passion-and-angst driven romance between these pages, but a peaceful walk in a place where time flows softly like the tides.


My rating: 4.75 stars



I received this ARC from the author by request and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Conny B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I read this book I had no idea where Bonaire is or rather that it even exists. But wow after reading this book I would love to visit because it sounded so amazing. I also have never read so much about diving but also loved this part.

And then of course there is the sweet story about Morgan the author and Ash the one with the 10 years old son. Compared to Morgan Ash feels as being less accomplished and just small. So at first she isn‘t very friendly to Morgan. But having a kid around that started to bond with Morgan right away makes it difficult for her to not liking her too.

Morgan on the other hand was never really into being in a relationship or it was probably more never having met the right person. Things definitely change for both or rather the three of them and there even shows up a solution for Morgan‘s writers block. One that definitely no one expected.

When you look at the timeframe of the story it seems like everything happens very fast. But I actually never felt like it was rushed in any way. I loved how they talked about their past, future and how to make it work together (always including Jake who I totally adored). Time even seemed to stand still in some moments. I totally enjoyed that and just the whole story.

Highly recommend going on this trip with these three wonderful characters. 😍

[Kexx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never really clicked with any of the characters and was disappointed with the lack of depth.

[Fredo · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*
took me weeks to finish and really didn´t pull me in

[Patricia OHara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romantic and beautiful

the 3 main characters, Ash, Morgan and Jake really made the book come to life. The writer really made Morgan’s character appear to have patience beyond description as Jake seemed to be a child with hyper active tendencies. Ash was described as a beautiful strong and sexual woman that her character appealed to Morgan. The fact that a child came with the package was something that was a welcomed surprise to Morgan, one that she accepted with open arms. This was a very warm and healthy reading experience and showed the reader that you never know what is around the corner waiting for you both. The writer merged two different lives into one smoothly and without little drama and a whole lot of loving. great book.

[Doug Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a low-angst, vacation romance turns serious, tale. The main characters are likeable though a bit two-dimensional. Beyond Ash's son Jake the supporting cast is quite perfunctory. This is a pleasant read with a caveat. The relationship moves from meeting, to in-love, to getting married extremely quickly. The transitions from one stage to the next are a little sudden and not entirely supported by preceding events; not terrible, but a little jarring.

One minor proofreading note: Jake appears to go from ten years old to eleven and then back to ten by the end.

[Autumn West · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping to read a nice holiday romance.

Instead I got a book that reads like it’s a kid’s homework about their holidays (except the smut). The story has no real plot and there are too detailed descriptions about diving, games that had been played and so on. The characters were plain and I didn’t really care about them. There are inconsistencies about the boys age. The development of the relationship was unrealistically fast and also irresponsible for a mother. What annoyed me the most was the overuse of the term “you guys” on every other page.

[Jan Gwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

if you like to scuba dive you’ll love this book

I loved this book because I love to dive Bonaire. With the addition of a great love story made it perfect. The characters were well developed and the description of the town made me long for another dive trip there. Great angsty build up for them to finally admit that they both had feelings for each other and the addition of Jake to the mix made for an interesting new set of hurdles to jump.

[Jo Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great First Read

New author to me and I absolutely loved this story onl three major characters Jake a12 yr old boy ,Ash his recently widowed mother and Morgan an authour on holiday suffering from writers block ,meet on holiday while renting apartments with a shared court yard.A wonderful romantic read for a warm summer night in the garden with a cold bottle of beer 🍺.

[Devoncatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really strange romance

You know some romances you could believe could happen to you or a mate or your old friend. Others unlikely if the use supernatural characters,aliens or just strange people.thisvis a untypical not real but fun love story with an HEA but strictly fantasy not real.

[Kaz Bland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Liked the diving worked into the storyline. 2 women falling in love on holiday, one with a 10yr old boy. Easy read. I did find myself wondering how individually they could afford to be on holiday for so long given that there was really no reference to either woman being overly wealthy. All in all a good easy read that I enjoyed by this author whom I have never read anything by before.

[M L Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ticks along a little slowly

So this is a great read and the chemistry between the three characters is great. It does however go very slow in some places, there's a lot of focus on the family activities which is part of the stories theme but if you're in it solely for the main romance you'll probably find that a little slow.

[Bon Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED THE STORY AND JAKE WAS A HUGE BONUS

These were really great characters, funny and loving. Jake was a great kid and not spoiled (thank you very much).

A constant vacation, what a good life. You gotta read this!

[Roz Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice resd

I enjoyed this book because it was sweet how Morgan gained the trust of Jake then Ash! Not a lot of angst which I needed after my last book.

[Margaret L. Hedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great.

I really enjoyed Diving In. It’s a great story with an excellent plot and lovable characters. It is also sort of a travelogue about Bonaire. I’d go tomorrow if I could.

[Cat5 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, zero angst read.

[Vanna Book-Mage · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Mixed feelings about this one, but an okay read overall.