Christie«SHBBblogger»'s Reviews > Underwater

Title: Underwater
Series: Underwater #1
Author: Maayan Nahmani
Release date: June 26, 2016
Cliffhanger: No
HEA(view spoiler)[Yes (hide spoiler)]



When I started reading Underwater, I had plenty of preconceived notions about what I was in store for. Just knowing the subject matter involved losing a parent to cancer, I'd steeled myself for plenty of sorrow and tears. I knew that this story grew and nourished from the most painful time in the author's life as a way to get through her toughest days. The ring of truth to what the heroine experiences emotionally isn't something that can be manufactured. That was something that I was prepared for.

What I didn't realize was that while this book had a heavy undertone to it, it was laced with enough humor and romance to keep it from making the story unbearably sad. The light and the dark pieces of the story balanced themselves out and made this book such a smooth reading experience. I never felt like I was burdened with too much hurt for what the characters were dealing with, it was addressed honestly but gently.

Aria has been handed the kind of news that no one ever expects to hear: her father has a deadly disease and this new reality that she lives in has become a nightmare. She struggles with denial, fear, anger, despair, and helplessness. So many times she feels like she's on the precipice of falling, of crumbling when she has no choice but to be strong and solid. For her father. For her family. She has to be the foundation that holds everyone up one day at a time. Only this becomes more of a struggle than she was prepared for which leads her to a local support group. And one very silent and withdrawn man named Dorian.

Dorian has his own nightmares to battle every day. He's scarred, inside and out with memories that haunt him from his time in the military. He deals with Post-traumatic stress disorder. Like wounded animal, he lashes out and won't allow anyone close to him.

I couldn't make the nightmares go away. They clung to my consciousness, pulling me back to the black days that changed my entire life forever. I was fighting a raging war within. A war where the enemy lived inside of me...fed by my fears and constant anger, and eating me up from the inside.

When they met, there was an immediate recognition. Pain seeing pain. There was an understanding and a lack of fear between them that caused a peace to settle over Dorian. She soothed his battered heart and brought out a protective and instincts a mile wide. This hero had the feel of the Aurora Rose Reynolds type of Alphas from her classics. If you like jealous and possessive tortured heroes this will be the perfect fit for you. You know the kind I'm talking about. They growl "mine", and you can picture them pissing a circle of ownership around the heroine to scare off all potential males sniffing around. That was Dorian, he had me laughing at his lack of restraint when it came to her.



What I loved about Aria was her strong sense of determination and strong will. She was a survivor-not a damsel in distress. She may have been wrapped in a tiny package, but her spirit was a warrior daring anyone to try to beat her down. She was the perfect fit for Dorian, a partner to lend comfort and understanding that he needed.

Underwater was a beautiful story. It was about loss and the tenacity of the human spirit to weather the storms that are beyond our control. Maayan took on some sensitive topics and handled them with surprising competence for a debut author. I'm already sold on reading her next book in the series, the tease at the end has me very intrigued.



FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON: