This book is more of a 3.5 for me, but I'm rounding it up because I loved the story (also, GR won't let me...) Then again, I just can't ignore some things that bothered me, but more about that later.

I liked both Dex and Charlee.
Dex is a misunderstood bad boy, but you can tell there's so much more to him and as you get to know him, you only like him more.
Charlee did grate on my nerves at times, especially when she was acting all OOC, saying one thing, but doing another. It wasn't often, but at those times I just wanted to smack her.
I did feel for her, though. It was realistic, she doesn't take a martyr stand in the face of everything that's going on but has genuine reaction of a twenty year old to the situation she finds herself in. Losing her parents in a tragic accident, becoming one herself to her younger brother, just like that - living in denial that it was happening... I completely understood her.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel it - the relationship between these two. If they had gotten together and I got to see them as a couple, maybe I'd see it, but I just didn't get why they were so into each other.

Now, for the hard part of this review.
First of all, Rebecca Berto has a wonderful writing style, and can paint a beautiful picture with words - it's the transition between each paragraph that felt choppy. At times I just felt it was confusing. Every once in a while I would find myself wondering if maybe I skipped a scene or something because things didn't make sense.

I thought maybe it was because I'm not a native speaker, but I'm not sure. I don't often struggle with following thread of the story, but it's been known to happen . Sometimes I got the feeling of being left out the conversation and I do not like that when it comes to my books.

I'm unsure of the time span over which the whole story happens - it felt like a few weeks, but Dex says something about a couple of months.

Another thing is that the characters were different every time the POV would switch. The way Charlee acts when we're seeing her through Dexter's eyes is sometimes the opposite of what she is when we're in her head. Funny enough, I didn't feel this way about Dex.

Charlee meets Dexter's best friend, Elliot, for the first time in this story (acting like she's really seeing the guy for the first time ever), but she's been crushing on Dex ever since she knew him. I would think she'd know who he hangs out with?

And something that just rubbed me the wrong way - in the beginning Dexter says something about his father beating him up or something, and mentions it later as well, which sort of told me his dad was abusive? But that's it. It might have been a forgotten loose thread, but by the end you can see none of that is true.

All of this said, I really liked the secondary characters, especially Dexter's mum and Darcy!
Oh, and Dex and Charlee have different voices (though at one point Dex says "OMIGOD" and I was just like WHAT?)

There's one slightly graphic oral sex scene. I think it could have done without, because it's not really a steamy read and this way it just drives away the "clean-romance" readers.

Overall, I liked the book. I just wish it didn't have the downs that I needed those ups to make up for. I'm thinking all it needed just a bit more polishing, a good editor to work out these little kinks, and it would have been great because the story is there - it's good.
I love my Aussie authors so of course I'll be waiting for Rebecca Berto's next novel. ( )

Originally Reviewed At:Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 3 Controllers
Review Source: Blog Tour
Reviewer: Sarika


Drowning In You follows a story of two broken individuals who find solace in the arms of each other. Where Charlee is a good-girl, kind, honorable, Dexter is anything but. A harrowing event tied together their history, ruining Dexter’s image and further complicating the attraction that exists between the couple. I don’t want to give away too many details, but needless to say Drowning In You will provide a full, entertaining plot that romance-novel lovers will enjoy.

The idea of this story was absolutely enthralling. I believe the concept of a girl being irrevocably in love with some she should despise is both intelligent and risky, although I believe the author pulled of this concept sufficiently well. I thought the relationship between Charlee and Dexter was representative to many modern ones today: relationships where your own sense of rationale disappears because of your own feelings for the significant other. One of the hidden undertones in the story was that love, indeed, does triumph all: and when you do love someone, all the lines between right and wrong disappear. However, this idea could have been strengthened by a heavier emphasis on the character development of the protagonists, which was seemingly absent throughout the book.

I also consistently enjoyed the writing style in this novel. The dialogue was relatable, funny, and fast-paced, and her descriptions were very visually stimulating at times. However, often I found that the transitions between paragraphs or sentences were choppy, which deeply impacted the overall effect of the book as it severely interrupted the consistency of the text.

Moreover, I found quite a few plot holes in this novel, including the involvement of Dexter’s ‘best friend’ Eliot in the book. The love triangle that followed seemed a bit too forced, and hindered the development of a significant theme: the dysfunctional nature of love and heartbreak. Also, the crude language towards the end seemed rather unnecessary and also quite out of place.

However, the book was equipped with witty exchanges and the cliffhanger ending certainly left me dazed and excited. I would recommend this one to romance novel fans looking for a slow-paced read. ( )

Charlee May has been secretly in love with Dexter Hollingsworth for the past five years, admiring him from a distance. Dexter Hollingsworth is the hot, sexy, bad boy that every girl is after - high school football star, tats, attitude, never sticking to one girl for long, yet always with a constant string of them at his feet. The only one that he has ever been interested in is Charlee May, who he has has had a thing for since high school. Dexter doesn't think he's good enough for Charlee, especially in the light of the recent tragedy that has taken place.....a tragedy that the town blames him for.

Despite all of this, Charlee and Dexter keep crossing each others paths. Their relationship is complex to say the least. Try as he may to stay away from her, Dexter just can't. It is like there is an invisible pull that is bringing these two together, a pull that is both intense and emotional. Charlee is trying to take care of her little brother Darcey, while her dad struggles for his life in the hospital. She wants Dexter, yet she feels she needs normal, and Dexter definitely doesn't fit that bill. He makes her feel and face things that she doesn't want to, but desperately needs to. Dexter has his own struggles and heartache that he is dealing with, and has secrets regarding himself and his past that torment him. Things get even more complicated when the circumstances surrounding the accident come into question and Charlee isn't sure who she can trust, all the while Dexter is determined to not only earn Charlee's trust, but to get to the bottom of things.

Drowning in You is heartbreaking and heartwarming, with some twist and turns that add a little mystery, combined with some hot romance. I enjoyed getting to know the characters as they dealt with tragedy, trust, and heartache, while trying to find love in the process. If you are a contemporary romance fan, then Drowning in You is something you might want to check out. ( )