Welcome to today’s stop on the blog tour for Left Drowning by Jessica Park!
Left Drowning by Jessica Park
Series: Left Drowning #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: July 16th 2013
What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?
Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning.
*This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content, and is recommended for Ages 17+
Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Book Depository
I’ve just finished reading Left Drowning, and I… I can’t even form coherent thoughts right now! What. a. book! It was a thrill to read Left Drowning. It was beautiful, heart-wrenching, gutting, and every other feels word that exists. Because truly, you feel everything as you’re reading this book. As soon as I read the first page, I was hooked. And I couldn’t put the book down–I finished in a freaking day!
Bless this book. Left Drowning is beyond words! It’s gorgeously written, and its got the best, snarkiest heroine ever. And I love snarky heroines. They make everything better, more fun, and more hilarious. Blythe (which is such a pretty name!) is a senior at Matthews College, and she is not a happy person at the beginning of the book. At first, I thought, Oh god, it’s another broken heroine with a tragic past, but then as I kept reading, Left Drowning gets to be so much more than that. It becomes a story of family and love and healing and acceptance. And I truly loved reading this beautiful, captivating story.
“What’s a little risk now and then, huh?” … “It makes you feel alive. It brings you crashing into the here and now. Keeps you alert and grounded.”
Blythe has no social life, and nor does she want one. She’s been stuck in depression for years after her parents died, and the only family member she has is a little brother who resents her. She can’t get out of this never-ending cycle of drinking and feeling like crap in the morning, until she meets one of the Shepherd siblings, Sabin. He’s hilarious, sweet, obnoxious, and goofy, the perfect counterpart to Blythe’s dark, depressing humor. And with the lovable Sabin comes his three other siblings: Christopher, and the twins Estelle and Eric.
When Blythe meets Chris, they have this visceral connection with each other. It could be lust, which is definitely there, or it could be something deeper, but Blythe knows that it’s real and it’s there. But Blythe and Chris don’t act on their lust, and instead, become friends. Jessica Park does an incredible job writing this all-encompassing, heartfelt friendship Chris and Blythe form. They grow to lean on each other, when neither of them has ever relied on another person, and they love each other… but only as friends. Right?
Well, yeah there’s that awesome, tingling sexual tension between the two, but the friendship is where they start. And Blythe becomes friends with all the Shepherd siblings, becoming part of their family. I absolutely adored the Shepherd family dynamic. They all love each other so, so much, and they’d do anything for each other. And they are so freaking hilarious! I don’t know how many times I laughed, mostly because of Sabin, but it was a lot.
The romance in Left Drowning is just as important as the family and love the Shepherds and Blythe have for each other, which I love. But don’t worry, this doesn’t mean the romance is any less. Chris is so, so incredible and sweet. He’s the perfect guy, except for the fact that Blythe knows that he has a past that scarred him. But still, as Chris and Blythe spend more time together, they can’t not be together, and when they do–wow, it’s explosive.
“Stop looking at me. It’s annoying.”
“I can’t.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Chris takes an eternity to respond. “I can’t stop thinking about you, and I don’t know what to do about it.”
Eep, Chris makes me swoon so hard!
But Chris and Blythe both have their own problems they haven’t faced yet, pasts that continue to haunt them everyday. And because of this, they can’t form a relationship. They know that it’ll be a dysfunctional one, and they remain friends, or at least try to. And here is where the heartbreak begins. AH! My heart was hurting so much for Blythe and Chris, because they belong together! They fit each other so well, and Blythe has such a wonderful relationship with the entire family. But as truths come out, things also start taking a more devastating, darker tone. Because Chris’s past is so incredibly painful and heart-wrenching, and my heart went out to him.
Left Drowning will make you feel sad, depressed, and horrified. But it also will make you laugh and giggle and smile. So read this book. It will leave you gutted, in the best way possible. If you want a book that makes you feel, Left Drowning is perfect. And can I just say, it’s got one of the best endings I’ve ever read. I loved everything about this book!
And, the quote that I think perfectly embodies this beautiful book:
“This is all sorts of fucked up.”
“I know, baby. I know. But the best kind of fucked up.”
Reading Order: Left Drowning series
#1 ~ Left Drowning: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Restless Waters: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Check out the Left Drowning book trailer!
Jessica is the author of New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE, RELATIVELY FAMOUS, and the NA novel, LEFT DROWNING. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.
Signed copy of Left Drowning (US only)
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Booklovers For Life 
After reading your review, i really want to read it now.
This review is fantastic. I love a story that makes me feel so many different emotions. I am also a fan of great endings, so you have me wanting to know what happens. Thanks for the great review! I will have this book at the top of my TBR list.
Great review! I can’t wait to read Left Drowning!
like the review and cover makes me more interested
Love the review! This book has been on my TBR and I just haven’t been able to get to it.