Jessica Park's LEFT DROWNING is a story of heartbreak, redemption, fate, and, most of all, love. Blythe McGuire's life is a mess these days. She survived the tragic night that tore her family apart four years ago, but she isn't really living anymore. She can finally admit to herself that she is depressed. Her world gets brighter on the day that she meets Chris Shepherd. They have an instant and irrevocable connection. For some reason, everything seems so much more manageable to Blythe when she's near Chris. He helps her begin to work through her grief and start to live again. She's soon adopted by the Shepherd siblings, particularly Chris' boisterous and troubled younger brother Sabin. Blythe also begins running, an outlet which helps her deal with the challenges of rebuilding her life. It isn't easy, but she finally begins to heal.

The Shepherds are all coping with the past too. They grew up with a cruel and abusive father, and their childhood took a toll on all of them in different ways. Chris did all that he could to protect his younger siblings through that dark time, and he has the physical and emotional scars to show for it. Chris and Blythe have an undeniable emotional connection and serious physical chemistry together, but that isn't enough. No matter how much he cares about Blythe, Chris doesn't believe that he is capable of the kind of relationship that she needs and deserves because of his past.

This intense New Adult romance is unique and unforgettable. The characters have depth, and Park makes the reader sincerely care about what happens to all of them. I fell in love with the Shepherd family, especially Sabin who is completely irresistible. Chris and Blythe's road to romance is rocky and winding, but Park brings their heart-wrenching story to life with humor, heat, and heart. This beautiful love story about two broken people will break your heart and heal it again.

Book Summary

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.

Note: Due to mature content recommended for Ages 17+

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