The Deepest Lake by Andromeda Romano-Lax

Publisher: Soho Press, Soho Crime

Date of publication: May 7th, 2024

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Adult, Contemporary, Travel, Adult Fiction

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this atmospheric thriller set at a luxury memoir-writing workshop on the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, a grieving mother goes undercover to investigate her daughter’s mysterious death.

Rose, the mother of 20-something aspiring writer Jules, has waited three months for answers about her daughter’s death. Why was she swimming alone when she feared the water? Why did she stop texting days before she was last seen? When the official investigation rules the death an accidental drowning, the body possibly lost forever in Central America’s deepest lake, an unsatisfied Rose travels to the memoir workshop herself. She hopes to draw her own conclusion—and find closure.

When Rose arrives, she is swept into the curious world created by her daughter’s literary hero, the famous writing teacher Eva Marshall, a charismatic woman known for her candid—and controversial—memoirs. As Rose uncovers details about the days leading up to Jules’s disappearance, she begins to suspect that this glamorous retreat package is hiding ugly truths. Is Lake Atitlan a place where traumatized women come to heal or a place where deeper injury is inflicted?

Perfect for fans of Delia Owens, Celeste Ng, and Julia Bartz, The Deepest Lake is both a sharp look at the sometimes toxic, exclusionary world of high-class writing workshops and an achingly poignant view of a mother’s grief.

First Line:

I should be terrified stepping into the rowboat, but for the first adrenaline-spiked moment, I’m not.

Important details about The Deepest Lake

Pace: Fast

POV: 3rd person (Rose), 1st person (Jules)

Content/Trigger Guidance: The Deepest Lake contains themes that include bullying, classism, gaslighting, emotional abuse, depression*, alcohol consumption, drug use, miscarriage*, SIDS-related death*, blood, lack of medical treatment, physical injuries, dehydration, death of a child, grief & loss depiction, captivity & confinement, disappearance of a loved one, fire, attempted murder, physical assault, and mental illness*. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

Depression: It is revealed that Jules suffered from depression during college.
Miscarriage: Eva reveals to Jules that she had a miscarriage at 24 weeks.
SIDS-related death: In Eva’s memoir, she tells how her child died from SIDS at 13 days old.
Mental Illness: Eva had an undisclosed mental illness. It became more pronounced at the end of the book. The author never tells what the mental illness is (only that people had to walk on eggshells around her, and she became erratic).

Language: The Deepest Lake contains mild to moderate swearing and language that might offend some people.

Both Jules and Rose speak fluent Spanish, and they converse with the locals throughout the book. The author does include an English translation, but it was easy enough to guess what they were saying from the context of their conversations. There were only a couple of times I had to use the translation feature on my Kindle.

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in The Deepest Lake.

Setting: The Deepest Lake is set on a resort bordering a small village (San Felipe) and a lake (Lake Atitlan) in Guatemala. There is also an epilogue set in Chicago, Illinois.

My Review:

Thrillers have always been one of my favorite books to read. Besides romance, they were one of the most reviewed genres on this blog. When I read the blurb for The Deepest Lake on Soho Press’s NetGalley page, I became very interested in it. The storyline caught my attention, but the location also made me double-take. I haven’t read many books set in Central America, and I have read no books set in Guatemala. I hyped this book up in my mind, and in most cases, the book falls short. But not in this case. I enjoyed reading The Deepest Lake.

The Deepest Lake is a dual storyline, dual POV book. In my years of reading, I have noticed that books that go between characters and POVs become choppy towards the end (when the author tries to merge the storyline for the ending). But not in this case. The transition between Rose and Jules was smooth. The author marked whose chapter it was and when it was happening (this is very important towards the end of the book). And the merge of the storylines was seamless. All of this made the book very enjoyable to read.

There are two storylines in The Deepest Lake. One centers on Jules and her experiences working for Eva. The other storyline centers on Rose’s quest for answers about Jule’s disappearance/drowning. Both storylines were well-written and kept my attention focused on the book.

Jules did rub me the wrong way at the beginning of the book. She came across as a brat (for lack of better words) who felt suffocated by her parents. She also suffered from a severe case of hero worship, which lasted until the middle of the book. However, a significant scene in the middle of the book opened her eyes to everything and set up the events at the end of the book.

The depth of Rose’s grief crushed me. All she wanted was answers; the one person who had them (or she thought had them) was Eva. I got why she joined the writer’s workshop. I also got why she kept quiet about who she was and her relationship with Jules. I also loved that she was determined to figure out what happened to Jules, even though her ex-husband had already been to San Felipe and the resort looking for her.

Eva was a great villain. The more page time she got, the more unhinged she became. It was apparent early on in Rose’s workshops. But with Jules, it was evident when, well, the spa scene and after that scene, it just snowballed. I want to say grief was a significant factor behind everything, but you know what, I don’t know. And that is what made her such a great villain. You didn’t know the real reasons of what drove her and why (there were reasons given, but I took them with a grain of salt). I was also shocked by what was revealed at the end of the book about her (on so many levels).

The thriller and mystery angle of the book was good. The author was able to keep me on tenterhooks with both Rose and Jules. She would end chapters a certain way, go to the other POV, and I’d have to wait to see what happened. Also, two massive twists and a few smaller, more insignificant ones were thrown into the storyline. The big twists did surprise me. I did not expect what was revealed and what happened actually to happen. The more minor twists didn’t surprise me, but they added extra padding to what was revealed by the more significant twists.

The end of The Deepest Lake was one of the best endings to a book I have read. I loved how the author wrapped everything up. There was a surprise that the author included at the very end that surprised me, mainly because of who was involved and where that person was.

Many thanks to Soho Press, Soho Crime, NetGalley, and Andromeda Romano-Lax for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Deepest Lake. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Deepest Lake, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Andromeda Romano-Lax

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts by Kristyn J. Miller

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: May 16th, 2023

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Adult, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Travel, Adult Fiction

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&H | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Love breaks all the rules.

Margo Anderson is sworn off commitment. Alongside her best friend, Jo, she runs a viral podcast featuring rules for hooking up without catching feelings. So when Jo surprises her by deciding to get married and taking up a sponsor’s offer to host an all-expenses-paid wedding trip on Catalina Island, they have the whole internet to answer to.

In a scramble for content to appease their disappointed listeners, Margo cooks up a social experiment: Break all her own dating rules, just to prove that it’s a bad idea. And she’s found the best man for the job in the groom’s best friend and her old high school nemesis, Declan Walsh. He may be easier on the eyes than Margo remembered, but he’s sure to be as smug and annoying as he was before—there is no chance Margo will ever catch feelings for him . . . until she does.

The more time they spend together through cake tastings and wedding party activities, the more Margo can’t ignore their obvious spark, and she may actually be enjoying getting to know Declan. But can she let go of the rules to let him in?

First Line:

The Blue Room was teeming with amateur influencers. The clubs in Studio City weren’t known for a cozy local vibe on the best of nights, but it was especially bad tonight.
Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts by Kristyn J. Miller

Margo and her best friend, Jo, are co-hosts of a viral podcast that they made famous for seven rules for hooking up without getting feelings involved. So, the internet freaked out when Jo announced she was getting married and using a sponsor’s offer for an all-expenses paid wedding trip to Catalina Island. Also upset was Margo. She was left dealing with the fallout from Jo’s announcement. So, she devised a plan. She’s going to break her own dating rules to prove that it is a bad idea. Her victim: Declan Walsh, the groom’s best man and Margo’s arch nemesis from high school. But, as Margo spends time with Declan, he isn’t who she remembered, and she does something that she vowed never to do: She caught feelings for him. But, when a vengeful fan reveals her plan, Margo might just have lost the best thing that has happened to her. Will Margo prove to Declan that what she feels is real? Or has she blown it?

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts was a medium to fast-paced book that made me laugh in places and want to cry in others. It is mainly set on Catalina Island, centering on the resort and the town of Avalon. Having always wanted to go to Catalina Island, I enjoyed the brief forays into the water and one memorable hike to see bison. On a side note, I was surprised when that came up in this book and did a Google search of it. Seeing that it is real, I want to go there even more.

The main storyline of Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts centers around Margo, Declan, Margo’s plans to do damage control, Jo’s wedding, and the various trips the wedding party takes. I wasn’t a massive fan of Margo’s plan and felt it would end badly. I did think that the author did a great job of weaving all of these details together to make a great story. Because I feel that if she had just based this book on Margo and Declan, it would have fallen flat.

I didn’t like Margo at first. She seemed immature and needy. Even though high school was ten years behind them, she was still focused on how Declan treated her. There were points when she talked crap about Declan to Jo, and that’s when I wanted to stuff a gag in her mouth and tell her to get over it. Her plan to use him for her damage control plan was pretty low. But then something happened that usually doesn’t happen if I had made up my mind about a character. I started to like her. She was acting the way she was because she wasn’t sure what her future held, which scared her. And when her phone was stolen, and everything leaked, I felt awful for her. I wish that storyline had been closure because I was heated. But the author left it as that person did it and got caught, but nothing happened. Margo, of course, got the short end of the stick there. I won’t say how, but it made me very teary-eyed.

I loved Declan. He was the complete package: gorgeous, intelligent, and built. His confession to Margo about why he acted the way to her in high school was sweet. He also dealt with everything that Jo and Margo did (for the podcast and their sponsors) in stride. There were points in the book where I thought he was a little too laid back, but that didn’t last long. But, when everything was leaked, he jetted. I didn’t blame him; it was just too much. Plus, his feelings were shattered. So, no, I didn’t blame him for what he said to Margo and how he took off.

For a romance, there weren’t a ton of sex scenes. Margo and Declan fooled around a ton, but sex was only a few times. The author did include Margo getting serviced by Declan in a dressing room and Margo returning the favor to Declan in the shower. The sex wasn’t graphic either, and honestly, I could have cared less. For me, it was the chemistry that they had and the build-up. Other people might disagree, but I stand my ground in this case. Declan and Margo had great sexual chemistry.

As for trigger warnings in this book, I can only think of two. They are:

Drinking: The drinks flowed freely in this book. Margo and the rest of the wedding party were drunk up to the wedding.
Drugs: One of the bridesmaids owns a high-profile cannabis store. During the bachelorette party, she brings cannabis-laced brownies and gummies to help celebrate.

The end of Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts was super sad. I hated seeing Margo acting the way that she was. She was depressed and knew she had mucked it up between her and Declan. Of course, this is a romance, and you know they end up together. That scene stole my breath. And the epilogue was fantastic!!!!

I would recommend Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts to anyone over 21. There is language, mild violence, and sexual situations. Also, see my trigger warning list.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Kristyn J. Miller for allowing me to read and review Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Off the Map by Trish Doller

Star Rating: 4

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: March 7th, 2023

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Fiction, Chick Lit, Ireland, Travel, Audiobook, Road Trip

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

On the road to love, you don’t need a GPS…

Carla Black’s life motto is “here for a good time, not for a long time.” She’s been travelling the world on her own in her vintage Jeep Wrangler for nearly a decade, stopping only long enough to replenish her adventure fund. She doesn’t do love and she doesn’t ever go home.

Eamon Sullivan is a modern-day cartographer who creates digital maps. His work helps people find their way, but he’s the one who’s lost his sense of direction. He’s unhappy at work, recently dumped, and his one big dream is stalled out—literally.

Fate throws them together when Carla arrives in Dublin for her best friend’s wedding and Eamon is tasked with picking her up from the airport. But what should be a simple drive across Ireland quickly becomes complicated with chemistry-filled detours, unexpected feelings, and a chance at love – if only they choose it.

First Line:

My dad always says that the people waiting for you at the airport should never be strangers.
Off the Map by Trish Doller

Carla has traveled the world in her red Jeep. Traveling has always been her way of dealing with issues. She hasn’t been home in years because her father is slowly developing dementia. She doesn’t believe in love because of what happened to her father and her when she was a child. Everything changes once she travels to Ireland for her best friend’s wedding and meets Eamon, the groom’s brother.

Eamon is not living his best life. His wanna-be Influencer girlfriend has recently dumped him, he is unhappy in his job, and his dream of traveling the world in his Land Rover has been shelved. He does not expect a gorgeous bombshell to upend his life when he meets Carla. And Carla doesn’t expect to fall hard and fast for Eamon. But with Carla’s father worsening, she chooses to go home and help care for him. Will Eamon and Carla be able to travel together? Or will they not take the chance given to them in Ireland?

I did something I usually don’t do when I first get a book; I read the reviews. I wish I hadn’t because the ones I read influenced what I thought about Off the Map. And yes, that made me push it to the back of my review pile. But, once I started reading it, I realized I greatly liked this book. So, note to self, no more reading reviews before reading the book.

Off the Map is the 3rd book in the Beck Sisters series. You can read this book as a standalone. Let me say it louder for those in the back: It. Can. Be. Read. As. A. Standalone. I started with book three and had zero issues understanding previous characters or their stories.

Off the Map wasn’t your typical chick-lit book. Some serious issues arose while reading it. Child abandonment, dementia, and not living up to parent’s expectations were among some of the issues. The author tackled these issues tactfully while not taking away from Carla and Eamon’s story.

Speaking of our main characters, I loved them. Did I think Carla was a bit brash and immature? Yes, yes, I did. And did Eamon need to grow a set during several scenes? Of course. But it did take away from how much I liked each of them? No, if anything, it added to their likability.

The main storyline with Carla, Eamon, the journey across Ireland, and their relationship was wonderfully written. I liked that Carla and Eamon clicked from the beginning. I also liked that Carla challenged Eamon to make his dreams come true. In return, he was there for her when her world turned upside down.

The storyline with Carla, her father, and why she avoided coming home/always traveling was heartbreaking. I don’t know how I would have reacted if I had been given that news. I also wouldn’t have responded too well to having my father, just being given that diagnosis, telling me to travel. But, considering Biggie (Carla’s father) and Carla’s relationship, it made sense. It also made sense when she decided to come home to help with his care. This storyline was heartbreaking in so many ways too.

I will be honest with this, but Carla and Eamon were struck with a severe case of Instalove. I am not a fan of Instalove and never will be. I will never believe you can be in love after four days together. I believe you can be in lust, but love, nope. I liked how the author kept their relationship growing despite being apart.

Speaking of lust, the sex scenes in Off the Map were out of this-world hot. I did get a giggle at Eamon and Carla almost getting caught in the act by the farmer while waiting for the sheep to pass. They did have great chemistry.

The end of Off the Map was a little bittersweet. I liked that the author went a year into the future and showed us how Carla and Eamon were doing. I liked the strides Carla took with her life after Biggie died. And I was touched by how she honored Biggie. Also, I was impressed with the traveling they did.

I would recommend Off the Map to anyone over 21. There is language, mild violence, and explicit sex scenes.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Trish Doller for allowing me to read and review Off the Map. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Off the Map, then you will enjoy reading these books: