Elena Reviews: Deep Down {Lockhart Brothers #1} By Brenda Rothert

Title: Deep Down

{Lockhart Brothers #1}

Author: Brenda Rothert

Publication Date: May 2015

Genres: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

I’m falling.

Faster.

Further.

Deeper.

Sometimes you fall so hard you can’t get back up. My closest companions now are shame and loss. But a sliver of hope lies in the only person I have left in this world – the one who’s growing inside me.

Survival becomes living again because of my child, and the town where I begin anew. That’s where I meet the man who starts to melt the ice inside my heart.

As we get closer, reminders of my past become sharper. Clearer. To confront the pain, I have to discover what’s deep down inside me. Is there enough left there to become whole again, or am I too wounded to heal? 

I picked this book up having no expectations, which usually happens when I come across a book I want to read but haven't heard anything about. I came across it completely by accident and it intrigued me so much that I had to get my hands on it! And I'm so glad I did because it was so much more than I could've asked for! 

First of all, the plot is so fascinating and interesting, which became clear to me just by reading the synopsis! At the beginning, you might expect something different but in a cliche way that is very common among contemporaries and especially NA novels! They're always more than exciting to read, something like a guilty pleasure, but they rarely blow your mind with their unexpectedness. Which is exactly what happened with this book. Everything started off pretty normal and took an unpredictable turn from the very first chapters! With I was obviously not ready for! 

Ivy, our main character, goes through something truly horrifying and is left broken and traumatized. She's betrayed by the person who was supposed to protect her in the worst way and everyone turns their backs on her. But even though she goes through hell and back, she survives and manages to build a life for herself and her son. She moves to a new town and as the years pass, she really doesn't let anyone in. Until Reed comes into the picture. He's truly a prince charming. He spends every single day asking her to give them a chance, until she gives in. And the rest is kind of history. 

The romance between the two was very slow build, but at the same time, made me want to keep turning the pages and reading like a maniac, in order to see what would happen. But the story was so much deeper than that! It portrayed a very sensitive and kind of taboo topic in a very honest way. Nothing was sugarcoated or not talked about, which I really appreciated!

I can't say that the characters were relatable, in the sense that what Ivy went through was the worst kind of nightmare. Which doesn't mean that I, as a reader, could not understand what she went through or that I was unable to connect with her. She was brave, caring and determined to make the best life she could for her family, even though she was basically dying on the inside. She is the definition of survival and I couldn't have been more in awe of everything she managed to accomplish. 

We were also introduced to some of the characters that will be in the rest of the books and got a taste of what'll follow. Because I'm definitely picking up the rest of the series as soon as I can! Just a side note! 

The writing was beautiful, which is always a great thing! The reason though I gave Deep Down a four star rating - even though the voice inside my head was screaming at me to give it a five - is because I found it a bit short and rushed. I would've loved it if some events were explained a bit better and the author gave us a bit more content to ''work'' with. I sincerely think that, if it was a bit longer, it would've made things so much better and we wouldn't have been left desperate and hungry for more. 

To conclude this review, I just want to say that, if you're triggered by subjects concerning rape and abuse, I wouldn't recommend it. Otherwise, I cannot recommend Deep Down enough! It was a heartbreaking, beautiful and heartwarming story about survival and making a better future by leaving behind the past and focusing on the present!

Would I recommend it? 

Yes!