Into the Blue*DNF*

Into the Blue by Emma Brodie *DNF*


G👀dreads About Summary

An epic, decades-spanning love story that blazes through the worlds of acting and comedy and charts a connection unlike any other.

“The truth is there’s no such thing as a normal life. There’s just the time you get and how you spend it.”

In the summer of 2000, AJ Graves dreams of writing for SNL; instead, she’s stuck working in a video rental store, with slim odds of escaping her Massachusetts small town and large family. Then in walks Noah Drew, the enigmatic and intense scion of the Drew acting dynasty, and her life changes forever. Despite wildly different upbringings, the two forge a deep, cosmic bond first as friends, then as acting partners—until one day, Noah disappears without a word.

Seven years later in New York City, AJ is shocked to find herself cast in the same intergalactic TV production as Noah, by then a well-known Hollywood heartthrob. As their on-screen characters grow closer every day, the lines between reality and acting begin to blur. Unable to stay away from each other, AJ and Noah are forced to confront the truth of what happened years ago—and the devastating secret that will send their lives careening apart, even as fate continues to draw them together.

Blending unforgettable characters, explosive chemistry, and devastating emotion, Into the Blue is a journey unlike any other—one that asks: What does it mean to diverge from the script to forge your own story?

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Friends to Lovers

The How/Why: Recently published 4-7-2026 and super hyped on SM. (which is a crap shoot for me!)
Plus one of my favs, Julia Whelan. 

,-*' ^ '~*-.,_,.-*~ ĎｉĐ.,_,. ŇⓄ𝕋.,_,.ŦƗη𝓘ⓢħ ~*-.,_,.-*~' ^ '*-,

I don't rate books that I don't finish, but I will say WHY when I've gone past the 20% mark.

Out at 30%. I had high hopes but just not able to get into this one. So much hype, even as far as some calling it the romance of the year, that I had to check to make sure I had the right book. 

The promise of an "epic love story" turned into trauma drama and I found it exhausting. I was expecting more of the happy vibes that people are swooning over, more so than the yo-yo relationship. 
Which takes me back to... communication is 🔑🗝⚿

Also, check the trigger warnings. 💣💥 📢 Tɇrmïnɐl & Chr0nïc IllnɇŞŞ, Pɐnïc ȺttɐcƘŞ, Ǥriɇf & LoŞŞ, Aȡȡicti0n & Alc0h0lism.
I wasn't triggered but it was not what I was expecting from the About Summary and all the positive romance reviews.
Additionally there is chat about age gap although not in the TWs. A four year age gab isn't much UNLESS, you're 17 and he's 21. I was a 17 year old girl, I get it from her POV. I don't get it from a 21 year old man's POV. Not an issue 10 years down the road. Anyhow, be forewarned. 

TBH Julia Whelan's voice was the only thing that keep me going until I finally said "life is short and my TBR is too long for me to spend anymore time on this one". 

🎧 Narrator: Julia Whelan 

🎧15.09 hours (Libby) 🕮 448 pages


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When Women Ran Fifth Avenue *DNF*

Image
  When Women Ran Fifth Avenue by Julie Satow *DNF* The cover is the best part G👀dreads A glittering, glamorous portrait of the golden age of American department stores and of three visionary women who led them, from the award-winning author of The Plaza . The American department a palace of consumption that epitomized modern consumerism. Every wish could be met under one roof – afternoon tea, a stroll through the latest fashions, a wedding (or funeral) planned. It was a place where women, shopper and shopgirl alike, could stake out a newfound independence. Whether in New York or Chicago or on Main Street, USA, men owned the buildings, but inside, women ruled. Genre: NonFiction, History, Fashion, Biography. Circa early 1900's. I listened a little while I was puttering around in the casita in the morning. There is a part where she says the sales ladies would say "Oh Harriett" to warn another employee that a customer could not be pleased. Like a take off of modern day ...
Read more

Killers of a Certain Age ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Image
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn From Goodreads: Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that's their secret weapon. They've spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they're sixty years old, four women friends can't just retire - it's kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller. Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills. When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they've been marked for death. Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really liked it a lot. It ho...
Read more

Home of the American Circus ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Image
Home of the American Circus by Allison Larken  G👀dreads After an emergency leaves her short on rent, thirty-year-old Freya Arnalds bails on her lackluster life as bartender in Maine and returns to her suburban hometown of Somers, New York, to live in the house she inherited from her estranged parents. Despite attempts to lay low, Freya encounters childhood friends, familial enemies, and old flames—as well as her fifteen-year-old niece, Aubrey, who is secretly living in the derelict home. As they reconnect, Freya and Aubrey lean on each other, working to restore the house and come to terms with the devastating events that pulled them apart years ago. Set in the birthplace of the American circus, this deeply moving novel is an exploration of broken families, the weight of the past, and the complicated journey of finding home. Genre: Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Family Drama Dual Timeline: ETA: This is listed as dual timeline but I thought it was more like memory flashbacks. It's ...
Read more