Book Review: Drowning in You (Finding Forever in Us #1) by Rebecca Berto

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: April 5, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
316 Pages

Secretly crushing

Crushed by a tragedy

Charlee May’s been crushing on Dexter Hollingworth since she was fifteen. Five years later, a horrific skiing disaster at Mason’s Ski Lift Resort leaves her millionaire dad critically injured and her mom dead at the hands of Dexter operating the lifts. Charlee is suddenly the sole caretaker for her little brother while their world falls apart. 

Dexter couldn’t be more different from Charlee. He’s tattooed, avoids exclusive relationships and his Dad has a fair share of illegal dealings. With Dexter’s reputation, almost everyone believes he planned the Mason’s skiing disaster.

And after all these years he’s still crushing on Charlee May, the girl who’s too good for him.

When this cruel twist of fate ties Charlee’s family and Dexter’s reputation together, Charlee and Dexter wonder if their feelings are reciprocated, while Dexter discovers his dad is trying to steal the May’s millionaire fortune. 

But like an addiction, one look, one touch, one taste—they’re hooked no matter the consequences.

Disclaimer: Recommended for mature readers due to sexual content and crude language.

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This review has some spoilers.

I wish I had something witty to say, but the only thing I can think of at the moment is: "New adult? More like 'poo adult.'" If you know me, you know that I'm not big on new adult novels, but something about the cover and blurb on Drowning in You put together made me get onboard. This is where I start screaming, "Abort! Abort!" Drowning in You was bad, so bad that I raged about 68% of the book. Let me tell you why: 

The Plot

What plot? This was the same scene repeated over and over and over again. It was melodramatic and repetitive to the point where I was seconds away from ripping my hair out. It literally went like this: Charlee sees Dexter. Dexter has a diabetic reaction. Dexter almost tells Charlee he loves her. Charlee almost tells Dexter she loves him. One of the changes the subject or leaves and then both of them begin to tell themselves that they can't be with the other. Rinse and repeat.

The Characters

I hated them all. Except Darcy in one scene. The main characters, their friends and even their parents? Hated them. My biggest rages beyond the main characters were Dexter's mom, who is a nurse and tried to clock in after drinking and was pretty adamant that she could work. Dexter was able to convince her not to go in, but still. The lack of care and respect that was shown disgusted me. None of these characters had a single redeeming quality. The main characters acted more like middle schoolers than grown adults.

The Prose

I can't even handle it. I know that the author had editors and betas, but that is not shown in what I read. The phrasing was disjointed, and painfully awkward. I could barely read it without smacking myself in the forehead. This needed a run through by someone who could be brutally honest. There was a lot that could've been done to this book, but it was sorely lacking on structure.

The Accuracy

Fail. I know very little about diabetes, but Dexter, one of the main characters supposedly has it. Yeah… Okay. He has several hypo reactions during the course of the novel and though Charlee was around for one of them (and a major one, so major she had to call in an emergency). Afterwards, beyond this bogus fight she starts, no one brings up the fact that he is being extremely careless with his health. He does not carry insulin. He does not carry some form of sugar on him. I don't remember about him even doing a glucose testing. Shouldn't that be a regular occurrence with someone suffering from this illness? Dexter knows his limits and his illness, but he is not proactive and so ignorant that it made me sick. Also--as you can see in my interview with the author, she only did "minor research for the medical knowledge." That frustrates me because this is not something that should be taken lightly, especially when it's a major part of your plot.

The Consistency

What consistency? This book made absolutely no sense!

The Reality

So I get that this is fiction, but it's supposed to be contemporary, so there should be at least a shred of real life in there. Neither of the main characters appear to have a stable job, nor do they attend university. So how do they afford to live? By mooching off of their parents? I think Charlee is a swim instructor, but it's not really expanded on enough for the reader to know how she's getting by and taking care of her younger brother and her father's hospital bills.

This book was a mess and not even a hot one. I apologize. After writing this, I realize it is more of a rant, but there was a lot of material in this book that was handled incorrectly and the story was not done justice. I'm glad I did not purchase this novel, because I definitely would've asked for a refund. I don't recommend this book.

I received an e-copy of this novel from the author and Xpresso Book Tours for my honest opinion and review.