Submerged by Dani Pettrey

Have you ever read a book and thought, “This would make a good movie?” Well, that’s how I felt about Submerged. While I was reading, I kept thinking that this novel should be placed upon the silver screen.

When Bailey Craig returns to her small Alaskan town of Yancey for her Aunt Agnes’s funeral, she stumbles upon a mystery. Her aunt was the passenger in a small plane that went down into the water. It appears that the plane’s fate was NOT an accident. As Bailey stays in her aunt’s store, The Post, she looks for clues as to why somebody may want her aunt dead.

She also comes into contact with Cole, her old high-school boyfriend. Bailey loved Cole all those years ago, however, she was not good enough for him. Known as being an easy lay, her reputation with the town made it impossible to accept Cole’s love. She breaks his heart, leaving Yancey, never to return until her Aunt Agnes dies.

When Bailey returns to Yancey, Cole is stunned to see her. Still beautiful, he longs to get to know her again, surprised to discover that his love for her has not died after all these years. He finds himself wanting to protect Bailey from the unjust comments from the town’s men – some have not forgotten about Bailey’s lewd high school reputation, and the taunting remarks deeply hurt Bailey’s feelings.

Cole and Bailey work together, along with the Yancey police force, to solve the mystery of the downed plane. People are murdered in the small, quiet town, making the townspeople leery. Tourism is a big draw to Yancey and hopefully the town’s livelihood won’t be affected once news of the murders has been leaked. Cole and Bailey recall their younger years as they dive together, trying to piece together the clues that will assist them in solving the mystery. Time is of the essence – they need to figure out the identity of the murderer before other victims are claimed.

Bailey struggles with her deep feelings for Cole. She loves him, and loves the deep camaraderie and affection he shows for his family. Craving a deep family relationship, Bailey wonders if she’ll ever fit into Cole’s loving family. An only child, she’s never had a healthy relationship with her immediate kin. She was abandoned by her mother when she was a teen and she’s always felt like an odd duck, left out of deep family relationships.

Two diaries, an orb, Russian royalty, and an undersea Alaskan town all play into this unique plot that will keep you turning the pages.

I really enjoyed this book! I also loved how Bailey and Cole were still in love after all those years. The attraction between the two of them was deep and soothing, making you crave to see them work through their issues. This book shows that we need to freely accept God’s grace for our sins and not hold onto past hurts and pains – accepting God’s love with no boundaries can prove to be a blessing.

Many thanks to Bethany House for providing me with a free review copy.

~Cecelia Dowdy~