I’ve never read such a heartwarming, progressive, and thoughtful story that spans contents, generations, classes, and timelines. Chelsea Fagan's prose is timeless and moving. And there are so many banger lines and Buffalo Bills references.

I really enjoyed this book. I am not typically a romance reader but this one had me. It was a great summer beach read.

*I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced release copy of this book. Great summer read!

Read this book while on our Summer Vacation 2025 and it did not disappoint!!!! I loved it!! The perfect beach read. Very well written - the setting is on a yatch - a first for me!!! Characters were well developed. I loved The Perfect Vintage and knew I’d love this one - and it is confirmed, I did. Well done!!! Would like more, please!!!

I loved Fagan's last novel, A Perfect Vintage, and was excited that she was coming out with another so soon. This was fun. The characters didn't feel as deeply developed as in the previous book, but I enjoyed getting to know them. Chelsea writes women so well, and I'm eager to see what else she has up her sleeve. *Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you net galley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

The cover of this book is absolutely stunning. Those colors are beautiful and makes for a perfect summer book.

I enjoyed the setting and the conflict of this book. I liked the first book more but overall would recommend!!

Addictive, couldn’t put down. I started this book on a flight to Vancouver, and I got through the first 35% and I didn’t want to put it down. On my second flight, I read another 10% and knew I would devour this book at my next possible chance to read it. Which I did once I got home from the trip and had a chill night.

Watching Alex and Danial come together again ten years later was interesting. We first get the impression that they honestly just hate each other and this is how it’s always been despite having mutual understanding for one another. Then slowly is revealed and that they have more in their past that has yet to be revealed. I loved that the book mainly stayed in the present timeline, but occasionally went back in time to their colleges days to show us what happened between our main characters.

A round of applause for our side characters Paul, Dev, Bee and Sophie. They carried the book super well and I loved them popping in from time to time and seeing their drama. Guy…not so much.

Thank you to Lavender Public Relations and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

⚠️: please check the trigger warnings before reading this novel. It does deal with the topics of emotional abuse, gaslighting and toxic relationships.

I've been following Chelsea Fagan online for years and will read anything she writes. I loved A Perfect Vintage and also enjoyed The High Dive but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. I wish this had more focus on the romance and resolving the past as that aspect felt quite rushed.

Alex and Danial have history. She loved him and she rejected him so they've been on bad terms for years. Now in their 30s, their college friend group is reuniting for a wedding with a yacht cruise beforehand. They'll be on a boat with each other while sailing around Europe and Alex can't stand Danial. Alex doesn't come from wealth and now helps campaign for a left leaning political party as a career. While she feels out of place at times, these are her friends and she's trying to get through the week so she can attend her best friend's wedding.

This had a nice ending but it felt forced and like the past issues were glossed over in favour of the happily ever after ending. I think Alex's political views and struggles of feeling like she doesn't fit in with the wealth surrounding her were discussed more in depth than Alex and Danial repairing their relationship. I did really enjoy the dynamics of the friend group and the descriptions of Europe in the summer. I think this is a fun beach read and eagerly await Chelsea's next novel!

Thank you to Orsay Press and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.

I think this is one of those books that fell guilty to the curse of overhype - I had heard it was such a different story and had really high expectations that unfortunately fell flat. I enjoyed the political component of the story, but not enough to save this for me.

Thank you to the author and to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. The High Dive is a compulsively readable romp through the Mediterranean following Alexandria, a former scholarship student at Columbia University, who is reunited with her incredibly rich friends on a yacht bachelor trip a decade after the end of college. This also means she is reunited with the man that broke her heart that she has never truly gotten over.

Chelsea Fagan once again delivers on the perfect summer read. After absolutely adoring The Perfect Vintage in the summer of 2023, I was thrilled to receive a copy of this one. It has everything you could want, gorgeous landscapes, exorbitant wealth and luxury (that definitely does not go unexamined by the way), rich people behaving badly, and one very hot will-they-won't-they romance. Fagan presents such a realistic portrayal of someone who is trying their best to blend into a society where they do not financially belong. The sparks between Alexandria and Danial are palpable. And that setting? Continuously jaw-dropping. A few of the tertiary wealthy characters come off as one-note, although I believe this is intentional and warning this book will probably induce some financial anxiety but truly such an amazing read.

This is officially my favorite Chelsea Fagan book.
The High Dive is sexy while also being wistful and reflective. Dealing with past relationships, class and status, Ma. Fagan manages to weave a story that heals past hurts and brings new revelations to light.
Alex initially comes across as if she has a chip on her shoulder when it comes to her wealthy friends. But as you get deeper into the past (told over alternating time lines) you learn why she feels how she does and how the events of the past have impacted her life. I love the growth between Alex, Danial, and Paul. And even though there were some moments where you wanted to shake some of these characters for the dumb choices they were making, I couldn’t help but root for them to get it together and repair their relationship/friendships not just with each other but those around them. The High Dive is where Chelsea Fagan finds her footing as a must read author and I for one can’t wait to see what’s next.

This is the quintessential rich people on a yacht book, perfect for summer reading (especially on vacation). However, it left me with some major mixed feelings. First, I really enjoyed the writing style, absolutely loved the Mediterranean yacht setting, and found it difficult to put down. This is the fastest I've finished a book in a while! On the other hand, I disliked basically all of the characters and didn't care very much about the romance either. I think Chelsea Fagan wrote many of the characters to be dislikable on purpose, and I didn't mind that, except that I also found the FMC to be aggravating (which I don't think was on purpose). Despite that, I will definitely go back and read her first book before the summer ends because I think she is a very talented author!

3.5 stars, rounded up

Thank you to NetGalley and Orsay Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 ⭐️ Enjoyed the premise and commentary around entering higher socioeconomic class spaces in this romance, but execution was meh. Mainly the FMC was so insufferable and lacked any self awareness for most of the book, but everyone is wildly immature. They all eventually figure out their shit in a satisfying way, but this character development and understanding of why they acted so immature in the first place all happens in the last 20%. Better pacing would’ve made the read more enjoyable throughout.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc.

I read this book in 3 days so that is a plus
I know logically that Danial is a name that exists but my brain could not compute, kept autocorrecting to Daniel
I did not like Alex as a character, she felt a bit overdone, got very little of Danial as a character, wish we'd have gotten a few chapters from his pov.
Didn't get enough of them (together or in their yearning) to buy their romance

I generally enjoy everything Chelsea Fagan produces and will always read her books, watch her Financial Diet videos, and listen to interviews of hers. I liked her first novel A Perfect Vintage a little better than The High Dive -- it evoked a stronger sense of place and I enjoyed the characters more. In The High Dive, I mostly had a problem with Alex and her inability to communicate or process when she was in distress about her past lover. The entire book, he was trying to reconnect with her in a genuine way and she would shut it down prematurely by getting angry. So in that way, it felt like there were ten third-act breakups, which is my least favorite trope. Overall, it was a quick, summery, escapist read and I really appreciated Fagan's inclusion of thoughtful politics.

The book was really good, smart, witty, punchy and steamy.
I loved to hate Alex. She’s so full of herself in a way that is almost endearing.

Would have fell in love with Danial too, tbh.

This is my first Chelsea Fagan book, and I really enjoyed it. These characters and their story is complex and nuanced. I can't wait to read Chelsea's other book!

The High Dive centers on Alexandra and Danial, former scholarship students whose college friendship ended badly the night before graduation. A decade later, Alex works in progressive politics while Danial thrives in private equity. When old friends plan a Mediterranean wedding with a ten-day yacht trip beforehand, Alex faces an uncomfortable truth: she's become the group's sole middle-class outsider among her now-wealthy peers. Forced proximity with Danial brings unresolved tensions to the surface as Alex grapples with conflicting values and unexpected feelings.

I read Fagan's debut and thought it was perfectly fine, so I was surprised to like her sophomore outing as much as I did. The characters were portrayed with depth and specificity. The protagonist's anxiety—social, financial, and general—was gnawingly hard to read at times, but it also provided a fresh perspective for a romance novel. Ava Wilder's blurb is correct: the book is both escapist and grounded.

The central conflict between the protagonists was drawn out, and I would have liked to see them together for more of the book. But overall, this was a strong follow-up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orsay Press for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you to Orsay Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I absolutely loved A Perfect Vintage, so I was super excited to read The High Dive. Unfortunately, this one didn't hit for me. While it was well-written and I enjoyed gallivanting across Europe, I didn't really believe the romance between Danial and Alex. It seemed like they so quickly threw away their very real issues with one another just so the story could tie up in a bow. But I will so quickly read anything Chelsea Fagan writes, so I'll be anxiously awaiting the next.

Never really found its footing in the story arc.
Going in, I was expecting an easy beach read with a fun story of rich people behaving [subjectively] badly. I was right that it was quick and easy, but there really was not much more of a payoff. There were SEVERAL stories that were set up which could have provided a world of character development and side stories – but not a single one materialized. Even the two main storylines never got their big climax or payoff. Two significantly pivotal scenes just fizzled out and left me wanting MUCH more.

Very little character development of the lead character.
I expected this to be a soft enemies/former-friends to lovers story. Strictly speaking, it was, but there was nothing satisfying about it. Our female main character (FMC) spent the entire time feeling sorry for herself and that she’s not ultra-rich like her college friends. She assumes throughout the entire book that her friends look down on her. There isn’t anything in the story that conveys that they actually think like this, but the author never gave us more to this whiney storyline. The FMC is whiney, a snot, and fairly judgmental toward people she “calls” her friends. While the former-friends to lovers story does come together, the ultimate culmination of their story is really unsatisfying and a little confusing in the way that it's written.

The Final Verdict: A quick and easy pool or beach read, but not much more.
Stars 3
Would I Recommend? Meh