3.5 ⭐️ Another summer romance from Chelsea Fagan in the books. The setting was dreamy - just the escape that’s perfect for a summer holiday like the one I’ve been on while reading this book.

Alex finds herself vacationing on a yacht, the opposite of what her wealth (or lack thereof) would allow, with college friends for a bachelor party of her friend and former boyfriend, Paul. Also on the boat is Alex’s once love of her life, Danial, who she now does everything to avoid because of what happened 10 years ago. This novel covers the present on the boat, leading up to Paul’s wedding in Greece, and the events leading up to what caused the falling out many years ago. Can Alex and Danial be friends enough during the trip to play nice or will their own communication issues and pride get in the way?

About Alex: I wish I could connect more to her character. Unfortunately, I found her a bit overbearing and prideful. I could connect with her about being the friend without the same financial resources as others in a group and letting that limit myself and the opportunities I would chase, but that’s where the connection ended for me.

About Paul: He’s the kind of friend turned ex turned best friend I’d love to have. Always encouraging me and pushing me to take a chance on myself and truly wanting the best for me.

Many of the side characters fell flat for me, which probably would have bothered me less had I enjoyed the main conflict more. Still an easy beach read. Appreciated the social commentary as I can always count on Chelsea to provide.

Thank you to Chelsea Fagan and Orsay Press for the ARC of The High Dive in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this read. All opinions are my own.
Following her debut novel, Fagan has switched gears and taken us from a vineyard setting to a luxury yacht. Instead of a gender swapped age difference between our protagonists, this book focuses on class and politics.
Alex is not in the same income bracket as her friend group from college. Celebrating a friend's marriage on a 10-day yacht cruise seems dreamy, but it's hard for Alex to separate her complicated feelings about money and her value/worth as a person. Additionally, she works for a political candidate who's platform is built on an "eat the rich" mentality. I don't find that Alex reconciles these conflicting positions very well throughout the book, but in fairness to her, she's in close proximity with the man she fell into (unrequited) love with. But was it truly unrequited? There's a slow-build tension between them throughout the book as they spar with each other. I enjoyed the supporting characters a lot, especially Paul and his fabulous wardrobe. There's a fantasy element to this book's setting - don't we all wish to lounge around on a fabulous yacht in the Mediterranean? The exploration of class was not overdone, but also I didn't find anyone really changing their position after encountering the other POV. The enemies to lovers was a little lacking on the loving side, and I wished we could have seen more of the slow burn developing into lust/love. Maybe a scene or two from Danial's perspective (the scene after dinner when she's been flirting with another man?) to take us out of Alex's head for a bit! Overall, a slightly steamy, not entirely lighthearted read, perfect for summer.

The High Dive centers around the story of Alexandra and Danial--two members of a group of college friends--who reunite at a wedding years after a major falling-out in their relationship.
They have not had contact in years and are thrown together when a member of their core friend group gets married in the Mediterranean. The both bring tensions with them and simmering resentments and self doubt to this reunion.
These characters feel three dimensional--not just the main characters but also the secondary characters in the friend group. They were each distinct and unique in this story. There was a depth to them and a feeling of familiarity--we know people just like these. The anxiety Danial feels for his family, Alexandra's anxiety over finances, social standing, fitting in, all felt so real and palpable. The tension in this book was well done. There is a secondary character in a relationship dynamic that rang very true and rang many alarm bells for me and it was relayed in a sensitive and realistic way.
There is an escapist feel to parts of the book--the Mediterranean locale and the over the top and wildly expensive wedding week felt that way but other parts were very real and gritty and visceral. This book is a romance but it travel there by a different path. The conflicts were real and weighty.
This was a good read, great summer read.

I enjoyed this, definitely a different take on a summer romance. The setting was incredible and I loved reading about the yacht and the Mediterranean summer travel aspects! I didn’t really understand the main character though, and found myself struggling to relate to her and root for her.

I found this book to be compulsively readable, though it isn't without its bugaboos. Alex is an interesting character. She's very passionate and driven about her career, but carries around this gigantic chip on her shoulder that affects her self-worth. On the other hand we have most of her friends, who live in that bored, disconnect affect that is annoying to me as well as Alex. And then you have Danial, who is somewhere in the middle -- not as unaffected as the rich, but also not mired in self-pity as Alex.

I mostly enjoyed the sniping between Alex and Danial, as long as it didn't get too personal. However, the payoff wasn't as good as I was expecting. They do eventually connect, but we don't get to see that anger turn to a different type of fire. I'm not sure how I feel about what was going on between Paul and his fiancé. The fact that things got as far as they did with no one saying anything was unthinkable to me.

Overall, I enjoyed this read, and it has great summer Mediterranean vibes. I would read another book by Fagan.

I like to go in blind when I’m reading a book if it all possible, especially when I’m reading an advanced copy. Sometimes, that means I have a misconception of what a book is about, or even what genre it is. This is a me thing, and is no fault of the book.

For some reason, I went into this one thinking it was a thriller/suspense novel, and it was actually a romance. This wouldn’t really have changed my thoughts, just had to adjust my mindset once I realized my mistake.

I did not find these characters to be particularly likable, and, therefore, I was not hugely invested in their stories or what happened to them. I really wish that hadn’t been the case, as the writing was structurally strong and filled with lines like this one:
“It was as if her skin itself were ill-fitting, a full-body itch of inadequacy.”

I mean… can’t you just feel exactly what Chelsea Fagan is describing here?

This book looks at class and privilege and politics and money, and decades old hurts come to the surface on the glittering waters of the Mediterranean.

I wanted more from this book and these characters, but the setting was summertime perfection and stole the show for me.

Have you visited the Mediterranean or taken a trip on a boat?

Thank you Orsay Press for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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3.75 stars

The High Dive by Chelsea Fagan is a really well-written novel that includes discussions on class, European summer travel, romantic and platonic relationships, and more. I enjoyed Chelsea’s descriptive and artistic writing style, similar to her previous book A Perfect Vintage. The friendship between the main character Alex and her best friend Paul was without a doubt my favorite part of the book. Unfortunately, I never fully felt convinced of Alex and Danial’s love for each other as I hoped for more scenes showing them rediscover and fall for each other again after 10 years apart. Alex in general was a very insufferable main character for most of the story with how she treated people and I wished for more evidence that she’s grown and won’t repeat these same behaviors a few months after the story concludes but sadly I didn’t get that.

I tandem read the ebook and audiobook and the audiobook was nice for the most part but the sound effects (particularly when someone was clearing their throat) could get really distracting. The narration tended to be a bit clinical at points as well but anytime there was dialogue by a person with an accent it was well executed.

Overall, considering how nice the writing is and the generally interesting plot, I’d still recommend this book for someone interested in the synopsis.

Chelsea Fagan is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors for smart, satisfying romance, and The High Dive delivered exactly what I was hoping for. Her writing is sharp and funny, with characters who feel real in all their messiness. This one had just the right mix of introspection and charm, and I flew through it. The central relationship is both thoughtful and swoony, and Fagan has a real knack for capturing the quiet moments that make a love story feel earned. It’s not overly flashy, but that’s part of what I liked—it felt grounded, grown-up, and genuinely romantic. Another win from an author I’ll keep following wherever she goes.

This is another winner from Chelsea Fagan- if you are looking for a sophisticated second chance summer romance, this is it. A group of college friends set sail on a European yacht vacation to celebrate a wedding, but our main character is slightly dreading it because she’ll be stuck on the boat with a man she has a complicated past with. The setting is amazingly luxurious, but I really enjoyed how the book touched on class issues and friendship in addition to the simple fun of the rich people problems and the romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity for the early read.

This was a fun, summer romance read. I loved the setting on the yacht sailing around the Mediterranean. I thought the side characters were really fun and I loved Paul. I just couldn’t quite get into the romance between Danial and Alex all the way. It felt like their only thing was being attracted to each other. And the got together so quickly. I would have liked more of a slow burn to get them to talk it out rather than just relying on the physical attraction. That said, I enjoyed the book and would recommend to others for a fun summer read.

This unfortunately wasn't for me. The writing really made me not be able to finish this book and I DNF'd the book at 17%.

Because I have to rate the book on NetGalley I will give the book 1⭐️ even though I don't usually rate DNFs

I absolutely love this as it’s not your traditional friends to lovers romance , there is so much depth to Alex story and the way she is . I loved the twist and turns , the fighting , the spicy scene and then the ending was a perfect fit . I can wait to see what this author does next as I couldn’t put the book down . It was everything you could want from a summer holiday read and more

The High Dive by Chelsea Fagan is a smart and emotional second-chance romance set on a beautiful yacht in the Mediterranean, where former college lovers Alex and Danial reunite after ten years apart. The author does a great job mixing flirty tension with real issues like money, class, and personal values. Alex is anxious and idealistic, while Danial is smooth and successful, and their differences create sparks that feel real and meaningful. The setting is vivid and relaxing, adding just the right amount of escape, and the conversations between characters are sharp and engaging. While the main relationship is strong and well-written, some of the side characters could have been more developed, and the story’s pace sometimes feels uneven—some parts move fast while others drag a bit. Still, these small issues don’t take away from how enjoyable the book is overall. The High Dive is a fun, thoughtful romance that’s easy to get into and hard to put down, perfect for readers who like love stories with depth and real-world drama.

3.5 stars!

this book was sexy, funny, thought provoking, relatable and just addictive overall.

the story is about alex and her trip to attend her best friend’s bachelor party and wedding in the mediterranean. the party is on a huge yacht which she’ll share with her friends from when she attended columbia. she inevitably has to see and spend time with danial, whom she hasn’t seen for 10 years.

i was fascinated with the main characters and how delightful their tension was! both are soooo intellectually sexy, it made their banter even better. i recently watched the white lotus, all 3 seasons and it gave me the same vibes (minus the crazy people and murders!!! but you get the point) chelsea did a great job at how descriptive this book is. I could see everything so perfectly in my head, that it really helped me connect with the story.

while you have the amazing chemistry with the romance plotline, this book also touches a lot on class and political themes and it just felt so fitting to read it right now. it was incredibly represented and it honestly made me sit with my thoughts and question so many things in several occasions.

the chemistry between alex and danial is so GOOD. the forced proximity was done so well, and the fact that it’s on a boat makes it a thousand times better!!!

the perfect read for summer!

First I wanna thank the autor for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review, and I have to say I had a lovely time reading, the lush descriptions of the whole trip combines witht the heated debates between Danial and Alex that had such tension underneath!

the story opens to Alex, a woman who works in politics and that is going to her best friends wedding, who after many years of avoidance will finally see her old friend group from college, in comes Danial, the one that always had a spot in Alex's heart and that now seems ready to give the first step

As the wedding cruise starts and the celebrations beggin they both start to unravel in the best way possible....

highly reccomend!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Initially, I struggled to connect with Alex and found her difficult, but as the story progressed, I understood her pain, political stance, and emotional complexity. The book does a brilliant job exploring layered friendships, healing, second chances, and personal growth. I appreciated the nuanced portrayal of relationships, not just romantic, but familial and platonic. Though some themes challenged my personal beliefs, I valued how the story encouraged empathy from a human perspective. The character development was satisfying, the pacing well-balanced, and the ending thoughtful and earned. A deeply moving and insightful read. I highly recommend.

The premise of this book was really intriguing to me, so I was excited to read it, but unfortunately it didn't work for me as much as I was hoping for. The book is definitely solid in terms of writing, and most of the character development, but I wanted more depth to the romantic relationship, and the reconciliation between the hero and heroine.

I wanted to love this so badly. It seemed like the perfect summer read with its gorgeous cover that screams ocean vibes. Unfortunately I struggled to connect with the main characters. Both the MMC and FMC were unlikable and very one dimensional. Neither felt relatable and the FMC was incredibly annoying with her “poor me” attitude.

The enjoyment in the book is the setting and the romance and an easy bit of escapism. This isn’t a book where a lot happens, it mostly tells the story of a group of friends going on holiday and a romance happening (of course more than that but I’m avoiding spoilers). Whilst there isn’t event after event happening it is a nice read. The setting is dreamy and it feels like you’re there with them by the sea on this luxurious holiday.

The characters are mostly likeable, although I’m not sure most of them liked eachother! I particularly liked Paul.

I would say the book is a tad too long for what happens but generally the book is nice to read, the romance is believable and not cringy. I think this would be a great holiday read by the pool.

Thanks to NetGallery and the author for an advanced readers copy

I hate to be hyperbolic (lol no I don't) but this is THEEEEE romance book of the year. Despite devouring Chelsea's first book, A Perfect Vintage, I was still surprised at how much I truly dove into this headfirst and loved every minute of it.

It's mature as fuck (not in the classic way of "the main character is over 50," but instead in the way of "everyone has been to therapy/has good reasons for what they do/is in their 30s") and that made me feel deeply invested in the characters and the outcome of their stories.

I felt like so much of the characters' backstories and depth were incredibly relatable as a woman in her 30s. Although I do not have rich friends like Alex does, her relationship with Paul and the embarrassment from her college years felt extremely familiar. More than anything, although everything about this book is fabulous - the setting, the friend group, the jobs - it felt like that elevated the story, rather than being unrealistic. It was escapism without fluff, a summery, beachy read without being forgettable. And damn, can Chelsea write a love interest - Danial's attractiveness JUMPED off the page. Need a movie of this, stat.

I will be a.) recommending this to my friends as the romance book they must read this year and b.) ready to read anything else Chelsea writes.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.