I was excited to get into this one. The synopsis had so much potential, and not to mention we're talking about THE Chelsea Fagan weaving class/money dynamics into a summer-coded romance? Sign me up immediately.

And I enjoyed my time with the book. Alex reunites with her college best friends (with whom she shares an uneasy and unequal friendship?) and her former love on a yacht as they sail through the Mediterranean, where the undercurrent of years of tension simmers and bursts through the surface. The vibes, the tension and the yearning were all ripe for the picking. I loved how Chelsea did not shy away from the heavy, external issues like money, social status and politics, and how these would inform a person's relationship with the people around them, whether familial, platonic and romantic.

However, what fell flat for me was that the book never really dived (sorry pun not intended) deeper into the social/class dynamics within the friend group (or to develop the friend group beyond Paul and Alex, really), the characters' motivations (and especially when it came to Alex and Danial and the life choices they've made) or even the romance and the history between the couple that made me want to care more deeply for them. Throughout my entire read, I had this feeling of just wanting a little bit more of everything that never really went away, even while writing this, although the potential was certainly there.

If you're politically conscious but kinda obsessed with luxury, this light romance in a stunning setting is for you.

-Some of the best woman focussed 🌶️ I've read
-Nice pace, I didn't get bored
-A lot of the politics and opinions felt shoehorned in/unnatural when it wasn't the characters expressing themselves
-More tell than show unfortunately
-The writing felt a little juvenile/first draft, but that does make it accessible to many more people!

Novels about friend groups—especially college friends—is one of my favorite genres to read. Here, that’s combined with a Mediterranean vacation, which was even more fun. While I wish I learned more about each of the characters and their histories, this was a breezy, enjoyable read. Recommend!

The High Dive follows Alex Onassis, a scholarship student at Columbia turned political staffer, as she attempts to navigate a two week yacht trip through Europe with her rich best friend and his wealthy friends to celebrate his wedding. Despite going to college with them all, Alex always felt like an outsider. Alex has to face the group she had never truly fit in with while also avoiding her ex-best friend and college crush Danial.

I have so many thoughts about this book, and honestly, I don’t even know where to start.

What I liked: Paul deserves the world. He was the one character I consistently rooted for throughout the story. The descriptions of the yacht trip and the Mediterranean destinations were appealing as well. I love when a story takes me to a beautiful place.

What didn’t work for me: Unfortunately, most of the characters were deeply unlikable. Gus deserves to rot in prison. Sophie had no personality. Danial came off as spineless, constantly complaining about having no choice but to work for the Big Bad Corporate Machine™️ while enjoying all the luxuries he got from the salary. Alex seemed to have a superiority complex over everyone because of her job while also endlessly reminding us that she was poor and the outcast in the group. The plot felt repetitive and it seemed I was reading the same scenes on a loop. Alex and Danial hated each other for 99.9% of the book and then suddenly they are soulmates and loved each other all this time? I didn’t feel any chemistry and I never once rooted for them to be together.

Unfortunately this book was not for me but I think a specific audience would enjoy this!

Alex, I absolutely get the gripe about parents and dating coaches. What a fantastic introduction to her character.
The supporting characters were so fun and thought out so well - all really cool in their own regards. Danial was a broody (steamy) gem.

The High Dive is one of my best reads of the year! This is a romance that has a little bit of everything(millionaires, jet setting, second chance, found family) and is somehow also just more... I could not put this book down! Alex is going on a yachting trip for her best friend Paul's bachelor party with her friends from college. Danial is also going to be there and Alex has not spoken to him in 10 years. This book is like an adult Gossip Girl, but with an FMC who has found her place advocating for the middle class.

Alex and Danial have so much history and I loved how this book was structured. There are flashbacks to the end of their senior year at Columbia interspersed with what is happening present day. The flashbacks were well thought out and really added to the story.

If you want a beach read with just a little bit more oomph- The High Dive is what you are looking for! The friend group dynamic and Alex and Paul's relationship are just the cherry on top. I really appreciate an FMC that has significant character growth and Alex definitely does! The amount of culture in this book is perfection. I enjoyed Alex's Greek heritage as well as learning about Danial's Iranian roots. This will be the perfect book to take on vacation this summer! I highly recommend this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

From the beginning I knew this book wasn't for me. I pushed through solely because I like to give new (to me) author's a fair shot and see the story through to it's end. These characters were extremely surface level to me. Without strong, relatable characters or an engaging main character to root for, it becomes harder to feel invested in the narrative. Paul was the only likeable character in this story.

This book is filled with vibe only. If you take it off, the pages would be reduced to 10%. Not saying it's bad, it's ok, the writing is ok, character-wise the main character is horrible lol. Not saying everyone must be likeable, just made me didn't care about her.

I liked this, but I needed more of the backstory to Alex and Danial in college to understand why they were so into each other. Most of the past chapters cover one day (their big fall out). I also needed them to have more of a conversation about what happened between them. Danial’s letter was beautiful, but I want an in-person conversation. The characters are unlikable, but I also relate to their issues.

Again, I did enjoy this and would recommend it. I’m unsure of the rating.. maybe 3.5?

This book left me with some mixed emotions. I needed more backstory about why Alex and Danial were so engrossed with each other in college and why those same feelings were so strong after 10 years of not speaking. There was some great banter between them but I could have done with less about their toxic rich friends and why they really wanted to be together/even loved each other.

I was jealous of the traveling and sites that the group got to see as part of the yacht/wedding of the story. In the end, Alex could be hard to root for when she's so in her head about her friends judging her for her lack of money compared to them and yet she spends every extra dollar she has to impress them and be part of the herd. Danial had some kind moments and his letter at the end (sorry for the spoiler) was beautiful and heartfelt. I'll definitely come back to that letter again. I think many will enjoy this at the beach or pool this summer, but it was just okay to me!

LOVE a good spicy book, and this was boat rocking romance! WOW! Gear up to be sucked into this book and stay up way past your bedtime.

I loved everything about this book. Chelsea transports us to the Mediterranean where we follow a group of college friends that are celebrating (on a yacht no less) one of their own getting married. She sets up the group dynamic from the jump, and we see Alex struggling to keep up appearances around her so called "friends," since she has always felt like the odd man out, being middle class surrounded by their wealth. I appreciated the way that she made the friends redeemable from time to time. It felt like a realistic depiction of having friends from a different socioeconomic background.

The duality of Alex and Danial was so complex and well written. I loved them both and their story was one of the best second chance romances I've read (which a hint of enemies to lovers).

Unexpectedly Paul and Alex's relationship was one of my favorite parts about this book. Their platonic love was so pure, and the scene before the wedding brought tears to my eyes. We need more friendships like this in romance novels!

4.5 stars rounded to 5! I found Chelsea Fagan through Netgalley and I'm glad I did! This book may be a romance but runs deep with complex friendships, social status, lost love and even political differences. Excellent character development does much to enhance the emotion of this book.

Publication day May 27th!

This is the ultimate summer read, and I absolutely loved it! The story follows Alex, as she reunites with her college friends, including her former crush, for a destination wedding as they travel by yacht along the Mediterranean coast. Just like the author's previous novel, "A Perfect Vintage" (another favorite of mine), her description of the setting immerses you into a world of luxury and charm, giving me ultimate wanderlust.

This is a beautiful romance told through dual timelines- it was angst-filled and steamy. It’s also a story about class, wealth, and privilege, with characters trying to find identity, confidence, and ambition within a circle of friends who seem to have more and how these feelings of imposter syndrome can influence their close relationships. I was hooked from beginning to end!

Thank you to Orsay Press and NetGalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

So cute! I wish I read this while sunbathing on a beach, but you, reading this can do that lol

This was a really sweet but at times angsty friends to lovers story with it's always been you trope.
I loved that the agression was balanced perfectly. Although in the beginning, some of the MMC's comments made me wince, and I thought "How is he gonna come back from this", he somehow did. In this sense I thought the story was realistic and relatable as none of the characters were perfect.

Thank you to for the arc, this was my honest opinion.

It was an absolute joy to read an advance copy of this book. The plot is an excellent production of reality-TV-level drama and dialogue under an incredibly well-built foundation of class tension, friend group dynamics, and adult insecurities. The character growth is delightful; I started out hating every single guest on the boat for their horrible behavior towards each other, but my opinions changed drastically throughout the book, and I found myself rooting for an ending that I never thought could be possible in the beginning. I don't often re-read books, but I can easily see myself picking this up again within the next year.

While the premise was intriguing and overall a fun summer read, I would say the story fell flat for me. What was supposed to be a critique of the ultra-rich fell into clichés and stereotypes that left a lot of the characters, especially Alex, unlikeable and surface-level.

I have such mixed feelings about this one! On the one hand, it was totally engrossing—tense class dynamics, high-stakes drama, juicy gossip, spicy romance, and a ten-day Mediterranean yacht trip with friends who all have WAY too much history. I flew through it. But on the other hand, I never felt fully pulled in.

I think I wanted more from the romance. I never quite understood what drew Alex and Danial to each other back in college, or how they snapped from ice-cold to red-hot so fast in the present day. The tension was definitely there, but the emotional build didn’t quite land for me. Same with the friendships—maybe realistic given the personalities and the major wealth gaps, but whew, some of the dynamics felt borderline toxic. I kept thinking… do any of you actually like each other?

That said, there’s something so delicious about watching people with too much money and not enough emotional maturity implode in slow motion. I loved how the book explored the uncomfortable intersection of politics and privilege. Stylistically, I didn’t completely vibe with the writing—it often felt overwritten, with little details that pulled me out instead of adding to the scene.

All in all, this one was sharp, provocative, and definitely different from anything else I’ve read lately. Not a personal favorite, but I’m glad I picked it up!

Thank you NetGalley and Chelsea Fagan for this ARC! I completely devoured this book. Seriously, i couldn't stop! I love how empowering Alex was and that she wouldn't change herself for a man. You go girl! Alex and Danial's story was messy, tense, and beautiful. I love the writing of this book and will be recommending it to friends and family!

Mehhhh. This was well written but the characters were annoying, to be honest. I find that this author tries to capture that “millennial” voice but it just comes across as whiney.