Deep - Book Review

By Kylie Scott

Synopsis

Positive. With two little lines on a pregnancy test, everything in Lizzy Rollins’ ordinary life is about to change forever. And all because of one big mistake in Vegas with Ben Nicholson, the irresistibly sexy bass player for Stage Dive. So what if Ben’s the only man she’s ever met who can make her feel completely safe, cherished, and out of control with desire at the same time? Lizzy knows the gorgeous rock star isn’t looking for anything more permanent than a good time, no matter how much she wishes differently.

Ben knows Lizzy is off limits. Completely and utterly. She’s his best friend’s little sister now, and no matter how hot the chemistry is between them, no matter how sweet and sexy she is, he’s not going to go there. But when Ben is forced to keep the one girl he’s always had a weakness for out of trouble in Sin City, he quickly learns that what happens in Vegas, doesn’t always stay there. Now he and Lizzie are connected in the deepest way possible…but will it lead to a connection of the heart?

Review

We met David & Evie in LICK, Mal & Anne in PLAY and Jimmy & Lena in LEAD. Finally Ben & Lizzy get their turn in DEEP. Ben is the band’s bass guitarist, a man who is very quiet and hardly ever seen. Lizzy is Anne’s little sister and it was lust at first sight when she first set her eyes upon Ben.

Seeing the attraction between the pair, Mal makes it quite clear to Ben that Lizzy is about to become his family and is therefore off-limits. Despite his attraction to her, he really does try to live up to his promise, shutting her down whenever things become too intense between them. But during their months long texting and phone conversations, he realises that she has become a friend, one he misses when they’re not communicating.

Unable to deny his attraction anymore, he breaks his promise one night, a night that ends badly and with Lizzy ending all communication with him. But she’s forced to speak to him again when the appearance of two little lines on a pregnancy test changes her life forever. Will Lizzy get the man of her dreams or will Ben choose his freedom over a family?

I liked Lizzy. She’s only 21 but I thought she handled herself, Ben and the pregnancy news really well. She’s very smart and is not afraid to stand up for herself when someone *cough – Ben* is treating her poorly. But her heart wanted Ben so she kept giving him chances I’m not sure he deserved. Despite her hopes for a family, she was more than ready to become a single parent should that situation arise.

In the previous books, Ben was always quiet and in the background, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from him. He never wanted a girlfriend, never wanted kids. He loves having the freedom to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants and to go wherever he wants. So this baby has thrown a major obstacle in how he expected his life to play out. While he doesn’t mean to hurt her, his actions and his words leave Lizzy feeling hurt and constantly confused. Considering he’s 29, I expected more from him. Yes, he likes his freedom. Yes, he never wanted kids. Blah blah blah. But he knows there’s something about Lizzy that calls to him, so I didn’t really understand his need to constantly keep her at a distance.

I was looking forward to DEEP, but at the same time I never wanted that time to come, when the series would come to an end. I’m assuming the final book in a series is the hardest one to write as it has to wrap up the series in a way fans will love, while they’ll hate the fact the series is over. I did like this book, but I have to say I think that Ben and Lizzy are my least favourite couple in the series. I felt like there wasn’t much of a connection between the pair. I was disappointed and left with a serious case of whiplash in the ending prior to the Epilogue. It’s like there’s this big slow build up throughout the book, where they’re not sure if they’re coming or going, and then BAM!!!. Suddenly it’s all over.

Given that there are only four members of Stage Dive, I assumed that this was going to be the last book in the series. But Kylie has hinted at a possible relationship between two people very close to the group. Whether they’ll get their own book or not, or if it’s the start of a spin-off series remains to be seen.

Lizzy: “Ben, I don’t want to take your freedom. I just want a place in your world. An important one.”