UNDERWATER
Author: Maayan Nahmani
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 26, 2016
In an instant, my world turned upside down
Because of one incident, my life will never be the same
Every day I struggled to breathe
Every day I went through the motions
I felt too much
I was numb
I was drowning
I was lost inside the black
So they made me go there
I was already there, watching from the dark
And then I met him
And then I saw her
He scared me to death
She took my breath away
He was darkness
She was my light
They whispered he can’t be touched
She was the only one I could touch
I couldn’t be with him, they needed me
I fucking needed her
So I told him I would be his friend
I told her I would be her friend. For now.
But I couldn’t resist him for long
She finally realized that she’ll always be mine
We were a hot mess
We were the perfect kind of mess
Then reality dawned on me
Then my demons broke loose
I was underwater, trying to break through to the surface
I reached out my hand, trying to pull her to shore
Could he really help me?
Would she accept me, scars and all?
This was us
This was our story
Author’s Note:
“This book is based on true events and contains sensitive subjects that may be a trigger to some readers, such as violence, abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder. It also contains a parent with cancer. It is recommended for ages 18 and up.”
Safe. No cheating/OW.
“Aria?”
My body tensed, as I watched the motherfucker who’d touched her coming our way.
“Oh, hey Brian.”
His tall frame loomed over her while he stood with his hands inside his front pockets. He was built, and if I were a chick, I would probably think he looked decent. He had curly blond hair, blue eyes and tan skin. He looked like a freaking copy of a Ken-doll. Fucking cliché. I hated him already.
“We’re all going to have a drink at a nearby bar. You wanna come?”
I didn’t want her to go anywhere with him, but if she decided to go there was nothing I could do about it. All I could do was bite my tongue and pray she would say no.
“That’s sweet of you, Brian, but I can’t today. I’m sorry.”
“Oh, yeah… sure. Maybe some other time?”
He looked disappointed, yet hopeful she would say yes.
Did I mention I hated this fucker?
“Yeah, maybe,” she mumbled.
He smiled, nodded, and turned around, leaving with the rest of the group waiting for him.
“Fucker,” I said under my breath.
“What?”
Shit. “Um… nothing.”
She looked at me with questioning eyes. ”What’s going on?”
I sighed. “Don’t date him.” The words tumbled out of my mouth without permission. I winced, knowing I sounded like a fucking mental case.
“Whoa… who said I was going to date him? He was just being friendly.”
I laughed humorlessly. “That guy doesn’t have one friendly thought about you. I can promise you that.”
I didn’t have friendly thoughts about her either. But right now, the thought of her with him – or anyone else for that matter – made my blood boil.
She shook her head. “You’re overreacting, but alright, I won’t date him. Geez… happy?”
“No,” I growled.
“What?” She sounded annoyed.
I didn’t care. I was on a roll. My hands settled on either side of her chair, caging her in. “I don’t want you to date anyone else.”
“Excuse me?”
Fuck. This was not going well.
“I need you to promise me that you won’t date someone else. I said I would be your friend, and I will. But you need to know…” My head inched closer until I was in her face. “I want more. I want you. I promise I’ll wait for you until you’re ready for me. But please…” I pleaded. I fucking begged, “Don’t date other people. I couldn’t bear it.”
Underwater was the most beautiful and heartfelt story I have read in a long time, a true emotional ride.
Aria has been fighting so hard to keep all her family afloat, since her father’s cancer diagnose, and at the same time fighting alone to keep all her pain inside herself.
This kind of pain is not a foreign concept to Dorian. He has been dealing, without true success, with all the ghosts from his time in the military. His visible scars aren’t really the deepest and problematic ones, but coupled with his demeanor, they tend to keep people away, enabling his detachment of the world and loneliness. Until the day, Arial crosses his path – and does seem bothered by his defense/protective mechanism – and gives a new meaning to his existence…
The day started like any other. I never imagined I would meet this girl at any stage of my miserable life, much less today. She was like a ray of light shining through the dark cage I was hidden in, brightening up my fucking universe.
Aria is just as instantly drawn to him as he is to her. He intrigues and attracts her like no one did before, and even though she thinks this isn’t the right time, she can’t fight her feelings.
I wanted him away. I wanted him close. I wanted everything and nothing.
Both Aria and Dorian are such amazing characters! They suffered and still do, but they show an incredible amount of strength, understanding and LOVE!!! Yes, they are broken and individuals, but together, they couldn’t be more complete.
“You two are really good for each other.”
He was right.
Alone, we were broken pieces.
Together, we were whole.
Yes, they aren’t perfect, but for me, as a reader they couldn’t have been more PERFECT!!! Aria was so compassionate, with such a caring and loving nature, and so incredibly strong, specially for her family. But with Dorian, she allowed her pain and vulnerability to show, and him to become her rock, her partner, her love. That and Aria’s love was all needed to give a new purpose to his life. From the very beginning she was special and unique to him, and he never failed to let her (and us) know. He was one of deeply romantic heroes I have ever read, we could really feel his love and how much she meant to him.
“All you have to do is touch me,” he murmured, his eyes glimmering with awe. “And my world is right again.”
“For years,” he said, “I didn’t feel a thing. Absolutely nothing. Then you walked through that door and I couldn’t see anything but you.”
He never once doubted their love and connection and had me literally swooning all along their story. He gives a whole new meaning to perfect imperfect.
I truly can’t express how in love I am with these characters. They are so beautifully developed I couldn’t think of one single thing I would change about them. That’s how perfect they are, specially together! We feel that they were meant to be, two broken soul s that destiny brought together to feel complete as one! <3
This was such an amazing story which shows us, in depth, so many kinds of love, in the most beautiful and realistic manner. It’s an emotionally heavy read given all the subplots, like her father’s – and her family – struggle with cancer, his torture while in captivity in the hands of the enemy and subsequent PTSD, that brought me to tears more than once, roof of Maayan incredible writing and story telling talent.
I know that this story is very close to her heart, and I’m sure it’s part of the reason for this stellar and successful debut novel. This partly biographical character of the book showed incredible courage and gave so much richness to the story that really transported us to feeling her pain, suffering, and devastation upon her father’s cancer. So thank you for sharing this beautiful and touching novel with all of us!
This start couldn’t have been better, in my opinion, and I’m so looking forward to the second book, which I’m sure will be equally as fantastic (and maybe even take one more look into these two’s life like it’s hinted on the snippet of the next one – please Maayan, we want even more Aria and Cole!) !
“I love you,” I said. I dropped my hands to her lower back, drawing her body securely against mine until we were both sitting on the grass, swings long forgotten. “I love you more than words can say and emotions can express. I love you more than my eyes can see, and more than my hands can feel.” I kissed her. “I love you every second, minute, and hour of each day, and I know that no matter what happens to us in the future, these feelings I have for you will never change.”
ARC kindly provided by the author via Southern Belle Promotions
in exchange for an honest review
