Badass Bloggettes: In Too Deep by Michelle Kemper Brownlow ~ Indie ReRelease

Gracie has just finished her freshman year of college in Memphis when she takes a job at a local pizza joint in her home town of McKenzie, Tennessee. She is the epitome of innocence when she meets Noah. Noah is unabashedly handsome, intriguingly reckless and just cocky enough to be sexy. Gracie’s instincts tell her to stay far away from him and based on the stories she hears from her co-workers he leaves broken hearts in his wake. But still, she can’t explain her fascination with him.

Noah puts aside his bad boy ways when what he thought was a summer crush has him unexpectedly falling in love. But soon after Gracie transfers to UT Knoxville to be with Noah, their unexpected love becomes riddled with anger, deceit and humiliation.

Jake, Noah’s former roommate and Gracie’s best friend, can no longer be a bystander. Gracie’s world falls out from beneath her and when she breaks she turns to Jake for strength. As Jake talks her through a decision she’s not yet strong enough to make, together they uncover a truth so ugly neither of them is prepared for its fallout. Will Jake pull her to the surface or is Gracie Jordan finally In Too Deep?

I've been staring at a blank screen for about five minutes trying to decide how to write this review. I'm really torn on my feelings about the whole thing.

In Too Deep is Gracie Ann Jordan's story. It us told, in first person, from her perspective. The first few chapters of the book switch back and forth from present to past. Occasionally I was confused as to what was going on because of this, but quickly figured it out. We get a front row seat to the train wreck that is the relationship between Gracie and Noah. Gracie takes a real emotional beating throughout the story. Thankfully she always had her best friend, Jake, to lean on when things are bad.

Gracie's relationship with Noah can be described as nothing other than toxic. It was really hard to read about, in fact I had to put down the book several times. I understand that Noah had spent years tearing Gracie down, but I really hated how she continuously made excuses and pardoned his actions. I also hated that her friends,while vaguely warning her about Noah's toxicity, seemed to support her decision to continually go back to him. I was happy that she finally saw what was going on. As frustrating as it was to watch Gracie continually go through all of the shit that she did, the end of the book was quite redeeming and pulled the book from a VERY depressing place for me.

The writing in this book was superb, I am excited to read more from Michelle, regardless of how depressing it might be.

Gracie survived an emotionally abusive relationship that wrecked her. Her ex, Noah, systematically chipped away at her self-esteem through intimidation, humiliation and infidelity which left Gracie unable to trust her own perception of his intentions. But after falling head over heels for Jake, her best friend and the man who stood by her through it all, she is ready to experience life in the way it was meant to be lived. However, Gracie may find it impossible to simultaneously heal from the trauma of abuse while navigating a relationship with Jake. Can she put her heart on hold in order to heal her soul?The sequel to the five-star debut novel, In Too Deep, chronicles Gracie’s steps toward healing as she falls deeper in love, reaches out for help, stands on her own, steps out of her comfort zone, faces her biggest fears, and reconnects with a sensual, talented soul from her past all in hopes of finding herself on solid ground.

On Solid Ground IS NOT A STANDALONE!! It is the sequel to In Too Deep, if you haven't read that book you will be completely lost in this one. Also, this review will be spoilery for you. I did not love In Too Deep, I was so pissed at most of the characters I couldn't see straight. It was well written though and I knew that I had to know what happened with Gracie and Jake after all of the badness that was Noah.

I was really afraid that we were going to skate over Gracie getting help with all of the scars left from the emotional abuse that she dealt with from Jake, as seems to happen in so many books. They find the love of their life and magically are completely healed with no residual issues. It was SO not the case in this book. Gracie actually takes steps to get herself all whole and healed. It was amazing!! I loved that Michelle had her deal with her shit.

Gracie, while SO much stronger in On Solid Ground that she was in In Too Deep, was still a broken mess. Everything that she did and said was colored with the pain that was left by Noah. When she finally decides to take those steps to deal with her scars, it was a total 'HALLELUJAH' moment for me. And Sylvia was great. We didn't see a lot of her, but what we did see from her made me love her! (I'd actually like to know a little about her story!)

Gracie finds a way to help her get all of the emotions that she feels about Noah and Jake and everything in her past out. Music. And she has a great teacher, hot broken rock star, Calon. He was so good for her and I don't think that she would have been able to heal if not for him and his ability to make her put everything out there.

When we learn more about Noah and the guys from Sigma Chi I was completely livid. There are no words for how messed up everything that has to do with them is. And the sad thing is, I know that it is not far out of the realm on what actually happens in some frat houses. I was only too ecstatic when they finally get a little taste of justice!

I am VERY happy that I read this book. I think that it nicely wraps up Gracie's story and I am now completely happy with her story, I feel like I have closure and know that she will go on and be a strong, independent woman. I am, however interested in learning more about Calon, which we will, I'm sure!

Michelle Kemper Brownlow has been a storyteller her entire life. Her debut was on the high school cheerleading bus granting requests to re-tell her most embarrassing moments for a gaggle of hysterical squadmates.

Earning her Bachelor’s degree from Penn State University in Art Education and then marrying her very own “Jake,” she moved to Binghamton, NY where she taught high school. After having two children she quit work and finished her Master’s degree in Elementary Education at Binghamton University.

The Brownlow family of four moved to Michelle’s hometown of Morgantown, PA while the children were still quite young. A few years after moving, her family grew by one when they welcomed a baby into their home through the gift of adoption. The family still resides in PA, just miles from where that high school cheer bus was parked.

Michelle has been an artist for as long as she can remember, always choosing pencils and crayons over toys and puzzles. As a freelance illustrator, her simple characters play the starring roles in numerous emergent reader books published by Reading Reading Books.

“Writing is my way of making sense of the world. When I give my characters life on the pages I write, it frees up space in my mind to welcome in new stories that are begging to be told,” says Brownlow.