Review: The Deepest Blue by Christina Lee (Roadmap to Your Heart #2)

Note: This ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Breathing heavily, we stared each other down, the air growing positively electric. I didn't know who stepped forward first, but suddenly, we were toe to toe, sharing the same air.

"Dean," I said. "Fuck."

"Don't think," he whispered as his fingers wrapped around my neck and his soft lips brushed over mine. "Just feel."

Family has always come first for Callum Montgomery. He may have left Shady Pines Preserve--their family-owned business--to earn his Associate's Degree in Agriculture, but he's never strayed far from home ever since. Being there for his family and refusing to bring disappoint to any one of them, especially his father and his grandmother, forces him to keep his sexuality secret. He knows what a small town like Roscoe, Florida would think of his being gay and the business may suffer if it ever got out. He's probably destined to spend his life alone, with nothing more than the occasional hook-up to tide his baser needs over, but then his sister comes home for their cousin's wedding and brings with her a date that drives Callum to distraction, even when they disagree incessantly. But Callum needs to hold his feelings and urges in check because the last thing he would ever do is to give in to his attraction to his sister's boyfriend.

Pretending to be straight and someone's boyfriend may have sounded simple enough when graduate student Dean Abbott agreed to be his best friend's date for a family gathering, but spending several days with her family and immersing himself in a lifestyle he is unfamiliar with and has his own preconceived notions about is proving to be more difficult than he thought. The one complication he never really foresaw was being drawn to his best friend's older brother, a man who appears to be torn between riling Dean up and sparking arguments with him and stealing glances that make it clear the attraction is not one-sided. As city boy Dean finds more and more things about the country that fascinate him--not the least of which was the country boy with the reddish-brown hair--the fact remains that he'll have to leave soon enough. Will Dean and Callum be able to find a middle ground that gives them a chance at being together?

It's no secret how much of a Christina Lee fangirl I am and the second I find out she has a book, regardless of the subject matter or romance sub-genre, it automatically lands on top of my to-be-read list. So, suffice it to say that I was anxiously anticipating the release of the second book in her Roadmap to Your Heart series and I devoured The Deepest Blue one highly gratifying sitting. Now, don't assume that simply because I'm a fan I'm automatically going to fall in love with everything Christina writes. If anything, my standards are much higher because I expect exemplary storytelling from her. I'm happy to report that she has, once again, proven that my faith in her writing is not misplaced. She's come up with a story that has a refreshingly different setting and two main characters who are irresistibly perfect for each other. The country vs city story line is nothing new, but Christina Lee makes it her own and does so remarkably well.

Dean Abbott's name is never mentioned in the first book, The Darkest Flame, but he is the brother that Felix, a member of the Disciples of the Road motorcycle club, briefly talks about as being gay with main character Smoke Callahan. Felix makes a cameo appearance of sorts here as well and both Smoke and Vaughn O'Keefe are mentioned in passing, but this second in the series can be read separately from book one (though I'm going to go ahead and highly recommend you read the first in the series anyway). But just like Smoke and Vaughn previously, Dean and Callum Montgomery pull you in with their love story, one that has its own set of issues, especially emanating from Callum's end. Their introduction to one another is memorable and causes a bit of a problem for both of them because of the rouse that Dean had going with Callum's sister, Cassie. It's one part of the story but it's essential in making the whole thing swoon-worthy.

I not only found myself immediately immersed in all things Dean and Callum, but I was heavily invested in what was going to happen with both of them, as individuals and as a couple. The solution to their main problem--whether to pursue a relationship considering they both live in different states--may seem like a simple enough one (i.e. one or both of them moves), but Dean and Callum have a lot more at stake than merely liking a particular area. They want to find a place for themselves career-wise and with both of them being as passionate as they are about their respective fields, it's easy to see why deciding on whether to take a chance on being with another person is difficult. I adored Dean but I loved how Callum transformed as he overcame his struggles with being gay and admitting his sexuality to his family. I lost count of how many times The Deepest Blue made me smile, which is just one of many reasons why it gets five-plus stars. ♥

Release Date: 04 December 2015

Date Read: 04 December 2015

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