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moll_ereads's review
4.0
3.5/4 - i have conflicting feelings about this one!! But not gonna lie the epilogue did get me lmao
akira0513's review
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kindlemmromancereader's review
5.0
“Hold Me Under” by Riley Nash has the best last sentence. It really sticks with you. Before that, the novel is full of beautiful language and complex emotions.
Ethan is caring for his mother after a terrible accident strikes the family. He’s guilt-ridden and trying his hardest to pick up all the pieces in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Victor is dealing with a lot. The extent of which you don’t really know until the last quarter of the novel. Victor has become a shell of his former self and exudes bravado and sarcasm to hide his despair. Swimming is the only thing that keeps him from completely fracturing apart.
These two men come together by accident and a masterful hate-to-love, rollercoaster of emotions, slow-burn, hurt/comfort tale unfolds. It’s introspective, raw, and beautiful.
While this story contains dark themes, (and you should definitely pay attention to the trigger warnings), it highlights a hard-earned journey of healing and accepting that brokenness doesn’t devalue your worth.
Ethan is caring for his mother after a terrible accident strikes the family. He’s guilt-ridden and trying his hardest to pick up all the pieces in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Victor is dealing with a lot. The extent of which you don’t really know until the last quarter of the novel. Victor has become a shell of his former self and exudes bravado and sarcasm to hide his despair. Swimming is the only thing that keeps him from completely fracturing apart.
These two men come together by accident and a masterful hate-to-love, rollercoaster of emotions, slow-burn, hurt/comfort tale unfolds. It’s introspective, raw, and beautiful.
While this story contains dark themes, (and you should definitely pay attention to the trigger warnings), it highlights a hard-earned journey of healing and accepting that brokenness doesn’t devalue your worth.
gallusquared's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
monanava123's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I honestly don’t know how I feel about it. The story gripped me and I wanted to finish it to find out how they got to their HEA. The aftermath of the “bad guys”/ guys who did the most damage to Victor was wrapped up in a paragraph at the end, which was a slight let down. And while I’m happy for these two, the book left me wanting for something more/else.
secret_librarian's review against another edition
5.0
Me and my heart weren’t quite prepared for how devastatingly emotional and angsty this book was, but oh my what an amazing read.
All through the story there was this sense of dread, like I knew something must have happened to Victor that would explain all his habits that were just breaking my heart. It’s definitely a story where I had to pause and take a deep breath before continuing at times, but it was totally captivating and I couldn’t put it down until I had some closure.
Victor was the definition of broken and toxic, but Ethan was just so patient and gentle with him. The connection between them was really intense and the push and pull had my emotions running high. It was such an emotional rollercoaster to see their relationship develop and turn real. My heart broke for both Ethan and Victor and what they had been through, and I desperately hung on to the small glimpses of hope that was offered.
Hold Me Under is a story I will carry with me for a while, and I look forward to seeing what else this author comes up with! I really recommend this story and I hope you’ll get as immersed in it as I was.
All through the story there was this sense of dread, like I knew something must have happened to Victor that would explain all his habits that were just breaking my heart. It’s definitely a story where I had to pause and take a deep breath before continuing at times, but it was totally captivating and I couldn’t put it down until I had some closure.
Victor was the definition of broken and toxic, but Ethan was just so patient and gentle with him. The connection between them was really intense and the push and pull had my emotions running high. It was such an emotional rollercoaster to see their relationship develop and turn real. My heart broke for both Ethan and Victor and what they had been through, and I desperately hung on to the small glimpses of hope that was offered.
Hold Me Under is a story I will carry with me for a while, and I look forward to seeing what else this author comes up with! I really recommend this story and I hope you’ll get as immersed in it as I was.