Deep

All of my favorite characters are back, but Lizzy is probably my favorite heroine yet. You have to love someone who puts it all out there. Funny, sweet, empowering, and even a little sad at times. Great conclusion to the Stage Dive series (if it had to end.) I would recommend reading the series in order.

I fell in love with Stage Dive in Lick and my love has continued to grow with the guys as they've grown in Play and Lead. Knowing Deep is the last of the Stage Dive novels is bittersweet. I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this book, but knowing it's the last book (for now), makes me sad. I don't know what I'm going to do without a regular dose of David, Mal, Jimmy, and Ben and their lovely ladies.

Deep was a surprise for me. Especially when it came to Ben and Lizzy. Having only seen glimpses of who they were from previous books through other's eyes, I was delightfully taken aback by their true personalities behind the labels like Anne's often trouble some younger sister and the strong, silent, bass player. I loved how sarcastic and fresh Lizzy was. Her inner monologues and thoughts often had me in stitches from laughing so hard. For everyone who loves Mal, and all of his craziness, I felt like Lizzy was the female version of him, but less maniacal and more grounded. (For those of you who don't know Mal, I'd recommend picking up Play today and meeting him.)

Ben was a surprise too. Lizzy's revelation really shocked him, but once he was able to regain his bearings, I loved his concern for Lizzy and how all in he was. Especially since he never thought he'd be a father or even wanted to be one. Granted he made mistakes, but then again as the non-human-carrying person and a first time freaked out father to be, he was bound to. There were moments when I wanted to grab him the shoulders and shake him to help him see reason or bop him on the head or if it'd help. I also forgive him for his sister Martha, who has been a bane for me and the band for the length of the series. Ben can't help but love his sister even if she needs help and has done some horrible things. I'm a little afraid to say this, but I think there's hope for her. I saw how startled she was when some hard truths were put in front of her by Lizzy, Ben, and Sam, the head of Stage Dive's security. I would love to see a story redeeming her.

I loved seeing other members from the band. Especially Lena and Jimmy. I've got to say he's the most improved in this entire series. The change I've seen in him from Lick to Deep has been a complete 180. He and Lena had some surprises of their own in this book and I loved how he stepped up to the plate and how committed he was to Lena. I also enjoyed seeing Mal and Anne. Lizzy and I found out some information about them that I don't think I'm ever going to able to forget. Mal really stepped up as Lizzy's family. It both upset me and made me swoon. David and Evelyn were in here too. I was so happy to see them settled so well and happy with one another. I loved seeing Evelyn tease Lizzy.

Something else I really liked was how the story was setup. Not only was I able to be in the present for Lizzy and Ben, but being able to read about how Lizzy got knocked up was great. That one interaction put a lot of Lizzy and Ben's actions into perspective. Not only did I laugh often while reading this book, I cried too. Some tears were from sadness, some were from happy tears, and others from laughing too hard and frequently. I was so heavily invested in this book that I almost didn't realize I'd finished it and when it was over I was sad because I wanted more.

I know Kylie Scott has said this is the last book in this series, and as much as I have loved being in Evelyn, Anne, Lena, and Lizzy's heads, I would pay good money to read these stories from David, Mal, Jimmy, and Ben's points of view. I've fallen in love with them through other people's eyes and I can only wonder how much deeper my admiration for these men would be if I could see them through their own eyes. Knowing Kylie Scott, her new Dive Bar series is going to be as fantastic. I look forward to falling in love again with her characters and their stories.

Wow! Ben was always a bit unassuming, in the back ground, and would niggle in my mind that I wanted his story. His story sure came with a BANG! He seemed to be the "sweet" one out of the group but holy crap did he have a side that, at times, made me hate him but he pulled it together and made me love him! This story had so many ups and downs and was yet again another unforgettable read!