I liked this one, but I wanted a glimpse into the world of competitive swimming and I did not get much of that.

Another compelling story by Bette Hawkins. This time from the world of sports, more specifically swimming. It is about two top athletes and their second chance in love after twelve years of silence.
Both protagonists are well-defined and likable and their romance is developed at a nice comfortable pace. The writing is very good with nice dialogue and pacing. There is some well-placed angst and drama along with a believable conflict that triggered some insecurities between characters essential to the plot. With all that the chemistry between the protagonists totally worked.

Running Deep is a second chance romance novel surrounding two professional athlete swimmers. The story is told through a dual timeline. I wasn’t too sure about it at first, but it worked really well. Usually, when I read novels like this, I’m always more invested in one timeline, and I want to skim a few chapters, but in this case, I enjoyed both equally. It was great to see how they met each other and how close they became as teenagers and how - even after everything they went through - they sorta just picked up where they left off.

The story flows well and though we see more of Hannah’s point of view, we get enough information to really understand Angie’s side of the story.

Hannah and Angie are very different but both are highly likeable. I love how tight-knit Hannah’s family is and how welcoming they were to Angie. That poor girl.

I highly recommend this book, and I can’t wait to read Bette Hawkins’ other books.

TW for homophobic parents.

***An ARC was given to me in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!

Although this book is about professionally swimming, it's more a book about your first love and running into them again a few years later. Angie also had some explaining to do, since she basically ghosted Hannah.

The book is told from Hannah's POV, and I liked her better than Angie but I was surprised she did so well in sports. She really didn't have the fighting spirit, and a lot of talk wasn't about how much she wanted to win. She spends most of her time thinking about Angie and the past, with the swimming more of a side subject. I think because recently I had read "All the Paths To You", I found the knowledge and focus on being an Olympic swimmer lacking in this book.

Overall, it was an ok read but nothing I would re-read.

Such an awesome story. I have read a couple books by this author and this story does not disappoint. I look forward to more by Bette Hawkins.

An entertaining story set in the cut throat world of competitive swimming. It certainly didn't blow me away, but it was an ejoyable, easy read none the less. Read it if you like sports.

I absolutely loved this book and finished it in one day. Women's swimming is one of the few Olympic sports where there aren't really any high-profile and publicly out athletes, so I'm really glad this book was written. With the Olympics not running this year I really needed my Olympic swimming fix and was so happy to have found it. The leads had great chemistry and I liked that they went for what they wanted without unnecessary angst thrown in for the sake of drama. The writing was very engaging and the flashbacks didn't take away from how well the story flowed. I really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at the swimming world. I'm glad I discovered this author.

I am a very sporty and competitive person, for this reason I quite often don't like sports book! All too frequently they don't capture the essence of that win at all costs drive set deep within, the love of your sport so central to your being that no one else can really understand unless they are the same and then the grief when it's taken away. Thankfully "Running Deep" gets what being a competitive athlete is all about and manages to weave a beautiful love story around it too.

Angie and Hannah are both elite swimmers and are preparing for the Olympics, Angie as a coach and Hannah as a swimmer making her comeback for her home games in Sydney. Years before when they were both just breaking onto the scene they were friends and then lovers but then something happened to break them up and Hannah still doesn't understand what happened, other than she was utterly devastated. The narrative switches back and forth between them as teenagers and adults, gradually revealing more and more about what happened to shatter their fledgling relationship, and about both women. I know I harped on a bit about the sports element at the start but this is not just for sports fans, I can't see any lesfic fan not enjoying this.

I loved this book so much that I went straight out and bought two more by Bette Hawkins, so I don't think I can give a stronger recommendation than that.

Australian swimmer Hannah is training for the 2000 Olympic games, making a comeback after several years away from competition. But then the arrival of Angie, a new member of the Australian coaching team, throws her for a loop. It's been years since she last heard from Angie, her first love. Will their once love blossom once again? Will Hannah make her comeback?

I like that the story begins when they are younger with a brief introduction of how Angie and Hannah met. It let me as a reader connect to their characters and their love story, through their banter and chemistry. However, I felt this chemistry was missing when they meet when they are older and I lost the connection to them and the story. There is a lot of focus on why they are mad and why they broke up but it was missing the other side of the equation, the tension and chemistry from when they were younger. For a first love, their reunion should have been stronger, more than just a surprise, but full of so much angst and want. Overall though I really liked the storyline and the swimming side of things was really well done and interesting for a non-swimmer like me. Only the romance was lacking for me. Hannah's comeback story was believable, but more than that it was really inspiring. Hannah's character was so strong and her story was fascinating. Also, I loved going back to the 90s - fashion and first cell phones and all!


I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this book. I was hoping to be entertained, maybe learn a little something about competitive swimming and maybe escape for a few hours.

I am sorry to report that none of those things happened. The love story didn't grab me, I just couldn't connect with the characters and the book never ... clicked for me.
Nothing against the author, but, this book just didn't leave an impression.

I was really hoping for more of a blending of the sport and romance, but this is nearly entirely focused on the relationship between the two MCs flashing back from when they were teenagers to present day. Swimming and the Olympics are weirdly secondary and feel shoe-horned in even though this is the whole setting of the book. The actual races are blink and you miss it, quickly going from the dive into the water to touching the side of the pool and winning a race. The sport side of the story is completely lacking stakes, emotion, suspense, excitement--everything that makes a sport enjoyable to watch.
The romance was meh at best. The "present" story takes place in 2000 to coincide with the Sydney Olympics with flashbacks to 1987 and the '88 Olympics. While these are (summer) Olympic years, it felt like these were also deliberately chosen in order to throw up communication barriers, prior to the ever-present cell phones and email. These dates don't feel particular significant otherwise; the story could have easily taken place during any other set of Olympic years. In both time periods, the MCs relationship is fairly instant and missing any build up or progression. They have decent chemistry, but it also seems based on a pretty flimsy foundation.
If you like your sports romance very heavy on insta-romance with little to no sports, then this may be the book for you! Otherwise, it was cute and short but in the long run will be pretty unmemorable.

This is a story that mixes two stages of a relationship, the first during early adolescence, fourteen-fifteen, and the second in a young adulthood, late twenties, and it does it in an interesting way, nothing that has not been done before already, but that here has really worked very well to get to know the story as a whole. It also includes parts related to high-level swimming, of which the two protagonists are among the best, but it cannot be said that it is a sports novel, since there are very few scenes in which sport is the center, it focuses more in the development of the personality of both women.

The two of them have had a previous story, unfinished and with many unanswered questions, mainly because of Angie, the outgoing and cheerful American who broke into Hannah's still and calm life when they both began to discover the world in all its complexity. As elite athletes they had pressures and demands, mainly from their environment, but both seem to find in each other that space free of worries and that allowed them to be themselves. But at that age, fourteen or fifteen years old, they could not control their situation, and the distance between their places of residence made it even more complicated. And now, they meet again, both already mature and with decisions made, but their future cannot be possible without them being able to clarify their past.

The story is told by jumping from time to time, with reference to dates of the real Olympics, they met near Seoul in 1986 and the time of their reunion is close to the Sydney Olympiad in 2000. And the story is told from Hannah's point of view, so it is her feelings and not Angie's that we can know, and since Angie was the main cause of past events, it is difficult to see her motives and intentions.

In short, it was a very moving story with a lot of feeling and love. A really recommendable book.

During the past month or two I’ve been looking for books that can give me a little respite from all the bad news that has consumed most of our lives. Thankfully Running Deep by Bette Hawkins is just the kind of story that I needed.

This is both a friends-to-lovers and a second-chance romance since the two main characters first fell for each other as teenagers before something happened to separate them for ten years. The story is sweet and easy to read with a lovely setting and likeable characters. The setting is the late eighties for the flashbacks to the main characters’ teenage years and the “present day time” is the year 2000. The author did a pretty good job of showing what the two may have faced as a same sex couple during those years. Ms. Hawkins is very good at writing stories in different time periods and making them believable. There is obviously some angst in the tale, but for the most part it is an uplifting story that I really enjoyed.
If you would like to read a lovely romance that will take you away for a little while, then try Running Deep.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

The one thing I love about this romance is that it isn't set as simple 2 people fall in love. This one started long time ago, It also, went on for longer period of time. It took understanding and forgiveness. I loved this story. Especially that it is set in cut throat environment. Any kind of competition is challenging. Both of characters were competitive, from different teams and countries yet became close friends. Set of unfortunate events complicates everything.
I loved their connection, I think something that is real survives separation. They had it, and this story made it show.
I do wish for more....as in any good story.

Hannah Clark and Angie Thompson are young elite swimstars competing at the highest level for their respective countries, Australia and USA. Being the youngest on each team they form a tight bond which quickly goes beyond friendship,  suddenly Angie severs all contact with no explanation.  Ten years pass with still no contact between them, Hannah comes out of retirement to compete for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and Angie accepts a coaching role for the Australian swim team.
This was a nice story, if not a bit predictable. I liked the use of flashbacks throughout the first part of the book which provided insight into the teenage emotions between Hannah and Angie. I felt the chemistry between the two MC's could have been built up more. Overall a nice story.

This was just an Ok read for me. If you name the story "Running deep" and the cover shows swimmers...I am assuming the story will delve "deeply" into an Olympic swimmers life. Such as their training schedule, diet, social restrictions, such as how to handle attractions within the team, etc. Well there was a little about that but mostly it was about a 2 week adolescent romance that ended badly but lingered in the minds of the girls for 10 years. The Olympic swimming was just a background element to get the 2 mc together again.
I thought it was a cute story but I wasn't overly impressed with the chemistry between the 2 mc. There was a lot of sneaking around to be with each other but I didn't feel a real reuniting or commitment.
I was annoyed with the format of the first half of the book. Flipping back and forth between past and present I found aggravating. Just when we were being told how the relationship began, we would be flipped back to the present and more questions developed. Finally that stopped.
Regarding other characters....I wanted to strangle Marie. Here is a person that has problems in her own relationship and she keeps giving Hannah advise. And the advise was not necessarily good. All of course under the guise of " it's because I care about you so much". She was not helping.
The ending was good but abrupt and sort of out of the blue. I was thinking maybe they would start a swim school but nope...let's pick something we've never done before.
So my recommendation is, it's just an Ok read.
I was given this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book takes place around the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Twenty years on and it sometimes leaves you to think how far technology has come.

Hannah is returning to the international swimming competition after retiring years before. Angie, her former American rival and friend, has taken a job as assistant coach for the Australian swimming team. Once Hannah places for the event she and Angie speak for the first time in a decade. Throughout the book there are flashbacks to the late 80’s, the Games in Seoul in ‘88 and some time before and after that. You get an understanding of the puppy love Hannah and Angie shared. Both characters are likeable enough but they lack a certain depth, funny for a book titled Running Deep. I found the whole thing to be just a bit superficial, similar to a relationship in your teens. Just where these character seem to be stuck, even in their mid twenties.

The story was nice enough, it entertained me for a couple of hours, but that’s it.

'ARC provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher in exchange for a honest review'

**'Most great stories come not from things that are invented but from perfect knowledge and close observation..'

4.5stars!
'RUNNING DEEP' is an exhilarating tale of mistrust between two Olympic-bound athlete: one a swimmer and the other a coach --- from different countries who were forced as teenagers because of their uniqueness of overcoming being bullied and pressured to attain any levels of accomplishments that few of their rivals or teammates could never fathom. When it came to certain parts of the storyline's insight, I came to this conclusion that in today's world of sports braggadocio neither Hannah nor Angie would fit in well because of their quiet and unassuming personalities. But on the other hand with a talent and personalities like theirs, each did contribute to their perspective country winning status while defying the odds.
As to Hannah who came out of retirement to accomplish that one goal of proving herself triumphant as an Olympic gold medal winner which was snatched by Angie by some milliseconds in past Olympic games. While Angie, because of her past misgivings and now a dedicated swim coach -- she had to be bold with her decision makings then ask for forgiveness while in pursuit of the only person that she ever Loved. Even after forging this renewed relationship, both still felt cautiously optimistic about their future because of the past and living in different countries.
In fairness to most of this book, readers will noticed that Ms.Hawkins did tell this story from Hannah's p.o.v. paying specific attention to all her incredible achievements as a swimmer. Then add the weaving in of many unforgettable characters to illuminate the true nature of the Olympic spirit. Also alternating chapters providing backstories of the past leading to the present.
This book I do believe is Ms.Hawkins gift to all interested readers --- with it's treasure trove of nostalgic moments, entertaining anecdotes, timeless wisdom on training techniques, off-season conditioning programs and also practice plans that produced lots of outstanding swimmers in Australia -- that everyone will cherish and enjoy.

Australian Hannah first met American Angie at the 1986 Aquatic Championships in Madrid, they were 14 and 15 respectively. Even though they were competing for different countries, they became friends and explored their attraction to each other on a limited basis and became long distance girlfriends. Their relationship continued across the continents via phone calls and mail until Angie abruptly stopped all communication, leaving 16 year old Hannah devastated. Hannah retired after the ’96 games in Atlanta but came out of retirement to complete in 2000 and tried once again for the gold that eluded her in the 1988 Olympic. Angie, who won the gold in ’88, was asked to join the Australian coaching team, but she was unaware that Hannah was competing again when she accepted the position. When both women met, they faced each other with trepidation but also a hopefulness in reestablishing their once close friendship…and perhaps even more.

I liked how Hannah and Angie agreed to leave the past in the past since they were both teenagers, and tried to hide those wounds. As adults, Hannah was able to finally learn and accept Angie’s explanation for why she stopped all communication with Hannah. At this point, it was also interesting to see how each teenager dealt with their feelings about their sexuality…and their own parents reaction to it. Unfortunately, and realistically so, Angie’s parents played a pivotal role in her decision to marry a popular athlete when she was only 19.

As much as the women spoke about their past feelings, they waited until the last minute to speak about what they wanted for their relationship to be in the present and future, especially since Angie’s home was in America. This part, and actually the storyline itself, could have easily turned into an angst filled drama, but the characters were actually very polite to each other and this made for a sweet second chance romance.
An ARC was given for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked both main characters and I liked that part of the book was set when the girls we’re younger with no emails, social media etc

I though I was going to dislike Angie- not sure why really, It seemed like she was going to break Hannah’s heart again and mess up her chance at the Olympics but the more she appeared in the story the more I liked her and her vibrancy. I like second chances - sometimes there is just a connection there that can’t be ignored and this felt like one of those times

Hannah was very sweet and it was easy to warm to her, looking out for the younger members of the team and the relationship with her mum was wonderful. There was a line where Hannah says ‘I’m just not happy’ and her mum says ‘stop, I don’t need to know anymore, that’s enough’ Such wonderful support for her

I read this book in a day and didn’t really want to put it down to do anything else! Lovely easy reading - the only thing I wasnt sure of was the ending - it almost seemed like the beginning of another story