Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

The quick cut: A girl returns to town after a tragedy in her family and is forced to deal with the boy she used to be best friends with. 

A real review:

 Expressing your true feelings for someone can be difficult, especially if it's somebody who is used to seeing you a specific way. For Rachel, this is something that tore her apart when the feelings weren't reciprocated. 

 Years ago, Rachel had a crush on her best friend Henry. She expressed that by writing him a letter and sticking it in his favorite book. She expected him to respond, but never received it. Now, she's returning to town after mourning a loss and finding herself working at Henry's bookstore. The sudden return in each other's lives causes unexpected responses and old feelings to return. Can these two be close once again? 

 This is a highly emotional story, which isn't something I'm usually a fan of. However, I'm in a stressful moment right now life wise and this type of story was the right balm to make me feel understood. 

 Rachel has experienced an unbelievable loss and in turn, her entire life has been upended. She went from a straight A student to failing out. This story is a journey of dealing with open wounds she's never dealt with before. By doing that, she can find a way forward. 

 Henry has always been in love with Amy and having her break up with him was a shock. His relationship falling apart made him fall apart far more than he should've. For him, this is about being honest about where he is and what he truly wants from the future. Sometimes what we think we need is different than what it is. 

 I enjoyed the back and forth between Rachel and Henry, especially as they began to heal with connection to one another. I did find the instigating incident questionable though. If Rachel had indications of outside interference from the start, then why place blame on Henry? It still bugs me, minor as it is. 

 An emotionally charged story between two friends. 

My rating: 4.5 out of 5