Going In Deep

***5 ‘Redemption’ Stars*** Ever since finishing Going Down Easy, I’ve been waiting for Julian and Kendall to get their own HEA’s, whether it would be together or separately though keeping my toes crossed that they’d find their way back to each other. So when it was announced that they would get their second chance I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the book and Carly Phillips did not disappoint! Going in Deep was filled with sweet and smexy moments as Julian and Kendall found redemption and forgiveness for their past transgressions while fighting for their future happiness. It’s safe to say that as much as I’ve loved all the Billionaire Bad Boys, Julian has fought his way to the top of the pile. He isn’t a saint and what he did was pretty heinous, but the Julian in this book is an amazing man. He’s taken responsibility for his transgressions and is working on becoming a better man, which we find out he always had in him but just took the wrong fork in the road. This Julian is charming without trying, smart and compassionate with a good dose of smexy alpha male that will bring you to your knees. Kendall has come a long way from the first time I met her. She has taken control of her disorder instead of allowing it to control her and I loved this more settled, confident and self aware woman she has become. I loved how she was honest about what she wanted out of life and was willing to take chances, but didn’t just jump in. She took baby steps and took the time to really examine how she felt about it. With all that happened between Julian, Kendall and the crew of Blink it’s no surprise that there were some bumpy moments in their journey to their HEA, but all of those bumps were worth it. I liked how they took baby steps, even if they didn’t necessarily want to, were honest with what they wanted and how they felt and exposed their all of their scars. All of this simply intensified the connection that was already there and made it blatantly obvious that they were meant to be together. I have to admit that Going in Deep surprised me, in a good way, because it wasn’t as angsty as it could have been considering all that had gone down in Going Down Easy. Obviously there was some drama, but I really liked that Julian and Kendall acted like mature adults. This book touches on addiction and bipolar disorder and I thought it was done with a lot of care and respect. While we do spend a little time with Lex and Kade, this story is very focused on the MC’s and their journey, but we do meet a few new characters who helped move the story line along, but the four legged ones were my favorites. This can be read as a standalone, but I highly suggest that you start at the beginning of the series to get the full impact of the MC’s journey. ~ Copy provided by the author & voluntarily reviewed ~

I've loved each of the Billionaire Bad Boys books along the way. I'll be honest and say when I saw Ms. Phillips was going to write a redemption book for Julian Dane, I honestly didn't see how she could do it based upon what he had done to Kendall. I'm so very happy to say not only was I wrong, and Ms. Phillips gave her readers her very best book I've read to date. I really hated Julian for using Kendall in the way he did in Going Down Easy, and have to say the first way he started redeeming himself to me was by owning his past choices rather than saying they were mistakes. I also started to take into consideration he was unaware of Kendall's illness when they were together, as Kendall had never shared the fact she was bipolar, though that still didn't give Julian the right to use Kendall. As Julian started to share his background and his family's background with Kendall, it gave me more insight into why he became and addict and made the choice he made along the way. Julian truly had been through hell and back and while I didn't agree with many of his actions, I did finally understand why he made the choices from his past. Kendall had been through hell thanks to her mental illness. Now that she is finally able to stay on a solid therapy plan, medicine plan, and has found an outlet and a job she loves working with rescue dogs. She is just starting to feel like her life is on a firm footing when Julian shows back up in her life. I loved that Kendall was super wary of Julian when he first showed up, even as she was still completely drawn to him. I found myself loving that while Kendall didn't fall right back in with Julian, she did listen to him explain his past and finally shared her medical issues as well. Kendall and Julian totally had an uphill battle to be in a long-term relationship with Kendall's family. While I felt like Kendall and Julian both made mistakes in the present with regards to their future, I loved they both came out strong once each got their heads back on straight. The chemistry between Kendall and Julian was every bit as strong as it was in the past. I actually felt it was even stronger now, as they both were being honest with one another. Going in Deep gave me all the feels. I laughed, sighed, got angry a few times, and cried both sad and happy tears. I love when a story makes me feel a myriad of emotions, and Ms. Phillips did it in spades with Going in Deep. Julian and Kendall's redemption story was everything and more than I expected, and is hands down one of the best stories Carly Phillips has ever written. Rating: 5 Stars (A+)

Having read and loved all the previous books in this series, I have anxiously been awaiting Julian Dane and Kendall Parker's story. Wow, was I blown away! You know when you anticipate a book and you finally get to read it and you worry that it won't be as good as you anticipated? Well never fear, there is no danger of that happening in Going In Deep. I loved this book from start to finish. Julian hasn't always been a nice guy, in fact he treated Kendall so badly that it almost destroyed her.; however in doing that it also became his saviour as he realised he had hit rock bottom. What happens when two tortured souls gravitate to each other? When Julian first ”met” Kendall he was using her to get back at his ex best friend Kade, he had no idea that she was struggling with her inner demons and was bi-polar. He was an alcoholic and a drug addict and had no concerns for anything or anyone except revenge. Fast forward and both Julian and Kendall have worked hard to get their lives on track. Julian knows that he owes Kendall an apology and in truth, he misses her. Kendall has done her best to avoid thinking about Julian as she still isn't over the hurt he caused, not only to her but her family. After constantly showing up and trying to apologise, Kendall finally decides it's time to face Julian and they slowly work their way back into a relationship. Of course Kendall is extremely anxious that her sister Lexie and brother in law Kade don't find out that she is seeing Julian again. What will happen when their secret is exposed? Will her family trust her to know who or what she wants for herself? Or will it come to an ultimatum of family versus the man she loves? You'll have to one click to find out. I love second chance at love stories and this one was captivating from the start. This book was extremely well written, the issues that both Julian and Kendall face are real and Ms.Phillips handled them with respect and dignity.