Genre/Tags: Young Adult/New Adult, Coming of Age, Psychological Fiction/Psychological Realism, Teen Romance
Trigger Warning: narcissistic abuse, physical abuse, attempted rape.
Tropes: best-friends-to-lovers, fake-dating-to-the-real-deal; love triangle.
Sometimes the bad-boy really is just a bad guy, and sometimes your best friend can be so much more than that…
Submerged (Submerged, #1)
Sometimes the bad-boy really is just a bad guy.
Sixteen-year-old Abby Henderson thinks she’s found the one in Harlow Academy’s star football player Dennis Whitmore, but as their relationship blooms, she begins to see that he has a frightening dark side. As Abby is pulled deeper into a false sense of love and loyalty, she finds that she’s become someone else, she’s pushed her family and friends away, and she’s become submerged with Dennis. She doesn’t want to forsake Dennis, who she’s promised to stick by if he’ll change. But when she realizes she’s forsaken herself, she must decide what, and who, she truly wants.
Copyright 2020 by K.R. Cook
eBook ISBN: 9781393112303
Print ISBN: 9781393221975
Unleashed (Submerged, #2)
Sometimes your best friend can be so much more than that.
Abby Henderson learned a thing or two from dating bad-boy Dennis Whitmore: always trust your gut, actions speak louder than words, never let your guard down. After realizing he’s just a bad guy and ending things, she’s determined to move on… but Dennis has other plans. While Abby struggles in dealing with her newfound feelings for her unavailable best friend Matt, she must also accept who she’s become and rediscover who she wants to be… and she must fight to be unleashed from the one who’s just dying to drag her back down with him.
Copyright 2020 by K.R. Cook
eBook ISBN: 9781393706847
Print ISBN: 9781393706847
Overcoming (Submerged, #3)
Sometimes even shattered butterflies still fly.
Abby Henderson and Matt Kelley are finally off to college together, but being on campus is a completely new experience for them. They’re given the chance to be who they want to be for the rest of their lives, but while there are exciting opportunities at every turn, there are also obstacles and challenges. Their relationship is tested as they become overwhelmed by all that college offers, from the classes, to the parties, to the people they meet. Will their love for one another be enough to get them through it all?
Copyright 2020 by K.R. Cook
ISBN: 9781393124375
Meet the Characters
Set the Mood with Music
Quizzes
Are you more like Matt, Abby, Dennis or Tanya? In the Submerged Series: Which Character are You Quiz, you’ll get insight into which character you best match up with based on a series of questions related to your personality, characteristics, style and more!
How well do you know the characters in the Submerged series by K.R. Cook? What about certain events? Are you a top fan, need brushing up or perhaps a nudge to find out the real answers (aka reading the series)?
Facts and Other Random Things
In Submerged, the fictional heavy metal band Sacrifice for my Dearest was created, with inspiration taken from BFMV. This is Matt and Abby's favorite band in High School. In college ( see OVERCOMING), when they meet Eli, they discover he too is a fan. After attending an epic concert, Abby and Matt run into enemies, and a scuffle ensues between Matt and Abby's coworker Blake (who was infatuated with Abby and tried to get her to cheat on Matt with him). During the fight, one of Blake's friends pulls a knife on Matt and Eli.
Abby wears jeans mostly, though they vary from blues to black. Black ankle boots are a must-have when she isn't wearing converse. Before school, she sometimes stops at a gas station near McFall High and grabs herself a packaged pastry of sorts and a coffee.
Abby is known for wearing ankle boots or converse, chokers, distressed jeans, darker colored tops and heavy eye makeup. Her taste in music varies from classical to heavy metal.
Matt's known for wearing all things black, from his tees and jeans to his converse. He's an avid gamer and a fan of Zelda. With green eyes and freckles spread along his nose and cheeks, and a smile that'd make any girl swoon (not to mention his caring personality), who WOULDN'T fall for him?
Dennis is known for wearing jeans, black boots and shirts in colors of greys and blacks. His personality changes from sweet to angered rather quickly. Multiple tats cover his chest, including one of a skull with flames surrounding it. Deemed a "football God" at Harlow Academy, his number one focus is the game.
An aesthetic board of Dennis and Abby's relationship.
An aesthetic board of Abby and Matt's relationship.
What can we expect to see in Matt's bedroom? For certain he'll have gaming consoles, tons of games, a laptop, black curtains and a poster of his favorite band: Sacrifice for my Dearest. And since he works at Teas in a Pod, expect a cup or two of extra-caffeinated tea to be sitting around in disposable cups brought home from the shop.
What can we expect to see in Abby's room? For starters, she spends a lot of time either sitting on her bed working on homework or at her desk. A fan of heavy metal and darker colored themes, we can expect to see skulls and black decor. An avid doodler, she may even have framed artwork hung on her walls, the inspiration for her work derived from either the most tragic events of her life, or the most special. On her bed you'd find Flutter, a butterfly plush Matt won for her at the local pizza joint.
What can we expect to see in Dennis's room? He'll have trophies showcasing his athleticism and winning streak. Pictures on his walls will reflect his obsession with the game. Mostly, everything appears minimalistic, with sheets that are plain and a closet to match. Alcohol will be hidden within binders on his desk. The search history on his laptop will likely have searches like "how not to get caught cheating" or "things guys say to get the girl".
Quotes
What People Are Saying
“To say this book is something special is an understatement. Taking a familiar premise--of the girl falling for the bad boy, but taking it on a wild ride in a different direction from other stories. All too often people tell stories about a girl who manages to change the bad boy to a good man, which is pretty unrealistic. For those like me who have put high school behind them, we know how often this attempt falls flat. Being in the position of "nice guy" when I was younger, like Matt, I always saw how fruitless these attempts were through my female friends. This book tells a far more realistic take on high school romance than most. It does so in ways that make the characters practically leap off of the pages and not only tell but show their story. This book managed to instill shock, sadness, and happiness not in any particular order but often. The main characters are well-written and the side ones are so enjoyable when present that I hope that some of them eventually get their stories told. Tanya, Abby's coworker in particular is a hoot and is one of my favorites. I highly recommend this book with my whole heart, and am so excited to read more from this series!”
— Amazon Review (Submerged)
“This book is very good. After each ending of the book I couldn’t wait to read the next one. I was excited to read what would happen next. You won’t be disappointed.”
— Amazon Review (Submerged)
“This was a fantastic sequel to Submerged. Continuing on from the events of the first book, we get to see more of the story between Matt and Abby. But Dennis Whitmore still looms in the shadows, unable to let go of his now ex-girlfriend. Teetering on the edge of psychotic and obsessive, he creeps around every corner attempting to take Abby for himself and ruin any chance of her having happiness no matter the cost. It's an excellent story about overcoming situations that are very real. The love story that began as a life-long seedling planted in the soil in the previous book begins to grow up and form leaves, with the end of the book showing its first bud. I highly recommend this series and can't wait to read the final book!”