In at the Deep End

By: Kate Davies

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

A fresh, funny, audacious debut novel about a Bridget Jones-like 20-something who discovers that she may have simply been looking for love - and, ahem, pleasure - in all the wrong places (aka: from men)

Julia hasn't had sex in three years. Her roommate has a boyfriend - and their sex noises are audible through the walls, maybe even throughout the neighborhood. Not to mention, she's treading water in a dead-end job, her know-it-all therapist gives her advice she doesn't ask for, and the men she is surrounded by are, to be polite, subpar.

Enough is enough.

So when Julia gets invited to a warehouse party in a part of town where "trendy people who have lots of sex might go on a Friday night" - she readily accepts. Whom she meets there, however, is surprising: a conceptual artist, also a woman. Julia's sexual awakening begins; her new lesbian life, as she coins it, is exhilarating. She finds her tribe at queer swing dancing classes, and guided by her new lover Sam, she soon discovers London's gay bars and BDSM clubs, and...the complexities of polyamory. Soon, it becomes clear that Sam needs to call the shots, and Julia's newfound liberation comes to bear a suspicious resemblance to entrapment....

In at the Deep End is an unforgettably frank, funny, and racy odyssey through the pitfalls and seductions we encounter on the treacherous - and more often, absurd - path to love and self.

©2019 Kate Davies (P)2019 Recorded Books

red flag *trigger warning*

this book is good and the main character is hilarious. I laughed a lot, very English. the book is mostly about an insecure lesbian with a narcissistic partner. Goes through the stages of abuse someone would go through. very texted book. She becomes stronger throughout the book while exploring LGBT culture and finding herself.

4.75 Stars

I love this book, it was really funny and whoever said it was like a queer bridget jones, is so right! And the narrator is great too. Only issue I had was that it got really frustrating towards the end, I would be yelling to my car stereo. Davies portrayal of slowly abusive relationships was probably really realistic but that made it frustrating to read because you really grow to love the main character and want her to make better choices.

sweet and sexy

An interesting little book about kink, trauma, and healing. one of those books where youre not quite sure where it'll take you till you wind up at the end of it, a little sad and a little happy.

Wildly Entertaining and Captivating

In at the Deep End was a wonderful read! It offered all the great parts of any book, BUT was way more spicy and captivating than any recent book I have read. I found myself driving around the block two to three more times, just so I could continue listening and of course to find out what Julia was going to do next!

Aside from the great plot line, I appreciate Davies inviting readers into the lives of queer folks. It was refreshing to read a a book (or rather listen) centered around queerness.

Looking forward to future pieces by Davies!!

Fun Lesbian novel, NSFW, set in England. lang warn

NSFW, enjoyable journey through one women coming out, finding herself, and growing. Sexual language warning

This reads like a horror novel

[SPOILERS]

Oof I don’t even know where to start. I’m not sure if I liked this book, but I did listen to it feverishly waiting to find out how it would end.

Julia has a hook up with a woman, which makes her question all of her previous sexual experiences with men and realizes she’s a lesbian. The book follows Julia exploring her new queer identity which is lovely. There are however a lot of instances like her roommate’s suffragette themed bachelorette party that feels like the book is trying too hard to prove that the characters are “woke” and feminists. Obviously you’d want the characters to be feminists, but I just wish it didn’t feel so cheesy at times.

Julia enters into a relationship with Sam which gradually descends into an abusive relationship with Sam trying to control every aspect of Julia’s life. Their relationship unfolds the way many abusive relationships do in real life, slowly. Sam begins to push Julia’s boundaries surrounding sex (so much of this), starts making decisions on her behalf, and eventually encourages her to abandon her friends. It’s a slippery descent into an absolutely horric power dynamic that leaves Julia consistently fluctuating between elation and devastation.

This reads like a horror novel. The entire time you’re praying that Julia will break up with Sam. While she realizes that Sam’s actions are often unreasonable she equates her actions to passion for most of the book. I’m really glad Julia leaves Sam and ends up with someone who values her in the end. I know how hard it is to leave an abusive relationship, but the ending feels a little bit rushed. I wish we got to know more about the person she ends up.

I have mixed feelings about this book, but it was definitely engaging enough for me to read this in two days.

Returning it

I really tried to give this book a chance! However, there are a few problems I can’t get past 1. The therapist is the WORST. Like seriously as someone in my masters program for therapy I am shocked at the behavior of this therapist. If you have a therapist like the one in this book RUN. Seriously, maybe she tells her off in the end (I’m not sure I couldn’t make it to that point) but that it not the way you speak to a client.
2. I find the main character to be odd. Some may find her charming however, I think there are things about her that make no sense. Maybe that’s the charm? I guess I missed it.
3. As a gay woman I’m confused about the constant need to throw in lingo and make references to things such as “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” I love RuPaul as much as the next bitch but it does not “belong” to gay women, as the author states. Strange.
4. The story has no flow. It isn’t going anywhere that I can tell, maybe the main character will end up with the Ella girl at the end? That’s my guess but I won’t be sticking around to find out. I’m bored and sadly not even excited by the sex scenes.