I’m a big fan of Lucinda Berry’s novels so I was excited to read Off the Deep End. The main problem I had with this novel was the alternating POVs. Jules and Amber were both unlikeable to me. Isaac would have been a much better choice for a POV. Amber is Isaac’s mom and Julie’s is Gabe’s mom. Too much went on and yet I was just left feeling meh. The twists were so ridiculous.

Book: Off The Deep End
Author: Lucinda Berry
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Pub Date: January 10, 2022

Wow. This book covered some very hard topics and did it very well. Is it bad to say you loved a book that talked about your worst fears? It’s a very dark book that will keep you up at night. A very haunting story told from the perspective of two mothers. This book will be one of my favorite reads of 2022.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is January 10, 2022.

Lucinda Berry does it again, she creates and makes such high quality thrillers that are easy to devour and talk a lot about mental health. I really enjoy the representation that she includes within her books. Also, I freaking LOVE the cover on this one!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an e-arc for review!

This was my first book by this author. There is a horrible accident and a teenager dies. Jules was driving the car that plunged into the frozen water and caused the death. She and the teenager who survived the crash have survivors guilt. The story takes place after the accident and mostly switches between the point of view of 2 women who are some of the main characters in the story. Some parts of the story were weird but it was a good read. I got pulled in quickly but the middle was a little boring. The ending was unexpected. Without giving information away that might be a spoiler, this book deals with a sad theme that is unfortunately present too often in our country, but it comes at it from a different angle. People don't often think about how our actions might affect our family. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy.

Ugh I wanted to love this one so bad. I just felt like we could have gotten a lot more than we did. I would have loved to get an Isaac perspective and less of Amber since nothing really happened in her chapters until the ending. Jules was just batshit crazy & I felt like we didn’t really get full answers from her.

This was my first Lucinda Berry book, I’ve heard good things so I was hopeful. The book had a great start. A woman, her son and a neighbors son are a car wreck and she thought she saved her son but it was the other boy. We get flipped from past and present and also POV of both mothers. I was definitely anticipating where this book was going, though it did get a little slow the middle.
Then the twist came. Now, while I did not see that coming, it just didn’t work for me. It just didn’t work into the story seamlessly or well at all for that matter. It felt like someone chopped two books in half and glued them together. The first half was promising, then the second half was a completely different story and they just didn’t mash well.

Thank you NetGalley, Lucinda and Thomas and Mercer for allowing me to read this before publication.

First, I want to start by saying due to recent events this book can be triggering. TW include attempted suicide, school schooling’s, and in appropriate relationship between child and adult.

I feel like the main characters in this book (Jules and Amber) are just tiresome. They don’t get along because they are literally the same person. I also did not really see the point if including Jules’ POV as she didn’t really contribute much other than annoyance to the story. And don’t get me started with her relationship with Isaac. C R E E P Y. She claims it was “nothing sexual” but still very weird none the less.

The story line was good, I could see how the author was going with bullying and trauma can affect a child, especially school age and in this day in age.

This was a good read, I wish the Amber and her husband didn’t give away what happened to Isaac though.

What I love most about Lucinda Berry’s books is that they deal with very real psychological issues. It’s evident from page one that Lucinda Berry is an experienced psychologist. Because this book deals with hard topics and is written so well, there were a few times the book was emotionally hard to read. For that reason, Off The Deep End is a book that I will always remember. I love the characters, the perfect amount of plot twists, and the ending that was equally shocking and believable. Lucinda Berry writes another perfect read!!

This book started out well and then took a nose dive. It started dragging and at one point I had to check if I was reading the same book because the story seemed to go in a different direction. The characters were annoying and by the end I didn’t care what happened to Isaac.






Thank you to Netgalley And and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Brilliant....Lucinda Berry is fantastic at pulling you in and hooking you from the very first page and this book is no exception I was definitely hooked i had to keep reading and reading to find out what would happen next ...her writing flows beautifully and that makes for an easy read! The ending shocked me so much I gasped out loud!!! Loved this book!!!!

Jules crashes her car into a lake and her son dies. Isaac, the teen that was also in the car survives as well.
After the crash, Jules just can’t get on with life and ends up in a hospital.
When Isaac starts to visit, Jules seems to be coming back around. But now Isaac is missing and his family thinks Jules has something to do with it.
I enjoyed reading this, there was always a “I need to know what’s gonna happen next” feeling. The book had plenty of suspense, confusion and emotions to keep me entertained. I have read 2 Lucinda Berry books and really enjoyed them.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this arc honestly.

I enjoyed the psychological aspect of the story and what the characters were going through but the characters themselves (the adults) we’re fairly annoying and repetitive. The story started out fast, then quickly got very slow and repetitive, then towards the end threw in something new and rushed the ending that left you going huh?! I enjoyed it enough that I finished it and kept coming back to it and had to know how it would end but this wouldn’t be a top recommendation by any means.

This book was amazing. I went into it blind. Lucinda Berry writes the most intriguing stories and I can never put it down. I binged this one. It was amazing. Touched upon very sensitive topics in our country today.

Thank you for my Netgalley copy.

I really wanted to love this book but I found that I put it down often. The book lacked focus. The writing and dialgoue was repetitious. There was no real twist. So many things seemed I'll placed and used for shock value. I am really trying to figure out what the author's focus was for this one. It covered and dabbled in numerous topics most with a lack of depth. I also didn't like that the story was told about Isaac but from the Point of view of Jules and Amber, who were both insufferable. The book is 85% psychological and in these characters' head but some how the plot is focused on Isaac. It was odd to say the least.

Wow! This was roller coaster of a book! Be prepared for many unexpected twists and turns! I liked the alternating perspectives and the unique insight into what the characters were really thinking. Highly recommend!

Jules Hart life fell apart the night her car plunged into the lake. She could only save one of the two teen boys who were with her, so why didn’t she save her own son? Unable to move past her grief she alienated her husband, family, friends and ends up parked in front of an oncoming train. The only person she seems to respond to is Isaac, the teenage boy who she pulled from the lake instead of her son. Now Isaac is missing and his mother is sure Jules holds answers. There is a serial killer who has been preying on teen boys so the clock is ticking in finding answers. Is Jules hiding Isaac or is he the latest victim of the killer dubbed “ The Dog Snatcher”?
This is one of those stories that you can’t put down and takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. In the beginning I felt empathy for Jules but as the story continues I ended up wanting to shake her. I would have liked to hear more from Isaaxs’ POV and the lack does make his actions hard to understand. I have seen mixed reviews on this but I really enjoyed this one and need to grab her backlist.

Well written and unputdownable. Surviver's guilt leads to unimaginable ends. This story kept me on the edge of my brain throughout the ending. I did not see the twist coming and was amazed at how well the plot turned. "Everyone needs a reason to live or you can't stay alive."

This was my 4th book by Lucinda Berry. I love her background in psychology and how she weaves it into her stories. But this particular story was a bit too much for me.

Jules’s story line started off strong, but every time something new was revealed that showed just how off the rails she was after her son’s accident, it became less and less believable.

The twists were fine at first, but eventually there were so many new twists and layers added in that it all became sort of jumbled and the plot was lost a bit.

Character-wise, Jules was off her rocker, Amber and Mark were pretty crappy parents, and don’t even get me started on Isaac. No one in this story was likable. I never had anyone I could really root for.

All that being said, I stayed interested in the story and the pacing was great. I wanted to keep reading to figure out the mystery.

I received an ARC of this book from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.

Just finished this ARC thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture.

Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2
Publish date: Jan 10, 2023

Yes! Lucinda Berry has brought us another fantastic book! The story followed along on one route , then bam, it derailed! A crazy twist!

Hold on for the rollercoaster of emotions. The story first leaves you scared when Jules and the boys end up in the lake trapped in the car. It then moved onto the grief Jules feels from losing her son. Then to watch as the grief becomes too much for both families and the effects it causes for them.

I highly recommend this book! Make sure to grab it in Jan when it's released!

Book Description:

Therapist turned stay-at-home mom Jules Hart’s idyllic suburban life shatters when she crashes her car into an icy lake. Her son and another teenage boy plunge into the water with her, but Jules can only manage to save one—the wrong one.

Reeling from the death of her son, Jules spirals into a violent and unstable mental state. Ten months after the accident, she’s still trying to reckon with the fact that she rescued Isaac Greer, another woman’s child, when Isaac suddenly vanishes.

Jules finds herself at the center of a massive police investigation. While she harbors her own dangerous secrets, Jules is adamant that she didn’t take Isaac. But then who did? Is Isaac the victim of a dangerous killer who’s been targeting boys in the Midwest? Or is someone else pulling the strings in this deadly game?

This is my third book by this author and I'm afraid it wasn't my favourite. It started off really strong and I was gripped. The story told from jules and amber, but I felt the ending let it down. I think definitely worth a read. I think k this author does write well down psychological disorders which I found interesting, at times rather dark .

Thank you netgalley for this advanced copy