After being betrayed by her (ex) boyfriend - Silas - and (former) best friend - Lainey - Jade just wants to get away. Luckily, she's signed up for Campus on Board, a semester-long program at sea, which will hopefully give her the space she needs. Unfortunately, some of the first people she sees when boarding are Silas and Lainey.

Now, Jade can't avoid them, but maybe now she can get some closure? Only if she can get Silas away from Lainey, maybe then she'll be able to ask him what happened between them that he decided to break up with her via text and then promptly block her. It's fair to say that something is not quite right about the situation.

Then, Lainey disappears from her room, and by the looks of it, she didn't leave peaceably. All eyes are on Jade since most everyone knew about the problems between the two girls. If Jade wants to prove her innocence, she'll have to figure out what happened to Lainey and who could have wanted to harm her.

The story starts off with a bang as the opening pages are the discovery of Lainey's very empty (and bloody) room. Right away, I'm pulled in. From there the story slows down a bit as readers are caught up on everything leading up to this opening moment. It kind of puts the breaks on the momentum early on. While I liked getting the backstory, I felt like we could have gotten the information quicker. As it stands, it takes until almost the halfway point in the book to get back to where we started in the prologue.

Once we hit that point, the story moved from "I've been betrayed, I must find out why" to "I need to prove my innocence". It's full of a lot of twists and turns. Some more plausible than others, but honestly I could feel Jade's anxiety and the franticness just jumping off the page. It certainly lends itself well to the thriller portion of the story. We believe in Jade's innocence, and Jade is adamant about her innocence almost to the point that she'll take any crumb of information and run with it to the point where almost everyone becomes a suspect.

One thing that was a bit off-putting to me was the way the characters talk. I felt like it wasn't representative of how real 18 year old's would speak or think. There are other instances that I don't really want to get into because I want to avoid spoilers. But there were definitely revelations that made be take a second look but everyone else had an almost casualness about it, didn't even blink twice. I just found it odd. It's difficult to put this into words. Maybe it was intentional posturing on the part of the author. A commentary on how these kids really are on their own throughout the story and we're seeing them rushed into the adult world with the things they have to deal with.

I'll say the big twist at the end pulled me back into the story and made me very interested as to how everything would play out. I just wish the rest of the story was trimmed down a little bit.

For the majority of the book I was enjoying the story and the mystery of it all. It kept me flipping pages and wanting to read more, but I can’t say that I was happy with the ending. Things were explained, but the punishment didn’t seem worth the murder’s crime.

Lying in the Deep give me everything a thriller a thriller is suppose to give. I enjoyed everything about this book and more. I couldn't wait to get to the end of the book just to see how the author planned on ending all the twist and turns.

This was fun, atmospheric, and fast paced. I don't think I'm in the YA target audience anymore, so I found some of the scenarios and dialogue to be a bit cheesy. This was entertaining though.

This is a fun, fast-paced ya thriller that kept me on my toes. Jade is a bit of a drama queen, but who could help it after a horrible breakup. Jade's ex, Silas, left her for her best friend and both cut off all contact. Pretty depressing. But, when she sees that they are boarding the same overseas learning cruise, things start to fly off the handle, and Jade winds up looking suspicious.

I enjoyed this one. It's really a fun and quick read. I couldn't take Jade too seriously because she seemed a bit over the top at times. But, I wound up liking this!

Out May 2, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

The premise caught my eye right away, I loved the idea of a semester at sea, and the plot felt fun and unique. However, I think it lacked execution. The characters seemed like they were in high school, not college. Everyone came off as somewhat one-dimensional, and immature. Their decisions made no sense most of the time. But it was still a quick and easy read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Razorbill & Penguin Random House and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is an enjoyable mistery read with murder at sea, betrayal and twists! I loved that the characters were university students which made it more believable for me when the big twist was relieved. The only thing I would have changed would be the built up to the romance - it felt a bit rushed

4/5 stars

Jade goes on a a campus at sea cruise after being jilted by her boyfriend and betrayed by her best friend. A murder occurs and everyone has something to hide. This was full of twists and turns around every corner and I couldn’t hardly put the book down. Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Group-Penguin For Young Readers Group for this ARC that will be published May 2, 2023!

I read this authors other book and I thought it was good. This one for me was so much better. I love this authors writing style and will continue to read more from her. I recommend this book.

Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book. I chose to review it and this in no way impacts my opinion of it. A huge thank you to Penguin Teen for allowing me to read and review this novel.

“That spoiled, selfish brat got exactly what she deserved.”

This novel begins with a quick glimpse of the murder scene to come. Then we flash back to three weeks earlier when our MC is boarding Campus on Board, her future cruise ship home where she’ll spend a semester travelling and learning. This semester is her chance to forget about the heartbreak of losing both her boyfriend and her best friend. Who also just so happened to start dating after dropping her. But while boarding, she quickly realized that the backstabbing couple are also joining on her semester of a lifetime. While her obsession with the couple grows, a shocking murder takes place.

When I read the synopsis for this novel, I knew I desperately needed to read it. I watched a comedy tv show as a young child called Breaker High (which starred a young Ryan Gosling by the way) and this show was about a high school on a cruise ship. I was OBSESSED with this show and I knew I would love Lying in the Deep just as much. And I wasn’t wrong.

While I did guess the one twist near the beginning of the novel, I didn’t find that this took away from the story at all. It was still a really fun read with other mysteries to solve.

This was just the fun, romantic, thriller I was hoping for. It was cute at times, funny at times, and downright exciting all of the time. If you enjoy a little romance with your bloody murder stories, then this novel is for you. I give this novel 5 bloody stars!

This was an enjoyable and fast-paced read.

It has a great mix of teen angst and twists that keep you guessing. I’m willing to bet that you will not be able to guess how this book ends.

I’m usually pretty good at figuring things out, and while I may have gotten some parts right, other parts completely blew me away. Many things that I did not see coming at all.

I’ve read Urban before and I enjoy her writing style. I’ll likely continue picking up her books because they’re always an enjoyable time.

This was a really fun read in a really unique location!
Jade is looking forward to her college semester on a cruise ship so she can get away from the best friend who burned her and her ex boyfriend who dumped her. But lo and behold, the two people she wants nothing to do with are on board. And then people start whispering, and everyone seems to have hidden agendas. And then somebody dies.

I found this book a romp, leaning into the teen/college age “no thoughts head empty” emotion fueled thought process as Jade tries to navigate her friendships that have crashed and burned with the aid of a mysterious guy named Felix, the only person who takes her side when everyone points their fingers at her. He book really ramps up towards the end. I had suspicions but didn’t see the climax coming the way it did at all.

I saw one reviewer call this a teen retelling of Death on the Nile, but with a European setting, and it didn’t occur to me while reading but I can totally see that! If you’re looking for a boat themed murder mystery this is a really great option.
Four stars!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc copy.

Oh wow. This book was so good!! I was not expecting any of the twists, and I loved the setting and environment of this book. I had so many guesses for the ending for this book and none of them were right. I’ll definitely be reading more of Diana Urban’a
books in the future!

Short and Sweet Review
Jade recently got dumped by her boyfriend who just so happened to leave her for her ex best friend, Lainey. So now Jade is ready to embark on a campus on board cruise visiting 11 countries in 4 months. What Jade wasn’t expecting was to see that Lainey and Silas have also come along. Jade becomes obsessed with trying to figure out why those two basically did her dirty and soon enough someone on board gets murdered and Jade and her crush Felix try to solve the mystery before one of them is next.
This was a good mystery I wasn’t sure what was going on until the end and then it just all made sense. I will say Jade is not my favorite character, she was too impulsive and just made bad decisions. I will say seeing Jade constantly obsess over Silas and Jade was exhausting. Jade used to date Silas and be friends with Lainey so when she sees that their also on this trip she tries to talk to them and even when they try to avoid her she still doesn’t get it. There was a bit of a romance between Jade and Felix, mainly because Jade was trying to use Felix to make Silas jealous but I guess somewhere in there they ended up liking each other. The first murder doesn’t happen until maybe 100-150 pages in but that’s when things start to get interesting. There’s a boat full of people and Jade is mainly hanging out with the college kids and somehow most of them have ties back to Lainey whether they know it or not. Jade looks guilty mainly because she doesn’t know how to let things go so she looks like a vengeful manic to some of the other people on the boat. I will say the first murder really surprised me but the other two kind of seemed unnecessary.
I liked that the mystery took place on a cruise ship, because there’s really no place for the suspect to run. There were some twists which were interesting, the ending was a little lackluster. I will say overall this was a good mystery but some things could have been better especially our main character Jade.

From the second I picked up this book, I couldn’t put it down. The premise was simple, but my brain was working overtime to connect all the dots and find out who did it. I found myself going back and forth between all of the characters trying to figure out who was lying, and why the breakup happened, and was still shocked by the outcome. The characters were so well-developed, the story was interesting, and the ending wrapped up so nicely that I couldn't help but continue thinking about the book for hours after I finished it.

I received this ARC for my honest opinion and review from @netgalley
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Wow. I was not able to put down this book and whenever I had to, it was all I thought about. First a little bit about Lying in the Deep by @dianaurban

The synopsis reads: "After being jilted by her ex-boyfriend and best friend, Jade couldn't be more ready to embark on the adventure of a lifetime—11 countries in 4 months, all from the luxurious Campus on Board ship—and to wedge an entire globe between her and the people who broke her heart. But when Jade discovers the backstabbing couple are also setting sail, her obsession with them grows and festers, leading to a shocking murder. And as their friends begin to drop like flies, Jade and her new crush must race to clear her name and find the killer they’re trapped at sea with….before anyone else winds up in body bags."

The character and story were both majorly compelling and I really enjoyed Jade as a character. I can honestly say I never saw each twist coming. And oh boy that ending!!

If you love a good whodunit, locked-room mysteries with a twist at every turn, then you will love this book. On May 2, everyone should be rushing to buy this one. Definitely a new favorite of mine.

4.5 ⭐️

Jade Miller has looked forward to a semester abroad aboard a cruise ship. When she spots he rex-best friend Laney and ex-boyfriend Silas, her plans of enjoying this experience has gone to trash. Until she meets the brooding and handsome Felix, who she convinces to fake date her to make Silas jealous. While developing real feelings for Felix but trying to get answers from Silas, students start dying. And most importantly, who killed Laney?

What a fun murder mystery PLL-esque read! I enjoyed it - there were a bunch of characters who all played a role and somehow were all connected when the big reveal happened. Yes there was gaslighting and manipulative schemes, drugs and alcohol, some pretty messed up stuff, but it all balanced with the fake dating slash love triangle-y romance. Loved that it was first POV so I knew for sure Jade wasn’t the murderer. I definitely could see this as a movie or show!

My thanks and love for Netgalley and the publisher for this copy of eARC 🫶🏻.

Love the chase, love the thrill. Definitely kept me on my toes the entire time!! And it was fun trying to piece the puzzle alongside Jade. Some guesses came true, others totally bewildering. Such fast paced plot, and a huge page turner. I'm glad I got the chance to read this 🤍.

Jade was really looking forward to her semester at sea. With her boyfriend Silas leaving her for her best friend Lainey she really needed to get away. Oh, just one problem: her ex-boyfriend and ex-BFF are also doing the same semester at sea. Right from the start the tension is high as Lainey makes it clear she wants Jade to stay away from her and Silas. When a giant rock almost hits Lainey while they are out on their first excursion in England, Jade of course comes under suspicion, but this is only the start of things to come. The ship setting and that opening near miss with the rock instantly made me think of Death on the Nile, (which I have no doubt may have served as inspiration for the story) and while the two stories are different I still feel it’s an apt comparison as they are both ‘locked room’ mysteries/thrillers set on a ship with interesting characters (suspects) and a number of twists with a solid ending. If I have any complaints it would be that there were times, mostly just early on, where I felt Jade’s anxiety/irritation seemed to little bit too much, but hey since I’ve never been in her situation maybe I’m wrong, lol. Overall I enjoyed it and think it would make a cool Netflix/Prime movie/miniseries. Thanks so much to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Razorbill and NetGalley for the chance to read an eARC of Lying in the Deep.

Lying in the Deep is a gripping YA thriller that takes place on a "semester at sea" experience and follows Jade, as she attempts to overcome her unexpected breakup with her "love-of-her-life" and the ultimate betrayal by her best friend. Unfortunately, her hopes of putting a world between her and them is short-lived as the two are also partaking on this adventure. While attempting to make new friends, Jade is struggling with balancing classes, overcoming anger issues, and convincing her classmates that she's not a stalker or violent person. This is all before a shocking murder occurs and everyone is suspecting everyone else.

Lying in the Deep is fast-paced, and the characters are well-written (in the sense that they are young, naive, immature, insecure college students). The mystery was intriguing and I was definitely kept guessing. While I predicted a few of the reveals, I was still pleasantly surprised by some. I'll be recommending Lying in the Deep to anyone looking for an exciting, fast-paced YA thriller (it's a great beach read)!