I really loved the setting and plot of this book! The characters were unique and engaging and I loved the flashbacks. I actually wish there was more of the college flashbacks because by the time Alex and Danial got together it still felt a bit rushed, I wish there was more history explained leading up to it. A solid romance though, I enjoyed it!

I really enjoyed this book and didn’t even realize it’s author was someone I followed on TikTok until I got to the end and saw the author photo. I have been in a little reading slump and this heartfelt, fun and entertaining romance was just the page turner I needed. I really wanted to see what happened next in this will they/won’t they slow burn.

Thank you so much to Chelsea Fagan, Orsay Press, and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

I have been following Chelsea for years and have always felt connected to her content and her writing, whether in romance novels or personal finance. I have been anxiously awaiting the release of The High Dive and overall it did not disappoint.

First of all, this cover is exquisite just like her debut novel, A Perfect Vintage. I would desperately love to have this as a piece of art in my home.

Secondly, the themes and issues that Fagan explores in this story is vast. We see Alex, a woman with less money than her richer friends still struggling with their dynamic. Her insecurities come up many times in the novel from start to finish. While my interacts with the wealthy sector are few and far between, I could see myself having the same thoughts and feelings. We deal with unrequited love with our heroine, as she's been in love with Danial for a decade. She has to face him again on a pre-wedding cruise of mutual college friends. The tension and the longing in this book is well-written.

The main characters feel real and papabile. While Alex may have come off as "annoying" for some readers, I found that realistic. A woman working in politics, a sector that leans more patriarchal, she would need to be headstrong and assertive. I wish I could've sunk my teeth more into Danial throughout the entire book instead of more towards the end, but I still think we got to see his warm and thoughtful side. I wish we could've gotten more out of the side characters as it felt very superficial level (and maybe that was the point). If you were looking for cookie-cutter perfect characters, you won't find them in this novel. You will only find characters that are human- full of experience, fault, and imperfections.

Finally, the LGBTQIA+ representation in this book was done so beautifully. We often see some stereotypical LGBTQIA+ characters in books, and like previously mentioned, Guy and Paul felt like real people. I think we learn so much about love, abuse, and heartbreak through these characters.

Overall this was a good novel from Chelsea Fagan. Although the themes felt darker at times from her first novel, I feel as though this will do really well as a beach/vacation/pool read.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

I enjoyed this! I’ve been following Chelsea and The Financial Diet for years and while I liked her first fiction novel, this exceeded my expectations! It was fun and sexy while also touching on social class and political issues.

I think Chelsea Fagan undoubtedly has a way with words and this novel was a breeze to read. As with her previous romance novel, the setting and descriptions were *chef’s kiss*. I also really liked exploring different socioeconomic backgrounds in friendships and relationships - lots of juicy topics and conflicts there to explore.

Unfortunately I didn’t really feel the connection between two MCs who seemed like they fundamentally did not respect one another. I couldn’t fully buy into their love story because I felt like they both lacked charitability towards each other. The pettiness from their college days should’ve stayed in that era!

All in all I do recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick and dirty vacation read. Best enjoyed with an ice cold Shirley temple :)

In this sharp, on-the-nose romance, we follow the story of Alexandra and Danial: one that is full of history, contempt and above all, longing.

The book flits back and forth between Then and Now, following their relationship from college to the present. The two are reunited after a decade apart for her best friend’s bachelor party - a luxurious yacht trip across the Mediterranean. With their old friend group in tow, the two must work through their explosive dynamic over the course of their trip. Can they truly burry the hatchet or do old wounds cut too deep?

I really loved the romance between Alex and Danial, they are dynamic, unique and three dimensional. I especially appreciated that the book showcased more than an enjoyable love story, but provided spot on social commentary. We see Alex’s character development as she navigates her financial disparity in comparison to her affluent friends. The book deals with important themes of class division, the real life and incredibly tangible impact of politics and how the influence this has in relationships.

If you’re looking for a fun, insightful and fresh romance - this one’s for you!

The author manages to do that Nancy Meyers thing, where intensely felt stories of interesting, flawed, smart women take place in lovely settings. It's a joy to sink into one of her novels.

Alex is preparing to take a private cruise with her college friends for a wedding. The week on a luxury yacht brings old insecurities to the surface as Alex confronts the wealth gap between her and her friends. The one member in the group who comes from as humble beginnings as Alex is Danial, but he's since earned a large network in the morally bankrupt financial sector. Not to mention she's been in love with him for over ten years. The intellectual and sexual tension between those two is delicious!!

The writing is reflective and I appreciate how the author draws characters with full back stories and seemingly vast inner lives. She also brings up timely political and social issues, yet I still felt relaxed and more willing to ponder these topics because of how engrossing the novel is. The characters are far from perfect but you find yourself rooting for Alex to find her way forward, whterther with these friends and Danial... or not.

Side note, I would KILL for a Paul follow up. I loved him.

I wanted to love this more but it fell a bit flat for me sadly. I am not even sure I can describe what exactly bothered me about it but to me Alex just felt incredibly inconsistent. She so desperately wants to be accepted by these people she also loudly morally opposes. I got a bit of whiplash when her and Danial had the massive falling out only for him to show up 5 minutes later at her door. Then, at the end, she suddenly is okay with his wealth because he quit his job and is spending it help her and Paul and by bringing their families together. Girl please pick a stance and stop flip flopping when it serves you to. The spice is essentially none existent if you're looking for that and don't even get me started on the wall thing.
The setting was really fun and I liked the concept of it all happening on a mega yacht but we spend 75% of the book away from the yacht. Anyway, I had high hopes but sadly it wasn't quite what I was hoping.

I could not put this book down! I loved the imagery and the storyline. It took me awhile to warm up to the main character, Alex, though. She was a very complex character in a complicated situation and it took a bit for me to get over how bratty she was at times. However, her growth was wonderful and it made the rough spots better! If you like a good romance with a bit of depth this book is for you!

Thank you to Orsay Press for allowing me early access to The High Dive by Chelsea Fagan.

This is the perfect book to add to your summer TBR if you're looking for a contemporary romance with depth, forced proximity, slow-burn tension and the most luxurious setting you could dream. Alex Onassis has worked hard her whole life to achieve her goals, that hardwork is what got her a full-ride scholarship to Columbia. While Alex was working to get and maintain what she wanted, she happened into a group of friends comprised mostly of kids of elite, wealthy families from around the world. Ten years after graduating from Columbia, her group of friends have all found their own lives, most of them continuing in their wealthy families footsteps but Alex chose to follow her passion working in politics and caring for the 'little guy.' Alex has never been able to avoid the influence and affluence of her friend group so when she's expected to spend two weeks traveling around the Mediterranean on a yacht with her ex-boyfriend turned gay best friend, his fiancé and the rest of the group her feelings are complicated...especially because Danial is coming and she's managed to avoid him since what happened on graduation night ten years ago.

Chelsea Fagan did a wonderful job getting just the right amount of tension between Alex and Danial with hints of enemies to lovers mixed in. Their love story had me cheering for a happy ending from the very start of the book. Besides the romance, the personal development of Alex throughout the book was perfect example of learning to accept who you are and what you value while respecting that others get to do the same thing. The aspect of classicism throughout the book was very thoughtfully done while also being pivotal to the connection between Alex and Danial and the overall storyline. I also couldn't help but love Paul and Alex's relationship, the honesty and support they offered each other was heartwarming and critical when it came to the topic of abusive relationships.

Overall, this was such a feel good read that has me in a bit of a reading slump because I just want to continue reading about all of the friends and what happens after the bachelor party.

My review has been submitted on GoodReads, links will be updated once approved on Barnes and Noble and I'll be posting my review on Instagram closer to release date.

“The High Dive” is about seven friends who met and became close while they were students at Columbia University and are now reuniting ten years later for a long European yacht getaway to celebrate the wedding of two of them.

The story focuses on Alex and Danial, the children of middle class immigrants who reacted to their upbringings in very different ways. Alex went to work in progressive politics trying to make the world a bigger place. And Danial set off to make as much money as possible to take care of his family. They fight constantly, clearly still shaken up by something that happened between them during their college graduation weekend.

Look, ‘enemies to lovers’ is one thing, but it was hard for me to relax in reading this book because of the extent of Alex and Danial’s fighting. Alex’s financial stress also stressed me out. And her anxiety gave me anxiety. But I was able to start relaxing a little bit more at about the 50% mark. It may not have been the escapist fiction I wanted when I thought about a book centering around a pre-wedding European yacht getaway, but the characters’ decisions were understandable and I liked the ending. Paul especially had my heart and I really liked the resolution of his storyline, even though it felt like it wrapped up more than a little quickly.

This will be a good vacation read for those who would like to be vacationing on a yacht and have a decent tolerance for conflict, as well as fans of Fagan’s last book “A Perfect Vintage”.

The High Dive by Chelsea Fagan is a sharp, emotional friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance with a political edge. Alexandra and Danial’s dynamic is messy and charged, set against the backdrop of a luxurious Mediterranean yacht trip that forces them to confront old wounds and big questions about class, identity, and desire.

It’s more than just a second-chance romance and Chelsea Fagan dives into what it means to hold onto your values when surrounded by wealth and privilege. Some pacing issues aside, this was smart, compelling, and surprisingly heartfelt.

What a delightful read! I kept reaching to pick this book up and continuing reading it. The location is perfect for your summer or next vacation. While I did find lot of the characters and their comments insufferable at times, the book did a good job on keeping it light while touching on very real ethical dilemmas we are facing. Would recommend this fun enemies to lovers read!

This is such an interesting book! If you're into ultra-rich core then this book will suck you right into it. Personally I am a fan of that setting, so I couldn't pick it up fast enough. That being said, I did have a few qualms with it that I will dive into now- I felt like Alex had a victim complex going on, was she actually friends with any of these people? I have a hard time believing that she was friends with any of these people, she seems like she highkey hates them all. And maybe thats because she hates what they symbolize? But you'd think that she would've processed it a little more than she had. I'm just going to say it, I had a hard time tracking her motivation throughout this book, her inner monologue made you think she was really motivated by money and success and being accepted by the upper class, but then her life choices didn't track with that at all? Which is fine if those choices were backed up by her passion or growth, but it seemed like she was truly unhappy and resented where she was. It also seemed like she almost got off on having a superiority complex where she had a hard time empathizing or connecting with anyone who had money. Also the romance felt forced enemies to lovers, the chemistry was just not there for me. I think the whole book would've benefited from having some more developed supporting characters(beyond the best friend) to help to illustrate growth and connection within the group.

Thanks to NetGalley, Chelsea Fagan, and Orsay Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fun and angsty ride! The romance was definitely swoony. My only niggle is that both of them were hung up one each other for a looong time.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

WOW I felt a lot of emotions with this book! I binged this book in one sitting and am writing this review at 2:30AM.

Firstly, the conversations between different socioeconomic classes were so valid and relatable, I love when a romance book gets all liberal muahaha. It combines my fascination with reading about rich people but also hating them at the same time.

Secondly, the friend group dynamic was so interesting to read about, as well as the general social anxiety the main character has around these people.

Thirdly, the romance boy oh boy did I feel the tension. I will say they were very toxic toward one another and I wish I saw more sweet tender moments between the two, but the buildup/mystery of what happened in the past was crazy.

Leaving it with this ending quote that I thought was beautiful “it wasn’t a shame they had not been together all those years. It was a profound blessing that they came back together now, when they’d both had time to become the person the other deserved.”

I really enjoyed this book. Alex was a complicated character who really grew through this two week boat trip. I loved Paul and her relationship with him. The story was complicated with her friend group but I enjoyed getting to know each character. Definitely recommend.

Normally I really enjoy the "rich people behaving badly" trope but this fell flat in multiple areas. Pros - I did enjoy the yacht life descriptors but I wanted MORE. If you're going to write about the uber wealthy - I want all of the lux details. This felt very superficial. Also - the cover makes it look like a thriller, when really it was a second-chance romance? The "twist" of the past also felt anticlimactic; I wanted the previous drama to be much more salacious/scandalous.

This book was SUCH a fun read. I went in pretty blind, and didn’t really know what to expect, but I ended up obsessed with the story. I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I had to put it down - I ended up finishing it at work!

This book is definitely a romance at its core, but it delves into so many deeper issues. There’s some really interesting commentary about people who are economically conscious in their political activism, and what that means when it comes to wealthy people in your life. What’s your responsibility? Are you allowed to tag alongside lavish lifestyles, while still preaching social equality?

The FMC is also really relatable, and was a refreshing narrator. She’s very insecure about her status in her friend group - anyone who’s been the outsider will definitely resonate with her. However, she’s still dominating in her career, is unapologetic, and generally holds strong to her beliefs.

Despite the heavier themes, this book still strikes a fairly light note - it’s a summer romance, featuring a group of friends, and I’ll be recommending this to everyone I know who asks for a beach vacation read.

If you love reconciliation romances, books about rich people, or reading books set in a picturesque yacht sailing down the Mediterranean, definitely pick this one up!

I was so excited for this book having loved Fagan's 'Perfect Vintage' and I was not disappointed. I flew through 'The High Dive'! The beautiful setting, the diverse and dynamic friendship group, and the yearning (oh the yearning!!) stopped me from being able to put this book down. I loved even more the balance of romance and yearning with political and societal commentary. Something that is not found often, or done so well, within many romance books. Once again, Fagan has written a perfect summer read!