Submerged by Dani Pettrey

Bailey Craig has made a new life in Oregon and she had vowed never to go back to Alaska and the memories of her wild past. But then her aunt is killed as the plane she was in goes down in the waters off her home town. She will have to go back for the funeral and to prepare her aunt's business for sale. She doesn't look forward to facing the reputation she has in that town. Even though she has become a Christian, a new creation, they will still remember her past.

When Bailey is back in Alaska, she finds two surprising revelations. Cole is the man she so horribly betrayed. They had been good friends, close friends. They had dived together. But one night she had gotten drunk and broke his heart. Now he is a rescue and salvage diver. To Bailey's dismay, she still has feelings for him. And it becomes evident that he still loves her. But how can that be when she hurt him so? How can he ever forgive her?

Then the NTSB determines that the plane crash was not an accident. Bailey's aunt was murdered. As Cole's diving siblings and Bailey go deeper into the mystery, their own lives are brought into danger.

This is a very well written debut novel. The characters are well developed and the plot is intriguing. You'll learn a bit about Russian history and how it intertwines with Alaska. You will also be faced with what it means to become a new creation in Christ. Can past sins really be forgiven?

The writing is great. The mixing of mystery, suspense, and the rekindled romance between Bailey and Cole make for a page turning novel. I look forward to more novels in this series.

Dani Pettrey is a wife, a hone-schooling mom, and author. She loves to write suspense, characters with deepening Christian faith, and romance. She and her family live in Maryland. This is her first novel. To learn more, visit www.danipettrey.com.

Bethany House, 313 pages.  Publisher product page.

To purchase this novel, please visit your local Christian bookstore.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House for the purpose of this review.