Submerged by Dani Pettrey

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Submerged • Bethany House Publishers; Original edition (May 1, 2012) by Dani Pettrey
Murder, Russians, diving, small town, romance, history....Oh where to start with this book? I absolutely loved it! Submerged is now officially a favorite book! The story was amazing and original, and the characters were superb. The underlying spiritual theme of the book was the power of God's redeeming love, and the author wrote it in such a brilliant way that you can't help walking away from the story feeling loved and wanted.  
The heroine of the story, Bailey, spent her childhood going to everyone and everything searching for something to fill her heart but always ending up empty. That is until she meets Christ and accepts Him into her life, but even then she doesn't truly get the full impact of Christ erasing her past sins and still struggles with feeling not good enough.
Cole McKenna, the hero, has loved Bailey since high school but she pushed him away in favor of parties and popularity. Now that she's back in his life he's wary of opening his heart again, but can't seem to help it. Cole is the perfect macho man, with insane protective instincts and just enough softness. As for the rest of the McKenna clan, I am REALLY hoping that the following books in this series focus on them cause they are so much fun! The sibling rivalry is perfectly done and hysterical. I am super excited to see what else this author has in store for us!
P.S. I love the cover!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dani Pettrey is a wife, homeschooling mom, and author. She feels blessed to write inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things she loves--the thrill of adventure, nail biting suspense, the deepening of her characters' faith, and plenty of romance. She and her husband reside in Maryland with their two teenage daughters.

Just in case you’re curious…The real Dani does love traveling. She’s been to some amazing places (Greece, Hawaii, the Keys) and there are many more she hopes to visit in the future.

And while she’s not quite up to sky-diving, cave diving or heli-skiing (too high, too enclosed, too cold!) she and her family love hiking, canoeing, wave jumping and a ton of other outdoor adventures a little further down on the risk scale.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A sabotaged plane. Two dead deep-water divers.

Yancey, Alaska was a quiet town . . . until the truth of what was hidden in the depths off the coast began to appear.

Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey again. She has a past, and a reputation--and Yancey's a small town. She's returned to bury a loved one killed in the plane crash and is determined not to stay even an hour more than necessary. But then dark evidence emerges and Bailey's own expertise becomes invaluable for the case.

Cole McKenna can handle the deep-sea dives and helping the police recover evidence. He can even handle the fact that a murderer
has settled in his town and doesn't appear to be moving on. But dealing with the reality of Bailey's reappearance is a tougher challenge.

She broke his heart, but she is not the same girl who left Yancey. He let her down, but he's not the same guy she left behind. Can they move beyond the hurts of their pasts and find a future together?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Submerged, go HERE.