Submerged

Alaskan Courage, Book 1

By: Dani Pettrey

Narrated by: Christina Moore

Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

With Submerged, Dani Pettrey kicks off a thrilling series that is winning the author fans everywhere. When her aunt dies in a mysterious plane crash, Professor Bailey Craig returns to Yancey, Alaska. She soon learns that her expertise is desperately needed in the investigation of a string of local murders—so she works with her ex, Cole McKenna, to ferret out the truth. As they become reacquainted, old feelings rekindle—but do Bailey and Cole have a future together?

©2012 Dani Pettrey (P)2012 Recorded Books

Submerged Left Me Breathless

Would you consider the audio edition of Submerged to be better than the print version?

Though I own this book in print, I chose to listen to it because I couldn't wait until I had enough time to fully immerse myself in this story. I consider a story's ability to be translated into audio in my review, and Submerged rated high for me.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Cole was my favorite character in this book. I really liked his integrity and his desire to seek different perspective to the different situations he was confronted with. He was a well developed character which allowed me to feel his pain and rejoice with him.

What does Christina Moore bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I enjoyed her inflections and found it easy to slip into the story after a couple of words, no matter how many times life interrupted me.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The beginning of the book started out with a bang and soon after my heart was screaming. I was close to the end of the book when I found myself screaming once again. I loved it.

Any additional comments?

This is my first experience with Dani Pettrey and Christina Moore and I am ready for some more.

Could not take the headset off!!

Would you listen to Submerged again? Why?

Most definitely will listen to it again. Dani Pettrey is in line with Dee Henderson -- one of my favorite authors. Submerged keeps you on the edge of your seat.

What other book might you compare Submerged to and why?

Dee Henderson, Ann Perry's Thomas & Charlotte Pitt series, and Terry Blackstock's Newpointe 911 series. I also thoroughly enjoy Colleen Coble as well as others in the 'clean' suspense genre

What about Christina Moore’s performance did you like?

She clearly enunciates and her voice is very soothing. not high-pitched.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I tried to listen to it in one sitting only I feel asleep and had to backtrack.

loved this book

this was a great book! it had me captured from the beginning. can't wait to read the next in this series!

OK, But Predictable

Is there anything you would change about this book?

It would take a lot to bring this up to a 5 star.

What about Christina Moore’s performance did you like?

Yes, it was pretty good and I am not usually a fan of female narrators.

Do you think Submerged needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

It would be expected with all the family members to choose from.

Any additional comments?

I really liked the Alaska-Russian theme in the story. I have always wanted to go to Sitka because of that.

Really Enjoyable Book

Would you listen to Submerged again? Why?

Yes, I would - given a while to forget details. This author may be one of my new favorites.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bailey, of course. She exhibited the ways individuals can change over the years. I liked the way Christianity was inserted in a reasonable way rather than a paste-on.

Have you listened to any of Christina Moore’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, I haven't.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The book kept me interested all the way through. The author uses an unusual plot premise, but it works.

Great storyline

I like more than just a romance novel. This had romance intertwined with mystery and suspense. It was also something I could listen to without hearing vulgarity or steamy love scenes. I'm definitely going to purchase more books from Dani Pettrey.

Excitingly Intriguing, worth the time

I enjoyed the suspense and detailed back story rippling through this mystery, murder, suspense, and romance. It's got something for everyone with a wonderful undercurrent of redemption.

Great Premise, Disappointing Follow-Through

I was very interested in this novel when it was brought to my attention: an Alaskan Atlantis, wherein a Russian-American town disappeared beneath the ocean in an earthquake and present day people have to find it in order to solve a multiple homicide murder mystery.
I wasn't disappointed by the opening, which grabs the reader and puts them in the middle of a crisis. But all too soon the story deteriorated into a romance that I hadn't realized was "inspirational" (it doesn't mention it in the book's description). The heroine, Bailey, spends all of her time re-hashing the mistakes she made as a teenager, despite now being a supposedly sophisticated, or at least learned, woman with a Ph.D. in Russian American studies. These mistakes so beset her that she can't go outside and look at her neighbors, and feels she's unworthy of the man she loves, even though she believes she's a Christian whose sins have been wiped out by Jesus' death. Instead of showing how Christianity has changed her life and made her a better person, and bravely facing her neighbors, she instead seems to have a perverse need to despise herself and constantly shows herself to be an emotional coward. It was very hard to get behind her--which was perhaps a problem the author had, too, since she spends a lot of the time focusing on other characters and other romances. I skipped most of the romance parts, they weren't at all interesting, and certainly not unique, unfortunately.

It takes a long time before we get to the interesting story of the Russian American Atlantis. And while the action was all good, her research was not impressive.

What was most frustrating was the introduction of characters without a clue of how they fit into the picture. I found myself repeatedly going back to find out who was Gage, who was Piper, etc. Whereas it gets very tiresome in some novels continually reading "he said, she said" this novel went to the other extreme. I had to repeatedly stop to figure out who was talking. It was almost painful. Finally, as others have commented, this did not feel like Alaska.

Despite all of the above negatives, I love her larger than life premise and Romancing the Stone ambitions as a writer. I hope that she spends more time on future research, and other areas improve, because I could really get hooked on an author who thinks in such adventurous terms.

Christina Moore was pretty good with the delivery of the story.

Interesting Romance

This story was more than a single couple coming together to have a happy ever after. It was about forgiveness, healing, moving past past mistakes and embracing the future you want. There was also danger, sadness, anger, and fear. The fact that one man didn’t take a chance with the girl he now saw as a woman in the end of the book is the only reason we are not celebrating for two couples. But that may be another story.

great mystery and romance combo

Alaska is a character as well. Murder, mystery, romance and good plot. Human characters and some Christianity. it's clean romance but all the feels are there