I always find that I’m searching for those perfect summer reads as soon as the end of February hits and spring and summer are on the horizon. And if you’re anything like me then you’ve also already begun to curate your Summer 2025 Reading List. Whether you’ve been adding to your list for weeks or haven’t quite started it yet, you will definitely want to check out The High Dive from Orsay Press.

The High Dive, by Chelsea Fagan, is an enemies-to-lovers read that comes out May 27, 2025.

“Alexandra Onassis hates only two things: austerity politics, and Danial Azad. As the only scholarship kids of their elite group at Columbia University, their heated dynamic was scorched forever by one fateful, awful night just before graduation.

And in the ten years since, Alex and Danial have been on radically different paths: she crafts social media campaigns for an ultra-progressive political party; he’s a rising star at a notoriously savage private equity firm.

But when two of their college friends decide to tie the knot in the Mediterranean—and to host their old crew on a ten-day chartered yacht trip beforehand—Alex must finally face Danial, and the sobering reality that she’s now the only middle-class outcast in this ultra-wealthy club. When her ideals start to clash with her most intimate desires, Alex must learn to swim in emotional waters that are as unfamiliar as they are undeniable.”

I love a good romance novel, however, one thing I’ve always struggled with is how unrealistic they can sometimes be – from a financial aspect, and also just character development. This is not the case with The High Dive.

The two main characters, Alex and Dan, are both incredibly realistic – meaning they both have flaws and traits that drove me crazy (in a good entertaining way) but are easy for readers to connect and relate to. And despite being the main romantic focus both characters have backstories that are engaging in-of-themselves. I love a good romance novel but not when the romance is the sole focus (however, I am very aware this may just be a me thing), and Fagan has done an exceptional job at blending romance with financial class differences, travel, friendship challenges, and family issues while still maintaining the entertainment, humour, and yearn that is more-often-than-not found in romance novels.

The High Dive is everything you could want in a romance novel – it’s set in a prime location, filled with chaos, it’s sexy, humorous and easy to read; but if you’re looking for something that’s a bit more relatable and accessible than you will not be disappointed!

Book summary and cover from: www.thehighdivebook.com

Thank you to Orsay Press for sending me an advanced eCopy of The High Dive in exchange for an honest review.

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