BOOK REVIEW: The High Dive, by Chelsea Fagan
I’ve never considered myself a fan of romance novels. Romcom movies, sure, but romance novels never piqued my curiosity. The only reason I picked this one up was because on The Financial Diet Youtube channel, Chelsea Fagan talked about this being her latest novel and I was like, “I didn’t know she wrote fiction!”
Summary
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 crew. 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 see The High Dive as a mix of Two Weeks Notice (an intelligent, idealistic, working-class woman falls in love with a wealthy, prominent corporate hotshot) and Anyone But You (enemies-to-lovers on a destination wedding trip).
I demand a movie immediately.
Review (spoilers ahead!)
This book was predictable, formulaic, and really fun to read. It had been years since I’ve read a book from start to finish in one sitting, whether fiction or nonfiction. It hit the sweet spot of being earnest and romantic, while still remaining believable.
Alex’s character development was showcased in small but interesting ways. Most notable to me was how she had 2 choices of dresses to wear to dinner: instead of wearing a designer outfit that would have had her fit in perfectly with the wealthy elite, she chose a cheaper dress.
She had worried repeatedly throughout the book about clothing: how her friends would perceive her non-designer outfits, how she paid for said outfits by working extra hours, how over the years she learned how to dress like her rich friends while on a budget… So seeing her cast that particular insecurity aside was satisfying.
One of my favorite characters is Paul, Alex’s best friend. The entire luxury yacht trip was supposed to lead up to his destination wedding, but from the jump we knew that he was unhappy in his relationship with his toxic, controlling fiance. Despite this, he was determined to continue the wedding… until he sees Danial and Alex’s deep love for each other and realizes that relationships shouldn’t be miserable.
I don’t often see characters discussing progressive politics in the fiction I read, but I appreciate how it was written here. Alex coming from a working-class background and worrying about not fitting in with her rich friends feels like something most of us can relate to in some way: the difficulty of navigating conversations with someone from a far different lifestyle, perspective, and experience.
Also, I’m not sure what I expected from a romance novel, but it was certainly not the tasteful description of lovemaking that Fagan used.
Final thoughts
Overall, I really liked this book and can definitely see myself returning to it if I’m in the mood for an easy read.
Its predictability is a major reason why I liked it. I mean, we knew Paul would call off his wedding just as we knew Alex and Danial would get together. This book isn’t about getting to the destination in the fastest way possible, but through a scenic route of the conflicts in their journey.