Deep Blue: A Women-in-Stem Slow Burn Sexy Romance

Kristy McCaffrey

Feb 2018 · The Pathway Series Book 1 · K. McCaffrey LLC

About this ebook

She swims with great white sharks.

And he will film it …

 

“I’m going to freedive with the whites. I know you have a lot of experience filming sharks, but this will be different. You’ll likely have to leave the cage. I need to know you’re up for it.”

Dr. Grace Mann knows great white sharks. As the daughter of an obsessed shark researcher, Grace spent her childhood in the company of these elegant and massive creatures. Now, finally, she’s testing a prototype shark array that may lead to a reliable alert system for swimmers and sharks to coexist. All that stands in her way are two men—her ex, Brad Michaels, fellow shark researcher and the man trying to steal her work, and Alec Galloway, an underwater filmmaker hired to produce a documentary about Grace’s project. Grace mixed her work and love life before and it was a disaster. No matter how sexy Galloway is, she won’t make that mistake again …

Alec Galloway prides himself on being the best in the business, so he’s baffled when Dr. Mann rejects his application to capture her work on film. When her boss overrules her decision and gives Alec the job, he learns that winning over Grace won’t come easy. But Alec is accustomed to dealing with unpredictable creatures, and Grace’s passionate focus on great whites puts her in a class of danger all her own. As his fan-boy crush on the woman quickly turns into something more, his greatest competition turns out to be the sharks themselves.

Don’t miss this contemporary adventure filled with romance and nail-biting action.

2019 Write Touch Readers’ Award – Second Place in Long Contemporary

2019 Carolyn Readers’ Choice Award – Finalist in Contemporary Romance

2019 I Heart Indie Contest – Finalist

Each Pathway novel can be read as a stand-alone, but don’t miss the other books.

Book 1: Deep Blue (Dr. Grace Mann and Alec Galloway)

Book 2: Cold Horizon (Lindsey Coulson and Tyler Galloway)

Book 3: Ancient Winds (Dr. Tristan Magee and Brynn Galloway)

Book 4: A Pathway Short Adventure Collection (more Grace and Alec)

    Includes Deep Blue Australia, Deep Blue Réunion Island, and Deep Blue Cocos Island

Book 5: Cold Horizon Telluride (a Lindsey and Tyler short read)

Book 6: Shark Reef (a great white shark short romance featuring Grace’s friend, Dr. Jen Fairfield)

Book 7: Sapphire Waves – A Novella (Dr. Missy Rembert and Dr. Josh McKittrick)

    Includes the bonus short Deep Blue Hawai’i

Related novella:

Blue Sage (Dr. Audrey Driggs and Braden Delaney)

“A sexy adventure packed with spine-tingling suspense … and sharks!” ~ Ann Charles, USA Today Bestselling Author

“… a compelling dance between two very likeable characters …” ~ D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down.” ~ Robin, Romancing the Book

“McCaffrey has clearly done her research… [she] effectively increases the tension every time Grace enters the water; readers will never know what will happen next.” ~ Kirkus Reviews

“A hunky filmmaker and great whites, what’s not to love?” ~ L. Bryant, InD’tale Magazine

“I could not stop reading …” ~ Night Owl Romance

“This book has it all … danger, intrigue, romance, scientific fact and a fast-paced plot …” ~ Allison Brady, Love Books Group

“… Grace is a brilliant character … five stars …” ~ donnasbookblog

“… like shark week in a book …” ~ Rachel H., reader

*****

Kristy McCaffrey writes romances with compelling heroes and determined heroines mixed with high adventure. Life is a wondrous endeavor and she strives to bring that sense of awe and joy into the tales she weaves. DEEP BLUE is a full-length HEA novel with strong language and medium spice. What it’s not? The typical Jaws story – no sharks or humans die. In fact, you might develop a soft spot for these perfect predators of the ocean.

Ratings and reviews

Deep Blue by Kristy McCaffrey is the first book in her new Pathway series. This romantic suspense novel is a departure for the author, who is widely known for her western romance. Her debut in the suspense genre is a success. Dr. Grace Mann, researcher and computer programmer at the California Marine Institute is the central character. She is the daughter of famed shark researcher, Eddie Mann. Grace is determined to honor her father’s memory by completing a computer program he started developing before his death. Eddie Mann first made Grace a part of his study of Carcharodon Carcharias, the great white shark, when she was six years old, and she now feels a great affinity for and a kinship with these majestic creatures. A photo of Grace freediving with a great white has brought her notoriety in the scientific arena. She is now the star of a documentary about the great white shark, which is being filmed by Alec Galloway. Grace was initially wary of the filmmaker, but now finds herself drawn to him. Alec Galloway, underwater photographer and filmmaker, made it his mission to win the job on the documentary after seeing Grace pictured with the great white. He once witnessed a horrific accident, and is acutely aware of the danger that sharks can pose to humans. He feels that Grace sometimes places herself in unnecessary danger when diving with her beloved white sharks. Alec has developed an attraction to the beautiful scientist and tries his best to protect her from both the sharks and herself. The level of detail in this novel is stunning. The depiction of the oceanic backdrop is awe-inspiring. You are transported to the deep blue. The ocean and it’s creatures are brought to life. The characterization is also brilliant. There are great interpersonal relationships between the characters. Each character is fully-developed, relatable and has a complete backstory. I want to see these characters again. Some are old friends and some need their comeuppance. The author has done her research and every aspect of this novel is fully-rendered. It started and ended perfectly. If you love sharks this is a must-read, but Deep Blue has something for everyone: romance, danger, excitement, intrigue, adventure, jealousy, desire, sabotage and betrayal. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Apart from being suspenseful, Deep Blue highlights the difficulties and challenges that a researcher studying sharks would experience. Having lived on the KwaZulu Natal coast in South Africa for many years, one becomes accustomed to heeding precautions regarding sharks. I found this book insightful and interesting and loved the Shark Whisper's determination to continue, despite the odds against her. Sometimes academia is under attack more often than industry, as scientists vie with one another to be the first in a field and more especially where money is involved. Grace's unfortunate prior relationship with a colleague is hampering her project and when he deliberately tries to sabotage her work, Grace recognises that she has to show even more determination in completing her task. Filmmaker Alec is attracted to Grace, admiring not only her grace and beauty, but also her intelligence. Although he is sometimes sceptical of her relationship with sharks, he nevertheless sets out to protect her and keep her safe, despite his own past experiences. The attraction between Grace and Alec is undeniable, even though Grace does her best to guard her heart. Apart from Brad and the unscrupulous Fowler, I loved the interaction between the rest of the group that formed the research crew. Double D made me laugh and his friendship and loyalty to Alec touched me. The book is very well written with good background research and an understanding of the nature of sharks. I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.

Made me want to be on the voyage. I read 2 to 3 books a week. I have to admit I hardly ever read all the accolades. I read every word. I love the ocean, scared of sharks. Lol. But I do love animals and know they have a higher intelligence and basic instinct to human nature than all of us so called humans ever will. I always watch my animals. If they stay away from someone I will too. By the way this is the first time I've ever left a review.

About the author

Kristy McCaffrey has been writing since she was very young, but it wasn’t until she was a stay-at-home mom that she considered becoming published. A fascination with science led her to earn two mechanical engineering degrees—she did her undergraduate work at Arizona State University and her graduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh—but storytelling has always been her passion. She writes both contemporary tales and award-winning historical western romances.

An Arizona native, Kristy and her husband reside in the desert where they frequently remove (rescue) rattlesnakes from their property, go for runs among the cactus, and plan trips to far-off places like the Orkney Islands or Machu Picchu. But mostly, she works 12-hour days and enjoys at-home date nights with her sweetheart, which usually include Will Ferrell movies and sci-fi flicks. Her four children have nearly all flown the nest, so she lavishes her maternal instincts on her chocolate Labrador, Lily, and Marley, an older yellow Labrador her family rescued in early 2018. Both dogs are frequently featured on her Instagram account.

Connect with Kristy

Website: https://kmccaffrey.com/

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