Every time I pick up a new book, I’m chasing an incredibly specific feeling. It’s that compulsive need to read that kept me under the covers with a flashlight until the wee hours of the morning as a kid—and has me cursing that $20 no-show Pilates fee after a book-induced alarm snooze in adulthood. When a read is so good that it has you counting down the minutes until you can return to your characters’ story, no matter how interesting the social plans in front of you are. While I always hope a book will bring this feeling as I crack open the first page, it’s an incredibly rare feat. But my most recent read checked all of those boxes and more. In fact, it may just be my favorite romance book of all time. Read on for my full review of Into the Blue.
What is Into the Blue about?
An epic, decades-spanning love story that blazes through the worlds of acting and comedy and charts a connection unlike any other.
Into the Blue follows AJ Graves and Noah Drew, from daydreaming teens in the early 2000s to adults in New York City forced to face their shared past. In the summer of 2000, AJ Graves dreams of writing for Saturday Night Live; instead, she’s stuck working in a video rental store in her small Massachusetts town. Then in walks the enigmatic Noah Drew, and her life changes forever. The two forge a deep, cosmic bond, first as friends, then as acting partners—until one day, Noah disappears without a word.
Seven years later, in New York City, AJ is shocked to find herself cast in the same intergalactic TV production as Noah, by then an A-list Hollywood heartthrob. As their on-screen characters grow closer, the lines between reality and acting begin to blur. Unable to stay away from each other, AJ and Noah are forced to confront the truth of what happened years ago—and the devastating secret that will send their lives careening apart, even as fate continues to draw them together.
My review of Into the Blue
The characters felt relatable
If I had to describe Into the Blue in one word, it would be all-consuming (though that may technically be two, now that I think about it). Not only did the book take over my life for the few days it took me to fly through it, but when AJ and Noah are in the same room, their connection similarly fills the entire space. They have that invisible-string attachment that has you willing the universe to force their paths to cross again and again until they’re finally able to confront their feelings.
Save for a quick opening that flashes the reader forward in time, the book unfolds in chronological order, which made me feel like I was right there with AJ every step of the way. I felt every emotion alongside her as she went from a blushing, enamored teen to a lost post-grad to an overwhelmed adult trying to help her family. At the risk of sounding utterly parasocial about someone who isn’t even real, I identified with AJ in ways I haven’t with a character in a long time. Her conflict avoidance, to the detriment of her own dreams; her desire to do the right thing, despite not always knowing what that is; and, honestly, her obsession with Noah Drew (I’m there too now) at times felt like they were coming straight from my own brain. The book’s chronological structure is the perfect way to take us from the first sparks of young love between AJ and Noah through the decades that follow, feeling just as invested as they did.
The romance was real and raw
Yes, this book is a romance, but it’s not the laughs and butterflies you’ll get from your favorite rom-com. It’s full of yearning so intense it’s almost painful. Honestly, you’ll probably be left trying to make out the words on the page through tears. It’s the kind of book you race through with an incessant need to know what happens, while also forcing yourself to slow down because you can already tell this is the kind of story you’ll wish you could read again for the first time.
“If you only read one book this year, please, let it be Into the Blue.”
Obviously, tension is a key component of romance. While we know it can be crafted with forced proximity and forbidden love (and there are some incredible forced-proximity moments when Noah and AJ are acting together), Into the Blue proves there’s nothing more tension-fueling than reality. It doesn’t need to rely on tropes or third-act conflicts to drive the romance or pacing, because the real world throws just as many roadblocks at Noah and AJ as it does at real-life couples. And it’s in those truly raw, real moments that their relationship shines. I don’t want to dive into exactly what these moments are at the risk of spoiling anything, but know that Brodie handles serious topics with care and authenticity. Yes, these storylines serve the plot, but they also do something deeper, making you reflect on your own autonomy—and how, no matter how much you plan, you can never truly know what life will send your way.
It’s the perfect read for fangirls
Now that I’ve waxed poetic about how beautiful the romance is and how deeply this book made me think, I also want to emphasize how fun it is. The NYC comedy scene, a world I know very little about, makes for an incredibly entertaining backdrop. The social politics of improv groups and the best friends (and frenemies) they breed are fascinating and made me want to deep-dive on Reddit about all the comedian lore I’ve missed out on.
On every page, you can tell Emma Brodie is just as much of a fangirl as her readers. With inspiration ranging from Star Trek and Reylo to the SNL backdrop, the book will provide you with plenty of new media hyperfixations. Instead of writing fans off as so many stories do, Into the Blue shows how impactful fan communities are. From AJ and Noah’s original obsession with Astronauticals to how those same fans go on to bolster their careers, it feels like a love letter to the fandoms that help shape us.
So, should you read Into the Blue?
Not only have I begged everyone in my life to read this book, but I’m now screaming into the internet void that you need to get your hands on it immediately. If you only read one book this year, please, let it be Into the Blue. I’m genuinely upset these characters aren’t real, and despite having finished the book a few weeks ago, they’re still taking up so much mental real estate in my brain. Yes, you will almost certainly sob while reading it, but despite the tears (honestly, maybe because of them), I know you’ll be raving about it to the next person just like I am now. From its fun, entertainment-world setting to its real, raw characters and plotlines, Into the Blue will rip your heart open and stitch it back together while you thank it profusely.
Lauren Blue, Associate Editor & Book Club Co-Host
As an Associate Editor for The Everygirl, Lauren ideates and writes content for every facet of our readers’ lives, from must-read books and behind-the-scenes interviews to beauty products she can’t live without. When she isn’t sitting in an AMC watching the latest buzzy release, she can be found scouring Goodreads for the perfect pick for The Everygirl Book Club. There, she co-hosts discussions with members, debating plotlines, fancasting characters, and, of course, tossing in her own recommendations.
