Many friends have been raving and recommend Heather's books to me for some time. I can't say there is one thing that kept me from reading, but I am glad Jessica picked The Deep End of the Sea for me to read. 
 One thing to note before going into this one - you must throw out the stories and any preconceived thoughts of all the Gods/Goddess and/or mythology. Heather takes well-known Gods and Goddess and their stories weaving it into something wholly her own and unique. It can take you aback seeing them in the modern world. Or seeing some of the them portrayed as "good" and some as "bad." But what really took the bank was the story she created for Medusa. 
 The themes that The Deep End of the Sea touch on were handled in the best of ways. You have the aftermath of a rape, victim blaming, guilt & grief, romance and then you have the theme of what makes US monsters, and redeemable. Medusa felt like the worst kind of monster for the things she did during her exile, and it took a lot of convincing that she wasn't a monster. Actually, a lot of what she did was unintentional but she was hearing none of that. 
 As far as the romance goes, I loved it. I loved Hermes, his kind, patient side. His strong side too. He would stop at nothing to protect Medusa and you can't help but admire that. They were adorable together, and the moments between them were so swoony! Oddly enough, even though this is romance above all else, that is all I have to say on it. 
 What kept me from falling IN LOVE with this story were 1.) the characters. I felt like Medusa was stronger while cursed; she wasn't one to stand on her own. It could be the changes sure, and learning to live outside of isolation, where she fit in the world, forgiving herself and redemption but she was too co-dependent. Eventually, she came out of that and became strong and steady. Another aspect was how different a few of the Gods/Goddess acted towards the end after a slight twist was revealed. I felt like their characterizations took a turn, and not for the better. And 2.) I felt there was a lull towards the end of the book, right before things went out with a bang. (Also, I must point out I didn't understand how the twist changed the outcome of Poseidon's claims. If it's the angle I THINK it is, it opens up another can of worms I don't want to get into.) 
 All in all, I liked The Deep End of the Sea. It feels right that this was my first Heather book. I recommend it, especially if you love mythology and romance.