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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
Not my cup of tea. Liked the setting of a University athletic team and of the stress that comes with that. Not into the romantic angle -felt forced.
I’d say 3.5, fun read but don’t feel like I learned more than a surface level about any character. It was a little ~shallow~ if you will.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3-3.5 stars
I went into Deep End expecting a deeper exploration of the characters' kinks, especially since the story introduced their list early on—but that plot point was barely mentioned again, which left me feeling disappointed. I also didn’t love how much focus Pen received; at times it felt like the book should have been about her instead of the main couple.
On the positive side, I really enjoyed Luka’s character. Listening to the audiobook, I especially loved Luka’s Swedish accent and the warmth the narrator brought to his voice—it made his character even more likable. I appreciated seeing Luka help the main character rebuild her confidence in swimming and in herself after her accident.
Overall, while the audiobook made some moments more enjoyable, the story itself wasn’t as spicy or emotionally impactful as I hoped. I prefer Hazelwood’s other books more.
I went into Deep End expecting a deeper exploration of the characters' kinks, especially since the story introduced their list early on—but that plot point was barely mentioned again, which left me feeling disappointed. I also didn’t love how much focus Pen received; at times it felt like the book should have been about her instead of the main couple.
On the positive side, I really enjoyed Luka’s character. Listening to the audiobook, I especially loved Luka’s Swedish accent and the warmth the narrator brought to his voice—it made his character even more likable. I appreciated seeing Luka help the main character rebuild her confidence in swimming and in herself after her accident.
Overall, while the audiobook made some moments more enjoyable, the story itself wasn’t as spicy or emotionally impactful as I hoped. I prefer Hazelwood’s other books more.
I don’t typically write really negative reviews because I understand everyone has different taste. I’m sorry for how harsh this will sound.
This book was just pure ick and second hand embarrassment. The main character is more insufferable than any main character I’ve ever encountered. Accomplished woman with zero self worth who begs to be hurt during sex by a man twice her size who doesn’t say a single interesting thing. She’s probably smarter than me in terms of science/ engineering but does not understand how emotions work and blocks out everything that’s inconvenient and falls for a man with a cardboard personality. Like this was genuinely rage bait to me. Ironically, it’s so anti feminist that it feels like it’s written for the male gaze. I was reading this for book club and was determined to finish but the ick was getting the best of me. I cannot fathom people liking this book.
This book was just pure ick and second hand embarrassment. The main character is more insufferable than any main character I’ve ever encountered. Accomplished woman with zero self worth who begs to be hurt during sex by a man twice her size who doesn’t say a single interesting thing. She’s probably smarter than me in terms of science/ engineering but does not understand how emotions work and blocks out everything that’s inconvenient and falls for a man with a cardboard personality. Like this was genuinely rage bait to me. Ironically, it’s so anti feminist that it feels like it’s written for the male gaze. I was reading this for book club and was determined to finish but the ick was getting the best of me. I cannot fathom people liking this book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes