Take a photo of a barcode or cover
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Toxic friendship
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
It's a kinky college sports romance. It's exactly what it is. The characters were fun and there were some good moments. It was entertaining and I appreciate the way Hazelwood portrays kink (though, I really wish the realism extended to other aspects of physical intimacy - prep and safer sex anyone?).
I wish we'd gotten a bit more of Lukas' character shown not told, but I did appreciate what we did see.
I didn't love the therapy portrayal, though it's better than most, there was a bit too much magical mental health healing, and the FMC toed the cultural sensitivity line a bit too much, but overall it was entertaining and fun and I would read it again.
7/10 would recommend.
I wish we'd gotten a bit more of Lukas' character shown not told, but I did appreciate what we did see.
I didn't love the therapy portrayal, though it's better than most, there was a bit too much magical mental health healing, and the FMC toed the cultural sensitivity line a bit too much, but overall it was entertaining and fun and I would read it again.
7/10 would recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Review: The Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
Midway through The Deep End, I found myself enjoying the humor and the sprinkle of medical terminology—it added a nice layer of realism and wit to the story. But despite the promise of kink hinted at early on, by the time I reached the first spicy scene, I couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed. For a book that’s supposed to dabble in BDSM, it felt… incredibly tame. Seriously, where’s that list they were filling out? I needed to know what they chose!
Lukas, our brooding Swedish lead, is kind of a jerk. Most of his behavior—especially the ghosting—gets brushed off with a “well, he’s Swedish” excuse, which didn’t sit right. And dreaming about Scarlett while still with Pen? Major ick. His whole “I’m into BDSM but not ball gags” vibe felt inconsistent. Like, if you’re gonna lean into kink, commit! Instead, we got something more like a watered-down Fifty Shades—predictable and trying a bit too hard to be edgy.
Scarlett, on the other hand, is every overused trope rolled into one: anxious, isolated, emotionally fragile. I feel like I’ve read this exact female main character in so many other romance novels. Where are the fun, well-adjusted women with full lives and support systems?
The ending didn’t help much either. The epilogue was basically just texts and a rushed engagement—where’s the depth? Give me a peek into their actual relationship post-diving drama!
Honestly, I think The Deep End would’ve been better as a straightforward sappy sports romance, with more focus on Scarlett’s fear of diving and personal growth. The writing wasn’t bad, but the story just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. That said, if you’re into mild spice, a sports backdrop, and don’t mind a bit of predictable drama, this one might still be your cup of tea.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
funny
lighthearted
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Domestic abuse
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Bullying, Alcohol
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overall:
I liked the characters.
The writing was average.
The sex scenes were sub par for a book with BDSM. And if you do compare it to the heavy marketing as a smutty book, it will disappoint you.
Do not read this book specifically for the smut.
----------------
This book disappointed me. I was NOT overhyped from social media, but even then it still didn't hit my standards. I found this book from 1 post and then just decided to read it because I like certain sports romance books.
The sex scenes were dull, for a book with BDSM. Very dull. They lacked chemistry.
The characters were decent. At some points, I think they lacked chemistry. Sometimes it felt like they were together for no real reason. But ultimately, I enjoyed the romance part of this book. I did like the relationship between the main characters.
This author likes to drop big, scientific words in this book. The author also drops in jargon for the diving and swimming sports, but didn't provide enough context in some cases for the reader to figure out what it means.
I understand the author has a science background, from what I've heard, but when you just shove out big scientific jargon for no reason, it just ruins the reading experience.
I understand a lot of science from my college experience, so lack of science education is not an issue here. I understood a lot of the science she put into the book. I do no enjoy how scientific words were just thrown out at times.
I liked the characters.
The writing was average.
The sex scenes were sub par for a book with BDSM. And if you do compare it to the heavy marketing as a smutty book, it will disappoint you.
Do not read this book specifically for the smut.
----------------
This book disappointed me. I was NOT overhyped from social media, but even then it still didn't hit my standards. I found this book from 1 post and then just decided to read it because I like certain sports romance books.
The sex scenes were dull, for a book with BDSM. Very dull. They lacked chemistry.
The characters were decent. At some points, I think they lacked chemistry. Sometimes it felt like they were together for no real reason. But ultimately, I enjoyed the romance part of this book. I did like the relationship between the main characters.
This author likes to drop big, scientific words in this book. The author also drops in jargon for the diving and swimming sports, but didn't provide enough context in some cases for the reader to figure out what it means.
I understand the author has a science background, from what I've heard, but when you just shove out big scientific jargon for no reason, it just ruins the reading experience.
I understand a lot of science from my college experience, so lack of science education is not an issue here. I understood a lot of the science she put into the book. I do no enjoy how scientific words were just thrown out at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
I absolutely loved the development of Lukas and Scarlett’s relationship and the way Ali Hazelwood described the mental side of injuries and trauma and that while you may be physically healed you may still be affected by the pain. Side note - I was furious at Penelope’s treatment of Scarlett towards the end of the book
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Death of parent