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emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you Berkley for the free e-arc, you guys are my favs!
This book was HOT!
Yes, guys, even hotter than Not in Love. I loved that there was safe exploration of their extra curriculars and positive conversations about boundaries.
CONSENT IS SEXY!!!
Now, is it weird that Scarlett and Lukas are my age? Yes. Yes, it is.
Soley because they left me with a severe case of FOMO. I'm a junior in college rn and nowhere in my entire campus is there a man as good-looking as Lukas. This has only given me a further case of unrealistic expectations.
I had a great time with this, it definitely had me entertained BUT...
This one had me stumbling for a bit, the premise is a little strange towards the beginning. As the novel continues it picks up better flow as we get to see Lukas and Scarlett interact more often. Towards the end though, the steady pacing loses the handle, and we're met with a weird third-act breakup.
To be entirely honest, I wish this book didn't have a third act break up. It felt unnecessary and didn't really add to anything because it was towards the VERY VERY end. Like they had a pretty round up ending until that very last bit.
This is a sports romance so there has to be a sort of balance between the two. Given that this is Ali's first book within the sports romance genre, I'm going lighter on this but the balance between these two subjects could've been better written. There were certain scenes where the sports rep was great but was lacking in the romance department. If Ali continues within this genre, I have no doubt that we will see improvement.
I'm going to sound like a robot for a sec, but Ali, why wasn't this a double POV???? Seeing Luka be obsessed with Scarlett via her POV is something but seeing it through his eyes would've absolutely obliterated me. Justice for Lukas POV. I know his POV is somewhere in your files, Ali. Pretty please with sprinkles on top release it to the public.
Scarlett and Lukas have the physical chemistry & great banter? But it was lacking that spark that Ali's other couples have (In my opinion). We got to see them both open up to each other but there weren't enough scenes where I could see their dynamics flourish without the sex.
Do I wish we had gotten more time to know them separately?? And gotten more fluff? Definitely. But it overall wasn't too bad.
I was here for the hotness of it all, and I got exactly that. You guys are in for a treat!
This book was HOT!
Yes, guys, even hotter than Not in Love. I loved that there was safe exploration of their extra curriculars and positive conversations about boundaries.
CONSENT IS SEXY!!!
Now, is it weird that Scarlett and Lukas are my age? Yes. Yes, it is.
Soley because they left me with a severe case of FOMO. I'm a junior in college rn and nowhere in my entire campus is there a man as good-looking as Lukas. This has only given me a further case of unrealistic expectations.
I had a great time with this, it definitely had me entertained BUT...
This one had me stumbling for a bit, the premise is a little strange towards the beginning. As the novel continues it picks up better flow as we get to see Lukas and Scarlett interact more often. Towards the end though, the steady pacing loses the handle, and we're met with a weird third-act breakup.
To be entirely honest, I wish this book didn't have a third act break up. It felt unnecessary and didn't really add to anything because it was towards the VERY VERY end. Like they had a pretty round up ending until that very last bit.
This is a sports romance so there has to be a sort of balance between the two. Given that this is Ali's first book within the sports romance genre, I'm going lighter on this but the balance between these two subjects could've been better written. There were certain scenes where the sports rep was great but was lacking in the romance department. If Ali continues within this genre, I have no doubt that we will see improvement.
I'm going to sound like a robot for a sec, but Ali, why wasn't this a double POV???? Seeing Luka be obsessed with Scarlett via her POV is something but seeing it through his eyes would've absolutely obliterated me. Justice for Lukas POV. I know his POV is somewhere in your files, Ali. Pretty please with sprinkles on top release it to the public.
Scarlett and Lukas have the physical chemistry & great banter? But it was lacking that spark that Ali's other couples have (In my opinion). We got to see them both open up to each other but there weren't enough scenes where I could see their dynamics flourish without the sex.
Do I wish we had gotten more time to know them separately?? And gotten more fluff? Definitely. But it overall wasn't too bad.
I was here for the hotness of it all, and I got exactly that. You guys are in for a treat!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship
emotional
funny
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
Thank you, Berkley and Edelweiss, for a DRC of Deep End. This publishes February 4, 2025.
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood follows a competitive diver and swimmer who attend Standford College as they jump into a forbidden relationship once they learn they both have something unusual in common.
I have become an Ali Hazelwood fan within the last year after finishing The Love Hypothesis for the first time. Since then, I have dived into a hole of everything she's written, and I have to admit that Deep End has made it to the top of my favorites from her. Hazelwood has put out something both steamy and sexy yet emotional and heartwarming. These characters are endearing, and this was just an excellent example of great romance writing. You can easily see how much Hazelwood's work has evolved since the beginning, and any fans of her past work will get to see some of their favorite characters again. I am super excited to see everyone get their hands on this book and hopefully love it as much as I did!
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood follows a competitive diver and swimmer who attend Standford College as they jump into a forbidden relationship once they learn they both have something unusual in common.
I have become an Ali Hazelwood fan within the last year after finishing The Love Hypothesis for the first time. Since then, I have dived into a hole of everything she's written, and I have to admit that Deep End has made it to the top of my favorites from her. Hazelwood has put out something both steamy and sexy yet emotional and heartwarming. These characters are endearing, and this was just an excellent example of great romance writing. You can easily see how much Hazelwood's work has evolved since the beginning, and any fans of her past work will get to see some of their favorite characters again. I am super excited to see everyone get their hands on this book and hopefully love it as much as I did!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
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 genuinely adored this book. I couldn’t put it down. I was drawn by the exploration of kink, but what really got me hooked were the emotional beats and the sports element. Might just be Ali Hazelwood’s best work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail