Reviews with content warning for Toxic friendship - Deep End

Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

200 reviews

chantale's review against another edition

3.5

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

oneillkd's review against another edition

2.5

adventurous dark emotional funny 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

reish3ll's review against another edition

3.0

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