Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - Deep End

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Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

313 reviews

wellwrittenautisticrep's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I loved Scarlett’s journey with her sport and how she’s come back from her injury, it felt well-written especially as someone who swam competitively for seven years! Her emotional growth was so beautiful to read, even as things were getting messier relationships-wise at the end. The way that this story explores her being almost an unreliable narrator in her depictions of her trauma and therapy felt so genuine to me as well, of course she didn’t see how harmful her father and ex were leading up to her injury, and of course she didn’t see how she needed to work through that to heal. She’s young and growing and healing, after having gone through a lot of emotional and physical trauma. Additionally, I think this book had a new rhythm to it amongst Ali Hazelwood’s books which I loved. Her and Lukas’ relationship felt like it grew through trust and genuine comparability which I loved, and their personalities were well-developed and different than I usually read for romance novels. They were both very introverted and goals-focused in a way that I enjoyed reading. The sex was also fantastic, very well-navigated kink and I feel like it developed as they did! Ultimately I think the best part of this book was seeing how their relationship supported her healing and growing as a person and in her sport and career. I will absolutely read it again, and my copy is soooo pretty with the water surface sprayed edges!

Content Warnings

schinglepage's review against another edition

4.75

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I started listening to the audiobook on the way home from work and kept it going when I got home. So I guess if it had the physical book, I wouldn’t have been able to put it down. It was such a cute read with the background action playing as much importance into the story as the romance. The narrators of the book were incredible with appropriate accents when needed. It was refreshing to read a story that focused around kink without the people having some kind of deep, dark, depraved secret or secret life.

Content Warnings

mlshaw13's review

4.0

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: No

My first actual Ali Hazelwood book (outside an audiobook and a Christmas novella). Big fan! Will be reading more of her work.

Content Warnings

fpalladino's review

5.0

emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I’m going to need a real minute to formulate some thoughts on this one. But like my heart is feeling all the fucking feels.

Content Warnings

macwiththemic's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny inspiring fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Ms. Hazelwood you’ve done it again. I really enjoyed this book.

While I appreciate her content warning at the beginning of the book, I think it maybe confused some readers. They were maybe expecting more graphic spice? I think this is for sure graphic by Ali Hazelwood standards, but the story and character development is still very present. I’m still very pro content warnings and think that one was necessary for this book but I think they are necessary for all books lol.

Multiple plot-lines are developed but they all center around Scarlett and her recovery (in more ways than one) and I really liked that. I like the way that Ali Hazelwood weaves a romance into stories about people overcoming things. That sounds cheesy and like the romance is secondary, it very much ISNT. There is just enough plot to have me going “omg what if this happens” and just enough yearning and romance that has me kicking my feet and giggling. I also love sports romances I’LL SAY IT. The drama of competitions. Such a fun backdrop.

halfway through I was like “is pen going to be the villain?” Then I was like “oh yeah pen’s a BITCH” and THEN I was like “wait she’s literally maybe 22 and was for sure a bitch but she apologized and people are just truly dumb until their brain is done cooking.”

Content Warnings

hailey_seipel's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

Content Warnings

avery_hutchinson's review against another edition

4.75

emotional funny lighthearted 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

This is probably one of the best books that I have read this entire year. It had me hooked from page 10, and I absolutely tore through it. This book is literally near-perfect. The characters were a bit hard-headed and took a bit too long to get through their issues, but overall I loved the way Hazelwood didn’t fall back on classic drama-creating tropes.

I do wish that Hazelwood had actually taken the time to have Lukas actually spell out how long he’s been into Scarlett though, that would have made for a really cute moment.

Content Warnings

starlightbree's review

4.0

emotional inspiring 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

Lukas is the most patient man on earth. He deserves all of the spicy submission from Scarlet that he gets. Literally an Angel.

Content Warnings

ashkayec's review against another edition

3.25

funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

simonsays621's review against another edition

3.75

emotional tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Ali Hazelwood often faces criticism for writing similar stories with different characters, but honestly? Put. It. In. My. Veins. I’ll read anything she writes, especially when it’s about a ridiculously tall, broad-shouldered man in a Henley, totally down bad for a woman in STEM he’s got his eye on.

That said, this wasn’t my absolute favorite. But that’s purely a matter of personal preference. If the characters were about 10 years older, I think I would’ve enjoyed it more, since younger people often don’t have this kind of dynamic. Still, I had fun with it! I’d just recommend some of her other books first.

Content Warnings

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