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A review by kba76
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A mixed response to this one, and not one I’d be quick to recommend.
The story focuses on Scarlett, a junior diver at Stanford, who is coming back from a potential career-ending injury. She is driven and focused, and not without her issues. When taken under the wing of Pen, a fellow diver and part of Stanford’s golden couple, Scarlett finds herself increasingly attracted to Lukas, an Olympic swimmer.
What nobody else is privy to is that Pen and Lukas have split up. Pen won’t give Lukas what he needs, and conveniently the interest in BDSM is just what Scarlett has always wanted. Pen drunkenly suggests they should get together, and what follows is a disaster waiting to happen.
From the outset the dynamic between Scarlett and Lukas made little sense. Their sexual relationship was based on exploration, but it mainly seemed to consist of her being told what to do. The scenes between them certainly didn’t set the pulse racing!
My main issue was with Pen. A classic spoiled girl who’s used to controlling everything and then sulking when things don’t go her way. She kept Lukas dangling while doing her own thing, and then manipulated a girl she claimed was her friend.
The story focuses on Scarlett, a junior diver at Stanford, who is coming back from a potential career-ending injury. She is driven and focused, and not without her issues. When taken under the wing of Pen, a fellow diver and part of Stanford’s golden couple, Scarlett finds herself increasingly attracted to Lukas, an Olympic swimmer.
What nobody else is privy to is that Pen and Lukas have split up. Pen won’t give Lukas what he needs, and conveniently the interest in BDSM is just what Scarlett has always wanted. Pen drunkenly suggests they should get together, and what follows is a disaster waiting to happen.
From the outset the dynamic between Scarlett and Lukas made little sense. Their sexual relationship was based on exploration, but it mainly seemed to consist of her being told what to do. The scenes between them certainly didn’t set the pulse racing!
My main issue was with Pen. A classic spoiled girl who’s used to controlling everything and then sulking when things don’t go her way. She kept Lukas dangling while doing her own thing, and then manipulated a girl she claimed was her friend.