A review by _onemorechapter_
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

emotional funny informative lighthearted relaxing 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? No

3.25

“From the very start, you had all the power. From the very start, I was in the palm of your hand.”

💭🏊‍♂️💦 Forbidden waters, Olympic-level tension, and a whole lot of missed potential… Let’s dive into this one.

𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗮𝘀 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗾𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘁: Olympic gold medalist, swim captain, and walking definition of ‘I’ve been waiting for you’ energy. This man? Obsessed. Blunt. Hot. The way he sees Scarlett, understands her, and pushes her to be her best? Swoon. The tattoos, the dirty talk, the yearning—10/10, no notes. He was the highlight of this book, and I will not be taking questions.

𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁 𝗩𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗲𝗿: I adored her passion for diving. Her struggle to overcome a career-threatening injury felt raw and real, and I ate that up. But when it came to personal relationships? Girlie had the backbone of a wet noodle. Lukas would go MIA, then waltz back in, and she’d just… melt. Stand up for yourself, queen!! The moments where she actually shined? Perfection. But I needed more of that fire.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: For the first 60%, I was ready to stamp a solid 4-star rating on this. Their chemistry? ELECTRIC. The physical attraction? Off the charts. But somewhere along the way, their relationship started feeling more like a well-curated kink checklist than an actual romance. Where were the deep emotional beats? The big swoony moments?

𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮 (𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵): This is where it lost me. Lukas is fresh off a SEVEN-YEAR relationship with Scarlett’s best friend, Penelope. At first, Pen was cool with them hooking up—hell, she encouraged it. Then BOOM, the last 40%? She’s suddenly clingy, throwing shade, and acting like Lukas is hers on demand. This plot twist was unnecessary, messy, and a total buzzkill.

𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲: The book hypes itself up like it’s about to serve us gourmet BDSM… but it’s giving mild spicy mayo. Not bad, but not what was promised.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: Rushed. Sloppy. I wanted to see Lukas and Scarlett as an actual couple, without third-party interference, but the book didn’t give me that. I feel ROBBED.

𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁: Bingeable? Yes. Unforgettable? No. Lukas carried this book on his broad, tattooed swimmer’s back. But the miscommunication, OW drama, and lack of emotional depth? Oof. 

𝐏.𝐒 If you’re into sports romance, this still might be worth checking out for Lukas alone. Just... prepare for frustration.

𝐏.𝐏.𝐒 Can someone PLEASE give us a dual POV? I need to be in Lukas’s head ASAP.

🔸𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐.25 (𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 40% 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰)
🔸𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆:  Contemporary Romance
🔸𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒚: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🔸𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: If you love a possessive, obsessed hero and don’t mind unnecessary conflict, you might love this. For me? Meh.

🔸 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔:

“That’s where it lives, my love for him. In the space between the things he could do, and what the chooses instead.”

“I’m afraid of the unpredictability of existing. I’m afraid of not being able to control the direction of my life. I’m afraid that no matter how much I plan, I won’t be able to avoid hurtful and sad things. But above all…” I take a deep breath and laugh softly, because what I’m about to say is ridiculous, even if it’s true. Even if it’s me. “Mostly, I’m afraid of attempting something and not being perfect at it.”

“Sometimes, when she's in deep sleep, a thoughtful little frown furls on her brow. Lukas cannot physically get out of bed until he has smoothed it over with his lips.
He used to want to prove to himself that he could thrive, even without her.
He has given up on that. Now he just wants her.”

“Scarlett. I can’t be without you. And for the first time in my life, I don’t care. I think of you all the time, and I want to make plans with you, I want to talk about the future, and I’m fucking happy about it—”

“Scarlett.” His fingers come up to my chin. Grab it gently, but tight. “The only time wasted is time we are apart.”

“Stay home for long weekends and have morally bankrupt amounts of sex with someone I’m in love with. Kinky, vanilla, I want it all. I want to adopt rescue animals with her. I want to take care of her, and watch her be cold in Sweden, and marvel every day at how much smarter than me she is, and . . . Scarlett.” His thumb swipes under my eye. “Why are you crying?”

“Sometimes I’m afraid that this is the best thing I’ll ever have. For the rest of my life.”

“It takes him a while to answer. When he does, he’s not looking at me. “Because sometimes I can’t breathe when you’re around.”

“A minute later she's asleep. The entire universe is here, in his arms.”

“The thing is, I love reading Mafia erotica as much as the next girl with daddy issues, and my attraction for fictional guys making scenes in iconic, over-the-top ways is among my most virulent traits.”

“That’s nice of you to say, because I live in fear of you seeing through my daily charades and realizing that I’m so numbingly boring, dentists inject me into gums before root canals.”

“His renamed contact reads 'Lukas Scarlett'.”

“I may be at my worst, but I can masquerade as someone who’s doing perfectly fucking fine.”

“but the way he looked at you . . . I don’t think he’s ever wanted anything or anyone the way he wants you.”

“There's no reason for him to be here.
No reason for me to let him in.
No reason to take his hand and guide him to my bedroom.
no reason for any of this, but I still burrow into the curve of his throat, and fall asleep with his scent in my lungs after just a few seconds.”