A review by megreads613
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

It was fine! I enjoyed parts of it more than others. I think it could have lost 100 pages and been fine.

Idk why everyone has been screaming about how spicy this is. It’s like….a normal amount for most books? If you've read a Tessa Bailey book, you've read spicier books than this one. 

I think we were just supposed to believe Lukas was this magical creature. Yes he had his moments but he seemed pretty standard to me.
He's loved Scarlett all this time but has never said anything? Stayed with someone he didn't love because he felt obligated to her? That's not exactly a ringing endorsement. Also disappearing for weeks just to "test himself to make sure he could" but then preaching trust and honesty with each other. I guess that's what's to be expected from a 22-year-old?
I did like how much he wanted to protect Scarlett, how soft he was with her. But we were essentially just told to like him without much to go on.

Scarlett was fine. Sometimes too naive, but I think it was believable. I wish I had more to say about her but there really isn't much? She's fine. Hard on herself, a self-described perfectionist. 

The Penelope of it all was a bit much.
Her as a character was one thing. I don't think her actions were warranted, nor was her apology sufficient. Plus how could Lukas continue to let things happen when he knows what's going on? That wasn't fair to Scarlett. But then again, Scarlett bringing up Pen every 5 pages was also a bit much.


I appreciated the idea of the science component to this story, and the nod to TLH, but it felt like a throwaway. 

The timeline was also wild.
You're telling me that for a WHOLE YEAR Lukas agreed to lie and say he was still dating Pen even though he was in love with Scarlett? For a WHOLE YEAR Scarlett couldn't figure out if Lukas actually liked her or if they were just fucking?


If you boil everything down, all that happens in this book is
Scarlett tries to do an inward dive for months, she has some one-step-above-vanilla sex with her friend's ex, and then they live happily ever after.
I skimmed towards the end.