A review by marialetto
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I love Ali’s writing, and I appreciate that her FMCs are intelligent women. I thought the spice (🌶️🌶️🌶️) was excellent, and definitely something new compared to previous Ali books. I also appreciated a sports romance that was not about hockey, since right now many are hockey focused. 

The relationship between Scarlett and Lukas left me feeling a bit lacking. I don’t mind a slow burn, but this felt too slow to me. I stayed reading for hours hoping we’d get a spark of hope. I felt like I had to read almost the whole book before I was sure they’d even end up together. 

I struggled a lot with Scarlett’s and Lukas’ lack of and miscommunication scenarios. The fact that they were frequently apart throughout the book was tough for me. I was also kind of bummed about how often Pen came up in their communications. I felt like the story focused just as much on Pen’s third-wheeling as it did on Scarlett and Lukas, and I really wanted to just read about Scarlett and Lukas. 

I also generally like the sports romance books I’ve read. I think this one almost focused too much on the sport itself and less on the romance and/or the familiar women in STEM theme(s) I’m used to and love from Ali’s books. I wish they spent more time in the lab than at the pool, or equal time at both. We love smart pairs 💕

Looking forward to picking up my next Ali read❣️

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Content Warnings

Minor: Domestic abuse