Take a photo of a barcode or cover
staceinshadows 's review for:
Deep End
by Ali Hazelwood
⭐️⭐️½ — Meh, I wanted to love it…
I was really looking forward to Deep End. Ali Hazelwood usually gives me the kind of smart, swoony romance I can’t put down—but this one just didn’t work for me the way I hoped it would.
The premise? Great. STEM setting, opposites attract, emotional walls to break down—classic Hazelwood stuff. But somewhere along the way, the spark kind of fizzled. The characters had potential, but they didn’t feel fully fleshed out, and the romantic tension felt more forced than organic. I kept waiting for that “click” moment between them, and it never really came.
Also, the pacing felt weird. It dragged in the middle, and then suddenly everything was wrapped up with a neat little bow that didn’t feel totally earned. I did enjoy a few witty lines and cute moments (Hazelwood’s voice still comes through!), but overall, it didn’t leave much of an impression.
Not terrible, but not memorable either. Hoping the next one brings back the magic I know she’s capable of.
I was really looking forward to Deep End. Ali Hazelwood usually gives me the kind of smart, swoony romance I can’t put down—but this one just didn’t work for me the way I hoped it would.
The premise? Great. STEM setting, opposites attract, emotional walls to break down—classic Hazelwood stuff. But somewhere along the way, the spark kind of fizzled. The characters had potential, but they didn’t feel fully fleshed out, and the romantic tension felt more forced than organic. I kept waiting for that “click” moment between them, and it never really came.
Also, the pacing felt weird. It dragged in the middle, and then suddenly everything was wrapped up with a neat little bow that didn’t feel totally earned. I did enjoy a few witty lines and cute moments (Hazelwood’s voice still comes through!), but overall, it didn’t leave much of an impression.
Not terrible, but not memorable either. Hoping the next one brings back the magic I know she’s capable of.