4.5 stars

Spice Level: 3.5/5

Deep End took me a while to get into–but once I did I absolutely flew through it. The premise of this book relies heavily on sex scenes and spice, and as someone who prefers a lower-to-medium spice level, I will admit there was a point around the 40-50% mark where my eyes started to glaze over from the sheer number of sex scenes, but within the next 30 pages of that point, the emotional bond between Scarlett and Lukas really began to blossom, and from that instant I was hooked. 

I was a bit apprehensive going into this book. Ali Hazelwood is one of my favorite authors of all time–she is the author that got me into the romance genre–but I was not the biggest fan of Not in Love. In Not in Love, it felt as if the emotional development and emotional chemistry between our two characters was lacking. The book relied too heavily on the increased spice level and sexual chemistry to drive the relationship, and that left me ultimately unconvinced that these characters truly loved each other by the end of the book. Because Deep End was pitched as even spicier than Not in Love (and it is!) I was concerned I would have a similar experience with this book, but I didn’t at all. Ali Hazelwood strikes the perfect balance between sexual chemistry, spice, and an exploration of kink, without neglecting the development of emotional intimacy and connection between Scarlett and Lukas.

Scarlett, especially, leapt off the page for me. I’ve read all seven of Hazelwood’s novels now, and each character has felt distinct–but Scarlett especially so. I liked how much focus the novel had on her personal traumas and the narrative of her return to diving after injury. Her character felt real, fully developed independent of her relationship with Lukas, and that lead the relationship itself to feel more grounded.

This book is 450 pages, and I read it in one sitting. I’ve seen many reviews say that it was a little too long, especially in the latter half of the book, but I disagree. It was the latter half of the book that I found myself most drawn into and connecting with Scarlett and her fight to recover from the Twisties, as well as with her relationship with Lukas. I think without that extra 50 pages of exploration and development, both the relational and professional/athletic payoff would have fallen flat.

I can’t wait to see what Ali does next. I have my fingers crossed she ventures back into the sports sphere in the future, because I think her character work truly shines in the hypercompetitive sphere of collegiate (or professional) sports–or chess! This is another phenomenal read by one of the most talented authors of our time. I truly cannot recommend it more!