Review: Hazelwood’s latest makes a big splash! 

 

“Deep End” follows Scarlett Vandermeer, a competitive diver, and Lukas Blomqvist, an ace swimmer, after a well-guarded secret slips out. Their arrangement is supposed to be temporary, but when staying away from each other becomes impossible, the two realize they may be treading into dangerous water. 

 

I didn’t know how much I needed this book in my life until I read it! I loved the circumstances surrounding how Scarlett and Lukas, who have nothing in common on the surface, found each other and the way their relationship develops. I can’t get them off my mind! 

 

I relate heavily to Scarlett, who is goal-oriented, control-focused, and an overachieving perfectionist. Learning more about why she enjoys BDSM changed my brain chemistry. For her, it’s about trust and giving up control so that her mind can be less noisy for a time and that really widened my perspective on a world I wasn’t familiar with. 

 

At the novel’s start, Scarlett is recovering from an injury. In addition to navigating her mental block, her past weighs on her, resulting in a distrust of men. Lukas is very attentive to her needs and is respectful of her boundaries. The more time the two spend together in and out of the pool, the more they open up about their respective pasts and become more deeply entangled. They are perfect for each other, resulting in chemistry off the charts! 

 

The sports and stem elements are seamlessly incorporated into the storyline, as always, and the cameos made by Adam and Olive were just the cherry on top!