REVIEW: Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

 OUR REVIEW:

Without scrolling very far at all, I can see that Deep End has generated some FEELINGS of dislike or discontent and while that's a thing that happens, I can't imagine why. But then again, I didn't care to read the reviews for fear of spoiling, so I closed out as soon as I saw low stars and all caps. 

I've enjoyed Ali Hazelwood's novels and wanted to see if I'd enjoy this one. Turns out, I did. I don't know much about the world of diving, so living through the ups and downs of Scarlett's season was interesting. That plus the secret kinky relationship she starts with Lukas + both of them applying to medical school while also competing in various championships had me hooked. I haven't been the fasted reader lately and I found myself flying through this. I think it was the combination of being in a new world, the spicy nature of their romance, the wondering if they'd get caught, the delight of the inevitability of them falling in love, and that they were funny and fun to read had me flying through the pages. I suppose if you're into clean romcoms or not a fan of anything medical or smart you may not like this novel. But I liked the spice. I liked the diving. I liked the use of therapy, of Lukas's dad being super evolved, as were his brothers, that Lukas was really cool, and that Scarlett was a really good friend to someone who could've been a difficult friend to be with? Solid choices that made for a really happy reader. I wish I hadn't read all of Ali Hazelwood's novels because I can see how I'd immediately dive into her backlist if I could. 

Definitely a fun read.

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SYNOPSIS:

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water...