As usually Ali is able to write a romance book that I consume in a day. She has a way of avoiding the stereotypical tropes and ‘scenes’ in books that makes me appreciate her writing that much more. Her trademark of having female characters who are strong and endearing, all in their own ways, was once again present here. As well as the broody love interest to match.

I love Ali’s ability to make want to know more about all the subjects she writes about, wether is science or sport or something entirely different, I know i’ll come away wanting to change my degree lol! Or watch back the olympic swimming and diving comps, which I totally am not going to do after reading this book…

Deep end was definitely a little different than the other books of hers i’ve read, it felt a lot more sex driven and although I wish there had been more emotional development between the characters, I still found their relationship enjoyable.
The characters did also feel slightly lacklustre due to not much focus on their backgrounds, however the plot and swimming/diving aspects kept me interested enough that I didn’t bother me that much. Also considering all her books are relatively short and sweet, I had kind of expected that. I would however love to see what she would do with a longer book/series.

Deep End was great! It was super spicy and for me offered a really nuanced and interesting take on BDSM in relationships from a perspective I've never thought about before. The main characters were great and the plot was engaging and interesting alongside the romantic/spicy elements too. All in all, I loved this and will definitely read more by this author.

4.5
This is Ali Hazelwoods spiciest book yet! Even spicer than Not in Love, I now understand why it was originally called Whet. The swimming and diving of course. It was so much fun to read about Lukas and Scarlett’s swimming and diving careers. Mixed in with science (Ali’s speciality) because they’re both pre-med.

This is Ali’s first college sports romance and it is not disappoint. Lukas was broody, mysterious, and had me BLUSHING like crazy. The tension, the chemistry, they were both so talented, and highly intelligent. He loved that she was smarter than him, which made ME love him even more. They were both so compatible in every way even though Scarlett tried to deny it. He was obsessed from the very beginning, and she didn’t even remember meeting him for the first time. But he sure did. We love a man that falls first!!

The drama was so good, although there’s one character that I could not stand towards the end. Scarlet may have forgiven, but I could never, which is why Scarlett is better than me. I love how Scarlett’s confidence grew both in her social life, romantic relationships, and academic and diving career.

Oh and the cameos!! From Dr Adam Carlsen AND Olive Smith!! I loved seeing them still so happy together and thriving in their careers. It was so funny that even Scarlett saw him as this grumpy scary man. He became one of her supporters though which was so sweet.

The emotional depth, the angst, the pining. I could not stop reading.

Ali Hazelwood has done it again, another amazing 5 star read for me. I want my own 6 foot Swedish swimmer please, if she has any lying around. I absolutely loved this, I loved Vardy and Lukas relationship and how they completely opened up to each other and became each other’s person, I didn’t want to the story to end. Highly recommend, easy 5 stars.

*I kinda still wish it was called Whet

Sports romances have never really appealed to me, but in Ali Hazelwood we trust so I was willing to give this one a go, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! I loved the nods to the academia focus of her previous books, and the personal development Scarlett goes through separate from her relationship with Lukas. And there was so much spice! Beware of reading it on public transport! I didn't care for the sports stuff as much but it provided an interesting backdrop, and it's exciting to see Hazelwood try new things and succeed at doing them. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!

Ali Hazelwood hooked me as a fan from the first page of The Love Hypothesis, and I will read anything she writes now. Anything. This is her first sports romance, and I don't think I could have loved it more. Scarlett (Vandy) is a heroine I was rooting for from the very beginning. She's dealing with low self-confidence, a diver's block, a sense of not knowing where or how she belongs. Lukas is the golden boy of swimming. He's gorgeous and remote and successful, but when they are thrown together in an unexpected way, Vandy starts to see what's behind the polished, golden boy mask.

I loved the unexpected way this romance unfurled. I loved Scarlett and Lukas, the way they complimented each other. It has Ali's trademark wit and coziness, the sex scenes are her hottest yet, and it is full of yearning and sizzle and warmth. I couldn't get enough of it, and am already looking forward to rereading it. Also, though I know nothing about diving, I was completely drawn into the dramatic, diving elements of the story – they felt completely believable – and I don't know how she has time to write so prolifically and so well, obviously with a lot of research, do all the STEM things and be a professor.

Deep End is a romance-lover's joy from start to finish, and I can't wait to read whatever Ali writes next.

Ali Hazelwood has yet again managed to write the perfect mix of spice, romance and humour! She will remain an auto-buy author, each book better than the last. I loved the glimpse of characters we know, the familiar STEM-setting but also a sport that has not appeared in many books. Definitely recommend!

I have liked Ali's early work but her later work is delving so much into dark romance as to become almost totally humourless.

Another great read from Ali!! Loved this concept and it was such a fun read

Highly recommend, Ali Hazelwood never misses!

I think this is possibly my favourite Ali Hazelwood to date and I have read every single one of her books, so much so that when it ended I was generally devastated that there wasn’t more.

Everything about this is so different while still providing that Ali Hazelwood charm that I know and love. The premise wasn’t new but the way she developed the characters and storyline had me an emotional wreck and cheering for the characters when they had their wins. What I loved about this was that you could see the third act conflict from the get go but in my eyes it made the story more authentic, I could see this story playing out in real life and I think that’s what made me feel more for the characters and have my chest hurt when it hit those points.

I can safely say that a new book boyfriend has been found because why was Lukas perfect; he reminded me a lot of Jack in Love theoretically while brining his own characteristics and personality that made him stand out on his own! I loved his and Scarlett’s relationship and even the way the tough topics are handled in this book. In terms of the difficult topics, as always, I feel like Ali Hazelwood handled them well and didn’t essentially breeze over them or make it the characters identity but rather something real and tangible like it is in real life.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me an early copy, this was exactly what I needed to get me out of my slump!

Ah bugger. This is my least favourite Ali Hazelwood I fear. It might be because I'm not into the tropes in this one but I just also didn't buy the chemistry (or lack thereof).

As a bookseller, if a customer asks me for an Ali rec, this won't be the one I'll hand them. But I still think it's gonna be a bestseller, as most of Ali's works!

Unlike any of Ali's previous works, definitely a lot more smutty and kinky! while the sport aspect felt a little boring, ali's usual science aspect was really intriguing. i was really happy to see olive and adam again.

I wanted to love it so bad but it just didn't hit for me. Ali Hazelwood I love your work and I am ever grateful to receive early copies of your books, unfortunately this wasn't my cup of tea.

Characters are incredible, exploration of kink is nuanced and candid, but it felt quite drawn out and the sex scenes took me out of the plot. I kept reading because I wanted to find out about the diving results (which was a world I found interesting to explore), and the chemistry and tenderness between Vandy and Lukas was next level. Maybe I'm a prude, I've read my fair share of smutty fanficfion in my day, but Deep End was a little too much for me. Bonus points for the Olive and Adam cameos, it was so great to see them!

Keep doing what you're doing though, Hazelwood, rom-coms for the girlies in stem 10/10

4.5/5

By far my fav Ali Hazelwood book. This felt like Ali stepping into her Elle Kennedy sports romance era and I loved it. Of course the science aspect was there too and it fit really well, with a cameo from people from another book 👀

The one thing that dragged this down from a 5 was I found the side character Pen irritating. She was okay at first but after a while I just wanted her to grow up and get out of the picture tbh.

There's serious topics, and the main character Scarlett attends therapy to uncover her past traumas.

Ohhh the spicy scenes were quick but great. The romance was built up nicely, and Lukas (and his Swedish accent) is just hot af. What a man 😉

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…Ali never, ever misses! Although I have loved every single book I’ve read by her, I am really enjoying the slightly darker tone in both Not In Love, and now in Deep End. These books have felt more raw and complex, with complicated and layered characters.

Deep End is so much more than a book about exploring mutual kinks, although this part was done in a very mature and responsible way, and it was beautifully handled. The portrayal of both Scarlett and Lukas, and the glimpses of their backstories gave this story an incredible depth. The pacing of the character and relationship growth was perfection to me, and it felt so honest and real. The way they both had to navigate duty and expectations, all while battling their own demons….it was heavy and beautiful all at once.

As always, Ali has written an MMC that is stern, yet tender, and absolutely head over heels for the FMC and I simply loved their dynamic and everything about them. Easy 5 stars!

I truly feel HONOURED to have been able to read this early. I love that any time I pick up a new Ali Hazelwood book, I can guarantee I'm going to enjoy it, and ENJOY THIS I DID! I loved watching Scarlett and Lukas fall for each other, I loved how it was clear from the start that Lukas wasn't cold or mean, but was actually just reserved, I loved the laying out of expectations when it came to their intimate life and felt it was a really important thing to do in a contemporary romance, I loved the sports, the science, the characters – I just loved all of it!!!

Deep End is sexy and smart (my two favourite descriptors for a romance, to be honest) and I can't wait for everyone to get the chance to read it too.

I can’t get enough of the Ali-verse 👏🏻 Yet again, this book doesn’t disappoint. We follow Scarlett and Lukas as they pursue a relationship initially based around their shared kinks (TW light power play & BDSM themes). Don’t let the spice level put you off, it’s maturely and considerately written by Hazelwood, with a touch on the psychology of why from the female ‘sub’ pov. Nothing too heavy here, it’s just a step or two outside of vanilla.

That aside, we’re back at Stanford University, spending time between the athletics pools and the biology department (is that Olive and Adam, I see?). Scarlett is trying to advance through to med school, not mess up her German class, whilst also attempting to overcome the yips in her diving thanks to an injury. Lukas, the Swedish Olympian, breaks up with long term girlfriend Pen (also a diver) due to sexual differences. Pen tries to throw the two of them together, and guess what happens next! 😉

Ali hazelwood the woman you are !! I absolutely ate this up in just over a day, staying up until 2am on a work night to finish it!

Damn, Ali Hazelwood is incapable of writing a bad book! I was so excited when the synopsis for Deep End (Whet) was announced as I'm a sucker for a sports romance and this book lived up to all my expectations. Now I shall have to suffer waiting for the next AH book, and this one hasn't even been published yet