Name: Deep End
ISBN: 1408728885

Ali Hazelwood

A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

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...

Deep End

Cassidy Nolan

“How do you even know that I was at Avery? Did you GPS me, or something?”

“Oh, sweetheart.” My belly swoops at the endearment. His tone lives somewhere between sympathy and amusement. “If you don’t think that I’m 

 aware of your presence, always, you have no idea what’s going on.”

Sophia

“You know,” he says against my lips, “I wanted to be righteously angry at you. I told myself I wouldn’t be with you until you were ready to be honest.” I don’t ask about what. It would be supremely dishonest. “But I’m just so fucking 

 to see you, Scarlett. I can’t be mad at you, when every time I think about you I am reminded that you exist.”

“Oh, yeah. I wasn’t sure how to spell your last name. There are some backasswards q’s and v’s in there.” He gives me an unimpressed look and holds out his hand, demanding, so I give him my phone.

In the back seat, I shoot Lukas a quick text, and that’s when the floor flips out from underneath me.

debbie <3

It all starts when Penelope Ross leans in over the restaurant’s solid wooden table, lifts her index finger, and declares, “Tenth circle of hell: you find the love of your life, but the sex is intensely 

There is this thing you do that’s bad for you. I’ll teach you to

do it, your insurance will give me money, and we’ll each go our merry way. BYO trauma. Tissues are on me.

Spontaneity? Only if prearranged. I made a fifteen-year plan the day I graduated from high school, and always intended to stick to it: upwards of one NCAA title, med school, orthopedics, engagement and marriage, compulsory happiness.

Maybe I’m hypersensitive when it comes to situations like this one—okay, I’m a stack of hypersensitivities in a trench coat—but I have my reasons, and I’d rather make a fool of myself and err on the side of caution than . . . whatever the alternative is.

“I know,” Lukas says quietly, that blue gaze still settled on mine. “Thank you for looking out for Pen.”

The soft praise in his tone has my mind shorting for a second.

Lukas sounds so unperturbed, it actively adds to my distress. Why is 

 not experiencing mortification? Am I exhausting the North American supply?

“I don’t know what you’re into,” he says. It almost feels like something’s being withheld. A 

 Or it could just be his intonation. English is not his first language.

I turn around, head home, fall asleep before I can eat dinner. And wake up early the following morning, ravenous, to an email delivered a little after midnight. The subject line just reads 

If you decide to go for it, I think it should be me.

And now, here I am. Deltoids shaking. Heart in my throat. Too close to tears.

If you’re not afraid of getting hurt, what

“Why do you look like you just donated a chunk of your pancreas to the organs museum?” Pen asks when I sit in the passenger seat of her car.

I set the phone down just as the drums of “Hot for Teacher” by Van Halen fill the cabin.

“Oh my god.” She turns to me, exhaling an outraged laugh. “Vandy, I hate you so much.”

I pout. “Is it because I cannot grade your macroeconomics homework?”

“It’s micro and—“ She slaps me on the arm. “Oh my 

I sigh dramatically and tap my chin. “Maybe I should give Mrs. Sima a heads-up.”

“Your insatiable hunger for older pedagogues, of course.”

“He and Hasan are talking about soccer—sorry, 

—somewhere in the living room. It’s so European in there, I had to get out before my dick turned into a bidet.”

Upstairs I find a small sunroom, and slump on an IKEA Poäng chair—the exact copy of the one Maryam and I assembled last year, during a macabre comedy of errors that nearly became a fatal, mutual murder. Can’t believe we managed to move past that one.

“I have no interest in that.” I must look skeptical, because he continues. “What I want from you requires enthusiastic consent, not 

“The certainty that the sack of skin and meat you’re saddled with as you walk god’s green earth is pleasing to them, and that they will . . . I don’t know, have sex with you, if you want?”

His palm shifts upward, gripping the side of my face, the hinge of my jaw. His thumb rests right below my lower lip.

“Come on, Scarlett.” His mouth twitches. “You know who I want to have sex with.”

Lukas and Hasan exchange amused headshakes, and—

I’m always on the sidelines, always detached from what’s happening around me. I never mind. But tonight, watching Lukas laugh with others, something greedy opens in my stomach.

 he said upstairs. But I think it’s more than a little.

lowkey enjoying this VERY much… i think the tension IS always there whenever they’re apart so when they meet they always… idk create fire here and there (love how Lukas is so reserved and so at her grip but he also gripping her) (not as kinky though but i get where they came from too)

decided to give Ali Hazelwood another chance after love hypothesis and i managed to cringe even more. never agan.

Germaine Lee

tenía cero expectativas para este libro, por qué no sabía de qué iba pero óyeme nunca pensé que trataba de ese tema hahaha. pensaba que sería algo como rivales deportistas y así, pero a pesar de ese ser uno de los temas principales hubo un buen balance y la historia no se volvió monótona (como icebreaker HAHA).

₊˚.⋆☾ eva ☾ ⋆⁺₊

jinx

Tiana holt

Overall good- love a slow burn but wanted more tension 

Neeha Mian

This was a nice book to get me out of my reading slump. It had a touch of spice but I found the book unecessarily long. Though I did find the short switch up with Pen towards the end left me muttering "Bitch!" at my kindle.

Fun read though! Will explore more of Ali's books soon.

Maui S.

This was a nice book to get me out of my reading slump. It had a touch of spice but I found the book unecessarily long. Though I did find the short switch up with Pen towards the end left me muttering "Bitch!" at my kindle.

Fun read though! Will explore more of Ali's books soon.

I don’t even know where to start on this book but holy fucking shit I loved it. I am not the same person I was before I read this book, goddammit. It was a little slow to start and definitely has some faults, but honestly, I was most upset about that fact that it ended. I’m a little shocked because Bride was meh, but this was exactly what I wanted. The only thing that could have made it better was dual POV but at least we got some of that in the epilogue. I will reread this for years. 

Katie Allard

Almost something but giving nothing. Also, i had to skip some chapter bc it was boringgggg. 

korfai 

i will accept NO pen slander in this house tyvm.

ash (smokedshelves)

ms. ali, i was not familiar with your game but now i know! i am a simple girl. give me good smut and a love interest OBSESSED with our MC and i’m sold! it wasn’t really very kinky despite the BDSM plot hook but still steamy. i don’t feel like there was much to the MMC outside of being in love with the fmc, being horny, and being good at sports and science but again i am simple. I didn’t come here for that lol i know what i came here for and it delivered on that JUST FINE!

K.K. Jane

Aside from one of her books that I'm not gonna mention I loved every single one of hers and they just get better and better. But this is my absolute favorite yet.

Their whole dynamic was so different and unique (then again check&mate, not in love and love, theoretically had great unique chemistry, as well) it was such an amazing read. It was so good I don't think the sex scenes were even necessary to show their story (even tho they started with it so that says a lot) but it was still a nice way to break things up inbetween and show that side of them.

Aside from one of her books that I'm not gonna mention I loved every single one of hers and they just get better and better. But this is my absolute favorite yet.

Their whole dynamic was so different and unique (then again check&mate, not in love and love, theoretically had great unique chemistry, as well) it was such an amazing read. It was so good I don't think the sex scenes were even necessary to show their story (even tho they started with it so that says a lot) but it was still a nice way to break things up inbetween and show that side of them.

I loved them.

kind and emotionally intelligent swedish man… save me… save me kind and emotionally intelligent swedish man

Essence

Keila Rico 

Amé a Lukas, necesito full su point of view. Odié a Pen so much 

Valeria 

very well written love story but the spice was… not my thing personally LOL ! 

I loved this way more than I thought I would. The duel narration worked perfectly and the guy who was voicing Lucas... Literal perfection. 

As far as the actual story goes: as someone who doesn't enjoy sports and knows next to nothing about competitive swimming or diving, it was explained just enough to understand without being bogged down. The pacing was good and there were plenty of characters that I enjoyed. It was funny, sweet, and really hot at the same time. I enjoyed seeing Scarlett's healing process and it was all just very satisfying.

Alex Landau

I loved this way more than I thought I would. The duel narration worked perfectly and the guy who was voicing Lucas... Literal perfection. 

As far as the actual story goes: as someone who doesn't enjoy sports and knows next to nothing about competitive swimming or diving, it was explained just enough to understand without being bogged down. The pacing was good and there were plenty of characters that I enjoyed. It was funny, sweet, and really hot at the same time. I enjoyed seeing Scarlett's healing process and it was all just very satisfying.

The banter and angst fulfilled something within me.

I loved Scarlet and Lucas. Pen irked my entire soul. She tried to have a redemption in the end, but she was really the worst.

I don't often get drawn into books, but this had my full attention. I wanted to read it, but didn't want it to end.

Sarah Campbell

The banter and angst fulfilled something within me.
Definitely a favorite of the year.
I actually was obsessed with this.
I loved Scarlet and Lucas. Pen irked my entire soul. She tried to have a redemption in the end, but she was really the worst.
I don't often get drawn into books, but this had my full attention. I wanted to read it, but didn't want it to end.

First, Ms Hazelwood really writes the same book over and over again because how is this not 80% "Check & Mate" with then some relatively kinky sex? Which is actually fine because that is my favourite of hers that I have read. It helped that the erotic scenes did nothing to me, I maybe found them a little goofy, because I could just breeze through them. (Also, I swear to God, this was marketed as borderline tabboo breaking when... it is not? I think I have read more hardcore things on random Wednesdays because SOMEONE did not tag their fanfic properly).

Also, OK, I maybe biased since Scarlett is an August Virgo but I do not think we need to be breaking out our literally critic skills for this novel, you know?

Also, there are typos in the book. Do better.

First, Ms Hazelwood really writes the same book over and over again because how is this not 80% "Check & Mate" with then some relatively kinky sex? Which is actually fine because that is my favourite of hers that I have read. It helped that the erotic scenes did nothing to me, I maybe found them a little goofy, because I could just breeze through them. (Also, I swear to God, this was marketed as borderline tabboo breaking when... it is not? I think I have read more hardcore things on random Wednesdays because SOMEONE did not tag their fanfic properly).

Also, OK, I maybe biased since Scarlett is an August Virgo but I do not think we need to be breaking out our literally critic skills for this novel, you know?

Also, there are typos in the book. Do better.

It’s Ali. No notes. Perfection perusal. The narrator was 

Is it hot in here or???

It’s Ali. No notes. Perfection perusal. The narrator was chefs kiss. 

DNF at Chapter 4. I picked this up hoping she'd be the dom but I guess that's too much to expect of a mainstream commercial author. 

I had so much trouble following the plot in the first three chapters that I had to reread twice (total three times).

I hate that it's bdsm is always compared to fifty shades.

The convo that happened in chapter 4 is okay, not bad at all. Emphasising on constant checking up on each other and the establishment of boundaries in advance.

I will probably be writing my own version of this.

DNF at Chapter 4. I picked this up hoping she'd be the dom but I guess that's too much to expect of a mainstream commercial author. 

Thoughts:

I had so much trouble following the plot in the first three chapters that I had to reread twice (total three times).

I hate that it's bdsm is always compared to fifty shades.
The convo that happened in chapter 4 is okay, not bad at all. Emphasising on constant checking up on each other and the establishment of boundaries in advance.
I really like the narrator's voice.

I will probably be writing my own version of this.

listen!! this is by far ali’s best book yet! i adored the love hypothesis, and have enjoyed some of her other books but this is definitely my fave and will likely end up in my 2025 faves - i said what i said!

i buddy read this with one of my irl besties (it was her third read hehe) and i loved getting to experience reading it with her 🫶🏼 i sent her live updates as i was reading and we’re both on the hunt for our own luk’s 😈

i loved scar’s character growth and watching her overcome her own personal challenges. the tension between her and luk was palpable, and i am a fool for a ‘he falls first trope’ so i was a goner from the start 😂 

their individual histories were created so well by ali, and i enjoyed that there were periods in the story where they were separated in different countries doing their own thing. i also loved the diving element in this, ali did an incredible job of exploring this and i’m definitely here for more swimming/diving romances! 

my least fave element was pen - she was a horrible friend when she had her blow up at scar (iykyk) and i wouldn’t push that aside to keep a friendship. 

Larissa Kirchberger

𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓹 𝓮𝓷𝓭

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

listen!! this is by far ali’s best book yet! i adored the love hypothesis, and have enjoyed some of her other books but this is definitely my fave and will likely end up in my 2025 faves - i said what i said!

i buddy read this with one of my irl besties (it was her third read hehe) and i loved getting to experience reading it with her 🫶🏼 i sent her live updates as i was reading and we’re both on the hunt for our own luk’s 😈

i loved scar’s character growth and watching her overcome her own personal challenges. the tension between her and luk was palpable, and i am a fool for a ‘he falls first trope’ so i was a goner from the start 😂 

their individual histories were created so well by ali, and i enjoyed that there were periods in the story where they were separated in different countries doing their own thing. i also loved the diving element in this, ali did an incredible job of exploring this and i’m definitely here for more swimming/diving romances! 

my least fave element was pen - she was a horrible friend when she had her blow up at scar (iykyk) and i wouldn’t push that aside to keep a friendship. 

Now this isn’t my favorite book by Ali but it’s also not my least favorite either. It’s kind of in the middle. There were parts of this book I liked but there were others I didn’t. I was prepared of the OWD that was in here and while I was expecting way worse than what I got. It definitely could have been a shitshow of epic proportions but it stayed pretty tame. I think this whole book was pretty tame especially when we say this is incredibly “spicy” too. Now for a traditionally published book, yeah maybe. But everyone’s spice level is different and it is one of Ali’s spiciest but it wasn’t kink-filled like I kept seeing it advertised as. So yeah I have mixed feelings about this one. 

Priscilla Stanfield

3.75/5⭐️ • 2.5/5🌶️

Now this isn’t my favorite book by Ali but it’s also not my least favorite either. It’s kind of in the middle. There were parts of this book I liked but there were others I didn’t. I was prepared of the OWD that was in here and while I was expecting way worse than what I got. It definitely could have been a shitshow of epic proportions but it stayed pretty tame. I think this whole book was pretty tame especially when we say this is incredibly “spicy” too. Now for a traditionally published book, yeah maybe. But everyone’s spice level is different and it is one of Ali’s spiciest but it wasn’t kink-filled like I kept seeing it advertised as. So yeah I have mixed feelings about this one. 

I was looking forward to this new release, and it didn't disappoint me. I couldn't put this book down. I enjoyed Scarlett and Lukas's relationship; it felt like they really understood each other. Even though they had an agreement from the start, their time together always felt more than that. I was kind of disappointed with the "kinky" side of this book. It seemed really hyped up, but they honestly didn't do anything that crazy. I also felt like Penelope took up a whole lot of this book. I know she was both of their friend, but it seemed like she was one of the main characters. And the way she reacted at the end was crazy, especially since she set them up in the first place. The ending seemed very abrupt to me, like the story was pretty drawn out but I wished we had gotten a little more of them together at the end. Overall, I really enjoyed it! 