1 hour ago June 2, 2026sarahylockwood

Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

Rate: 5/5

Medium: Kindle

Overview (No Spoilers):

After binge reading several Hazelwood books in a row a few months ago I’d needed to take a break as these romances started to become formulaic. I found myself drawn back to Hazelwood after an appointment with the best dental hygienist who recommended Deep End. After reading Deep End every spare moment I could find, it is easily one of my favorite novels by Hazelwood to date.

Deep End merges two of my favorite topics; STEM and athletics. While Hazelwood’s stories tend to have a heavy STEM component, this time the science takes a back seat to the pressures of the diving world. 

Our main character is the socially awkward Scarlett who suffered a terrible injury last season that required extensive surgery and recovery. In short, Scarlett is a mess as she struggles to reason through an immovable mental block. Quick to overwhelm in certain situations you can feel the tension build whenever the group around her grows. I love how Lukas fits her when everyone else seems to be operating to a different rhythm. 

The characters are all so well written in Deep End. I positively loved both Scarlett and Lukas, but it is in the supporting cast that elevates this story to the next level. Hazelwood captures the nuances and pressures of being on an elite team. This dynamic works even better with the added love triangle. The whole read it feels like we are waiting for the other shoe to drop, with the fall out predictably causing quite the messy splash.  

Deep End is the most spicy book I’ve read by Hazelwood. Think more 50 Shades of Grey compared to what we’ve read by Hazelwood before. The romance works for these two characters, with their spicy chemistry (or should I say computational biology) being palpable. 

Deep End even has guest appearances from some of our favorite characters from my other favorite Hazelwood read, The Love Hypothesis. I may have even squealed at one point where we see Olive and Carlson together, at a sporting event no less. 

Overall, Deep End is  just the right mix of spice and sports, with a dash of science to keep me up late. I couldn’t put down this fantastic read, curious with how Hazelwood untangled the complicated web of deception Lukas and Scarlett found themselves locked into.

Additional Insight (Spoilers Abound):

  • I so badly wanted Pen to be the friend Scarlett desperately needed. Towards the end she kept doing genuinely mean girl things to Scarlett that I saw the betrayal coming. The dread was mounting with every interaction. I loved that Pen flew across country to apologize but how to you forgive what she did?
  • Was Scarlett’s Olympic partner Pen? Could the friendship be salvaged?

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