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A review by stories_of_the_soul27
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I am on the fence about the rating. 
On one hand I enjoyed this book. It took me out of my head and I massively needed to do that. Any book which is able to get me out of my fucking mind automatically gets my love, no matter if it isn’t literature worthy. 
The enjoyable parts for me : I liked the setting (sports romance) and will be watching some diving videos on YouTube for a while. I liked Scarlett (great name choice) and Lukas’ relationship. 
But some things felt very cringy to me and I feel almost every contemporary romance (especially heterosexual romance) are including these as sub-plots. 
  1. Kink was promised but it wasn’t much kinky. But okay that isn’t an issue. 
  2. Convenient plot points: how the ML has been secretly pining for the FL and she basically gets served to him easily that too by his ex-girlfriend who goes onto become FL’s best friend (wow) - I don’t like this. Us women gets accused a lot on having no sister codes and while the conflict resolved smoothly I wonder if it couldn’t have happened any other way? 
  3. FL was in therapy but it’s the ML who heals her first. Yay! The saviour! 
  4. FL was unaware most guys had the hots for her BUT in comes the BEST GUY (ML) who gets to make her his girlfriend 💪🏼 
  5. FL is HILARIOUS. The ML’s guy friends are always crackling at her jokes 
  6. The mandatory blessing needed to be given by the former lover (otherwise the champion of female friendships aka our FL will never be able to run to her love of the life. Otherwise she’s just a bitch you know)

Anyway none of these are dealbreakers for me. I needed this book today and every moment I didn’t want to be in my head I could be with these characters doing their cringy shit and that’s enough for me.