‘Deep End’ Review: Diving into Ali Hazelwood’s Steamiest Book Yet

What happens when you combine the adrenaline-fueled competition of Hannah Grace’s “Icebreaker,” Katie Ledecky’s Olympic domination, and Rihanna’s hit song “S&M”? You get Ali Hazelwood’s latest romance novel, “Deep End.”

“Deep End” successfully manages to explore a darker side to Hazelwood’s romance writing while still staying true to the author’s “STEMinist” roots. The book follows Scarlett Vandermeer — a committed biology student and diver for Stanford University recovering from a devastating injury — and her connection with Lukas Blomqvist, a Swedish Olympic swimmer, fellow bio major, and boyfriend to one of Scarlett’s teammates. Even though swimmers and divers have less in common than one may think, the two’s worlds overlap when they learn that they share a very specific and very intimate interest.

This book may not appeal to all longstanding Hazelwood fans as “Deep End” represents a stark transition from her usual light-hearted, academia-focused romances to a more boundary-pushing, sports-focused affair reminiscent of spicier authors such as Elle Kennedy and Hannah Grace. This innovative novel deals with topics that are widely considered to be taboo, even within the genre.

Overall, Hazelwood manages to approach the difficult and sometimes heavy subject of unconventional relationship dynamics with grace and honesty while still maintaining a positive tone throughout the book. Her portrayal of student-athletes who are equally committed to both disciplines is relatable not only to those in aquatic sports but any kind of intense extracurricular. Hazelwood also accurately captures the range of emotions that come with navigating the world while being a college student, especially at a top university.

Like her other novels, Hazelwood’s background as a fanfiction author shines through in this work. The writing style she uses is evocative of many Archive of Our Own pieces, and the main character Scarlett even praises her favorite professor by saying she hopes “his favorite fanfiction update[s] every night.” Hazelwood also brings back two beloved characters from her debut novel, which was based on a fanfiction she wrote of Rey and Kylo Ren from the Star Wars franchise.

While this callback to two adored scientists from “The Love Hypothesis” — Dr. Adam Carlsen and Dr. Olive Smith — is a creative reference to Hazelwood’s roots, it is incorporated in a way that feels slightly choppy and out of place.

“Deep End” divides the life of student athletes Scarlett and Lukas into two distinct halves: academics and sports. The academic portion focuses mainly on their shared research work with Dr. Smith on neuroplasticity and sensory deprivation. While this research project is important to the overall plot of the novel, the connection to Hazelwood’s earlier works feels forced, as if the “STEMinist” connection is only there to appease die-hard fans.

While the STEM aspect of “Deep End” falls short of Hazelwood’s other novels because she dedicates significantly more detail to the athletic pursuits of the characters, she excels in creating a realistic romance within the world of NCAA sports. The fire of competitive college athletics fuels the passion between the two main characters and drives their relationship forward. Former Olympians and NARPs — non-athletic regular persons — alike will appreciate learning the intricacies of the world of aquatic sports and the inner workings of a romance between a world-champion swimmer and an up-and-coming diver.

“Deep End” contributes a heart-warming and enjoyable installment in the increasingly-popular arena of sports romance novels, bringing this new genre together with Hazelwood’s background in “STEMinist” romances. By pushing boundaries and stereotypes in a way that has been seen in books like “50 Shades of Grey,” Hazelwood is pushing herself and her fans outside of their comfort zones to experience a new type of contemporary romance novel.