Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

I spite-purchased the special edition paperback of this book because, as per usual, people were being especially heinous to Ms. Ali Hazelwood, and even though I'm sure she spends most of her days laughing her way to the bank in between reading all of the smut she could possibly want to read (I mean, I would imagine), I was unimpressed enough with the way people were talking about the anxious and emotionally traumatized heroine and the kink rep to snap a copy of this book up like lobster claws at a cruise ship buffet.

Overall, my feelings about DEEP END are pretty positive. BRIDE is still my favorite Hazelwood book but this one is right up there, mostly because of Lukas, who is literally the perfect dreamy Book Boyfriend. I also loved Scarlett and all of her insecurities, and how she was still learning to process through all of her emotions and allow herself to cry. As someone who feels the same way, that was huge for me, and seeing that sort of representation on page meant a lot.

The kink was also beautifully done. I wouldn't call it a handbook for a real life BDSM relationship because all romances are fantasies, and everyone is different, but it was very, very clear that the author had done her research and taken care to portray what she considered a healthy, happy, normalized relationship with kink and I honestly don't think enough people are approaching the book with that kind of framework. When readers think of kink, it's often within the context of a dark romance, like FIFTY SHADES OF GREY or an even darker book, which is totally fine (I love that, personally), but seeing it in contemporary romances is great, too. That said, I wouldn't really call this book a romcom. It was heavy on the rom but pretty light on the "com." If anything, it's kind of like a more progressive version of one of those new adult romances that were so popular in the early 2010s, where the heroine was college-aged and going through it.

My biggest qualm with the book was actually with Pen. ***SPOILER, TURN AWAY NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT A SPOILER***

I do not think she should have been forgiven for what she did. Given how emotional abuse was such a trigger for Scarlett, this was an especially cruel thing for an alleged best friend to do. And I'm usually an advocate for supporting unlikable heroines, but the way that this played out was super weird. Like it wasn't actually that big of a deal. The douchey guy who kept trying to hit on Scarlett got more of a telling-off than Pen did, and I'm not sure what kind of message that sends. It's important to set boundaries with romantic partners in a power-exchange relationship to ensure that they don't really hurt us-- but why did Scarlett not have to set those same boundaries with Pen, who went out of her way to hurt her? Multiple times? And she was so manipulative, I really did think the set-up was going to be that she had some kind of personality disorder and that was why some of the other girls were so cold to her; because they recognized the behavior patterns. The endgame with Pen literally shocked me and not in a good way. 

Despite that, and the epilogue that kind of felt tacked-on, I did really enjoy this book. Hazelwood is getting better with each book she writes, in my opinion, and I love that you can see her progression with each book. BRIDE is still my favorite but now I'm even more excited for its sequel-- and for whatever this author writes that comes after or before that, too.

My pre-review of the book:

WHY AREN'T MORE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THIS???? I'M SO EXCITED

My prediction: He's a big angry shark of a man and she's a teeny tiny little minnow of a girl

She thinks he hates her but he's been obsessed with her for YEARS

Hijinks ensue

 (I guess I was kinda right?? LOL)

3.5 out of 5 stars