Colorado Springs had a wild week of weather recently—we went from a sunny 65 degrees on Monday to a full-on late-winter snowstorm by Thursday, with several inches overnight. I spent Friday morning clearing the driveway while Marcus made snow angels in the backyard and Rebecca watched from the window, deeply unimpressed. By noon the sun was back out and melting everything, and I was left wondering why I even bothered. Weather here is basically a dare. I settled inside with my book and a blanket, and I could not have picked a better read for that cozy, snow-day energy—Deep End kept me absolutely glued to the couch all afternoon.
Plot Summary
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood is a steamy, standalone college sports romance set at Stanford University. Scarlett "Vandy" Vandermeer is a junior on the diving team, returning after a serious injury that required multiple surgeries and has left her with a lingering mental block. Quiet and controlled on the outside, she's grappling privately with the pressure to perform and the complicated dynamics of her team. When she enters into a no-strings arrangement with Lukas, the team's ace swimmer, she expects it to stay simple. It does not stay simple. As their arrangement deepens and real feelings develop, Vandy is also navigating a friendship fracture with the team captain—Lukas's ex. Deep End is Ali Hazelwood's spiciest novel to date, rich with character development and sports atmosphere.
Why I Love This Book
I love that Deep End isn't just steam—though it is absolutely steamy. Vandy is one of Hazelwood's most emotionally complex heroines. She comes from a difficult background, is recovering from both physical injury and mental blocks, and holds herself together with extraordinary control. Watching that control unravel (in the best way) was deeply satisfying. Lukas is devoted, steady, and the kind of fictional man who would absolutely make you lose your mind. His unwavering support for Vandy without making her feel weak is written beautifully. The power exchange dynamic between them is consensual, thoughtfully portrayed, and integral to the story. I also appreciated that the friendship conflict isn't handled in a shallow way—it's messier and more real than you might expect from a romance novel.
Who Will Like This Book
If you enjoy college romance, sports romance, or Ali Hazelwood's other work, Deep End is a must. This is her most explicit book—so if you prefer clean or mildly steamy reads, this might not be the one. But if you love well-developed characters, emotional depth alongside heat, and a heroine with real grit, you will not be disappointed. Fans of The Love Hypothesis and Bride should know this is more mature and explicit in tone.
⚠️ Trigger warning: past domestic violence/child abuse (father), physical injury and recovery, mental health struggles, power exchange sexual content (consensual), friendship betrayal, explicit sexual content.
Tagged As
college romance, sports romance, contemporary romance, Ali Hazelwood, friends to lovers, forbidden romance, Stanford setting, diver heroine, swimmer hero, power exchange, explicit steam, standalone, dual POV, emotionally complex, HEA, morally gray adjacent
Steam Level
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Explicit
Deep End is Ali Hazelwood's most explicitly steamy novel. The sexual content is open-door, frequent, and involves consensual power exchange. It's well-written and emotionally connected to character growth—never gratuitous—but readers should expect and be prepared for explicit scenes throughout.
