A
Ali Hazelwood
Italian neuroscientist and writer of romance novels.
Deep End
Synopsis
Scarlett Vandermeer is a junior platform diver at Stanford, still working her way back from an injury that nearly ended her career, with a therapist and a strict recovery plan standing between her and her next competition. Romance is the last thing on her list — until a secret arrangement with swim captain Lukas Blomqvist gives her exactly what she didn't know she needed.
Lukas has a reputation for being disciplined to the point of unapproachable, but behind closed doors he and Scarlett explore a dynamic built on trust and control that neither of them expected to want. As qualification pressure builds toward the Olympic trials, what starts as a private, no-strings arrangement becomes harder for either of them to keep casual.
Ali Hazelwood pairs her usual banter-heavy voice with an explicit, consent-forward BDSM storyline, set against the specific world of competitive collegiate diving and swimming.
Genres
Characters
Scarlett VandermeerProtagonist
A Stanford junior and competitive platform diver rebuilding her career after an injury, guided by her therapist and a strict recovery plan.
Lukas BlomqvistProtagonist
Stanford's disciplined swim captain and an Olympic-hopeful champion swimmer, drawn into a secret arrangement with Scarlett.
Penelope RossSupporting
Scarlett's best friend and former diving teammate; her own relationship history with Lukas complicates Scarlett's connection to him.
Frequently asked questions
Does this book connect to the author's other works?
The story features a cameo appearance by characters from The Love Hypothesis, specifically Olive and Adam.
Is this part of a series or a standalone novel?
The narrative is a self-contained story that does not require reading any other books to understand the plot or character arcs.
