Welcome to Ready to be Romanced.

I'm Tori.

And I'm Kat.

And today we're discussing.

Deep end.

I am.

So.

OK, so Kat and I have been talking about this book for literally months.

Yeah.

Because you're a swimmer.

I am.

And I always thought if I ever, I will never write a romance novel.

I'm not a writer.

I'm not actually that creative in this aspect.

I'm creative in other aspects.

Absolutely you are.

And I always think I want to do like an Olympic romance.

I think you're genius.

I think you're genius for thinking that.

I'm sure there's ones out there well.

There must be some books.

Well, and there is that full feature ROM com that takes place in the Olympic Village in Korea.

Do you remember I did tell you about this?

You did.

You did because we talked about this, I think on the last episode.

We did, yeah.

Yeah, it's so that there's a ROM com movie about it that's actually filmed with the Olympic Village.

And it's cute as heck, but it would make a great, great romance.

You know, Olympic Village, all hot people, athletic people.

And I had really high hopes for this book.

When I found out that Ellie Hazelwood was writing a book about a swimmer, I died.

So yeah, we talked about it before it even came out.

Totally.

Because it's like, this is right up our alley.

I really like Allie Hazelwood.

And I really like, I love, like pool scenes and like changing rooms and like stuff like that.

And college campuses, Yeah.

Collegiate stuff, yeah.

Yeah, I like this is perfect for me.

And to be honest, I did like this book.

Will I read it again?

Will I recommend it to anybody?

No.

But like, I didn't have AII wasn't ever like having a bad time.

Yeah.

Well, and I think it is a good book, love.

We're just like in it.

It is a good book, but she needs to do a Passover and edit it.

It.

This has no business being a 14 hour audio book.

Like she she's pumping out too many books like she's published like 6 this year.

So she needs to edit this it because this could have been way more concise and so engaging, but it just wasn't.

I was like reading out my e-reader.

So I was just like in the place of tap.

Like I was just like tap, tap, tap, tap, tap.

No, no, literally, yeah, I she could cut out like it was I think 67 chapters or something like that.

Like she could have truly cut out twenty of those.

Yes, and we don't need like 12 fucking 15 fucking swim swim meets.

Like no, I know, I know, I know.

Swim meets are so boring, both in life and.

And yeah, in life and in books like you, like, even she couldn't jazz it up.

No, I know, I know.

That's funny.

I get the life as an athlete is pretty much like you get up early, you train.

Yeah, it is mundane, but that's why I feel like maybe Olympics would work a little bit better.

But.

Well, and how dare she not make the Olympics like the big climax and culmination of this book.

Like they go to the Olympics, right?

Or they make the Olympics and then they just like don't.

It's like 1 sad little chapter.

It's like no, the ending was so bad.

I fucking hate how they got back together.

It was so anticlimactic.

And then the epilogue pissed me the fuck off 'cause they weren't even really together, they were just texting.

And yeah, so like in the epilogue it.

But it does allude that they had done while at the Olympics together and stuff like that.

And I just was like, this is so like, this could have been so fun and exciting, but we never like got to see that.

Yeah, that's.

Wild.

That's wild.

Yeah, I've been thinking a lot about Allie Hazelwood, just like in terms of her releasing so many books, because I completely agree that I just feel like I'm like love and light to her, like truly.

But it was kind of 1/2 baked, not even half baked.

But I gotta say, it's like it was just so formulaic, like and I think that if you read a lot of romance, it's just like so tiresome of like guy really likes girl, girl can't figure out why he likes her.

Miscommunication.

Someone does something bad, they both apologize and get right together like.

Yeah, totally.

Also, like part of the formula is that like he's kind of a flop.

Like she doesn't write good male characters.

I find, I don't know, like he's hot, but.

Yeah, does she write?

I guess she writes good female characters.

But I will say again, not to spoil grapes and Crumbles, but like I am just so kind of sick of like the trope of the woman in like the these hetero relationships, the woman not knowing why the guy likes her.

Yeah, when he has done 0 things to like if he was being, if he was breadcrumbing and he was kind of ghosting or whatever, of course, yes, you would have confusing feelings if he liked you.

But, and I guess he does kind of ghost in this book.

But I just feel like every book is like, I don't know why.

Why would you like me?

Like I'm so surprised that you like me and I'm like gross.

Get it together.

Yeah, exactly.

I know there's a lot of like, insecure girls kicking around in the romance novels.

Yeah, 'cause I feel like when he did have some absences, they got explained away.

So I'm like, he has done nothing to make you feel like this, So why are you still so wishy washy?

I don't know, hate.

OK, so we're going to be talking about deep end.

Spoilers ahead.

I, I want to put a brief content warning that we're going to be talking about parental abuse, high level, not super detailed or anything like that.

And then some BDSM sex, which is also something that I want to talk about just because I was like, am I the most fucked up depraved like person?

Because I was like, I was like, OK, it's Ali Hazelwood.

I know she does smut usually like she does the sex usually very well and it's really under delivered.

Really under I was like, this is gonna get spicy.

Like finally we have like a mainstream kink book like from a mainstream author, like this is awesome.

And then it was like the most vanilla kink.

It was.

It was.

Oh my God.

I was like, I'm a freak.

I was like, I kept waiting for it to escalate and then I just whoever did.

Well, and OK, correct me if I'm wrong, they never actually had sex at the pool, right?

No, they have sex in a chemistry lab or whatever like the lab and then at their hoses.

I mean like.

In a classroom.

Yeah, because, like at a pool, the possibilities are endless.

Like, she's a tower diver, so there's towers he could, like, tie her up on all those bars and stuff.

Also, like divers are obsessed with their chamois.

I don't know.

She kept mentioning it, You know, those little towels that are like, kind of quick dry, you'll see them, like, always grab them at the Olympics and stuff.

And I'm like, Oh my God.

She told he totally could have, like, you know, spanked her with that.

Like there is so many possibilities and none of it was even remotely happening.

I was like Oh my God, this is so disappointing.

100% no, I was having the same same thoughts and she they when they were doing their kink list, they kept mentioning like pretty specific and pretty like intense, I guess kinks and then just like none of that happened.

I was the disappointment under delivered like have a lot under delivered.

OK, so obviously this book is written by Ali Hazelwood.

It was published February 4th, 2025 and it features Scarlett van der Meer, a diver for Stanford University.

And we meet her overhearing in an argument between Lucas Blomquist and his girlfriend Penelope Ross.

So Penelope and Scarlet are on the diving team and then Lucas is like an Olympic medalist, really, really, really good swimmer on the swim team.

So they kind of are one team at Stanford and she's worried because it sounds like they're breaking up and they have been like the golden couple.

They've been.

Together forever.

They were like 16 or something.

Yeah, this is like shocking to kind of hear them fight, I guess.

So she steps in and Penn says, well, we've actually broken up.

The reason is because he wants a certain type of sex and I'm not interested in that, which is like a BDSM relationship.

She's like, I've been with him since I was a teenager, so I want to date other people.

So we've decided to to break up, but we haven't really told anybody because again, we're this like kind of power couple on campus.

Did you find that weird?

That they broke up because they were like, sexually.

No, that they didn't tell.

Like I just feel like the whole thing basically hinge, not the whole thing, but a lot of it hinges on the fact that nobody knows at the school that Lucas and Penn have broken up.

But then also like a lot of people know because they see them together all the time.

But I'm like Lucas just seems like such a logical and straightforward guy and I feel like that's his whole fucking personality.

And so I get maybe like easing it or like maybe it was a stressful time and they didn't want to tell people right away or whatever.

Like I I get like easing into it, but like they literally lie for like a full academic year and that just doesn't seem like in his personality.

Well, and it some it felt very unnecessary.

Like it's not like there was any pressure.

Like it's not like they had like some like merch deal they had, you know what I mean?

Like it was like, why, I guess.

Yeah, they never really explained it.

It was poorly.

It was a pretty fleshed out idea in the book, I think.

Yeah, like why?

I just, I guess because he felt like he, he felt a lot of obligation to pen.

But yeah, they just never really said why.

And so then him and Scarlet had to be super secretive or whatever.

Yeah, and and so did Penn, I guess.

Like she she's like, I wanna date other people.

And it's like, well, and must be people off campus because you can't wouldn't be able to do anything on campus.

Like it just that part like didn't really make sense to me.

No, no.

But Scarlett has some like very specific things going on.

She's not really good friends with everybody, anybody on the diving team because she's like so set on going to Med school.

And she's also recovering from an injury that she got in her I think freshman year, and she's now in her third year it.

Was a massive injury.

It was like, it was like a potentially like career ending injury for a diver, yeah.

And she is in physical therapy, but she's still like she's better, but not back to her pre injury body.

And she has this mental block about doing this specific dive.

So she's in counseling and she's like really trying to deal with it like kind of on her own.

Like she doesn't really talk about it with the non existent friends she has.

She doesn't even really talk about it with her coach.

And she's just kind of trying to like, right knuckle it.

Yeah.

She's real buttoned up.

She's very guarded.

I actually found that would kind of like relatable or endearing, you know, just this like super, super a list type buttoned up person who has a hard time with friendships.

Like I actually kind of liked her because of it.

And I was just kind of like, oh, I mean, it all plays into like why she likes these power kind of dynamics and sex and stuff like that.

But yeah, I thought it was actually it all this book starts off like actually very good.

Yes, the beginning, the setup is good, but yeah, it just kind of like fizzles out.

But anyway.

It, it, it really does.

She just feels like post injury, she's struggling with everything.

She was like a obviously a straight A student and stuff like that, but she's really struggling in English.

She's really struggling in German.

And she just, yeah, has to have control over everything.

She's obviously a perfectionist, which is why she likes submission because she feels like it's one place, I guess, that she can completely trust somebody and not be in control, let go of that control.

And so when Penn tells her about this, she's like, OK, I'll talk to her because Penn seemed like kind of weirded out by this or like making it kind of trivial.

So Scarlett was like, OK, I like this, too, but the opposite of Lucas and kind of tells her a little bit about it.

And she asks her some questions, which I thought was also interesting because she had a abusive relationship with her father.

Right?

Yeah.

And she always was trying to figure out if that was something that played into why she liked BDSMI thought that was.

Interesting.

Yeah, that whole conversation with them early in the book, like Penn explaining kind of what it's all about, sort of not like the logistics, but like her, the pen and a scarlet, they call her Vandy.

I keep getting confused, Vandy And, you know, the two of them.

That was actually a really good conversation.

Like I thought it was a good way for Ali Hazelwood to explain even when she said kind of like, you know, I don't even know if I should say I'm part of the BDSM community.

Like the word community implies some exclusionary and inclusionary criteria.

And it's just it was like a really good description of like what it's like to like enjoy something sexually, but then also be like, is this who I am as a person?

Not really.

Like, I don't know.

It was, it was, I thought it was a really good conversation.

Also, at one point she says kind of like she likes to be praised, you know, in the bedroom because she feels like she's just getting permission to like she's getting like approval for just like being a good person or something, which is a really abstract way of being like, yeah, I'm like a high performing anxious person.

I don't know.

I just, I thought it was very well done, that early part.

Me too, like this, exactly what you said.

This setup is so good.

Like I was like this is laying the ground for like a really good book, but it just kind of like lost its way.

And again, I think, not that we know her schedule or anything, but I do think it loops into if Allie Hazelwood was pumping out less books and just had another year or whatever to like fine tune, edit down.

And like a better team, she's a better editor, someone to just be like, girl, this does not concise enough where you're like lost in the weeds of swimming, which is like, I'm a swimmer.

Like I smelled like chlorine, like from the age of 9 to like 23.

Like I am a swimmer.

And it's a kind of a boring sport.

It's like not, you know, it's she needed a better someone to really like hone into editing and just like not get not get into all those swim meets and stuff.

Oh my God.

Totally, totally.

But she does that with everything, like in terms of like science and stuff like that.

Like she's always like getting really into the specifics.

And sometimes, 'cause it's usually specifics I don't care about.

I'm not like I'm, I'm in a place of skim.

Later that week or whatever, they are at a team BBQ at their coach's house and Penn gets really drunk.

She's with Scarlett and she's gonna get Lucas to drive her home.

And she reveals that they like the same type of sex.

Like, he's a Dom, she's a sub.

So she's like, you guys should have sex.

And Scarlett is mortified because obviously she didn't say that she could share this information, right?

Yeah, that was not great.

No, not great.

And like, we can talk about, we can talk about Penn's like character flaws later on.

But like this is a this was a teaser for for what's to come.

True, true.

And she keeps having these new interactions with Lucas.

So there's one night she's locked out of the changing room and she calls Penn.

She needs help, but she's on a date, this man named Theo.

So she's like, I'll get Lucas to help you.

And he notices her shoulder, and no one's ever noticed her, that her shoulder like twinges or whatever.

But she's like holding it or whatever.

She's like bracing herself.

No one notices that but.

Yeah, I know the dream I love.

It the dream of being seen like it's probably.

It's like my, my like micro genre or something.

I'm just like when guys are like, oh, I didn't know, you know, I'm you're the only one to notice this like very tiny specific thing.

It's like in Fleabag when the guy notices she like when the priest notices she's talking to the camera.

I died.

I was like.

Or like even when they're at the dinner and he notices that no one has asked her a question or whatever like.

Yeah.

Yeah, like, he also notices Lucas later on that she's uncomfy with men except for him.

So there's like these specific things that he really can and when she's hungry and like all of these things.

He's very attuned to her.

He's very attuned to her, so he's like massaging it.

It's like kind of a heated moment.

And then they both leave.

But she gets an e-mail from him and the subject line says what you need message says if you decide to go for it.

Because they they're like kind of reminiscing about Scarlet spilling the beans.

I think it should be me.

And I like, I literally wanted to die.

I guess it's like that was his only form of communication.

But like crazy work.

Yeah, yeah, pretty.

There's some cringe here.

It's a little cringy, like, yeah, to like her, like school e-mail or whatever, like.

And then funny enough, because Scarlett is also a biology Wizard of.

Course.

They end up on the same research team run by Doctor Olive Smith, which is a character from I think it's the Love Hypothesis.

Yeah, yeah.

I this like did not come together for me until you told me on the outline.

But like, I guess it's all the same universe.

I also saw online that in check and mate someone mentions Lucas.

Oh, OK, so there is so they're.

All connected, Yeah, there's little sprinkles of them.

Yeah, well, and just the way you know how you can just tell the way someone, an author gives like a bit too much info.

It's all the same universe, her like sciency world.

She loves the sciences, that girl.

She does.

So they are going to be spending a lot of time together and this gives them kind of like an excuse to be around each other without people being suspicious.

This is kind of when we start seeing that, like, Lucas has always actually noticed Vandy because he like TAD, one of her previous classes, we find out like he was kind of propositioning, trying to proposition her for a threesome when he was with Penn.

And he's just like pointing out that there are so many guys on campus that like, want to ask her out or like want to date her, want to hook up with her, whatever.

And she like is oblivious to this.

Yeah, totally.

In her own like world, not even noticing.

Yeah.

So she writes the MCAT which also was like no fanfare or anything, which is like insane because people study for like a year for this exam.

Yeah, very, very hard.

And she thinks she does really bad, but she gets dragged to a party that night with pen but relatable girly.

She goes upstairs to get some some quiet.

Relatable.

Yeah, Yeah.

And Lucas finds her like, mentions like that, that they should have sex.

And he's like, you just have to say the words and we'll do it.

But she can't do that.

And she's really thinking about how this would make Penn feel, so she doesn't say anything.

Yeah, she's very considerate of people who are not that nice to her.

Like none of these people are actually her close friends.

Yeah, I know that's true because I was like, who gives a fuck?

At a certain point it's it's an Olympic gold medalist.

Like you should probably have sex with him.

She.

Suggested it like also I like just love this like fake oblivion where she's just like yeah, I never really noticed like how stunning he is.

I'm like girl you would notice a Swedish like world record holder hanging out the pool deck.

Like obviously everyone notices this.

Man and if you are a fucking studious bitch you would know who your TA is.

For a biology class last year like that was insane.

I was like, you're probably at every TA office hour.

Yeah, Oh yeah, She's major.

Overachiever.

Major wants to super motivated against medical school.

And that she's oblivious to guys like, like, you know, that's another trope that like, fucking hate.

I know.

Yeah, totally.

This way He also points out that she's touch starved.

What did you think of that?

I would have actually killed myself like.

I feel like you should do like, video podcast just so people can see your cringe face.

You're just like, yuck.

Yeah.

Yeah, it was yeah.

Touch Starved is a disgusting turf.

It's so embarrassing and I know that he was trying to be like, oh, it's not embarrassing, this happens to everyone or whatever, but the way that he said.

It the way he said it, I know.

I was like, I'll jump out a window.

I know I get that.

Like writing these scenes, these authors have to be like pretty vulnerable or something.

They have to try stuff because and some things work.

Like there, there are some scenes in this where even just when he's like, you know, staring at her or that scene where he like is holding her ankle or whatever.

Like the way it's described, you can tell like it actually was pretty hot.

But and then something will just switch and you're like, that's not bad anymore.

Like you can get the egg real quick on these.

And, and yeah, Touchstarp is a pretty icky thing.

It was so.

Because it's like it, I felt like he was like, you're like a loser virgin.

And that was the implication.

And I know that he was saying that that wasn't the case, but I was like, I would actually jump out.

He was upstairs.

I would jump onto the bedroom and hope that I died, truly.

Oh my God.

But then she ends up at green, she replies to his e-mail and then the next day at practice he gives her a kink list and tells her to go get STI tested and to fill out her form.

I thought this was really funny when she was like well I want to see yours and he's like but then you wouldn't answer honestly.

Yeah, that'll be skewed, especially because she's the sub.

Yeah, totally.

Yeah, yeah.

I thought that was really interesting.

That is interesting.

Do you think that's common practice?

I have no idea, truthfully.

I mean, I've never, I've never come across it in in life.

We're in the books.

But yeah, I mean, it was OK.

I I, I was expecting to be more grossed out by it.

But there were definitely some green flags with Lucas here.

Like he was even when Penn was talking about how they tried some things and then the second she said he's not into it, he stopped trying.

Like, you know, there was some very clear, respectful things at play here, and the list was OK.

I thought I'd be grossed out by it, but ultimately it was kind of a cute tool of this plot or something like that.

Totally.

I've seen it in a lot of like, yeah, like 50 Shades.

I think they do like kind of a can't list or.

Yeah.

That's that's for the best.

Like, yeah, to be honest.

But yeah, he is respectful.

Like he, yeah, he never put tried to push this on her.

He never dumped her because of it.

Like, yeah, yeah.

Then they exchange lists in a library study room.

And what do you know, they perfectly align with each other.

Everything that he wants, they're a match.

Yeah, they're a.

Match rate in heaven and then he kisses her and this is really really heats up this is again I was like this is like gonna be good and then it.

Just I know you're hopeful.

You're still hopeful at this point?

I was like, stoked.

I remember I was listening to it, like, on a hike, and I was like, like, the whole time I was like, Oh my God.

Like, OK, like, let's go.

And then it just, like, went so bad.

But they bump into each other at their lab for their research project, and Lucas tells Scarlett to go down on him.

And it's like this thing where it's like, he's not gonna reciprocate.

He denies her Orgasmine.

And then, yeah, it's very praise heavy.

It's very praise heavy, yeah.

Very like I'm in control and she's getting used.

And then they walk back to his house and they bump into the roommate, have a full conversation with him and then they go upstairs and have sex and he's like upset.

Like he was like, that was the best thing I've ever had.

Like that's the best thing.

That's a.

Friend because he's been with Penn since he was 16.

And just like, I actually kind of like, how did he even know?

I don't know, Like it's kind of interesting.

What did you think about that?

Like, cause yeah, it's like, I guess that this would be kind of his first time doing this.

Yeah.

I felt like there was never a time.

And this is what I think would be the reality but wouldn't ever be written out of a book.

But like, in these scenes and stuff like that, scenes, like BDSM scenes, I feel like if this is the first time he's like, really giving this a go, I think there'd be times where they would like, pause and be like, I don't know what I'm doing.

Like, do you know what I'm saying?

Like, I just feel like there'd be times where it's like, is this OK?

Like, really?

Yeah.

Or just like, I can't believe we're doing this.

Yeah, there would be like, yeah, it's not super realistic.

I mean, there would be obviously like, yeah, there would be like more, I guess, not awkwardness, but just like, giddy.

Like, yeah, there'd be something other than just straight up hot, perfectly aligned BDSM.

Perfect, John said.

No stutter?

No.

Yeah, repeat.

Like repeat.

Yes, like or no, Like trying something and then being like, yeah, like I didn't like that as much as I thought I would.

And then he doesn't talk to her for 10 days.

This actually pissed me the fuck off because.

I know.

He's such a good guy and I don't understand like I know it's we we learn from his brother that is there visiting that he has always denied himself of stuff like he I guess feels like he doesn't like deserve stuff.

So he would like take cold showers, not sleep on the bed, not seize any of his food, like do all this stuff he.

Like tortured himself with like withholding comfort basically and good things, which is like kind of intimate for your brother to know.

I don't know.

It was that was kind of weird and it was kind of.

Weird now that I'm thinking about it.

And also it's like we never discussed that.

No, that's deep.

That's like a fucking issue.

Like I know, I know.

I guess it's like implied that like when he tells her that his mom died, that resolved it.

I.

Don't know.

Yeah.

There's a lot of you have to draw your own conclusions in this book, but.

Because I'd be like, get therapy, yeah.

Like yesterday.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's just disrespectful to be like, I deny myself good things, so that's why I didn't text you.

I'll be like, fuck you, bro.

That's so painful.

I do this thing that we both seem to like, really enjoy and officially like they both kind of are doing it for the first time.

So it's it requires a little bit of like being respectful and, you know, the aftercare of things or whatever.

And it's it's just totally, yeah, I don't know.

That was yucky and like.

That a lot, yeah.

Like aftercare extends past the hour after you have sex.

Yeah, for sure.

And yeah, this requires so much communication and so much trust that it's like fucking bonkers that he doesn't talk to her for 10 days.

Yeah, that was a misstep on his part, big time.

Huge misstep.

Because also in real life, I feel like what would happen is she would be like, fuck you, never talk to me again.

Yeah.

Or at least she should have, but obviously that doesn't happen.

So yeah, she figures that out from the brother that's visiting, and they're just like having a good time outside of the bedroom.

And yeah, they've have sex again after like a party where this other guy was hitting on her.

Yeah, he got all jealous.

Possessive.

Yeah, Total.

Maybe.

I can't.

Why is everyone obsessed with this check like like.

She has no idea.

Yeah, she's just oblivious.

But the next day, 'cause they, like, are having a cute breakfast moment.

And the next day, Penn's car battery dies.

And she calls Lucas.

And then Lucas, like, drops everything to go help her.

And she's like, oh, like, I wonder if they're still, like, seeing each other.

And maybe is this a temporary break?

Like, we don't know.

So she's feeling a little bit down from that.

Lucas checks on her after she fakes an illness after seeing one of her old coaches.

Right.

And she has like a full fucking mental breakdown.

She tells Lucas for like I think the first person she's ever told that her ex-boyfriend of three years on the day that she injured herself of a day of a competition, he broke up with her as well as her dad contacting her via e-mail even though they are no contact breaking all obviously these court orders.

So he's like, yeah, obviously this was extremely shitty.

And like, no wonder you have so much trauma around this incident.

Like not only are you like didn't know if you would be able to dive again, but you had two people break your trust.

Yeah, well, and how wild that this would be the first time she said this.

But yeah, she's like actively in therapy for this.

No, literally, but I literally this is garbage.

I don't think she tells her.

Yeah, people are Yeah.

It's wild.

She that therapy thing too.

I mean, it's I guess it's a gripe and grumble, but the therapist being like, I do cognitive behavioral therapy, like I'm just like, Oh my God, snooze.

No offense to people out there who do cognitive behavioral therapy, but it's like not really cutting edge here.

Like this girl needs help.

She's a trauma survivor and she's she, she's got the yips bad for her sport that she's an Olympian and like there would just be way more supports for her anyway.

It was just not realistic.

So yeah, he, she discloses this to him for the very first time, which was very hard to believe.

But obviously they're they're trauma bonding, they're being more vulnerable, they're connecting.

And yeah, he tells her about his mom passing away and how he was so upset because he was away at a swim meet when this happened.

And I felt like also she like, didn't really.

She was like, aw, I felt.

Yeah, she wasn't really.

Supportive.

She hasn't ripped into these people.

I liked this book.

I just want to say that.

I love her.

We both say we liked it, but ultimately we were like destroying it.

Yeah.

It was just, it just lacked a little bit of, I don't know, it just lacked a little bit of like authenticity or something.

Totally.

He tells her this because basically he's say cuz she's like you're a perfect athlete cuz he's like literally the best in the world.

And he's like, well, when my mom died, I was, like, adding time, and I wanted to stop swimming.

And she was like, I think I have a breakthrough.

I wanna go try it.

So they head to the pool at 1:30 AM, and she does an inward dive.

Yeah.

And then he forces her to open her MCAT results.

And what do you know?

She got one point higher than him.

It's funny.

I do like that he always tells her how much smarter she is than him.

Yeah, and this scene felt very like cinematic.

It felt like it'd be a good movie scene of them going to the pool in the middle of the night.

Her finally doing it like it there was like.

But like, fuck in the pool.

Seriously and also your breakthrough is sharing just like a basic Astro.

Like why can't your breakthrough should be having sex with him in a really awesome way don't you think?

I thought that was the whole point is that they were working other issues by being Dom subbed for the very first time in their life, but no.

Totally, it's so vague.

I think they do end up having sex in the change room, but that's beside the point.

Change room is oh, I kind of forgot about that.

That's so.

It's so not the pool.

Yeah, it's so not the pool.

And this is also weird because she is still asking him.

She literally verbatim asks him are you still sleeping with pen?

And he's like again, like I don't understand how like much clearer.

I guess ghosting her for 10 days maybe doesn't.

Seem confused her a bit, yeah.

Yeah, but like he's like, I don't know how like much clearer I can be that like I'm obsessed with this.

Mm.

Hmm.

This is really working for him.

Yeah, he's like, I will always be friends with her.

I will basically always drop everything because she did so much for me after my mom passed.

And I, I like, I feel like that's fair.

Like I hate like if you are in a really long term relationship, obviously there's a lot of reasons to cut ties.

But like sometimes it's like, like I really related to when she was like, we were best friends and like codependent and so intertwined that we kept dating for much longer than we needed to.

We are more friends than romantic partners.

And I felt like that was really relatable.

But it's like, I liked that they were still friends, like, right, Because it does suck if you are friends with someone like in this case, seven years, and then you just like lose a friend.

Like that's sad.

And they are still like around each other a lot.

I this whole like Stanford Aquatics are somehow joined.

I don't think that is a thing.

But for this book, it's like they still have to see each other day in, day out.

Like, they may as well like kind of protect this like friendship that they have.

Totally.

And then this is another thing about the book that just was always so confusing and took up so much time.

But basically what happens is like one of the divers on their team, it's a team of five, gets injured.

So then Scarlett has to be paired up with Pen to do synchro diving and they suck together.

But there was like so many times where like someone got injured and someone like.

There was a lot of cutting from the team.

The swim team also lost like 5 people.

I was just like a too much in the weeds on the actual sports.

We don't need that.

Get back to the We just need, yeah, we just need to be like training a bunch and making it to the Olympics and then being at the Olympic.

Yeah.

All we really don't do that, yeah.

They don't see each other for a month because Lucas is swimming in Europe and her and Penn during this time are getting a lot closer.

They obviously Lucas and her are like texting and everything.

They go to the USA Diving tournament and there's a diver that they know at another school and she's like, hey scrub, let's go out for dinner.

Hey, by the way, Penelope is like a conniving bitch.

Yeah.

And we used to take time.

We used to dive together.

And like, she, I don't think, does she?

I don't think she actually ends up saying anything.

It's when it's when Scarlett tells Penelope that this happened, that she's like, well, she has a grudge because I reported her mom for running a dangerous diving institute.

Which like, I don't know enough about diving, but I'm like, what is happening here?

Were they just like injecting people with like cortisol or something?

Like what was happening?

Don't know.

I was weird.

But Penn's our villain now.

She's really not to be trusted, which I kind of saw it coming.

I don't know that Penn was trouble.

I spoiled myself unfortunately, because I think I told you this, but like I tried to read this book like several, like I tried to finish this book several time and by by the end I had just I had spoiled myself on the Internet before I actually got to finish it.

So I feel like though, because I'm dumb, I actually wouldn't have picked up on this.

I was like, Joyce is like shady like.

Right, right.

Yeah.

Do you think that Penn and Lucas being so, so fucking not jealous of each other, do you think that that was reasonable?

No, I mean, I'm, I'm not, I'm a, I'm a like I'm being vulnerable here, but like I'm pretty toxic.

I cannot, I cannot be friends with my exes.

I'm really like I'm a Scorpio.

I like absolutely burn things to the ground when I'm done with them.

I so.

Everything I just said you're.

Like no.

I think that's so fair.

I remember when my ex started dating someone, it's like I didn't I want to get back together with him by like 1 serious ex.

I was like I don't want to get back together with you.

I've known this for years.

Like literally like wow yeah do not care.

And I was still so jealous.

So jealous.

Oh yeah.

Oh, yeah, me too.

Me too.

You could say they're like being very mature, but I think they're actually being like completely unrealistically cold, like to each other or something.

Yeah, I just felt I was like, I just could never, never do that.

Even though she knew in her heart that she didn't want to date him anymore and was dating other people.

And also like they, they took their sexual incompatibility as like, I don't know, it almost felt like one of them was on like a real journey.

I don't know, it was interesting.

It was like one of them.

It reminds me, I've read a lot of like queer ROM coms and it's almost like one of them was going through something like profoundly so personal that they couldn't be together.

I don't know, it was weird.

It's like the whole sexual them not being compatible was like not enough to be like, now we're cold to each other.

Could be just like, no, we aren't right for each other.

Does that make sense?

100%.

It's not like one of them had to like, discover something on their own.

It was just really, yeah, their relationship was problematic for me, but.

Totally.

No, I totally agree.

It wasn't like this huge shift or anything.

It was just, it seems like it fizzled out, yeah.

Totally, Yeah.

So if they end up going to Amsterdam for Worlds, yeah, Scarlett goes because a bunch of people get injuries and they're staying at a hotel.

They're like having sex all the time, being tourists together, like really fun.

Then they bump into an Australian diver or swimmer or whatever.

He insinuates that he knows Penn really well.

And she's like, I don't get it.

Like if, if he like insinuates that he has like kind of slept with her, How?

How did that happen?

Because you guys got together when you were sixteen.

Were you ever like in an open relationship or anything like that?

A threesome does not cross this bitch's mind.

She is so confused.

And then he explains, Oh no, we had sex with other people.

Girls and guys she was.

She could not comprehend that that was something that was happening.

She was blown away.

It rocked her world.

It rocked her world.

I was like you.

BDSM.

Our BDSM Queen Yeah is.

Shirley.

Shook by this and yeah then it didn't make sense to me either because then it's like Penn was so shook by the BDSM stuff.

I know, but I was like you are having multi part yeah, multi partner sex like I don't why are you guys so I don't know.

I just not that you have to be interested in both.

Like it can honestly be one or another, but I was just like, why are you guys acting like fucking prudes or like yeah.

I actually, that's funny, I actually interpreted it as Scarlett was actually more shook because she didn't know that about Penn and Penn had been, they've been getting closer and Penn had been like all up in her business.

Obviously, like she, like Scarlett shared so much about what she's into.

It just was like, I think she was more shocked because it really highlighted that her and Penn are actually not that close 'cause she should have told her.

Oh, that's a good point.

OK, I like that interpretation.

I also just like, and I know that this is toxic and problematic and stuff like that, but like when I heard this and I was like, OK, so Penn was initiating these threesomes.

It wasn't Lucas.

She didn't like their sex life and wanted to date other people.

Having, I think having threesomes in a relationship when you want out and want to date other people, I think that is like, I could just never.

This is why I this is just not for me because I just cause that's what I'd be afraid of is that my partner wants to see other people and hates our sex life Hates.

Our sex life, Yeah.

It's just their way of, like, working out without saying it.

Like working a way out.

Finding a path out without saying it was, like, so embarrassing.

Literally, yeah.

Literally I was like, that's crazy.

I would just have to be so secure and I've never felt never been not secure I guess.

I guess so, eh?

Damn things to hope for.

Yeah, no.

Truly to hope for and he says that actually he wanted to sleep with Scarlett, but Penn knew that Lucas like had a crush on Scarlett back in the day and like wouldn't like would not do that because she knew in her head.

That's again why I'm like, you're like, not I feel like off You're not having threesomes for the right reasons.

You're not hashtag here for the right threesomes.

Like, no, it's true.

Yeah, not having threesomes for the right reasons is true.

They start having deeper conversations.

She's like, I want to go to Med school with you.

And she is like, she's starting to be like, I'm in love with this guy.

We're starting to talk about plans for the future.

This is way more than just having sex.

Yeah.

Yeah, this is where it takes a turn and it's like we're in love.

And then we get back to California and we find out that Theo, this is kind of where all all the shit hits the fam.

Theo breaks up with Penn and then Penn gets accused of doping.

Right.

When this happens, and I don't know if you remember this because I know that you read it a few months ago and just did a little skim, but they have sex here.

And Lucas is really frustrated because Scarlett won't admit that they like love each other and that this is more than sex, right?

And they have like anal sex for the first time.

And he was like asking to take like a picture of her and stuff like that.

And like, I just felt like also I felt in and obviously Scarlett didn't have this experience, so I don't want to tell her that this is how she should feel.

But like I kind of felt like it was like kind of non consensual because I just feel like people sometimes forget that if you were in like an altered state of mind, whether that's like obviously people mostly talk about inebriation, but like also like anger or like, yeah, stuff like that.

I'm like, you probably shouldn't be having sex like this if you are like.

Not in control of yourself.

Exactly.

It kind of felt like he was spanking her and stuff.

And it kind of felt like it's turned.

Yeah, not good, at least for me.

I was like, I'm not.

I didn't like it when it first started.

I actually paused to the audio book when I was reading it.

And just like, I don't know if I wanna listen to this for a minute, but I know that that's not how.

Ali Hazelwood intended it, but I just kind of felt like, I don't know, I didn't like, I didn't like this scene.

Yeah, interesting.

I it's sorry, yeah, I did read it a while ago now and then just did a little re skim today, but that's that's interesting.

I mean, I feel like that's maybe part of like a dubsom relation, like a subdom relationship.

Is that like maybe it isn't always perfect every time and you have to actually both kind of like figure out what your limits are?

And maybe it was sort of Ali Hazel, like who knows?

I, I don't remember the scene very well.

But I mean, I'm not surprised that a kink book would have a scene where, like, I mean, I don't like it, but where maybe he's not like, perfectly in control or he's, I don't know, going too far with the Dom.

She didn't say stop, which like was there like safe word and stuff like that.

And I do think that if she said stop, he would have stopped and like stuff like that.

Like that for sure, totally.

But I just felt like it reminded me, there's this scene in Outlander where Claire runs away, Jamie finds her, is mad at her, but and then yells at her and spanks her.

And then she's mad because he did that which he thought was OK because it was like the 1700s or whatever the fuck.

And then she's mad at him.

So they're both mad at each other and then they have sex.

But he she's like holding a sword up to his neck and having sex with him like and being like don't ever do that to me again.

And I don't know it.

I don't like crossing of the two.

Like for me, for me like it was more it was a little blurry and I know some.

Of those sex.

Can be blurry like I get the that's the reality but did not like this.

OK, OK.

Good to know.

I want to hear what other people think if it was just me, like misreading it, misinterpreting it.

I'll reread it.

For sure my own lens on it in a in a yeah certain way, but I know that that wasn't how she interpreted it.

But I was like this seems weird to me that you're like like it did feel like real punishing where I do like my interpretation of like Dom sub is like you are punishing but like it's like fake or.

It's a, it's a performance.

It's a performance exactly.

You're not actually being mad at her.

Totally.

And it's supposed to actually be about like the sub, like the sub is in charge, right?

It's not like the Dom is not actually in charge.

They're just performing and she in charge.

Yes, and she didn't seem really like she was in charge and that I didn't like that part I.

Think yeah, totally, totally.

So yeah, Pen is a fucking mess.

She calls Lucas and ends up staying at his house for like a week while they're awaiting the second test results of the doping thing.

This was like, again, Scarlett has the patience of the fucking St.

cuz I would have been like, yeah that's actually not happening.

Like, exactly.

Yeah.

Oh, I know that.

Yeah.

This happens a lot where an ex is like lingering about in these books.

And it's like, no, I don't think it's maybe just cuz I've never been able to accomplish it, but I.

Don't think it's like I.

Don't think it's like an elevated way of being that you can like be that close still or like that's not your person anymore.

That's not your person to run to in a crisis anymore.

Call your parents.

Seriously.

Call or just.

Learn to be on your own for call.

Sakes like call your therapist.

Yeah, totally, totally.

I really felt like that was fucking weird.

And then I felt guilty because and, like, shameful because then I was like, are you not like, yeah, like a healed, evolved person?

Like no I can make confirm this.

What?

It's the NCAA Diving Championships, which is how you qualify for the Olympics.

And Pens test results come back that she wasn't doping, obviously, but she's still kind of fucked up from that whole ordeal, so she isn't diving well.

So Scarlett actually ends up beating her and winning the gold, the gold medal.

And obviously this is insane because it means that Scarlett's going to the Olympics and that she got a gold medal.

So Lucas finds her and kisses her, and they're celebrating the team, the diving team, including Penn, find them.

And they're obviously shocked because they think Penn and Lucas are still together.

So they're obviously like, you are cheating on her.

And then Penn basically doesn't say like.

No, I know this has been going on.

Yeah, yeah.

And like, Lucas is like, I'm going to set everything straight, like we're not together.

This isn't cheating or anything like that.

But people are still just like, so confused and upset.

But he really defends Scarlett in this.

And this was like really good.

Like he didn't try to placate or beat around the Bush or like anything like that.

He was like, like, I'm in love with this person.

Pen is in the wrong, like.

Yeah, he does his like big, big public display of love or whatever.

What do you call that?

Yeah, his declaration of love kind of in front of everybody.

His declaration of love and he is trying to say this to Scarlett and he's tried before but she like won't hear it.

You won't hear it.

It's true.

She's too traumatized.

She's too traumatized, so she uses her safe for the first time.

So he so he can't tell her.

And then she runs away.

And then she ends up heading home.

Yeah, because she's interning with her mom over the summer, who's a doctor, and she hasn't talked to Lucas.

She hasn't talked to Penn.

But her two teammates do start apologizing her.

And then Penn ends up showing up, apologizing and admitting that she was wrong.

So then Scarlett's like, OK, I figured out like, I've got the clear pen and I can still be friends and I can get the guys.

So she heads to Sweden and they reunite.

Mm hmm.

And then we get a little epilogue where they are living happily ever after as.

Olympians and.

Olympians and doctors.

Doctor Olympians.

That's right.

Yeah.

They both become doctors.

Yeah, I like that she went to Sweden.

I I liked the travel component of this.

Basically anytime they went anywhere I was like, OK this is cool.

Me too, I always like books that travel around.

Me too.

It was a little bit lackluster though.

I don't know, something was just missing.

I don't know, Penn, Penn coming, groveling back.

I don't know.

I kind of just wish she stayed a villain or something.

Totally.

But then I was like, but because also I was like, I don't know how I would forgive someone that's that psycho.

Yeah, totally.

But then it's like she has no friends if she doesn't.

And then, yeah, I thought that the, like, Lou Gosby was tracking her location, so he knew she was coming in all of this stuff.

So it was kind of lackluster.

But then I was like, but that's him, though.

Like I don't think he would have wanted anything different anyways.

Should we say?

Before we move to our rat team, we'll discuss should we say each one nice thing about this book?

Yeah, we're just like bashing it.

I'm so sorry.

Ali's the one she's not.

She's not listening to her, or if she did, she's not.

She didn't get this far.

Yeah, exactly.

She's crying in a corner at the, like, 10 minute mark.

I mean, I like, yeah, I, I don't know what I like.

I like, you know what?

I like Scarlett as a person.

I like her.

I think she was a complicated gal.

She had layers.

I like that she wasn't, I don't know, like always in the right or always in the wrong like she was.

I liked her.

Yeah, I liked some of the quirks that they both had, like him keeping hit her his house really clean and her not and stuff like that.

Like I just thought some of those things were funny when they would tease each other about it.

They did have good dynamic.

They were very teasy.

They could they both teased well.

The little text message combos were cute.

That was good actually.

The banter was.

They were both funny.

They were funny.

And I do think he would be a good Dom.

Like I, I was like, I, I liked the, the, the blowjob scene and I like, and I like to maybe a few other other sex scenes, but like nothing I'm gonna like go back in think about, I feel like.

But yeah.

For sure.

I liked the first one.

OK, let's wrap up with our roundtable discussion.

So our Internet investigation, this is our cursory peruse of the Internet of Things.

You need to know the working title and some of the like limited edition books use the title Wet WHET.

What do you think of that?

I'm horrified.

What is that?

Maybe I'm am IA dumb, I don't know what that is.

So I'm dumb.

So when I was writing this outline I wrote some examples of what I thought about because I was like, I don't get this because they don't even fuck in the pool.

Like I got like, I guess it's like pool, obviously diver swimmer wet.

Yeah, like the word wet, but it's.

Yeah.

And then I thought of like a woman, like being wet.

Yeah.

And then I thought of like, wet your appetite maybe?

Yeah.

And that's all I thought.

And I couldn't decide which was which.

Like, no, that was none of their like last names.

That wasn't.

I don't think that was like a turn.

Like what was that?

I don't know.

That's not a good title too.

It's too it's too vulgar or something to like.

Was just funny coming from us, like like.

Yeah I love I just googled it.

Sharpen the blade of a tool or weapon.

Yeah, that's the only what, your whistle.

Those are the only things that I could think of.

Yeah, and then, like the double entendre of like they're swimmers and a woman gets wet when she's having sex.

Yeah, It it's it's too, it's too obvious or something.

I don't know.

I don't like it.

I like the deep end.

Yeah, I like deep end.

Yeah, I think that that makes sense.

Like she, they're all like scared of part of the crux of the book is that she's scared to go in, like go into the deep end.

Yeah, literally with the dive, but then figuratively with her relationship.

So I yeah, I think that makes a lot.

Emotional vulnerability and her closed offness and everything.

OK, this too is Lucas and Scarlett are mentioned in Problematic Summer Romance.

OK, I have not read that.

No, no, I haven't.

Me neither.

It's yeah in the the universe.

But I like that she's definitely doing these like Easter eggs, like she's a Taylor Swift girl.

Right.

And you can see that obviously within the books.

I I kind of like when authors do that, like just nod to their other books, self referential like universe.

Like I like that.

Me too.

Me too.

OK.

I wonder why these are unanswered questions with listeners.

I got a lot of them.

I thought, you know how when they are working on their project, she draws something on his hand to explain something, right.

And then when he he gets his PR with that on his hand.

So his coach was like, you have to keep that on your hand at all times, like those kind of athlete.

Superstitions.

Yeah, superstitions and I, I was like, Oh my God, this is gonna like play such a big role in the in the book and stuff.

And it was like nothing.

Nothing.

Truly nothing.

Yeah, I remember that scene too, because I was like, clocked it.

Something will happen later, no?

No, nothing like I just thought like he gets it tattooed on him or like or that's how they hook up.

Like that's how they're seen together all the time because she has to go draw it on hit.

Like, I don't know.

Yeah, something, yeah.

I put why does Ali Hazelwood always write the female main character having an annoying ass for me.

Interesting, I didn't even clock that.

OK.

I don't care about Miriam.

Yeah, that's right.

Right.

Yeah.

She, she's got someone.

She's got that one confidant, but they're not even that close either.

I've totally forgot about that character.

Forgettable.

Yeah, literally.

Forgettable.

Maybe Ali Hazelwood had horrible roommate experiences in university and just has to work it out and just be like all roommates are disgusting just like.

Yeah, this would have been a great time to edit this out because.

It was.

Fucking irrelevant.

Irrelevant.

And two goddamn long.

Like, why is this so long?

Yeah.

So long and then I just wrote why?

So there's two things and like we kind of maybe answered one of them, but Barb kept like she kept on calling Barb and Barb called herself stepmom.

And I was like, if you guys left an abusive relationship then she gets guardianship over you when you're a teenager.

It's like you would just wouldn't call that person your stepmom.

No, well and I actually had her family structure kind of confused.

Her dad was obviously very abusive and couldn't can't be in contact with her.

Where's her mom?

Doesn't say.

Barb is the dad's new partner, but.

Yeah, but then they leave.

They broke up OK?

Yeah.

Oh, they're the ones that left together, Yeah.

Was Barb and OK?

Yeah, like they have a conversation about maybe having kids and she says like, I beat the step grandma and it's like, girl, come on, Like you've been her real.

You're the grandma.

Yeah, Yeah.

Also another woman in STEM.

Yeah, of course.

They're everywhere, every turn, yeah.

And then just like, why?

Where was she like possibly weirded out by threesomes or like surprised that they had threesomes or?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I don't know, I guess, Yeah.

I mean, maybe Lucas kind of led her astray and was like, I'm not very experienced with this particular power dynamic, but he'd done other stuff like maybe she was, she felt a little a little bit like.

Yeah, you're right.

I think straight, you're right.

And that was the shock.

Whereas like I felt like the shock was coming from.

She was like threesome, Yeah, like she couldn't fathom but.

No, I think.

That's she was just.

More Jarred that she, like, didn't think the two of them did it together.

Yeah, I didn't.

Either yeah, OK, our gripes and grumbles.

These are NIT picky problems we have with the book.

Yeah, I'm I'm getting sick of characters denying that there's something serious going on, but it's just sex.

Like that fucking pisses me off.

It goes on and on and on it It's so it's such a thing where they're just like, we're going to have the most amazing mind blowing sex but not fall in love.

It's like, oh God, sure.

As soon as you like, go out for breakfast or attend a party together.

Or like sleepover, yeah.

Something.

Like it's, it's not fuck buddy.

Like I, I don't know, not that it's so clear cut, but I'm like, if you've have a fuck buddy, it's usually like pretty much like I would say, like you don't share all of this personal information and spend time together outside of having sex.

And I was like, I don't know.

It's just, it just doesn't seem realistic.

Not realistic.

Yeah.

That they're fighting it so much.

Especially when they're like young people.

It's, I don't know, it's just kind of like, don't you want, I don't know, maybe people don't want.

That's a good point.

Legit relationship, but it's like legit relationships are so fun.

Yeah, I agree that you don't have enough dating trauma at 21.

Or maybe you do, I don't know.

But I just feel like it's like, I don't know, it's just starting to feel unrealistic.

And then I said this at the beginning, but yeah, I'm just so sick of like the men being competent in relationships and being able to be like, this is serious.

It's like, what man in real life has ever fucking done that?

Like, yeah, like it's usually the woman that has way more relationship competency and in touch.

Like I don't want to generalize, but it's like they are just way more attuned to what's happening.

So it's like, why in romance all that?

I guess cuz the girl usually it's women reading it and they.

Want.

They want the they want the guy to act better, and that's just not realistic.

I.

Feel totally.

It's the fantasy of it all of like, yeah, we all want a man to like, take the lead and be like, we're a legit couple.

We're super in love.

I'm going to be responsible and like treat you so friggin good.

Like it's just the ideal, I guess.

I don't know, Lucas kind of like lacked a little bit now I think about it.

He was a great character.

Like I actually think, you know, my girl Abby Geminis, she makes actual she writes actual really rad men.

Her men are are you know that they're hot and they sit like they're just like they're worthy of our like, you know, fantasy.

Yes, whereas, like Lucas kind of wasn't.

It was just hot, just hot swimmer bod, but he didn't I don't know.

It was just didn't fit this time.

The hot swimmer bod was really carrying a lot of weight.

Totally.

Yes, it probably does in life.

Like really like.

No, I totally agree.

He was just like a little written a little like one note like.

I love that he was dependable and reliable and and.

Really actively pursued her.

Like really liked her.

Drovelled and like and and was like just talking about how in awe he was of her diving and science mind and like stuff like that.

But him personally, I know it was kind of more or more square.

There was, I have to say it, there was a number of like, really bad gripe and grumble related to swimming.

Like there was a few like, errors that were so silly.

Well, yeah, like there was, I'm trying to think of 1.

Like at one point he was talking about some other teammate.

He was like, yeah, this guy got cut or whatever.

I really miss him.

And then she's like, oh, was he like an important part of the team?

And then he said, yeah, a butterfly guy.

Distance and I'm like, bro, there is no butterfly distance Butterflies like the longest event would be 200 and that's like not like a distance is like 1500 like those two words don't go together, which is like so silly.

If there's any other swimmer listening, they'd just be like cat, you're ridiculous.

But it just was with those type of things where I'm like, you need a good editor girl, You can't you need someone to check, Fact Check this.

If you're gonna be like Olympians, you know, you can't be making silly mistakes.

And also like the fact that I, I mean, I've never swam at Stanford, but like the fact that like divers and swimmers are some.

On the same team.

Team is wild.

They don't even swim in the same pool.

Like there's a dive tank and then there's a comp pool.

It's like totally a different pool.

So there's also these weird politics of like we compete for pool time.

It's like, no, you don't.

That's not that's nothing.

That pissed me off too.

That fucking pissed me off too because I was like, even I know that.

I guess maybe it's because I work at a uni or whatever but I was like they wouldn't combine teams like that, no.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

When they even talked about water polo, they're like, don't even get me started on the water polo guys.

It's like, OK, no one, no one feels that way.

Yeah, OK.

One thing that pissed me off is, like, Penn, like, seemingly knew nothing about Lucas.

She hadn't even met his family, really.

And like, didn't know the brothers and like, didn't know all this, like specific stuff.

And I was like, I get that she like, didn't like in the later years want to date him, but I was like, you would know stuff about a partner of seven years.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

In a way that she didn't.

That was like crazy it.

Didn't make sense.

Yeah, Especially if they're the golden couple.

They made it sound like they were in People magazine or something.

It sound like there was pressure on these two.

But yeah, it didn't make any sense.

You'd be able to list his like three other siblings or whatever.

Like absolutely.

I liked how Scarlett asked him to take her if she had to take her shoes off in the house.

Because we're Canadian and.

Yeah.

You just automatically take your shoes off.

But in the States it is a question sometimes, like some people are shoes on and some people are shoes off, and that to me is crazy.

Oh yeah, my American family are shoes on and I'm like, that is wild.

I just can't believe it.

I don't like that.

No, I can like.

Picture my aunt and uncle walking around their house and me just being like blown away, Yeah.

Not them catching strays on this podcast, but like, OK.

They're both dead.

Oh no, rest in.

Peace.

RIP.

RIP.

But like, yeah, that is so invading.

Like yeah, yeah, truly so gross.

Anyways, she only used the word.

This is so vulgar.

I know, even though I've just been talking about like the most depraved shit.

She only used the word cunt in this book.

Yeah.

And I was like, that's just, I was like, if this is takes place in 2025 or whatever, like you wouldn't only like, I get that maybe you're using interchangeable words for vagina, but I'm like you just you would you would say pussy and.

You wouldn't.

You wouldn't literally only say cunt like that was crazy.

That is crazy.

I know.

That was their word.

Like in the sex, like in the moment, which is wild.

I don't, I mean teach their own I guess it's but yeah, wild.

It was wild because it wasn't just him talking or her talking aloud like she, when she was thinking, describing, yeah, describing it.

She would also use it.

And I was like, you just you wouldn't.

No, that would be crazy if you did, Yeah.

Totally, totally.

I agree.

I wrote that her birthday is the same day as mine.

Nice.

Which I thought was funny.

But it's funny.

And then I feel like on this podcast we always talk about bad nicknames.

Yes, so gross.

And he calls her troll.

I need AI need a Swede to like chime in.

Is this for real?

Like are we calling people troll in Sweden as a term of endearment?

Endearment.

It meant something like good luck or like lucky charm or like.

Yeah, he's good luck, charm or whatever.

Or something like that.

But I was like, after one time.

You calling me troll?

Yeah, troll formal.

OK.

OK, if anybody is listening to this that speaks Swedish, they're gonna.

They are rolling in their grave.

Yeah.

Totally, whatever the form of that is.

Yeah.

For trolling or something like that.

OK, well, I just like, I don't know.

I was like, I don't, I don't like this.

No.

Doesn't feel right, No.

Any other gripes and grumbles?

Not really.

I feel like we were pretty.

We were pretty fair.

Perfect.

OK side character spot.

Like this is our nomination for an unforgettable supporting character who deserves their due.

Because sometimes the best characters aren't the main event.

I hated most of the side characters so.

But I liked Hassan, the British, British guy.

I guess I like the brother because I like anyone who's like going for bat going to bat for like their brother's happiness, you know, like that's the sibling, the sibling being like they she makes you happy.

Go for it.

Look at that.

I like, you know, I, yeah, I mean, I did like to just the imagery of like identical twins doing the synchro diving.

I was like, oh, that's.

Yes, yes, and they were dating other identical twins.

Identical twins, which is wild.

Yeah.

So that's cute.

Nice.

That's a good nomination.

Yeah, I love that.

OK, I sequel scoop.

This is your T on any upcoming sequel seasons and the general reception.

I actually think it's funny.

When I surveyed my book friends IRL I got very mixed reviews, but it seems like it generally got good reviews online.

I don't think it was like such AI don't It's not her top book.

Ali Hazelwood, but didn't see much dissent, no.

There's a lot of hype around it, like I feel like a major promo as it was about to come out, I thought it was going to be huge and yeah, just kind of it faded the way real quick.

Totally, Yeah.

I think it would be a good movie.

I mean the media that like the kink part is tricky to film and stuff, especially with like younger casts and stuff.

Like I don't know it maybe that's why it hasn't been picked up yet.

But most of her books kind of have been I think right or are gonna like, I feel like they're making everything like it's such a.

Romantic.

Yeah.

Like, yeah, The love hypothesis with Lily Reinhardt from Riverdale, Yes, Which is gonna be on Amazon Prime.

So I have.

I have no doubt that, like, more of her books will be picked up.

Yeah.

She's just obviously just follow the money and yeah.

Yeah, I thought it was cinematic, the pool stuff.

Yeah, and I do think it could be, yeah, a fun standalone ROM com.

I just see it because they go to so many different locations and you know where it's like plane and then it like title card that says like Amsterdam plane, Jacksonville.

Like I can, I could totally see.

I see the vision.

It would be very hard to fake a huge swim meet and a huge diving meet though, like that actually sort of looked like worlds or the Olympics.

Like that actually might be a big barrier now they think about it.

You can't.

That'd be very expensive.

Yeah.

And yeah, it would just be hard to make that look not cheap.

Yeah, yeah.

I'm curious for like off campus and stuff like that, how they do the hockey, but hockey maybe is more reasonable.

But if they were to do a movie or TV show, who do you envision as Lucas and Scarlett?

Love pretend casting and I kind of came up short on this, honestly.

There's I had.

I kept picturing a blonde man.

There's so few, there's so few adult male blondes in the world.

Like, I couldn't really think of anybody, honestly, because his name was Lucas.

I kept picturing Lucas Gage, Yeah, who's kind of, like, tall.

He's like, sneaky tall.

Like, you don't realize he's like 6/1.

He could probably be pretty jacked.

Yeah, I met him in real life.

Did you really?

Yeah, when I went like meet like loosely, but when I was in LA last year, I was eating eating at a restaurant called Tower Bar.

Oh, I did.

You told me this is something.

About yeah, OK, when you said sneaky tall, absolutely.

He is actually was like one of the tallest people there.

Like, wow, really tall.

Yeah, it felt that way.

Yeah.

The only kind of blonde that I could actually think of that's like, I guess like a natural bond was Austin Butler.

Yeah, okay.

Yep.

Yeah.

Austin Butler can do anything in my books.

My God.

Kate, but he would have to have like a Swedish accent.

I know.

So maybe they should.

Maybe they should actually cast a Swede that speaks English.

Yeah, OK, I know he's old, old, old, way too old.

But I have such a crush on the Swedish actor Joel Kinnaman.

Do you know who he is?

No, he's old now.

But if this was, I mean, he could be the coach or something now he's so hot.

I love him.

And he's also.

Yeah.

He's also kind of brooding.

Like that's the thing with these subdom things too, is they have to be a believable Dom like they have to be.

He's so hot.

Are you dying right now?

I know he's so hot and he's like uniquely hot.

It's like he's, I don't know.

He's like no one really looks like him.

And he's Swedish like straight up speaks, you know, he's if we could just age him down by 20 years by.

20 years, obviously the Scarves guard, like Alexander Scarves guard is Swedish, but again, too old.

I was kind of sometimes picturing, which I know he's German, but the guy that plays the lead in Maxton Hall, like that's another blonde.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, totally.

He looks, he looks like a good swimmer type too.

Like you have to have that swimmer build.

Yeah, like Cody Simpson.

I guess they could.

I'm sure they could find a tall blonde ripped.

Yeah, sweet.

But if they could, if they didn't, they could change.

Maybe change the country or whatever.

Maybe.

Yeah, totally.

Think he would still have to be like part of it is is them learning about the Swedish culture.

I thought was cute but yeah that was.

But like you could do the same if he was like from a different country.

What about for Scarlett AKA Vandy?

Because of the singular braid, they kept talking about how she has one braid.

I really couldn't get out of my head someone like Jenna Ortega.

No, it's funny, I was thinking Jennifer Lawrence just because of the Katniss braid.

So interesting.

But again, again, too old obviously.

Yeah, yeah, obviously.

But yeah, totally.

But that type, I think General Ortega too, because Scarlett's kind of goth.

She's kind of like a loner.

She's like, I don't know, she's just kind of outside of the like social circle.

She struggled socially.

She's got hide at parties.

I just felt like someone like that, like or even like Cynthia or something like that.

She had she can rock a singular braid too, really well, but.

I could see that, yeah.

It would have to be someone like these girls are too like twig thin.

I'm like, it has to be like muscular athlete.

Like gymnast, muscular, like really jacked.

Yeah, like a little diver, obviously, but.

That was also something that they talked about extensively that I was like, we could have cut this, but like always talking about.

And I get that it's part of the sport, but like, yeah, just the sore muscles and the training and yeah.

Yeah, the working out and stuff.

Yeah, totally.

I also like the just the position of her being like really dark hair and him being really blonde or something like.

Yeah, I like that too.

In off campus they have like, I think pretty much like 2.

They're not unknowns.

They've been in projects, but like small projects, and I think that this would be a good movie to like, maybe not have like, or they could use more unknown people.

For sure.

I mean, they probably have to.

I mean, when I say Jenna Ortega, like she would never, she would never.

It's just kind of had.

It's just that, like, type of look or something, or maybe that like, who's that girl from Stranger Things who was at the Taylor Swift concert in London in LA?

Sadie.

Sadie Singh.

Yeah.

CD Singh.

That's a really good one.

That's a really, really good one.

I was even thinking like Lola Tongue from the summer.

I turned pretty like she's a swimmer.

Maybe it's just because she's a swimmer in that show.

And that was the thing too.

Maybe why this book didn't really hit for me is that I couldn't really picture them.

Like sometimes when I really like a book, I have a clear image and I'm just like, that's the guy or whatever.

But now I'm just like I can't really picture them.

100% I totally agree some like there was some nice quotes and stuff like that, but I do like find it's like if I can't even like remember 1 and like I you guys, I literally finished the book today and it just didn't seem super memorable even though again like I had a good time reading it.

I read it over I think 3 days like I, I once I got into it, I, I did some, I did some Start Stop in the spring fully stopped it and then it's like once I got in, yeah, it was smooth sailing, but.

I'm good.

I'll read more Ellie Hazelwood forever and always.

I think she's good enough that I'm like, I'll, I'll always pick up her books, like maybe not like crush all of them, but you know, I, I trust them to be good enough for sure.

Totally, totally.

OK, My last pitch for Scarlett is maybe what about like, Hailee Steinfeld?

Oh yeah yeah I weirdly find her looks so annoying.

I think it's because of pitch perfect three or.

Whatever yeah, 100% is Yeah that's so funny.

Or her dating that NFL are.

Yeah, totally.

They're married now, I think.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right.

Although she was very, very good in sinners, she she would do collegiate athlete well actually she looks she would get really jacked and that would be good.

I could see her in the braid.

Yeah, totally.

And the one piece bathing suit.

And the one piece.

Yeah.

OK, Kat, this was so much fun.

Thank you.

So.

Much for coming on.

You for having me anytime.

And that's the story of DEEP End.

Thank you so much for listening and thank you to Kat for joining me on today's show.

As soon as we finish recording, Kat texted me Harrison Dickinson.

And that makes so much sense because he was in Baby Girl, which was a Dom sub situation.

He's blonde, he's tall, he's super hot.

So I would be so for that.

I think he's British so we can make him a Brit wouldn't be as exciting as a Swede, but they could still do the whole like, learning about each other's customs thing.

Yeah.

Let us know what you think.

This is the penultimate episode #49 but before our 50th episode where I'm covering my favorite book and I finally finished all of the episodes I wanted to get done last April lol.

I'm heading on vacation.

I will be back in November and I feel like I have some ideas of books that I want to cover, but if you have ones that I should read, let me know.

Follow me on socials at Ready to Be Romanced.

And of course, subscribe it and leave a rating and review that helps the pod find new listeners.

Our next episode is Skin of the Night.

Until then, happy reading for Ready to be Romanced.

I'm Tori.

Goodbye.

Welcome to Ready.

I forgot what podcast I was doing.

OK.