When I say this book cracked open my ribcage, rewired my neurons, and permanently altered my brain chemistry I MEAN IT. @authornicolecubba really said “let’s strand two brilliant, emotionally constipated scientists on a boat and watch them unravel into delirious, feral, soulmate-level obsession” and I ate it up like it was my last meal 😭♥️

Mateo Alvarez? Sir, you are now the patron saint of acts of service and words of affirmation. I will never recover. Every line out of his mouth was either soft enough to make me want to weep or sinful enough to make me need holy water. I highlighted everything. I don’t even think my Kindle has room left. This book is now my bible 😭

Charlie? My girl. My chaos. My Darwin-quoting, stubborn, brilliant disaster who absolutely deserves the way Mateo sees her. These two are like scientific method meets raw emotional combustion, and I was glued to every stolen glance, every broken rule, every “oh no, there’s only one bed on this ship” moment.

This book is enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, STEM nerd banter, oceanic adventure, and the kind of romance that makes you want to scream into a pillow. By the time I finished, I was half in love, half feral, and fully convinced Nicole Cubba secretly spliced poetry into the DNA of this book.

Nicole, ma’am. HOW am I supposed to move on from this? 🙏 😭

Final thoughts: Charles Darwin would NOT survive on the SeaStar, but I would happily go extinct if it meant Mateo looked at me the way he looks at Charlie.

Thank you so much to @victoryeditingngc and Nicole for the ARC. I’m so down bad for these oceanic nerds it’s unreal ♥️

I IMPLORE you to pick this book up you won’t regret it!! Especially if you love books like The Hating Game ♥️🤌🏼

A STEM romance with ONE BED, forced proximity + they work together! absolutely LOVED this book. it delievered in every way. A down bad man who loves her exactly how she is? Chef's kiss.

Easy five stars.

Tapping into my STEM romance, Ali Hazelwood loving, nerdy roots, I dove (Pun absolutely intended) into this story and it was so cute and so swoon worthy. Deep in Love is smart, funny, and heartfelt.

Charlie Bowen lives by the motto “What would Charles Darwin do?” but even Darwin could not prepare her for being stuck at sea with her academic rival, Mateo Alvarez. Three weeks on a research vessel means forced proximity, lingering glances, and stolen kisses that threaten to break down all the walls Charlie has built around her heart.

This book gives you:

🌊 Close proximity (three weeks at sea)
🛏️ One bed

🧪 STEM rivals-to-lovers

🔥 Alow burn chemistry
💕 He falls first

💔 Past trauma and healing

💡 Witty banter and nerdy charm

Nicole Cubba captures both the wonder of scientific discovery and the messy, exhilarating journey of falling in love. Charlie and Mateo’s story feels fresh and deeply romantic, with plenty of moments that made me smile and sigh.

Thank you to Nicole Cubba and NetGalley for the early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

y’all know your girl loves a good STEM romance. i mean, if my obsession with ali hazelwood’s books tells you anything, it should be that (and definitely not anything about how i like my men or anything like that, nope, not at all 👀) and this gave suuuuch good STEM rep, and had SO many fun tropes. i mean, men who yearn, forced proximity, hate to love/academic rivals to lovers, black cat x golden retriever—the list of favorites goes on and on.

i absolutely loved watching charlie come around to the idea of mateo being in love with her, and then slowly opening herself up enough to love him (and herself!!) right back. it felt so realistically done, and the “hate” in hate to love is the kind i prefer in my contemporary romances—it’s just rooted in a lil miscommunication and a frustration that the hotness of the other person does something for you (we’ve all been there) 🙂‍↕️ watching charlie begin to heal and open up to not only mateo, but to the other women on the ship and her bff amy was so heartwarming. it was ridiculously subtle, which made it feel exactly how it would feel to watch a relationship develop in real life, and i really appreciated that.

plus, i loved that charlie bowen was obsessed with charles darwin. gave me a good giggle.

the only thing that kept this from being rated higher for me was the lack of maturity i got from our characters. it’s something i would expect from any of the college-aged characters i read, and while our story takes place at a college, charlie and mateo are phd students, and are 25-26. as someone in their age bracket, it just felt a little… much for me. they both immediately expected such BIG things from each other, expressed themselves in a way that only made sense to them and then were almost irrationally upset when the other person didn’t immediately understand them… just rubbed me the wrong way, a bit. it didn’t stick out to me as much as our characters learned and grew, but it did take me out of the story for a bit in the middle.

BUT, i am calling all STEM girlies, because this one is absolutely for you. just the right mix of actual scientific facts and jargon mixed in with a lovely lil love story 🫶

This was a really cute academic rivals to lovers romance, add in a dash of forced proximity and 2 years of yearning this story was so so sweet. Charlie is a grumpy and scarred FMC and I love watching her get to open up and be vulnerable. We get to see who she really is when she lowers her walls. And Matteo was such a loveable and down bad MMC, he has everything you could want in the perfect book boyfriend.

While I did enjoy this story there were some things I had an issue with. I felt the pacing to be a bit rough and the transitions between chapters not as seemless as I would have liked. There were moments I didn’t really like either characters and moments that I loved them and the romance. I felt like this could have been plotted better with a bit more internal dialogue. I loved how vulnerable these two were but it was very abrupt from “enemies” to lovers.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Meine Buchrezension zu “Deep in love” wird eher kurz ausfallen, denn viel zu sagen habe ich zu dem Liebesroman leider nicht.

Von der ersten Seite an habe ich wenig Interesse an den Geschehnissen und vor allem den beiden Hauptcharakteren verspürt. Erst hatte ich noch die Hoffnung, dass sich das ändern würde, aber auch nach gut zehn Kapiteln war da nichts außer Desinteresse.

Ich kann leider nicht genau sagen, woran es lag, aber irgendetwas am Schreibstil und der Art und Weise, wie die Autorin ihre Charaktere erzeugt, war nicht mein Fall.

Nach zehn gelesenen Kapiteln bin ich noch etwas durch das Buch gesprungen, um zum Ende zu kommen. Auch dieses hat mich leider kalt gelassen. Ganz gelesen habe ich das romance Buch also nicht, ich bewerte es als DNF (did not finish).

Keine Bewertung, da abgebrochen.

Für wen?

Wer Liebesromane spannend findet, in denen die Hauptcharaktere als Wissenschaftler:innen arbeiten, für den könnte das Buch einen Versuch wert sein.

Schaut vor dem Lesen in eine Leseprobe rein, um zu sehen, ob euch die Charaktere interessieren oder nicht.

The review will be posted on the book blog "Liebesromane lesen" on the 12th of September 2025 (https://www.liebesromanelesen.de)

Uhm I absolutely adored this one! It's a STEM rivals to lovers romance with forced proximity and only one bed! I love the rep, the communication, and my god the tension! Highly recommend, especially to any Ali Hazelwood fans

https://bsky.app/profile/bookishbabe1.bsky.social/post/3lyecehueos2m
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/236703972-deep-in-love
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/1f0c40ce-f539-4730-a0dd-5a1c58816a91

Deep in Love is a tender, heartfelt romance that shines brightest because of Mateo. From the start, his open communication and unwavering love for Charlie are clear—he knows what he wants, and it’s her. He’s swoony, patient, and utterly downbad in the best way, a self-proclaimed expert on all things Charlie, from her bucket list to her favourite sweets. Watching him provide quiet, steady support made my heart melt.

Charlie, on the other hand, took a bit longer to win me over. Some of her quirks (the crystals, the sweets, the guilty self-talk) added dimension, but her stubbornness and self-image struggles sometimes dragged on too long. I really appreciated the mental health representation, though—her insecurities were handled with care, and her journey toward self-acceptance was touching. The way Mateo supported her and saw her beyond her doubts was beautifully written.

For the fans of spice, the intimacy was well done and nicely integrated, not just physical but deeply emotional. The side characters were another highlight—Amy was the best friend we all wish we had, and I hope we see more of her and the others in future instalments.

There were a few elements that didn’t land as strongly for me. At times, Charlie and Mateo felt a little young for PhD students—their choices and reactions leaned more immature than I expected. On top of that, Charlie’s dislike of Mateo in the beginning didn’t entirely make sense, since he was nothing but kind to her, which made her coldness feel a little frustrating at times. And while I loved the ocean research expedition setting, I found myself wishing we had gotten more of the marine biology detail. For a STEM romance, the academic backdrop felt a bit underdeveloped compared to the romance.

Overall, Deep in Love is a beautiful story about persistence, acceptance, and the patience it takes to love and be loved. Despite some frustrations, Mateo’s devotion and Charlie’s eventual growth made for a deeply touching payoff.

thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this ARC! 🩵

man I really gotta get myself on a boat 🌊🦀🐙

this book seriously had it all— full of marine biology references (I wanna see a whale fall now), confessions, and a gentleness that a couple shares that I have never read before 🥹

academic rivals-to-lovers where it’s completely one-sided and Mateo has loved her from the moment he saw her??? sign me up 😮‍💨

I loved loved loved when Charlie realises how much Mateo knew about her, but she barely knew anything about him 🤭 there was such a strong desire from her to learn and give him everything he deserves

jealousy and dramatic confessions have to be my favourite part of any romance book, but what I particularly loved about this one was how slow their relationship growth was— Mateo knew exactly what Charlie needed and that was space and time to understand herself again 🫶🏻

the writing itself is very witty (I found myself laughing out loud at multiple points) but also very touching— being inside Charlie’s head was certainly a fun experience

I REALLY need Amy and Oliver’s story— my heart can’t take the tension between them and I need to know more 🫡

🌅 releases on September 16th 🌅

The epitome of needing forced proximity to realise how much better your life would be if you stopped antagonising your work colleague.

We're following Charlie and Mateo, two PhD candidates in marine biology, as they are given the opportunity to participate in a documentary exploring some of their areas of study. Charlie knows this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be part of a project like this; she must accept, even if it means sharing the same space as her academic nemesis, Mateo. But he's far from hating her. Mateo has been pining after Charlie since the day their paths crossed. Will Charlie realise the animosity is only in her head? Will she be able to overcome her past to give Mateo a chance?

Love love love Mateo and Charlie. It was a short novel, but Charlie had so much depth to her, and I appreciated the journey of self-discovery she took us on. It was the perfect balance between romantic tension and her working through her own issues from a very realistic perspective. I adored the nerdy part of their relationship and how their main love language was acts of service. Feels very eldest daughter coded.

It hits all my favourite microtropes in the best way possible: academic rivals, he's only had eyes for her, forced proximity, and there's only one bed.

The perfect book to transition into the autumn months!!

this might honestly take the top spot for my favorite romance of the year. i literally always fall in love with fictional men, but Mateo Alvarez????!!! he was written to perfection.

i went into this expecting a cute little rivals to lovers between Charlie and Mateo and calling it a day, but the actual depth, connections and details that are in this is phenomenal. for starters, the banter in this has to be my favorite i’ve read to this date!! from the start, where you see the rivalry from Charlies POV and the way he teases her literally had me kicking my feet by chapter 2. Following their relationship is a true slow burn and Mateo truly sets the standard HIGHHHH for being patient and understanding, and helping guide Charlie through her insecurities while also exposing his own. once that barrier comes down and they inevitably gravitate to one another, the writing does such a perfect job of displaying the realities of what a relationship can look like and how hard it can be as individuals and partners, but being able to manage and work through those things together. Truly so perfect, i have no critiques. I also loved that the author incorporated some spanish into the writing, and that you can see some of Mateo’s mexican culture in the book.

the friendships in this is also phenomenal. i love love books where you can actually see the deep and real connection between best friends and this is such a perfect example. i love falling in love with the family the main characters have and they’re prominent to the story and don’t just feel like side characters which is another thing i really love. we also love a man who talks to his Abuela all the time!!!

10/10 no notes truly.

Deep in Love might just be one of my favourite romance books that I've read this year.

It is cosy, romantic, fun and filled with so much yearning. Deep in love is also so fast paced with loveable characters and minimal angst. It is definitely an easy read that will leave you feeling warm and happy.

I just loved the characters in this book especially Mateo and Charlie, they all felt very real. Charlie and Mateo's relationship was so cute; I'm a sucker for the one sided rivals trope. Mateo's infatuation with Charlie was so sweet despite one moment in the book where it felt a bit odd (it has no major impact on the book so it is easy to overlook). Mateo's patience with Charlie was so heartwarming especially when she can be quite oblivious to his feelings. Their passion towards the marine biology aspect of the book felt so contagious, I loved when we got those chapters. I really enjoyed the very minor subplot of Amy and Oliver and if there is plans for a second book surrounding them I will definitely be reading it!

Charlie's struggle with her mental health and the books exploration of such a serious topic was handled so well. Her struggle definitely reflects how many real people battle with their mental health and Mateo's patience and understanding, alongside many of the side characters, was very touching and heartwarming t0 read.

I loved the plot of Deep in Love and highly recommend especially to fans of Ali Hazelwood and STEM-romances.

I thought Deep in Love was a fun, easy romance read with a setting I don’t often see: an academic research trip at sea. The STEM theme and all the little ocean details gave it a nice fresh touch, and I liked how the forced proximity really pushed Charlie and Mateo to confront each other. The banter was solid, and once the walls started coming down, their connection felt pretty natural.

That said, some of the characters’ behavior came across a bit immature for me, especially considering they’re supposed to be PhD candidates. The rivals-to-lovers transition also felt a little rushed, and I found myself wishing for more buildup before the shift into romance. Still, I appreciated Charlie’s more vulnerable moments, especially when she opened up about her past and how it shaped her self-image, those were some of the strongest parts of the story for me.

Overall, it’s a cozy, summery romance with just enough spice to keep it interesting. Not everything worked perfectly, but it’s the kind of book you can breeze through in a weekend and come away smiling.

3.5

This book was amazing. I had been in a slump of reading good books but nothing was reaching 5 stars for me for a minute. And this one was definitely a 5 star read. It had me giggling, crying, and everything in between. Chefs kiss! Please see the full review on my page @hhreadsandwrites on Instagram.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the early copy!

I was intrigued by Deep in Love from the first moment I saw the cover. I am obsessed with marine biology and this book scratched an itch I've had for a long time for something marine biology related. The humor in this book was totally unexpected for me and it was so good, it had me giggling and kicking my feet the entire time. Matteo is the definition of down bad, I mean can I get someone that will leave me my favorite chocolate every day?? This book is low on the angst, but it is such a fun and heartwarming read. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a quick, fun read full of humor, spice, and science.

Rating: 4.5 stars / Spice: 3/5 peppers

This was such a sweet and tender romance between two characters who I fell so deeply in love with! Charlie and Mateo are PhD students - both adorable nerds - who embark on a three-week research trip at sea. The banter and forced proximity (and secret pining) ensure their journey is deliciously filled with tension. But it's also a beautiful journey towards healing, and I found their gentleness towards each other to be so touching.

What to expect:
- MCs in STEM
- Academic Rivals
- Forced Proximity
- One Bed
- Black Cat x Golden Retriever
- No 3rd Act Breakup
- Chronic Pain/Illness Rep
- Mental Health/Therapy Rep

This book wasn’t just a story well written, it was a story that I learned a lot from. I was snuggled up in my sofa, forgetting time and responsibilities. I read it so fast I felt completely enraptured. Perfect in every way, this author is someone I will definitely want to read more from. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me butterflies and happiness.

4.25 stars ⭐️ As a STEM girlie, I am always going to pick up a book where either MC is a scientist! Deep In Love was full of banter and yearning. I really loved Charlie and the setting. I’m a sucker for forced proximity and I definitely recommend this read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Nicole Cubba for the ARC. All opinions are my own 🫶🏼

This love story would 10/10 make Ali Hazelwood proud, a STEM romance that all takes place underwater??

4.5⭐️ 🌶️ level: making out, open door scenes, explicit descriptions

Favorite quote: “I could spend the next forty years as a scientist, but you will always be my greatest discovery. My most important find. My purpose.”

Tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, one bed, slow burn

(Light spoiler)summary:

This story follows Charlie and Mateo, two graduate students who are sent on a deep sea exploration trip by their advisor.

These two could not hate eachother more different yet their banter would suggest otherwise. Bring forced to share a room only draws them closer and allows them to see the evolving partnership in front of them.

Will they choose one another or will another scientist be able to charm Charlie into his bed??

It wasn’t the most well written book over, and at times it felt kind of shallow but I flew through it in a couple of days and I really liked Mateo. I felt like we didn’t really get to know much about Charlie other than her accident and her struggles and I wished we’d gotten more of her personality separated from those two things.

I think the book overall just needed more. By the end, I just felt like I got a shortened version of the whole thing and a little more time and development could’ve made this better. Overall, a cute story with lovable leads though!