Book Summary: 

She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy…

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.

…and it’s going to be oh so good

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

My Review:

I can’t even begin to describe how much I loved The Deal by Elle Kennedy. Populating most Instagram feeds, it definitely lived up to the hype. I have already added the rest of the series to my TBR list and can’t wait to get started. Not only is this my first college undergrad romance novel, it is also my first hockey themed romantic comedy and I couldn’t think of a better introduction into both sub-genres. The realistic characters Elle created pulls you deeper and deeper into the story, creating an insuppressible emotional connection. You can’t help but laugh, cry, and gasp right along with them as you digest the happenings of Briar University. Even if you are not a hockey fan (or puck bunny – did NOT know that was a thing), this scorching fake relationship romantic comedy is a ton of fun!

Hannah has zero interest in jocks, until the new football player Justin comes along. There is just something different about him and while all she can see is him, he doesn’t know she exists. Despite her complex past, she is determined to build up the courage to speak to him, eventually, but for now – she will just admire him from afar. That seems like a fool-proof plan until Garrett decides to intervene. Desperate to have Hannah tutor him after she aces their midterm, he convinces Hannah that “dating” him will give her the clout she needs to catch Justin’s eye. Hannah is determined to resist the charm that is Garrett Graham but as she starts to see a side of him hidden from public eye, she discovers that he may have just as much to teach her as she has to teach him.

This book has it all! The banter between Hannah and Garrett was outrageous! Garrett is just – you don’t get any more “what you see is what you get”. You detest him for who he is at the beginning but find yourself head over heels for him by the end. While being the dictionary definition of cocky, he squashes the notion of “dumb jock” real quick! The layers that Elle brought to these characters makes you rethink the labels we place on people. Our perception is challenged as she highlights the difference of “what we see” to who they really are and what they may be going through.

It broke my heart that after everything Hannah’s went through, she believed not only that she was broken, but needed to be fixed. To have Garrett discover the same thing within himself, to see himself through Hannah’s eyes, those moments brought me chills. About 87% though the book, I had to stop reading because I KNEW what was coming and just couldn’t stand Garrett getting his heartbroken. It surprised me because I didn’t realize how much his character grew on me until I didn’t want him to get hurt. The story obviously had a HEA and I kept telling myself that but I couldn’t stomach the possibility of his world being shattered. This is how unbelievably well Kennedy wrote and evolved his character!

I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence if I didn’t mention that the following triggers do exist: rape, child abuse, and domestic abuse. While Elle handled them with such care, they are still present, some with great detail.

Possessing the must haves of any successful romantic comedy, The Deal is a great kick-off to the Off Campus Series. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series and hopefully get a glimpse into what happens next with Garrett and Hannah.