The Deal (Off-Campus, 1)

College setting, they come from two different worlds on campus, but past pain and a certain deal lead to something more than a friendship. I love hockey romance and my favorite New Adult trope is a nerd and a jock. This was a variation on that and I already enjoy the author's adult romances so it was an easy choice when I needed just such a book for a pair of reading challenges. The Deal opens with pretty, but quiet music student, Hannah Wells, agreeing to tutor the popular captain of the hockey team, Garrett Graham, in their shared philosophy class so he can stay eligible to play in exchange, he agrees to help her make a Hannah's secret crush, a gorgeous football player, jealous. A surprise friendship forms and then a fake kiss sizzles into something potent and real. But, they both have pasts that can rear ugly heads and future plans that don't involve each other. Will they renegotiate for a new deal? I don't mean this disparagingly, but I've never gravitated toward the New Adult genre. We all have our druthers and this is one of mine. That said, I had no hesitation picking up an Elle Kennedy New Adult. After reading the Him series, I had no doubt this author could write this genre well and make me love the story I was getting. It didn't hurt that she put one of my few favorite college tropes into play and she didn't emo it up though the pair both had deep issues from their past, particularly Hannah who is an abuse survivor. She gave due attention to character background like her music and his hockey, their friend circles, their college lives, and their relationship all equally. It was even paced and evenly developing building from a little hostility to partners in their deal, to friendship, and finally something more. Hannah was raped at a high school party. I don't feel this is a spoiler since it's revealed in the opening chapter. She's getting her life back and has dreams and goals. She is in a place where she's ready to join in some social events and get back to dating with her roomie bud, Allie, as her wing gal. She's already got who she thinks is the perfect guy in her sights even if another guy is distracting her. I thought Hannah's character was fabulous. She's feisty, but also vulnerable. She puts herself out there, but she's still working through stuff. I was impressed that the author went the extra mile in that Hannah had sex with Garrett, but it didn't magically erase her rape and they have to take a step back together and give her time. It's not some dark shadow hovering, but it's there in a realistic way. By the way, Garrett turned out to be one amazing guy. He was finding his way and figuring stuff out, but he was right there for Hannah. He was way more than the persona he wore like armor and it was fun to watch Hannah figure this out and appreciate him. He, too, has demons, but like Hannah, he doesn't let it take over everything. They have their big crisis moment, but even then, the struggle was within bounds and didn't blow up into absurd angst. I was thoroughly entertained by the banter and college antics of their friend groups, engaging with the characters, and rooting hard for the romance. I flew through this book in two sittings. I want all their friends' stories now though I cringe at what Logan's story will be like after his big misstep. In summary, it was better than I was even hoping and I want more Off-Campus series. For those, like me who hesitate to pick up New Adult romance or want to take your first plunge into the genre, I can heartily recommend The Deal. It is still free last I checked if you want to test drive it.

The Deal by Elle Kennedy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was my first Elle Kennedy book, and I had so much fun with it! The Deal is the perfect mix of sexy, fun, and surprisingly deep, with an amazing slow-burn romance that had me hooked from the start. Music major Hannah has been through a traumatic experience that has made relationships difficult, but she refuses to let it define her. When she sets her sights on star football player Justin, she knows it’ll take something big to catch his attention. Enter Garrett, the cocky yet charming hockey star, who needs tutoring to pass his class. The two strike a deal—she helps him with school, and he helps her get noticed by Justin. But spoiler alert… Garrett and Hannah’s chemistry is undeniable, and soon, their fake friendship starts feeling very real. 💖 What I Loved: -The Banter & Chemistry – Garrett and Hannah’s back-and-forth was so much fun to read! Their connection felt genuine, and their relationship developed organically over time. - Garrett Graham – The perfect mix of cocky and sweet! He was persistent without being pushy and totally won me over. -Hannah’s Strength – I loved how she refused to be defined by her past. She was strong, witty, and felt real. -More Than Just Fluff – I went in expecting a light, fun romance but was pleasantly surprised by the emotional depth. It tackled some heavy topics in a meaningful way. ⌛What Fell Short: -The Handling of Trauma – While I appreciated the story addressing Hannah’s past, at times, it felt like it wasn’t given enough weight. It was important to her character arc, but I wished it had been explored with a bit more depth. If you’re looking for a fun, flirty, and heartfelt college romance with great banter and a swoony hockey player, The Deal is a must-read! The slow-burn romance and organic attraction between Hannah and Garrett made this book so addictive, and I’ll be picking up more from Elle Kennedy.

Hannah Wells is a music major with a huge crush on the newest, and gorgeous, member of the football team. Unusually, he makes her nervous and she’s struggling to get his interest. Garrett Graham is the hockey team captain who wants to go pro. However, he’s failing in one subject and needs a tutor. Hannah is one of the few people managing to pass the class and he is relentless in trying to persuade her to tutor him. Hannah is not interesting in tutoring who she believes is just another privileged, dumb, (who cares if he’s gorgeous?) jock, but in the end she makes a deal. She agrees to tutor him in return for a fake date to get her crush’s attention. Obviously, this will all work out fine until they start to like each other a bit too much, of course, and end up doing more than a bit of tutoring. I like Hannah, she’s experienced so much trauma (she was drugged and raped in high school) but she’s worked through it, even though she’s still battling some lingering fears. But she’s not a victim, she’s trying to get on with her life and I really respect her for it. She just has a confidence problem with this one crush. Garret is interesting too, he’s not just the dumb jock who swans through college on his reputation, or just the popular sports hero who sleeps around. He’s clever and he works hard to keep his place on the team both on and off the ice. That doesn’t mean he’s not a player though, but he appears to have a conscience about it and doesn’t lead girls on. He’s decent and he’s the first to admit that the girls that sleep with him do so for the bragging rights, not because they actually care about him personally. Oh, they are so cute together. The reader is a witness to their journey: the reluctant acceptance of their deal, the morph into friendship, the banter, the attraction and the stronger feelings that grow between them, then the realisation that they’re much more than friends fooling around. They are so good together, so very understanding and supportive of each other, and turned me into a yummy mush of awww. Here’s a snippet: ‘“Baby, I could watch you watching paint dry, and I still wouldn’t be bored.” Garrett Graham, my own personal sweet-talker.’ This book gives the full feels and it’s not disrupted by jerky prose or grammatical errors. It flows so nicely and is easy to read. The sex scenes are also the perfect combo of heat and emotions. I only had one little niggle which was a little disappointment at the overused plot device of blackmail by the narcissistic parent, which I felt Hannah succumbed to far too easily. All that’s left to say is I love this book: I love the characters, I love the plot, I love the yummy, cosy feels I got throughout.

I love college romances, this was my first read from Elle Kennedy and it did not disappoint. I loved Garret, he gave such a golden retriever vibe he was amazing. Hannah is so smart, but not the virgin I don’t know anything except school type, she is fun smart. She knows her stuff even though she doesn’t trust guys or party’s after what she went through. I loved the tutor tutee relationship of the two of them and I love Garret in general he is amazing!

Ame cada minuto Elle tiene una forma de hacer que las conversaciones de los personajes sea tan orgánica que me encanta

I went without knowing much, only based on a recommendation. And I throughly enjoyed it! The pace, the character development, the humor, the romance, the hard stuff… Everything felt natural and real.

I loved this book! It has been on my TBR for a while now, I am so happy to have finally read it. I couldn’t put it down! I was captivated by the story line, the relationship between Hannah and Garret and both of their pasts. The banter, the joking, the familiarity and the comfort they have when they are together was fantastic. These two have such a great connection from the moment they meet, it is deep and they have an undeniable chemistry. I loved watching how their friendship developed through most of the story, the trust and vulnerability that both Hannah and Garrett show one another was so wonderful and the care they have when they are together was beautiful. They both have trauma in their past, which is heartbreaking but watching they work through it made for a great read. Please check the content warning before reading, if needed. I loved the rest of the friends and hockey team! They were a great addition and I look forward to added the other books in this series to my tbr also!