The Deal: Soon to be a Streaming Series on Amazon Prime (Off-Campus, 1)

I'm always wary when a book has a stack of positive reviews and few negative reviews...but I loved this book! It was a cute, feel-good story with great interaction between the characters. Hannah is at college on a full scholarship after running out of her small town the first chance she got after being roofied and raped at school. This is brought up throughout the book, so if this is a trigger for you, you might want to steer clear but I thought it was done pretty tastefully. It's mentioned almost immediately in the book so you're well aware it's going to be an issue with the female lead. Hannah aces a test in her ethics philosophy class that a majority of the class has completely bombed out on. As she's making dreamy eyes at another student, Justin, who she has a major crush on, she drops her test in the presence of Garrett, a college hockey superstar who's a big man on campus and going places. Garrett had received an F, bringing down his GPA and threatening to bench him if he can't pull his grade up in the make-up test. Seeing Hannah's 'A' on her midterm, he's determined to pester her into tutoring him, thinking his popularity and charm will sell himself easily and therefore he'll get what he wants. Hannah is just as determined to refuse to do it, resulting in a funny, sweet battle as Garrett tries to manipulate her into getting his way. Looking for a weakness he can exploit, he stumbles over the fact that Hannah has a major thing for Justin, who he runs in the same circle as. He uses this as bait to entice Hannah to tutor him, promising to help give her the social status that comes along with being on a date with Garrett, assuring her that football stars like Justin only have a history with 'somebodies'. Hannah was great. Due to the rape, she obviously had a lot of anxiety. While she was pretty confident and comfortable with who she was after receiving therapy, she also found it difficult to go to parties and drink where the unknown could happen. She's a self-confessed music nerd who is trying to win a college performance scholarship, insisting that she doesn't have time to help Garrett. As for Garrett - I loved him. He came across as a hot, confident, funny, charming, arrogant and wildly popular jock without coming across as a total douche. The supporting characters were wonderful, adding to the book and the dialogue. Slight spoiler - Garrett does sleep with a couple of other women after meeting Hannah, but not after he starts to like her as more than a friend. I'm only mentioning it because I know some readers hate this and like to be warned of the 'cheating factor'. I'll point out again that he didn't cheat when he started to dig Hannah. The writing was well done. Fluent as well as funny and witty when it needed to be. The inner monologues given by Hannah and Garrett were hilarious at times, with the writing and language choices being informal enough to sound realistic but not cheesy. The back and forth banter between Hannah and Garrett was great to read. There's a tendency sometimes with friends to lovers books being repetitive, but this book had enough of a unique style to it that I didn't feel like it was a story I'd read one hundred times before. There was enough hockey talk and references to let us know it was an ice hockey book, but not overwhelmingly so. The other thing I loved was that the writing wasn't juvenile. Often when I read a college-based book there is a lot of back and forth or angst, making the book and characters seem childish and making me avoid the trope. I didn't get this at all with this book. It was an entertaining read. There was additional drama thrown in with Hannah's difficulty seeing her family due to their lack of money resulting from court cases, her issues with the music concert and the massive amounts of baggage Garrett has as a result of having a cold and abusive father who was a hockey legend. It didn't bombard you at once, but was written in well enough that you went through events with the characters without it feeling over the top. The book is told from Hannah and Garrett's point of view, which was a nice addition. The romance side of things had enough chemistry with a slow build up to the relationship. The book left me with a smile on my face and not wanting the book to end. I loved it and will definitely read more from this author in the future.

The Deal by Elle Kennedy is a college romance that fully delivers on its reputation. With engaging characters, steady emotional growth, and a relationship that develops naturally, it’s easy to see why this book remains so popular. The story follows Hannah Wells, a focused and reserved music student, and Garrett Graham, the confident captain of the college hockey team whose academic struggles threaten his future. When their paths cross through an unexpected agreement, a friendship begins that gradually deepens into something more meaningful. One of the book’s greatest strengths is its pacing. The relationship doesn’t rush or rely on instant attraction alone. Instead, it builds through shared experiences, honest conversations, and growing trust. This approach makes the connection between the characters feel believable and emotionally grounded. Both Hannah and Garrett face personal challenges that shape their decisions and growth throughout the story. These elements add depth without overwhelming the romance, keeping the focus on character development and mutual support. The dialogue is lively, the humour is well-placed, and the emotional moments are balanced with lighter scenes that keep the story moving. While some plot elements may feel familiar to readers of the genre, the overall execution is strong. The conflicts fit naturally within the story, and the resolution is satisfying without feeling overextended. The Deal is an enjoyable, well-written romance that blends heart, humour, and character-driven storytelling. A solid choice for readers who enjoy college settings, slow-burn relationships, and emotionally engaging narratives.

One of my fav books, & fav series- so uplifting & hilarious- I had to hv the collectors edition as a trophy for my shelf. If you love sports romance books with an amazing friend group, laugh out loud shenanigans, swoon romance, actual plotting & hella spice- Read it!! BUT my hardcover collectors edition came damaged, they ended up replacing it, but the replacement was damaged too😭. I gave up at that point, who wants to ask for a replacement of their replacement? The weird thing about the damage tho, is that the two books shipped separately, in diff size boxes, and at diff times yet they were both damaged in a lot of the same spots. Making me think it's a logistics issue that's happening before it's shipped to the customers. An absolutely gorgeous collectors edition but it's not much of a collectors item when it's damaged sadly. Hoping the issue is resolved before the others in the series release bc I'm too scared to buy them as of right now (their list prices are over thirty bucks rn). I posted as many pictures of the books as it would let me- if you don't care about possible damage, it's now on sale for more than 50% off (around 12bucks at the time of this review, tho I paid way more than that for mine😭) I refuse to give the author a bad review for something that's not their fault. This series allowed me to escape reality, experience romance in this day and age, and cheese for a while- something I'll always be grateful for. Read what makes you happy.

Hannah and Garrett have Ethics together. Hannah has aced the class, while Garrett? Not so much. So he hounds Hannah until she agrees to tutor him. Hannah wants nothing to do with the captain of the hockey team, aka a dumb jock. But Hannah wants Justin, a football player to notice her, so she finally makes a deal with Garrett - help her win Justin, and she’ll tutor him through Ethics. But then so much more happens, and along the way, so does romance. The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between (and honestly, it’s all good) -Excellent writing: I’ve been a fan of Elle Kennedy’s Out of Uniform series, and when I heard about this book, there was no doubt I was going to 1-click this book. It’s got two of my favorite things - hockey and the “boy helps girl get other boy until he realizes he wants her for himself” trope. Nothing’s as satisfying as seeing the player fall in love and this completely lived up to my expectations. I would have devoured this book in one sitting except for that pesky need to sleep and actually go to work, which believe me, ticked me off when all I wanted to do was keep reading. I couldn't seem to stop myself from highlighting the witty banter (as you can tell from my fave quotes), and there is so much more to be found. Ms. Kennedy’s writing style flows so well, and she can create characters that you absolutely adore, but aren’t cookie-cutter perfection. Such as... -Incredibly likeable leads: Hannah and Garrett are fantastic, fully realized characters who have lives outside of this romance. You see them live those lives with friends, and their school lives are explored in detail without weighing down the narrative. Hannah stands up for herself, but not shrewish or unsympathetic. Garrett can be crude and completely full of himself, but he's also loving, loyal and determined. The ‘verse builds slowly and in a believable way and allows you to get to know them, and see them run the gamut of emotions. They aren’t friends at first, but they come together out of necessity, but you truly get to the chance to see them become friends then lovers. -There’s some angst, but not by the bucketful: As fully realized characters, neither have had the ideal pasts. Garrett’s was heartbreaking and Hannah’s in particular, is a difficult but an all too common tale. It’s not fair, and it isn’t wrapped up in a bow, but like life, they move on and they live theirs. Even when things go wrong, and it’s a romance, so it’s bound to happen, they eventually talk it out and act like the young adults they are. They're determined to live, not wallow and I adored that about them. “Well, that’s the best revenge right there, Garrett. Living well and being happy is how we get over the s*** in our past.” MILD SPOILER ALERT -They’re friends at first, so there are other people involved: Fair warning, Garrett does have a random or two but it never detracts from the overall romance. Hannah has a huge crush on Justin and it doesn’t just miraculously disappear but once Hannah and Garrett really connect in a romantic way, there is no one else. END SPOILER ALERT -I even loved the secondary characters: All of Garrett’s teammates intrigued me. From Tucker and his cooking, Logan and his need to acronym the hell out of everything, Dean and his man-hoish ways, I want to get to know these guys better, and I really hope that they get a chance to hook up with Hannah’s friends or meet new girls and let me see their stories play out as well. The Bottom Line I loved it. It's an enjoyable story that I can see myself reading again and again, so I highly recommend it. There’s a full ‘verse just waiting to be explored at Briar and I’m really eager to visit it again.

Garrett Graham is on the track to becoming a professional hocley player, but his grades are plummeting. In order to stay on the team, he needs to get a tutor to up his GPA. It seems like the most genius plan to seek out the only girl that didn't fail the class everyone else failed, and ask her for help. Hannah Wells is music student andn an aspiring singer-songwriter, so she doesn't have time for tutoring egomaniac hockey-players. However, Garrett offers to help her conquer her secret crush - a deal she can't help but accept. But as she and Garrett spend more and more time together, it seems like her crush suddenly comes second place... What I loved about this book: The great chemistry between the characters The great side-characters The humour What I felt needed improvement: The predictable storyline I read so many stellar reviews for The Deal on Goodreads, so I thought I could give it a try. Although I found it a nice read overall, I wasn't so convinced by the storyline. It was nice, but it was probably a tad predictable. The general storyline actually felt A LOT like Four Years Later by Monica Murphy (jock needs tutoring from geek) coupled with the usual pygmalion-twist (guy helps girl to get noticed by her crush, and ultimately falls for her, like in M.K. Schiller's The Do Over). But thank god there was one really great thing to The Deal which would drag my rating up again: the really great and convincing characters. Hannah and Garrett are complete opposites at the beginning of the book. He's the popular jock, and she's one of the outsiders who hangs out with the artsy music crew. And sure enough, as the story goes, Hannah has preconceived ideas around Garrett. She actually turns Garrett call for help down a number of times, proudly standing her ground. That is until he comes up with the proposal of helping her get noticed by her crush Justin... "He's probably sending telepathic orders for me to tutor him. Well, too bad for him. There's no way I'm wasting the little spare time I have on a college hockey player who thinks he's a rock star." And even while it is true that he likes to have fun with girls, he's also a very nice and charming guy, who turns out to be a real great friend and accomplice to Hannah. He managed to break through her walls even if he had issues of his own to deal with. I usually don't tend to like male heroines who turn from man-ho to caring book boyfriend overnight, but in Garrett's case it was different: he wasn't an arrogant, conceited player. "I've never met anyone who is so repulsed by my popularity, and I have no idea what to make of it. I think I might like it." And other than the fact that the two main characters have nothing in common at first glance, they have an undeniable chemistry at all times. I just loved how they interacted, and I loved their funny banter. "I want to murder him in his sleep. No, I want to murder him when he's awake so he can see the joy on my face when I do it." And then there's a third dimension to this book, which was so cliché it was probably bordering on "too much". Indeed, Hannah went through some tough times in her past, which made it difficult for her to really enjoy sex. So to prepare for when that special moment happens with her crush Justin, she wants to get it on with Garret to see if he could potentially help her enjoy sex again (in other words: fix her up for Justin). So yeah, with all those things lined up, you can't avoid the inevitable anymore! Because as you can imagine, this "arrangement" will lead to all kinds of... feelings. "As insane as it sounds, a test run with Garrett might be just what I need to work through my issues. He said so himself - he doesn't date girls, he sleeps with them. There's no risk of him falling for me or demanding a relationship." Yet, in summary, it was a very nice standard New Adult college read which I enjoyed reading, and since I also very much liked the side characters (especially Garrett's housemates), I will definitely be looking forward to reading the next books in the Off-Campus series.

MY RATING SYSTEM 5 stars--WOW 4 stars--would read again 3 stars--was good, won't read again 2 stars--read it, but didn't enjoy it 1 star--didn't finish, it was so awful Do I need to read books before this one: no Cliffhanger: no SUMMARY It's been 5 years since Hannah's rape. Her heart has only beat for 2 guys since; one dumped her last year and Justin is oblivious. Today Justin nodded and smiled at her. Baby steps. Garrett has to get his grade up in Ethics or he'll get suspended from the hockey team. He's the captain and wants to lead them to another national championship. He sees Hannah got an A on the midterm, asks her to tutor him. She's too busy with the winter showcase coming which could give her a scholarship. He hounds her, then figures out her button. He'll get Justin to notice her by being her fake boyfriend. Garrett certainly doesn't have time for girlfriends. Which makes him the perfect guy to help her with a problem before she goes on a date with Justin. EVALUATION A satisfying treatment of rape and abuse. Both main characters are survivors who have recognized life's not fair, put bad stuff in the past, and look forward with hope. The college setting is well done, the plot moves well, I just haven't connected to these characters though I'm a survivor, too. RECOMMENDATION I preferred Better With You by Gianna Gabriela. FAVORITE QUOTES Every girl at this college would cut her frickin’ arm off to help me out. But this one? Runs away like I just asked her to murder a cat so we could sacrifice it to Satan. Rape. It’s one of the few words in the English language that has a visceral effect when you hear it. Like a bone-jarring slap to the face or the chill of ice water being dumped over your head. It’s ugly and demoralizing, and I try so hard not to let it control my life. I know it wasn’t my fault. I know I didn’t ask for it or do something to invite it. It didn’t steal my ability to trust people or cause me to fear every man that crosses my path. Years of therapy helped me see that the burden of blame lies solely on him. There was something wrong with him. Not me. Never me. And the most important lesson I learned is that I’m not a victim—I’m a survivor. But that’s not to say the assault didn’t change me. “Look, there’s an easy fix for this bitch fest of yours. All you have to do is tell me why you’re mad, I’ll assure you you’re being ridiculous, and then we can study in peace.” “We studied. We watched TV. I went home late. That’s what happened. Got it?” “As you wish.” “Did you really just Princess Bride me?” “Did you really just use Princess Bride as a verb?” She’s gone from Disney Channel Miley Cyrus to Full-on Twerk Mode Miley, and it’s officially time for me to put a stop to [her drinking] before she moves straight to Let’s Make a Sex Tape Miley. Wait—has Miley ever made a sex tape? Who am I kidding? Of course she has. No matter what happened to her in the past, no matter how many scars she still bears from that ordeal, I know without a shred of doubt that Hannah Wells is not broken. She’s too strong to allow anyone—especially a piece of s*** high school rapist—to break her. “I’m going to ask you this one time, and one time only—Hannah Julie Wells, are you dating Garrett Graham?” “No.” She narrows her eyes. “Fine. I’m going to ask you twice. Are you dating—” Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don’t know how you ever lived without them. How you went about your day and hung out with your friends…without having this one important person in your life. “Sexy ghost, sexy tree, sexy box of Kleenex.” Allie sighs. “Gee, let’s just throw the word sexy in front of any mundane noun and look! A costume! Because here’s the thing, if you want to dress like a ho-bag, why not just go as a ho-bag? You know what? I hate Halloween.” Wariness circles my insides like a turkey vulture. “I’m not going to drag you out of here over my shoulder, or call the cops and tell them there’s domestic abuse going on in this house. It’s not my place, and I won’t interfere. But I need you to know a couple things. One—it’s not your fault. Don’t you ever blame yourself, because it’s all on him. You did nothing to invite his criticism and his verbal attacks, and you didn’t fail to meet his expectations because his expectations are f**king impossible to meet. And two, if you ever need anything, anything at all, I want you to call me, okay? If you need to talk, or if you want to leave him and need someone to help you pack or move or whatever, call me. Or if he…does something and you need help, call me. Can you promise to do that?” POSSIBLE TRIGGERS (SPOILERS) Sex: multiple scenes, masturbating, petting Language: 208 F words, 124 Lord's name in vain, 152 S words Violence: report of drugging and rape, report of domestic abuse, fist fight, youth drinking

I loved this book!! I was hooked from the very first page and spent the rest of my afternoon laughing out loud, swooning, fanning myself, and highlighting awesome and hilarious quotes non-stop! Fans of Beautiful Disaster or Wait For You should definitely check this out :) So it's about this girl, Hannah, who is crushing hard on a football player. She's not one to usually get this mushy over a guy, but he's caught her eye and she wishes she was on his radar. The hero is a guy named Garrett. He's a bad boy hockey player with a bit of a manwhoring reputation around campus who is in one of her classes and borderline failing. He's a smart guy, but this class just isn't his forte. Lucky for him, she's acing it... and he makes it his mission to get her to tutor him. Unfortunately for him though, she's not remotely interested in anything he has to offer in exchange. After a few days of trying his best to wear her down, he finally comes up with an idea: he'll help elevate her social status by pretending to date her -- thus making her more likely to catch the eye of her crush IF she'll tutor him. She finally relents and the deal is formed. But the more time they spend together, the closer they get... and even though Garrett swore he didn't want a girlfriend, he falls for her... and makes it his mission to show her that he's actually the guy she wants. I loved the way their relationship developed almost by accident. Neither of them meant for it to happen. They just began hanging out, spending time together, and one thing naturally led to another. (Side note: after reading about them watching Breaking Bad together, I kinda want to watch the show too!) Just to clear up a question I've been asked by several readers: there is NO cheating and no triangle in this story. He does hook up with two girls (literally just meaningless one-night stands) before he and Hannah become a couple. But once they're together, all that ends. So don't worry! This book had the ability to make me swoon one minute, put my heart in my throat the next, then literally make me burst right out laughing out of the blue. You'll swoon hard over Garrett, wish Hannah was your BFF, and totally get caught up in their story. It's fun, sexy, but with just enough `seriousness' mixed in to ground the story as well. I really loved it! This was one of the best college romance I've read. It had epic banter, sexy romance, and fantastic writing!! I laughed, I swooned, I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended!! Rating: 4.5+ stars. Standalone NA romance.

This is one of those books that you can completely lose yourself in, and I most definitely did. I found myself stopping and because I was too giddy at the moment to continue reading. The secondary characters need honorable mention here because not only did I fall in love with Hannah and Garrett but I also loved Tuck, Logan, Dean, Allie, Dex, and Sean. The story was awesome and kept me glued to my kindle the entire book!! College Romances are one of my favorite types of books to read and this book was simply wonderful. The Deal made me swoon, cringe, laugh, cry, and fall in love ... I mean come on who doesn't love the college bad boy!!! Hannah Wells, has been through a lot, but she hasn't let her experiences define her. She is a little more cautious than your typical college girl, but she is fun loving, caring, talented, smart, funny, and gorgeous. She is a music major and a junior at Briar has a major crush on a hottie football player Justin. She doesn't exactly know him and he doesn't exactly know her but lusts after him from a distance. This guy has been at the school for two months and her only contact has been a head nod. Garrett Graham, hard core college bad boy, hockey pro extraordinaire, and a bit of manwhore. He has quiet the personality, hes witty, smart, hot, a little egotistical and has a hockey pro dad so of course the whole school knows him. Garrett and Hannah share one class Ethics, Garret just failed his midterm, Hannah just aced it. He becomes h_ll bent on convincing Hannah to tutor him so he can pass the make up midterm and remain on the hockey team. Hannah however has no interest in tutoring the him and he has nothing to bargain with ... or does he ?!?! "Unbelievable. Every girl at this college would cut her frickin’ arm off to help me out. But this one? Runs away like I just asked her to murder a cat so we could sacrifice it to Satan." So after he has worn her down, they come to an agreement and she agrees to tutor him so that he can pass the class and remain on the hockey team, and he in turn says that he will pretend to date her in order for her to catch Justin's eye. But as these two continue to spend time together, their relationship evolves. Slowly all the things Garrett said he never wanted are right in his grasp and he realizes how much he wants them. “Do you high five yourself?” “Of course not.” I smirk. “I kiss each of my biceps and then point to the ceiling and thank the big man upstairs for creating such a perfect male specimen.” These two have quiet the chemistry as you watch their relation grow and change from acquaintances, to friends, to more without a conscious decision its absolutely heartwarming. "I never expected her. Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don’t know how you ever lived without them." FAVORITE PART OF THE WHOLE BOOK ... LAUGHED SO HARD I CRIED ... "I burst into the locker room and— Penises! Sweet Jesus. Penises everywhere. Horror slams into me as I register what I’m seeing. Oh God. I’ve stumbled onto a penis convention. Big penises and small penises and fat penises and penis-shaped penises. It doesn’t matter which direction I move my head because everywhere I look I see penises." BEST LINE ... “You’re such a vagina-tease.”