The Deal

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 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.

I have been a huge fan of Elle Kennedy’s writing for years. I loved her Out of Uniform series and Killer Instincts series. Her After Hours series is sizzling hot. She has a way of bringing her characters to life and making them demand your absolute attention. Her books have a combination of witty dialogue, dynamic characters, a well developed plot, and pacing that keeps the reader enthralled. Most of her books have either been erotic romance or romantic suspense. I was wondering how she would pull off a New Adult romance. New Adult romance is a generalized genre that can contain sweet & sexy, dark & intense, angsty & anxious, or exciting & erotic. The Deal has all of these elements and more. It is one of the most enjoyable and entertaining New Adult romances that I have read. I connected with the main characters as well as the secondary characters. They were all larger than life in their own way. The one thing that stood out besides the main characters romance was Elle’s portrayal of college life. She portrayed a very realistic look at life on the college campus and how it relates to their courses as well as social life. Garrett Graham is the bad boy of the college hockey team. He makes panties melt and owns his man whore reputation with relish. He has an overinflated ego that matches his cocky attitude. He is a star player and lives for playing hockey. He is diligent with his grades, practices, and performance. When he fails his philosophy mid term, it could not only ruin his GPA, it will affect his position on the team. He could lose the one thing he lives for. He is going to have to retake his philosophy mid term and ace it in order to remain on the team. He needs help. Who better to help him than one of the few students that managed not only to pass the mid term but ace it. He never really noticed Hannah Wells before until she accidentally dropped her exam and he saw her A. Now he is on a mission to get Hannah to tutor him. He will try to bribe her, entice her, and woo her. When he discovers the golden carrot that will make her give in, he will dangle it in every way he can. His life is counting on that golden carrot. Hannah Wells is a music major. She is a pretty confident and outgoing girl with her friends and peers. She is smart, personable, and resilient. She is dedicated to her craft. The one area she lacks in is her confidence with the opposite sex. She has finally found a guy that she is interested in and she has no clue how to deal with her attraction. Not only is he out of her league, he is also the star quarterback on the football team. Not the type of guy she would normally take an in interest in. She has had some very bad experiences with the opposite sex. Although she has mostly overcome her issues, she is still a bit leery and scared. If she can get past her fears, she may be able to approach him. When the ego maniac sex god, Garrett Grant, approaches her to tutor him in philosophy, she thinks he is out of his ever loving mind. There is no way she is going to tutor the self absorbed jock. That is until he finds out her ultimate weakness and offers her a guaranteed solution. His persistence and golden carrot are enough to make her cave. It’s time to make a deal with the Devil. Hannah and Garrett are in for some big surprises. They are both quite different than they appear on the surface. Hannah may have the upper hand when the tutoring begins but Garrett will quickly take control of the situation. Both will be in for a great learning experience. Both will come out winners in the end. Their Deal will seal both their fates. I loved the banter between Garrett and Hannah. The snarky sarcasm, witty comebacks, and dirty talking are beyond clever and entertaining. The heated bedroom scenes make your temperature burn out of control. The emotional and intimate moments will have you swooning. What I loved best is how they formed a deep respect and friendship with one another. They were able to honestly confide in one another and know that their trust was not misplaced. I loved everything about this book! Read The Deal by Elle Kennedy. I am looking forward to the next book in the Off-Campus series. The Mistake will release in June of 2015. It is a complete mystery of who this book will feature or what their story is about.

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.

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.

Loved it! Captivated from start to finish! Witty and Realistically Romantic! The chemistry between the bad boy hockey player Garrett Graham and the saucy Hanna Wells is perfectly scripted, they both have a vision of where they need to get in life, both have horrific secrets they don't want to share and neither want a romantic relationship. But when circumstances bring them together and the seamless banter between them starts it gets your heart beating because you want these two broken souls to get together. But Hanna has a crush on another guy and Garrett has a no girlfriend rule. he needs to pass a course to keep playing hockey so Garrett strikes a deal with Hanna who excels in his class to tutor him in exchange to get her guy. But when they start spending time together they form a trusting friendship then one night it all changes over a kiss and and the sexual chemistry between them explodes into hot and steamy scenes. They share their secrets to each other and forge a romantic relationship full of love and then their pasts haunt them and cause heartbreaking moments but in the end they realize that they want each other and will not let anyone get in their way! Highly recommend this book!

I loved this book. It doesn't shy away from the painful themes. How the characters support each other 👌🏼 Enough spice to get the heat up. I seriously cracked up at the locker room scene. Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Spice quantity: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Spice quality: 🥵🥵🥵 Dark: 😈 Humor: 😂😂😂😂 Suspense: 🙈🙈 Predictability: 🎱🎱🎱🎱 Readability: 📖📖📖📖📖 Feels: 👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏼 Emotional Depth: 🧠🧠🧠🧠 Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡ Perspective: first person dpov Cliffhanger: No Epilogue: Yes, and a bonus scene Format: E-book formn Why I chose this book: This was sooo long on my TBR. Now I'm regretting not starting it sooner