The Deal (Off-Campus, #1)

by Elle Kennedy

New York Times bestseller Elle Kennedy brings you the first in the sexy Off-Campus series that everyone is talking about.

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.

• ISBN10: 1775293939
• ISBN13: 9781775293934
• Publish Date: 24 February 2015
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 31 October 2023
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Bloom Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I had the pleasure of buddy reading The Deal by Elle Kennedy with my friend, Brandee over at Unconventional Bookworms. You can check out her review and more on her blog.  

What were your favourite moments?

Brandee: My favourite moments were any time with Hannah and Garrett sparring But I also loved all the sweet moments: I loved their first get together a studying. I loved how he persuaded her to do the fake date. I loved all the moments where he spent gaining her trust so that she could confide in him and share her story. And I loved when he shared his story with her.

Me: I loved the scene where Hannah and Garrett spent the night binge watching Breaking Bad. I also the locker room scene near to the end. OMG! It had me in stitches.

Brandee: I loved that they binged Breaking Bad too. And that scene where he left her in his room and told her she wasn’t allowed to watch without him!  Oh and that last locker room scene… “Penis…Logan…” I was laughing out loud!

What did you think of the characters?

Brandee: I liked all the characters with the exception of Cass and, of course, Garrett’s dad I felt Kennedy did a great job fleshing out Hannah and Garrett and all their friends. And the story was richer for it.

Me: I agree all the characters were great with the exception of Cass and Garrett's father. Garrett's father was my least favourite of the two. 

What are your thoughts on Garrett’s father?

Brandee: I loathe Garrett’s father. Bully is too nice a word for him. He’s an abuser plain and simple. Like Hannah and Garrett, I hate that Mr. Graham is allowed his fame and fortune when behind closed doors he’s such an awful human. Unfortunately, that seems to be a realistic take on athletes. It doesn’t seem to matter what they do, they’ll still be revered. And it’s rather disgusting.

Me: My reasons for calling him a bully was due to how he treated persons he perceived to be weak. I loved how Garrett stood up to him and made his own mark. 

Did you love how the romance developed?

Brandee: I loved how this romance developed. I haven’t read a whole lot of the fake dating trope but this one certainly tripped my trigger. Although it was predictable, I enjoyed taking this journey with Hannah and Garrett. And maybe it was fast – they both admitted it was – but I’m of the firm belief that sometimes you know when you know. And I adored going there with them.

Me: Their romance was absolutely adorable. It developed rather quickly, but it felt authentic. It was interesting to see how Garrett whose only interest in women lay in meaningless sex for someone he probably wouldn’t have given a second look if he didn’t need her help.

What did you think of the setup – the fake dating scenario?

Me: The fake dating trope is my catnip. It was reading another book with a similar set up that placed The Deal on my radar. Despite the predictable outcome, I thought Garrett was smart to suggest the fake dating scenario in exchange for Hannah tutoring him. A winning solution for them both.

I want to know what you were reading that out The Deal on your radar

Blind Side by Kandi Steiner.

How did you feel about Garrett’s best friend Logan having a crush on Hannah?

Me: One can understand the reason Logan would have a crush on Hannah. She had a fun and unselfish personality. I liked that he respected Garrett and never made an attempt to to pursue the possibility of a relationship. Not that he would have been successful.

Brandee: I liked the added angst that Logan’s crush on Hannah provided. And it made me doubly anxious to read his book.

Did you like the way in which Garrett’s dad got Hannah to do what he wanted?

Me: Now don’t get me started on Garrett’s father. He’s the perfect example of a bully. His attempts to keep Hannah out of his son’s life demonstrated his controlling and abusive nature. I know her response was coming from a place of love, but it would have been so much better if she spoke with Garrett before doing what she did.

Brandee: I asked the question about Mr. Graham and his meddling in Hannah and Garrett’s relationship because I felt Kennedy chose well in how she had him go about the meddling. Hannah already felt so guilty for her parents’ financial woes so… (don’t want to spoil but you know what I’m saying)

Me: I do get what you are saying and I agree Kennedy handled that aspect of the story well. I also understood where Hannah was coming from and she genuinely believed she was protecting Garrett. However, I still wished she had spoken to him about it.

Were you happy with how things were wrapped up in the end?

Me: Yes! I thought the story ended on a good note.  I especially loved how Garrett exerted his independence, showing his father he no longer had control over his life.

As you can see we both had a great time with The Deal and we are looking forward to reading Logan's story.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

[The Romantic Comedy Book Club]

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.

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.

[Victoria Alexandra]

The first hockey romance I have read and can honestly say that I am hooked! BRB going to buy hockey tickets!

[FranJessca @ A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog]

The Deal is not the first book I’ve read from the fabulous Elle Kennedy, and this book will not be my last from her. I’m kicking myself in the rear for not starting the Off-Campus series sooner and thanks to the Romanceopolyathon that happened April 8th – 14th I was able to read The Deal within less than two days. I had a hard time putting down this book because of the characters and the storyline. I especially fell head over heels for playboy Garrett Graham. Well, he was a playboy at first until he met Hannah Wells and then she changed him for the better.

The Deal has one of my favorite tropes, and that is a Pretend/Fake Relationship in it. Graham is failing one of his college classes, which has his GPA plummeting. That is an issue since he plays hockey at the college. He needs to keep his grades up to keep playing. He ends up finding out one girl in his class has some stellar grades in the same class he’s flunking and asks her to tutor him. Unfortunately, she’s not jumping to tutor him. He’s never had any girl turn him down. He finds out she has a thing for another guy and convinces her in a ‘fake’ relationship with him to get the guy of her dreams to notice her finally and also get her seen by others. Unfortunately, the pretend relationship may turn into something else for Garrett, even though he doesn’t do relationships ever.

I LOVED this book, but I think I already said that in the beginning. I usually don’t like guys that are players, and that is what Garrett is at the beginning of the story. Oh…but he starts showing another side of himself in the book. Hannah is also a sweet girl, and she’s gone through a lot. She had something happen in her past that changed her, and she’s trying everything to come to terms, but it has affected her in her relationships. Poor Hannah. I adored her character and how strong she is, even when she thinks she isn’t. She has Garrett though to help her get through everything, and the ending of this book had me on the edge of my seat on what was going to happen between the two characters. I won’t spoil it for anyone who has not read this book though.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series because I want to read more of Garrett’s hockey player roommates and who they hook up with since they are just as bad as he is/was in this book. I also need to check out even more of Elle’s books because she has become a favorite due to the characters and stories she has written..

Story Rating: 5 stars
Steaminess Rating: 4 stars
Standalone or part of series: Each book can be read as a standalone.
Do I recommend this book? Yes, most definitely.
Will I read other books from the author? Yes.
Tropes/Elements: Pretend/Fake Relationship

[Mad Soul Child]

миленько, но чего то не хватило

[Chelsea]

I was craving some romance for whatever reason and this hit the spot! I'm also kind of a sucker for hockey boys so how could I not have fun reading this?

[Romance Schmomance]

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I've had The Deal on my kindle for so long just waiting for me to read. It wasn't until I learned that these books were getting new covers that it kick started my need to finally dive into this series. I went and got the audiobook since I had a few roadtrips planned and I was close to finishing with the listen, but just couldn't wait ... so I read the rest!

My love goes deep for Garret and Hannah. I loved what their friendship/relationship transformed into by the end of the book. We got to see the many stages of their relationship before their happy ever after and it sure was a funny, endearing and rather emotional journey. It was definitely more emotional than I expected it to be.

With Hannah and the absolute traumatic moment she faced at only 15 years and learning that Garret suffered years of abuse from his father, there are some heavy moments that generally bring them closer together. They had enough trust in each other as time went one that they were able to open themselves up. And I just loved where their tutoring sessions/chuckling bickering brought them. It was sweet and just cute!

I loved Hannah so damn much, she was such a relatable character. And I oh-so appreciated that Elle didn't sugar coat the painful thing that she went through. Even now that she's in college, she's still bears scars from that day. She's such a strong, smart girl and that wickedly quick wit that I couldn't get enough of. It's darn right near impossible to not love the girl.

Every aspect of this book was absolutely EVERYTHING. Their story was just natural and real, I loved how it went from acquaintance to friends to lovers (or well being together). I was completely lost in their story and didn't want it to end. It was all oh-so-perfect and now I'm just going to keep on listening to the rest of this series.

NARRATION: The narrator was awesome, I honestly didn't realize she was reading both POVs, but I'll sum it up to how amazing she was and reading both. I hope the rest of the series is narrated by her, I'm a fan.

This review was originally posted on Romance Schmomance

[nitzan_schwarz]

This was the perfect first read for 2019! Fun, sweet, and funny, I smiled throughout the whole read!

Hannah and Garret were a really great couple, and I loved their old-married-couple banter!

[kymmiejournals]

Seriously? That sexy abs (book cover) caught my attention... LOL



The horrendous event that happened to Hannah was taken lightly - which I think the author wants to create an optimistic heroine. However, it's a very sensitive issue and should not be used/said normally. I get that she considered herself a survivor and not a victim.

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[Linda]

How have I not read Elle Kennedy before now? I loved The Deal, Garret and Hannah were great characters, and I loved how they helped heal the broken pieces of each other!