The Deal (Off-Campus, #1)

by Elle Kennedy

[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