
"The Deal" by Elle Kennedy is a new adult romance novel that follows the story of Hannah, a music major with a traumatic past, and Garrett, the captain of the hockey team. When Garrett needs help with his grades, he strikes a deal with Hannah to tutor him in exchange for his assistance in attracting her crush. As they spend time together, their chemistry grows, leading to a complex and heartwarming romance. The plotline may seem familiar, but the well-written banter and character development make this book a captivating and enjoyable read.
The writing style of Elle Kennedy in "The Deal" is praised for its ability to address dark themes such as abuse and trauma with care and finesse. The characters, Hannah and Garrett, are portrayed as flawed yet relatable individuals who find solace and growth in each other. The book explores themes of friendship, trust, and overcoming past struggles, all while delivering a fun and engaging college romance story.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of sexual assault, trauma, and past abuse, which are integral to the main character's journey and development.
Has Romance?
The romance element in The Deal is a central focus and is characterized by significant development and chemistry between the main characters.
From The Publisher:
New York Times bestseller Elle Kennedy brings you a sexy new Off-Campus novel that can be read as a standalone...
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.
Ratings (301)
Incredible (50) | |
Loved It (143) | |
Liked It (65) | |
It Was OK (31) | |
Did Not Like (7) | |
Hated It (5) |
Reader Stats (476):
Read It (323) | |
Currently Reading (2) | |
Want To Read (102) | |
Did Not Finish (3) | |
Not Interested (46) |
3 comment(s)
I loved this - it was sweet and the characters were just wonderful. I went into it looking for something mellow and fun, mostly as a palate-cleanser - this isn't a genre I generally read. Not college romances, and this is the first sports romance that I can recall.
It's NA but the characters are mature and thoughtful, both dealing with a difficult past, but neither allowing that past to make them self-absorbed or bitter.
I'll read this one again and again. 5 happy stars.
3.75⭐️
Technically, I shouldn't like this book, so I'm really surprised that I had so much fun with it.
I have been avoiding new adult for a long time, because teenage dramas irritate me a lot, and I am even more irritated by the over-dramatized voices of young people, for whom each event is a personal tragedy, deserving long chapters filled with despair. But here, for the most part, the author managed to avoid it.
Hannah is a sensible and interesting main character. Fortunately, she does not whine or dramatize, and what is rare about girls in this genre, she knows her worth and has clearly defined priorities. The author also skillfully convinced me that Garrett is not just a muscle man with an ego-overgrowth, but a really cool and valuable guy who truly has a more sensitive and caring side. It made me actually believe in their relationship and trust that they can create something good together.
I really like the theme of fake dating, but I don't always like the reasons why two people choose to do so. In this case, the reason was not particularly good, but in general I had no problem with it. I believe Garrett and Hannah had ample time to develop their feelings, even though relatively little time passes in the book, if I remember correctly just a month.
I don't know why it all sounded so well for me this time. Maybe it's just a well-written book. I also liked the other guys, so I will probably read about them too.
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