The Deal by Elle Kennedy is the first book in the Off-Campus Series, a hockey sports romance, and instantly hooks readers from the start diving into the world of Briar University. The book is about Garrett Graham and Hannah Wells.
This quote reflects the journey of the protagonists:
“Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don’t know how you ever lived without them.”
Hannah is a shy “good girl” who is intelligent, witty and feisty. She is not easily swayed by the college jock stereotype as she is a strong female protagonist. However, she does have some past trauma. Hannah’s only goal is to graduate and move to Los Angeles to become a music producer.
On the other hand, Garrett is a star hockey player who is confident and cocky. He fits the “bad boy” trope and while he has his own trauma, he keeps it to himself, making him a compelling partner for Hannah.
Kennedy hints that Hannah and Garrett both have gone through something and this adds suspense to the book.
In The Deal Hannah Wells reflects, “Living well and being happy is how we get over our past.” This line captures a key theme of the novel: overcoming personal trauma through self-care. Kennedy’s characters strive for emotional growth, telling readers that despite what they go through, joy and fulfillment can be powerful tools for moving forward from difficult experiences.
Both characters show strong development as the book progresses, especially as they break free from their initial trope. Other characters, like Hannah’s friends and Garrett’s teammates, are interesting insofar as they add banter between the characters showing the strong friend group they have.
The teammates make fun of Garrett for his “crush” on Hannah throughout the book giving her the nicknames “Wellsey” or “Han Han.”
The banter between characters feels natural, and alternating between Hannah and Garrett’s perspectives gives more development to the characters thoughts and feelings.
Logan, who is one of Garrett’s best friend and teammate, often make fun of each other about their love lives.
Logan: “G, you’re pathetic man, watching you clearly pining for Wellsey and her rejecting you is sad.”
Garrett: “Funny, because I distinctly remember Tanya rejecting you last week.”
Logan: “She did not reject me, What’s your excuse?”
Garrett: “My standards are higher.”
Elle Kennedy’s writing uses humour and tension such that the dialogue flows smoothly.
However, the writing does tend to lean into clichés at times, especially during the romantic scenes. Despite this, Elle Kennedy made The Deal a quick, entertaining read.
The writing of the book makes readers feel like they were part of the story with the characters. Making each moment with the characters feel real and impactful. Every character is written with such warmth and charm, and sets up the rest of the series for the characters so well it makes readers excited for the next book.
This book truly delivers on every front.