The Deal: Now an Original Series on Amazon Prime (Off-Campus, 1)

If only there were more NA romances like this one! This book completely charmed me, and is probably one of the best college romances I’ve read in a while now. While the premise isn’t anything I haven’t read before, I felt like the author took the idea and shaped it into her own unique tale, so trust me when I say it’s not your typical NA romance riddled with common clichés. This book was definitely one of those unexpected gems: the more I read, the more I fell in love with the delightful main characters, the witty banter, and the steamy and impassioned romance. Elle Kennedy, you’ve got yourself a new fan! A big reason to why this book was such a winner for me was the hero Garrett. It may be just me, but I’m a little tired of heroes who are bad boys and jerks...I mean, give me a guy who’ll actually live up to the title of ‘hero’ you know? And Garrett really did. He’s a sports jock who’s not only dedicated to playing hockey, but also in getting his grades up as well and has such a fun-loving, caring personality. It’s really hard not to fall for him! When his grades drop though, and his hockey-playing goal is in jeopardy, he finds the class smartie to tutor him, leading him right to the heroine Hannah. Studious and practical, Hannah is pursuing her goals as a songwriter/singer and is pretty confident in all areas of her life, except her sex life that is. She’s finally found one guy who catches her interest but with absolutely zero seduction skills she’s at a loss. When Garrett barges into her life asking for her to tutor him, they agree on a deal: she’ll tutor him so he can bring up his grades and be able to keep playing hockey, and in exchange he’ll pretend-date her to catch her crush’s attention. I LOVE that there’s no insta-love, and heck, the attraction didn’t settle in until later too. Hannah and Garrett’s relationship is very much a gradual build, going from barely acquaintances to tentative friends to an explosive couple. But I’ll also admit that in the very beginning of this book, I wasn’t fully into the story and the characters until later. I didn’t like how judgmental Hannah was towards Garrett in the start, partially because her crush was in the same position (both sports players) as him and she chose to stereotype Garrett while glorifying the other guy, even when Garrett’s actions were always honorable and meant well. But as I read on, my dislike for Hannah thawed out and I ended up really loving her character. I liked that despite her very strong personality, she had this layer of vulnerability and her backstory (actually, both hers and Garrett’s) hurt to read. And of course, I loved Garrett’s patience and understanding with her, and how he propelled their relationship forward one step at a time. I also appreciated that there wasn’t any contrived drama, which almost always exists in the NA books I read. Any and all conflict in this story was handled well, very thought-out and dare I say, practical too. I love that the author doesn’t follow the norm and to balance out the angst, she’s got a wonderful sense of humor that’s evident in the story. Almost everything I highlighted in the book were passages of snarky/witty/laugh out loud hilarious banter that made me laugh the entire time I read. And the locker scene near the end of the book? Freaking EPIC I tell you! Much like the way Hannah and Garrett surprised each other and everyone else when they fell in love, this book also surprised me in the best of ways. Love NA romance? You’ll hit gold with this book. Not a fan of NA romance? Take a chance and let this book work its charm on you too. The Deal is a NA romance standalone and the first book in the Off-Campus series. Consecutive books will be about side characters.

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'm going to quickly start with this cover since its what attracted me to grab this book in the first place. Truthfully NA-SPORTS themes aren't really my jam but come on now, this is 🔥🔥🔥 and so was this story! Not sure what I had gotten myself in for because I hate to admit but this was my first Elle Kennedy read... hey, you have to start somewhere though right? Totally up my alley, great writing, plot, characters, plus it tactfully covered some serious topics, giving awareness without being over-the-top in your face. So well done to Kennedy for not going off on some tangent i have had to endure many times (by other authors)👊 Garrett - captain of Briar's Ice Hockey team, player extraordinaire, flunking his grades... Hannah - A-grade student, has a crush on the football star, made a deal with the hockey star... They met by chance or perhaps things happen for a reason? Either way Hannah was the one who could help him pass his ethics test because if he didn't, his failing grade was going to have him cut from the team and that just wasn't an option... now he just had to find a way to get her to agree? Driving Hannah insane with his persistence to tutor him, she was starting to hate him more and more by the minute. Hannah's main focus was rehearsing and winning the upcoming winter singing contest, and the five thousand dollar prize that would pay for next semesters board and meal fees. Then Garrett found something Hannah couldn't refuse? THE DEAL was done and so the start of their story begins... Garrett and Hannah couldn't be more different but throughout their tutoring sessions an unlikely friendship forms without them even realising it. As much as Garett's cocky attitude and playboy ways irk the hell out of her, she finds herself wanting to spend time with him, plus, he is her way in to the "cool kids" crowd and finally getting her crush to notice her. Garrett does PUCK BUNNIES not relationships, yet he finds himself wanting to be with Hannah, even if it is just hanging out and bonding over Breaking Bad. He made a deal with her in exchange to help him pass his test, yet why all of a sudden does he regret it? Hannah left her hometown after she was raped. Although her few years of counselling has helped her get through it and in no way is she a victim, there are still some things she struggles with... e.g. drinking at parties, actually, drinking anything she didn't get herself is an issue and do is orgasming unless done solo. Garrett has his own internal struggles. His father is/was a famous Hockey star and expects nothing less when it comes to his son and family, no matter what means he resorts to? Garrett and Hannah's friendship goes from strength to strength until Garrett offers to help Hannah with her "issue" and hey, it's not for his own selfish reasons either! We watch Hannah grow in her confidence but still remain true to her kind nature. Garrett although he will always be his cocky self, does start to show a more mature and softer side. Although totally opposite they live up to the saying "opposites attract" in true form. The story continues revolving around hockey, singing, personal issues, friends, jealous puck-bunnies (Love that!) crushes and even enemies. We see two of the main issues at hand get some main focus for a minute - and this is where I applaud Kennedy - she was able to highlight such issues but in such a way it was woven into the story naturally but still making a point. Great work! I really, really enjoyed this story. I also liked Hannah and Garrett's characters and together they still had that younger persons fun and innocence, great banter...but still had that good ole hot chemistry, attraction and sex that I demand from my reads! All the supporting characters were just as likable and I see some go on to get their own story. I would really like to know more about what was going on in Logan's head re Hannah and hope this is highlighted in his book? Overall, as a reader who doesn't really do sports themes, I may have just been swayed slightly? I will go on to read the next installment from this series and as a new reader to Elle Kennedy, I can say her writing style and competencies are just what makes a reader a fan! The ONLY negative (and some may call me crazy, I can't believe I'm saying this myself) is the length, a little too long. Highly recommend 😍

One of my fav books, & fav series- so uplifting & hilarious- I had to hv the collectors edition as a trophy for my shelf. If you love sports romance books with an amazing friend group, laugh out loud shenanigans, swoon romance, actual plotting & hella spice- Read it!! BUT my hardcover collectors edition came damaged, they ended up replacing it, but the replacement was damaged too😭. I gave up at that point, who wants to ask for a replacement of their replacement? The weird thing about the damage tho, is that the two books shipped separately, in diff size boxes, and at diff times yet they were both damaged in a lot of the same spots. Making me think it's a logistics issue that's happening before it's shipped to the customers. An absolutely gorgeous collectors edition but it's not much of a collectors item when it's damaged sadly. Hoping the issue is resolved before the others in the series release bc I'm too scared to buy them as of right now (their list prices are over thirty bucks rn). I posted as many pictures of the books as it would let me- if you don't care about possible damage, it's now on sale for more than 50% off (around 12bucks at the time of this review, tho I paid way more than that for mine😭) I refuse to give the author a bad review for something that's not their fault. This series allowed me to escape reality, experience romance in this day and age, and cheese for a while- something I'll always be grateful for. Read what makes you happy.

The Deal by Elle Kennedy Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was my first Elle Kennedy book, and I had so much fun with it! The Deal is the perfect mix of sexy, fun, and surprisingly deep, with an amazing slow-burn romance that had me hooked from the start. Music major Hannah has been through a traumatic experience that has made relationships difficult, but she refuses to let it define her. When she sets her sights on star football player Justin, she knows it’ll take something big to catch his attention. Enter Garrett, the cocky yet charming hockey star, who needs tutoring to pass his class. The two strike a deal—she helps him with school, and he helps her get noticed by Justin. But spoiler alert… Garrett and Hannah’s chemistry is undeniable, and soon, their fake friendship starts feeling very real. 💖 What I Loved: -The Banter & Chemistry – Garrett and Hannah’s back-and-forth was so much fun to read! Their connection felt genuine, and their relationship developed organically over time. - Garrett Graham – The perfect mix of cocky and sweet! He was persistent without being pushy and totally won me over. -Hannah’s Strength – I loved how she refused to be defined by her past. She was strong, witty, and felt real. -More Than Just Fluff – I went in expecting a light, fun romance but was pleasantly surprised by the emotional depth. It tackled some heavy topics in a meaningful way. ⌛What Fell Short: -The Handling of Trauma – While I appreciated the story addressing Hannah’s past, at times, it felt like it wasn’t given enough weight. It was important to her character arc, but I wished it had been explored with a bit more depth. If you’re looking for a fun, flirty, and heartfelt college romance with great banter and a swoony hockey player, The Deal is a must-read! The slow-burn romance and organic attraction between Hannah and Garrett made this book so addictive, and I’ll be picking up more from Elle Kennedy.

MY RATING SYSTEM 5 stars--WOW 4 stars--would read again 3 stars--was good, won't read again 2 stars--read it, but didn't enjoy it 1 star--didn't finish, it was so awful Do I need to read books before this one: no Cliffhanger: no SUMMARY It's been 5 years since Hannah's rape. Her heart has only beat for 2 guys since; one dumped her last year and Justin is oblivious. Today Justin nodded and smiled at her. Baby steps. Garrett has to get his grade up in Ethics or he'll get suspended from the hockey team. He's the captain and wants to lead them to another national championship. He sees Hannah got an A on the midterm, asks her to tutor him. She's too busy with the winter showcase coming which could give her a scholarship. He hounds her, then figures out her button. He'll get Justin to notice her by being her fake boyfriend. Garrett certainly doesn't have time for girlfriends. Which makes him the perfect guy to help her with a problem before she goes on a date with Justin. EVALUATION A satisfying treatment of rape and abuse. Both main characters are survivors who have recognized life's not fair, put bad stuff in the past, and look forward with hope. The college setting is well done, the plot moves well, I just haven't connected to these characters though I'm a survivor, too. RECOMMENDATION I preferred Better With You by Gianna Gabriela. FAVORITE QUOTES Every girl at this college would cut her frickin’ arm off to help me out. But this one? Runs away like I just asked her to murder a cat so we could sacrifice it to Satan. Rape. It’s one of the few words in the English language that has a visceral effect when you hear it. Like a bone-jarring slap to the face or the chill of ice water being dumped over your head. It’s ugly and demoralizing, and I try so hard not to let it control my life. I know it wasn’t my fault. I know I didn’t ask for it or do something to invite it. It didn’t steal my ability to trust people or cause me to fear every man that crosses my path. Years of therapy helped me see that the burden of blame lies solely on him. There was something wrong with him. Not me. Never me. And the most important lesson I learned is that I’m not a victim—I’m a survivor. But that’s not to say the assault didn’t change me. “Look, there’s an easy fix for this bitch fest of yours. All you have to do is tell me why you’re mad, I’ll assure you you’re being ridiculous, and then we can study in peace.” “We studied. We watched TV. I went home late. That’s what happened. Got it?” “As you wish.” “Did you really just Princess Bride me?” “Did you really just use Princess Bride as a verb?” She’s gone from Disney Channel Miley Cyrus to Full-on Twerk Mode Miley, and it’s officially time for me to put a stop to [her drinking] before she moves straight to Let’s Make a Sex Tape Miley. Wait—has Miley ever made a sex tape? Who am I kidding? Of course she has. No matter what happened to her in the past, no matter how many scars she still bears from that ordeal, I know without a shred of doubt that Hannah Wells is not broken. She’s too strong to allow anyone—especially a piece of s*** high school rapist—to break her. “I’m going to ask you this one time, and one time only—Hannah Julie Wells, are you dating Garrett Graham?” “No.” She narrows her eyes. “Fine. I’m going to ask you twice. Are you dating—” Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don’t know how you ever lived without them. How you went about your day and hung out with your friends…without having this one important person in your life. “Sexy ghost, sexy tree, sexy box of Kleenex.” Allie sighs. “Gee, let’s just throw the word sexy in front of any mundane noun and look! A costume! Because here’s the thing, if you want to dress like a ho-bag, why not just go as a ho-bag? You know what? I hate Halloween.” Wariness circles my insides like a turkey vulture. “I’m not going to drag you out of here over my shoulder, or call the cops and tell them there’s domestic abuse going on in this house. It’s not my place, and I won’t interfere. But I need you to know a couple things. One—it’s not your fault. Don’t you ever blame yourself, because it’s all on him. You did nothing to invite his criticism and his verbal attacks, and you didn’t fail to meet his expectations because his expectations are f**king impossible to meet. And two, if you ever need anything, anything at all, I want you to call me, okay? If you need to talk, or if you want to leave him and need someone to help you pack or move or whatever, call me. Or if he…does something and you need help, call me. Can you promise to do that?” POSSIBLE TRIGGERS (SPOILERS) Sex: multiple scenes, masturbating, petting Language: 208 F words, 124 Lord's name in vain, 152 S words Violence: report of drugging and rape, report of domestic abuse, fist fight, youth drinking

She manages to create such realistic characters that readers can’t help fall in love with. The Deal is no. exception to that. This book is actually our first introduction to her amazing world of obscenely attractive and crazy talented hockey players at Briar University. Wasting no time, we get straight to the wonderful and hot captain, Garrett Graham. Garrett is a history major in his third year at Briar. Here is where Ms. Kennedy does something different, in shows, movies, and books we often see teachers and professors cutting slack for athletes especially ones that are currently in season. Yeah no, that’s not the case at Briar. Enter: Hannah Wells. If I am being technical, we start of in her perspective however I’m in love with Garrett, so we ignore that. The two of them are taking some sort of philosophical ethics course and when the story kicks off, they are getting their midterms back. You ever have that teacher that literally has either way two high of standards, can’t teach or both? I don’t know what the case is in this situation, but the majority of the class bombs that midterm, except for Hannah (and a few other students). Garrett is among those who failed however he is majorly screwed because if he doesn’t ace this makeup, he is no longer academically eligible for sports. After literally bumping into Hannah on his way out of the lecture hall, he sees her grade and decides that this girl will be his tutor and he won’t take no for an answer. He is relentless in his pursuit of her tutoring him that he goes so far as showing up at her work to beg. Finally, he finds the one thing he can offer to make her say yes: a fake date to catch another guy’s attention. Yeah, that fun cliché. She agrees to tutor him only through the retake because she is too focused on her winter showcase for the music department to tutor him all semester. Predictably speaking, that whole fake dating thing, yeah that backfires. I wonder sometimes if it ever works in any way other than making one of the two people realize they have feelings for each other. Believe it or not though my favorite part of the book wasn’t the romance aspects of it. Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed that don’t get me wrong. It was the way that Hannah and Garrett actually became friends and spent time together as friends outside of studying and trying to get her crush’s attention. They binged Breaking bad, watched stupid documentaries and she hung out with the rest of the team celebrating one of their birthdays. This is something that in my opinion gets missed a lot in romance is that if two people are friends and fake dating, we want to see them actually being friends and not just a couple. Her characters are also so real. Like yes there’s no way this many perfect men exist for her to write 9 books about the hockey players that come through Briar. But that’s not what I mean, I mean her characters have substance to them, they have this wonderful thing that we all as real people have: past traumas. That being said, if you are a person that gets triggered by characters having been abused or sexually assaulted in the past, please consider this your trigger warning. This did all happen prior to the books first page so what we see is the aftermath of the traumas and not the actual events taking place if that makes any difference. If that is you, I would urge you to reconsider reading the story and the rest of this review because I do intend on discussing a little bit of what happens with those situations and how Garrett and Hannah chose to respond to them. Consider this also your spoiler alert as well. When Hannah was 15, she went to a party with friends. At this party she was drugged and raped. Now, roughly 6 years later, we see how this has affected her. She refuses to drink if she is not alone and has some problems with intimacy. The cool thing though is that she uses her friendship with Garrett to help her slowly work through these problems. Once he relatively knows what her hang ups are Garrett never once pressures her or belittles her for them only helping her to slowly move past them in any way he can even if it means he plays the “bodyguard” for a night out with their friends so she can drink and not feel scared. And of course, because this is a romance novel and those two are clearly meant to be he also helps her work through her problems with sex in such a slow and patient way that, in combination with everything else we’ve seen from him, makes all the sense in the world why he is loved not only by her (though she is too dumb to admit it till later) and by all of us as readers. Garrett’s past is not all sunshine and roses either. Son of a former NHL superstar, he had to watch his mother slowly die of cancer and watch as his father’s anger was directed in the form of physical violence at his mother, and later at him. Garrett was routinely abused by his father for years until he learned to hit back, no one saw any warning signs or stepped in ever. All they saw was a retired famous athlete and his equally athletically gifted son. Hannah is the first person he ever felt comfortable opening up to about this and is there for him as a place of support when he is essentially forced to spend thanksgiving with his father and his new girlfriend. She does whatever she can to support him and to remind him that no matter who your parents are, it doesn’t determine who you will be when you are older. This is such an important message that honestly everyone needs to hear as do many of the other men in this series just for different reasons than Garrett. This book is honestly in my opinion perfect, and I don’t think I’ve stopped recommending it to people since the first time I finished it.

So, this is the first book by Elle that I have read. I was seeing this floating around Facebook for free and thought why not I’ll give it a try. So, I clicked the link only to find out I had bought this book ages ago (Don’t judge me). Anyways, I decided that now was the time to actually read it seeing as I’ve had it for ages. And I am so freaking glad I did, this book is stellar!!! I happen to love College romances and this one hit every single one of the marks for me. “I can’t help it. Tolbert seems to respond to my brand of bull It’s a gift.” “Well, I want your gift. Please, master, teach me how to bull.” I absolutely adored this story from the start. Elle pulls you right in with prose and storyline and holds you captive until the last word. Garrett and Hannah are freaking amazing together and their banter is off the charts. I loved every single moment they were together in this book. You could feel their connection bleed from the pages and rush over your skin, keeping you utterly entertained as they bicker and throw sarcastic remarks at each other non-stop. "She darts out the door, leaving me staring after her in frustration. Unbelievable. Every girl at this college would cut her frickin’ arm off to help me out. But this one? Runs away like I just asked her to murder a cat so we could sacrifice it to Satan." Garrett is the bad boy hockey captain on campus, so he’s probably just as you’d imagine. He’s got a huge ego and plows through Puck Bunnies regularly. That’s why when he asks Hannah for her help with the class he’s failing, he doesn’t take No for an answer, his ego won’t allow it. And Hannah tells him No often. Eventually though he wears her down and finds what it takes to make her say yes. At first, she’s hesitant to tutor Garrett because she thinks of him like other’s do, that he’s a dumb jock. But as they start to spend more time together, they become friends. And as their friendship grows you see that he too has demons that he’s trying to overcome. "I’ve never seen anyone who sleeps with so many pillows. Maybe he needs them to cradle his massive ego." Hannah is this sweet, smart girl who has some issues she’s trying to work through. I loved the way Elle handled the mental health aspect in such a realistic way that it causes a visceral reaction. You feel for this girl who went through something so heartbreaking it would scar anyone. Watching as Hannah grows more comfortable with herself and battles her demons to be a more relaxed and open person was so satisfying to see. "With that one teeny tiny word, my heart inflates like a gosh darn helium balloon. Hannah’s trust, meet Garrett’s hands." The care with which Garrett handles Hannah makes your heart ache in your chest with how unbelievably sweet it is. You have this huge hulk of a man taking the time to research and make sure that everything he does is at a slow pace and just perfect, so Hannah doesn’t have a meltdown. I could watch the way he cares for her everyday and never get tired of it. Garrett had me falling head over heels for him in that moment. This beautifully broken couple will give you all the feels. It’s as if each of their broken pieces was looking, searching for a place to call home, and they found it in each other. I burst into the locker room and – Penises! Sweet Jesus. Penises everywhere. Horror slams into me as I register what I’m seeing. This may have been the first book I’ve read by Elle but most certainly won’t be the last. She has created such a wonderful series with these character’s you can’t help but fall madly in love with. Her humor interlaced with the intensity of the story-line, keeps you laughing one minute and has your heart aching in your chest the next. I was left emotionally wrung out but with my heart so utterly happy. I can’t wait to jump into the next story in line with this series, because it’s that addicting!!!

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.

Para las que amamos esta serie de Elle Kennedy, pero que no tenemos una edición tan bonita como esta. A mí me da igual que esté en inglés. Es perfecta. Tanto las ilustraciones, los cantos y la sinopsis a modo de estrategia de partido de hockey... sencillamente, una edición preciosa. Por más así.

The Deal (Off Campus #1) by Elle Kennedy 5 stars!! “Living well and being happy is how we get over the s*** in our past.” I have to admit I am a sucker for college books, when you get to my age you like to re-live your past and a fun and fabulous college experience is something I never had, so I live vicariously through these types of reads and boy did I live while reading this one. I loved everything about this book, the characters, the writing and the story. While the storyline itself may not be unique, the way it was delivered certainly was. This is a beautifully written NA college romance where the characters spring to life before your eyes. The way that Elle Kennedy has written this book, will transport you back to your college campus living the life and walking every step with these characters. You will smile every smile, you will laugh every laugh and you will shed every tear. Written in dual POV of both Hannah and Garrett means that you cannot help but connect to these characters on every level and it won’t be long before both of them have taken a permanent residence in your heart. “Exactly how old is your penis?” “He’s twenty, like me…But he’s way more mature than I am. What about your lady canal? Is she wiser than her years, or is she…” Hannah was a beautiful character both inside and out. She had dealt with a lot in her past and was trying to build a new life for herself. Everything was a struggle, especially with money, but with hard work and determination she was a straight A student, majoring in music and was just as talented behind the mic as she was on a philosophy paper. I fell in love with Hannah, while you would have expected her to be the meek and timid type; she actually had guts, balls and determination. She may have blushed like a tomato at any innuendo or while in the company of boys but that only made her all the more endearing. You couldn’t help but be sucked into her charm, her honesty, her integrity and everything else in between. Garrett, oh my god, this man had me swooning. For a guy that had never done romance and was the college lothario, when he fell, he fell hard. Despite his one night stand reputation, no relationships, no girlfriends’ mantra at least he had the balls to admit that Hannah was different and embraced it. He happily gave up his man card and it was endearing to read. You couldn’t help but champion for these two, but with two novices, you always know that they may have a bumpy road ahead. “I never expected her. Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don’t know how you ever lived without them…” Garrett never had the best start in life either and he also had his troubles and problems to deal with. Whereas before he would just bottle it up and never told a soul, Hannah was like a truth serum, both to herself and Garrett and to watch these two open up to each other tore at my heart strings. These two trusted each other implicitly and because their relationship was borne of friendship and trust you couldn’t help but hope they would make it. This book was beautifully balanced, the wit and banter between Hannah and Garrett will have you smiling and laughing, these two really clicked, they were totally down with each other’s humour and both gave as good as they got. This was unique for Garrett, he had only been wanted for being a hockey god and for being his father’s son, but Hannah was someone he had found himself and wanted to be with him just because he was Garrett. “…but this time it’s different. Because it’s Hannah saying it, and she’s not just any girl. And because I know that when she says she loves me, she actually means me – Garrett – and not Briar’s hockey star, or Mr Popularity, or Phil Graham’s son. She loves me.” Garrett was fiercely loyal and protective, like I said above, once he went in, he goes all in and gives it everything. He may have been cocky and arrogant at times but it was all in jest, waggly eyebrows and all and you couldn’t help but fall for his charm. It is both their personalities that really brought this book to life and the sizzling chemistry between these two was palpable and radiated off the page. “I don’t look back these days. I only look forward.” This is my first read by Elle Kennedy and it certainly won’t be my last, I just loved everything about this book and I cannot wait for Logan’s story. Unrequited love is a b***h and I cannot wait to see where his story is heading now that the girl he lusts for is most definitely taken.

Why did I not start this series sooner??? I loved this booook! With this book, I became a hockey fan. This book made me look into this sport that I spent most of my childhood at hockey games – need to do it again next season. I am a bit hesitant to pick up a book when everyone is buzzing about it everywhere. But I’m glad that I read it and it wasn’t disappointing. The way I fell in love with both of the characters. Hannah, my sweet angel, at first had a huge crush on the football player Justin but then fell hard for Mr. Garrett Graham. And Garrett – he is THE best Off-Campus Guy ever! Garrett Graham was the captain of the hockey team, he was, of course, drop-dead gorgeous with ripped abs and a face that could melt anyone’s panty, and Hannah Wells the regular girl with a sordid past she was trying to outlive. It was a sure recipe for a good romance don’t you think? I loved how feisty Wellsy is. I loved her strong personality, and how she doesn’t back down from anything, I just had a little issue with her sometimes, there were moments, but it was easily overshadowed by her overall personality, so it was still okay. Garrett, on the other hand, is someone that is more than what meets the eye. He was not a dumb college boy, he was actually good in school, save for Ethics haha. He was a little cocky and maybe a little too good to be true. But I loved both of them, I love them so much I want to hug them haha. And I so love their banters! They are just so cute, I cannot even! The whole story was something I really enjoyed reading, I loved the set of friends both Hannah and Garrett have, they were all good people and good-looking. I love Hannah’s parents! But sometimes it was bordering unrealistic, but it was something I could live with. It tackles sensitive issues, but I loved how the author didn’t press too much on that subject, making things just easy and fun to read. This book was definitely a sweet surprise, I can’t simply swipe off that stupid smile on my face after I read the book. The dual POV was great and I especially enjoyed reading Garrett’s POV – He was such a funny character I loved him so much. Also, the way we got introduced to Garrett’s roommates – They all made me laugh out loud and I couldn’t wait to read their stories.