Reviewed by LiteraryLure · 10 February 2026

The Deal

Elle Kennedy

Off-Campus, book 1

Complicated wanting

“The romance works because banter gives way to trust, and attraction never replaces respect.”

📖 The Deal by Elle Kennedy Rating 4.75/5

Hannah Wells agrees to tutor hockey captain Garrett Graham after he fails an important exam. In return, Garrett will help her attract the attention of another student by pretending to date her. The arrangement is familiar romance territory, but the characters make it work.

Hannah and Garrett develop a friendship before the relationship turns physical. Their banter is lively, and both characters have concerns beyond the romance. Hannah is learning how to approach intimacy after sexual trauma, while Garrett is trying to protect his future from academic trouble and an abusive father.

Kennedy handles Hannah's agency with care and gives Garrett room to grow beyond the confident athlete persona. A few conflicts rely on familiar college-romance conventions, yet the emotional trust between the pair keeps the story grounded.

The Deal is a strong choice for readers who enjoy fake dating, college hockey, tutoring setups, and romance that balances humor with heavier material. It can be read on its own while also opening the Off-Campus series.

Published by LiteraryLure.

Cards

Image supplements a book review of "The Deal" by Elle Kennedy. The cover features an illustration of a couple embracing on an ice hockey rink. The man wears a hockey jersey numbered 44, and the woman is lifted off the ground in a joyful pose. The background shows a frosty ice surface with pink flowers around the edges and a pair of blue ice skates at the bottom left. The cover highlights Elle Kennedy as a New York Times bestselling author and notes that this is the first book in the "Off-Campus Series," soon to be an original streaming series. The design conveys a romantic and sporty theme.

Each one carries its own alt text. Nothing is cropped to fit.

What is in it

College Sports Romance

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