Rating: 4/5
The Deal by Elle Kennedy. Hannah Wells is a brilliant college student confident in everything… except sex. When she falls head over heels for a new student, she realizes she doesn’t stand a chance if she can’t learn to flirt, seduce or even talk to the guy. Not to mention her unfortunate baggage regarding sex won’t make her any more confident. Luckily, Garrett Graham, the cocky hockey team captain, is willing to help her if she agrees to tutor him and save his falling grades. But how far are they willing to take this fake dating plan before the lines get blurred?
The Deal is the first book of a series of five that follows the lives of a house of college students who learn what falling in love feels like. Garrett and Hannah are the first couple of the series, following a fake dating plot where the all-star hockey player catches feelings and struggles to prove to Hannah that he is worth the time. Nobody has ever said no to him before, thus creating a hilarious if not fun banter between the characters that Hannah can’t understand is flirting.
Elle Kennedy nailed this series because it touches on heavy subjects of real-life issues such as abuse and assault and gives the reader a nice view of the college experience. The two points of view in this story, narrated by Hannah and Garrett separately, give us a glimpse of the opinions of new adults still struggling to grow up. This, coupled with Garrett’s ever charm, wit, and overall comedic personality, make the book irresistible.
It is important to note that this book talks about the sensitive topic of rape and its place in our culture, as well as its consequences and trauma. This can be a trigger for certain readers, making the story more raw, realistic and beautiful. Especially as we see the gentle and surprised reactions of the characters, it is a great book that will undoubtedly make the reader emotional.
Lastly, I recommend this book for any romance reader ready to explore the slippery slopes of college life. As someone who hasn’t personally gone to college yet, I found this book especially nice to give me an idea of what college could look like (in the sense of parties and friendships), and I would suggest the book for young readers in the range of 13-17 years.