I first heard about The Deal by Elle Kennedy during my Bookstagram era, which was probably half a decade ago. But as far as I knew, the book wasn’t available in my Kindle region. So I added it to my “Want to Read” shelf on Goodreads and left it there for years.
It wasn’t until last week that a new Amazon Prime series called Off Campus suddenly appeared on my timeline. “Off Campus?” I thought. “That sounds freakishly familiar.” A quick search confirmed my suspicion: it was about Hannah and Garrett from The Deal! That The Deal! Off Campus was the series name all along!
I was so stoked when I found out the books were finally available on my Kindle. Watching the clips had already made me curious, so I bought the book without a second thought. And after finishing it in less than two days (I would’ve devoured the whole thing in one sitting if I hadn’t started reading at night and therefore needed to sleep first), all I wanted to say was this: I’m pushing thirty, yet I’m still completely invested in romantic stories about college couples almost a decade younger than me.
I didn’t expect to enjoy it this much, but I really did. I guess new adult romance will always hold a special place in my heart.
So now, meet Hannah Wells: a music major at Briar University. Between college, work, and preparing for a showcase in hopes of securing a scholarship, Hannah already has a lot on her plate. That’s why, when the one and only Garrett Graham approaches her asking for a favor, Hannah immediately turns him down.
Meanwhile, Garrett—the star hockey player and campus heartthrob—is notorious for his charm. But despite all his efforts to convince Hannah to tutor him in Ethics, a class he absolutely cannot fail, he keeps getting rejected. Garrett refuses to accept defeat, though. He needs to pass the makeup exam, or he’ll be barred from competing with the team. So after discovering Hannah’s secret crush on Justin, a football player, Garrett proposes a deal she can’t refuse: tutoring sessions in exchange for a fake date to help catch Justin’s attention.
Told alternately through Hannah’s and Garrett’s points of view, the book explores how their growing connection eventually helps them confront the haunting parts of their pasts when the time finally comes.
Even though the story switches between Hannah’s and Garrett’s POVs, both voices feel distinct, and I think that’s one of the main reasons I enjoyed the book so much. Hannah is awkward, charming, and—in Garrett’s own words—a fun smartass. I loved her banter with Garrett, who can be overly confident at times but is equally entertaining.
And if Garrett from the show had already stolen my heart in just a few short clips, Garrett from the book made it absolutely impossible not to swoon over him. I loved Garrett and his boyish way of caring. I loved the slow-burn romance. And I especially loved the dynamic between Garrett and his three best friends.
Even though the slow burn kept me kicking my feet all night, the plot itself never felt dragging. In fact, I would say it was pretty fast-paced. The story also places a strong emphasis on how the characters process their trauma and slowly learn to let go of the past—which works wonderfully for a character-driven novel.
My only qualm is that Hannah can be a little… judgmental, especially toward the women Garrett slept with in the past. What makes it harder to ignore is that her comments don’t necessarily stem from jealousy, but rather from a somewhat condemnatory attitude toward women who aren’t like her. Garrett himself isn’t all sunshine and candy canes either. He has moments where I think he should’ve known better, but I do think the author manages to redeem his character quite well over time.
Overall, reading this book felt like a breath of fresh air—one where I didn’t have to overthink anything because it was mostly fun and games with bits of melancholy sprinkled throughout. If you’re looking for a book with fantastic chemistry and don’t mind a little too much smut between the pages, I highly recommend giving this one a try.
In the meantime, I’m still debating whether or not I should watch the series on Amazon. I heard they changed some of the characters to better fit the ‘current climate’. What do you think?
Rating: 4.5★
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