REVIEW: The Deal (Off-Campus #1) by Elle Kennedy

Title: The Deal
Series: Off-Campus #1
Author: Elle Kennedy
Publisher: Elle Kennedy
Published: February 24th 2015
Format: eBook | Pages: 358
Genres: NA, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Amazon
★★★★★ (5/5) Stars!!!

Elle Kennedy | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy... 

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date. 

...and it’s going to be oh so good. 

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn't take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

Feelings. So many feelings. I realize that this book has only been out since the end of February but all I could think after I finished it was the fact that I wished I had read it sooner! It had these amazing characters with heartbreaking stories and yet it was also filled with so much humor and breathtaking romance, my heart is swelling with so many different emotions after finally finishing. I feel like there was quite a bit of hype around this book, I say that meaning every time I turn around since it's release a couple months back people are throwing it high ratings and talking about how much they loved it. I had to wonder, could it live up to all that hype and praise? My answer is unequivocally...yes.

I'm too busy watching Garrett to focus on any of the other players. He's...mesmerizing.

I'm loving all the sports romance books that are popping up lately. Honestly? I've never been much of a hockey fan though. Just something about guys skating around on the ice and slamming each other into the walls. It's so barbaric and I never saw the appeal. I've actually warmed up to the sport quite a bit while reading this book surprisingly! I never got bored or felt the need to skim through any passages that involved a game. Am I a hockey convert? Well...not quite. But, I wouldn't be against watching a game one of these days. I'd say that's progress.

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.

This was definitely a very character driven book and there are a lot of really great characters you get to meet at the start of this series. Especially the two main ones. Here's what you need to know about Garrett Graham. He's probably the cockiest motherfucker you will ever come across in literature. I'm surprised his ego was able to fit within the pages of this book. The next thing you need to know about Garrett? His humor and sweetness completely outshine that cockiness and what you're left with is one amazing freaking guy. His story is tragic and he's lived through so much. All I can say is I am head over heels for Garrett Graham.

Normally I pride myself on having a good head on my shoulders and making sound decisions, but agreeing to tutor Garrett? Stupider than stupid.

If there were to be a contest between Hannah and Graham about whose story is more tragic...I wouldn't even know how to cast my vote. Hannah's story gutted me and made me feel physically ill for her. I didn't see her storyline coming at all and once I knew her history I was a bit awed I guess you could say with how strong and together she was. Her emotional scars didn't even give a clue to anyone who didn't already know what she went through. In a way I find her pretty inspirational. Plus she's just so sweet and her sarcastic attitude and mouth had me in stitches more often than not.

"You're honest and kind and compassionate." She lightly bites my bottom lip. "I mean, don't get me wrong, you're a total dick sometimes, but it's a tolerable kind of dickishness."

You know what my favorite thing about this book is? Okay, scratch that. My second favorite thing because freaking Garrett Graham is number one. But number two is the fact that Hannah and Garrett can be in the middle of a seriously hot freaking moment, or even one where they're just saying the sweetest things to each other and suddenly one of them cracks a joke at the other's expense and it does nothing to kill that moment because after moments of laughter and a bit of banter it's right back where it had left off. I love when a book can do that! You don't find that every day.

I don't look back these days. I only look forward.

I have so much love for this book and I'm already wanting to read it again and again and again and...It's hilarious, heartbreaking and deliciously steamy. I can't wait to be able to snatch up the rest of the books in this series as they release. Brilliant start to what I can already tell is going to be such a fun series that's going to be full of feels.