Review: The Deal by Elle Kennedy

Rating: 3/5
Series: Off Campus Book 1
Trope: athlete-book-boyfriends, college, damaged-hero, emotional-trauma, new-adult-romance, opposites-a,  slow-burn, sports, sports-romance
PoP: 57%

I picked up this book based on the recent hype from Booktok. I love a sports romance, but I also need to admit that New Adult is not my preferred sub-genre of Romance.  I often struggle with what is very real maturity levels and life experience.  This book was a bit of a surprise for me. I have recently struggled with “hyped” books and them not living up to expectation.  

One of my key struggles with this story is trauma as a personality trait. While I get trauma defines you and both characters have had their share of trauma, and both are still working through it. At times I had to remind myself they are still only 20 and have not had the time or maturity to deal with all that they have experienced in their young lives.  Hannah sharing her friend’s story of being drugged and rape I felt diminished her power some, she had gone through years of therapy and for the most part comes off as having worked through most of her trauma so not having ownership felt wrong.  I wanted to see grown of the characters together.  I felt like we did see this with Garrett. He stood up to his father. He took ownership and his character arc really makes the book.  Hannah I just wanted more from her. More faith in her heart and the person she claimed to love. 

A BIG pet peeve I have with this book and its hype is people saying it is “the Greatest Sports Series” it isn’t.  While Garrett is a hockey player there is very little team or play in the book. You do not get a feel for his dedication to his sport. It talks about his desire to go pro, but you don’t have reference for the sacrifices he is making to get there. This book lacks the team dynamic and that found family you expect from an epic sports series. 

Overall, I did like this story. Hannah was a bit difficult to “love” at times. Given her history I do understand her responses.  I wish as the story had gone on, she had been a bit more open and honest with Garrett.  Her lack of trust in him really comes out when she “breaks up “with him. What this does show however is Garrett’s own trust in his heart and soul.  Never has there been a more tenacious hero. In one of the most swoony subtle ways he lets Hannah know that even though she thinks they are broken up he does not accept it. He is there for her protecting her heart and in the process his own.