The Deal

New York Times bestseller and TikTok sensation Elle Kennedy brings you the first in the sexy Off-Campus series that everyone is talking about.

The series that inspired Amazon Prime's Off-Campus – Now Streaming!

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.

A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a BA in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle is the author of more than fifty contemporary fiction and romance novels, published by a variety of major houses. Her work includes the Off-Campus series, the global phenomenon which has captivated millions of readers around the world.

“The Deal” is a college sports romance about two damaged but witty people who start with a practical arrangement and slowly fall into something real. At the center of the story are Hannah Wells, a music major with a painful past, and Garrett Graham, the cocky captain of the hockey team whose future depends on keeping his grades up. What begins as a fake date and a tutoring agreement turns into a relationship that is much deeper, messier, and more healing than either of them expects.

Hannah is smart, independent, and more confident than she sometimes gives herself credit for, but she also carries heavy emotional baggage from a traumatic experience in her past. Because of that, she has built strong walls around herself, especially when it comes to sex and intimacy. She is attracted to Justin, a football player she wants to notice her, and she thinks Garrett can help her get his attention. Garrett, meanwhile, is in danger of failing his ethics class, and since his hockey career depends on staying eligible, he needs Hannah’s help. He offers a deal: she tutors him, and in exchange he pretends to be her boyfriend so Justin will finally see her as desirable.

The arrangement sounds simple enough, but it quickly becomes more complicated. Garrett is not just a loud, arrogant athlete. He is funny, loyal, surprisingly thoughtful, and far more attentive than Hannah expects. Their banter is one of the best parts of the novel, because they constantly tease each other while also revealing pieces of themselves they do not show to anyone else. As they spend more time together, the fake dating starts to feel natural. Garrett accompanies Hannah to parties, helps her step outside her comfort zone, and becomes a steady presence in her life. In return, Hannah gives him more than tutoring. She gives him honesty, grounding, and a kind of emotional connection he has not really allowed himself before.

The book works because it balances humor, chemistry, and vulnerability. Garrett initially seems like the kind of guy who goes through women easily and never takes anything seriously, but that image hides a more damaged background. His home life is difficult, especially because of his controlling and emotionally abusive father. He is used to proving himself and pushing through on charm and determination alone. With Hannah, however, he begins to find something different. She sees through his act, and he sees that her confidence covers pain that still affects her deeply. Their connection grows not just from attraction but from mutual recognition. Each of them understands what it means to hide behind a strong exterior.

As the story unfolds, the fake relationship becomes real in a way that neither of them can completely control. Their physical chemistry is intense, but the emotional side matters just as much. Hannah slowly learns that she is not broken, and Garrett learns that vulnerability does not make him weak. The novel treats healing as something that happens through trust, patience, and being with the right person at the right time. Garrett never tries to “fix” Hannah. Instead, he supports her while she works through her own fears. That makes their romance feel grounded even when the dialogue and situations are playful and fast-moving.

The college setting adds energy to the story. Between classes, hockey games, parties, academic pressure, and campus social life, the characters are constantly under stress, which makes their private moments feel even more important. Garrett is a star athlete with real ambition, and Hannah is trying to build a future through music. Both are balancing personal hope with outside expectations, which gives their relationship stakes beyond simple attraction. They are not just falling in love; they are learning how to protect their futures and redefine what kind of people they want to be.

The Deal is also about emotional honesty. Hannah’s past affects how she sees herself, and Garrett’s family life has taught him not to rely on anyone too much. Their relationship gives them both a chance to be seen without performance. The book shows that attraction can be the beginning, but trust is what makes love lasting. It also shows that people who seem carefree or confident often carry hidden pain. Through their connection, both Hannah and Garrett start to let go of old stories about themselves and imagine something better.

“The Deal” is a playful, sexy, and heartfelt romance about two people who enter a relationship for convenience and discover real affection instead. It is light in tone but serious in emotional content, which is part of why it works so well. Beneath the banter and sports romance setup is a story about healing, respect, and the courage to let someone get close when you have every reason not to.