This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Chase on my blog, here. Trigger warnings include mentions of sexual assault and domestic abuse. You do not have to read the Off-Campus series before the Briar U series, but it does include characters and relationships that may be spoiled for you.
Hannah and Garrett are polar opposites in every way that matters -- she's a musician, he's a hockey player. She's getting A's on her exams, he's totally flunking ethics. When Garrett is in desperate need of a tutor to be able to play on the team, he sets his sights on Hannah after seeing her A on the midterm. The deal is simple -- Hannah helps Garrett do well on his makeup exam, and Garrett helps Hannah make Justin interested in her. If you loved Nathan and Haley in One Tree Hill, this pairing is for you.
They both bicker with each other until they are out of breath, and since I am a sucker for a little enemies to lovers, I found myself somewhat swept up in the story. This is definitely an easy read, and it will go by quick for anyone who just wants to see the happy ending play out. Kennedy includes a multitude of song and TV show references in this book, and for someone who is not a fan of books including them, I just pretended they were not there.
We are presented with a lovely little fake dating-esque trope, which definitely has its ups and downs as Hannah and Garrett become closer to one another and start to learn things from each other. It is cute to see the way that Garrett teases and flirts with Hannah, and how Hannah is always quick to respond back to him with the same energy. They both slowly start revealing more about themselves to each other, and with their pasts both having hardships, it really makes their bond stronger.
Garrett and Hannah's chemistry is definitely felt throughout the book -- even when it starts out as just teasing and playful banter, their flirting and day-to-day conversations elevate their budding relationship. Justin's character kind of just floats around the book, making some quick appearances every now and again, as does Garrett's father. They are annoying little pests that won't seem to go away, always coming back for more and ruining the scene.
The smut is this book is exactly what you would expect from a 2015 Wattpad-type romance. Some of it is more spicy than other scenes, and with a lot of "fade to black" in the beginning in the book, it's not surprising that the rest of the book's scenes appear more mature. Most of them do not even last over five pages, and they go by so quickly you may not even realize they were there.
I need to know who wears a knee-length dress to a frat party. Seriously, this is not a rhetorical question, I really need to know who would ever decide that was a good choice in outfit for the night. Jeans would have been a much better option, because even if this was taking place in 2015, no one was wearing a dress to a college party. Most of the outfits described in the book are outdated, but if you just pretend that they are wearing something else, it will go over much better.
This book is definitely for fans of sports romance books, and I would recommend this to fans of To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han. There are some moments in this book that are questionable, regarding how the author has the characters talk about women and the constant slut-shaming -- I have no idea why she kept going back to this topic over and over again. Overall, it was a very quick read that was meant to just get me ready to read a new book.
You can add The Deal and the rest of the Off Campus series on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on publications and releases.
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