The DealThe Deal
Score Modern
What it's about
Hannah Wells, a music student at Briar University, is nearly failing one class. Garrett Graham, the star of the hockey team, is failing a different class and will lose his place on the team unless he passes. Hannah agrees to tutor him, in exchange for a fake date to make her crush jealous. The deal is supposed to be simple, but as Garrett gets to know her, and learns about her past, it becomes much more.
Why it's worth reading
It's a cornerstone of the sports romance boom, years after its release still on the New York Times lists. It's funny, steamy and fast.
You'll love it if you liked
It Ends with Us
Me Before You
The Fault in Our StarsGood to know
It includes explicit sex scenes and deals with the aftermath of sexual assault. It's the first of the Off-Campus series.
By the numbers
- Readers76 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz36 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #18 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #28 of the 233 romances we rank
- #207 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #408 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Uplifting
If you like this, read next
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Dominicana
The Inheritance GamesExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →Quick answers
Is The Deal worth reading?
Yes. It's a cornerstone of the sports romance boom, years after its release still on the New York Times lists. It ranks #408 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 79.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Deal about?
Hannah Wells, a music student at Briar University, is nearly failing one class. Garrett Graham, the star of the hockey team, is failing a different class and will lose his place on the team unless he passes. Hannah agrees to tutor him, in exchange for a fake date to make her crush jealous. The deal is supposed to be simple, but as Garrett gets to know her, and learns about her past, it becomes much more.
How long does it take to read The Deal?
About 9 hours (342 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Deal?
If you liked it, try It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes or The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.


















