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Cover of The Deal by Elle KennedyThe Deal
Modern · Fiction, Romance, Young Adult

The Deal

by Elle Kennedy
2015 · 342 pages · Fiction
Lifetime bestseller · Buzzing now
≈ 9 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

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

Good 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

79.6Must-Read Score
  • 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

Why it made the list

Bestseller
19 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists since 2025

Reads as

Uplifting

How we rank

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Explore 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.