The Deal (Off Campus Series) by Elle Kennedy
By: Nadiya-Bhaktika Weld
Credit: Nadiya-Bhaktika Weld
The first time I read The Deal, I was a junior in high school. It’s one of my favorite books, and the first book in the “Off Campus” series written by Elle Kennedy. She is a Canadian young adult romance author and is best known for her “Off Campus” and “Briar U” series. She also has non-sports related books such as “Study Abroad Girl” which was released last year and is one of her most recent books. On Oct. 1, 2024, Amazon Prime announced that they are producing a TV series adapted from The Deal. I'd been anticipating this news for a while, so this summer I re-read the book. If you end up reading along, you should tune in for the series that’s set to release in 2026.
The Off-Campus Series is set in college, following four friends on Briar University’s men’s ice hockey team who live in a house off-campus, hence the title. The series focuses on their friendship, love stories, and struggles. This series isn’t new; it’s been around for a little more than a decade now. It was published between 2015 and 2016, so there are some outdated terms and other things that you may notice, so that’s something to be aware of.
The Deal follows the love story of Garrett Graham and Hannah Wells. The book addresses heavy topics such as past sexual assault and abuse. Without giving too much away, the plot begins when Hannah has a crush on a football player and Garrett is failing his ethics class. He’s desperate to pass the makeup midterm so he isn’t benched. He tries to persuade Hannah, a music major who aced the midterm, to tutor him, but she declines multiple times. Finally, Hannah agrees to tutor Garrett when he proposes “the deal.” He discovers her crush on a football player named Justin Khol and offers to fake date her to make Justin jealous. The catch is that Garrett and Hannah end up falling for each other. There are cute and steamy scenes and lots of angst. You’ll have to read the book to find out the rest. If you’ve read or watched To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and love the fake dating trope, then you’ll love The Deal.
The other books in the series include The Mistake, which is about John Logan and Grace Ivers, The Score, which is about Dean Dilaurentis and Allie Hayes, who is Hannah’s best friend, and The Goal, which is about John Tucker and Sabrina James. In the poster I made, at the top of the page, I included elements to symbolize each of the girls’ majors or interests. Hannah, who majors in music, Grace, who works with the campus radio station, Allie, who is an acting major, and Sabrina, who attends law school.
Tropes and themes in the Series:
#1 The Deal: Annoyances to Friends to Lovers, Fake Dating
#2 The Mistake: Second Chance Romance
#3 The Score: Haters to friends to lovers, Friends with Benefits, Secret Relationship
#4 The Goal: Unexpected pregnancy trope, and slowburn
#5 The Legacy: Time Jumps, Weddings, and Unexpected Pregnancy
Elle Kennedy’s other books and Beyond The Legacy:
If you read all the books in the off-campus series and still need more, she also has the “Briar U” series, which is about other players on the team. I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve heard good things.
Elle Kennedy released a new book in 2023, The Graham Effect, which is about Hannah and Garrett’s daughter, Gigi, and her college romance. She is also a hockey player, following in her father's footsteps. There is also a book titled Love Song, which will be released in March 2026. That book will be about Hannah and Garrett’s son, Wyatt, and his love interest, Blake Logan, who is Logan and Grace’s daughter. Wyatt is a musician following in Hannah’s footsteps, hence the title Love Song. I really like how Elle Kennedy is continuing these stories, and I consider this to be generational literature. I love the Off-Campus series. Despite some cheesy aspects, these books offer a representation of true found family and lasting love, which is why it’s one of my favorite book series.