The Deal & the Art of the Fake Date

Welcome back to The Chapter Café, where stories are always on the menu and comfort is served by the chapter. I’m your host, Kristen, and today we’re serving up a spicy, slow-burn romance with a side of banter, brainy girls, and hockey boys. On today’s menu? The Deal by Elle Kennedy—a book that proves sometimes the best relationships start with a little pretending.

So grab your favorite drink—maybe a caramel macchiato with extra whip—and let’s turn the page together.

Let’s start with a quick bite of what The Deal has in store.

Hannah Wells is a smart, sarcastic music major at Briar University. She’s crushing hard on a football player who doesn’t know she exists. Garrett Graham is the cocky, charming captain of the hockey team who’s failing philosophy and needs a tutor—fast.

Their solution? A deal. Hannah agrees to tutor Garrett if he helps her get noticed by her crush. But as they fake flirt their way through campus, something real starts to simmer beneath the surface.

Here’s what’s on our appetizer plate:

Setting: Briar University—a fictional college full of parties, pressure, and unexpected connections.

Themes: Consent and healing, emotional vulnerability, ambition, and the difference between love and lust.

Tropes: Fake dating, opposites attract, found family, sports romance.

Vibes: Think flirty banter in the library, late-night study sessions, and the slow realization that maybe your “deal” is actually your destiny.

Now that we’ve had a taste, let’s dig into the meat of the story.

The Deal is the first book in Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series, and it sets the tone beautifully: smart, sexy, and surprisingly tender. What makes this book stand out isn’t just the chemistry—it’s the emotional depth.

Hannah is a survivor of sexual assault, and her journey toward reclaiming her agency, her confidence, and her desire is handled with care and nuance. Garrett, for all his swagger, is more than a jock stereotype. He’s dealing with his own trauma, particularly a complicated relationship with his abusive father. Together, they create a space where healing and humor coexist.

Their relationship unfolds with a delicious slow burn. There’s tension, yes—but also trust. They challenge each other, support each other, and slowly fall into something real. The fake dating trope is used to perfection here, giving us all the fun of staged PDA and jealous glances, but also the emotional payoff of watching two people let their guards down.

And let’s not forget the supporting cast. The Off-Campus boys—Logan, Dean, and Tucker—bring humor, loyalty, and the promise of future stories. This isn’t just a romance; it’s the beginning of a found family.

Perfect for fans of:

New adult romance with emotional depth and spice.

Smart, capable heroines who know what they want.

Sports romances that go beyond the locker room.

And anyone who loves a good fake-dating-to-real-love arc.

If The Deal left you swooning and smiling, here are a few literary desserts to keep the heat going:

The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams – A friends-to-lovers sports romance with fake dating and big feelings.

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace – Another hockey romance with a strong heroine and a cinnamon roll hero.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood – A STEM-based fake dating romance with academic stakes and emotional payoff.

Wait for It by Mariana Zapata – A slow-burn romance with heart, humor, and healing.

The Roommate by Rosie Danan – A sex-positive, character-driven romance with unexpected depth.

Each of these books brings something different to the table—whether it’s the banter, the emotional growth, or the swoony slow burn.

That’s it for today’s episode of The Chapter Café. Whether you’re curled up with a blanket or walking across campus with earbuds in, may your stories be bold, your characters unforgettable, and your heart always open to a little love.

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, or share it with a fellow romance reader. And if you’ve got a favorite fake-dating story or a sports romance that made you swoon, send it our way—we’re always hungry for more.

Until next time, I’m Kristen, and this has been The Chapter Café. Keep reading, and keep cozy.