I'd been meaning to read this series (which has been on my Kindle for far too long) for a while now, and I'm kicking myself for not having read it sooner. The Deal is a book that took me completely by surprise by how much I enjoyed it. The storyline, in my eyes, was a simple one - nothing too over the top; a simple strangers-to-friends-to-lovers romance - but one full of scenes that had me laughing my ass off, and others that had my heart racing for more; more laughter, more romance... just more. 
 Garrett and Hannah were just so good together. I loved their chemistry, their banter, and I loved that neither had a crush on the other before they actually got to know each other. In fact, Hannah is crushing (and crushing hard) on someone else, and when Garrett figures that out, it's what drives him to strike up "the deal". The one class Hannah and Garrett share is the one class that Garrett is failing, and if he fails, he won't be able to play hockey. Hannah is passing that class, so the deal Garrett strikes up is that, if Hannah tutors him and helps him pass this one class, then in return, he'll help her catch her crush's attention. 
 They built such a great friendship, and then the more time they spent together to make this deal happen, and the more they trusted each other, the more their feelings for one another grew, especially after that first kiss. It was romantic, and funny... God, this book was hilarious! There were so many scenes here that had me crying of laughter! But as funny as it was, it was also real. Hannah and Garrett have both faced some difficult and horrifying things in their past, but they were so strong, and they never let their past affect them or bring them down, even when they're forced to face it. 
 The Deal is my first Elle Kennedy book, and I know now that it won't be my last. The beginning went a little slow for me, and I couldn't connect at first, which is my reason for the four star rating, but after around 20%, that's when I got hooked with this book. I enjoyed it very much, and now I'm super excited to get started on reading the rest of this series, and I truly cannot wait.