Review to come! 
 Update 1/8/16: 
 See more reviews on my blog Novels and Necklaces 
 Actual rating: 4.5 stars 
 I have never read a book by Elle Kennedy, but I'm definitely going to check out her other books now! I absolutely LOVED this novel, and I can't wait to check out the rest of the series. While it's a predictable NA story, you can't help but fall in love with Garrett and Hannah. Elle Kennedy had me hooked from the first chapter, and I knew I was in deep with these characters. Plus, this book features hockey, which is my favorite sport, so this was a major win on all sides. I honestly couldn't get enough of the story, and Ms. Kennedy had me busting out laughing so many times. I actually had to put the book down because I was laughing so much at some of the exchanges between Garrett and Hannah. Suffice to say, you definitely need to check this novel out. Just take this for example 
 "Just out of curiosity," she says, "after you wake up in the morning, do you admire yourself in the mirror for one hour or two?" "Two," I reply cheerfully. "Do you high five yourself?" "Of course not." I smirk. "I kiss each of my biceps and then point to the ceiling and thank the big man upstairs for creating such a perfect male specimen." 
 Garrett and Hannah quickly became one of my all-time favorite couples. The one thing that I truly appreciated was that their relationship felt natural in its progression. They started off basically hating each other, to becoming friends, to becoming something a bit more, until it blossomed into love. They had their share of ups and downs, like a real couple. Hannah and Garrett had a great relationship, and I loved watching it unfold. Their constant bickering made for some hilarious scenes, and you could tell how perfect they are for each other. 
 "She tries to take a step down the hall, but I tug on her hand and kiss her again, and this time it's not a peck. I kiss her hard, losing myself in her taste and her heat and every damn thing about her. I never expected her. Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don't know you ever lived without them." 
 Hannah and Garrett have their own share of skeletons, and I liked how they trusted each other with their pasts. Their pasts involve real issues that aren't usually discussed in novels like this, and I applaud Ms. Kennedy for incorporating these issues into the story. She handled them with an expertise that shows how great of a writer she is. Besides these parts of the story, the story was a lot lighter and more fun than I originally expected, which was a nice surprise. 
 "How did I go so long without noticing you, damn it? Why did it take seeing a stupid A on your midterm to make me notice?" 
 He sounds so genuinely upset that I scoot closer and kiss him. "It doesn't matter. You know me now." 
 "I do," he says fiercely." 
 I definitely recommend checking this book out because you'll be swooning (how can you not with someone like Garrett), fanning yourself due to the steamy scenes, and then basically crying because of the emotionally-charged scenes. While the story was predictable, it definitely didn't detract from the awesome book that was The Deal. This is a great college romance novel that will leave you longing to check out the next story! 
 Happy reading :)