Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - The Deal

Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Deal by Elle Kennedy

1049 reviews

ali_fremont's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

carrinabee's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I really enjoyed this book!! So much that I immediately wanted to to start the next book in the series. Hannah and Garrett went through so much trauma, and to find the joy they did within each other was beautiful to read about.

Content Warnings

bfweston30's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

leslecturesdeloanne's review against another edition

5.0

funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Content Warnings

readwithsarah's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

mysweetpianogirl's review against another edition

4.75

funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Honestly, I didn’t think I’d even really like this book, mostly because I’m pretty new to the whole sports romance thing and that I’m not always the biggest fan of a playboy mmc, but I actually enjoyed this book.

I think it’s pretty lighthearted, despite all its warnings and its “spice” content, but thought it handled some of the more sensitive stuff in the same way? It felt like this story wanted to define more of the love story part of it, more than the traumas of the main characters (which is totally fine, like I’m just here to read and enjoy), but the two plots for each character kind of make sense to a lot of the decisions they make in the book.

Like,

Hannah basically accepting Garrett’s dad’s demands of breaking up with him because she doesn’t want to cause any problems, just like how she believes had burdened her parents with her situation. Or, Garrett’s lack of interest in a girlfriend because he adopts his dad’s sort of thinking when it comes to “distractions”.

Did I think it was a little cringy at times? I mean, yeah, but it doesn’t suck the joy out of reading it.

Did I think some actions “didn’t make any sense”? Not really, because at the end of the day, a lot of their actions tie back to these character’s own concept of self.

I think the only thing I just wasn’t a big fan of was the spice. Mostly because I’m not that kind of person who enjoys that kind of genre (tbh, I didn’t even know it was in there), but it’s also because it was so… frequent?

I felt like it happened so many times that it’s one of the building blocks to their relationship. Like, sure, to some degree, relationships are built on physical attraction, but Garrett’s POV always brings up how he’s always turned on by her.

I think I only rated it this high was because I actually found Hannah and Garrett to be a pretty cute couple, like their banter is pretty fun to read and I liked their dynamic.

Content Warnings

jgilliland96's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is the first hockey romance book I ever read and I’m so glad that this was my introduction into this genre. The growth of both Garrett and Hannah’s characters and the buildup of their relationship was so perfect.

I enjoyed seeing them open up to one another and connect emotionally with her sharing her history with her rape and him sharing about his father abusing him and his mother. I loved seeing their character growth with Hannah learning to trust again and Garrett finding that there was more to life than hockey and that he was allowed to be happy.

I would absolutely recommend reading this book if you’re looking for a happy and playful read as it’s got a lot of witty banter and found family.

Content Warnings