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funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tropes: Sports Romance (hockey), Enemies to Lovers, The Dare/The Bet
Summary
Briar University hockey team captain Garrett Graham absolutely has to pass his Ethics exam and the only girl in class with a good enough grade to tutor him is Hannah Wells. After days of pleading, he finally finds something she’ll accept as payment for the deal: she’ll tutor him if he helps her get the attention of the new football star in town. Unfortunately for him, the snarky little music major grows on him over the next short week and he doesn’t want to say goodbye.
Hannah, meanwhile, is hyper focused on her winter performance where she’s in competition for a major scholarship for the next school year. Her family is struggling back in Indiana and she needs this; she can never return there after she was sexually assaulted and publicly shamed for it. But Garrett is actually a lot of fun and he’s a great guy. So great that she finds herself thinking less and less about her crush.
As their connection strengthens, they learn there’s a lot more to one another than meets the eye and they’re not so broken as they thought.
Review
First off: I love Garrett. I already read The Graham Effect by the same author where Garrett is the dad and he’s great in that so I came in biased that I would be smitten with him anyway. I also really loved Hannah. She was strong and focused, and she stood up for herself in ways that didn’t make her seem like a spoiled brat or super mean. I loved that she would sing to Garrett and just how in awe he was whenever she did. I really believed these two college kids were meant for each other.
I really enjoy books where the interactions and emotions are realistic. I felt for these two as if I knew them-- laughing when they did, getting hooked on Breaking Bad like they did, and feeling vulnerable when they did. Good writing like this helps you connect with the characters straight to the heart and Elle Kennedy is great at that.
Summary
Briar University hockey team captain Garrett Graham absolutely has to pass his Ethics exam and the only girl in class with a good enough grade to tutor him is Hannah Wells. After days of pleading, he finally finds something she’ll accept as payment for the deal: she’ll tutor him if he helps her get the attention of the new football star in town. Unfortunately for him, the snarky little music major grows on him over the next short week and he doesn’t want to say goodbye.
Hannah, meanwhile, is hyper focused on her winter performance where she’s in competition for a major scholarship for the next school year. Her family is struggling back in Indiana and she needs this; she can never return there after she was sexually assaulted and publicly shamed for it. But Garrett is actually a lot of fun and he’s a great guy. So great that she finds herself thinking less and less about her crush.
As their connection strengthens, they learn there’s a lot more to one another than meets the eye and they’re not so broken as they thought.
Review
First off: I love Garrett. I already read The Graham Effect by the same author where Garrett is the dad and he’s great in that so I came in biased that I would be smitten with him anyway. I also really loved Hannah. She was strong and focused, and she stood up for herself in ways that didn’t make her seem like a spoiled brat or super mean. I loved that she would sing to Garrett and just how in awe he was whenever she did. I really believed these two college kids were meant for each other.
I really enjoy books where the interactions and emotions are realistic. I felt for these two as if I knew them-- laughing when they did, getting hooked on Breaking Bad like they did, and feeling vulnerable when they did. Good writing like this helps you connect with the characters straight to the heart and Elle Kennedy is great at that.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape