the deal by Elle Kennedy | fake dating a hockey player

This week on The Book Fix, your hosts Yajaira and Cheli dive into The Deal by Elle Kennedy — the college hockey romance that basically set the standard for fake dating done right.

Hannah Wells is confident in most areas of her life—except when it comes to romance. Determined to finally get her crush’s attention, she makes a deal with Garrett Graham, the cocky (and very annoying) captain of the hockey team: she’ll tutor him to save his GPA, and in return, he’ll pretend to date her to make another guy jealous. Simple… until it’s not.

Garrett just wants to keep his hockey career on track, but what starts as a mutually beneficial arrangement quickly turns into something neither of them expected. The lines blur, the chemistry hits hard, and suddenly “pretend” isn’t enough.

We’re breaking down the tension, the banter, and why this book still has readers hooked years later. Is it overhyped… or is it that addictive?