He knows how to score, on and off the ice Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she's going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di-Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands. It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.
Melissa's Review: 3 Stars
The Score is my first foray into the Off Campus series, and my first soley Elle Kennedy authored novel. In 2015 I read Him that she co-authored with Sarina Bowen. Him was one of my top reads for 2015, so I am beyond curious about this series and Elle's other work. The Off Campus series has gotten such a positive response, especially from trusted reader friends, so I eagerly jumped at the chance to read this early.
I thought this was a really fun read. One thing that really stands out to me is how well it opened. I was curious, eager and thoroughly entertained at Allie and Dean's meet-cute and subsequent *ahem* endeavors. But, it too soon fizzled out for me. I didn't go as far as skimming, but right around 20ish% I clearly remember being bored and disinterested. Oddly enough, something still kept me hooked, and I couldn't put the book down. However, it never did regain that initial momentum for me. Allie and Dean's story was happy to just buzz along nicely and my excitement never peaked past the point of "this book is alright". I'm not disappointed, but I just feel like it could have been a little bit...more.
Allie and Dean were both likeable characters. The banter between them was funny and cute; I loved their texts. Allie was a strong female lead. I loved the relationship with her dad and the tenacity she has for her future. Her character was well written and never wavered as the story progressed. Dean, was not as strong. He unabashedly hid behind that "manwhore" title but underneath is a thoughtful, sensitive and intelligent man. I felt like his character development was a little unbalanced, or maybe I'm just disappointed in his reactions later in the book. I did however admire the way he supported Allie's ambitions and was always there lifting her up when she felt defeated. And, too, their sex was deliciously hot. Elle does such a great job with steam scenes and Allie and Dean's definitely rank high up there on the hotness meter. I loved their impulsiveness and honesty together and admired their openness with one another in their sexual relationship.
Coming in so late to the series left me a little confused about the geographical location of the college campus. While not necessarily a huge deal, but at times I had to spend a little extra time trying to figure out logistics of the story; traveling to away games, or visiting other local cities like Boston or New York. This could have easily been avoided if a little more description was given. I also feel that some of the hockey terminology and game/practice descriptions did nothing to heighten the story.
Overall, The Score was and enjoyable read. Recommended to anyone who enjoys sports themed reads with strong female characters, humor and heart.