The Score by Elle Kennedy
Series: Off Campus, #3
Romance Contemporary/NA
January 11, 2016
Self Published

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote:

“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you also look at him like he hung the moon. And I get the sense he feels the same about you.”

Allie Hayes is having a crisis. She has enough on her plate with graduation and trying to get her acting career off and running without becoming another nameless, faceless notch on the campus lothario’s bedpost. But when just that happens and Allie has the best sex of her life, she decides that maybe a few rounds of mattress dancing with a sexy, gorgeous, and very talented man maybe just what the doctor ordered.

Dean Heywood Di-Laurentis is ‘the man’ on campus to see for a good time. A college hockey player and self-proclaimed sex god, he always gets what he wants. And he wants more than one night with Allie Hayes, but she’s not all that impressed by the hype. Not used to being denied, Dean goes full court press and convinces Allie that he is just the man she needs to soothe her broken heart. But when Dean hits rock bottom after a life-altering event, he quickly learns that unless he fully commits fully to the game, he’s going to lose it all.

The Score picks up right where book two left off. Allie Hayes has just broke up her long time boyfriend and needs a place to hide in order to stick to her resolution to not get back together with him. Hannah, her bff and roommate, offers up her boyfriend Garrett’s house and Allie accepts only to arrive and discover Garrett’s roommate Dean about to get his freak on with two female friends.

Allie isn’t interested in Dean’s sexual activities but if he’s willing to put on a show then she’s more than happy to watch. When that doesn’t go over so well, Dean gracefully accepts defeat and proceeds to help Allie stay strong against the never ending texts and calls from her ex-boyfriend. One thing leads to another and Allie wakes up hungover and draped over Dean’s fantastic body. After admitting the sex was literally to die for, Allie swears no one can ever know.

Seriously, this has to stay between us.

Agreed.

And you’re not allowed to bring it up ever again. As far as I’m concerned, it didn’t happen.

Don’t kid yourself, baby doll. You won’t be able to stop thinking about me now that you’ve had a taste of this.

Dean isn’t willing to admit defeat and soon the man who can get anyone finds himself falling for the one girl who wants nothing to do with him.

Fans will cheer the third installment of Kennedy’s Off Campus series and it’s irresistible hero and heroine. The Score is a steamy, hot, humorous, and slightly angsty NA romance that takes us back to Briar University and the four hockey players whose friendships and ability to score on and off the ice is often complicated by family, friends, and romance. Kennedy definitely scores at finding the perfect voice to showcase the maturity and vulnerability that this particular age seems to struggle with. The steady pacing keeps the reader thoroughly engaged as Kennedy slowly builds a sustainable and sweet romance between two dynamic characters whose opposite natures combust when combined.

Not only did I seduce him, but I tied him up and rode him like he was my own personal amusement park ride…

We first met Dean in book one. Best friend and fellow teammate to Garrett, Logan, and Tucker, Dean is initially portrayed as a playa who loves sex and makes no excuses for having it often and with a revolving door of willing partners. Cocky, gorgeous, rich, and smart, Dean is every woman’s fantasy but he makes sure they all know the score before he takes them to heaven. No attachments-no relationships.

I now spell out all my intentions-or lack thereof-before every single hook up […] These days I made sure women know exactly where we stand.

Though he comes off rather cavalier about life in general, Dean is much more than people give him credit for. He’s very lucky to have a family that adores him and leads a charmed life but there is a part of him that hates the fact everyone seems to think he is a pretty face and nothing more. I loved the fact that he isn’t the quintessential alpha whose sexual needs overwhelm the heroine and force her to adapt to him. He embodies the attitude that if it feels good, then do it.

The man whore label my hockey teammates have slapped me with has been an exaggeration. But it’s not, and the label is spot on. I like to fuck. I fuck a lot so sue me.

Allie is the perfect match for Dean. Sexually adventurous with a strong personality and take charge attitude, she has no problems holding her own against anyone. A drama major who already has an impressive resume, her star like quality isn’t as pronounced in the book as Dean’s but the assumption is clear that she is going places. She works hard and challenges Dean to be more for her and for himself. While she went a predictable path in the beginning, horrified that she slept with the college slut, she eventually gets to know Dean better and learns to let go of preconceived notions and enjoy life on her own terms without feeling as if she has to explain or conform to the expectations of others.

Stop slut shaming yourself. People should be able to have sex whenever they want, however many times they want, with however many partners they choose, and not get some shitty label slapped on them.

The romance is an infectious mixture of explicit sexual adventures and laugh out loud scenes.  Dean and Allie have addictive witty banter and some delicious crazy chemistry. What starts out as a rebound fling soon turns to something more serious as their connection to one another strengthens despite their misgivings. Though the romance is the main theme, Kennedy intertwines it with some external subplots, using them to further push Dean and Allie both individually and romantically.

A familiar cast of characters is present to help keep the story dancing on it’s unpredictable edge. Advice is offered freely from all sides as this mismatched couple struggles to understand and define their relationship. I loved that Allie was more established than the previous heroines. She has a strong career in place already and has her own support system from her best friend Hannah to her sweetly gruff father who always has her back. Some new friends are made (WINSTON!!) and some old friends are lost as Dean and Allie find themselves embarking on a path of self-discovery and some serious life changes.

Though a little more light-hearted than the first two, this hilariously sexy, intriguing, and playful series continue to remind me why I enjoy NA romance so much. While Dean’s story was far different than I had expected, it was well worth reading.

RATING B+

Prior Elle Kennedy Reviews

Recent Reviews:
Badass Book Reviews
Three Girls and a Book Obsession
Reading Frenzy Book Blog

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