Off-Campus #3
Finally, finally Dean’s story has arrived. And for me, it’s been a story well worth waiting for. I admit, I didn’t initially “see” Allie as the woman for Dean but I am happy to say that Elle Kennedy proved me oh so wrong.
Allie is the best friend of Hannah from the first book. Allie has recently gotten out of a long term relationship with her now ex-boyfriend after determining they just do not want the same things for the future. But Allie is feeling vulnerable and is worried she will cave and go back to him so she needs a distraction. That leads to a night of sex with Dean but when she wakes up, she is not happy with herself. Dean however feels quite differently. He cannot get Allie out of his head. For a well-known campus playboy, this is a side of himself he never expected. Dean has led a very charmed life and now he is determined to get the girl. And he will win her heart (even if that’s not what he set out to do).
The Score is a great mix of light-hearted banter between Allie and Dean, and Dean and his friends, and a very serious issue that pops up in the latter half of the book. I am not going to spoil it but just know, you may be reaching for the kleenex like I did. Elle Kennedy really surprised me with the direction this book took but I think it was the catalyst Dean needed in his life.
Allie really won me over in this book. She’s contemplating some very big changes in her life. She always dreamt of going to Hollywood and becoming a well-known actress but that dream has changed for her. After doing a successful theater project, she is contemplating the lights of New York instead. It is a very different goal and requires her to truly grow and reach as an actress but Allie is yearning for it. Her craft is very important to her and that shines through in the book. Acting isn’t just some “filler” to build up her character, but rather, it is a part of who she is. Allie has taken some serious steps to succeed as an actress and I’m so glad that this side of her was explored in The Score.
Dean doesn’t have quite as strident of goals as Allie but I still found him to be a very three-dimensional man. It is his sultry, lusty side that has drawn me in from the very first book of course but I was glad to see there was more to his character than I expected. Excelling in the bedroom can only go so far in a story.
Allie and Dean really did work for me as a couple and I was skeptical about that at first. But their trust in each other really did win me over. And though that trust was tested, I am glad to see they came through it together stronger.
The dialog in this book is truly on point. Dean and his friends had me laughing, particularly when it came to a famous YA book. And a dildo. Yep, The Score is an interesting book. This is the third book in the Off-Campus series but it really does read well all on its own. Though as a fan of the series as a whole, I can’t help but point you in the direction of reading the first two books also. I am so glad I got the chance to really get to know Dean and truly get to know Allie too. I love ambitious women and Allie fits the bill in the best way possible. She is looking for love, a career, and a happily-ever-after and she is determined to get all of those things on her own merit. Yep, Allie is my kind of character.
The Score is available now on all platforms. I hope you will give it a try!
Other reviews of The Score:
Tori at Smexy Books reviews The Score
Ticket to Anywhere reviews The Score
I am very excited for this book and you will see why after reading this excerpt from Vi Keeland’s The Baller!
Treat Yourself with Books 