★★★★★ 5
Tucker and His Southern Drawl Made Me Swoon!
Format: Kindle
I LOVE sports romances and last year I came across the Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy. I devoured The Deal, the first book in the series, and eagerly got my paws on the next books in the series as soon as I could! These books are typically classified in the New Adult and College or sports romance genres because most of the main characters are college students and several of them are usually athletes. I love Elle Kennedy's writing style in these books because she makes most of her characters likable and funny, not to mention relatable. That being said, when I saw that The Goal was being released this fall, I pre-ordered it way back in the summer and couldn't wait to dive back into the world of the Briar University athletes and their girls!
"'So money doesn't matter once you get down to it. It doesn't matter how thin or thick anyone's wallet is. We all hurt. We all love. We're the same. And your past, who you live with, where you came from, it doesn't have to matter. You're creating your own future, and I want to see where the road forward takes you.'"
Sabrina James is pre-law at Briar University who works two jobs to make ends meet and is planning on applying to Harvard Law School. She's had a bit of a crazy life, with both of her parents leaving her at a young age so she was raised by her grandmother. As a result, she has a hard time loving people and keeps her guard up with most people she meets. She has a couple of close friends but never makes time for a boyfriend, both because of her dreams of becoming a lawyer and she doesn't want to be disappointed if someone doesn't love her back.
"'You might want to get a sandwich. I'm gonna keep you in bed for a long time.'"
Sabrina is at a bar with her friends one night when she meets John Tucker, a hockey player at Briar. He's from Texas and after graduation, he plans to move back to the Lone Star State to be close to his mom and invest in a business down there. Since he was born and raised in the South, he's got the southern drawl that makes all of the girls go crazy (every time he said "darlin,'" I think my heart skipped a few beats!). He and Sabrina are attracted to each other but they agree to get together for just one night and that's it. However, Sabrina's intelligence and beauty keep Tucker wanting more while, as much as she won't admit it, Sabrina is attracted to the way Tucker genuinely cares for her and wants to be around her.
"My goal, once upon a time, was to succeed. I didn't realize that success wasn't grades or scholarships or achievements, but the people I was lucky enough to have in my life."
When I started reading The Goal, it felt a lot like the other books in the Off-Campus series. They take place at Briar University, full of good-hearted hockey players and their girlfriends, and are written in a fast-paced manner because of the hilarious dialogue between the characters. About halfway into the book, there is a dramatic turn of events which cause (I believe) a shift in the typical feel of these books. No longer was the book about college athletes and their comical antics, it was about college students who have to make real-life choices that greatly affect themselves and others. I think The Goal starts out as a typical NA book but finishes with more of a mature feel to it, given the circumstances Sabrina and Tucker now have, though there are still elements of the NA genre in the second half of the book. There were times when I wanted to shout at Sabrina and tell her to stop being so stubborn but that's just her character and in the end, she realizes what she really wants.
"Because love is the ultimate goal. It's not the one I had strived for, but I was lucky enough, so d**n lucky, to achieve it."
In summary, I loved The Goal and it made my heart happy to see how the development of the characters unfolds and what they choose to do in their lives. Those familiar with the other Off-Campus books and who are looking to read The Goal may just want a bit of advanced warning that this book isn't exactly written in the same style. The first half is similar to the other books but the second half is a bit more serious and mature as the characters deal with some serious life events. Personally, I loved it but I also love books about love and family so The Goal satisfied my desires to read about college life, sports, as well as family. This book can be read as a standalone but I feel you will get more out of it if you read the other books first. I was also bummed to see that this is the last book in the series BUT there will be a spinoff for anyone, like me, who is eager for more! I loved The Goal and recommend reading it, especially if you have read and enjoyed the other books; just know that the second half has a different feel, even though I think it ends on a good note and the series is wrapped up nicely.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2016
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