The Goal by Elle Kennedy may have done the impossible. It may have pushed a new book boyfriend higher on the list than Garrett Graham. I’ve still not recovered.
If you haven’t checked out the Off Campus series yet, I don’t know what you’re waiting for. It’s one of the finest New Adult series out there and is populated with complex and dynamic characters you just can’t help but fall in love with. The latest (and arguably greatest) entry is The Goal, which tells the story of John Tucker and Sabrina James’ complicated road to happily ever after.
About ‘The Goal’
She’s good at achieving her goals…
College senior Sabrina James has her whole future planned out: graduate from college, kick butt in law school, and land a high-paying job at a cutthroat firm. Her path to escaping her shameful past certainly doesn’t include a gorgeous hockey player who believes in love at first sight. One night of sizzling heat and surprising tenderness is all she’s willing to give John Tucker, but sometimes, one night is all it takes for your entire life to change.
But the game just got a whole lot more complicated
Tucker believes being a team player is as important as being the star. On the ice, he’s fine staying out of the spotlight, but when it comes to becoming a daddy at the age of 22, he refuses to be a bench warmer. It doesn’t hurt that the soon-to-be mother of his child is beautiful, whip-smart, and keeps him on his toes. The problem is, Sabrina’s heart is locked up tight, and the fiery brunette is too stubborn to accept his help. If he wants a life with the woman of his dreams, he’ll have to convince her that some goals can only be made with an assist.
‘The Goal’ book review
It feels so good to have a new Off Campus book in my hands. This series is a tried and true, I-can-re-read-them-a-million-times kind of series for me. I fell for Garrett, was wooed by Logan, laughed and cried with Dean, and now I can say I swooned for John Tucker. He swept me off my feet in more ways than one, and may have just topped my favorites list from this series. Garrett has always managed to just barely hold on to the number one slot until John Tucker gently nudged his buddy aside and proudly took his place at the top.
Tucker is one of those characters who exists so much in his own head that seeing him around in the other books just created a massive mystery. He’s the cook and caretaker of the rest of the hockey house boys, but other than that, he just comes off as a pretty decent guy in The Deal, The Mistake, and The Score. Finally getting a chance to see exactly what is going on in his mind this whole time is an absolute revelation.
John Tucker is the man the Off Campus series needed. With so many of the boys being afraid to commit for one reason or another, reading about a guy that was open to the idea as long as he found the woman worthy of his commitment is refreshingly honest. John’s played the field a bit in his day for sure, but it wasn’t because he had deep-seeded emotional issues keeping him from commitment. He was playing the role of college hockey guy to it’s fullest and enjoying being young and reckless while he could.
While I could probably write a dissertation about my love for John Tucker, The Goal wouldn’t be the same without its dynamic lady, Sabrina James. Her life hasn’t been easy, and she’s wary of love and relationships because of it. She is one lucky lady to have fallen into the arms of the most patient man in the world. Tucker managed to never lose his cool with Sabrina, even when he sensed she was pushing him away. He just kept nudging his way to her heart one back rub or cravings-run at a time. She is not an easy character to like, but with each and every scene she’s in, you see why she is John Tucker’s perfect match. He has a lot of love and safety to offer a lady, and Sabrina is in dire need of a man she can trust to stay by her side.
For those that have read The Score (which I’m thinking is probably anyone reading this review), there are two rather large bombs that we knew were going to be dropped sometime during this story. We saw Dean’s intense reaction to the first in The Score, but got a second look at the aftermath from a new perspective in The Goal. I nearly cried reading Sabrina’s interactions with the beloved periphery character, only because his fate was already sealed. To say my heart broke a little more in those moments would definitely classify as an understatement.
The second is the event that changes everything for Tucker and Sabrina. The axis of their worlds shifts the moment this bomb drops. It allows the second half of The Goal to be drastically different from the rest of the Off Campus series, but without losing touch with the characters we know and love. The Goal will definitely be a re-read for me as soon as my fall TBR list looks a little less imposing. Sabrina and Tucker make magic together, and I can’t wait to fall under their spell once again.
The Goal is available now wherever books are sold. Get your copy from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or check an indie bookstore near you.
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