In the past few months, I’ve read more about collegiate sports than I could have ever imagined, given my total lack of interest in sports. But thanks to Elle Kennedy, Kristin Callihan and Sarina Bowen, I know more about hockey and football than I would like, and I have some sports playing fictional boyfriends. The Score is the third book in Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series. The series explores the lives and loves of four college hockey players, who share a house – off campus. Elle Kennedy’s series and Kristin Callihan’s Game On series are remarkably similar (one is hockey, the other is football), but both authors write such charming characters and such good smolder, I recommend them both for light reading with funky times. Up until she pooped the bed in The Fifteenth Minute, I would say Elle Kennedy and Kristin Callihan are fun, but Sarina Bowen is necessary. Now the feeling is mostly the same, but there are caveats and reservations.
I like Dean and Allie, but there is a lot of stuff in the book that made me roll my eyes. When we meet Dean in The Deal (book 1), he was mostly naked in the living room and making out with a mostly naked woman. This is apparently his thing, being an exhibitionist man whore. Allie is Hannah’s best friend and roommate. She has just broken up with her off and on boyfriend of three plus years, and is afraid she can’t make it stick. She hides out at the hockey players’ house, gets drunk, has wild sex with Dean and regrets it in the morning, as you do.
But here’s the real plot twist – Dean wants to go again. She says no, but he isn’t interested in anyone else (he gets a lot of offers). There is only one explanation – Allie has a magical vagina. This is one of my least favorite romance tropes. The bad boy who doesn’t want to be in a committed relationship suddenly want MOAR of that magical pussy. I would have even less patience if Allie and Dean weren’t so charming together.
Allie may have a magical vagina, but at least it isn’t a virginal magical vagina. Not everything about Allie quite gelled, but I did like her. She and Dean had good banter and good smolder. She does slut shame herself, which didn’t feel quite real to me, it felt more like an unnecessary obstacle. However, she makes deliberate choices, stands up for herself, and is a genuinely interesting person aside from her magic vagina.
There is drama, redemptive plot moppets (TM Mrs. Julien), and problems solved way too fast. The portrayal of Allie’s post graduation career options are wildly unrealistic (I was in a theater conservatory in college, I know of what I speak). That said, it was a good read. I am looking forward to the next book with the 4th housemate and his apparent relationship with a real bitch. Real bitches are some of my favorite characters.