What are good book club discussion questions for The Deal?

Spoiler-free questions to get the conversation going: Where were you when you read this, and did it become a one-sitting book or a cozy-one-chapter-before-bed book for you?; The whole story starts with a trade (tutoring for something else entirely). What is the most ridiculous deal you ever made with someone in school or college?; Hannah is the kind of person who does the work, keeps her head down, and sings when no one is listening. Which of her small private habits felt most familiar to you?; This book is full of noisy, crowded, snack-filled hockey house scenes. Which of those group moments did you most wish you could have been sitting in on?; Garrett's charm is loud, but his kindness is quiet. What was a small considerate thing he did that stuck with you more than any of the big gestures?.

Cozy night

The DealBook club questions, food & host guide

Elle Kennedy

4.4 (36)

A cozy book club night for The Deal by Elle Kennedy. Includes 8 spoiler-free discussion questions, food and drink pairings, a playlist, and a host guide, ready to print and share.

A club that wants to laugh, feel a little soft, and talk about their own lives as much as the book

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A warm, funny fake-dating story about a quiet, studious girl and a charming college hockey captain who trade tutoring for something neither of them expected. It is the kind of book that feels like a blanket, perfect for a night of easy laughter and honest talk about healing.

Why it works for clubs

The bargain setup gives everyone something to react to right away, no analysis required
It balances real tenderness about trauma and recovery with genuinely funny banter
Hannah and Garrett are chatty, opinionated narrators, so people arrive with opinions
Found-family dorms and team dynamics spark lots of personal stories about college years

Themes & mood

Comfort read Slow-burn warmth College campus Banter Gentle healing

Browse all themes →

Reading level

Easy

Warm-up questions

1 Where were you when you read this, and did it become a one-sitting book or a cozy-one-chapter-before-bed book for you?
2 The whole story starts with a trade (tutoring for something else entirely). What is the most ridiculous deal you ever made with someone in school or college?

Digging in

1 Hannah is the kind of person who does the work, keeps her head down, and sings when no one is listening. Which of her small private habits felt most familiar to you?
2 This book is full of noisy, crowded, snack-filled hockey house scenes. Which of those group moments did you most wish you could have been sitting in on?
3 Garrett's charm is loud, but his kindness is quiet. What was a small considerate thing he did that stuck with you more than any of the big gestures?
4 The story takes music and performance seriously as a place where Hannah feels most herself. What is your version of that, the thing you do that makes you feel most like you?

Going deep

1 Hannah carries something heavy from her past, and the book lets her be funny and whole anyway. How did it feel to read a character who is healing but not defined by what happened to her?
2 Both of them are quietly carrying a lot from their families. By the end, which relationship in this book felt like the most genuine comfort to you, romantic or otherwise?

On the table

Loaded sheet-pan nachos with all the toppings

Exactly what a hockey house would demolish after practice, and it feeds a whole group off one pan with almost no effort.

Big pot of chili with cornbread squares

Dorm-and-dining-hall comfort scaled up, warm and filling for a cold-rink kind of night. Make it ahead and let it sit on low.

Warm chocolate chip cookies with a plate of sliced apples

The study-session snack, sweet and a little indulgent, and the smell does most of the hosting for you.

To sip

Vanilla-cinnamon hot cocoa bar No alcohol

Set out mugs, marshmallows, whipped cream, and cinnamon sticks so people build their own. The non-alcoholic anchor of the night.

Spiked hot apple cider

Hot cider with a splash of bourbon for anyone who wants it, the warm drink you hold with both hands after a cold walk.

Cheap-beer-in-a-red-cup, done nicely

A wink at the hockey house party scenes, kept low-key with a couple of good cans and actual glasses for anyone who prefers them.

Soft acoustic covers and warm pop with a little dorm-room nostalgia, low enough to talk over.

Tap a track to play it. Full songs play when you're signed into Spotify.