The Deal by Elle Kennedy: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?
The Deal is about a college hockey captain and a fake date, and both leads tell the story in the first person. Two narrators read it, and Audible UK reviewers are divided about them.
Short answer: for The Deal audiobook vs book choice, we say listen on Audible (100% confidence, clear cut). Christian Fox and Lorelei Avalon read it for Audible Studios (2015) in 12 hours 25 minutes, unabridged, the only English recording we found. Audible UK reviewers praise one narrator and criticise the other. Separate narrators for the two leads point to audio, and nothing confirmed points to print.
Listen on Audible
Separate narrators for the two leads point to audio, and nothing confirmed points to print.
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Confidence 100%, which puts it in the clear cut band. Bands run from close call at 50 to 64, through leaning at 65 to 79 and clear at 80 to 94, up to clear cut at 95 and above.
The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict (Audible Studios) | US edition (Audible Studios) |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Christian Fox and Lorelei Avalon | Christian Fox and Lorelei Avalon |
| Length | 12 hours 25 minutes (12h 25m) | 12 hours 25 minutes (12h 25m) |
| At 1.5x | about 8h 17m | about 8h 17m |
| At 2x | about 6h 13m | about 6h 13m |
| Abridged or unabridged | Unabridged | Unabridged |
| Audio publisher and year | Audible Studios, 2015 | Audible Studios, 2015 |
| Print length | 400 pages (Piatkus paperback, 2023) | Not confirmed |
| Price | £14.17 | $21.50 |
Audible UK and Audible US sell the same recording under the same ASIN. It is the only English recording we found; Italian, German and French translations are also on Audible UK.
Prices are a snapshot from 17 October 2026. Lengths checked 17 October 2026. Speed times are calculated from the listed length.
The Deal
Elle Kennedy
- Genre
- Romance (college hockey)
- Series
- Off-Campus, book 1 of 5
- Published
- 2015
- Length
- 400 pages (Piatkus paperback, 2023)
- On audio
- 12 hrs 25 mins, read by Christian Fox and Lorelei Avalon (Audible Studios, 2015)
- On screen
- Off-Campus, Prime Video, 2026
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Listening: full cast or produced audio (10), 10 points. Reading: nothing confirmed, 0 points. 100% of the confirmed points favour listening, so the verdict is listen on Audible at 100% confidence (clear cut).
The recording in detail
- Narrated by
- Christian Fox and Lorelei Avalon, unabridged, Audible Studios, 2015
- Editions
- The only English recording we found, sold under the same ASIN on Audible UK and Audible US
- Casting
- No cast list says how the reading is divided, but Audible reviewers describe Christian Fox as Garrett’s voice and Lorelei Avalon as Hannah’s
- Listener ratings
- 4.5 from 728 ratings on Audible UK and 4.5 from 5,986 on Audible US, as of October 2026
- What audio adds
- A male narrator and a female narrator for a romance told from two points of view
- What you miss
- Nothing confirmed. Chapter headings may say whose chapter it is, which we could not check
What this book actually is
The Deal is book 1 of Canadian author Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series, first published in 2015. In the UK it is a Piatkus paperback of 400 pages (14 November 2023), and a second paperback followed on 5 May 2026.
Hannah Wells agrees to tutor Garrett Graham, captain of her college’s hockey team, so he can stay eligible to play, in return for a fake date to catch another boy’s attention. It alternates between the two of them in the first person. Amazon MGM Studios adapted the series as Off-Campus, whose first season debuted on Prime Video on 13 May 2026.
The case for reading it
The checks find little for print. There is one flashback scene, two points of view, a small campus cast and no documents or maps. What print does give you is your own version of the voices. You hear Hannah and Garrett as you imagine them, not as two narrators perform them.
That matters more than usual here, because there is only one English recording. If you try a sample and do not get on with either narrator, print is the simple fix.
The case for listening to it
The story is told in order. It follows one arrangement over one college year, and the question is when the fake dating stops being fake. That is easy to follow on a commute, and the 12 hours 25 minutes come down to about 8 hours 17 minutes at 1.5x.
Two narrators share it, a man and a woman, which suits a book told by Hannah and Garrett in turn. Listeners rate it 4.5 on both Audible UK and Audible US, as of October 2026.
The audiobook in detail
Audible Studios released the recording on 3 November 2015, more than ten years before the Off-Campus series. It runs 12 hours 25 minutes, unabridged: about 8 hours 17 minutes at 1.5x and about 6 hours 13 minutes at 2x. Audible UK and Audible US sell it under the same ASIN, and it is the only English recording we found.
Neither the publisher nor Audible says how the reading is divided, but Audible reviewers describe Christian Fox as Garrett’s voice and Lorelei Avalon as Hannah’s. The Audible UK reviews we saw all praise the male narrator and criticise the female narrator, and two say they sped up only her sections. Each later Off-Campus audiobook has a different pair of narrators.
Who should ignore this verdict
Anyone who tries a sample and dislikes either narrator: Audible UK reviewers single out the female narrator, and reading the printed book avoids the problem. The book has explicit sexual scenes, and reviewer warnings mention references to a past sexual assault and domestic abuse.
Audiobook
- Read by Christian Fox and Lorelei Avalon, unabridged
- 12h 25m, or about 8h 17m at 1.5x
Read differently from most people? The app, coming soon, will let you switch off any of the thirteen checks. Get notified →
Related verdicts
People We Meet on Vacation
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Verity
This one also has two narrators, and no publisher page says who reads which part.
Icebreaker
Another college hockey romance with two narrators.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates The Deal audiobook?
The Deal audiobook is read by Christian Fox and Lorelei Avalon. It was produced by Audible Studios in 2015 and is the only English recording found.
How long is The Deal audiobook?
The Deal audiobook is 12 hours 25 minutes (12h 25m) long, unabridged. At 1.5x that is about 8 hours 17 minutes, and at 2x about 6 hours 13 minutes (calculated).
Is The Deal audiobook abridged?
No. The Deal audiobook by Elle Kennedy is unabridged on Audible UK and US.
Should I read or listen to The Deal?
Listen on our checks (100% confidence, clear cut). Each lead has their own narrator, and nothing confirmed points to print.
Is The Deal the book behind Off-Campus?
Yes. The Deal is book 1 of Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series, which Amazon MGM Studios adapted as Off-Campus; the first season debuted on 13 May 2026.
What comes after The Deal?
The Deal is followed by The Mistake, The Score, The Goal and The Legacy in the Off-Campus series. Each audiobook has a different narrator pairing.
Do you agree with this verdict?
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How this verdict was reached
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions, set in advance and applied identically to every title. They are based on research into what readers and listeners generally find easier to follow in each format, not on personal preference, and they are published in full so you can check the reasoning yourself. Verdicts are never paid for, sponsored or influenced by affiliate partners.
- The criteria: read the thirteen questions in full.
- What we checked for this book: the Audible Studios listing on Audible UK and Audible US, Piatkus UK edition details, Open Library and Wikipedia records, Audible UK listener reviews and reviewer content warnings.
- Verdict last reviewed: 23 October 2026. Editions and narrators change, so verdicts are rechecked annually.
- Prefer different criteria? The app, coming soon, will let you change which of the thirteen questions matter to you.
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