Release Date - September 26, 2016
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 350 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**borrowed for review**
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 twenty-two, 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 is the fourth (and final) book in the Off-Campus series. I was excited to read Tucker's story but also sad that it was ending. The Goal may not be my favourite of the Off-Campus books but it is still a fun, quick read that was exactly what I wanted it to be.
The books in this series are mostly able to be read as standalone novels, but I find the experience of reading them is made richer by reading them in order. The events in this book mostly run parallel to the events in The Score (the 3rd book in the series) so it is even more beneficial to have that background.
The pacing of this book does suffer a bit from having it so closely aligned with the events in the previous book. While we are getting them from a new perspective it does sort of feel like a rehashing of everything. The best moments are when the book truly becomes Sabrina and Tucker's story.
Sabrina has a lot going on in her life. She comes from a really bad home life, has abandonment issues, and does not have time to be distracted by a guy. She is up for a hook up but cannot even consider anything more. She might come across as cold but is really reacting out of self preservation. She has a plan for how the future will be and nothing is going to stop her. She is stubborn and so clearly focused that it can be intimidating I, personally, found myself rooting for her to let those walls down and to let Tucker in. You end up wanting happiness for her.
Tucker is probably the sweetest out of all the guys we've met in the Off Campus series. His patience apparently knows no limits and he is so incredibly kind. He is perfect for someone like Sabrina because he doesn't scare easily and is willing to put in the time and effort when he wants something. He is just as driven as Sabrina but his drive doesn't come from the desperation that hers does so it feels different.
My favourite part of companion style series is getting to see the previous charactere in other books in the series. It is a nice little check in on characters we already care about. This book is no exception. We get some great moments featuring the other couples from the previous books and it was a nice way to wrap up the series.
Tucker and Sabrina's story is all about life happening while you are busy making other plans. Neither of them saw the other coming and neither expected the events that happen in this novel. I recommend not only this book but the series in general to anyone looking for a good New Adult read.
The books in this series are mostly able to be read as standalone novels, but I find the experience of reading them is made richer by reading them in order. The events in this book mostly run parallel to the events in The Score (the 3rd book in the series) so it is even more beneficial to have that background.
The pacing of this book does suffer a bit from having it so closely aligned with the events in the previous book. While we are getting them from a new perspective it does sort of feel like a rehashing of everything. The best moments are when the book truly becomes Sabrina and Tucker's story.
Sabrina has a lot going on in her life. She comes from a really bad home life, has abandonment issues, and does not have time to be distracted by a guy. She is up for a hook up but cannot even consider anything more. She might come across as cold but is really reacting out of self preservation. She has a plan for how the future will be and nothing is going to stop her. She is stubborn and so clearly focused that it can be intimidating I, personally, found myself rooting for her to let those walls down and to let Tucker in. You end up wanting happiness for her.
Tucker is probably the sweetest out of all the guys we've met in the Off Campus series. His patience apparently knows no limits and he is so incredibly kind. He is perfect for someone like Sabrina because he doesn't scare easily and is willing to put in the time and effort when he wants something. He is just as driven as Sabrina but his drive doesn't come from the desperation that hers does so it feels different.
My favourite part of companion style series is getting to see the previous charactere in other books in the series. It is a nice little check in on characters we already care about. This book is no exception. We get some great moments featuring the other couples from the previous books and it was a nice way to wrap up the series.
Tucker and Sabrina's story is all about life happening while you are busy making other plans. Neither of them saw the other coming and neither expected the events that happen in this novel. I recommend not only this book but the series in general to anyone looking for a good New Adult read.
