The Score by Elle Kennedy – Complete Book Guide

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Quick Facts

Short Summary

College senior Allie Hayes, anxious about graduation and nursing a broken heart after her fourth breakup with controlling Sean, spends a reckless one-night stand with hockey star Dean Di Laurentis. Dean, famous for casual hookups, immediately wants more, but Allie resists. Their arrangement evolves from secret sexual encounters into a genuine relationship. When Dean’s best friend Beau dies, Dean spirals into substance abuse and neglects Allie and his youth hockey team. After hitting rock bottom, Dean embarks on an apology tour, reforms his life, and wins Allie back. The story ends with Dean becoming a teacher and hockey coach, Allie landing an HBO role, and a shocking pregnancy announcement from Dean’s roommate Tucker.

Full Summary

The novel opens with Allie Hayes struggling with graduation uncertainty and a recent breakup. To avoid her ex-boyfriend Sean, who keeps texting and showing up uninvited, Allie stays at a house shared by hockey players. She arrives to find Dean Di Laurentis in the middle of a threesome, which he ends after teammates warn him. Reluctantly, he keeps her company. They smoke marijuana together, and Allie confesses her history of breakups with Sean. Dean suggests a rebound, offering himself, but she refuses. Later, while high, they end up having sex.

The next morning, Allie is mortified and insists on secrecy. Dean, however, is intrigued and pursues her. He faces his own challenges: Coach O’Shea, who holds a grudge because Dean briefly dated his daughter Miranda, demotes Dean to the second line and forces him to coach a children’s hockey team. Dean confides in his friend Beau Maxwell about his fixation on Allie. Meanwhile, Allie grapples with guilt and curiosity. She eventually agrees to a casual sexual arrangement with Dean.

Their physical relationship deepens, and they begin to share personal details. Dean reveals his wealthy background; Allie shares that her mother died and her father has multiple sclerosis. After a humiliating loss, Dean sends a Facebook friend request to his ex Miranda, which he regrets. He also volunteers to stay late helping a seventh-grader named Robbie and bonds with Robbie’s sister Dakota. Allie visits Dean’s penthouse, where she sees his hidden intelligence and vulnerability.

The arrangement shifts toward exclusivity. Allie’s jealousy flares when she hears Dean is seen with another woman; she confronts him and they have risky sex in an alley. Dean later explains the woman was just a friend. They agree to be exclusive. Allie’s ex Sean confronts her, offering tickets to Los Angeles, but she refuses. Dean, after learning she met with Sean, gives her the silent treatment, causing a temporary rift.

Thanksgiving brings new tensions. Allie introduces Dean to her father, Joe, who is openly hostile, accusing Dean of being incapable of handling real problems because of his wealth. Dean is deeply unsettled. Back at school, Dean’s sister Summer visits unannounced. A comedic accident leaves Dean knocked out by Allie, and in the aftermath, they accidentally say “I love you.” Over Christmas, Allie spends time with Dean’s family and later surprises him with salsa dance lessons.

Tragedy strikes when Beau Maxwell dies in a car crash. Dean spirals into drinking and drug use, missing Allie’s play and abandoning his youth hockey team. Dakota, the young girl he mentored, feels abandoned. Allie confronts him, tells him he must face his grief, and leaves. Dean wakes up with a black eye from his roommate Garrett, who punched him. At practice, a surprise drug test is announced; Dean confesses he took MDMA the night before and is kicked off the hockey team.

Three days later, Allie agrees to meet Dean. He apologizes, and she forgives him but insists on taking time alone to learn independence. Dean embarks on a systematic apology tour: Hannah, his teammates, Coach Ellis, the Hurricanes, Dakota, Beau’s sister Joanna, and even his ex Miranda. Each forgives him. Meanwhile, Allie aces a screenwriting course and gets a screen test for a Fox pilot. Dean, having decided against law school, announces he will become a gym teacher and coach. He buys tickets for Allie’s father to move to Los Angeles.

In the final chapter, Dean is hired to teach at Parklane Academy in Manhattan. Allie lands a role on an HBO show filming in New York City, allowing them to stay together. They encounter Sean, who apologizes; Allie accepts but refuses friendship. The couple jokes about becoming boring. Then Tucker enters and announces he is having a baby with Sabrina James. Allie laughs at the timing, ending the novel on a humorous cliffhanger.

Main Characters

• Allie Hayes – A college senior dealing with graduation anxiety, a history of breakups with Sean, and a growing attachment to Dean. She values independence and struggles with the casual nature of their early relationship.
• Dean Di Laurentis – A wealthy hockey star with a womanizing reputation; beneath the bravado lies intelligence, vulnerability, and a hidden desire for meaningful connection. He experiences profound grief after Beau’s death and eventually seeks redemption.
• Sean McCall – Allie’s controlling ex-boyfriend who cannot accept the breakup, leading to drunk confrontations and slut-shaming.
• Hannah Wells – Allie’s supportive best friend who provides housing and counsel, though she initially worries about Dean’s influence.
• Garrett Graham – Dean’s responsible teammate and roommate who tries to intervene when Dean spirals; he eventually punches Dean in a moment of frustration.
• Tucker – Dean’s quiet roommate who keeps his personal life secret. He shocks everyone by revealing he is having a baby with Sabrina James.

Themes

• Grief and Loss – Beau’s death triggers Dean’s self-destructive spiral, forcing him to confront mortality and eventually seek help from those he hurt.
• Casual Sex vs. Commitment – Allie and Dean start with a no-strings arrangement but gradually develop emotional attachment, learning to trust and commit.
• Class and Privilege – Dean’s wealth creates friction with Allie’s father and forces Dean to confront his own entitlement and prove he can handle real-world problems.
• Personal Growth and Redemption – After hitting rock bottom, Dean apologizes to everyone he wronged, changes his career path, and shows genuine change.
• Communication and Jealousy – Misunderstandings about ex-partners and secret hookups drive conflict; the novel emphasizes the importance of honesty.

Symbols

• Tequila – Shared during their first night, tequila serves as a flirtation code between Dean and Allie, symbolizing their passionate but reckless beginning.
• French Soap Opera (Solange) – Dean becomes invested in this show, representing his willingness to engage with Allie’s interests and his hidden emotional depth.
• Salsa Dancing – Dean takes Allie for dance lessons, showing his effort to move beyond physical intimacy and invest in shared activities that build connection.
• Custom Perfume – Made by Allie’s late mother, the perfume represents memory, familial love, and the comfort of home, helping Dean understand Allie’s past.

Ending Overview

Dean is hired as a teacher and hockey coach at Parklane Academy in Manhattan. Allie lands a lead role on an HBO show filming in New York City, ensuring the couple can stay together. They encounter Sean, who apologizes; Allie accepts but does not want to remain friends. Dean and Allie joke that their relationship has become boring. Then Tucker enters and announces that he is having a baby with Sabrina James, shocking everyone and setting up the next book in the series.

Chapter-by-Chapter Guide

Common Questions

1. Do Dean and Allie end up together? Yes. After Dean’s apology tour and career change, they reconcile. Allie lands an HBO role, Dean becomes a teacher, and they continue their relationship in New York City.
2. Why does Dean get kicked off the hockey team? He fails a random drug test after taking MDMA the previous night. Coach Jensen suspends him permanently.
3. What career does Dean choose at the end? He decides not to attend law school; instead, he becomes a gym teacher and hockey coach at Parklane Academy in Manhattan.
4. Does Allie become an actress? Yes. She is offered a pilot role on Fox but turns it down because she doesn't connect with the character. Later, she lands a lead role on an HBO show filming in New York City.
5. What happens with Sean? Sean apologizes to Allie for his past behavior. Allie accepts the apology but refuses to remain friends, stating she has moved on.
6. How does Dean handle Beau's death? Initially, he drowns his grief in alcohol and drugs, neglects his relationships and coaching duties, and hits rock bottom. After Allie leaves him, he embarks on a systematic apology tour and gradually heals.
7. What is the significance of the custom perfume? The perfume was made by Allie’s late mother. It symbolizes memory, familial love, and home. Dean learns its story while staying with Allie’s father and comes to appreciate Allie’s past.
8. What is the cliffhanger at the end? Tucker reveals that he is having a baby with Sabrina James, shocking Dean and Allie and setting up the next book in the Off-Campus series.

Dive Deeper

• Character Analysis: Allie Hayes
• Character Analysis: Dean Di Laurentis
• Character Analysis: Sean McCall
• Character Analysis: Hannah Wells
• Character Analysis: Garrett Graham
• Character Analysis: Tucker
• Theme: Grief and Loss
• Theme: Casual Sex vs. Commitment
• Theme: Class and Privilege
• Theme: Personal Growth and Redemption
• Theme: Communication and Jealousy
• Symbol: Tequila
• Symbol: French Soap Opera (Solange)
• Symbol: Salsa Dancing
• Symbol: Custom Perfume
• Ending Explained
• Questions and Answers
• Take the Quiz
• Essay Prompts