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abidavisf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Yes. This is everything I want in a book: lovable characters who are actually kind even if/when they’re grumpy, tension, communication, and romance!
The Graham Effect is a love story but it’s also a tale of trauma and found family, forgiveness and when to choose not to forgive for the benefit of your own sanity, honesty and kindness. I am rooting for Gigi and Ryder all the way.
There was also the perfect amount of hockey in here. Having just finished another book marketed as a hockey romance that barely touched on it, I was ENGROSSED by the amount of hockey drama and detail in The Graham Effect. My only critique is that I wish we had more of Gigi and Ryder training together as their relationship progressed. Did they go from training to hooking up instead or did we just not see it? Surely they can do both!
A great read. Definitely recommend.
P.S. When do I get to hear more about Diana? I’m worried.
The Graham Effect is a love story but it’s also a tale of trauma and found family, forgiveness and when to choose not to forgive for the benefit of your own sanity, honesty and kindness. I am rooting for Gigi and Ryder all the way.
There was also the perfect amount of hockey in here. Having just finished another book marketed as a hockey romance that barely touched on it, I was ENGROSSED by the amount of hockey drama and detail in The Graham Effect. My only critique is that I wish we had more of Gigi and Ryder training together as their relationship progressed. Did they go from training to hooking up instead or did we just not see it? Surely they can do both!
A great read. Definitely recommend.
P.S. When do I get to hear more about Diana? I’m worried.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Murder, and Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
junieburns's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
holee's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love the 'next generation' concept of the book. Although I do wish i read 'the deal' to get a backstory of all the characters. I think if I read the deal I'd have liked it even more.
Gigi and Ryder's relationship was very healthy and mature which i was glad to see.
I hope Will and Beck get a book (maybe where they end up together).
I also can't wait for the next book (which i surmise is about Diana and Shane!)
However, i think the guy Gigi kissed before getting with Ryder (not naming who) was hot but a bit unnecessary.
I also think the book was a bit too long which was probably down to the fact they had to keep their relationship a secret from everyone- especially her ex- for such a long time. Gigi's people-pleasing kind of annoyed me in this way but that's one of her flaws she manages to overcome!
Unpopular opinion - I hope that Case does not get his own book because the guy was a bit of a dick and I got quite irritated seeing Garrett give Case a hug despite knowing he cheated on his daughter.
Gigi and Ryder's relationship was very healthy and mature which i was glad to see.
I hope Will and Beck get a book (maybe where they end up together).
I also can't wait for the next book (which i surmise is about Diana and Shane!)
However, i think the guy Gigi kissed before getting with Ryder (not naming who) was hot but a bit unnecessary.
I also think the book was a bit too long which was probably down to the fact they had to keep their relationship a secret from everyone- especially her ex- for such a long time. Gigi's people-pleasing kind of annoyed me in this way but that's one of her flaws she manages to overcome!
Unpopular opinion - I hope that Case does not get his own book because the guy was a bit of a dick and I got quite irritated seeing Garrett give Case a hug despite knowing he cheated on his daughter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Child abuse
mels_reading_log's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This is my first hockey romance book, and I now see what all the hype is about. I love the characters so much, the author has really set herself up to be able to write a ton of books with this group. Even characters that were “the bad guys” in the beginning are able to show us they are good people. I just love all the bromance. GiGi and Ryder are just delicious together, I think enemies to lovers may be my favorite trope.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Grief, Death of parent, Infidelity, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
plsnotanotherdamselindistress's review against another edition
emotional
funny
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Okay...I accidentally did not save my carefully formulated review..haha...so here are some key notes:
-- "bad-boy" does not have to be asshole (and especially sexist comments don't have to be used to give the mMC "edge")
-- the trope where one male character acts shitty and then grovels gets boring when it is used for almost all male characters in a book and repeatedly
- I get that the book was already long..but skippin certain scenes was disappointing
+ liked wide repertoire of side-characters who did not exist only to bring along this story
+ more show than tell
++ a fMC who is driven, career-oriented and stubborn while also being feminine and in touch with her emotions was really refreshing
++ the portrayal of other relationships or them being formed other that the romantic one
Spice(quantity&quality):
4/5
The tension was gooood. It also felt like the spicy scenes actually added sth to the story and felt "custom-fitted" for the MCs there is also variety and detail.
-- "bad-boy" does not have to be asshole (and especially sexist comments don't have to be used to give the mMC "edge")
-- the trope where one male character acts shitty and then grovels gets boring when it is used for almost all male characters in a book and repeatedly
- I get that the book was already long..but skippin certain scenes was disappointing
+ liked wide repertoire of side-characters who did not exist only to bring along this story
+ more show than tell
++ a fMC who is driven, career-oriented and stubborn while also being feminine and in touch with her emotions was really refreshing
++ the portrayal of other relationships or them being formed other that the romantic one
Spice(quantity&quality):
4/5
The tension was gooood. It also felt like the spicy scenes actually added sth to the story and felt "custom-fitted" for the MCs there is also variety and detail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Sexual content
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexism, and Murder
nbitzer's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Gun violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Violence
occasionalyarnie's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was near-perfect for me, and I honestly can't even really say why it's not getting a full five stars. Maybe it's that I've read every other Briar book and it's hard to top some of the other titles? But I still really enjoyed it.
Firstly, I really appreciated that both leads were hockey players, and that it was something Gigi was serious about pursuing beyond college. It would have been easy to "feminize" her by making her less invested in the sport (or for her to only do it because her dad it), and I really loved that it wasn't taken that way. Overall, Gigi's character was really well-done; I liked that she was driven, introspective, and that she knew her value and stood up for herself when she needed to. Ryder's character was amazing, if frustrating at times. When his inability to communicate became an issue, it was pointed out as a problem and he actively worked on addressing it. I liked that he was quiet and secretly emotional. I liked them as a couple, too. It really made sense not only why they were into each other, by why they worked together.
The plot was pretty standard for a college sports romance. My biggest critique is that the write-up for the novel made it seem like the deal they make in the beginning of the book would play a larger role throughout, but it's largely forgotten after the first half (which is more a critique on the write-up than the book itself). At points, I also wished we actually saw more hockey. It's always there and they're often talking about it, but I would have liked to see more than the few games we got, especially for the women's team. But that's more of a personal preference thing and not something that I think detached from my overall enjoyment of the book. Major spoiler:I'm still not sure how I feel about them getting married. It happened really quickly and with very little lead-up, so to me it felt a bit rushed and impulsive, even if the characters didn't feel that way. We were also blindsided by the revelation, so it felt like it may have been done for shock value. I might have been okay if they got engaged, but marriage might be a bit much for me. But maybe it's just my old-fashioned coming through.
Lastly, I liked a lot of the Easter eggs and references to past characters and books in the Briar universe. They were incorporated well enough that they're fun for those of us who have read the books, but wouldn't leave new readers utterly confused by them.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to adding it to my go-to rereads list. Fingers crossed that the next book in the series is just as good.
Firstly, I really appreciated that both leads were hockey players, and that it was something Gigi was serious about pursuing beyond college. It would have been easy to "feminize" her by making her less invested in the sport (or for her to only do it because her dad it), and I really loved that it wasn't taken that way. Overall, Gigi's character was really well-done; I liked that she was driven, introspective, and that she knew her value and stood up for herself when she needed to. Ryder's character was amazing, if frustrating at times. When his inability to communicate became an issue, it was pointed out as a problem and he actively worked on addressing it. I liked that he was quiet and secretly emotional. I liked them as a couple, too. It really made sense not only why they were into each other, by why they worked together.
The plot was pretty standard for a college sports romance. My biggest critique is that the write-up for the novel made it seem like the deal they make in the beginning of the book would play a larger role throughout, but it's largely forgotten after the first half (which is more a critique on the write-up than the book itself). At points, I also wished we actually saw more hockey. It's always there and they're often talking about it, but I would have liked to see more than the few games we got, especially for the women's team. But that's more of a personal preference thing and not something that I think detached from my overall enjoyment of the book. Major spoiler:
Lastly, I liked a lot of the Easter eggs and references to past characters and books in the Briar universe. They were incorporated well enough that they're fun for those of us who have read the books, but wouldn't leave new readers utterly confused by them.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to adding it to my go-to rereads list. Fingers crossed that the next book in the series is just as good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, and Gun violence
Moderate: Grief and Sexual harassment
aqtbenz's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Murder, Violence, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
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