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emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
✦Series: Off Campus #1
Can be read as a standalone, but it’s the start of a series that continues into the next generation.
✦POV: Dual, first person
Hannah and Garrett are college students at Briar University. I started off thinking Garrett was shallow and a stereotypical college hockey jock/ playboy, but he grew on me. He plays off the stereotype despite his intelligence because it’s what people expect from him. There’s a lot of trauma under that façade. Hannah is whip smart and principled; I loved her immediately! She is repulsed by Garrett's popularity, and it was the basis for excellent banter! They were multilayered and relatable characters who had good growth. They were lovable and I wanted to wrap them both in a hug.
✦Spice: Open door, explicit
Hannah's past trauma was handled sensitively while Garrett works with her to take things slow, even when she wants to hit the gas. It was a valiant effort, but their chemistry is too hot to deny for very long.
» One thing that bothered me was [elements of the story that lock it into a specific year or period. There’s mention of Ted Lasso, which places it no earlier than 2020; so, if the next generation (The Graham Effect) is meant to be present day in 2023, that makes their daughter… not old enough to be in university. It grates on me a bit to so specifically age a story. (hide spoiler)]
✩ Found family was a strong feature here. Garrett has his teammates who adopted Hannah as one of their own without treating her like a puck bunny.
♡ I enjoyed this! If you like hockey romances, reformed playboys, fake dating and opposites attract, I think you will too!
⚠️ Please check trigger warnings and read with care.
Connect with me on Instagram!
Can be read as a standalone, but it’s the start of a series that continues into the next generation.
✦POV: Dual, first person
Hannah and Garrett are college students at Briar University. I started off thinking Garrett was shallow and a stereotypical college hockey jock/ playboy, but he grew on me. He plays off the stereotype despite his intelligence because it’s what people expect from him. There’s a lot of trauma under that façade. Hannah is whip smart and principled; I loved her immediately! She is repulsed by Garrett's popularity, and it was the basis for excellent banter! They were multilayered and relatable characters who had good growth. They were lovable and I wanted to wrap them both in a hug.
✦Spice: Open door, explicit
Hannah's past trauma was handled sensitively while Garrett works with her to take things slow, even when she wants to hit the gas. It was a valiant effort, but their chemistry is too hot to deny for very long.
» One thing that bothered me was [elements of the story that lock it into a specific year or period. There’s mention of Ted Lasso, which places it no earlier than 2020; so, if the next generation (The Graham Effect) is meant to be present day in 2023, that makes their daughter… not old enough to be in university. It grates on me a bit to so specifically age a story. (hide spoiler)]
✩ Found family was a strong feature here. Garrett has his teammates who adopted Hannah as one of their own without treating her like a puck bunny.
♡ I enjoyed this! If you like hockey romances, reformed playboys, fake dating and opposites attract, I think you will too!
⚠️ Please check trigger warnings and read with care.
Connect with me on Instagram!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence
Minor: Rape
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Quick, easy, fun read
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent
emotional
funny
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Such a fun read but very corny at time!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape
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
Tropes: Sports Romance (hockey), Enemies to Lovers, The Dare/The Bet
Summary
Briar University hockey team captain Garrett Graham absolutely has to pass his Ethics exam and the only girl in class with a good enough grade to tutor him is Hannah Wells. After days of pleading, he finally finds something she’ll accept as payment for the deal: she’ll tutor him if he helps her get the attention of the new football star in town. Unfortunately for him, the snarky little music major grows on him over the next short week and he doesn’t want to say goodbye.
Hannah, meanwhile, is hyper focused on her winter performance where she’s in competition for a major scholarship for the next school year. Her family is struggling back in Indiana and she needs this; she can never return there after she was sexually assaulted and publicly shamed for it. But Garrett is actually a lot of fun and he’s a great guy. So great that she finds herself thinking less and less about her crush.
As their connection strengthens, they learn there’s a lot more to one another than meets the eye and they’re not so broken as they thought.
Review
First off: I love Garrett. I already read The Graham Effect by the same author where Garrett is the dad and he’s great in that so I came in biased that I would be smitten with him anyway. I also really loved Hannah. She was strong and focused, and she stood up for herself in ways that didn’t make her seem like a spoiled brat or super mean. I loved that she would sing to Garrett and just how in awe he was whenever she did. I really believed these two college kids were meant for each other.
I really enjoy books where the interactions and emotions are realistic. I felt for these two as if I knew them-- laughing when they did, getting hooked on Breaking Bad like they did, and feeling vulnerable when they did. Good writing like this helps you connect with the characters straight to the heart and Elle Kennedy is great at that.
Summary
Briar University hockey team captain Garrett Graham absolutely has to pass his Ethics exam and the only girl in class with a good enough grade to tutor him is Hannah Wells. After days of pleading, he finally finds something she’ll accept as payment for the deal: she’ll tutor him if he helps her get the attention of the new football star in town. Unfortunately for him, the snarky little music major grows on him over the next short week and he doesn’t want to say goodbye.
Hannah, meanwhile, is hyper focused on her winter performance where she’s in competition for a major scholarship for the next school year. Her family is struggling back in Indiana and she needs this; she can never return there after she was sexually assaulted and publicly shamed for it. But Garrett is actually a lot of fun and he’s a great guy. So great that she finds herself thinking less and less about her crush.
As their connection strengthens, they learn there’s a lot more to one another than meets the eye and they’re not so broken as they thought.
Review
First off: I love Garrett. I already read The Graham Effect by the same author where Garrett is the dad and he’s great in that so I came in biased that I would be smitten with him anyway. I also really loved Hannah. She was strong and focused, and she stood up for herself in ways that didn’t make her seem like a spoiled brat or super mean. I loved that she would sing to Garrett and just how in awe he was whenever she did. I really believed these two college kids were meant for each other.
I really enjoy books where the interactions and emotions are realistic. I felt for these two as if I knew them-- laughing when they did, getting hooked on Breaking Bad like they did, and feeling vulnerable when they did. Good writing like this helps you connect with the characters straight to the heart and Elle Kennedy is great at that.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault