4.5 stars

I have devoured the Off Campus/ Briar U series when it first came out, so it was a no-brainer to pick up The Graham Effect. Reading this was like slipping on a well worn and loved hoodie and snuggling up on a couch with a cup of cocoa. I loved it. It has all the elements of the prior series, the lovable characters, the fun banter, the amazing friend group you wanna be part of and the steamy scenes that are exactly right. I will also always root for the couple who knows how to openly communicate and skip the unnecessary drama.

Is this book perfect? - no. I could do without some of the „chicks“ mentions and some overly clishé lines in the book. But nonetheless, I enjoyed this so much, I really hope there will be more books in the series!

Thank you Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for providing this e-arc. In return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review. This review will be posted to my Goodreads and Storygraph accounts!

We all love The Deal a lot and if you did this book might be even better.

Gigi is Garret and Hannah daughter and omg she’s so Garret daughter.
She’s this hockey prodigy, and she really wants to make Team USA. Only issue she need help more specifically Ryder help. She’s the kind of person that doesn’t say things that might hurt the other person

Ryder doesn’t talk a lot but when he does fireworks.
He made the worst first impression with Garret. And who better can help him to change that rather than Gigi?
It’s pretty much a win win situation he helps her out and she does the same with her dad.

Only issue: attraction starts and they don’t really want to let it go.
There’s also that tiny tiny issue that feelings start to get involved 🥹

I loved this book so much I was laughing non stop for more than half the book 😍

🏒Ryder is such a cuty. He looks like he’s this bad guy when truly he’s not. All the things he does for Gigi I was like 🥹🥹 half the time.

🏒Garret and his dad vibes when meeting Ryder for the first time and telling him to calm him “mr Graham” was priceless 😍

🏒Gig is such a strong person and she’s way more than just the daughter of a famous hockey player. She’s always been in his shadows somehow and Ryder is there to show her how to shine the best

💫 Also just Ryder bringing her flowers on may nation day is the cutest thing ever 🥹

Best scenes still remains the one where Gigi meets with her uncles and someone gifts her something “really useful” 😈 I was laughing for a solid 10 minutes

Elle Kennedy is the queen of college hockey romance and long may she reign.

Gigi is the daughter of beloved Garret and Hannah Graham, and just like her dad is a hockey star. Eager to get a spot on the women’s national league, she’s had one key area for improvement pointed out to her and goes to Briar U’s new co-captain for help. The same co-captain she met six years ago, who is all grumpy and no sunshine, communicates in grunts and is super hot.

We all know where this is going to go and oh my is it a steamy and entertaining ride. I could not wait to pick this book up and devour it.

This may be a new generation but there’s still the spine tingling tension, explosive sexual chemistry and leg kicking excitement you expect from any Elle Kennedy book. I’m eagerly waiting for the next books in the series to drop.

Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for making my day with the ARC.

I love Elle Kennedy and the Brair series. So when I found out she was writing a new generation book about Garrett and Hannah’s daughter, I was all in.

And you know, I loved every second of it. Gigi is easy going and loveable. Ryder makes me want to find a real life version of him. God, why can’t men be like him. I just loved the natural development of their relationship which the book focuses on. Ryder had a messed up past and you see him grown emotionally from this. The development for him was brilliant.

There is a nice little shocker toward the end of the book that I LOVED and I hope there will be more books in this series. It was nice to revisit some of the older characters and see how they were doing.

Elle; please hurry up and give us more!

Firstly, I love next generation series. I love seeing how the MCs from previous books have matured and that their HEA were not just HFNs. And this was no different.

The prologue began with sass, which I loved. Immediately, Gigi Graham is taking no prisoners or insults from the young, grumpy, Luke Ryder. Six years later, as college juniors the tension is still there, only it’s now become tantalising with an undercurrent of denial.

This had all the typical angst and heat of a college sports romance, but with added emotion, depth and spotlight on women’s hockey. With the hilarious addition of clashing hockey players, enforced team building, and a roommate with a time travel obsession, this was a fabulous read.

And to top it all off, the unexpected, final act twist, with those three magic words….and they’re not “I love you.”

Roll on the next books, please!

I started reading Elle Kennedy's hockey series a long time ago, so I was excited to see a spin off from the original.

This book is about Luke Ryder and Gigi Graham, Garrett and Hannah's daughter, Their relationship has a rocky start that slowly builds through the book gathering pace and heat as they slowly realize that they are more than just sex, they are in a relationship. I enjoyed the cameos by some of the original characters and about the next generation at Briar. I don't want to spoil the book for anyone,so i won't go into too many details, but I really enjoyed this book and I very much look forward to the next one.

Elle Kennedy is a master of sports romance, and with The Graham Effect she's on top form. Luke Ryder is grumpy, whilst Gigi Graham is sunshine. Opposites attract in this fun, sweet, sexy romance that had me swooning the whole time. Run to read this one!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book so much. Some reviews said they found it boring once they got together which was like 1/2 - 2/3 of the way through the book, I kind of agree but at the same time it was refreshing to see their relationship because a lot of main characters get together at the very end and we don't see what their relationship is like. I really liked the plot of this book and would highly recommend : )

Elle Kennedy is the love of my life. Honestly. How does she write men that I fall in love with EVERY TIME.

Ryder might be a new favourite of mine. There was no miscommunication trope (thank goodness) and they were just all in from the start. I loved it.

I’m absolutely dying for book 2 now.

Gigi Graham has exactly three goals: qualify for the women's national hockey team, win Olympic gold, and step out of her famous father's shadow. So far, so good, except for two little things. Fine–a little thing and a big, grumpy thing. She needs to improve her game behind the net, and she needs help from Luke Ryder. Ryder is six-foot five, built, opinionated, rude…and sexy as hell. But he's still the enemy. Briar's new hockey co-captain has his reasons, though. The men's team just merged with a rival program, leaving Ryder with an angry roster where everyone hates one another's guts. To make matters worse, the summer coaching spot he's angling for with the legendary Garrett Graham is out of reach after he makes the worst possible first impression on his hero. So, really, this compromise with Gigi is win-win. He helps her make the national team, she puts in a good word with her dad.

I absolutely devoured this in one sitting. There was not a chance in hell I was putting this down today! It was so fun being back in the world of Briar and even better seeing all the little cameos from the beloved characters!

Ryder is a HEART THROB!!!! I loved him instantly, he had me wondering if I actually liked him better than any of the original Briar boys.

This story was really special and I can see Elle Kennedy did this for the fans and I appreciate that!

I rated this 5 stars and I cannot wait for more!!!

I’m huge (thanks to my bookbestie) hockey romance fan, so of course I have read every other Elle Kennedy’s book - both Off Campus and Briar U series, so when I heard there is going to be another one, I was thrilled!

And then, after Elle made an announcement about who is going to be main character in her new book, I have to admitt I was feeling dissapointed, because isn’t this weird to read about dad’s love life and then move to his daughter’s? I mean, we know every dirty detail of Garrett’s and Hannah’s relationship and now we are going to read about them as a parents of young adults? I mean, I felt like this is not going to be my kink.

BUT I was given an opportunity to change my mind, and thank God I took it! Because Graham Effect from now on, is going to be my favorite Elle Kennedy’s book, periodt.

Everything in that book made sense, and no, it was not uncomfortable to read about Garrett and others as adults in their fourties. Let me tell you more, I CRAVED for more sneak peaks from theirs adult lifes, and Garrett is SAVAGE! 🤣

Gigi wants to do everything in her power, to make her father proud. She inherited his talent and determination to proove everyone that she is more than just legacy. Her goal is to join Team USA, but it turns out is not that simple, even if you are the best college female hockey player of this season.

Noone is happy about what happend with Eastwood College, espacially not their hockey team, since now they have to merge with their biggest rival - Briar U. It will be almost impossible for those two teams to work together, however Couch Jensen isn’t the one who gives up easily. Ryder - the best player from Eastwood alongside with Cole - best player from Briar are named cocaptains, and well, both of them don’t like it, not at all.

Ryder hates it, simultaneously he sees what Briar can offer him to improve his chances in Dallas. He has to impress the legend - Garrett Graham, but it won’t be easy - this guy seems to have a problem with Ryder’s past. That is why Ryder needs help, and well, who will help you better than Garrett’s daughter - Gigi.

This is how their story begins, how they both agree to cooperate to reach their goals. How they both feel this incredible tension between them, that sometimes will turn into something more..

Their love story was beautiful, how they both helped each other to work with each others past was amazing. Ryder is joining my bookboyfriend’s crew, because this guy is PERFECTION!🥵💦 and lemme tell you something, usually, three and more peppers are saved for reverse harem books, but this book, was so steamy, so spicy, and that OPERA SCENE - masterpiece 💦💦

So if you love:

🦋 hockey steamy romance
🦋 slow burn
🦋 he falls first
🦋 no second break-up (thank God!!!)
🦋 grumpy and sunshine
🦋 3/5 🌶️ - smutty as hell

this book will be for you!

Every Elle Kennedy’s fan won’t be dissapointed, this book was AMAZING.

5/5 ⭐️.

ad/advanced reader copy
MY MOST ANTICIPATED READ OF THE YEAR, AND IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT! When the publisher asked me if I wanted to receive a copy, there way noooo way I was turning it down 🥹😭 I loved absolutely everything about this book, and you have no idea how good it felt to get to read about the characters from the Off Campus series again! The perfect enemies to lovers, hockey romance, friends with benefits, SPIIICY romance haha! Some of my favourite elements:

💕 The character building and getting to see Ryder grow soooo much throughout the book.
🥵 THE SHOWER SCENE HELLOOOOOO!!
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Graham family sitting together in the living room watching reality tv 🥹😭 imagine Garrett Graham watching reality tv with his family gaaaahhh!
⛸️ OF COURSE the hockey elements!! Sports romance books just hit different.
😜 The brilliant side characters! Beckett was such a funny character and was definitely a mini Dean Di Laurentis!

I cannot WAIT for book 2+3, and I really hope that they’re going to feature some more characters from the Off Campus/Briar U series, as well as Gigi and Ryder because I just love these characters so much!

I will preface by saying I am a fan of Elle Kennedys work, I find her books well written and entertaining. But this book. THIS BOOK. Holy moly this is theee sports romance of the year. Elle Kennedy has smashed it out of the park.

The Graham Effect follows Gigi, an immensely talented female hockey player attending Briar U. Her father is a hockey legend, but she’s truly in the game because she loves it.
Ryder is new to Briar U and is an up and coming hockey star. When the two meet, sparks fly. It’s not an easy road for the pair who are both battling their own life issues, but the high was worth the pain.

I loved love looooved this book. I read it in one sitting, I couldn’t put it down. Enemies to lovers, sunshine and grump, well written spice, this book captures it all perfectly.
I loved the plot, the pacing, the events and the well developed characters, I really felt immersed in their world.

I can’t wait to read the next in this series!

I’d heard so many great things about Elle Kennedy’s books so I was really excited to pick this one up but I have to say, it fell pretty short. I deliberated a while on my rating because whilst the writing itself was good, the plot for me wasn’t and not much actually happened. This suffered from too much sex and not enough plot or character work for me. Whilst I’ll be the first to admit I enjoy a steamy book, I need balance and I need it to have a solid storyline to keep me engaged because there’s only so many times I can read an exhibitionist sex scene before I’m bored. And if it’s not the characters having sex, it’s them talking about sex. Whether it’s Ryder’s friends between themselves, Ryder’s friends with Gigi, Gigi’s friends with Gigi, Gigi to herself or Ryder to herself… it’s a lot.

I would have liked to see more about the women’s hockey team in this book because we see plenty of Gigi playing, and her hopes and dreams relating to hockey, but we’re only introduced to a couple of characters whereas the men’s team is explored far more, with a lot more characters, but the rival teams combining angle didn’t really add much. It wasn’t enough for a full plot and we don’t see much of anything else outside of that. Ryder and Gigi’s relationship could have been developed more, with them spending more time together and connecting not just on the heavy emotional level but on a smaller scale. The cute parts that create a relationship that’s believable. So all in all, there just wasn’t enough going on for me to rate this book any higher but it wasn’t a DNF for me.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Another 5 star read from the Queen of college hockey romance!

The Graham effect follows Garrett and Hannah's daughter Hannah and hunky monosyllabic grump Ryder as they navigate class and gender landscapes.

It's funny, it's heartbreaking and it carryies some serious subtexts, which Ellen's writing navigates organically and in context of the narrative.

No spoilers, but I've got my fingers crossed for my Beckett installment... 👀

Lastly, fear not, we are treated to some snippets of our beloved Off Campus lads. Just read it OK? Come back to me after and we'll fangirl then!

A well written college set hockey romance. If you liked very open door romance or any of Elle Kennedy’s previous books you’ll like this one.

went into this thinking i wouldn’t give it more than 3 stars but nostalgia is a powerful drug ek won this round. forgot how much i missed the off campus/briar u world until i started reading this. gigiryder we’re sooooo cute, i’ll be seated for the rest of this series and i hope we get more books about the other ogs kids i would eat it up ~ i received an arc through netgalley