My first @ellekennedy33 Book and I was NOT disappointed.

I loved it. It’s a slow burner at first but around 35-40% in it gets sooo good. I couldn’t put it down. I had the best time with the Briar crew! So many likeable characters and a few not so, but they mostly grow on you.
The main characters are Gigi and Ryder.
(I believe if you have read the off campus series by Elle Gigi is one for the children from the main characters of that. Off campus 2nd gen! I have no yet but definitely will)

I am in love with Ryder I also love Gigi. Watching their romance grow. It was charming, delightful and beautiful.

So good!

“Always. You fall, I will pick you up. Always.”


* I was gifted this ARC by NetGalley and little brown book group UK in return for my honest opinion.

The Graham Effect was everything a lover of the original series would adore. Following the daughter of Hannah and Garett who were first seen in “The Deal,” Gigi was the perfect mix. She was strong, fearless and following in her fathers footsteps which was nice to see.

As for Ryder, his character development was done with ease, and his relationship with Gigi was perfect.

Would highly recommend to any lovers of the sports/college romance genre, or if they had already previously read and loved Off Campus

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for granting me access to this E-ARC.

I do love some Elle Kennedy.
Her Off Campus and Briar U books have been such a good time to read.

So I was so excited for this one which follows the offspring of some of the OG couples.

This book follows Gigi Graham & Luke Ryder in their respective hockey teams and navigating the highs and lows of being a famous sports star.

The Graham Effect is back to where I feel Kennedy is at her best. She fills her characters with so much life and love and as always one of them always has the most tragic Background which leaves you in tears at 2am as you can't help but read.

Down side to this one is that it takes too long to understand the MMC and his background as he is so tighltlipped about his background you just think he is an ass for most of the book untill he finally breaks.

But their relationship was cute to see unfold and the side characters ( of which there are MANY) bring so much humour to this book to make it much more enjoyable to read

There is no better combo than Elle Kennedy and college hockey romance!
I loved this book and being back in the college. It had everything I was looking for. My only criticism would be that it felt overly long. It would have been an easy 5 stars had it been shorter and snappier! Can’t wait for book two.

I am slowly becoming a huge Elle Kennedy fan - even though I haven't read her Off-Campus or Briar U series, I have been loving the Avalon Bay books and now this spin-off to her Briar universe with this newest book, The Graham Effect. I do really enjoy a sports romance, and this has made me want to make more of an effort to seek them out, because reading about both Gigi and Luke playing Hockey was really fun, alongside all of the drama and budding romance. Kennedy writes in such a compelling way that, even though this book was over 400 pages, I couldn't put it down and I flew through it! I loved reading about Gigi's parents and their friends from their college days, which I am sure I would appreciate more if I had read those books too, so I'm definitely going to work my way back through them.

So great to spend some more time on the Briar campus.

This 100% delivered on the fun and steam. Gigi was the perfect combination of her parents, but still very much her own person. Ryder was the perfect tortured soul and grumpy love interest. So of course they made for such a fantastic couple. They had amazing chemistry, even when they were still very much disliking each other.

There were plenty of scenes featuring Gigi's parents Hannah and Graham, which felt like a big Christmas present to long-time fans of Elle Kennedy.

The whole Vegas part of the story was quite sudden, but it didn't influence my enjoyment too much.

honestly seeing all of my favourites from off campus brought tears to my eyes. I loved everything about this book and i’m excited for the rest of the series :)

I could not wait to read this as I am a big fan of the off campus series and this did not disappoint. It was lovely seeing the old characters appearing.

I'm rounding up, but objectively this was 3.5 stars.

I loved being back at Briar and loved that this time she was a hockey player too. Garrett and Wellsy are my OGs and following their daughter was so fun.

The good:
- The characters (all of them, not just the main characters - I can't wait for Beckett's love story, I'm secretly hoping he figures out he's bi and falls in love with Will).
- The banter.
- The off-the-charts chemistry.
- Garrett and Wellsy as parents.
- Dean di Laurentis being Dean di Laurentis.
- Gigi's obsession with butterflies.
- Elle Kennedy's addictive writing.
- The "I came to kiss you" scene.
- The fact that he actually took her to the opera because she jokingly said that would be the only date she would ever consider going on.

The not so good:
- We got to a point where there was too much smut, like we went from one sex scene to another sex scene.
- Ryder's past and everything going on with his dad was a little much and a little Colleen Hoover-ish.
- The we've only been dating for a few months but we got married in Vegas on a whim plot point. Completely unnecessary. I'm so mad that happened.

Overall, it was a fun, enjoyable read and I could not put it down because there's something about Elle Kennedy's hockey romances that gets to me. I will 100% read the rest of the companion novels, especially if they involve Beckett or Owen.

"You're a very good player too."
"I didn't say you were very good. I said you were phenomenal."
"And I said you're very good."

Really enjoyed both the plot and the characters. Gigi was strong willed but never annoying or OTT. I found her to be really cute lol, and definitely appreciated her humour. I loved seeing her relationship with her family too, and how she wasn't just a nepotism baby.

Ryder was tall, dark and brooding and his awkwardness at having to respond to people with more than 1 syllable or a gesture made me laugh.

"Do you not remember that whole speech you gave-"
"Gonna interrupt right there, Gisele, because we both know I've never given a speech in my life."

My heart melted as his relationship with Hannah grew and as much as Garrett didn't want to admit it, Ryder had a strong work ethic.

I really enjoyed Gigi and Ryder together. Not just bc of their chemistry but also due to the way they helped one another grow, regardless of their differences, and how Ryder respected Gigi's decisions. Individually, I think I preferred Gigi to Ryder though surprisingly. I liked her grit but also found her adorable, and whilst I did really like Ryder too I do think there wasn't quite enough from his perspective to get me to be fully head over heels obsessed.

The humour throughout this made me laugh and it definitely felt very apt for University level shenanigans. Hoping we get to see more of Shane in particular bc he was definitely one of my faves.

EK definitely ruined my dreams though, when Coach Jensen mentioned he had a wife and daughter bc he was giving off Daddy vibes 💀 and I wasn't sure whether I was more into him, or Ryder 😂

I'll be honest and say I wasn't sure what to expect with this one because I didn't love the OC series. I only loved Hannah and Garrett in The Deal. Grace and Logan were okay, but I didn't really like Allie and Dean as much as everyone told me I would and I loathed Sabrina in her and Tuckers' book! With TGE, I definitely had a bit of fomo from some of my friends requesting arcs and I also just wanted to read it because I knew it was a hockey romance!

But this one definitely surprised me and whilst it's a long book, I definitely enjoyed it and didn't get bored. However, there is a bit more of a random scenario that happens towards the end of the book, which I just felt wasn't necessary? I get that Gigi and Ryder were the type of characters who, once they'd made up their minds, they stuck to something... but I don't think we needed the storyline that happened lol.

Very much looking forward to seeing what comes next from this series though!

★★★★•𝟱 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 ⋆·˚ ༘ *

Ok… I LOVED THIS BOOK!!

So I haven’t read all of the original Off Campus series, only the first two, but I still enjoyed this spin off so much, especially having met Hannah and Garrett previously. I was still crushing on Graham in this one!! 🥵

As for the characters in this book, LOVED! And Elle Kennedy just KNOWS how to write that banter, she leaves no crumbs and gets it right every single time for me!! Gigi was likeable from the first page, and LUKE with his dirty mouth - my gods!! If only Garrett knew how he spoke to his daughter! 🤣

What the author also does well is including those side characters and really making them feel a part of the story, I’m just gonna be sitting here waiting for Beckett’s book!!

All in all, I loved the next gen of this world and I am excited to read more books in the series..

. It's always tricky writing a spin off knowing that the old readers will compare it to the other books. That this is set to be another cast of uni hockey players living together and falling in love means the comparisons are even closer since its the same premise. Unfortunately, these new boys just don't live up to the originals. I'm not sure whether it's just the author running out of personalities to put into sexy hockey players or an overall stateless, but I wasn't drawn in by any of the boys, lead or supporting. There were some interesting facets to the occasional boy like Beckett's obsession with worm holes, time travel and space etc. But overall, not nearly anything as good as Off Campus or Briar U.

When it came to the female main character she was similarly "meh". There was nothing compelling about her. It was like trying to grasp for a fully fleshed out character but just missing. It was nice that she was a girly girl who liked hockey but it made me wonder whether Elle Kennedy has a problem with writing women who lean more to thr masculine side of things. Every woman I've read has been stereotypically female and feminine (the range from singer, actress, determined girl boss) but there was a chance to explore a different idea of being a woman and it was missed. The best part of her character was that she didn't back down from her stance of not taking her cheating boyfriend back: thank god she had that backbone.

That being said my favourite part of the book was the running joke of Shane having to cover up Gigi and Ryders sexual relationship by pretending every Time someone overheard them that he was watching porn. The intervention "porn addiction and you" was hilarious.

I did enjoy Ryder's apology flowers and the international days he used to cover up them being apology flowers. The 'I'm aching for you' text sent before every hockey game was also a funny moment.

As for the entire romance of the book: it took me until Ryder took her to the opera for a date to be sold on them as a couple. I liked the openness of them and the vulnerability. I liked that it seemed like Ryder really listened to her interests and who she was as a person. I think that was the main point that the author was trying to make: he knew her and everything that mattered to her. It's why you could see Garett understanding Ryders feelings for his daughter when there was the signing with Grebbs- the soundscapes being a big part of Gigi's life and Ryder trying them out for her.

However, overall, I wasn't sold and I would have liked to have seen more of their connection than have what seemed like such a rushed thing on page.

Gigi is living in the shadow of her NHL star father, however, as a female player her goals are different from his; she wants to play in the Olympics. Unfortunately, the coach of the national team is her former friend’s Dad who cannot see past the deceit he believes Gigi caused his daughter. So she needs to prove herself more than ever. And unfortunately, the only person who can help her is Luke Ryder.
Luke has a reputation, and despite being one of the best players and already securing his spot on the Dallas roster for when he graduates, people think he is volatile and aggressive. The problem is, this reputation stems from a fight he had that he refuses to explain to anybody. Gigi has thought he was hot for a long time, so when they agree to work together she sets ground rules that they cannot become more than acquaintances. Plus her ex who she can’t get rid of hates him and she doesn’t want to cause more friction on the men’s team.

Despite owning some Elle Kennedy books I’ve never read one yet. I did really enjoy this and it was a nice Segway into my Christmas reads as it’s ice hockey and ice rink based. It was steamy which is always good, however, at times it was a little slow paced and almost repetitive. Let’s be honest though, I probably will read the next one though

Funny, cute, spicy, tender, exciting, hopeful and super entertaining; this book is the whole package, and to me it was one perfect read for sure.

For every fan of the „Off Campus“-Series, this book of the new series is a must have!
Ryder and Gigi are fire and seeet at the same time and I love in which way they come closer. It was half slow burn half cribbing expectation und I loved the way how they interacted.
Gigi has so much facettenreich of her parents, but in the other hand you see how she tries to show herself, that she’s more than her famous father (which we all love 😂).
Ryder in the other hand is this type of guy who you want to cuddle if you know more about his family and past. I reply lives how he wanted to deny his feelings although he knew early that he would fall in love with Gigi. I had the feeling at some parts (especially in the beginning) that the storyline is a little stretched, why it has taken time to read the book - but to summon it up I loved to come back to Briar and I’m excited for the next books :)

I’ve been really into sports romance books lately and this one has been delightful! I really liked the storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

Confession: I haven’t read any of Elles previous books! But she is the famous queen of hockey/sports romances on bookstores, and from this, I can totally see why.

Steamy, sweet, great characters with perfect writing.

I will definitely be going back and reading more of the connecting series.

I’m not usually a hockey romance girlie. (Or a sports romance girlie in general) but I’ve been branching out recently. I’ve learned that Elle Kennedy is the QUEEN of hockey romance!

Her books are spicy but depending on how you rate it, to me it’s 🌶️.

This series is a sequel/spin off to the Off-Campus series. And while it’s easy to compare the two, this one still stands in a spotlight on its own.

I loved Gigi and Ryder. They may be my two favorite characters.

You know what, I'm so glad Elle Kennedy revisited this series from the next generation pov. it was so well done, I loved Ryder and Gigi. And it was so nice to see the original gang back. Garrett and Hannah are just as fun as yet we're in the deal.

I really loved the story line, I was sobbing at parts of the story, I'm a book crier but some of the story really hit me hard!

There are triggers in the story so if you think that might be an issue look them up.

If you were a fan of the deal do yourself a favour and pick this up!

Attention c'est le 1er tome de la 2ème génération de Off Campus.
Gigi Graham essaie de réaliser son rêve : entrer dans l'équipe américaine de hockey sur glace féminine. Car elle a un objectif, obtenir l'or Olympique. Après un match avec son équipe universitaire l'entraîneur de l'équipe nationale va pointer ses défauts et lui annoncer que seules 2 ou 3 étudiantes rejoindront le roaster. Luke Ryder n'a pas franchement le choix de jouer pour Briar. L'université d'Eastwood à laquelle il appartenait a fait faillite et se retrouve fusionnée avec celle de Briar. Ryder et ses coéquipiers doivent donc patiner avec leurs ennemis de toujours. Alors que la tension est à son comble, la légende du hockey, Garrett Graham, débarque et annonce qu'il choisira un joueur pour l'aider l'été suivant dans son camp d'entrainement caritatif. Ryder n'a pas une bonne réputation dans le monde du hockey et sa 1ère approche universitaire avec Garrett n'est franchement pas un succès. Sauf qu'il veut cette opportunité. Quoi de mieux pour l'avoir que de demander à la fille du champion de parler à son père de lui… En échange il lui donnera des cours pour combler ses lacunes en hockey.
J'ai adoré ce tome qui est un énorme coup de cœur. Quel bonheur de retrouver l'univers de Briar et ses personnages. The deal est mon livre doudou par excellence alors lire Garrett et Hannah parents, ça m'a rendue toute guimauve. J'ai complètement craqué pour Gigi et Ryder qui sont opposés sur beaucoup de points mais cachent leurs personnalités à ceux qui ne les connaissent pas trop. Gigi est plus que la fille de stars qui a vécu dans la richesse, elle n'aime pas tout ce qui est bling bling, n'apprécie pas les événements publiques, elle n'est pas pédante, ni imbue d'elle-même. Elle est drôle, bosseuse, sincère, bornée et aime les sons de la nature plutôt que la musique et les serres à papillons. Ryder de son côté à une mauvaise réputation qui le poursuit, il a un passé difficile, est très renfermé sur lui et n'apprécie pas de se retrouver cocapitaine de l'équipe réunifiée Briar/Eastwood. J'ai été attendrie par son personnage et par ses couches qu'il faut braver pour le découvrir dans son entièreté. J'ai eu d'énormes fous rires pendant ma lecture ou Elle Kennedy nous offre une nouvelle bande d'amis très prometteuse. Je suis seulement un peu déçue de ne pas avoir eu une scène dont l'auteure parle, mais c'est purement la fan qui veut tout savoir qui s'exprime en moi. Je serai présente à la sortie du tome 2 en mai 2024 sans soucis!

#chronique #review #avis #bookworm #romance #hockey #enemiestolovers