The Graham Effect

Let's start by saying this book got me out of a 2 month long reading slump. Coming back to characters you know and love but it not being a reread will do that for you. It gets 5 stars because why not.

Gigi and Ryder make a great couple to start this legacy series off. Gigi is the female hockey player who wants to get out of her dad's shadow, and Ryder has a traumatic past he's running from. I think that as the book goes on, you get some brilliant displays of how mature adults talk about their issues and feelings even if they are college-aged. There's a lot of callbacks to the deal, too, in terms of some plot points, but I loved it.

The backdrop of drama caused by the joining of the men's team with their rivals gives a great found family aspect, too. I'm greatly looking forward to the next book in the series now that I know who it's about. There's many different pairings going on here. From the hockey players of this series to the other kids of the off-campus team.

Spice wise, there are a lot of public activities. A shower, a sauna... oh, and the opera. I don't really rate spice, but this didn't make me cringe or feel embarrassed for them. The phrase "use me" is thrown around a lot, and honestly, I would agree that Ryder has that "sl*tty bad-boy dick magic."

But let's talk cameos. Garrett Graham is there from pretty much the first page. We get Dean giving Gigi a value pack of protection. Logan and Jake are around. Plus, numerous counts of her referring to other old faces as uncle/ aunt. Hannah shows up more towards the end, and I wish we had more of her, but what we did get was beautiful and some great emotional moments. You don't have to read off- campus and briar u to get this book, but I think you'll appreciate it more if you do

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, Elle Kennedy, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I DNFed at 28%. Every time I reached for my Kindle to start back on this tonight, I thought of something I would rather do and did that. It felt like an absolute chore to muddle through this and my TBR list is too long.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book. I'm sorry that I did not finish it, but I truly did not like it. This book was like that annoying and immature person that you meet at a party or work gathering. You kinda grin and tough it out, but you secretly can't wait to get away and you are totally talking smack about them as soon as you leave.

I assume that this is some people's cup of tea. Hockey romances seem to be all the rage and Elle Kennedy is not lacking for publications in this genre. My sister read one or two of her books and thought they were great. I, on the other hand, will not be reading anything else from her. If I had picked up this book 10-15 years ago, I would have maybe had a different outlook. However, this is one of the cringiest things I have ever had assault my eyeballs.

Gigi is a hockey legacy. She's a badass on the ice and a wuss on the grass. She can't seem to break things off with her ex and can't seem to get things started with the new/old pseudo-badboy in her life. Insert cringe-diarrhea Ryder (creative). He's a misunderstood hockey player that has a bad rap in the hockey circuit because a series of "one-time" mistakes. And of course, they are both hot for each other. He is a softie on the inside (if we overlook the one-night stand, the cringy statements about his sex life, and the out of pocket spillage of absolute nonsense in the "behind the curtain" scene at the party) and not much else on the outside.

I cannot cheer for this couple because I hope that they both get their hearts broken and their hockey careers wrecked. I DNFed before the elbow-rubbing party with the donors even finished. Sorry not sorry.

If you are looking for something to get your teeth into, might I recommend this latest offering from Elle Kennedy?

The Graham Effect is a labour of generational love, and readers who like myself that have partaken in the Off Campus series will be wholly satiated with the Campus Diaries.

Admittedly I was slightly horrified at the notion of Briar gang having fully grown offspring but my misgivings were quickly assuaged as Elle has masterfully whipped up some tantalising characters. The banter was delicious as always, and I would be remiss to neglect the generous heap of humour served on a bed of steamy… well, steam.

There is something to be said about the new generation Elle Kennedy is fostering and The Graham Effect took full effect in welcoming the new generation into the fold.

I'm very conflicted on how to write this review, but I'll give it my best shot.

I was really excited to be returning to the off campus series, as I fell in love with every single one of the OG's and it's been really great getting to know the kids as well. Gigi and Ryder are a beautiful couple, with a lot of depth within their backgrounds and in some ways Elle did them a disservice for not exploring those further. Ryder's background was devastating and was brushed by quite quickly, I feel there was so much to explore within that, especially one particularly big moment he was going to have to face. Gigi is our little sweetheart, the daughter to everybody's favourite OG couple, Garrett and Hannah - she had a lot of depth regarding being in Garrett's shadow when it came to hockey and was building up to be an admired athlete for women's sports, however, her storyline swerves and had her falling multiple times, with no real outcome as to how she was going to pick herself back up and progress now her life plans hadn't fallen into place.

The first 30% of this book could absolutely have been cut out, as it was one giant information dump about hockey and only after that 30% did we really get into the nitty gritty of Gigi and Ryder's romance. I absolutely loved the blossoming romance between the two and there was some hilarious moments when they had to cover it up. While they were many side characters to keep up with, I found myself invested in all of them, looking forward to whoever's book comes next. I especially loved our catch up with the OG's. I loved how Hannah and Garrett were quite a large fixture of Gigi and Ryder's storyline so we was never away from them for too long. And for that, I would probably give this book a 3/3.5 stars. It was enjoyable, but could have been much better if their backgrounds and all of the big events were explored with that first 30% that was honestly a bit of a waste.

This universe will never get old.
I loved when i first heard about this book, that it was going to be about Graham´s kid, but when i saw all the cameos i loved it so much.
She´s so much like her father.
The love between Gigi and Ryder was so good, such like their relationship.
Thanks to NetGalley for the Arc.

After loving Elle Kennedy's The Deal, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the next-generation of my favourite hockey couple, and read about their daughter Gigi! Elle Kennedy writes top tier hockey romance, and with The Graham Effect she's hit the nail on the head. In this Grump x Sunshine pairing, Luke Ryder is grumpy, while Gigi Graham is sunshine making for a fun, sweet and sexy romance that had me unable to put it down.

Unfortunately I couldn’t finish this book as I couldn’t connect to the characters. I’ve loved every Elle Kennedy book I’ve read so far but this one was a miss. The characters were insufferable and I didn’t like the humour.
Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

this is definitely a phenomenal start to a series we didn’t know we needed! 😍 (or did we?)

💜 College Sports Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

So much fun to return to Briar & the newest generation!

Gigi Graham is such a fun spitfire, with a heart of gold. Luke Ryder is the sweetest broken boy, who just needs someone in his corner to stay.

Their relationship developed so perfectly. I LOVED their communication - they were both totally no BS people and completely honest with each other along the way.

My only teeny tiny *me* issue was when I was reminded I’m far closer to Garrett & Hannah’s ages than Gigi 🤭
We don’t often see much of the parents in college romance, so I can forget that 🙃 but we NEEDED them in this one - and of course all her hot uncles (I’m looking at you, Dean Dilaurentis).

Tropes + topics:
🏒 Grumpy sunshine
🏒 Hockey players (both MCs)
🏒 Friends with benefits
🏒 Secret dating/forbidden
🏒 College/new adult
🏒 No third act breakup
🏒 Dual POV/first person

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Little Brown Book Group UK for an advanced copy to review. All opinions are my own!

Read if you like;
-Grumpy x sunshine
-Hockey romance
-Secret Romance
-Found family

I’ve not read any of this authors previous seriously so I had no previously knowledge of the background on this universe.

We have a steamy contemporary romance with passion for sport and a love story!
Initially I didn’t gel with Gigi, I felt at times she was shallow and found it hard to find a connection to her. However, her development was so well done and it was great to see her grow and mature!

I thorough enjoyed the banter between Ryder and Gigi. The tension initially was on point and those spicy scenes were sizzling.

I do have to say that the side characters for me were more enjoyable and funny throughout! I also enjoyed reading it from both POV it was super interesting reading about the men and women’s sport.

I did feel that overall I didn’t need to be that long🤷🏽‍♀️.

Gigi Graham has only ever known hockey, all day, every day. She’s got Olympic dreams and nothing can stop her. Her dad is the legendary Garrett Graham but Gigi is planning on making her own mark on the hockey world.
When Gigi returns to Briar for her junior year, things are a little different. Her ex who cheated on her is chasing her for forgiveness, and the mens hockey team just got a sudden influx of hot talent due to their rival school shutting down.
Gigi needs some coaching advice, and newcomer Ryder needs an in with Gigi’s dad. The two strike a deal to help each other out, no strings attached.
Until there are strings, a lot of strings.

This was really cute. I’ve missed Briar and this was a fun revisit with lots of cute cameos from the well loved characters from the original series.

I read the first three off-campus books but didn’t read the fourth purely because it’s centered around a trope I’ll never enjoy reading. That being said, I dont feel like I needed to read that book to enjoy this one. It had all of the same energy as the original series with arguably more steam.

This book definitely scratches the hockey romance itch and I’m excited to see where the author takes the rest of the series.

Thank you NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group UK, and Elle Kennedy for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely cannot sing Elle Kennedy’s praises enough about this book, and cannot wait for everyone to have it in their hands at the end of October💙 (I am also hounding at any evidence on who the next couples in the series is gunna be omg 👀)

🍂 but that's how relationships work.
You have to talk. If something's wrong, the other person wants to hear it. They need to hear it.🍂

Elle Kennedy is ready to take us straight back to the Briar U with a new story where we meet some of the old characters that we loved in the Off Campus books and some new faces.

Gigi is Garret and Hanna's daughter and I must say that while she reminds me in some ways of her father, she still manages to shine and have a personality of her own. I liked Gigi instantly : she loves play hockey and she is determined to achieve her goals by working hard and not taking advantage of the family name. She is also confident ,playful and vulnerable especially when she can admit to herself that it is okay not to be perfect and happy all the time.
Ryder is grumpy , taciturn and has erected a lot of Walls around him. But with Gigi around however he will begin to talk , smile and open up.

Their relationship is healthy , mature and based on communication and mutual respect. In this novel you won’t find the "third act breakup",but you will find the kind of relationship that will grow naturally leading the characters to improve each other. Plus the chemistry between them is crazy and made me laugh and melt .

I admit I'm not a big fan of the "Next Generation" but this might be the exception! I didn't realize how much I missed Dean,Logan,Garreth and Anna until they appeared between the pages! Dean and Logan's Cameo cracked me up, while Garreth as an overprotective father? Simply fantastic!

✨There is only one thing that made me wrinkle my nose but I can get over it because with this book Kennedy ,while maintaining the vibes of "The Deal", has managed to outdo herself!

Thanks to netgalley for the copy✨

⭐️⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

‘The Graham Effect is the first book in Elle Kennedy’s new Campus Diaries series. It follows Gigi Graham, daughter of Hannah & legendary NHL star Garrett Graham, and Luke Ryder, a college hockey player who’s school has just merged with the Briar U hockey team.’

First things first, thank you to the queen that is Elle Kennedy for bringing these characters back and allowing us to read about them again. The Deal was the first hockey romance I read and I will forever be grateful to Elle for making this world and the characters inside of it.

Ryder was honestly such a delight to read about and is now my joint first favourite OC/BU character (along with the main man himself, GG). He was a grump to begin with, but once you learn about his backstory it is easy to see why. Once he starts to fall for Gigi, he falls hard and would do anything for her. I loved how he would bring her flowers and use whatever the national holiday of that day was as his excuse, I loved how he took her to the opera when she said that was the only date she would go on with him & I just loved him in general! The closeness between him & Hannah was so heart-warming to see.

Gigi is the greatest mix of both Garrett & Hannah. She has a passion for hockey and won’t let anything get in her way of her goals, even going to the lengths of asking Ryder for help. She wasn’t always able to, but in the end she managed to stick up for herself and say what she wanted to the toxic people in her life. You can genuinely tell that she loves her found family and this is portrayed in her chat with Dean & Logan. And yes, Dean is still as great as ever! The love she has for her family is huge, but it’s also admirable that she wants to make a name for herself and not just live in her dad’s shadow.

I didn’t realise how much I missed the Off Campus/Briar U world until reading this book! Garrett is the world’s biggest DILF and still as iconic as ever, calling his dogs Dumpy & Bergeron (and that warms my little Bruin’s heart!). Coach Jenson had some great one liners as well! I wish I could continue reading about these characters forever!

Tropes:
• College Hockey Romance
• Second Gen
• Enemies(ish) to FWB to Lovers
• Grumpy x Sunshine

Thank you to Netgalley & Elle for the arc of this book.

This is actually the second time I read anything by Elle Kennedy and I loved this one just as much as The Deal. The characters was easy to like and I really enjoyed the witty comments and the grumpyxsunshine trope.

I also love that this story includes plot twists and that we get to meet Garreth and Hannah again. I really have to read the rest of Off-Campus and Briar U because Kennedys writing is just wow and the spice level is perfect.

If you love sport romance with spice in it then Elle Kennedy and this book is for you although read at least The Deal first.

4.25 *stars*

(sort of) Enemies to lovers, sports romance.

When I got back into reading last year, The Deal was the first sports romance I read. And well, Garrett Graham - enough said? Since then I have devoured sports romances, incuding the Off Campus and the Briar U series.

When I saw Elle Kennedy's post of a next gen series, it was an immediate add to the TBR for me. I managed my expectations when I started reading this book as I know that its hard to follow up a series like the Off Campus series that has received so much love from readers all over.

And honestly I didn't need to do that! I loved this book!

Gisele & The Prom King...
Gigi and Ryder's story read like the perfect sports romance. I loved both their characters and their story. Here are some of the reasons why:

1) Ryder brought her handpicked flowers for International Eat an Apple Day, International Cotton Candy Day & National Dessert day.
2) Naked stress busting >>> The sauna, the opera, the shower, the library.
3) Gigi is a badass hockey player and not the usual 'can't help myself' FMC. She knows how to communicate and states things as they are. NO MISCOMMUNICATION and I am here for it.

Without giving too much of the story away, it starts off with Gigi and Ryder meeting at a hockey camp and him thinking she is a figure skater and then we he realises she actually plays hockey, he assumes she is there because of her dad rather than on her own merits. Fast forward 6 years later and they meet again at Briar U when Ryder's college merges with Briar U.

Obviously they are not fans of each other due to their initial meeting a few years back, but Gigi is trying to make Team USA for the Olympics and Ryder is desparately trying to be a coach at her Dad's hockey camp. Surprise surprise, they decide to make a deal to help each other out ... which eventually includes naked stress busting...

Finally, I want to believe that Elle was alluding to a Will & Beck romance in the books that follow - I am desperate for this! Especially given that she coauthored Him, which is one of my all time favourite MM romances Iever. So I am hoping that I am right!

Big thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5 Stars.
Funny, drama-infused and devastatingly beautiful.
I LOVED Gigi and Ryder’s story!
So left field. If you know, you know!

I have loved reading the ARC for The Graham Effect and have no doubts I will be hunting down the rest of the Off-Campus/Briar U kid’s stories.
Definitely recommend to everyone that loves a hockey romance and Elle Kennedy’s amazing writing.

As soon as i saw that Elle Kennedy was writing a next generation from her Off-Campus series I was ECSTATIC! I read The Deal back in 2019 and Garrett and Hannah are my favourite couple I go back and reread them all the time so to know we were getting a book about their daughter? I was there.

Ryder and Gigi were perfection I ate their story up. The banter and the spice was all top tier. I adored seeing all the cameos of the OG characters.

I just loved being back in this world it definitely didn't disappoint. I can't wait for more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publishers for my advance reader copy.

The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy

4⭐️ 3/5🌶

When I heard we were diving into the Off Campus universe again. One of my fave series ever. I couldnt resist asking for an arc. We follow Gigi (Garrett Graham's daughter) and Luke Ryder.

I will say this. Was I apprehensive that it was gonna be The Deal (one of my all time fave books ever) 2.0? Yes. Did it exceed? Yes but it different ways.
I love Gigi personality she is definitely Garrett's and Wellsy's daughter. I love how we spent a large focus on her being in the shadow of her dad's fame. She plays hockey too and has her own focus and her own goals.

When the merge of Luke old school and Brair collide it mean that Luke was at risk being not picked for the hockey team. He is your definition of grumpy and we love seeing his growth.

Gigi and Luke relationship was explosive. And so was the spice. Now what this book has was a lot of spice. A lot of scenes I did not expect and I mean the sauna scene? Oooookay. I love their communicatoon with each other and it was honestly relatable. Some of the stuff they were saying to each other got me squealing.

There were a few plot twist that kept me engage and I love the little cameo we saw from the rest of the OG offcampus crew. However, I felt that this book was long. It could of honestly been shorter and that would of helped with the flow of the book.

Overall if youre a fan of hockey/ college romances this is for you. Thank you to Piaktus and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review

Read for
-college romance
-hockey romance
- grumpy x sunshine
- second generation
- back into briars university vibes
- found family

I loved this so much! Revisiting one of my favorite hockey romances (HannahGraham) made me so happy. I felt so nostalgic reading this. Every second of it felt exciting!!

In The Graham Effect, we follow the story of Gigi Graham, daughter of the original Off-Campus couple, Garrett and Hannah. This second-generation novel can be read as a stand-alone, but readers familiar with the Off-Campus and Briar-U series will enjoy brief appearances from well-known and loved characters. Coach Jensen still training the second generation was great.

This was a fun read and I enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters, Gigi and Ryder. There were plenty of interesting side characters and the book already hints at potential future pairings - I hope Shane and Diana get their book. Case, Gigi's ex-boyfriend and Ryder's co-captain, provided a great complication, and I'd also like to see him get his own happy ending.
Elle Kennedy writes hockey romances with plenty of hockey in them - and this time, it's both the FMC and MMC who are at the top of the game in the college hockey. So be prepared for a fair bit of ice time. I found it refreshing that a lot of the focus was on women's hockey.

Two scenes that I felt a bit cheated out of: I would have liked to see the Boxing Day Beatdown hockey game play out on page and was disappointed that it was not in the book. And the Vegas wedding came out of nowhere, particularly with it taking place off the page, and I felt a bit blindsided by it, and surprised that the main characters went from not-dating-no-commitment to getting married on a whim. Fingers crossed Elle Kennedy will provide one or both of these events as bonus scenes in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an eARC. I enjoyed this one and will be adding my review on Insta/amazon on publication day.