Even though I was slightly disappointed that this book was not about a second gen Off-Campus character, i really wanted to give it a try. The Graham Effect was enjoyable but forgettable to me, so I was really happy that the this book sucked me in, in a way the previous one couldn’t. The romance plot started quite slow and it took about 80 for the mc’s to have a conversation, but it didn’t feel that long. I really liked their banter and that was the most fun part of the story to me. That was also because, for a lack of a better word, the book felt a bit uneventful. I didn’t notice really big plot points in the book or scenes to remember it by. There was a barbecue and the dance competition, but neither of those I found myself getting excited for and they felt rushed.
I definitely liked this one better than the last one and the vibe came a lot closer to the original Off-Campus series. I think if this series progresses Kennedy might be able to recapture the magic that was in the Off-Campus and Briar U books, so i’m excited to see where it takes us next.

I've read my bunch of campus romances lately, and I have to say : Elle Kennedy is the best ! This new series is clearly one of my favorites ! The Graham effet was great, and so it this one !
Diane is Gigi's best friend. She's the captain of the Cheerleaders team and is a firecracker. She recently inherited from her late aunt a condo, and she's thrilled to live there on her own. Only black spot, Shane, Ryder's best friend, has been offered an appartment by his parents on the same land. And so, they'll be neighbours. But Diane hates Shane : because of him and his one night stands, a lot of her teamates were upset last year. So, if they want to live peacefully, he will have to follow the Dixon rules...

This book was fun, and emotionnal, and tough. I love that this is not only a steamy love story, but that there are lots of layers to their stories. It's tolerant, and respectful, and I loved it !

The Dixon rule

Enemies to lovers
Fake relationship
Friends with benefits
Neighbours

This book is Elle Kennedy on steroids, it has the comedy aspect, the drama, the utter chaos and the romance is top tier but above all that it’s also absolutely heartbreaking.

I think this time round I actually prefer the MMC which is a first for me. Shane is actually incredible. He’s definitely hit my number 1 on Elles males which is madness because I didn’t expect ANYBODY to take Garrets place but yettttt here we are.

Diana is like marmite at times, you’re either going to love her or hate her. She’s childish in certain aspects but then really mature is other aspects. The way she treats Shane and turns the neighbours against him over a misunderstanding on HER part is so frustrating.

Lynsey can eat a bag of dicks.

“I don’t know why but I’m weirdly affronted by the word flaccid” probably my favourite line throughout the entire book.

Some of my favourite moments.
1. Shanes parents and sister just being.
2. The removals from the group chats.
3. Will, Shane and Diana. IYKYK

Overall I think this might be in my top 3, maybe even top 2 of Elles books and that’s saying something since I’ve read all of her books and they’re all good. I however don’t think one of Elles books has ever made me feel all the things that I did within one book. Kudos to you Elle, thank you for the tears and laughter. Bring on the next.

SPOILER AHEAD


P.S the “I’ll always be with you” hit me especially hard. A few weeks after my dad unexpectedly was found dead I had a dream and he said those exact words.

P.P.S coach is getting soft in his old age.

P.P.P.S WILL AND BECKETT NEED TO BECOME A THING PLEASE I WILL SELL MY SOUL TO WHOEVER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

I absolutely am loving this series so far and Elle Kennedy knocks it out if the park with this follow up. I love the hockey waiver of course and how Ellie and Shane’s fake date romance turns into something more over the course of the novel. It’s a troupe that never gets old and when it’s done to perfection with just the right amount of heat like Elle Kennedy does it makes for a fantastic read.

I’m always excited about a new Elle Kennedy book, probably irrationally so. But no one writes hockey romances like she does. As with all of her books, you can technically read this on its own but it takes some of the joy away. Similarly to the Graham Effect, we get lots of appearances of characters from the Off Campus series, and if you’ve read those these little scenes simply bring pure joy. I love both of our MCs, Diana is absolutely badass and Shane is such a softie it’s adorable. I had a great time reading about them becoming closer. The book does deal with a couple heavy themes, especially towards the end, and it’s worth checking the TWs. It really hit me personally and I cried a little bit (or a lot bit, who’s to say). The reason I can’t give this book a full 5 stars is because the Graham Effect was simply an entire mile before this one. I think it might be that there was less/no longing/yearning in this or I don’t know, but the Graham Effect blows this book out of the park. Don’t get me wrong, this is still an amazing book, but it’s not really comparable. Do read this if you’re looking for a hockey romance, Elle Kennedy fans should definitely read it (we get some more Hannah and Graham appearances). I had a great time and thank you to the Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of the book.

Literally so so happy I got this when requested. As a big old Elle Kennedy fan, and after loving the Graham effect, I was DYING to read this. I was hoping for another one of the OG couples children, but I’m so glad it wasn’t.

Diana and Shane were literally everything together. From Shane being an insufferable golden retriever and Diana being the ultimate girl boss, I love reading their story and how they constantly bickered but in a hilarious way.

There are some super serious/sad moments that I won’t go into detail of that I think the author handled excellently and with the right touch.

I’m just so excited to see if there will be a third book in this series.

Ufffffff I loved it!
.
The spice? Yes.
The relationship growth? Yes.
Did it make me cry? Yes.
.
Thank you so much for the copy @netgalley, sorry I can't do better than this!

I really enjoyed this. I read it in my sitting.
I loved the banter had. Few laugh out loud moments
The characters are fun interesting and witty.
I laughed I cried I was fuming. So many emotions which I find you need in a good book.

[#adpr]

✨ B O O K R E V I E W ✨

The Dixon Rule by @ellekennedy33

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

Thank you so much to @ellekennedy33, @yourswithlovex and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for this e-arc from @netgalley. I absolutely devoured it and my review is honest.

I loved this so much 👏🏻. I’m a sucker for a playboy MMC turned sweetie and Shane was exactly this; Diana was a sassy FMC who knew who she and wasn’t changing for anyone.

“𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙖𝙬 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝘿𝙞𝙭𝙤𝙣. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚….𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙨. 𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬.”

I got whiplash from the emotions I felt reading this. I was laughing at one point and then next page crying my eyes out.

Elle is a queen at writing smut but this took a turn, which I guessed was going to happen, but wasn’t quite expecting at the same time 🥵

Both characters are amazing. Felt that Shane had some 🚩 that maybe weren’t needed but our sassy Diana put him in his place very quickly.

The last 10-15% was an emotional rollercoaster and whilst I guessed it, it still hit hard.

One thing I loved so much about this was the OG off-campus and Briar U characters cameos - need more of them always!

Read if you like:-
💜 fake dating
🤍 forced proximity
🩷 dom/sub
💜 “enemies” to lovers
🤍 hockey romance
🩷 dirty talking MMC

This book handles a few very difficult topics. Please check TWs.

[I won’t post my full review on my bookstagram until approved by publisher or within the 2 week period]

Started this book and next thing I know it's 4am and I've finished. It had me squealing out loud at parts and then also teared up at parts. I'm so obsessed with Diana and Shane! I adored everything about their relationship - from their banter to the sizzling hot sex scenes! I'm not even a fan of fake dating, but I love the way they went about it here. Also love the found family moments we get, I'm just a sucker for a good friend group. I also cannot wait for a Beckett and Will book, I ate up all their crumbs up like crazy. This book was such a fun ride and I wish I could scrub it from my brain so I can read it again for the first time. You're definitely going to want to mark your calendars for May 14th!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Veers hard from romcom into thriller at various moments - rather than raising the stakes it felt tonally confused. I liked the chemistry between the pair but quite often Diana feels almost cliche/stereotypically hysterical at Shane's actions - it starts to improve when they get together, but it's grating before that.

I’m absolutely loving this series so far and want to say a big thank you to NetGalley, Elle Kennedy, and the publisher for an arc copy of this book!!

Tropes include:
Enemies to lovers
Slow burn
Hockey romance
Fake dating

This was a great book, much like all of her other books, I could not put it down and read this so fast!! I highly recommended it to anyone wanting to read this series!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc, in exchange for an honest review!

i almost always have a good time with an elle kennedy book - she just knows how to create such loveable main characters that you can’t help but root for, and her romances are always so fun and hot!!

diana and shane were no exception! the banter was great, the chemistry was great, the tension built as the book went on and you got to actually see the development between them in their interactions which was good!

i’ll always be eager to read an elle kennedy book, because it’s always super fun to jump back into the briar universe!!

I am a new fan of Elle Kennedy and have read most of her back catalogue. Loved this as an addition to her next series.
The characters are strong and have depth, love the enemies to lovers romance genre and this one fulfills that brief very well.
I think the ending was a little rushed. Felt like lots of drama in only a few chapters which could have been spread out a bit.
However I loved Diana as a leading lady and Shane fit the bill for our leading man. A little dabble in watching others as well.
We now need Wills story and Beckett's storey. Thank you :)

✮ ✮ ✮ ✮.5 / 5

This book had me squealing and kicking my legs in the air! After becoming obsessed with The Graham Effect last year I had very high expectations for The Dixon Rule and let me tell you, IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!! 👏🏼

Shane was such a playboy in the first book but I really loved seeing the real him in this book! He’s a girlfriend guy through and through and I loved how his a Diana’s relationship developed. The transition from enemies to friends-with-benefits to lovers was done so well and we really saw Shane’s true character come out to play. He reminded me a lot of Dean, the rich boy who had everything handed to him, but then being hit with a dose of real life hardships. He was so supportive of Diana, his family and friends, and he was always putting them before himself. He had me swooning one minute, laughing another and then bawling crying the next!

Diana was pure sunshine! ☀️ She was like the perfect blend between Allie and Summer and she just lit up every room! She was fierce, sassy and so strong. She was a tough girl and tried to fight all of her own battles, but I really loved when she finally let Shane in to fight alongside her. Their relationship was fun and carefree at the start, but I really loved how they stepped up for one another, and of course the moment they realised they weren’t faking it anymore 😍

One of my favourite things about the Briar Universe is the found family element. We get loads of cameos from Gigi and Ryder, aswell as the OG Off Campus couples and their kids. Blake deserves a special mention because that girl was 🔥 I hope we get her book next and I REALLY HOPE it’s with a certain DiLaurentis’ son 🤞🏼

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Tropes:
- Hockey Player x Cheerleader
- Enemies to Lovers
- Fake Dating
- Friends with Benefits
- Forced Proximity
- Found Family
- 2nd Generation at Briar

this was an enjoyable read and even made me cry at one point which I was not expecting but I definitely enjoyed this a whole lot more than the first book. I like Shane, I liked Diana and I really liked them together. They were fun, sassy and light hearted but also knew how to be there for each other in more serious times. I also felt the progression of their relationship was natural and just flowed with the perfect amount of spice and this one is spicy!!! however so far this series isn’t what I expected from a second gen kids series. I feel like we’re reading hockey romances with mentions of the off campus’s kids? It also did feel a little all over the place at times for me but I probably will continue because I’m intrigued about the other characters.

tropes:
-hockey romance
-fake dating
-frenemies with benefits

tws: domestic violence

thank you NetGalley and little brown book for the arc!

I don't know how much I have to say about 'The Dixon Rule', if I'm being honest. A lot of the issues I had came down to personal enjoyment - for example I didn't appreciate the way in which Diana was quite nasty towards the beginning of the book. I'm not sure either if the switch up in tone was done particularly well.

This book heavily features domestic abuse and so I think there should be a trigger warning included, but I think that the topic itself was handled well.

Otherwise, this was an enjoyable read with just the right amount of spice. I think any fan of Elle Kennedy will enjoy this just as much as the rest of her books.

What starts as a light hearted romance tackles deeper issues of domestic violence and the fear and paralysis this can cause. This isn’t the first time Elle Kennedy looks at the darkness that can happen and balances it well with the more every day romance. The plot bounces along well, with small bumps of exes, parents and siblings entering in to keep things moving. The small glimpses of life of the original Briar U players is great and a nice flashback to previous books - I couldn’t help wanting more of that! This was a charming book, that didn’t say away from loss and violence when they came up and dealt with this sensitively.

From the bustling backdrop of ballroom dance competitions to the drama of apartment living,

Protagonist Diana Dixon's life is already packed with responsibilities and challenges, but when the handsome and persistent Shane Lindley disrupts her routine, sparks fly in all directions.
Kennedy expertly crafts a dynamic between Diana and Shane that crackles with witty banter and undeniable attraction. Diana's determination to keep Shane at arm's length clashes amusingly with Shane's earnest desire for a genuine connection. As they navigate the complexities of fake relationships and real emotions.

What sets "The Dixon Rule" apart is its vibrant cast of characters and the authentic portrayal of modern relationships. Diana is a relatable and fiercely independent heroine, while Shane's vulnerability beneath his charming exterior adds depth to his character. The supporting cast, including Diana's cheerleading squad and Shane's ex-girlfriend, inject additional layers of drama and humour into the narrative, keeping readers thoroughly engaged.

4.5 ⭐️ Okay so this maaay have been Elle’s spiciest book yet 🥵🌶️ Shane Lindley??? HELLO??? THE BALCONY????????? Yeah this was great, really really good!! Super swoon worthy, one of my favourite hockey romances, we love the off campus crossover 🥹😭 Enemies to lovers, fake dating, friends with benefits, forced proximity - LOVED IT ALL!!! Shane and Diana’s love hate banter and chemistry throughout was just perfect. Soooo can we have book #3 now?!