Member Reviews
The Dixon Rule is the second book in the campus series and is as funny and ‘hot’ as the previous books from this author.
Diane Dixon is a cheerleader and has always despised ice hockey player Shane Lindley as being too handsome, rich and cocky also working his way through the girls in her team. When he moves into the apartment next to her sparks fly which provides some great funny dialogue between them.
Shane needs a favour and asks Diane to be his pretend girlfriend and she agrees, this leads to some more funny situations and due to a growing attraction they add sex to the relationship as false as it is.
You’re lulled into a false sense of happy security when suddenly this book takes a devastating turn with serious issues that lead to traumatic and heartbreaking events. So well written with great depth and emotion one is drawn even more into this great couples life, this is a romance that has much depth and draws you in to investing in our two main characters and their relationship.
A thoroughly enjoyable read and I look forward to the next in this great series.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.
Thank you for allowing me to read this book early!
First of all, anything that Elle Kennedy writes I will eat up straight away! This book has blown me away, an instant 5 star read!! I didn’t think that The Graham Effect could be topped but The Dixon Rule is pure perfection.
Elle Kennedy definitely knows how to write the perfect enemies to lovers with a sprinkle of forced proximity and fake dating, anything that has fake dating in it is top tier for me!
In this book we follow Diana Dixon who is head cheerleader at Briar U and Shane Lindley who is a hockey player. Diana has a no cheerleader rule for Shane but does he follow it, no he doesn’t! However one unfortunate night where Shane’s ex girlfriend brings her new boyfriend to Shane’s apartment, who else is better to play the doting girlfriend and make his ex jealous then his next door neighbour, Diana Dixon.
At the beginning Diana is reluctant to participate as this girlfriend but along the way, her walls slowly start to break down and is also a perfect solution to sort out her own ex issues. After several rules that she created have been broken, her romance with Shane blossoms into something more. Their fake relationship has transformed into a friends with benefits situation yet it gets too real!
Expect this book to make you laugh,smile (the cameo of all the off campus boys- my babies!!), cry and cry even more (Elle Kennedy, you know what you did!) If you loved The Off Campus Series, The Briar U series and The Graham Effect then this book is like a warm hug and it feels like home, you DEFINITELY have to read it!
so grateful to be given the chance to read this early thanks to Net Galley and Little Brown Books!
Finished it in 48 hours and ate up every page! I don’t know how Elle Kennedy hits the spot every time :) It had everything you could want in a hockey romance and follows the Off Campus and Briar U series perfectly!
LOVED Diana and Shane so much - their chemistry wasn’t just romantic which made it so much more realistic and the witty remarks had me smiling into my kindle so often!
Would recommend to all who love a fake dating, forced proxmity, enemies to lovers (ish) and a HEA 🫶
So grateful to have had the opportunity to read, is perfect for the hopeless romantic girlies!
Thank you Netgalley, Little Brown Group UK and Elle Kennedy for the eARC of The Dixon Rule - I loved it!
I was so excited for this book and the second in the Campus Diaries did not disappoint! After seeing glimpses of Shane and Diana in The Graham Effect, it was great to get to know them better and see them fall for each other. The Dixon Rule is a great neighbours dislike-to-lust-to-love romance with forced proximity and fake dating.
Being a big fan of Elle Kennedy, this series and her Off-Campus series, The Dixon Rule gave me all the spicy, fun and emotions I've come to expect from her - although it was definitely the spiciest in the series, to date!!! I can't wait to see what she does next with Beckett's book!
Diana was such a strong and sassy character and I loved seeing her interactions with Shane. She went through some tricky situations which gave me a lot of feels - I definitely got emotional in this book! I also love that Shane is a mixed-race MMC as I feel like we've not had much of that in Elle Kennedy's books so far.
This story in particular gave me strong The Score vibes (book 3 in Off-Campus and my joint favourite in the series) although it was still unique in its take for their romance. But, if you loved Dean's romance in Off-Campus, I highly recommend this one too!
I will always recommend Elle Kennedy's books and this is so no different - read for a great hockey romance with spice, fake dating and friends with benefits!
I’ve been waiting to read this book the moment I finished ‘The Graham Effect’ and boy, it did not disappoint.
Dianna Dixon and Shane Lindley were put on this planet to wind each other up. After moving in across the hall from each other the more they clash the bigger the sparks fly. Throw in some fake dating and a dance competition and there’s no chance either or coming out of this without feelings.
This book was the perfect Elle Kennedy enemies to lovers, with fake dating, delightful side characters and a hell of a lot of spice.
What I wasn’t expecting was to end up crying at some of the more serious issues that come up in the book (read trigger warnings) - but it just made me love the characters more.
I’m already patiently waiting for the next book in the series and re-reading the Off Campus series whilst I wait.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book for the ARC.
Elle Kennedy what are you doing to me!?! I couldn’t put this down and so I am lacking in sleep
But
IT WAS SO WORTH IT!!
Shane and Diana have so much love hate banter the chemistry is all over the page and it is so much fun to read.
This could almost be a standalone with how little the other book characters appear and actually impact the story
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and have provided my honest review.
Deanallie walked so DianaShane could run!
There is no other author on this planet doing it like Elle Kennedy when it comes to hockey romance. Elle has proved once again why she is the mother of sports romance, because Diana & Shane were everything.
Personally, I am not a fan of the fake dating trope, I find it tiresome and boring, but the situations that led to Diana and Shane into fake girlfriend and boyfriend was beyond hilarious, and watching them bloom from frenemies who loved to aggravate one another and judged each-other based on looks/stories, into friends who binge watch a show (one based on love island one of my fav reality shows ever) together, to friends with benefits that highlighted their insanely scorching hot chemistry to real lovers, was everything.
Shane is one of my all time fav heroes, he’s a relationship boy stuck in a fuck boys body! Everyone misjudged him due to his manwhorish ways after he broke up with ex, but deep down he’s a vunerable softie who’s so protective over Diana, encouraged her and helped her achieve her goals (dancing, learning Spanish etc..) and is just the best big brother ever.
Diana is my favourite type of heroine. She is unapologetically herself. She’s sassy and fierce but she also has a soft side, one who wants her mother to accept her and nurture her and show her some love, but also appear tough and strong to her father. Shane was perfect for her, because for once she can give up her control and allow someone else to look after her.
The Dixon Rule has some of the most funniest banter, sexy chemistry, the best friendships and found family vibes, and not only did it make me laugh but this book also made me violently sob and shout with rage. All in all, this book is a love letter to OG Elle Kennedy fans, this may not have been about any of the children of the off campus series, but to be quite honest this 2nd instalment was even better than the first, which was already amazing.
I’m so so so beyond excited to see where we end up next, I’m patiently awaiting beckett&will’s book whether it’s an MM book or MFM or even MMF I’ll take anything that includes my favourite besties 😭🩷
Also can we talk about that epilogue? It was perfect and so quintessentially Diana and Shane! If you’re looking for your next sports romance meets fake dating fix, look no further than The Dixon Rule.
Thank you so much to netgalley, the publishers and Elle Kennedy for my arc in exchange for an honest review.
As always, Elle Kennedy produces a fun, highly addictive read. Diana and Shane were great!
This book was filled with humour, romance, friendship, but also deep heartbreak. I laughed, I cried, I swooooooned! Definitely check for the trigger warnings on this one, it deals with some heavy stuff.
It serves so many classic tropes too. Fake dating, enemies to lovers, friends with benefits, neighbours… something for everyone!
I loved how Diana and Shane could just be unapologetically themselves with each other. They pushed each others buttons, they made each other laugh, they cried, they loved fiercely.
Any callback/cameo from the off campus characters is a huge win in this series. From Gigi and Ryder sharing a special day, to the off campus men being together again in the ice, to the acknowledgement that the Tucker girls are the most beautiful creatures on this Earth, to the introduction of another Off Campus kid to Briar… I adore these characters 🤍
This book is a rollercoaster of emotions; I swooned, ugly-cried, laughed, raged and ugly-cried some more. Without going into spoilers this is the most heartbreaking Elle Kennedy book.
I adored Diana and Shane, their banter, intense chemistry and of course the deliciously steamy moments throughout. This is the most risqué Kennedy book I have read, and I absolutely loved it. I can’t even begin to describe the pure joy from the cameos of some of our favourite originals as well as Gigi and Ryder’s wedding.
I wasn’t sure how the Campus Diaries were going to hold up in comparison to the Off Campus series (my favourite), but these books have exceed my expectations and are now two of my favourite Kennedy books.
I am dying for a Will and Beckett story. It was teased so much throughout. I am praying that their book is next!
Read if you enjoy:
🏒 Hockey Romance
♥️ Forced proximity
🏒 Fake Dating
Favourite quotes:
𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇- 𝑰 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕-𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒔𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑.
𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒐. 𝑰'𝒎 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒂𝒅. 𝑰 𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒇𝒇 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖.
𝑵𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒂𝒘 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑫𝒊𝒙𝒐𝒏. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆. 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆. 𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔. 𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘.
𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒇𝒆. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒚 𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉.
Thank you NetGalley and The Little Brown Book Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When I saw I had been accepted to read and review an advanced copy of this I couldn't believe my luck, thank you so much NetGalley! As an avid fan of the off-campus and Briar U series as well as the Graham effect I had very high hopes for this book, which certainly didn't disappoint!
I was initially a little wary, as I hadn't LOVED Diana's character in the Graham effect and wasn't overly excited or desperate to hear her story (I would've preferred to hear about another child from the original off campus families!). However, I was soon proven very wrong and found this book totally addictive. I sped through this in just one day because I literally couldn't put it down, I just HAD to know what would happen and if there would be a happy ending.
Kennedy has such a fantastic way of approaching difficult subjects (e.g. this book contains issues of domestic violence, parental death and touches upon the impact society has on how we view ourselves and our preferences) so that you don't feel overwhelmed by the situations but characters and their stories are able to develop.
I would absolutely implore any fan of hockey, university romances or Elle Kennedy's previous work to read this and couldn't recommend it enough - I am sad I have finished it so quickly and can't wait for the next book!!!
Did I read this book in less than 24 hours? Yes I did. I was worried that I wasn't going to enjoy this as much as The Graham Effect but I ate this up. I am convinced that Elle Kennedy can do no wrong. The characters, the plot and the spice were perfect. I'm just sad that I read this so fast and didn't savour it but I could not put it down.
Elle Kennedy is back and it feels sooo good! The Dixon Rule has your typical Elle charm that she’s become so well-known for— full of light-hearted banter, swoony romance and an ensemble cast of quirky characters you can’t help but root for.
I loved The Graham Effect. It was so nostalgic, exciting and fun, and The Dixon Rule made me feel the same! I was giddy from laughing and feeling like I was a teen again reading the Off-Campus books all those years ago. Diana and Shane were hilarious, with Diana’s spitfire energy and Shane’s boyish charm they just made the perfect pair. They really balanced each other out, with their snarky back and forth but also their tender vulnerability as they slowly begin to realise the other isn’t quite what they seem.
With just the right amount of angst and lots of laughs, The Dixon Rule is Elle Kennedy in her element and I truly can’t wait for the next instalment. I want Will and Beckett<3