Elle Kennedy's Off Campus Series | 12.2.22
For the vibes (some of these books feature vibes too!)
Holiday season justification: these 5 books (The Legacy is a series of novellas taking place years later about each of the four couples) are set at a fancy fictional East Coast ivy-league university and they feature four big strapping handsome hockey players falling in love. Because of when the collegiate hockey season is, we spend a lot of time on ice, in the winter, walking around a snow-covered campus, just generally being cozy AF. These books just feel like sexy Christmas, ok?
Heat level is 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 for all five books, FYI.
The couples:
The Deal. Hannah (musician, firecracker, SA survivor) and Garrett (hockey captain, son of hockey superstar who was an abusive SOB behind closed doors). Rating: 4/5
The Mistake. Grace (freshman, virgin, psych student/campus radio producer) and Logan (manslut who uses sex to cover up his growing despair about his future). Rating: 3.75/5
The Score. Allie (actress, serial monogamist, recently single) and Dean (Rake to end all Rakes, rich kid, future lawyer maybe). Rating: 3/5
The Goal. Sabrina (angry loner, future lawyer from the “wrong side of the tracks”) and Tucker (total sweetie, future business owner) (⅓ of the way through this book we introduce the primary premise of this book, an unplanned pregnancy) Rating: 4/5
The review:
Several of our strapping lads use “female” more often than I’m super comfortable with (though I’m willing to give this a pass because they’re 21 year old jocks and these books are written in dual POV first person and I doubt they’ve been taught better), and if you aren’t a fan of bossy boys in the bedroom/dirty talk, skip this author in general. There are also various problematic elements to these books (usually in the slightly simplistic way heavy topics are dealt with- no slurs or anything like that) so buyer beware. This recommendation post is not the same as 100% condoning the language or narratives.
This all being said, I have not only reread all these books (and read the sequel series, Briar U, about the incoming college hockey boys as these first four graduate), but I will probably read at least one or two again before the year is up.
I’m also not ashamed to admit that big strapping confident boys who Take Charge in the sheets and the streets (while still 1000% respecting and encouraging their lady’s agency and needs) do it for me.
Next week, I’ll be recommending books with home-renovation at the center, because another thing I associate with being home for the holidays is HGTV.
What should I be reading next? Let me know in the comments!