Tag: Purchased

Review: The Dare by Elle Kennedy

Posted July 30, 2026 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

The Dare by Elle Kennedy

Series: Briar U #4
Also in this Series: The Chase, The Risk, The Play
Main Leads: Conor Edwards, Taylor Marsh
Secondary Characters: Hunter Davenport, Mike Hollis, Summer DiLaurentis, Brenna Jensen, Sasha Lennox, Colin Fitzgerald, Demi Davis, Rupi Miller
Setting: United States, Massachusetts, Hastings
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Fake Dating, Overcoming Trauma, Past Trauma, Miscommunication
Release Date: June 16, 2020
Publisher: Elle Kennedy
Format: Audio, e-Book
Source: Purchased
Pages: 354
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

College was supposed to be my chance to get over my ugly-duckling complex and spread my wings. Instead, I wound up in a sorority full of mean girls. I already have a hard time fitting in, so when my Kappa Chi sisters issue the challenge, I can’t say no.

The dare: seduce the hottest new hockey player in the junior class.

Conor Edwards is a regular at Greek Row parties…and in Greek Row sorority beds. He’s the one you fall for before you learn that guys like him don’t give girls like me a second glance. Except Mr. Popular throws me for a loop—rather than laughing in my face, he does me a solid by letting me take him upstairs to pretend we’re getting busy.

Even crazier, now he wants to keep pretending. Turns out Conor loves games, and he thinks it’s fun to pull the wool over my frenemies’ eyes.

But resisting his easy charm and surfer-boy hotness is darn near impossible. Though I’m realizing there’s much more to Conor’s story than his fan club can see.

And the longer this silly ruse goes on, the greater the danger of it all blowing up in my face.

It’s been a few years since I read this book and I guess I’m not the same person I was back then because I didn’t enjoy this book nearly as much as I did last time. As a big girl myself, I thought I would connect with Taylor and her issues more but I spent a good chunk of this book frustrated with her. With Conor. There was a lot of miscommunication, misunderstandings, and insecurities that bogged down my enjoyment of this book. I almost put it down twice and that’s a bummer because I was enjoying my re-read of the entire series. What’s funny is that while I didn’t drop this read, I did stop my re-read of the series.

I remembered Conor mostly from Hunter and Demi’s book but I didn’t remember much so going into this was like a re-introduction to Conor’s fine ass. I liked him. He wasn’t my favorite boy from this set of books, but I did like him. I liked that he was from So Cal but meh to him being from Huntington Beach. I liked how much Conor liked Taylor and how he tried hard to make sure she understood that she was beautiful to him. I also liked how much he respected and supported his teammates, especially Hunter. What I didn’t care for was his past and his ex-best friend. I thought that was the corniest part of the story. It was also a pretty shitty thing for him to do and then run from but at least he was ashamed about it and he made things right so that was something.

Taylor was a solid female lead and she had a lot of the same insecurities that I had growing up so I thought that I would connect with her character a lot more than I actually did this time around. The hot and cold attitude she had toward Conor whenever someone else triggered her insecurities got really annoying because it felt like Conor was paying for things that he had nothing to do with. I was glad that she made some real progress in getting over those insecurities though. I really enjoyed her scenes with not just Conor but with her best friend Sasha. Their friendship was pretty great and I loved how supportive Sasha was and even though Abigail came around in the end, I could have done without a redemption arc for her because she was an absolute shit for most of the book and I didn’t want to forgive her bitch ass.

Conor and Taylor’s romance was my favorite thing about this read. The way that Conor was down bad for Taylor was cute. The way that he wooed her, kept picking her up when her bully would try to bring her down had me soft for him. I loved the way that Taylor was with him, too. Right from the very beginning, they had great chemistry but the constant up and down made me roll my eyes more than once and don’t even get me started when they started to make decisions for the other because they knew best. Nothing pisses me off more than someone telling me how I’d feel in any moment…so when I see it happen in my books, I’m never a fan of it and there was a lot of that going on here.

While I wasn’t the biggest fan of this book overall, it does have its moments of shine. Taylor and Conor were a lot of fun when they were together and when they were with people that make them feel safe. They also come into their own and grow for the better so I didn’t absolutely hate this read but I can’t deny that all of the miscommunication and misunderstandings took its toll on me. So it wasn’t the best but it also wasn’t the worst read.

Rating

2.5 out of 5

The Briar U Series

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Review: The Play by Elle Kennedy

Posted July 29, 2026 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

The Play by Elle Kennedy

Series: Briar U #3
Also in this Series: The Chase, The Risk
Main Leads: Hunter Davenport, Demi Davis
Secondary Characters: Brenna Jensen, Summer DiLaurentis, Mike Hollis, TJ, Pax
Setting: United States, Massachusetts, Hastings
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult
Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Forced Proximity, The Rebound Romance
Release Date: October 7, 2019
Publisher: Elle Kennedy
Format: Audio, e-Book
Source: Purchased
Pages: 422
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

What I learned after last year’s distractions cost my hockey team our entire season? No more screwing up. No more screwing, period. As the new team captain, I need a new philosophy: hockey and school now, women later. Which means that I, Hunter Davenport, am officially going celibate…no matter how hard that makes things.

But there’s nothing in the rulebook that says I can’t be friends with a woman. And I won’t lie—my new classmate Demi Davis is one cool chick. Her smart mouth is hot as hell, and so is the rest of her, but the fact that she’s got a boyfriend eliminates the temptation to touch her.

Except three months into our friendship, Demi is single and looking for a rebound.

And she’s making a play for me.

Avoiding her is impossible. We’re paired up on a yearlong school project, but I’m confident I can resist her. We’d never work, anyway. Our backgrounds are too different, our goals aren’t aligned, and her parents hate my guts.

Hooking up is a very bad idea. Now I just have to convince my body—and my heart.

We’re finally getting Hunter’s book. If you read the previous books in this series then you’ll remember Hunter. He got his heart broken by Summer in the first book and then he turned into a little playboy that pissed off the wrong guy and got his wrist broken in the second book but he’s back and he’s finally getting his own person in the third book. I’m going to be honest and tell you guys that Hunter was not my favorite person in the previous books. He was a whiny little bitch in The Chase but I’m not at all mad at the guy he grew to be in this book. I enjoyed his friendship with Demi and every time he called her Semi, I laughed.

The dialogue was fantastic in this book. I loved being part of all of their conversations. You can really see the growth in his character in this book because he was a really good friend to Demi and this was the first romance in a long time where I really enjoyed seeing the friendship blossom before the romance. Elle Kennedy did a great job of showing them grow from friends to more.

Hunter’s character really came around for me. I went from not really knowing if I wanted to read this book to I’m so glad that I did and Hunter was a huge reason why. The whole celibacy thing cracked me up because it was SO extra but I really loved seeing Hunter have his teammates back, I loved seeing him care for Pablo and seeing him get closer with Demi. The whole psychology project that they were working on together was interesting and I enjoyed seeing Hunter play his role. Getting to know what happened to him to make him the way that he was, was interesting and I liked that the more I found out, the more attached to him I got.

Demi was everything that I like in a New Adult heroine. She was strong, smart, and sexy without being boring and bitchy so I really appreciated Elle Kennedy’s efforts where Demi was concerned. I also liked that Demi was part Latina but an Americanized Latina. I know a lot of girls who come from diverse backgrounds but grew up in America so they don’t speak their native tongue as much anymore or they just never learned the language so I didn’t mind that we got a diverse heroine who was still pretty American. Demi could have been me, just Cuban instead of Samoan. I’m as brown as brown can be but I don’t speak Samoan often so I’m not exactly fluent in Samoan anymore.

There were two things that drove me crazy with this book and they were Demi’s parents and Demi’s ex-boyfriend. Actually, it was more Demi’s father than her mother but when he completely disregarded her feelings about sharing their family holiday with her cheating ex-boyfriend’s family, it pissed me off. Then when he shows up at school to tell Hunter off, that pissed me off too. I’m really glad that Hunter was able to get through to the father and make him see things from Demi’s point-of-view because I wanted to push Demi’s dad right off the roof. Don’t even get me started on Nico, the cheating ex-boyfriend. I just found him to be so miserably blah. I didn’t care for his character at all so when Demi was finally done with him, I was glad.

Overall, this book was a good one. It definitely engaged all of my feelings. My heart hurt for Hunter and finding out about his parents and home life. I was mad at Demi for her part in the shenanigans with Hunter’s celibacy. I was pissed to high heaven that Nico and his friends jumped Hunter and everything that happened with Nico but I rejoiced like crazy when they finally admitted to each other that they loved each other and I really loved when Demi became a part of the off-campus apartment dynamic. I enjoyed this one a lot though The Risk is still my favorite of the bunch. Still, if you’re a fan of Elle Kennedy’s books, a fan of the off-campus and Briar U series then you should definitely read this one. It’s good, I promise!

Rating

3 out of 5

The Briar U Series

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Review: The Risk by Elle Kennedy

Posted July 28, 2026 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

The Risk by Elle Kennedy

Series: Briar U #2
Also in this Series: The Chase
Main Leads: Brenna Jensen, Jake Connelly
Secondary Characters: Summer DiLaurentis, Hazel Simonson, Colin Fitzgerald, Hunter Davenport, Mike Hollis, Chad Jensen
Setting: United States, Massachusetts, Hastings
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult
Tropes: Fake Dating, Enemies to Lovers, Forbidden Romance, He Fell First
Release Date: February 18, 2019
Publisher: Elle Kennedy
Format: Audio, e-Book
Source: Purchased
Pages: 402
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Everyone says I’m a bad girl. They’re only partly right—I don’t let fear rule me, and I certainly don’t care what people think. But I draw the line at sleeping with the enemy. As the daughter of Briar’s head hockey coach, I’d be vilified if I hooked up with a player from a rival team.

And that’s who Jake Connelly is. Harvard’s star forward is arrogant, annoying, and too attractive for his own good. But fate is cruel—I require his help to secure a much-coveted internship, and the sexy jerk isn’t making it easy for me.

I need Connelly to be my fake boyfriend.

For every fake date…he wants a real one.

Which means this bad girl is in big trouble. Nothing good can come from sneaking around with Jake Connelly. My father would kill me, my friends will revolt, and my post-college career is on the line. But while it’s getting harder and harder to resist Jake’s oozing sex appeal and cocky grin, I refuse to fall for him.

That’s the one risk I’m not willing to take.

The Risk is the second book in Elle Kennedy’s Briar U series and it features our favorite smart ass Brenna from The Chase and the enemy, Jake Connelly. I have been looking forward to reading Brenna’s story since we first met her in Summer and Fitz’ story. She has a sparkly personality that I wanted to know more and Jake was just as wonderfully charming as I hoped he would be.

Brenna’s Dad is the coach for the Briar University’s hockey team. Jake Connelly is the star player for the Harvard hockey team. They’re going to face each other in their conference finals so tempers are high and the very last thing that Brenna needs is to get involved with Jake, of all people…but when an internship is on the line, she needs Jake to help her land this and so she asks him to do her a solid by going on a fake date with her and he agrees but only if she’ll go on a real date with him for every fake date they go on.

The chemistry was pretty strong between these two in The Chase so I was not at all surprised when we found out that Jake was Brenna’s hero. I thought that they would be pretty good together but I was wrong because they were freaking perfect for each other. I really loved seeing them battle wits and grow close with each passing page. I’m telling you guys, Elle Kennedy does great dialogue. The dialogue between her characters always feels natural and that’s something that I appreciate because not everyone can do it well and it takes me out of the story every time that I read bad dialogue. I was wrapped up in Brenna and Jake’s bubble from beginning to end. They had me laughing, sighing and just feeling all of the feels. I loved seeing them go from strangers attracted to each other to confiding their secret confidences with each other. Brenna didn’t trust easy and seeing her open up to Jake was just so rewarding for me. I loved it.

There was a part of the story where I wanted to knee Jake in the nuts but man does he make up for pissing me off and I was low key mad at Brenna for forgiving him so quickly but like Bren, I got over it because he was so damn fine that I’m not even gonna lie, during the big Briar vs. Harvard game, I was low key Team Harvard…

I’m already over it, I promise because I’m a Briar girl again but Jake Connelly is that guy…

This book was everything I was hoping it would be. Elle Kennedy did her big one with this. I loved getting to know both Brenna and Jake. I loved seeing Brenna and her father work on their issues that they had with each other. I loved seeing Jake’s parents come out and support him, but also acknowledge that they should have supported him more. I wish we’d gotten more from Brenna’s other friends, Audrey and Elisa. I wanted to see more Hazel too until we got more Hazel and then I wanted her gone. LOL.

Overall, this book was the bomb. Elle Kennedy delivers a modern New Adult romance that will rock all of your socks, I just know it. Hell yes, you should read this one.

Rating

4.5 out of 5

The Briar U Series

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Review: The Chase by Elle Kennedy

Posted July 27, 2026 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

The Chase by Elle Kennedy

Series: Briar U Series #1
Main Leads: Colin Fitzgerald, Summer DiLaurentis
Secondary Characters: Brenna Jensen, Mike Hollis, Hunter Davenport, Dean DiLaurentis, John Tucker
Setting: United States, Massachusetts, Hastings
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult
Tropes: Grumpy and Sunshine, Forced Proximity, Friends Sibling, She Fell First, He Fell Harder
Release Date: August 4, 2018
Publisher: Elle Kennedy
Format: Audio, e-Book
Source: Purchased
Pages: 374
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

She’s the one girl he shouldn’t want . . .

Everyone says opposites attract. And they must be right, because there’s no logical reason why I’m so drawn to Colin Fitzgerald. I don’t usually go for tattoo-covered, video-gaming, hockey-playing nerd-jocks who think I’m flighty and superficial. His narrow view of me is the first strike against him. It doesn’t help that he’s buddy-buddy with my brother.

And that his best friend has a crush on me.

And that I just moved in with them.

Oh, did I not mention we’re roommates?

I suppose it doesn’t matter. Fitzy has made it clear he’s not interested in me, even though the sparks between us are liable to burn our house down. I’m not the kind of girl who chases after a man, though, and I’m not about to start. I’ve got my hands full dealing with a new school, a sleazy professor, and an uncertain future. So if my sexy brooding roomie wises up and realizes what he’s missing?

He knows where to find me.

The Chase kicks off the Off-Campus spin-off series, Briar U and it features some familiar characters in Summer Hayward-Di Laurentis and Colin Fitzgerald. We first meet Summer in her brother’s book, The Score. Summer comes to visit her brother Dean at school and takes one look at Fitzy and she wants him. She’s carried a huge ol’ crush on Fitzy around with her ever since and when she transfers from Brown to Briar, things get really interesting for her.

Fitzy is attracted to Summer, of course he is but he can’t go there because 1) She’s Dean’s sister and 2) She’s the exact opposite of everything he is and everything he has no interest in being. She’s outgoing and social where he’s more reserved and more comfortable alone and at home. Sure, he’s a hockey player and he does go out from time to time, but he really loves the quiet that comes from being alone with his art and video games.

Things really get going for them when Summer moves in with Fitzy and the rest of his roommates at the Off-Campus house. She needs a place to stay and they need a roommate so win-win right? Hahaha, oh the drama that comes with Summer moving in. The shenanigans that these two get into was so much fun.

Elle Kennedy does what she does best with this book. She brings together two characters in a way that will have you itching to keep turning the pages. There’s a lot of charm, a lot of OMG that didn’t just happen moments along with characters that will make you laugh and cheer for as you keep reading.

Summer was probably my favorite part of the book even though I did come to love Fitzy but I really enjoyed getting to know Summer because she seemed to be a lot of fun in Dean’s book and that was brought to the front of the class in this one. I loved how strong she was despite being so insecure about her learning disability. Having a daughter who has a learning disability, it made me appreciate Summer’s drive and her willingness to do whatever it took to stay on top of her course studies. I also really enjoyed how she didn’t let Fitzy get away with the shit that he tried to pull with her. Her friendship with Brenna was another thing that I absolutely loved about her. She seriously rocked and even though I thought she led Hunter on for a little bit, I still really liked her.

This book had all of Elle Kennedy’s trademark humor and sexy story time that I enjoy but there were things that I didn’t care for (the whole thing with Hunter, the way that things were handled with the professor and assistant dean then all of the douche behavior from Fitzy). Still, it was a solid effort and I ended up enjoying the book so I’m planted firmly in the I can’t wait for the next book to come out camp. If you enjoy contemporary NA with compelling characters and a steamy romance then you’ll definitely enjoy this one.

Rating

4 out of 5

The Briar U Series

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Review: The Goal by Elle Kennedy

Posted July 9, 2026 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

The Goal by Elle Kennedy

Series: Off Campus Series #4
Also in this Series: The Goal, The Mistake, The Score
Main Leads: John Tucker, Sabrina James
Secondary Characters: Garrett Graham, Hannah Wells, John Logan, Grace Ivers, Dean DiLaurentis, Allie Hayes, Colin Fitzgerald, Summer DiLaurentis
Setting: United States, Massachusetts, Hastings
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult
Tropes: Accidental Pregnancy, He Fell First, Grumpy and Sunshine, Opposites Attract
Release Date: September 26, 2016
Publisher: Bloom Books
Format: Audio, e-Book
Source: Purchased
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

She’s good at achieving her goals…

College senior Sabrina James has her whole future planned out: graduate from college, kick butt in law school, and land a high-paying job at a cutthroat firm. Her path to escaping her shameful past certainly doesn’t include a gorgeous hockey player who believes in love at first sight. One night of sizzling heat and surprising tenderness is all she’s willing to give John Tucker, but sometimes, one night is all it takes for your entire life to change.

But the game just got a whole lot more complicated

Tucker believes being a team player is as important as being the star. On the ice, he’s fine staying out of the spotlight, but when it comes to becoming a daddy at the age of twenty-two, he refuses to be a bench warmer. It doesn’t hurt that the soon-to-be mother of his child is beautiful, whip-smart, and keeps him on his toes. The problem is, Sabrina’s heart is locked up tight, and the fiery brunette is too stubborn to accept his help. If he wants a life with the woman of his dreams, he’ll have to convince her that some goals can only be made with an assist.

The last of the Off Campus boys gets their happy ending in The Goal and it was another winner of a story for me. I have really enjoyed my time with these guys and this book has never been my favorite story of the bunch but I did enjoy Tuck and Sabrina a lot more this time around. Tucker is the guy that had a quiet shine to him in the other books. You can tell that he loved the guys and was loved in return.

I’ve always loved Tucker whenever I read his story but I wasn’t always a fan of Sabrina. Her beef with Dean was a bone of contention with me being a Dean girly but during this re-read, I wasn’t mad at Sabrina for what she thought, especially because their talk toward the end did a lot to clear their air between them but also with me. But also, I would have thought the same shit that Sabrina did if a guy got away with what Dean did in class.

What I really liked about this book was how sure Tucker was of his feelings for Sabrina. I loved how patient and supportive he was of her, her plans, and their future. He was one of those guys that quietly takes care of the people he loves and I ate that shit up. His confidence in himself, and his ability to roll with the punches made me a sucker for Tucker. I loved his quiet steadiness in the chaos that was Sabrina’s life. I loved how he accepted Sabrina exactly as she was and just wanted to be a support to her. She wasn’t an easy person to be with, something that Sabrina knew about herself, and yet she was it for him and I loved every minute of him showing up for Sabrina.

I really liked Sabrina’s character this time around. I didn’t appreciate her before this re-read and that sucked because she was so strong, so fiercely independent that just wanted to secure a more stable future. She was a great friend to her friends and though she didn’t trust Tucker to take care of her heart, seeing him win her over was a lot of fun. There was a lot of substance to Sabrina and seeing her efforts to succeed, no matter what was thrown her way made me happy when she finally gets it all.

This was a great ending to everyone’s college years and seeing the introduction of Fitz and knowing that his book is next made me excited to jump right in. There was a lot of heart, a lot of heat, and the charm that I’ve come to expect from this series in this book and I’m so glad that I re-read it because John Tucker and Sabrina James were a good time. I definitely recommend.

Rating

4 out of 5

The Off Campus Series

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Review: The Score by Elle Kennedy

Posted July 8, 2026 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

The Score by Elle Kennedy

Series: Off Campus #3
Also in this Series: The Deal, The Mistake
Main Leads: Dean DiLaurentis, Allie Hayes
Secondary Characters: Garrett Graham, Hannah Wells, John Logan, Grace Ivers, John Tucker, Beau Maxwell
Setting: United States, Massachusetts, Hastings
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Rebound Romance, Reformed Playboy, He Fell First, Friends with Benefits, Secret Romance, Opposites Attract, Hockey Player
Release Date: January 11, 2016
Publisher: Bloom Books
Format: Audio, e-Book
Source: Purchased
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

A New York Times bestseller! Get ready for another binge-worthy romance from international bestselling author Elle Kennedy.

He knows how to score, on and off the ice…

Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she’s going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands.

It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over…

Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.

The re-read marathon continues and when I first started, it was this book that I was looking forward to reading again. Every single time that I read this book, I have loved it and that didn’t change with this re-read. I am a Dean’s girl through and through and I knew the moment that I was kicking my feet up and rolling around on my bed like Min Min from Strong Woman Do Bong Soon that I will forever and always be a Dean DiLaurentis girly.

My favorite kind of heroes are the sunshine ones that are huge flirts, funny as hell, and is still dominate when the time calls for it so Dean DiLaurentis is my kind of jam. I was a puddle of mush for him at every turn in this book but he wasn’t perfect because as much as I drooled over him, there were plenty of times when I wanted to knee him in his balls.

Allie was such a good match for Dean. I enjoyed her character in The Deal and seeing her front and center in this book only made me love her more. In The Deal, she was so strong for Hannah and in this book, you see her become strong for herself and I really enjoyed seeing her come into her own.

Elle Kennedy was really in her bag when writing these books. With each release, the books just kept getting better and better for me. I enjoyed the first two books in this series but this book right here?? Yeah, this book was fan-freaking-tastic! I adored both Dean and Allie, I adored seeing them fall in love with each other and that “CALL DEAN” scene?? The way that Dean came running to take care of his baby even though they agreed to keep their relationship secret from their friends and he came running anyway? Yessss, this is the Dean action that I love and adore!

I really loved this book and had a lot of fun re-reading this book. I laughed, I happy sighed, I blushed, and through it all, I fell in love with their love. I loved seeing Dean grow into the reformed rake that he was. I loved seeing him with his roommates and friends, I loved seeing him with the kids on the team that he coached, and I loved seeing him with Allie. Allie was great too. She was smart and strong and she was the kind of friend that makes you feel blessed to have in your corner. This was another fantastic addition that will stand the test of time because I read this book like 10 years ago and I still love the hell out of this book. Highly recommend.

Rating

5 out of 5

The Off Campus Series

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Review: The Mistake by Elle Kennedy

Posted July 7, 2026 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

The Mistake by Elle Kennedy

Series: Off Campus #2
Also in this Series: The Deal
Main Leads: John Logan, Grace Ivers
Secondary Characters: Garrett Graham, Hannah Wells, Dean DiLaurentis, John Tucker, Allie Hayes
Setting: United States, Massachusetts, Hastings
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult
Tropes: Second Chance Romance, He Falls First, Reformed Playboy, Hockey Player, College Setting
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Bloom Books
Format: Audio, e-Book
Source: Purchased
Pages: 283
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Get ready for another binge-worthy romance from international bestselling author and TikTok sensation Elle Kennedy. He’s a player in more ways than one… College junior John Logan can get any girl he wants. For this hockey star, life is a parade of parties and hook-ups, but behind his killer grins and easygoing charm, he hides growing despair about the dead-end road he’ll be forced to walk after graduation. A sexy encounter with freshman Grace Ivers is just the distraction he needs, but when a thoughtless mistake pushes her away, Logan plans to spend his final year proving to her that he’s worth a second chance.

Now he’s going to need to up his game… After a less than stellar freshman year, Grace is back at Briar University, older, wiser, and so over the arrogant hockey player she nearly handed her V-card to. She’s not a charity case, and she’s not the quiet butterfly she was when they first hooked up. If Logan expects her to roll over and beg like all his other puck bunnies, he can think again. He wants her back? He’ll have to work for it. This time around, she’ll be the one in the driver’s seat…and she plans on driving him wild.

Of all the times that I’ve read this book, I hadn’t ever enjoyed this book quite as much as I did this time around. I liked the book, I adored Logan and Grace but I don’t think I appreciated their romance as much as I do now. I think a lot of it has to do with my excitement at seeing their romance come to life through their show. We finally have our Grace and I love our John Logan of the show so digging right into this book made the reading experience a livelier one and I ate up every single page.

This book jumps right into Logan’s story. He’s still hung up on Hannah, and he is doing everything he can to steer clear of Garrett and Hannah’s love while making things awkward for everyone at home but he can’t seem to stop and he doesn’t know how to fix things so dodge and evade it is. He is sleeping around, hoping to sleep his feelings away. In his rush to escape his house, he heads to a party without his phone and comes into contact with Grace Ivers. Little does he know, this encounter with Grace will unravel Logan’s life in the best possible way and his feelings for Grace will far surpass anything he’s ever felt for Hannah.

Grace and Logan’s romance was trope heavy in the best possible way and seeing Logan work on that list to win Grace back and seeing Grace evolve from the insecure college freshman to the pissed off sophomore was a lot of fun. The whole second chance thing that Logan was working hard to make happen had me rooting for him so hard. He had me grinning like a schoolgirl throughout the whole time he’s trying to win Grace back.

I also really loved seeing Grace come into her own. When she got back from Paris with the new hair and the new attitude, it made me so happy to see her bring Logan to his knees. She was a lot stronger when she gets back from Paris and seeing her stand her ground with not only Logan but with Ramona as well?? It felt rewarding and was one of the reasons that Grace was one of my favorite heroines in this series.

Elle Kennedy wrote another fun story with people that I have come to love all over again. I’m having such a good time with this re-read and seeing Grace and Logan fumble their way toward their happy ending was a lot of fun too. Kennedy handles this story the same way she did with Garrett and Hannah’s story. She balances all of the heavy stuff with a lightness that makes the readers enjoyment of the story being told worthwhile. I really do love these characters and this world and this book was just so stinkin’ good.

Rating

4.5 out of 5

The Off Campus Series

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Review: The Deal by Elle Kennedy

Posted July 6, 2026 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

The Deal by Elle Kennedy

Series: Off Campus #1
Main Leads: Garrett Graham, Hannah Wells
Secondary Characters: John Logan, John Tucker, Dean DiLaurentis, Allie Hayes, Justin Kohl
Setting: United States, Massachussets, Hastings
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, New Adult
Tropes: Opposites Attract, Fake Dating, Healing Past Traumas, Tutor Girl, Hockey Player, Friends to Lovers, He Falls First
Release Date: February 24, 2015
Publisher: Bloom Books
Format: e-Book, Audio
Source: Purchased
Pages: 360
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy… Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date. …and it’s going to be oh so good!

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

When I finished watching the Off Campus show, I wasn’t ready to move on so of course I re-read the entire series from the very beginning. It ended up being a huge endeavor because after more than ten years, there are 12 books in this world and I read every single book all over again.

Reading this book again reaffirmed my love for both Garrett and Hannah. Their story was compelling as hell and their romance was sweet, emotional, and healing. Just like the first time that I read this book, I was hooked from the jump. Garrett and Hannah are both dealing with past traumas and the work they put in to heal from those traumas really made the story emotional and me, invested. There isn’t anything new or original with the storyline but Elle Kennedy does a really good job of pulling this story together anyway. The characters really shine and made the story feel fresh.

I completely forgot that Justin from the books was a football player so of course Hannah had a crush on him because who doesn’t have a giant crush on a football player at that age? Hannah was so normal. She was a college girl who went to class, worked part time jobs to get by, and was too shy to talk to her crush so when the hockey player in her ethics class needs help getting a good grade so that he can keep playing hockey and offers to help her get over being shy so that she can win over her crush, of course she’s in.

Garrett Graham is the captain of the hockey team at Briar University and he needs help with his ethics class. Hannah needs help, he needs help so why can’t they help each other? He was so confident that their arrangement would benefit the both of them that nobody was more surprised than he was when he develops feelings for Hannah. When Hannah starts coming to him for more than just help with getting Justin to notice her, he knows that he is in deep.

Seeing the two of them realize their feelings for each other was a lot of fun. There was a lot of heaviness in the themes explored throughout the book but I really liked that Kennedy balanced all the heavy with lots of humor and characters that were so easy to root for. There’s lots to love about this book and I was really happy that throughout everything, my enjoyment of this book stood the test of time. This book has it all and I’m just as obsessed with this book as I was the first time that I read it. It’s such a good romance and I still recommend the hell out of this book.

Rating

4.5 out of 5

The Off Campus Series

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Review: Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

Posted July 1, 2026 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

Series: The Empyrean #3
Also in this Series: Fourth Wing, Iron Flame
Main Leads: Violet Sorrengail, Xaden Riorson
Secondary Characters: Tairn, Andarna, Sgaeyl, Brennan Sorrengail, Mira Sorrengail, Bodhi Durran, Rhiannon Matthias, Ridoc Gamlyn, Sawyer Henrick, Jesinia Neilwart, Catriona Cordella, Aaric Graycastle, Garrick Tavis, Imogen Cardulo, Maren Zina, Sloane Mairi
Setting: The Continent, Basgiath, Aretia, The Isles, Draithus
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction
Tropes: Forbidden Love, Found Family, Quest, Overcoming the Odds, Morally Gray Hero, Second Year Rider
Release Date: January 21, 2025
Publisher: Entangled Red Tower Books
Format: Audio, e-Book
Source: Purchased
Pages: 544
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase It: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming…and not everyone can survive its wrath.

I went through these books so fast that I think I need to go back and do a slower, more thorough re-read because I know that I don’t remember everything that happened even though I was completely hooked on every word. I read a lot of reviews saying that this was their least favorite read of the series and I can’t relate because I really liked this one. I was so engrossed in the story, the characters, and the journey that I zipped right through this big ass book. I’m really loving how everything is coming together, how all of the characters are coming together, working together to get shit done. There’s a lot to do, a lot to prepare and with each step forward, it seems like the crew is kicked back ten steps.

Xaden is giving me anxiety and I felt Violet’s helplessness in trying to figure everything out while trying to save everyone. It’s a lot for someone so young but Violet had a spine of steel because she never let any set backs keep her down for long and man, I was in tears at the end of the book.

“I love you more than this city. Do not die defending it.”

The wealth of love and faith that Xaden has in Violet, ahhhhh, I’m here for it. I was in tears with each book but this one hit me right in my heart. My heart broke for all that was lost and all that is still to come. You’d think that after three books, there would be some let up in the drama but when this book ends, there’s still so much left to do, so much left to fix, and I have no idea how it will all come together but I can’t wait to see how Rebecca Yarros puts it down.

I’m glad that I read this book because there were so many people that hated this book that I was low key scared that I’d hate it too. That wasn’t the case though and while I don’t want to get into the nitty gritty for fear of spoiling anything so you’ll just have to just take my word for it. Read this book. Do yourself a solid and dive into a world of magic, dragons, and so much action packed drama that will have you hooked. I’m not sure that I’m ready for Xaden jumping into his villain era but I am looking forward to seeing Violet rising to the challenge of saving her loved ones. The conversation that Xaden has with Sgaeyl at the end had me crying my eyes out. I was so scared that what happened was going to happen so when it finally does happen, my heart broke and even though I was mad that we’re still in the thick of everything, I need the next book. I hella need the next book because where else can we go from here? What will Violet do? What will her crew do? What about the dragons? Who is Xaden’s new brother? I have some theories so I’m anxious to see if I’m right or not. Gahhh, this book is so good. Anyone that says any different is trippin’.

Rating

4.5 out of 5

The Empyrean Series

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Review: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Posted June 30, 2026 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Series: The Empyrean #2
Also in this Series: Fourth Wing
Main Leads: Violet Sorrengail, Xaden Riorson
Secondary Characters: Tairn, Andarna, Sgaeyl, Rhiannon Matthias, Ridoc Gamlyn, Sawyer Henrick, Jesinia Neilwart, Mira Sorrengail, Brennan Sorrengail, Lillith Sorrengail, Sloane Mairi, Aaric Graycastle, Dain Aetos, Garrick Tavis, Bodhi Durran, Imogen Cardulo
Setting: The Continent, Aretia
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Tropes: Reluctant Chosen One, Morally Gray Hero, Found Family, Rebellion, Dragon Rider Bond
Release Date: November 7, 2023
Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Format: Audio, e-Book
Source: Purchased
Pages: 623
Add It: Goodreads
Purchase It: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky. Now the real training begins, and Violet’s wondering how she’ll get through it. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is—unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body is weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she has her wits—and a will of iron. Leadership forgets the most important lesson Basgiath taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules. But determination to survive won’t be enough this year, because Violet knows the secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

This book picks up right where the first book left off and the action is still front and center. There’s a lot going on but just like the first book, it’s not hard to keep up. Violet has gotten through the Threshing, she’s bonded to two dragons, and she’s survived an attack that has forever changed (and scarred) her so the last thing she needs is to return to school and have to deal with the new vice commandant who is hellbent on breaking her. On top of that, she’s dealing with secrets that are high stakes and she’s got hard choices to make.

This book was another fast paced, action packed story that had me hooked right from the jump. It’s interesting how invested I am in what’s going on and all of the characters. I’m also really enjoying the romance between Xaden and Violet. There was a lot to look forward to from the ending of the last story and I was delighted that Rebecca Yarros did another fantastic job of telling Violet and Xaden’s story. Iron Flame is my kind of fantasy read with loads of drama and a cast of characters that you cheerfully root for. There are the good guys, the morally gray guys, and the bad guys and you can’t read fast enough to find out what happens next. I had a lot of fun with this story, so much so that I immediately jumped into the next book.

Rebecca Yarros is fast becoming an auto buy author for me and I am completely addicted to this series. There are loads of ups, downs, and hella OMG’s in store for you when you read this book. I definitely recommend this series and I can definitely see why Michael B. Jordan chose to adapt this series for the small screen. The more that I read from this series, the more that I want. Xaden is everything to me right now and I can see why my sister is obsessed with him. Can you imagine being loved by Xaden Riorson? I don’t think I’d survive. Or maybe he wouldn’t, who knows.

How do you act normally when the guy you love says shit like:

“I do. I’m sorry if you expect me to do the noble thing. I warned you. I’m not sweet or soft or kind, and you fell anyway. This is what you get, Violet— me. The good, the bad, the unforgivable. All of it. I am yours.” His arm wraps around the small of my back, holding me steady and close. “You want to know something true? Something real? I love you. I’m in love with you. I have been since the night the snow fell in your hair and you kissed me for the first time. I’m grateful my life is tied to yours because it means I won’t have to face a day without you in it. My heart only beats as long as yours does, and when you die, I’ll meet Malek at your side. It’s a damned good thing that you love me, too, because you’re stuck with me in this life and every other that could possibly follow.”

Violet continues to be a fantastic heroine who isn’t perfect but tries to always stand by her convictions and I really dig it. I love being a part of her journey. Every aspect of her life has me hooked and seeing her work her butt off to do right by herself, her family, and her friends hits me right in my feels. Her relationship with Xaden is going through it in this book and I’m here for the drama. Don’t even get me started on the, “My house. My chair. My woman.” bit because DDDDDAAAAAAAMMMMMNNNNNN XADEN! I’m sat for all the madness from this book and all the chaos that is yet to come. Rebecca Yarros’ foreshadow game is heavy in this one and I’m excited to see where we end up.

There’s a lot to love about this book. Seeing the characters interact with each other, seeing the riders interacting with their dragons, seeing the dragons interact with other dragons, the introductions of the new characters, the family drama, all of it made for a very engaging and emotional read that left me wanting more. My only gripe is that this series isn’t complete so after I finish the next book, I’ll have to wait and I hate waiting. Oh well. I still recommend the hell out of this book. So good!

Rating

4.5 out of 5

The Series

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