I love a good slow burn romance, and this was the slowest of slow burns. The buildup was delicious and the payoff was well-earned. ( )

It’s probably more of a 2.5.

CW: Suicide attempt

I have been so excited for the release of this book because it’s been a long wait for Hunter’s book, so I probably had too many expectations. Or maybe I’ve just become too old to enjoy these college age love stories - because reading this book didn’t go as well as I expected it to.

Like every other Elle Kennedy book, this one too is a breeze to read and I finished it in just a few hours. The author’s signature humor is present, but only sparingly and I didn’t have many laugh out loud moments this time around. I liked the way the author used the main characters’ Abnormal Psychology final project as a way for them to get to know each other better, it’s definitely not something I’ve seen before. There is a whole side plot of the Briar hockey team taking care of their “egg” mascot which I thought was absolutely hilarious. There is also a cheating boyfriend subplot which I thought dragged on for a bit too long. But the worst part was the author trying to include POC characters and completely stereotyping them. Maybe authors shouldn’t write marginalized characters if they aren’t interested in doing the appropriate research instead of just wanting points for diversity.

And then came the suicide attempt which completely threw me off. I was in a particularly bad place and that was the exact reason why I decided to read this book, because I was so sure Elle Kennedy would make me feel better with her writing atleast for a few hours. So when that dreaded scene happened, I had to take some time for myself to make sure I could continue. Other than the fact that there are no content warnings anywhere (I know it’s too much to ask for in books but many authors do mention atleast on their twitter these days), I hate that the suicide attempt is used as a plot device to resolve a particular conflict between three of the characters. Depression and suicide are too important and I just think it’s disingenuous to use them as plot devices in such a reckless manner, and also not give the readers any heads up.

I’ve only always seen Hunter as a bit of a playboy like Dean, but it was nice to see a much more sweeter and bit vulnerable side to him. And while I thought his celibacy vow was a bit funny to read for a while, I just didn’t think it was so necessary to show him as perpetually horny. Demi on the other hand is a very straight shooting, no nonsense taking would be therapist and I really liked her a lot (initially). I thought the development of their friendship was written very well and their chemistry really reflected off the page. However, every time Demi tried to manipulate Hunter to make him break his celibacy vow, it just made me uncomfortable. Even though both of them seem to be okay with everything that happens, I just couldn’t get on board with it.

The best part of the book for me was getting glimpses of my favorite characters from Off Campus series. Garrett, Logan, Allie, Grace and Dean make appearances and I was so delighted to get to know more about their lives after Briar. They are as amazing as ever. While I was so interested in seeing Brenna and Summer again, I thought their characters felt too different from the previous books and I just couldn’t reconcile what I knew about them with these new personas. Mike and Rupi make appearances too and they may be over dramatic, but I’ve gotten used to their antics now and find them sweet in their own way. But I hated how Summer and Brenna made fun of Rupi (which is so unlike them from The Risk where they were so supportive).

There were many new hockey players in the team this time and while only Conor stood out, I thought they all seemed like a fun bunch. But it’s the other new characters like Demi’s ex boyfriend or her father whom I really didn’t like because none of them really seemed to take any of her opinions or choices seriously. They are shown as good people doing unkind things, but I just found their behavior appalling. There are some other friends of Demi who were introduced but none of them really left a mark on me.

To conclude, I just don’t know what I have to say about this book. I liked the main characters for the most part, but the other elements of the story just weren’t for me. If you have enjoyed the previous books of this series, you might still enjoy it, so take my review with a pinch of salt. I have still not decided if I’ll continue if there’s another book in the series, but we shall see. ( )

There was a lot in this book that I didn't care for. I wish Rupi had never been invented. There was a lot of boundary crossing with all characters, I had a very hard time with the portrayal of a psych student and her actions and over all was just completely disappointed and left with a bad taste in my mouth. I kind of wish Briar U had never come across my radar because while I loved the original four, these spin offs have not been the same for me. ( )

Het spel. Door Elle Kennedy.

Het derde boek in de Briar U reeks (maar ook apart te lezen), na De jacht en Het geheim. En mijn vierde Elle Kennedy (ik begon met De Deal). Ik heb er weer super hard van genoten. Elk nieuw boek uit deze ijshockey-reeks lezen voelt als thuiskomen. Dezelfde setting (de universiteit en het ijshockey-team) en toch telkens een heel ander boek dat je nog weet te verrassen en doet smachten naar meer. De humor, spitsvondigheid én goesting spatten van elke pagina. Elle Kennedy lezen is verslavend, u weze gewaarschuwd.

In Het spel draait het om Demi Davis die voor een psychologie-opdracht wordt gekoppeld aan ijshockeyer Hunter Davenport. Hunter die we nog kennen uit De jacht (waarin hij verliefd was op Summer), toen leek hij een beetje een seksverslaafde eikel maar dat blijkt in dit boek helemaal niet zo te zijn. Hij en Demi kunnen goed samenwerken en worden al heel snel vrienden. Meer zit er niet in, want Demi is met Nico en Hunter heeft zichzelf beloofd om een jaar lang geen seks te hebben (alles om een goede aanvoerder van zijn team te zijn).

De chemie tussen die twee valt al heel snel niet meer te ontkennen, de vonken spatten er van af. Maar er gebeurt niets. En dat niets blijkt heel opwindend te zijn…

De boeken van Elle Kennedy laten me glimlachen, roepen, zwijmelen, vloeken, verslaafd doorlezen én staan garant voor een geil gevoel. Wat wil een mens nog meer ;) Ik weet het, er bestaan veel meer New adult schrijvers maar geloof me vrij dat niemand aan Kennedy tipt. Ik kijk al uit naar het volgende deel in deze opwindende reeks! ( )

Elle Kennedy did it again! She just knocks sports romances out of the park. I absolutely loved The Play! You can read this as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the previous books as it will give you some insight into several of the other characters.

I really enjoyed how Hunter and Demi started off as friends and we got to see how their relationship developed into more. Hunter was swoon worthy and always there for Demi. I just loved him! The bi-line on this one does say “She’s the player he never saw coming,” however; I do not really see Demi as a player at all. Her story was much different than what I was expecting from seeing that. I enjoyed it all just the same.

This does deal with issues/triggers of cheating, mental health, acceptance, family, love, and more. It had a little bit of everything.

I really wish the Off Campus Series and the Briar U series would be adapted into a TV series. It would be so good. I am obsessed with both series and all of the characters. I am heart broken to know this is the end of the Briar U series!

Overall, I loved this one and highly recommend it. ( )