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Love Song
A Briar universe standalone romance featuring the next generation Off-Campus characters—where one unforgettable summer changes everything
After a brutal breakup, college junior Blake Logan escapes to her family's lake house in Tahoe, determined to shut out the world. Her plan is simple: no men, no drama. Until Wyatt Graham shows up. Four years older and far too good at getting under her skin, Wyatt is the living embodiment of a "bad idea," and the guy who shattered her pride when she confessed her crush at sixteen.
With his music career stalled, Wyatt has come to Tahoe for inspiration. The last thing he expects is to find it with Blake. He's spent years keeping his distance, convinced he's all wrong for her, but she's no longer the innocent girl he once knew. She's confident, captivating, and impossible to ignore. And the slow-burning tension between them? It's catching fire fast.
They both know this can't last, but one reckless kiss turns into another, and soon they're tangled in something that feels dangerously like more. Just as they finally give in to the pull, tragedy tears them apart, leaving their hearts in pieces.
But forgetting that one, nearly perfect summer? Not a chance. And when fate brings them together again, Blake and Wyatt must decide if this is a second chance...or the final verse.
After a brutal breakup, college junior Blake Logan escapes to her family's lake house in Tahoe, determined to shut out the world. Her plan is simple: no men, no drama. Until Wyatt Graham shows up. Four years older and far too good at getting under her skin, Wyatt is the living embodiment of a "bad idea," and the guy who shattered her pride when she confessed her crush at sixteen.
With his music career stalled, Wyatt has come to Tahoe for inspiration. The last thing he expects is to find it with Blake. He's spent years keeping his distance, convinced he's all wrong for her, but she's no longer the innocent girl he once knew. She's confident, captivating, and impossible to ignore. And the slow-burning tension between them? It's catching fire fast.
They both know this can't last, but one reckless kiss turns into another, and soon they're tangled in something that feels dangerously like more. Just as they finally give in to the pull, tragedy tears them apart, leaving their hearts in pieces.
But forgetting that one, nearly perfect summer? Not a chance. And when fate brings them together again, Blake and Wyatt must decide if this is a second chance...or the final verse.
540 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 17, 2026
5650 people are currently reading
74773 people want to read
About the author
Elle Kennedy
183 books91.9k followersA New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.
Elle currently writes for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!
Elle currently writes for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,664 reviews
March 20, 2026
“Alexa, play man child by Sabrina Carpenter.”
Excuse me while I remove my jaw from the floor due to the absolute travesty that was that book. The dad chat and first gen characters couldn’t even make up for whatever that lusty man child fest was. Nobody can convince Garrett Graham raised Wyatt. And not just Wyat… BEAU TOO? Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew. I’m formally retiring from this universe.
No chemistry. All smut no depth. Trauma dump in the very end without showing the characters working through something extremely sensitive and traumatic. Not even seeing the characters actually together. Love bombing. Did I say man child? Other women drama. Song lyrics that made me so icked out I wanted to jump out of my skin. Surface level romance. No I cannot. This man literally couldn’t go a second without talking about tits. I’m so done.
I’m sorry him making out on a piano with another girl in the middle of the third act breakup then HER GROVELING?!!!!! I’m actually so gagged by the audacity.
Also Jake Connelly being happy his son got cheated on??? And everyone telling Aj to forgive Beau??? I hate everyone except Aj who in the end is apparently a fuck boy now too.
EEEEEYYYYYYYYYUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK
Excuse me while I remove my jaw from the floor due to the absolute travesty that was that book. The dad chat and first gen characters couldn’t even make up for whatever that lusty man child fest was. Nobody can convince Garrett Graham raised Wyatt. And not just Wyat… BEAU TOO? Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew. I’m formally retiring from this universe.
No chemistry. All smut no depth. Trauma dump in the very end without showing the characters working through something extremely sensitive and traumatic. Not even seeing the characters actually together. Love bombing. Did I say man child? Other women drama. Song lyrics that made me so icked out I wanted to jump out of my skin. Surface level romance. No I cannot. This man literally couldn’t go a second without talking about tits. I’m so done.
I’m sorry him making out on a piano with another girl in the middle of the third act breakup then HER GROVELING?!!!!! I’m actually so gagged by the audacity.
Also Jake Connelly being happy his son got cheated on??? And everyone telling Aj to forgive Beau??? I hate everyone except Aj who in the end is apparently a fuck boy now too.
EEEEEYYYYYYYYYUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
5 stars!
"I’m frozen for a second. I’ve seen her smile before, but not like this, and I suddenly feel like someone seeing color for the first time. This smile is unguarded. It’s soft and alive and shining brighter than the sun. It traps my breath halfway in my chest."
I fully trust Elle Kennedy when it comes to books, especially her second-gen series or her spin-offs of the same series, because I believe she is one of the few authors who can actually pull it off without them feeling like cash grabs. When she announced Love Song I was obsessed with the idea of it because you're telling me we're getting a book between the daughter of the couple that was my favorite during the off campus era and the son of the couple whose book were my favorite, I was a little intimidated by it as well because I thought she would rely heavily on the old characters and their banter and that way the main characters wouldn't be able to pull off a good connection. Still, oh boy, I was so wrong because she aced this book in every single aspect. It was truly such a fantastic book 😋 it had her same charm that's in all her books, but there was something different about it too, there were new themes discussed, some important topics that were shed some light on, and the romance was complex, which made me so obsessed with this book even more.
"Your smile stops the world."
I binged this book during exam season, and honestly, it was a time where I was barely reading arcs, but the prologue OH MY GODDDDD the prologue was sooo good like I was invested from the start like you guys DONT UNDERSTAND what it did to me, it was so angsty, yearny, and hot that I said fuck you to Isasac set my ship blakewyatt to sail. I knew from that moment onwards that I was in for a massive ride of enjoyment (that sounds so wrong) but honestly though it's among one of my favorite prologues like 😭😭 imagine someone asks me my favorite prologues and I'll be listing high fantasies with love song in the middle 😭 it's also my most highlighted book because I legit giggling and blushing like a crazy amount 😭 I felt so stupid because in the reflection of my ipad I would find myself grinning like an idiot and laugh for a minute at that 🌚this book was like the best parts of off campus merging and coming together yet also opening so many new doors for the future. I think I have a clue whose book might be next, and I'm excited by all the possibilities 🙂↕️
“I want someone to need me. Not just love me. I want to be wanted so badly it hurts. I wanted to be someone’s obsession. Their undoing.”
I also believe that no one writes hockey romances like Elle Kennedy because while I enjoy other hockey romances a lot, they do not come close to her books, they are so engaging and well written that even the third act doesnt bother like the deal had the best third act break up that I have read, this one was so heartbreaking that I didnt even mind it. She knows how to carry a book and engage her readers. It was very engrossing and fast-paced. I sped through my practice questions so that I could sit and binge this. It was written so well. I want all my romance novels to be like this. It's also the fact that this book did not leave my mind for a very long time, as soon as I finished it, the first thing that I wanted to do was open this book and read it again. Even though this wasn't a hockey romance, more of a musical romance, I like how she incorporated hockey elements into it.
My top 10 scenes
1. The prologue 🫦
2. Wyatt skating on the ice rink and Blake describing it 😋
3. The one scene where Wyatt jumps in the lake for Blake with everyone watching 😭
4. The dad chat 🤣
5. Logan and Garrett finding out about that one thing 😭😭
6. The badminton games 🏸
7. Hannah and Wyatt's talk 🫂
8. Every golden boy scene 🙂↕️ (they kept us fed)
9. Blake and Logan's hangout scenes 🤭
10. The spicy scenes 🌶️
(HM: the lighthouse scene)
“I’m going to ruin you,” I say roughly.
“Maybe I’ll ruin you too,” she whispers back.
My favorite part- the characters;
Blake Logan, I was so interested in her character because I read the Dixon rule, and I honestly just need more Logan grace scenes when I was first introduced to her, but she fought her way through and became a favorite immediately. She is sweet, caring, but also willing to fight for herself. I felt her trying to figure herself out and trying to deal with her mess of trying to become something was very well written and was sort of relatable as well, it made me distinguish her character as well because she was coming from a family where everyone was massively talented and super successful, and so I felt her frustrations with herself but I loved that the book not all that and we had alot of fun and heartwarming moments. It was set during the summer, and I loved seeing Blake make new friends and hanging around. Her scenes with Wyatt were so damn good. I also loved how she had Wyatt wrapped around her finger. He rrelationship with Beau and Gigi was my favorite part!! It was so well written, and obviously I loved the the og couples and how deeply integrated they were in her life. As an FMC, Blake Logan did not disappoint.
Wyatt Graham, shsjhshd, I loved him so much. He was at times hard to like cuz he is arrogant butttt he is also very cute, swoon-worthy, and uff the moments he shares with Blake are lowkey sooo electric 😭He was misunderstood, and I understand his frustrations with himself, and I also got some of his actions and found him relatable, and I LOVEEEE relatable characters. Trying to prove himself in an industry where there are an insane amount of expectations on him, in an industry where his mother has flourished, made me understand his frustrations to an extent. His writer's block was well written. I love how flawed his relationship with Hannah was, like he loved her so much, but their work put a distance between them, and it was so sad to see. I loved it when the confrontation happened. Also, I don't care if it's cliche or whatever, but a songwriter finding his muse because of the girl they love will always be 🫦 While Wyatt might not be for everyone, considering his nature. I felt satisfied with how his arc was delivered, considering how mysterious he had been in the previous books.
"I discovered the cure for insomnia. It’s called Blake Logan."
Gigi, Beau, AJ, Alex, they really spiced everything up 😭 I loved Gigi's presence in the book, but I wish we got more of Ryder. Alexxxx, I can't wait for her book; she's such an absolute diva. The main drama, AJ and Beau 😭😭 it was sad, but it was also so juicy like insane because I am so conflicted on the whole scenario and I need both of their books to see how all of this will resolve because I can't with the cliffhanger 🙏😔 give it to me nowwww.
The parents, THE BEST PART ABOUT THIS BOOK!! Even though the majority of their scenes were after the 50% mark, they still managed to steal the show. Their dad chat 😭🤣 it had me crying at 3 am because what are these people even doing, I love how they're just one big family who are so petty but caring and thoughtful around each other. Garrett and Logan AHHHH I loved seeing how their relationship will be affected by this relationship, and it was so goddamn funny, especially because you can't expect how they will react like that one big reveal at the end, I did not expect them to act like that. Also, the badminton matches, the entire gridwork, the scheming, and the competitiveness made everything so fun!!!
“The girl whose smile stops the world. Who’s the song about?” Pain clenches around my heart. “Oh, just someone I…” I can’t finish. I don’t know how to. Someone I used to love? Well, no, because I still love her with every fiber of my being."
Romance, HAD ME SCREAMING IN MY PILLOW AT 3 IN THE MORNING. It was the type of romance that'll make you giggle and kick your feet 😭, but it also had heavy moments. I loved them just hanging out around the house and getting to know each other more. If you're looking for banter, read this!! It was top-notch!! The tension was radiating off the book, the chemistry and the sexual tension were perfectttt. The spice in this book was spicing 🥵 I'm not even joking, it was so hot because both of these characters were freaks. I love a reformed fuckboy, and I love a girl who wrapped them around her finger, and this delivered on that. That one scene where Wyatt jumps after her had me on the edge of my seat because 1, second-hand embarrassment. 2, the shock was really because even though I knew this was bound to happen, I didn't think it would be like that. I loved the ending too, and some of the quotes that were used to describe each other were sooo cute, LMAOOO also that one scene where Garrett and Logan take Wyatt on a boat and both are interrogating him and Wyatt thinks they'll drown him (Garrett is literally his dad) had me creasing. The set up to the development and execution, it was all perfect.
"I want... trust. Vulnerability. I want her to look me in the eye, to be right there with me. No walls. I want every thought, every look, every breath focused on me and what I'm making her feel."
Plot, I loved the entirety of the summer setting and it revolving around our two main characters trying to find themselves, but what I loved was how the subplots were amazing as well. The inclusion of the entire family in the summer house just amplified the vibes of the book; it was giving SUMMERRRR. I love how there was this trope added, and I despise that trope, but that trope led to some plot changes and gave us some heartwrenching scenes 😭 Elle Kennedy always does this!! She always pulls something like that out of her pocket, and it's insane. I really liked how everything was handled, I do believe Wyatt'sgrief in that specific moment was overlooked, however. It was still amazing. I was thoroughly invested, and the balance that these plot points provided made this book not only better but paved pathways for future books.
Some additional quotes (banter/spice/fun cute stuff)
.
"They’re like brothers, only the way-too-close, always-in-each-other’s-business kind of brothers. They talk daily in their multiple group chats. Vacation together. Share obscure inside jokes and running pranks that none of the kids understand or care to try. It’s… intense." (my favv duo 🤭)
.
"This isn’t jealousy, I assure myself. It’s responsibility. She’s fresh out of a relationship, and she’s vulnerable. She doesn’t know what she wants right now. But I guarantee it’s not the douchebag with the mullet." (the denial was insane 😭)
.
"In fact, he went above and beyond to bond with me. The man who doesn’t love reading read all the books for my freshman literature class so he could discuss them with me and help me study." (cute LoganBlake dad/daughter moment)
.
“Blake.” I stop at the sound of my name, turning toward the glass. “What?” I mutter. Our eyes lock. When he speaks, his voice is low and husky. “It won’t happen again.”(me giggling over this shows the bar is on the floor 🫣)
.
"But? JOHN But when it comes to the Tahoe Games, my partner is Allie. She and I have a good thing going, and we’re not giving it up." (The concept of Logan and Allie being teammates)
.
"This time, when she loops her arms around my neck, I don’t resist. I just hold her tighter." (🤭🙂↕️)
.
"DEAN DI LAURENTIS So which one of the Golden Boys has the honor of telling AJ? BEAU DI LAURENTIS HAS LEFT THE GROUP CHAT MAN CHAT: STEALTH MODE GRAY DAVENPORT HAS LEFT THE GROUP CHAT MAN CHAT: STEALTH MODE DEAN DI LAURENTIS Cowards." (plsss I love how everyone always left and were added again)
.
"My sister’s warning stays with me, yet it’s not strong enough to stop me from sneaking into Blake’s room every night for the rest of the week. I know it’s risky as hell with every room occupied, and when I sneak back into my own bed at dawn every morning, I try not to question why I’m taking such a huge risk for this girl." (slamming my credit card on the table)
.
“Would you prefer it was a Di Laurentis?” Garrett counters, at which point my father rises to his feet and stomps out of the room." (honestly grace and Hannah should just let them marry each other 😭😭 cuties)
Oops, this got too long 🫣 anyways, I would recommend.
__
The deal was my favourite book, and the mistake had my favorite couple, so a book with characters who have parents from that book is going to be six stars!
Buddy reading with my sister, aka the biggest Garrett Graham fan
__
No one, and I mean NO ONE, needs this book more than I do. I HAVE BEEN SHIPPING THEM SINCE BLAKE CAME ON PAGE!! Despite Blake being implied with Issac, I still secretly shipped them 😭, and I finally have the arc!! I can't wait to read their story 🤭
"I’m frozen for a second. I’ve seen her smile before, but not like this, and I suddenly feel like someone seeing color for the first time. This smile is unguarded. It’s soft and alive and shining brighter than the sun. It traps my breath halfway in my chest."
I fully trust Elle Kennedy when it comes to books, especially her second-gen series or her spin-offs of the same series, because I believe she is one of the few authors who can actually pull it off without them feeling like cash grabs. When she announced Love Song I was obsessed with the idea of it because you're telling me we're getting a book between the daughter of the couple that was my favorite during the off campus era and the son of the couple whose book were my favorite, I was a little intimidated by it as well because I thought she would rely heavily on the old characters and their banter and that way the main characters wouldn't be able to pull off a good connection. Still, oh boy, I was so wrong because she aced this book in every single aspect. It was truly such a fantastic book 😋 it had her same charm that's in all her books, but there was something different about it too, there were new themes discussed, some important topics that were shed some light on, and the romance was complex, which made me so obsessed with this book even more.
"Your smile stops the world."
I binged this book during exam season, and honestly, it was a time where I was barely reading arcs, but the prologue OH MY GODDDDD the prologue was sooo good like I was invested from the start like you guys DONT UNDERSTAND what it did to me, it was so angsty, yearny, and hot that I said fuck you to Isasac set my ship blakewyatt to sail. I knew from that moment onwards that I was in for a massive ride of enjoyment (that sounds so wrong) but honestly though it's among one of my favorite prologues like 😭😭 imagine someone asks me my favorite prologues and I'll be listing high fantasies with love song in the middle 😭 it's also my most highlighted book because I legit giggling and blushing like a crazy amount 😭 I felt so stupid because in the reflection of my ipad I would find myself grinning like an idiot and laugh for a minute at that 🌚this book was like the best parts of off campus merging and coming together yet also opening so many new doors for the future. I think I have a clue whose book might be next, and I'm excited by all the possibilities 🙂↕️
“I want someone to need me. Not just love me. I want to be wanted so badly it hurts. I wanted to be someone’s obsession. Their undoing.”
I also believe that no one writes hockey romances like Elle Kennedy because while I enjoy other hockey romances a lot, they do not come close to her books, they are so engaging and well written that even the third act doesnt bother like the deal had the best third act break up that I have read, this one was so heartbreaking that I didnt even mind it. She knows how to carry a book and engage her readers. It was very engrossing and fast-paced. I sped through my practice questions so that I could sit and binge this. It was written so well. I want all my romance novels to be like this. It's also the fact that this book did not leave my mind for a very long time, as soon as I finished it, the first thing that I wanted to do was open this book and read it again. Even though this wasn't a hockey romance, more of a musical romance, I like how she incorporated hockey elements into it.
My top 10 scenes
1. The prologue 🫦
2. Wyatt skating on the ice rink and Blake describing it 😋
3. The one scene where Wyatt jumps in the lake for Blake with everyone watching 😭
4. The dad chat 🤣
5. Logan and Garrett finding out about that one thing 😭😭
6. The badminton games 🏸
7. Hannah and Wyatt's talk 🫂
8. Every golden boy scene 🙂↕️ (they kept us fed)
9. Blake and Logan's hangout scenes 🤭
10. The spicy scenes 🌶️
(HM: the lighthouse scene)
“I’m going to ruin you,” I say roughly.
“Maybe I’ll ruin you too,” she whispers back.
My favorite part- the characters;
Blake Logan, I was so interested in her character because I read the Dixon rule, and I honestly just need more Logan grace scenes when I was first introduced to her, but she fought her way through and became a favorite immediately. She is sweet, caring, but also willing to fight for herself. I felt her trying to figure herself out and trying to deal with her mess of trying to become something was very well written and was sort of relatable as well, it made me distinguish her character as well because she was coming from a family where everyone was massively talented and super successful, and so I felt her frustrations with herself but I loved that the book not all that and we had alot of fun and heartwarming moments. It was set during the summer, and I loved seeing Blake make new friends and hanging around. Her scenes with Wyatt were so damn good. I also loved how she had Wyatt wrapped around her finger. He rrelationship with Beau and Gigi was my favorite part!! It was so well written, and obviously I loved the the og couples and how deeply integrated they were in her life. As an FMC, Blake Logan did not disappoint.
Wyatt Graham, shsjhshd, I loved him so much. He was at times hard to like cuz he is arrogant butttt he is also very cute, swoon-worthy, and uff the moments he shares with Blake are lowkey sooo electric 😭He was misunderstood, and I understand his frustrations with himself, and I also got some of his actions and found him relatable, and I LOVEEEE relatable characters. Trying to prove himself in an industry where there are an insane amount of expectations on him, in an industry where his mother has flourished, made me understand his frustrations to an extent. His writer's block was well written. I love how flawed his relationship with Hannah was, like he loved her so much, but their work put a distance between them, and it was so sad to see. I loved it when the confrontation happened. Also, I don't care if it's cliche or whatever, but a songwriter finding his muse because of the girl they love will always be 🫦 While Wyatt might not be for everyone, considering his nature. I felt satisfied with how his arc was delivered, considering how mysterious he had been in the previous books.
"I discovered the cure for insomnia. It’s called Blake Logan."
Gigi, Beau, AJ, Alex, they really spiced everything up 😭 I loved Gigi's presence in the book, but I wish we got more of Ryder. Alexxxx, I can't wait for her book; she's such an absolute diva. The main drama, AJ and Beau 😭😭 it was sad, but it was also so juicy like insane because I am so conflicted on the whole scenario and I need both of their books to see how all of this will resolve because I can't with the cliffhanger 🙏😔 give it to me nowwww.
The parents, THE BEST PART ABOUT THIS BOOK!! Even though the majority of their scenes were after the 50% mark, they still managed to steal the show. Their dad chat 😭🤣 it had me crying at 3 am because what are these people even doing, I love how they're just one big family who are so petty but caring and thoughtful around each other. Garrett and Logan AHHHH I loved seeing how their relationship will be affected by this relationship, and it was so goddamn funny, especially because you can't expect how they will react like that one big reveal at the end, I did not expect them to act like that. Also, the badminton matches, the entire gridwork, the scheming, and the competitiveness made everything so fun!!!
“The girl whose smile stops the world. Who’s the song about?” Pain clenches around my heart. “Oh, just someone I…” I can’t finish. I don’t know how to. Someone I used to love? Well, no, because I still love her with every fiber of my being."
Romance, HAD ME SCREAMING IN MY PILLOW AT 3 IN THE MORNING. It was the type of romance that'll make you giggle and kick your feet 😭, but it also had heavy moments. I loved them just hanging out around the house and getting to know each other more. If you're looking for banter, read this!! It was top-notch!! The tension was radiating off the book, the chemistry and the sexual tension were perfectttt. The spice in this book was spicing 🥵 I'm not even joking, it was so hot because both of these characters were freaks. I love a reformed fuckboy, and I love a girl who wrapped them around her finger, and this delivered on that. That one scene where Wyatt jumps after her had me on the edge of my seat because 1, second-hand embarrassment. 2, the shock was really because even though I knew this was bound to happen, I didn't think it would be like that. I loved the ending too, and some of the quotes that were used to describe each other were sooo cute, LMAOOO also that one scene where Garrett and Logan take Wyatt on a boat and both are interrogating him and Wyatt thinks they'll drown him (Garrett is literally his dad) had me creasing. The set up to the development and execution, it was all perfect.
"I want... trust. Vulnerability. I want her to look me in the eye, to be right there with me. No walls. I want every thought, every look, every breath focused on me and what I'm making her feel."
Plot, I loved the entirety of the summer setting and it revolving around our two main characters trying to find themselves, but what I loved was how the subplots were amazing as well. The inclusion of the entire family in the summer house just amplified the vibes of the book; it was giving SUMMERRRR. I love how there was this trope added, and I despise that trope, but that trope led to some plot changes and gave us some heartwrenching scenes 😭 Elle Kennedy always does this!! She always pulls something like that out of her pocket, and it's insane. I really liked how everything was handled, I do believe Wyatt's
Some additional quotes (banter/spice/fun cute stuff)
.
"They’re like brothers, only the way-too-close, always-in-each-other’s-business kind of brothers. They talk daily in their multiple group chats. Vacation together. Share obscure inside jokes and running pranks that none of the kids understand or care to try. It’s… intense." (my favv duo 🤭)
.
"This isn’t jealousy, I assure myself. It’s responsibility. She’s fresh out of a relationship, and she’s vulnerable. She doesn’t know what she wants right now. But I guarantee it’s not the douchebag with the mullet." (the denial was insane 😭)
.
"In fact, he went above and beyond to bond with me. The man who doesn’t love reading read all the books for my freshman literature class so he could discuss them with me and help me study." (cute LoganBlake dad/daughter moment)
.
“Blake.” I stop at the sound of my name, turning toward the glass. “What?” I mutter. Our eyes lock. When he speaks, his voice is low and husky. “It won’t happen again.”(me giggling over this shows the bar is on the floor 🫣)
.
"But? JOHN But when it comes to the Tahoe Games, my partner is Allie. She and I have a good thing going, and we’re not giving it up." (The concept of Logan and Allie being teammates)
.
"This time, when she loops her arms around my neck, I don’t resist. I just hold her tighter." (🤭🙂↕️)
.
"DEAN DI LAURENTIS So which one of the Golden Boys has the honor of telling AJ? BEAU DI LAURENTIS HAS LEFT THE GROUP CHAT MAN CHAT: STEALTH MODE GRAY DAVENPORT HAS LEFT THE GROUP CHAT MAN CHAT: STEALTH MODE DEAN DI LAURENTIS Cowards." (plsss I love how everyone always left and were added again)
.
"My sister’s warning stays with me, yet it’s not strong enough to stop me from sneaking into Blake’s room every night for the rest of the week. I know it’s risky as hell with every room occupied, and when I sneak back into my own bed at dawn every morning, I try not to question why I’m taking such a huge risk for this girl." (slamming my credit card on the table)
.
“Would you prefer it was a Di Laurentis?” Garrett counters, at which point my father rises to his feet and stomps out of the room." (honestly grace and Hannah should just let them marry each other 😭😭 cuties)
Oops, this got too long 🫣 anyways, I would recommend.
__
The deal was my favourite book, and the mistake had my favorite couple, so a book with characters who have parents from that book is going to be six stars!
Buddy reading with my sister, aka the biggest Garrett Graham fan
__
No one, and I mean NO ONE, needs this book more than I do. I HAVE BEEN SHIPPING THEM SINCE BLAKE CAME ON PAGE!! Despite Blake being implied with Issac, I still secretly shipped them 😭, and I finally have the arc!! I can't wait to read their story 🤭
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Okay, that’s it. I lasted 43% of this book. And it’s 528 pages long, so that’s a pretty big chunk. Hours of my life I’m not getting back.
And I hated every second.
Wyatt was a loser musician whose life revolved around smoking, drinking before lunch, and fucking everything that moves (edit: allegedly on hiatus from fucking, but the spirit remains strong. Also, just give it five minutes…). Wow, so cool. A true rock star.
Blake was okay, but nothing special. (She even mentioned that a few times, so A for self-reflection, Blake! 🏆)
The story was about Blake lusting after Wyatt for some reason (who wouldn’t want ashtray flavored kisses, I guess?) and Wyatt lusting after Blake and jerking off. They talked sometimes too. Mostly about sex. He was also a dick to her most of the time. To give you an idea, the word “dick” is mentioned 83 times.
There were so many frustrating, cringe-worthy, and annoying moments that I was on the verge of dnfng from the beginning, but it’s an ARC, so I thought I’d soldier on. I even survived the blow job he got from some random chick in a parking lot behind a bar at 39% (even though 🤮).
But the last straw was Wyatt describing his busy mind, basically quoting the ADHD textbook, only to realize that it’s been different since he’s been around Blake.
Yes, because that’s exactly how that works, Elle! Love cures ADHD! Yay!
I’m so done with this book I don’t even feel like writing a review. More of my thoughts are in the updates. Good night.
Thanks to Sourcebooks and Edelweiss for the arc, all opinions are my own.
And I hated every second.
Wyatt was a loser musician whose life revolved around smoking, drinking before lunch, and fucking everything that moves (edit: allegedly on hiatus from fucking, but the spirit remains strong. Also, just give it five minutes…). Wow, so cool. A true rock star.
Blake was okay, but nothing special. (She even mentioned that a few times, so A for self-reflection, Blake! 🏆)
The story was about Blake lusting after Wyatt for some reason (who wouldn’t want ashtray flavored kisses, I guess?) and Wyatt lusting after Blake and jerking off. They talked sometimes too. Mostly about sex. He was also a dick to her most of the time. To give you an idea, the word “dick” is mentioned 83 times.
There were so many frustrating, cringe-worthy, and annoying moments that I was on the verge of dnfng from the beginning, but it’s an ARC, so I thought I’d soldier on. I even survived the blow job he got from some random chick in a parking lot behind a bar at 39% (even though 🤮).
But the last straw was Wyatt describing his busy mind, basically quoting the ADHD textbook, only to realize that it’s been different since he’s been around Blake.
Yes, because that’s exactly how that works, Elle! Love cures ADHD! Yay!
I’m so done with this book I don’t even feel like writing a review. More of my thoughts are in the updates. Good night.
Thanks to Sourcebooks and Edelweiss for the arc, all opinions are my own.
Want to read
September 4, 2025a second gen standalone book about logan’s daughter and garrett’s son?? say less 🤭
March 20, 2026
˗ˏˋ ꒰ 🎼 ꒱ ˎˊ˗ 3 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔 ✰
I was disappointed. What started out a really good love story was overshadowed by an unsavory plot twist that introduced some conflicting and heavy-handed undertones.
📖 |𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕: audiobook 🎧
📝 |𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: romance
📄 |𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔: 528
📆 |𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 : 3/17-317/26
📌 |𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆: The OFF CAMPUS series and the BRIAR U series
ᯓ★ 𝑻𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺:
This started out super promising. I was genuinely vibing with the plot and the dynamic between Blake and Wyatt, which is a big reason my rating is still relatively high. Before getting into what didn’t work for me, I want to highlight what did.
The forbidden romance element was really engaging. Unlike a lot of books that use this trope, it actually kept me invested. Since I already know and love the other characters, I was torn between wanting them to keep their relationship secret and wanting to see everyone’s reaction. That balance worked really well.
Another thing I found cute was how Wyatt's insomnia got significantly better once he started sleeping with Blake. It was great to see Wyatt "the tortured musician" finally get some well deserved rest.
Lastly, Elle Kennedy always amazes me with the ridiculous and totally improbable side plots. I won't lie, they are certainly very entertaining, but they're just so ludicrous that I would never believe that could happen in a million years. But I guess that's what fiction is for. Her side plot was funny and definitely added something to the story.
What went horribly wrong ⚠️ spoiler alert
Toward the last quarter of the book, Blake finds out that she is pregnant. Nothing is too dramatic, everything seems like it's going to be alright, and even Blake is leaning towards keeping the baby. Now I'm already not a fan of the unplanned pregnancy trope, but this was 100x worse because Blake miscarries the baby. Now this is super heartbreaking in and of itself, but what was worse in my opinion was Blake's reaction. The author throughout the book was already expressing opinions about the ability to get an abortion. Now of course that is the author's decision to include these opinions and I'm not here to agree or disagree with her. What I am going to point out is the narrative inconsistencies of a what followed after miscarriage.
Blake kept insisting that the fetus inside her was "never a baby", even though she was about 7 weeks pregnant and planning to keep it. That's dehumanizing to claim that a miscarriage, a heartbreaking and traumatic experience, was never about a human life. I understand that it was an ectopic pregnancy and that it is never viable, but in my opinion, that's still a human life. Elle Kennedy wanted it both ways. She wanted to express that an abortion is simply getting rid of something that isn't even a baby. And she wanted to express the heartbreak and devastation of a miscarriage. Those two things cannot coexist and it was disturbing to see the author try to insert a political statement, such that abortion is not heartbreaking and wrong but a miscarriage can be. This point is made again when Wyatt starts saying that "we lost our baby" and then Blake goes around saying that it was never a baby in the first place if it was always going to die. How does that make sense?
Also my critique is more about how the story presents it—specifically the way it builds emotional weight around the loss while also trying framing it in a way that, to me, undercuts that same weight. It didn’t feel fully consistent within the narrative, which is what took me out of it. Just to be clear, I'm not criticizing the way that Blake and Wyatt grieved this loss, I'm pointing of the narrative inconsistencies that really shook the emotional core of the story.
Ultimately, this didn’t come across as nuanced or thought-provoking, it came across as the author trying to push a specific viewpoint while ignoring the contradictions it created within her own story. Instead of adding depth, it weakened both the message and the emotional impact.
NOTE: This review focuses on how the storyline is handled narratively. I understand that experiences with pregnancy and loss are deeply personal, and I’m not commenting on how individuals process those experiences in real life.
ᯓ★𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑫𝑰𝑪𝑻:
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the Off Campus and Briar U series, but the pregnancy plot—and the way it was handled—ultimately put a damper on what was otherwise a strong story.
I was disappointed. What started out a really good love story was overshadowed by an unsavory plot twist that introduced some conflicting and heavy-handed undertones.
📖 |𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕: audiobook 🎧
📝 |𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: romance
📄 |𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔: 528
📆 |𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 : 3/17-317/26
📌 |𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆: The OFF CAMPUS series and the BRIAR U series
ᯓ★ 𝑻𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺:
This started out super promising. I was genuinely vibing with the plot and the dynamic between Blake and Wyatt, which is a big reason my rating is still relatively high. Before getting into what didn’t work for me, I want to highlight what did.
The forbidden romance element was really engaging. Unlike a lot of books that use this trope, it actually kept me invested. Since I already know and love the other characters, I was torn between wanting them to keep their relationship secret and wanting to see everyone’s reaction. That balance worked really well.
Another thing I found cute was how Wyatt's insomnia got significantly better once he started sleeping with Blake. It was great to see Wyatt "the tortured musician" finally get some well deserved rest.
Lastly, Elle Kennedy always amazes me with the ridiculous and totally improbable side plots. I won't lie, they are certainly very entertaining, but they're just so ludicrous that I would never believe that could happen in a million years. But I guess that's what fiction is for. Her side plot was funny and definitely added something to the story.
What went horribly wrong ⚠️ spoiler alert
Toward the last quarter of the book, Blake finds out that she is pregnant. Nothing is too dramatic, everything seems like it's going to be alright, and even Blake is leaning towards keeping the baby. Now I'm already not a fan of the unplanned pregnancy trope, but this was 100x worse because Blake miscarries the baby. Now this is super heartbreaking in and of itself, but what was worse in my opinion was Blake's reaction. The author throughout the book was already expressing opinions about the ability to get an abortion. Now of course that is the author's decision to include these opinions and I'm not here to agree or disagree with her. What I am going to point out is the narrative inconsistencies of a what followed after miscarriage.
Blake kept insisting that the fetus inside her was "never a baby", even though she was about 7 weeks pregnant and planning to keep it. That's dehumanizing to claim that a miscarriage, a heartbreaking and traumatic experience, was never about a human life. I understand that it was an ectopic pregnancy and that it is never viable, but in my opinion, that's still a human life. Elle Kennedy wanted it both ways. She wanted to express that an abortion is simply getting rid of something that isn't even a baby. And she wanted to express the heartbreak and devastation of a miscarriage. Those two things cannot coexist and it was disturbing to see the author try to insert a political statement, such that abortion is not heartbreaking and wrong but a miscarriage can be. This point is made again when Wyatt starts saying that "we lost our baby" and then Blake goes around saying that it was never a baby in the first place if it was always going to die. How does that make sense?
Also my critique is more about how the story presents it—specifically the way it builds emotional weight around the loss while also trying framing it in a way that, to me, undercuts that same weight. It didn’t feel fully consistent within the narrative, which is what took me out of it. Just to be clear, I'm not criticizing the way that Blake and Wyatt grieved this loss, I'm pointing of the narrative inconsistencies that really shook the emotional core of the story.
Ultimately, this didn’t come across as nuanced or thought-provoking, it came across as the author trying to push a specific viewpoint while ignoring the contradictions it created within her own story. Instead of adding depth, it weakened both the message and the emotional impact.
NOTE: This review focuses on how the storyline is handled narratively. I understand that experiences with pregnancy and loss are deeply personal, and I’m not commenting on how individuals process those experiences in real life.
ᯓ★𝑽𝑬𝑹𝑫𝑰𝑪𝑻:
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the Off Campus and Briar U series, but the pregnancy plot—and the way it was handled—ultimately put a damper on what was otherwise a strong story.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
my fav second gen book ever written 😭❤️ wyatt and blake were everything!!!
my dream of seeing grahams and logans as in-laws is finally coming true 🥹🤭 they are going to be so insufferable lmaoo
GARRETT GRAHAM: Bro, if they actually get married, we’ll finally be related.
JOHN LOGAN: Do you think Dean and Tuck are jealous of us?
GARRETT GRAHAM: Obviously.
OMG SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP!!!! I GOT THE ARCC 😭😭🥺
my dream of seeing grahams and logans as in-laws is finally coming true 🥹🤭 they are going to be so insufferable lmaoo
GARRETT GRAHAM: Bro, if they actually get married, we’ll finally be related.
JOHN LOGAN: Do you think Dean and Tuck are jealous of us?
GARRETT GRAHAM: Obviously.
OMG SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP!!!! I GOT THE ARCC 😭😭🥺
March 20, 2026
Elle Kennedy has always been my go-to when it comes to hockey romance—honestly, no one quite does it like her. From the Briar U crew to the next generation, she has this undeniable talent for creating characters that stick with you long after you’ve finished the book. Garrett Graham, John Logan, John Tucker, Dean Di Laurentis, Hannah Wells, Allie Hayes, Jake Connelly, Brianna, Summer—they’re not just characters, they feel like old friends at this point. The definition of nostalgia.
That’s probably why I went into Love Song with such high expectations. And while I did enjoy it, I can’t deny that it fell a little short for me. One of the biggest drawbacks was the heavy reliance on lust-driven tropes, especially in the first half of the book. I get that chemistry is a huge part of Kennedy’s writing style, but here it felt a bit overdone—almost like it overshadowed the emotional depth I usually love in her stories.
The conflict between Beau and AJ also felt slightly overdramatic. It didn’t fully land for me, though I can see how it fits into her larger, carefully planned universe.
That said, Wyatt Graham was definitely a highlight. There’s something so compelling about him—the brooding, sexy musician with a playboy reputation who can’t seem to stay in one place. But beneath that surface, we get glimpses of something deeper: his insecurities, his fear of commitment, and the emotional walls he’s built. Watching him develop real feelings, especially given the complications of who he falls for (dad's best friend's daughter), added a layer of tension that kept me invested.
Even though Love Song doesn’t quite measure up to The Graham Effect—and definitely not the Off Campus series—it’s still a solid read. Elle Kennedy’s writing remains addictive, and her world is one I’m always happy to return to. And honestly? I’m still really excited to meet more of the second-generation hockey boys. No matter what, I’ll be picking up her next book.
PRE-READ
I HAVE BEEN READY FOR WYATT GRAHAM SINCE THE MOMENT HE WAS CONCEIVED.
That’s probably why I went into Love Song with such high expectations. And while I did enjoy it, I can’t deny that it fell a little short for me. One of the biggest drawbacks was the heavy reliance on lust-driven tropes, especially in the first half of the book. I get that chemistry is a huge part of Kennedy’s writing style, but here it felt a bit overdone—almost like it overshadowed the emotional depth I usually love in her stories.
The conflict between Beau and AJ also felt slightly overdramatic. It didn’t fully land for me, though I can see how it fits into her larger, carefully planned universe.
That said, Wyatt Graham was definitely a highlight. There’s something so compelling about him—the brooding, sexy musician with a playboy reputation who can’t seem to stay in one place. But beneath that surface, we get glimpses of something deeper: his insecurities, his fear of commitment, and the emotional walls he’s built. Watching him develop real feelings, especially given the complications of who he falls for (dad's best friend's daughter), added a layer of tension that kept me invested.
Even though Love Song doesn’t quite measure up to The Graham Effect—and definitely not the Off Campus series—it’s still a solid read. Elle Kennedy’s writing remains addictive, and her world is one I’m always happy to return to. And honestly? I’m still really excited to meet more of the second-generation hockey boys. No matter what, I’ll be picking up her next book.
PRE-READ
I HAVE BEEN READY FOR WYATT GRAHAM SINCE THE MOMENT HE WAS CONCEIVED.
March 13, 2026
i can’t explain how mad i am.
i would spoil the entire plot if there was one to begin with.
i would spoil the entire plot if there was one to begin with.
March 22, 2026
3 stars
I might’ve felt indifferent about the main characters and their “romance”, but I loved everything else about the book.
^The group chats were hilarious!
^The og characters being back and heavily present in this book. I missed those characters so much and I loved seeing them again as parents.
^This the book that really introduce us to all those next generation characters, and I’m so intrigued for everything to come.
^The drama?? And how messy everything was between the side characters? I love it!
^The badminton games. That was brutal and competitive and I was loving it.
^I loved the ending.
I hate to say that but I wasn’t a huge fan of Wyatt, I honestly thought he was a loser, sorry! He was kinda annoying and whiny for the majority of the book. Blake was okay, I felt really neutral about her. And even if I wasn’t a fan of the main characters, I enjoyed the storyline. It kinda dragged tho and I didn’t think it needed all that dragging. But for the most part it was fun and sexy.
I might’ve felt indifferent about the main characters and their “romance”, but I loved everything else about the book.
^The group chats were hilarious!
^The og characters being back and heavily present in this book. I missed those characters so much and I loved seeing them again as parents.
^This the book that really introduce us to all those next generation characters, and I’m so intrigued for everything to come.
^The drama?? And how messy everything was between the side characters? I love it!
^The badminton games. That was brutal and competitive and I was loving it.
^I loved the ending.
I hate to say that but I wasn’t a huge fan of Wyatt, I honestly thought he was a loser, sorry! He was kinda annoying and whiny for the majority of the book. Blake was okay, I felt really neutral about her. And even if I wasn’t a fan of the main characters, I enjoyed the storyline. It kinda dragged tho and I didn’t think it needed all that dragging. But for the most part it was fun and sexy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
now the book is out, I can share my spoilery review! BIG SPOILERS, don't read if you're not finished.
--
I'm as disappointed as you are with the rating, trust me.
I'm an avid Elle Kennedy reader and have been reading her books since 2015, so naturally I will read anything she writes 🩷 especially in the Briar universe!
Having said that, unfortunately this book let me down. As a Garrett Graham fangirl, I was so excited to read about his son, his mini-me, but Wyatt couldn't be anymore different from Garrett if he tried lol
Spoilers ahead!
I found him a tough pill to swallow. He was incredibly rude to everyone for the first 50% of this book - including his parents, which pissed me off but I'll come back to this! - and I just grew weary of his whiny 'the world is out to get me' attitude when he has such an amazing life. He's a "bad boy" because he smokes, drinks, and sleeps around, but as a lover of golden retrievers, I just didn't like him 😄
He has rich and successful parents who love him so much, he has a lakehouse he can stay at rent-free and doesn't even need to buy any groceries, he's young and attractive, women falling at his feet, a big family (both official and unofficial), friends and opportunities. What's the problem, exactly? What part of the world hates you, Wyatt? lmao
Also, I wish people would stop calling him G or Graham, and Blake 'Logan' because it was throwing me off 😄
His mum, my girl Wellsy 🫶, does SO MUCH to support him in his musical career for obvious reasons, but he just throws it back in her face. So worried about being a nepobaby but then whining that nobody is giving him opportunities. has it occurred to him that maybe his music is shit? Eventually it does occur to him but lol took him long enough.
Then he has the audacity at the end of the book to get an opportunity - THROUGH HIS MUM - and he takes it optimistically. Um?? What happened to making it on your own?? And his rudeness towards his mum is what annoys me about him the most because it's completely unnecessary. Even Gigi tells him to stop being rude and apologise. And yet Wellsy is still so caring and supportive to him and follows a bullshit 'rule book' he set about his music. Stfu bro. A rule book for your own mother?
He also makes so many assumptions about his parents that he's just convinced himself that his mum pities him and his dad is disappointed just because he doesn't like hockey. It takes one talk with Garrett for him to understand that it's ridiculous. Just one. You're an adult, Wyatt, communicate with your parents!! Goes to show that he does not listen to them, and he paints them out to be so bad when they're not 🫶
He's also weird with Blake so I'm surprised she likes him at all. This is a good segway into discussing her and their relationship because I just didn't get it at first. I do feel like I understood it at the end but most of the time I was like '...why do you even like each other?'
Blake is fine, I don't feel like she's as strong a protagonist as the others as I find her a little forgettable. Her and Wyatt's personality flip 180 about 70% into the book where he's actually fine and she's unbearable 😄 a Freaky Friday situation going on here!
I don't have many notes about Blake but I love her connection with her mum and how she's following in her footsteps in a way. The overprotectiveness of Logan is in play, however it was mostly over text/phone calls/group chats. When he shows up eventually (it's such a long wait, my god), he isn't too overbearing.
What baffles me the most - and we're heading into strong spoiler territory - is that he and Garrett have a massive barny about Wyatt and Blake's relationship for so long. They argue, make snide comments, to the point where I'm like 'ok you can stop now' because I don't see the problem. Anyway, they eventually make up and they suddenly become okay with it lol but what's even MORE confusing is that we find out Blake is pregnant and ... THEY'RE OK WITH IT? Riddle me that. Makes absolutely no sense 😄 you'd think he'd attempt to drown Wyatt in the lake for impregnating his daughter, but no. Talk about anticlimactic! I perked up, waiting for more drama but nope.
Anyway, tragedy strikes! Check the trigger warning - which was in the back of my arc because it's a spoiler - and it changed the mood of the book but didn't really take long to deal with.
I found how Blake was during the "tragedy" understandable but after a while, I didn't really understand why she was so upset at Wyatt? She made him feel bad about dealing with it which was harsh, and she didn't comfort him or acknowledge his feelings at all - he was also affected. It pissed me off. Why isn't he allowed to cry?? She convinced herself of what she thought Wyatt thought/felt, regardless of him telling her otherwise, and I just wanted to shake her!
The vibe of the book shifts here but I actually preferred the last 20% of the book. It felt more like OC-vibes, especially The Mistake!
I don't know how I feel about Wyatt with the singer, I'm surprised he went off with someone else at this point. I'd prefer no OWD to be honest! It felt unnecessary.
Anyway, the end was quite nice but I do have some more questions about what Blake is doing and how Wyatt's career progressed. I'd have loved an epilogue!
Another comment to make is that some of them felt out of character, or at least reacted weirdly to some moments. For example, Beau does something very silly in this book (I'll come back to this) and it upsets AJ immensely. So he beats him up in front of everyone, including his parents. What do Dean and Allie do?
Absolutely nothing. Just watch it happen?
Dean says 'let him get it out of his system' ????? Are you joking?? He'd never say that, and Allie wouldn't see her only son get beaten up, surely. I recall Hannah saying "Garrett, stop him!" But he doesn't. And why is it Hannah and not Allie?? Hmm.
I'm actually quite excited for Beau's book and where his relationship with AJ goes 🩷 it's giving The Play!
I do think, after the drama with Beau and AJ, they also have a complete personality change? Both turned so sleazy so quickly, it was very odd.
Also all the drama happened within 10% lol I got reader whiplash!
The drama with AJ and Beau came out of nowhere but it did inject a little more excitement, however I wish this happened earlier as literally nothing happened in the first 50% of the book 😄 could have done with that sooner, Ms Kennedy! I wonder where she's going with it as what Beau did was quite big (and out of character??), almost unforgivable in some eyes. I, personally, understand AJ's anger so yeah. We'll see! But I'm sad about what happened to Beau's character because I liked him sm 😭
Some of the OG gang are just ...there. Tucker shows up but I forget he was at the lake house half the time. He doesn't even cook anymore, it was just Hannah and Allie cooking most of the time. Just make the mums cook for about 15 people every night, ok.
We get updates on the other next-gen kids but we don't see half of them.
There's a little ghost story woven into the book but I honestly wasn't too bothered by it. Sorry!!
I'm a little disappointed by this. I think I just expected...more.
I wanted more banter, more of the OG group reminiscing or at least having a bigger part to the story, more of the other dynamics. A stronger storyline and direction. I think I'd have rated this higher had I liked Wyatt a bit more lol
Also WHERE WAS MY BOY JAKE AND HIS QUEEN BRENNA??? Rude to not include them.
It didn't wow me unfortunately, but I'm still going to read the next book because I'm very eager to see where Elle takes Beau and AJ!
I'm one of those fans that wanted Beau and Blake but oh well. She teased us with the virginity thing, and I'm wondering if Elle did that on purpose 😄
--
I'm as disappointed as you are with the rating, trust me.
I'm an avid Elle Kennedy reader and have been reading her books since 2015, so naturally I will read anything she writes 🩷 especially in the Briar universe!
Having said that, unfortunately this book let me down. As a Garrett Graham fangirl, I was so excited to read about his son, his mini-me, but Wyatt couldn't be anymore different from Garrett if he tried lol
Spoilers ahead!
I found him a tough pill to swallow. He was incredibly rude to everyone for the first 50% of this book - including his parents, which pissed me off but I'll come back to this! - and I just grew weary of his whiny 'the world is out to get me' attitude when he has such an amazing life. He's a "bad boy" because he smokes, drinks, and sleeps around, but as a lover of golden retrievers, I just didn't like him 😄
He has rich and successful parents who love him so much, he has a lakehouse he can stay at rent-free and doesn't even need to buy any groceries, he's young and attractive, women falling at his feet, a big family (both official and unofficial), friends and opportunities. What's the problem, exactly? What part of the world hates you, Wyatt? lmao
Also, I wish people would stop calling him G or Graham, and Blake 'Logan' because it was throwing me off 😄
His mum, my girl Wellsy 🫶, does SO MUCH to support him in his musical career for obvious reasons, but he just throws it back in her face. So worried about being a nepobaby but then whining that nobody is giving him opportunities. has it occurred to him that maybe his music is shit? Eventually it does occur to him but lol took him long enough.
Then he has the audacity at the end of the book to get an opportunity - THROUGH HIS MUM - and he takes it optimistically. Um?? What happened to making it on your own?? And his rudeness towards his mum is what annoys me about him the most because it's completely unnecessary. Even Gigi tells him to stop being rude and apologise. And yet Wellsy is still so caring and supportive to him and follows a bullshit 'rule book' he set about his music. Stfu bro. A rule book for your own mother?
He also makes so many assumptions about his parents that he's just convinced himself that his mum pities him and his dad is disappointed just because he doesn't like hockey. It takes one talk with Garrett for him to understand that it's ridiculous. Just one. You're an adult, Wyatt, communicate with your parents!! Goes to show that he does not listen to them, and he paints them out to be so bad when they're not 🫶
He's also weird with Blake so I'm surprised she likes him at all. This is a good segway into discussing her and their relationship because I just didn't get it at first. I do feel like I understood it at the end but most of the time I was like '...why do you even like each other?'
Blake is fine, I don't feel like she's as strong a protagonist as the others as I find her a little forgettable. Her and Wyatt's personality flip 180 about 70% into the book where he's actually fine and she's unbearable 😄 a Freaky Friday situation going on here!
I don't have many notes about Blake but I love her connection with her mum and how she's following in her footsteps in a way. The overprotectiveness of Logan is in play, however it was mostly over text/phone calls/group chats. When he shows up eventually (it's such a long wait, my god), he isn't too overbearing.
What baffles me the most - and we're heading into strong spoiler territory - is that he and Garrett have a massive barny about Wyatt and Blake's relationship for so long. They argue, make snide comments, to the point where I'm like 'ok you can stop now' because I don't see the problem. Anyway, they eventually make up and they suddenly become okay with it lol but what's even MORE confusing is that we find out Blake is pregnant and ... THEY'RE OK WITH IT? Riddle me that. Makes absolutely no sense 😄 you'd think he'd attempt to drown Wyatt in the lake for impregnating his daughter, but no. Talk about anticlimactic! I perked up, waiting for more drama but nope.
Anyway, tragedy strikes! Check the trigger warning - which was in the back of my arc because it's a spoiler - and it changed the mood of the book but didn't really take long to deal with.
I found how Blake was during the "tragedy" understandable but after a while, I didn't really understand why she was so upset at Wyatt? She made him feel bad about dealing with it which was harsh, and she didn't comfort him or acknowledge his feelings at all - he was also affected. It pissed me off. Why isn't he allowed to cry?? She convinced herself of what she thought Wyatt thought/felt, regardless of him telling her otherwise, and I just wanted to shake her!
The vibe of the book shifts here but I actually preferred the last 20% of the book. It felt more like OC-vibes, especially The Mistake!
I don't know how I feel about Wyatt with the singer, I'm surprised he went off with someone else at this point. I'd prefer no OWD to be honest! It felt unnecessary.
Anyway, the end was quite nice but I do have some more questions about what Blake is doing and how Wyatt's career progressed. I'd have loved an epilogue!
Another comment to make is that some of them felt out of character, or at least reacted weirdly to some moments. For example, Beau does something very silly in this book (I'll come back to this) and it upsets AJ immensely. So he beats him up in front of everyone, including his parents. What do Dean and Allie do?
Absolutely nothing. Just watch it happen?
Dean says 'let him get it out of his system' ????? Are you joking?? He'd never say that, and Allie wouldn't see her only son get beaten up, surely. I recall Hannah saying "Garrett, stop him!" But he doesn't. And why is it Hannah and not Allie?? Hmm.
I'm actually quite excited for Beau's book and where his relationship with AJ goes 🩷 it's giving The Play!
I do think, after the drama with Beau and AJ, they also have a complete personality change? Both turned so sleazy so quickly, it was very odd.
Also all the drama happened within 10% lol I got reader whiplash!
The drama with AJ and Beau came out of nowhere but it did inject a little more excitement, however I wish this happened earlier as literally nothing happened in the first 50% of the book 😄 could have done with that sooner, Ms Kennedy! I wonder where she's going with it as what Beau did was quite big (and out of character??), almost unforgivable in some eyes. I, personally, understand AJ's anger so yeah. We'll see! But I'm sad about what happened to Beau's character because I liked him sm 😭
Some of the OG gang are just ...there. Tucker shows up but I forget he was at the lake house half the time. He doesn't even cook anymore, it was just Hannah and Allie cooking most of the time. Just make the mums cook for about 15 people every night, ok.
We get updates on the other next-gen kids but we don't see half of them.
There's a little ghost story woven into the book but I honestly wasn't too bothered by it. Sorry!!
I'm a little disappointed by this. I think I just expected...more.
I wanted more banter, more of the OG group reminiscing or at least having a bigger part to the story, more of the other dynamics. A stronger storyline and direction. I think I'd have rated this higher had I liked Wyatt a bit more lol
Also WHERE WAS MY BOY JAKE AND HIS QUEEN BRENNA??? Rude to not include them.
It didn't wow me unfortunately, but I'm still going to read the next book because I'm very eager to see where Elle takes Beau and AJ!
I'm one of those fans that wanted Beau and Blake but oh well. She teased us with the virginity thing, and I'm wondering if Elle did that on purpose 😄
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
1 star for john logan
March 19, 2026
DNF at 95 ish?
I really hate reading MMC being intimate with someone else. And he did it twice in the book. Not all the way of course.
But at 95%?
I've been waiting for this book for months and I'm reallly disappointed.
If the point is to convey that he is in love and can't move on, do it any other way ffs!
Do you want me to believe he's in love with her but still drools over some girl's ass?
I really hate reading MMC being intimate with someone else. And he did it twice in the book. Not all the way of course.
But at 95%?
I've been waiting for this book for months and I'm reallly disappointed.
If the point is to convey that he is in love and can't move on, do it any other way ffs!
Do you want me to believe he's in love with her but still drools over some girl's ass?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2026
5⭐️
One of my most anticipated releases this year, and it did not disappoint. I loved every second.💗
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One of my most anticipated releases this year, and it did not disappoint. I loved every second.💗
rtc
Want to read
March 16, 2026guess what just hit my kindle a day before the release date
omggg the cover is so pretty 😍🤩🤩 the blurb?? give me the book now Elle 🫴🏻
yeeeeeeesssss !!! it’s Blake and Wyatt booookkk, Logan and Garrett are going to go crazy 🤣 also I can’t wait for the dads chat it will be pure comedy 😭🤣
It’s Blake Logan book!!!!!!! It better be Wyatt or AJ
Elle may not be a chief, but she's always cooking
omggg the cover is so pretty 😍🤩🤩 the blurb?? give me the book now Elle 🫴🏻
yeeeeeeesssss !!! it’s Blake and Wyatt booookkk, Logan and Garrett are going to go crazy 🤣 also I can’t wait for the dads chat it will be pure comedy 😭🤣
It’s Blake Logan book!!!!!!! It better be Wyatt or AJ
Elle may not be a chief, but she's always cooking
March 19, 2026
this was god awful — I’ll go more in depth later because I’m fuming right now
review:
This book actually pissed me off so much, and I was so looking forward to it. Blake is Grace and Logan’s daughter, Wyatt is Garrett and Hannah’s son, they’re together at their families’ lake house for the summer and start seeing each other. Sounds good right? WRONG! There is so much back and forth with them, neither knows how to communicate (even non-verbally), and when they realize they just want sex, they start sleeping together. That would be totally fine, except we as the readers are led to believe they’re also falling in love even through WE ONLY SEE THE SEX! They have maybe four conversations outside of it total - two about how they feel as people and the other two about this side-plot ghost lady.
On top of that, these two have ZERO chemistry. I like a bit of smut as much as the next guy, but when there’s no chemistry and it’s every third page, you get bored. So when their families show up to the house, I thought it would be a good dynamic change… wrong again. They continue just thinking about sex all the time and don’t really try to hide it. Then there’s drama with the other kids (they’re adults but the off campus series couples’ kids) and I was SHOCKED about how incestuous they are. Given the fact that we know they were raised by a group of best friends, you’d think they would think of each other like surrogate siblings, or maybe just cousins, NOPE, they’re all trying to fuck each other, it’s weird and uncomfortable.
I’m not even going to go into the tragedy that tears them apart because it’s annoying. Keep in mind, my reaction would be different if these were real people and not characters in a book. Oh my god, I actually hate them. They act like literal children. They’re so irresponsible and non-communicative, it’s infuriating; I wanted to hit them both over the head with a hammer. I’m glad I never have to think about this book again because that was absolutely abhorrent.
review:
This book actually pissed me off so much, and I was so looking forward to it. Blake is Grace and Logan’s daughter, Wyatt is Garrett and Hannah’s son, they’re together at their families’ lake house for the summer and start seeing each other. Sounds good right? WRONG! There is so much back and forth with them, neither knows how to communicate (even non-verbally), and when they realize they just want sex, they start sleeping together. That would be totally fine, except we as the readers are led to believe they’re also falling in love even through WE ONLY SEE THE SEX! They have maybe four conversations outside of it total - two about how they feel as people and the other two about this side-plot ghost lady.
On top of that, these two have ZERO chemistry. I like a bit of smut as much as the next guy, but when there’s no chemistry and it’s every third page, you get bored. So when their families show up to the house, I thought it would be a good dynamic change… wrong again. They continue just thinking about sex all the time and don’t really try to hide it. Then there’s drama with the other kids (they’re adults but the off campus series couples’ kids) and I was SHOCKED about how incestuous they are. Given the fact that we know they were raised by a group of best friends, you’d think they would think of each other like surrogate siblings, or maybe just cousins, NOPE, they’re all trying to fuck each other, it’s weird and uncomfortable.
I’m not even going to go into the tragedy that tears them apart because it’s annoying. Keep in mind, my reaction would be different if these were real people and not characters in a book. Oh my god, I actually hate them. They act like literal children. They’re so irresponsible and non-communicative, it’s infuriating; I wanted to hit them both over the head with a hammer. I’m glad I never have to think about this book again because that was absolutely abhorrent.
March 19, 2026
3.5/5
how long am i going to be stuck in a toxic relationship with this second gen series???
after rating the graham effect 3.75 stars, and this one, i think i'm forever stuck in that range for this series. i want so badly to love and adore the books about these kids but the best parts are just the group messages. elle kennedy should've just made a newsletter or something with small updates and the texts, that would be better for me personally. instead we get the ridiculously long, drawn out romances that include incredibly harsh traumas and just piss me off. i'm just mad because i know i will be back to read about whatever happens with beau and aj....
wyatt and blake are each having a summer reset and they happen to both be reseting at their parents lake tahoe home. cue the forced proximity, the jealousy, and the hookups. i wish that i loved their romance but wyatt was annoying to me for about 90% of this book. toward the end i liked him, and i felt for him, but overall he just seemed very whiny. also you can be sexually attracted to someone and not sexualize them 24/7. i mean jesus christ the sheer amount of times that his perspective is just him talking about how much he wants to fuck blake and how hot she is and how he wants to see her tits. i was a bit grossed out. plus pretty much every male character in this book is weird about their attraction to blake and its odd/uncomfortable. also his songs… not all that… sorry.
blake is much better. i really wished we focused more on her healing from two big things in this book. obviously the really big, really spoilery thing that happens in the last 20%, but also from feeling lost with her future. that storyline could've been really interesting but it felt very stagnant throughout the story. overall i liked her as a character, even if i wanted her to stand up sometimes..
the drama from everyone else is what keeps me coming back. in my opinion, her writing isn't really getting better and the new trend of 500+ page elle kennedy romances isn't working for me. the first fifty percent of this book is paced horribly, like there is no need for it to be that long with nothing really going on except for them weirdly tanning and eye fucking. shorten that up and the book might be better.
like i said, i will be back. beau and aj's problems are just too much fun for me to ignore. plus i am holding out hope, however misplaced it is, that i'll get another five star. (literally only the mistake has been a five star so i am fooling myself)
how long am i going to be stuck in a toxic relationship with this second gen series???
after rating the graham effect 3.75 stars, and this one, i think i'm forever stuck in that range for this series. i want so badly to love and adore the books about these kids but the best parts are just the group messages. elle kennedy should've just made a newsletter or something with small updates and the texts, that would be better for me personally. instead we get the ridiculously long, drawn out romances that include incredibly harsh traumas and just piss me off. i'm just mad because i know i will be back to read about whatever happens with beau and aj....
wyatt and blake are each having a summer reset and they happen to both be reseting at their parents lake tahoe home. cue the forced proximity, the jealousy, and the hookups. i wish that i loved their romance but wyatt was annoying to me for about 90% of this book. toward the end i liked him, and i felt for him, but overall he just seemed very whiny. also you can be sexually attracted to someone and not sexualize them 24/7. i mean jesus christ the sheer amount of times that his perspective is just him talking about how much he wants to fuck blake and how hot she is and how he wants to see her tits. i was a bit grossed out. plus pretty much every male character in this book is weird about their attraction to blake and its odd/uncomfortable. also his songs… not all that… sorry.
blake is much better. i really wished we focused more on her healing from two big things in this book. obviously the really big, really spoilery thing that happens in the last 20%, but also from feeling lost with her future. that storyline could've been really interesting but it felt very stagnant throughout the story. overall i liked her as a character, even if i wanted her to stand up sometimes..
the drama from everyone else is what keeps me coming back. in my opinion, her writing isn't really getting better and the new trend of 500+ page elle kennedy romances isn't working for me. the first fifty percent of this book is paced horribly, like there is no need for it to be that long with nothing really going on except for them weirdly tanning and eye fucking. shorten that up and the book might be better.
like i said, i will be back. beau and aj's problems are just too much fun for me to ignore. plus i am holding out hope, however misplaced it is, that i'll get another five star. (literally only the mistake has been a five star so i am fooling myself)
Want to read
August 3, 2025musical romance, blake x wyatt, logan x garrett 🥺 I couldn’t be happier 🤸♀️
March 22, 2026
did I read five hundred and forty pages in one day? yes. do I deserve a pat on the back and maybe even a complimentary special edition of the book for my loyalty? absolutely. but yeah, guys, I ate this up. it was genuinely the best romance (and the first one but who cares) that I've read in a long time. however, and DO NOT chew me out over this, I'm rating it a 4.75 and not a five on the technicality that something near the end planted this seedling of anger into my veins that the conclusion, however charming and lovely it may had been, could not extinguish. so yes, a 4.75 and full review and thoughts to come! (probably tomorrow, maybe tonight if we're eager. don't hold me to this if the review springs up in april)
ps. and yes i'm still registering it under the four stars and not the five. bite me.
༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶
˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ pre-read *°:⋆ₓₒ
↪ I’ve been gobbling up every new Elle Kennedy release like it’s a personality trait at this point. And if any of you heard the absolute terror of a scream I scrumpt when I found out this book is about Logan’s daughter and Garrett’s son—no you didn’t.
If this isn’t my first five-star read of 2026, Elle Kennedy, you will be seeing me in your DMs.
*.°:⋆ₓ➼ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 20𝘵𝘩
ps. and yes i'm still registering it under the four stars and not the five. bite me.
༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶
˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ pre-read *°:⋆ₓₒ
↪ I’ve been gobbling up every new Elle Kennedy release like it’s a personality trait at this point. And if any of you heard the absolute terror of a scream I scrumpt when I found out this book is about Logan’s daughter and Garrett’s son—no you didn’t.
If this isn’t my first five-star read of 2026, Elle Kennedy, you will be seeing me in your DMs.
*.°:⋆ₓ➼ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 20𝘵𝘩
January 29, 2026
My most anticipated book of the year and it certainly didn’t disappoint, Elle kennedy you did it again!! The tension, the spice, the longing, once you pick love song up, you don’t want to put it down.
Wyatt Graham my misunderstood tortured musician. what I love so much about him is that he’s not like any of the other men Elle Kennedy has written, sure he has Garretts charm and a hint of Deans absurd comments but he’s so different from all of them. Throughout the book he fights many inner battles that we as the reader get to experience through his eyes. There are talks of pressure to live up to his family name, to create music worthy of other peoples ears, I love the rawness and honesty in his chapters. Wyatts chapters are some of my favourite Elle kennedy has ever written, they play such a huge role in getting to know how his mind works.
I see so much of myself in Blake Logan and I think that’s why I love her so much. Not knowing what to do with your life and feeling so much pressure to have your whole life figured out when you’re young. Her growth throughout the book, watching her learn so much about herself, about what she loves while also dealing with so many inner challenges, it’s amazing to see. Blake is the queen of sarcasm and can be extremely bold when she wants to be, yet she’s also a huge nerd who will spend hours researching things that interests her. I absolutely adore her, a beautiful mix of Grace Ivers and John Logan (maybe even a hint of Allie at times).
This book was so fun yet so extremely heavy at the same time, I wasn’t prepared for how heavy it was. It dealt with some extremely sad topics, I found myself sobbing multiple times throughout the book, so get your tissues at the ready. But don’t threat because John Logan and Garrett Graham will probably get you laughing straight after!
As someone who absolutely loves the off campus series, seeing all of the original characters with their children was such an amazing feeling. Watching characters who were once terrified of having children, be the most amazing parents, getting an insight of their lives now, it’s extremely nostalgic. It was full of inside jokes, cameo after cameo of og characters, the craziness of whatever the hell garrett and logan are and DRAMA. Just when you think it’s all over, you get slapped in the face with even more drama, I found myself laughing out loud multiple times.
OH AND THE DAD CHATS?!!!
If you read one book this year, make it be this one, you won’t regret it!
Thank you netgalley for the arc, all opinions are my own!
Wyatt Graham my misunderstood tortured musician. what I love so much about him is that he’s not like any of the other men Elle Kennedy has written, sure he has Garretts charm and a hint of Deans absurd comments but he’s so different from all of them. Throughout the book he fights many inner battles that we as the reader get to experience through his eyes. There are talks of pressure to live up to his family name, to create music worthy of other peoples ears, I love the rawness and honesty in his chapters. Wyatts chapters are some of my favourite Elle kennedy has ever written, they play such a huge role in getting to know how his mind works.
I see so much of myself in Blake Logan and I think that’s why I love her so much. Not knowing what to do with your life and feeling so much pressure to have your whole life figured out when you’re young. Her growth throughout the book, watching her learn so much about herself, about what she loves while also dealing with so many inner challenges, it’s amazing to see. Blake is the queen of sarcasm and can be extremely bold when she wants to be, yet she’s also a huge nerd who will spend hours researching things that interests her. I absolutely adore her, a beautiful mix of Grace Ivers and John Logan (maybe even a hint of Allie at times).
This book was so fun yet so extremely heavy at the same time, I wasn’t prepared for how heavy it was. It dealt with some extremely sad topics, I found myself sobbing multiple times throughout the book, so get your tissues at the ready. But don’t threat because John Logan and Garrett Graham will probably get you laughing straight after!
As someone who absolutely loves the off campus series, seeing all of the original characters with their children was such an amazing feeling. Watching characters who were once terrified of having children, be the most amazing parents, getting an insight of their lives now, it’s extremely nostalgic. It was full of inside jokes, cameo after cameo of og characters, the craziness of whatever the hell garrett and logan are and DRAMA. Just when you think it’s all over, you get slapped in the face with even more drama, I found myself laughing out loud multiple times.
OH AND THE DAD CHATS?!!!
If you read one book this year, make it be this one, you won’t regret it!
Thank you netgalley for the arc, all opinions are my own!
February 2, 2026
DNF @ 53% and I am so sad about it. I honestly found this couple to be unbearable??? I really liked Blake in the previous books but she was so annoying in this one, and Wyatt was honestly just gross. They were both sexualising each other so much, it was so off putting - I know it’s a college romance but surely we can think about something other than sex??? Once the physical stuff started happening between them it was just all too much for me, the sex scenes were just icking me out.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.
March 20, 2026
I originally rated 3.5 stars, but after sitting on it longer, I'm even more aggravated so it's dropped to a 3 star read for me. I wanted to love this book so bad, but honestly, the Dads were the best part. Blake wasn't bad either, it was 1000% Wyatt that I disliked. I expected so much more from Garret Graham's son. We knew he was a playboy going into it from The Graham Effect, but I really had no idea how bad it was going to be. I'm just so disappointed. Blake deserved better. We all deserved better. 🤷🏼♀️
March 19, 2026
Actual rating 4.5 ⭐️
26 BOOKS IN 2026 CHALLENGE: 6/26
I loved this!!! The only reason it's not a 5 ⭐️ read is because I wanted more from that epilogue than only the group chat, but this book is amazing! I can't wait to see what happens next!
26 BOOKS IN 2026 CHALLENGE: 6/26
I loved this!!! The only reason it's not a 5 ⭐️ read is because I wanted more from that epilogue than only the group chat, but this book is amazing! I can't wait to see what happens next!
March 19, 2026
The book was going so well.... UNTIL HE KISSES THE OTHER SONGAMONGA???? How do they want me to believe that he loves Blake if he doesn't just look at the other girl’s ass but also kisses THAT girl back and still wanted to fuck her??? Ffs
I was actually enjoying the book, even to what happens to Blake, despite thinking that the author should have stayed more in the part of grieving of both and not in adding a third person
So yeah… I actually don’t believe this two could be happy forever, the way it was so easy for him to just be with someone else, idk kinda weird
A 4-star book moving to a 2-star book just because the author can't sustain a romance between two people without mixing a third, there was no cheating but for me it's both physical and emotional cheating, I mean, you can make Blake say no to AJ and Beau but, can't you do the same with Wyatt?? Tell me that you hate your character without telling me that you hate your character
And even made her grovel???? She was NOT the one kissing others but all right ig
Bitch please
Oh and the fact that this doesn’t have an epilogue says a LOT about the couple (and a lot about the author, atp she’s just writing these books for the hype)
I was actually enjoying the book, even to what happens to Blake, despite thinking that the author should have stayed more in the part of grieving of both and not in adding a third person
So yeah… I actually don’t believe this two could be happy forever, the way it was so easy for him to just be with someone else, idk kinda weird
A 4-star book moving to a 2-star book just because the author can't sustain a romance between two people without mixing a third, there was no cheating but for me it's both physical and emotional cheating, I mean, you can make Blake say no to AJ and Beau but, can't you do the same with Wyatt?? Tell me that you hate your character without telling me that you hate your character
And even made her grovel???? She was NOT the one kissing others but all right ig
Bitch please
Oh and the fact that this doesn’t have an epilogue says a LOT about the couple (and a lot about the author, atp she’s just writing these books for the hype)
March 18, 2026
When I saw that we were getting a book on the Off Campus offspring, I requested the ARC immediately.
Unfortunately, it feels very clear that Elle Kennedy did not want to give us a story about the kids and wanted to make sure we don’t ask her for another one.
Blake is pathetic, constantly whining and pining. And Wyatt is a complete asshole. I refuse to believe he’s the son of THE Garrett Graham.
Very little made sense in this story, right from the start.
Blake was supposed to go to Tahoe by herself, yet as soon as Wyatt is there ALL the parents decide she needs to be under 24 hour supervision? What did they expect if Wyatt hadn’t been there?
And that’s just the start, the rest of it made no sense either.
And what was the point with Beau? Like what was the actual point of that? Like I said, it’s clear that Elle wanted to make sure we don’t want to read anymore stories about this generation.
ALSO the dads acting as though they’re still in college? That was such an ick.
Characters - 1/10
Atmosphere - 2/10
Writing - 3/10
Plot - 2/10
Intrigue - 2/10
Logic - 2/10
Enjoyment - 2/10
Unfortunately, it feels very clear that Elle Kennedy did not want to give us a story about the kids and wanted to make sure we don’t ask her for another one.
Blake is pathetic, constantly whining and pining. And Wyatt is a complete asshole. I refuse to believe he’s the son of THE Garrett Graham.
Very little made sense in this story, right from the start.
Blake was supposed to go to Tahoe by herself, yet as soon as Wyatt is there ALL the parents decide she needs to be under 24 hour supervision? What did they expect if Wyatt hadn’t been there?
And that’s just the start, the rest of it made no sense either.
And what was the point with Beau? Like what was the actual point of that? Like I said, it’s clear that Elle wanted to make sure we don’t want to read anymore stories about this generation.
ALSO the dads acting as though they’re still in college? That was such an ick.
Characters - 1/10
Atmosphere - 2/10
Writing - 3/10
Plot - 2/10
Intrigue - 2/10
Logic - 2/10
Enjoyment - 2/10
Want to read
November 17, 2025Wyatt Graham, son of the iconic Off-Campus couple Garrett and Hannah, and Blake Logan, daughter of John and Grace—my favorite pair from the series— becoming a couple!!!
I have high expectations for this book!!!!
I have high expectations for this book!!!!
March 22, 2026
Speaking my truth, I read Elle Kennedy books purely for enjoyment & not at all expecting some grand love story & this book was TEA. Like all of these kids are so messy & I love it tbh.
Want to read
October 8, 2025so excited for this one <3 my literal favorite author.
March 22, 2026
– 2 stars
I can't believe Wyatt is the product of THE Garrett Graham and THE Hannah Wells?! His emo fuck boy persona was so annoying for most of the book.. and when it was his turn to be less annoying, Blake Logan got on my last nerves. Their chemistry? Non existence.
But I loved all the family group chats. They are hilarious. Garrett and Logan's bromance is everything. Not really excited about the other books either since all of the male second generation characters seems to be wannabe fuck boys who can't keep it in their pants...
I can't believe Wyatt is the product of THE Garrett Graham and THE Hannah Wells?! His emo fuck boy persona was so annoying for most of the book.. and when it was his turn to be less annoying, Blake Logan got on my last nerves. Their chemistry? Non existence.
But I loved all the family group chats. They are hilarious. Garrett and Logan's bromance is everything. Not really excited about the other books either since all of the male second generation characters seems to be wannabe fuck boys who can't keep it in their pants...
March 21, 2026
Так-с, у мене цей відгук буде складатися з декількох етапів: коментарів було так багато, що я записувала їх ще під час читання, тому враження відрізняються в залежності від сторінок прочитаного😁
50% прочитаного:
Ну, почнімо з того, що я взагалі не розумію, чому люди так сильно критикують цю книгу. Так, це не найкраща історія Елль Кеннеді, але вона точно не погана. Вона пристрасна і зачіпає багато цікавих та важливих тем.
Перш за все, тут доволі незвичні герої. Як на мене, у Ваятта простежується не лише професійне вигорання і відсутність натхнення, а й класична «криза 25 років» разом із легкою депресією. Він творча людина, яка дуже глибоко проживає емоції, але, на жаль, не завжди здоровим способом. Це проявляється і в алкоголі, і в саморуйнуванні, і в самосаботажі.
Тому до його поведінки справді виникає багато питань. Але важливо сприймати це як внутрішню боротьбу людини, яка має певні психологічні труднощі, яка занадто багато відчуває і не завжди може з цим впоратися. І давайте чесно — Ваятт далеко не ідеальний. Він більш чутливий, ранимий, трохи загублений, і саме через це робить багато дурниць, які інколи неймовірно бісили. Але в цьому і суть, що герой не ідеалізований. Він виглядає як реальна людина, яка помиляється і приймає необдумані рішення.
Навіть той випадок, коли він поїхав на ту свіданку — це показник того, наскільки він невпевнений у собі і намагається втекти від власних почуттів. Це було відверто погане рішення, і я це засуджую, але водночас розумію, звідки воно взялося.
З іншого боку, Блейк — зовсім інша. Вона більш закрита, стримана. Очевидно, що її стосунки з Айзеком були спробою забути Вайта, навіть якщо вона сама цього до кінця не усвідомлювала. І, на жаль, цей досвід не став для неї хорошим.
Але будемо чесні: зупиняти своє життя заради хлопця теж не варіант. Блейк також у процесі пошуку себе. Вона дуже зациклена на думці, що не має якогось «особливого» таланту, через що почувається менш цінною. Хоча насправді важливо розуміти, що цінність людини не обмежується якимось одним талантом, вона значно ширша.
До речі, цим Блейк дуже нагадала мені героїню з мультфільму «Душа» — ту душу, яка не хотіла народжуватися, бо вважала, що життя не має сенсу. Так само і Блейк не до кінця усвідомлює свою унікальність. Їй просто потрібно дозволити собі жити, і з часом усе стане на свої місця.
З мінусів, книга доволі сильний має slow burn, і перша половина книги бісила тим, що були оці відштовхуючі моменти. По-перше, коли Ваятт декілька разів грубо морально відштовхнув Блейк, хотілося йому в голову камінь якийсь кинути. А по-друге, наскільки вони відмежовувались від своїх почуттів, і через це була така тиха пристрасть, але вона не була занадто відчутна в сторінках книги. І це не викликало великого захоплення цієї історії. У мене особисто не було великого бажання повертатися, бігти до них, продовжувати читати. Бо зазвичай, коли мені книга дуже подобається, у мене ломка тут, ну, я хочу дочитати. Ось так. І я не скажу, що це щось погане, але саме перша половина мені була доволі дивною.
А ще, якщо продовжувати, у Ваятта явно простежується уникаючий тип прив’язаності, і це реально біда. Бо з цим дуже складно жити і ще складніше це змінити.
90% прочитаного:
А тепер можете переклеслити усе, що я писала про співчуття до Ваятта, тому що він мудила, козел і непостійний чоловік. Те, що він зробив з Моллі Мей, це гандонство, по-іншому я не скажу. Коли він клявся Блейк, що любить її, ко-ко-ко, ля-ля, але, блядь, спрямовано пішов на зустріч з цією кралею, хоча бачив, що Моллі Мей його хоче. Він пішов, він потакав їй, він лизався, сука, з нею, він намагався її трахнути. Але потім у нього, бачте, включилися мізки і почуття аля «я кохаю Блейк». Ти, козлина, якби кохав, то навіть не дозволив собі лізти до іншої. Ти б не дозволив так зневажати Блейк, навіть якщо її поруч не було. Це свинство, відверте свинство, відверта неповага. Перед тим я зберігала собі цитату Блейк, де вона казала, що хоче поруч людину, яка буде стабільна, яка визначиться зі своїми пріоритетами і інтересами, і буде чітко на цій позиції. Що ми бачимо тут? Їбаний Ваятт, який не знає, як скласти собі ціну. Егоцентричне мудило просто. Він мене настільки вибісив, що я ще зараз не дочитала, а вже строчу цей відгук, тому що я хочу роз'їбать йому єбало. Він мене так бісить. Я не хочу, щоб він був з Блейк. Він зіпсую їй все. Він свиня непостійна. Він не надійний абсолютно. Мені лишилося десь 80 сторінок, і я не бачу, що ця людина, цей чоловік може бути постійним в стосунках. Не бачу, що цей чоловік може бути вірним. Не бачу, що цей чоловік захоче будувати серйозні довгострокові відносини. Він свиня повна. Я б на місці Блейк розʼїбала б його просто і послала до одного місця. Він мене так вибісив. Типу, окей, да, Блейк також дурочка, що відгородилася від нього, але у неї був серйозний гормональний збій, який вплинув на все її життя. І він ж бачив, він розумів, що вона його кохає, просто у неї величезні травми з фізичним та ментальним здоров’ям. І коли у нього були, блядь, проблеми, вона сиділа, співчувала йому. Вона допомогла йому вибратися з тієї ями. Що ж робить він? Посилає її нахуй і зажимається з тою мадам. Ти поверхневий чмо, чувак. Просто поверхневе чмо.
А Блейк дурашка ще й виправдовує його, типу «я відпустила, не маю права, типу, диктувати, з ким йому бути, як будувати своє життя». Ти на приколі чи що? Не знаю, може я якась егоцентрична, але якби опинилася в такій ситуації, це вибісило б мене. Це б вдарило по моєму его. Коли вона розійшлася з Айзеком, коли він її зрадив, так це ТАКИЙ удар по її его було, що вона там страждала два місяці. А коли розійшлася з чоловіком, в якого закохалася, і він почав з іншою тусить, особливо після того, що вони разом пережили, то «я не маю права диктувати, як будувати йому своє життя». Ну ти якась взагалі йобнута. Не знаю, якась злість має бути, а не таке. Реакція максимально як якоїсь вівці.
100% прочитаного:
Ладно, я закінчила книгу. Загалом було дуже цікаво як розкривалися герої разом, як вони будували свої романтичні стосунки. От ті моменти, про які я наїхала, вони трішки підісрали книгу. Не можу сприймати по-іншому, навіть коли дочитала, як Ваятт запевняв Блейк, що він нікого, окрім неї, не бачить, але робив протилежні речі. Ці моменти мене вибісили сильно і дуже підривали довіру до Ваятта. Тому що ти не цілуєш у відповідь дівчину, коли ти кохаєш іншу. Не робиться так ніде і ні при яких обставинах. І це мене трішки підірвало. Не знаю, чесно кажучи, не знаю.
Мені сподобалась між ними хімія, а ці моменти мене трішки змутили. Загалом прикольно, не найкращий твір Кеннеді, але почитати разок непогано. Перша половина книги мені була доволі нудною. Я вважаю, можна було б скоротити. Друга половина вже почала більш-менш інтенсивною бути. Звісно, в кожній книзі Елль Кеннеді з цього всесвіту моє серце забирає найперша золота четвірка: Гаррет, Логан, Дін і Такер. Це просто бомбейро, це найкращі чоловіки в Елль. Вони скрізь розбавляють своїм гумором, своєю безпосередністю, своєю щирістю. Вони просто як промінчики сонця, чесно. Люблю, обожнюю.
Гадаю, ця книга десь на натягнуту четвірку з п'яти. Порадіймо за Гаррета і Логана та їх нові родинні звʼязки🤣
І мені цікаво, що там буде далі, оскільки Кеннеді закинула вудочку про декілька теоретично можливих пар. Тому подивимось, що там і як.
50% прочитаного:
Ну, почнімо з того, що я взагалі не розумію, чому люди так сильно критикують цю книгу. Так, це не найкраща історія Елль Кеннеді, але вона точно не погана. Вона пристрасна і зачіпає багато цікавих та важливих тем.
Перш за все, тут доволі незвичні герої. Як на мене, у Ваятта простежується не лише професійне вигорання і відсутність натхнення, а й класична «криза 25 років» разом із легкою депресією. Він творча людина, яка дуже глибоко проживає емоції, але, на жаль, не завжди здоровим способом. Це проявляється і в алкоголі, і в саморуйнуванні, і в самосаботажі.
Тому до його поведінки справді виникає багато питань. Але важливо сприймати це як внутрішню боротьбу людини, яка має певні психологічні труднощі, яка занадто багато відчуває і не завжди може з цим впоратися. І давайте чесно — Ваятт далеко не ідеальний. Він більш чутливий, ранимий, трохи загублений, і саме через це робить багато дурниць, які інколи неймовірно бісили. Але в цьому і суть, що герой не ідеалізований. Він виглядає як реальна людина, яка помиляється і приймає необдумані рішення.
Навіть той випадок, коли він поїхав на ту свіданку — це показник того, наскільки він невпевнений у собі і намагається втекти від власних почуттів. Це було відверто погане рішення, і я це засуджую, але водночас розумію, звідки воно взялося.
З іншого боку, Блейк — зовсім інша. Вона більш закрита, стримана. Очевидно, що її стосунки з Айзеком були спробою забути Вайта, навіть якщо вона сама цього до кінця не усвідомлювала. І, на жаль, цей досвід не став для неї хорошим.
Але будемо чесні: зупиняти своє життя заради хлопця теж не варіант. Блейк також у процесі пошуку себе. Вона дуже зациклена на думці, що не має якогось «особливого» таланту, через що почувається менш цінною. Хоча насправді важливо розуміти, що цінність людини не обмежується якимось одним талантом, вона значно ширша.
До речі, цим Блейк дуже нагадала мені героїню з мультфільму «Душа» — ту душу, яка не хотіла народжуватися, бо вважала, що життя не має сенсу. Так само і Блейк не до кінця усвідомлює свою унікальність. Їй просто потрібно дозволити собі жити, і з часом усе стане на свої місця.
З мінусів, книга доволі сильний має slow burn, і перша половина книги бісила тим, що були оці відштовхуючі моменти. По-перше, коли Ваятт декілька разів грубо морально відштовхнув Блейк, хотілося йому в голову камінь якийсь кинути. А по-друге, наскільки вони відмежовувались від своїх почуттів, і через це була така тиха пристрасть, але вона не була занадто відчутна в сторінках книги. І це не викликало великого захоплення цієї історії. У мене особисто не було великого бажання повертатися, бігти до них, продовжувати читати. Бо зазвичай, коли мені книга дуже подобається, у мене ломка тут, ну, я хочу дочитати. Ось так. І я не скажу, що це щось погане, але саме перша половина мені була доволі дивною.
А ще, якщо продовжувати, у Ваятта явно простежується уникаючий тип прив’язаності, і це реально біда. Бо з цим дуже складно жити і ще складніше це змінити.
90% прочитаного:
А тепер можете переклеслити усе, що я писала про співчуття до Ваятта, тому що він мудила, козел і непостійний чоловік. Те, що він зробив з Моллі Мей, це гандонство, по-іншому я не скажу. Коли він клявся Блейк, що любить її, ко-ко-ко, ля-ля, але, блядь, спрямовано пішов на зустріч з цією кралею, хоча бачив, що Моллі Мей його хоче. Він пішов, він потакав їй, він лизався, сука, з нею, він намагався її трахнути. Але потім у нього, бачте, включилися мізки і почуття аля «я кохаю Блейк». Ти, козлина, якби кохав, то навіть не дозволив собі лізти до іншої. Ти б не дозволив так зневажати Блейк, навіть якщо її поруч не було. Це свинство, відверте свинство, відверта неповага. Перед тим я зберігала собі цитату Блейк, де вона казала, що хоче поруч людину, яка буде стабільна, яка визначиться зі своїми пріоритетами і інтересами, і буде чітко на цій позиції. Що ми бачимо тут? Їбаний Ваятт, який не знає, як скласти собі ціну. Егоцентричне мудило просто. Він мене настільки вибісив, що я ще зараз не дочитала, а вже строчу цей відгук, тому що я хочу роз'їбать йому єбало. Він мене так бісить. Я не хочу, щоб він був з Блейк. Він зіпсую їй все. Він свиня непостійна. Він не надійний абсолютно. Мені лишилося десь 80 сторінок, і я не бачу, що ця людина, цей чоловік може бути постійним в стосунках. Не бачу, що цей чоловік може бути вірним. Не бачу, що цей чоловік захоче будувати серйозні довгострокові відносини. Він свиня повна. Я б на місці Блейк розʼїбала б його просто і послала до одного місця. Він мене так вибісив. Типу, окей, да, Блейк також дурочка, що відгородилася від нього, але у неї був серйозний гормональний збій, який вплинув на все її життя. І він ж бачив, він розумів, що вона його кохає, просто у неї величезні травми з фізичним та ментальним здоров’ям. І коли у нього були, блядь, проблеми, вона сиділа, співчувала йому. Вона допомогла йому вибратися з тієї ями. Що ж робить він? Посилає її нахуй і зажимається з тою мадам. Ти поверхневий чмо, чувак. Просто поверхневе чмо.
А Блейк дурашка ще й виправдовує його, типу «я відпустила, не маю права, типу, диктувати, з ким йому бути, як будувати своє життя». Ти на приколі чи що? Не знаю, може я якась егоцентрична, але якби опинилася в такій ситуації, це вибісило б мене. Це б вдарило по моєму его. Коли вона розійшлася з Айзеком, коли він її зрадив, так це ТАКИЙ удар по її его було, що вона там страждала два місяці. А коли розійшлася з чоловіком, в якого закохалася, і він почав з іншою тусить, особливо після того, що вони разом пережили, то «я не маю права диктувати, як будувати йому своє життя». Ну ти якась взагалі йобнута. Не знаю, якась злість має бути, а не таке. Реакція максимально як якоїсь вівці.
100% прочитаного:
Ладно, я закінчила книгу. Загалом було дуже цікаво як розкривалися герої разом, як вони будували свої романтичні стосунки. От ті моменти, про які я наїхала, вони трішки підісрали книгу. Не можу сприймати по-іншому, навіть коли дочитала, як Ваятт запевняв Блейк, що він нікого, окрім неї, не бачить, але робив протилежні речі. Ці моменти мене вибісили сильно і дуже підривали довіру до Ваятта. Тому що ти не цілуєш у відповідь дівчину, коли ти кохаєш іншу. Не робиться так ніде і ні при яких обставинах. І це мене трішки підірвало. Не знаю, чесно кажучи, не знаю.
Мені сподобалась між ними хімія, а ці моменти мене трішки змутили. Загалом прикольно, не найкращий твір Кеннеді, але почитати разок непогано. Перша половина книги мені була доволі нудною. Я вважаю, можна було б скоротити. Друга половина вже почала більш-менш інтенсивною бути. Звісно, в кожній книзі Елль Кеннеді з цього всесвіту моє серце забирає найперша золота четвірка: Гаррет, Логан, Дін і Такер. Це просто бомбейро, це найкращі чоловіки в Елль. Вони скрізь розбавляють своїм гумором, своєю безпосередністю, своєю щирістю. Вони просто як промінчики сонця, чесно. Люблю, обожнюю.
Гадаю, ця книга десь на натягнуту четвірку з п'яти. Порадіймо за Гаррета і Логана та їх нові родинні звʼязки🤣
І мені цікаво, що там буде далі, оскільки Кеннеді закинула вудочку про декілька теоретично можливих пар. Тому подивимось, що там і як.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnr
March 11, 2026#stopwritingsecondchances
guys just go and read Dab’s review and reading progress: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
+ Nikisha’s review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
guys just go and read Dab’s review and reading progress: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
+ Nikisha’s review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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