You know that feeling when you pick up a book just to "pass the time" and suddenly it’s 4:00 AM, your eyes are burning, and you’re deeply, emotionally invested in the love life of a fictional hockey player? Yeah. That's the Elle Kennedy effect. If you’ve spent any time on BookTok or scrolled through romance recommendations over the last decade, you’ve hit the Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy. It’s basically the gold standard for the "New Adult" genre.
It’s messy. It’s funny. It’s surprisingly heavy at times.
A lot of people think sports romance is just about big muscles and jerseys, but Kennedy did something different with Briar University. She took the "college jock" trope and actually gave the characters brains. Like, actual personalities that exist outside of the rink. Honestly, that’s probably why these books haven't aged poorly like a lot of other 2015-era romances. They feel real.
The Deal and Why We Can't Stop Talking About It
Everything started with The Deal. You’ve got Hannah Wells and Garrett Graham. On paper, it’s a total cliché: the tutor and the star athlete. But the magic is in the dialogue. Garrett isn't some brooding, dark-cloud-hanging-over-his-head jerk. He’s charming, he’s persistent, and he’s actually a decent guy from the jump.
Hannah isn't a "plain Jane" who needs a makeover, either. She’s a survivor. Kennedy handles her backstory—which involves a heavy history of sexual assault—with a level of grace you don’t always see in mainstream romance. It isn't used as a cheap plot device. It’s a part of who she is, and the way Garrett respects her boundaries is probably why he’s still everyone’s top "book boyfriend."
The banter? Elite.
The chemistry? Off the charts.
But the Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy isn't just a one-hit wonder. After the success of the first book, the pressure was on to see if the rest of the hockey team could live up to Garrett. Spoiler: they did, mostly.
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Breaking Down the Roster
Each book follows a different couple, but they all live in that same drafty off-campus house that probably smells like old pizza and hockey pads.
- The Mistake (John Logan & Grace Ivers): This one hits different because Logan is the one who messes up. Big time. It’s a second-chance romance where the guy actually has to grovel. We love a good grovel.
- The Score (Dean Di Laurentis & Allie Hayes): Dean is the resident playboy. You expect him to be the most shallow, but his book is arguably the funniest and has one of the most emotional "oh no" moments in the whole series.
- The Goal (Tucker & Sabrina James): This is the "surprise pregnancy" trope. Now, look, I know that trope is polarizing. Some people hate it. But Sabrina is a law student who is incredibly driven, and watching her navigate her ambitions while Tucker—the quietest, most dependable guy ever—supports her is top-tier storytelling.
It’s rare to find a series where the four core books all feel equally strong. Usually, there’s a "weak" one, but Kennedy keeps the momentum going by making the friendship between the guys just as important as the romance. They chirp each other. They’ve got each other's backs. It feels like a real locker room culture, just... significantly more attractive.
Why This Series Works When Others Fail
So many writers try to copy this formula. They throw a hockey stick on a cover and hope for the best.
It usually fails because they forget the "New Adult" part of the equation. Being 20 or 21 is a specific kind of purgatory. You’re an adult, but you’re still a kid. You’re terrified of the future. The Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy captures that specific anxiety. Whether it's Logan worrying about his family obligations back home or Sabrina trying to break the cycle of poverty, the stakes feel higher than just "will they or won't they."
The prose is fast. Kennedy doesn't waste time with ten pages of internal monologue about the sunset. She gets straight to the point. The pacing is designed for binge-reading. You finish one chapter and you’re basically forced by the laws of physics to start the next one.
Dealing with the "Legacy" and Spin-offs
After the main four, Kennedy released The Legacy, which is a collection of novellas.
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I’ll be honest: fans are split on this one. Some people loved seeing where the couples ended up (proposals, babies, career shifts). Others felt like it tarnished the perfect endings of the original books. It’s a bit of a "fan service" book, but if you’re deep in the Briar University lore, it’s basically mandatory reading.
Then came the Briar U series. It’s a spin-off, featuring some of the younger players and the sisters of the original cast. While books like The Chase and The Play are great, there’s a certain "lightning in a bottle" quality to the original Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy that is hard to replicate.
The Cultural Impact of Briar University
It’s impossible to discuss this series without mentioning how it shaped the "Hockey Romance" subgenre. Before Garrett Graham, sports romance was a bit of a niche corner of the market. Now? It’s a juggernaut.
Elle Kennedy basically wrote the blueprint:
- The "found family" of the teammates.
- The smart, sarcastic heroine who doesn't take their crap.
- The high-tension scenes (both on and off the ice).
- The specific blend of humor and "spice."
It’s also worth noting the covers. When these books first came out, they had the classic "shirtless guy" covers. Later, they got the "illustrated" treatment, which helped them explode on Instagram. It’s a testament to the writing that the books survived several different branding shifts and still sell like crazy.
Common Misconceptions About the Series
People who haven't read them often think they're just fluff.
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"Oh, it's just a book about a hockey player."
Actually, no. Kennedy touches on some pretty heavy stuff. Grief. Parental abuse. Career-ending injuries. The fear of not being "good enough" for the life you want. If you go into these expecting zero substance, you’re going to be surprised. The Goal, specifically, deals with the reality of being a young parent while trying to finish school in a way that feels incredibly grounded.
Another misconception is that you have to like hockey to enjoy them. Honestly? You could replace hockey with competitive thumb-wrestling and the books would still work. The sport provides the setting and the tension, but the characters provide the heart. You don't need to know what "icing" is to understand that Garrett Graham is a sweetheart.
Getting Started: The Right Order
If you’re new to the world of Elle Kennedy, don't jump around. The books are interconnected. Characters from the first book show up as side characters in the third. If you read them out of order, you’re going to spoil the "happily ever afters" for the earlier couples.
- The Deal (The one that started it all)
- The Mistake (The groveling one)
- The Score (The wild/emotional one)
- The Goal (The "real life" one)
- The Legacy (The "where are they now" one)
Once you finish those, you can move on to Briar U if you’re still craving that campus vibe.
Actionable Steps for the Aspiring Romance Reader
If you're looking to dive into the Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy, or if you've already finished it and are looking for that same high, here is what you need to do next:
- Check the Content Warnings: While these books are fun, they do deal with sexual assault (past), pregnancy, and death of a loved one. If you have triggers, a quick search on StoryGraph will give you the specifics for each book.
- Don't Skip the Audiobooks: Lorelei Chase and Reed Northwood do an incredible job with the narration. Sometimes the humor lands even better when you hear it spoken out loud.
- Follow the "Spin-off" Trail: If you love Kennedy’s style, check out her collaborations with Sarina Bowen (the Him series). It’s M/M hockey romance and it’s arguably some of the best writing in the genre.
- Join the Community: The "Briar University" fandom is huge on Goodreads. If you’re struggling to find your next read after finishing The Goal, looking at the "Readers Also Enjoyed" section for these specific books is a goldmine for finding other authors like Tessa Bailey or Catherine Walsh.
The reality is that romance trends come and go. One year it’s vampires, the next it’s billionaires. But the Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy stays relevant because it captures the universal feeling of being young, messy, and falling in love for the first time. It’s comfort food in book form.
Whether you're in it for the sports, the spice, or the genuine emotional stakes, there's a reason these boys from Briar remain the kings of the genre. You might come for the hockey, but you'll stay for the heart.