Series Review: Off-Campus by Elle Kennedy

The Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy is so addicting! It's about a group of hockey players living off-campus together and each book focuses on one of those guys and the awesome gal changing his life. The books always have alternating point-of-views between said guy and gal so we get to know (and love) everyone! Here's what I thought of each book.

The Deal (Off-Campus #1) 

pub 2/24/15 by Elle Kennedy

I’m just gonna put this out there — The Deal is one of my favorite NA’s ever. Yep, I said it! (Rule still has my heart but man, this book comes pretty freaking close!) It had everything I love: a feisty, smart and kind heroine, a gorgeous guy who knows how to make a girl swoon and an antagonistic-turned-romantic relationship. It’s sexy, a little heartbreaking and absolutely enjoyable to read. But I think what impressed me most was how the author took pretty standard NA tropes (if you’ve read as many as I have, you know what I mean) and made them feel fresh. She just handled them differently than I expected and while both characters have important backstories, it’s the present and how they move forward that matters most. With that said, you have to meet Hannah Wells and Garrett Graham, the aforementioned heroine and guy I obviously adore. Hannah is confident in a lot of ways but there are things holding her back and she wants to step out of her comfort zone this year. She just didn’t expect tutoring hockey player, Garrett, to be part of the plan to do so. But not only is he a key element but he ends up throwing a wrench in everything she thought she wanted. Their chemistry is off the charts and while she is willing to to pretend otherwise, he’s not. And of course it’s when he pursues her that things really start to get good.

Do I recommend? Um, yes yes and yes! It’s already become one of those books where I frequently re-read my favorite parts.

The Mistake (Off-Campus #2) 

pub 5/5/16 by Createspace

The Mistake is my least favorite of the series so far but that doesn’t really say much because I enjoyed every book (just some more than others). The set up of this one was a little different. We’re focused on John Logan, another hockey player caught up in parties and girls but who’s secretly afraid of what the future holds for his post-college life. He meets Grace Ivers, who is really sweet but super shy, towards the end of her freshmen year. The last person Grace expects to have any kind of connection with is Logan but they do. They hook-up pretty early on but just as quickly, Logan messes it all up. So the real story begins when Grace is back for sophomore year with a whole new attitude. I loved Grace 2.0 a lot especially in the way she handled Logan and a certain frustrating BFF of hers. Likewise, I loved Logan’s resolve to show Grace that he was indeed worthy of a second chance. I enjoyed their back and forth a lot as she made him work for a date (and more) with her. Plus the ending? So sweet!

Do I recommend? Yes! Each book just makes me more excited for the next.

The Score (Off-Campus #3)

pub 1/11/16 by Elle Kennedy

All the boys in the house are all-star hockey players who are very popular with the ladies but the king of hook-ups is, without a doubt, Dean Di-Laurentis. We’d already seen hints of this in the previous books and I was looking forward to seeing how Dean could possibly become a one woman kind of guy and who could inspire such a change. The answer is Allie Hayes aka Hannah’s best friend. She’s another character who was in the background but the short glimpses of her already made me a fan (she and Hannah are great BFFs!). She’s been in an on-and-off relationship with the same guy for most of college and now that it’s senior year, she’s freaking about what to do with her life and who’s the right guy to spend it with. Which leads to a lot of thought about her career and ending her longtime relationship. Oh and then hopping into bed with Dean. (Not a bad choice for a rebound if you ask me!) What I loved was how unexpected it was for both of them. She was all sarcasm with him and supposedly immune to his charms. (Until she wasn’t.) Then Dean is used to girls falling at his feet so her reaction to their one-night stand and the effect it had on him was pretty great. Their whole relationship was just fun to watch, especially as they tried to keep things a secret. Some scenes made me laugh out loud and others swoon. I enjoyed seeing a more tender side to Dean and likewise, seeing her self-aware thoughts about love and relationships.

Do I recommend? Yes! This is my second favorite in the series and I’m looking forward to getting Tucker’s (the other guy in their house) story next!