| Title | : | The Dixon Rule (Campus Diaries, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Format Type | : | Kindle , Hardcover , Paperback , Audiobook & More |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
Shane just moved into her apartment building and seems dedicated to sleeping his way through her entire cheerleading squad. Sure, he’s a tall, gorgeous hockey player, but he’s messing with her turf. This calls for some ground rules: no parties in her apartment, leave her teammates alone, and—most importantly—leave her alone.
What Diana doesn’t realize is that Shane’s sick of hookups and tired of being on the rebound after his long-term girlfriend called it quits. He wants a relationship. And when his ex comes back into the picture, he pretends he has one to make her jealous…and who better to play the girlfriend role than his sassy new neighbor?
Despite Diana’s reluctance to break her rule, a fake relationship is the perfect solution for her own ex issues, and soon she can’t deny something is sizzling between her and Shane. Something hot and completely unexpected.
And it might just be getting a little too real.
The Dixon Rule (Campus Diaries, #2) Reviews
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oh we are so back <3
i take back everything i said about not wanting Shane and Diana next. i am shitting tears over them, your honour. -
4.75!
"You have no idea how much I love you. It's almost pathetic. Never saw it coming, Dixon. But you're everything to me. I don't know when it happened, but it's true. You're the heartbeat of my days. You're the reason I look forward to tomorrow. I honestly never thought I’d find someone who understands me so completely.”
Elle strikes back. She has not disappointed me once and you'd think after reading eight ice hockey romances, you would be bored, right?? Yeah no! that is definitely not happening if you are reading a book written by Elle Kennedy because the way she writes it is so easy to read, the flow with which the story moves forward, the banter which always hits, the banter is easily the best part because it makes the book so DAMN good and the characters, the way she writes them makes it so easy for you to fall in love with them. If that wasn't enough she writes scenes in rom-coms that make you cry?!? Like??? Elle pls there was no need to do that to me. All in all, Elle Kennedy is the Queen of Sports romance.
"Admitting that you're weak sometimes doesn't mean you're not strong. It means you're human .”
Diana Dixon was one of those characters who deserve so much better and I understood and related to her so much because yk when your family expects so much from you and you have to portray yourself as this person that meets those expectations and you know you can do all those stuff but if things go south or something bad happens you feel reluctant to tell them, afraid of what they will think despite them supporting you? Yeah that was the case with Diana, she was fun, strong, hot, sassy and stood up for herself and her list of rules and every time she would kick Shane out of the apartment GC had me creasing. Diana also had to cope up with an abusive relationship and the way she handled it was so sad because I knew what she was thinking and man, I wish I could just go in there and help her through it.
“But that's what you do when you love people. Support their interests.”
Shane Lindley, the man on this mouth, the things that he did?? OH MY, if you thought Ryder was hot you have no idea what Shane has in store for you. If that wasn't enough the way he talks about Diana, the way he touches her and listens to her, makes her laugh during her worst moments was just so beautifully written and his interactions with his teammates specifically 'Will', 'Beckett' and 'Ryder' were so fun 😭😭 I love how they teased him and I also love the dirty jokes because how Elle came through with them, amazing.
“Garrett Graham battling tears when he handed his daughter over to Ryder was probably the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.”
The Plot, its basically Shane just comes off a very messy long term relationship and buys the apartment next to Diana's (Diana hates him because all her cheerleaders would go for a one night stand with him and would fall in love with him and he would break and it would affect their performance) so Shane's ex girlfriend is moving to his college and wants to live with Shane until she finds her place but show up with her new boyfriend (what a bitch) who sends an email to Diana to be FWB and Diana who herself is trying to get rid of a very clingy ex-boyfriend accepts it. This was easily some of the best Friends with Benefits book I have ever read.
“RYDER: Me personally? Fuck no. But lemme ask the wife. If she wants to go, I’ll go. BECKETT: Wow. RYDER: Wow what? BECKETT: That woman owns you now. You realize that, right, mate? RYDER: Yes and?”
The Romance, was some of the hottest romance books that I have ever read especially the spice like that scene with Will, Diana and Shane?? 🥵🥵 besides that I loved how protective Shane was of Diana and that scene in the pool where the make Diana's ex jealous?? *Chefs kiss* nothing beats . I just love how they fit and him literally learning how to dance just so he can be her partner?? I love romance books where the FMC isn't bitchy and actually understands the MMC and the MMC is all protective of them and do everything that they can for them, yeah that was Shane and Diana. Everything about them was just so perfect. They were literally one of my favorite couples in the Briarverse.
Overall, I loved it and I can not wait to read about Will and Beckett + Charlie!
Some of the Tropes:
•Hockey player x Cheerleader (love this)
•Summer Romance
• 9 Inches 😭😭 (how?? and why??)
•Dom/sub (👀)
•Frenemies with benefits
•Fling or forever
•Enemies to Lovers
•Slow burn
•Hockey Romance
•Fake dating
•Rom-com
•Steamy -
I've never said a single bad thing about Elle Kennedy 🙏 she is back back. Shane and Diana were everything and their banter was so good 🤌
"No man is allowed to touch you but me, Dixon." His voice is low. Thick with desire. "And if one tries, I'll rip his fucking hands off."
***
review pre-release
After how the first book is about Garrett Graham's daughter and how Elle Kennedy gave us the names of all the Off Campus and Briar U couples' kids, just for us to find out that the second book is about Shane and Diana, neither of them are second generation kids. EK is such a troll 🤣 -
"You could always find youself a sweet little wife who will be fine doing it all herself."
"I don't want a sweet little wife." He kisses my shoulder. "I want a sassy bitch."
I snicker. "Did you just call me a bitch?"
"Mmm-hmmm."
Asking for a friend, here.
How many centimeters is 9 inches, exactly...?
***
💃🏼𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗫𝗢𝗡 𝗥𝗨𝗟𝗘 - 𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘 𝗞𝗘𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗗𝗬💃🏼
★𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
★𝗬𝗔/𝗡𝗔/𝗔: 🅽🅰
★𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦: 𝙲𝙰𝙼𝙿𝚄𝚂 𝙳𝙸𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂 #𝟸
★𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦: 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙼𝙿𝙾𝚁𝙰𝚁𝚈 - 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴 - 𝙲𝙷𝙸𝙲𝙺-𝙻𝙸𝚃 - 𝚂𝙿𝙾𝚁𝚃𝚂 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴
★𝗣𝗢𝗩: 𝙳𝚄𝙰𝙻 𝙿𝙾𝚅 - 𝙵𝙸𝚁𝚂𝚃 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽 - 𝙿𝚁𝙴𝚂𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚂𝙴
★𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: 𝙳𝙸𝚂𝙻𝙸𝙺𝙴 𝚃𝙾 𝙵𝚆𝙱 𝚃𝙾 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴𝚁𝚂 - 𝙵𝙰𝙺𝙴 𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿 - 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙲𝙴𝙳 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝚇𝙸𝙼𝙸𝚃𝚈 - 𝙽𝙴𝙸𝙶𝙷𝙱𝙾𝚁𝚂 - 𝙷𝙾𝙲𝙺𝙴𝚈 𝙿𝙻𝙰𝚈𝙴𝚁/𝙲𝙷𝙴𝙴𝚁𝙻𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙴𝚁 - 𝙼𝚄𝚃𝚄𝙰𝙻 𝙿𝙸𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙶 - 𝚂𝙸𝚉𝚉𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚂𝙴𝚇𝚄𝙰𝙻 𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚂𝙸𝙾𝙽 - 𝙾𝙾𝙿𝚂 𝙻𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙲𝙰𝚄𝙶𝙷𝚃 𝙵𝙴𝙴𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂 - 𝙹𝙴𝙰𝙻𝙾𝚄𝚂𝚈 - 𝙵𝚁𝙸𝙴𝙽𝙳𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿
★𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘:
★𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦: 👥👥👥👥👥/𝟱
★𝗪𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ✍🏼✍🏼✍🏼✍🏼½/𝟱 (𝙵𝚄𝙽𝙽𝙸𝙴𝚂𝚃 𝙱𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁)
★𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧: 📜📜📜📜/𝟱
★𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗦 & 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦: 💀💀💀💀/𝟱 (𝙳𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙷 𝙾𝙵 𝙵𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙻𝚈 𝙼𝙴𝙼𝙱𝙴𝚁𝚂/𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴𝙳 𝙾𝙽𝙴𝚂 - 𝙳𝚈𝚂𝙵𝚄𝙽𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻 𝙵𝙰𝙼𝙸𝙻𝙸𝙴𝚂 - 𝙳𝙾𝙼𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙲 𝙿𝙷𝚈𝚂𝙸𝙲𝙰𝙻 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙴𝙼𝙾𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻 𝙰𝙱𝚄𝚂𝙴 - 𝙲𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴𝚁 - 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝙻𝙺𝙸𝙽𝙶 - 𝙶𝚁𝙸𝙴𝙵 - 𝙰𝙽𝚇𝙸𝙴𝚃𝚈 - 𝚃𝚁𝙰𝚄𝙼𝙰-𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙴𝙳 𝙶𝚄𝙸𝙻𝚃)
★𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🌻🌻🌻½/𝟱
★𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🌹🌹🌹🌹½/𝟱
★𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗘: ❌ (𝙱𝚁𝙸𝙴𝙵 𝙾𝚆 𝙳𝚁𝙰𝙼𝙰 (𝙽𝙾 𝙲𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝚃𝙷𝙾) - 𝙼𝙼𝙲 𝙸𝚂 𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙻𝙻 𝙺𝙸𝙽𝙳𝙰 𝙷𝚄𝙽𝙶 𝚄𝙿 𝙾𝙽 𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝙴𝚇 𝙰𝚃 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙱𝙴𝙶𝙸𝙽𝙽𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙾𝙵 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚂𝚃𝙾𝚁𝚈 - 𝙵𝙼𝙲 𝙸𝚂 𝙸𝙽 𝙰 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙿𝙻𝙸𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙴𝙳 𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿 𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷 𝙷𝙴𝚁 𝙳𝚄𝙼𝙱𝙰𝚂𝚂 𝙴𝚇)
★𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘: 𝙵/𝙼
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗧/𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🔥🔥🔥½/𝟱 (𝙺𝙸𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙽𝙶 - 𝙷𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙹𝙾𝙱𝚂 - 𝙿𝙸𝚅 𝚂𝙴𝚇 - 𝙾𝚁𝙰𝙻 𝚂𝙴𝚇)
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬: 🚒🚒🚒🚒/𝟱 (𝚅𝙰𝙶𝚄𝙴 𝙳𝙾𝙼 𝚅𝙸𝙱𝙴𝚂 - 𝚂𝙴𝙼𝙸 𝙿𝚄𝙱𝙻𝙸𝙲 𝚂𝙴𝚇 -✨𝙻𝙰 𝟿-𝙸𝙽𝙲𝙷 𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙶 𝙱𝙰𝙶𝚄𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙴✨ - 𝙴𝚇𝙷𝙸𝙱𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝙸𝚂𝙼)
★𝗦𝗠𝗨𝗧 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗬: 💣💣💣½/𝟱
★𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦: 🤐🤐🤐½/𝟱 (𝙼𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙴 𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙶𝚄𝙰𝙶𝙴 - 𝙴𝚇𝙿𝙻𝙸𝙲𝙸𝚃 𝙳𝙴𝚂𝙲𝚁𝙸𝙿𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝚂𝙴𝚇𝚄𝙰𝙻 𝚂𝙸𝚃𝚄𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂/𝙿𝙷𝚈𝚂𝙸𝙲𝙰𝙻 𝚅𝙸𝙾𝙻𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴)
★𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗦𝗧 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: 💔💔½/𝟱
★𝗧𝗬𝗣𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚:
★𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘:
★𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗘 𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗚: 🎶
𝚂𝙲𝙰𝚁𝚈 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴 - 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙽𝙴𝙸𝙶𝙷𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚁𝙷𝙾𝙾𝙳🎶
▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰
***I always try to be as objective as I can with my ratings for DARK THEMES & TRIGGER WARNINGS, SMUT TECHNICAL CONTENT/INTENSITY, SMUT QUANTITY, ROMANCE QUANTITY, ANGST LEVEL, ENEMIES-TO-LOVERSNESS; the ratings for CHARACTERS, WRITING, PLOT, WORLD BUILDING, SETTING, SMUT QUALITY, ROMANCE QUALITY, are instead tied to my own subjective reading experience and final opinion of the book.
THIS WAS THE BEST KIND OF TREAT I COULD CONSUME ON THIS VERY RAINY AND MOODY DAY.
omg I never thought I'd see the day where I'd give a rom-com almost 5 stars, but I had so much fun with this book I'm not even going to pretend I'm being generous.
Sexy, funny, emotional (why did you have to break my heart like that Elle Kennedy WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY). It has it all.
I have literally nothing bad to say about this book and I can't wait to write my full review so I can, instead, talk about all the things I loved about it!
{FULL RTC} -
Lmao can we talk about 9 inches being announced as one of her tropes 💀
is the fmc gonna be ok -
4.25 stars 🌟
I loved this one! I ate it up in less than 24 hours despite it being over 500 pages 😝 RTC
–––
I just know this one is going to be steamy 🤭
🏒 Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for the arc in exchange for an honest review! (late because life is crazy rn 😭) -
4.5 🌟!!! This book was unexpected and so much better than the Graham Effect.
Shane and Diana were a dynamic duo with their banter and chemistry, therefore making them my favorite characters😭♥️. The cameos from the Off-Campus series were a pleasant surprise, bringing back memories of the OG characters.The reality TV show plotline and the HOA meetings was really entertaining😂.Towards 70% of the book,I was on the edge of my seat due to things going crazy😃🥲.This book had me screaming,blushing,crying and laughing out loud!!! -
One word: OBSESSED
I read this book in one day and it felt like coming home to the found family and elite banter I have loved from Elle Kennedy for years. I have been a fan of Elle since her early Off Campus days, and The Dixon Rule gave me those feels and more. Diana and Shane had ELITE banter and I loved how they really pushed each other to think about themselves and how they were living their lives. Even though Diana claimed to hate Shane, THE CHEMISTRY was off the charts and the spice was SO SPICY. I loved the vulnerability that Diana had during the spicy scenes and SHANE TOOK CHARGE. I also loved the depth of their family dynamics and how much that was explored in this book too. Diana is such a strong character, and I loved watching her meet Shane head on, but also watch her realize she didn't always have to be strong for everyone and could rely on other people if she needed to.
No one writes friends, romance, and sports the way Elle Kennedy does and I just ate this book up. Even though this book is long, it flew by and I loved every character and moment. I am already dying for the next book in this series and can't wait to see who it's about!!!
TW for abusive relationships and death of a loved one -
⤿ 4 / 5 .ೃ࿐
❞𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦-𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱. 𝘈𝘴 𝘪𝘯, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳.❞
It's been a long time since I read a book that made me laugh so hard that I nearly ended up on the floor. This book had so many funny scenes that I couldn't stop laughing. It wasn't just funny; it also had its cute moments and, of course, some really spicy scenes. This book had tons of cute and funny moments, but there were also some really heartbreaking scenes. It covers some important topics, so you might want to check the trigger warnings before diving in.
❞𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰.❞
After surviving exam season, my friend and I needed something light and hilarious to revive our brain cells. This book was the perfect remedy. We devoured the entire thing in a single day, and it made for an incredibly fun buddy read. We laughed so much—it was exactly what we needed. I still can't believe I powered through over 500 pages in one sitting, even after a full day at school💀. My reading stamina can be pretty terrifying sometimes! 🫠
❞𝘈𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨. 𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 .❞
I just love how Elle Kennedy writes hockey romances. This book had everything I wanted. After reading the first book, which I absolutely loved, I couldn't wait to dive into this one with my friend. It was a fantastic experience. The writing style is smooth and easy to read, with a perfect mix of sad and cute moments. The best part was getting to see some scenes with the Off-Campus boys and their kids. I just loved it!
❞𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴.❞
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Diana Dixon: Dixon is truly admirable. Her unwavering strength, unshakeable confidence, and delightful sense of humor never fail to impress me. She exudes ambition and embodies everything I aspire to see reflected in myself, my friends, and the characters within the pages of my favorite books. She is a hottie and badass cheerleader. I loveeee her.
❞𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘋𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳.❞
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ Shane Lindley: Shane is a riot! His growth is off the charts, and he's as sturdy as a tank. He's so caring, he'd probably adopt a stray squirrel if it looked sad enough. And his fearless love for Diana, reality TV, or even ballroom dancing? Priceless! We all need a Shane in our lives to add some spice and laughter.
❞𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨.❞
ೃ⁀➷ DianaShane: This book did a great job with its story about neighbors who start off not liking each other but then fall in love, plus it had a sports theme and fake dating, which were all done really well. Diana and Shane have amazing chemistry, and I loved the parts where they watched TV together and practiced dancing. Their love story is emotional and exciting – just right. It was cool to see how their feelings and relationship changed as the book went on. They both learned more about themselves and their lives through their relationship, which was nice to see. They make a great couple, with lots of tension and excitement between them.
❞𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘋𝘪𝘹𝘰𝘯. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴. 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸. 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐’𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺.❞
જ⁀➴ Read it if you like:
✔️hockey romances
✔️Badass fmc
✔️Enemies to lovers (kind of)
✔️Fake dating
✔️cheerleader x hockey player
✔️neighbors
❞𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤.❞
જ⁀➴ Just random: brooo the scene with Logan's and Dean's kids was everything. I want their books. I'm sure Dean's son is a player like Dean lol.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
⤷*ੈ pre-review 𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖
Omggg this book was soo funny and cutealthough some chapters in the end made me sob 😭 iykyk
Rtc 💌
꒰ °⤿*ੈ pre-read 𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖ ꒱
Buddy reading this with my friend because we both need this after that exhausting exams season 💌💐
@Arda we made it out alive 🥹 -
➳ 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 ✩
⤿ a spoiler free arc review
₊˚⊹ ᰔ “I told them I had a girlfriend.'
I start to laugh. 'This is the greatest day of my life.'
'Oh, it gets better, Dixon. I told them it was you.'
this was my first hockey book from elle kennedy but my second overall, and i am honestly so glad that i didn’t give up on this author after “girl abroad”. i’m actually so surprised that i enjoyed this as much as i did because spice isn’t really my thing but i had heard such amazing things about her works that i knew i had to try another book of hers at least once.
💌 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽:
⤿ dual pov
⤿ summer romcom
⤿ cheerleader x hockey player
⤿ fake dating
⤿ forced proximity (neighbours)
⤿ enemies to frenemies with benefits
⤿ (reversed) grumpy x sunshine
⤿ no third act breakup
⤿ mental health/anxiety rep
⤿ slow burn
⤿ he falls first
⤿ 9 inches (yes this is a trope, yes i double checked, and yes she is okay)
⤿ lots of references to the og series
౨ৎ • 𝓹𝓵𝓸𝓽: diana dixon is already juggling two jobs, rehearsing for a ballroom dance competition and dealing with an idiot of an ex-boyfriend when f-boy shane lindley moves into the apartment next door, who just so happens to have slept with half her cheer squad. but after his ex comes back into the picture and he pretends to have a girlfriend to make her jealous, diana steps into the role of the (very fake) new girlfriend, to solve her own ex issues too. but after the lines between fake and real begin to blur and their fake-dating situation becomes very friends-with-benefits-esque, will the two begin a new (very real) relationship?
it definitely wasn’t the best romance i had ever read but it was really enjoyable. it also wasn’t the best written - i found myself feeling very bored in the first few chapters but it got so much better. i also didn’t love how the last few chapters felt very rushed with some of the plot elements, but the relationship between shane and diana was amazing so i can’t complain too much.
౨ৎ • 𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼: a great book to get you out of a slump <3
౨ৎ • 𝓽𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓰𝓮𝓻 𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼: (some minor spoilers) domestic abuse, cancer, anxiety, assault, stalking, death of a parent, mention of cancer, gaslighting, stalking, physical abuse from ex-boyfriend and parental death
🎧 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝔂𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽:
⤿ dress - taylor swift
⤿ all of the girls you loved before - taylor swift
⤿ gorgeous - taylor swift
⤿ so it goes - taylor swift
⤿ motion sickness - phoebe bridgers
⤿ i wanna be yours - arctic monkeys
⤿ you get me so high - the neighbourhood
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!
_
☾.°✧౨ৎ ‧ pre-review:
i- i enjoyed this? huh. did not expect that.
3.5 stars rtc
_
☾.°✧౨ৎ ‧ tbr-review:
my feedback ratio is literally crying in the corner😭😭the only book i've read of kennedy's was girl abroad (do not recommend) so idk what i'm expecting.. -
4.25 ⭐️ i haven’t read a book in one day in a really long time but this one.. i could not stop.
so much banter, chemistry and humor. i loved the side characters. not only the briar crew but also all of the dynamics of the neighbors. the dance competition. the text threads!!!!!!!
a couple of things i didn’t enjoy (without spoiling anything) the unnecessary ex drama + the influx of sadness that felt like it came out of nowhere for no reason at all.
regardless i loved it. what’s next? because it better be will and beckett w their girl. or BLAKEEEE AND FOOTBALL GUY??? ugh im excited. -
THE SPICE WAS SPICING 🥵🥵🥵
Honestly. Elle’s HOTTEST book to date.
This is gonna be THE summer romance cause Shane & Diana are priceless and hilarious.
Obvi i can’t say much more but PEOPLE. THE SPICE. THE KINK. THE EVERYTHING. UGH. A+++++
No context: #fof #dicksand
*I’ll write more when I’m allowed* -
4.5 stars
“I only kissed you because I got caught up in my girlfriend role.”
“You don’t have to explain it. I’m on the same page.”
“So you were playing a part too?”
“No, I wanted to kiss you.”
I had the day off, I woke up deciding to be productive and get things done. I was going to read few pages to get me motivated, but I ended up ignoring all of my responsibilities and studies and finishing the whole book. Once I started this I just couldn’t stop or put it down. It’s been a while since I’ve finished a book in one day. I loved it so much.
Seriously, the banter was too good. The chemistry was so freakin explosive. The bickering was highly entertaining. There was no boring moment with these two. They were so perfect. They made me laugh so hard, blush too much, giggle like a fool, and they got me feeling so emotional with the hard stuff they had to deal with.
I loved the ballroom dancing story line and their training. Also Shane dedication to the whole thing. I loved the HOA meetings and those entertaining neighbors. The reality TV show watching. The set of characters; old and new. I can’t wait to read more about them. The fake dating was just so enjoyable. I loved both of their characters so much!! I could write detailed essays about their characters. I really loved them. -
“Never saw it coming, Dixon. But you’re everything to me. I don’t know when it happened, but it’s true. You’re the heartbeat of my days. You’re the reason I look forward to tomorrow. I honestly never thought I’d find someone who understands me so completely.”
My exams are ending on the 24th of may and I have one more on 21st and I got this book so like every sane person I was conflicted on what to give more priority too and like every sane person I gave more priority to this book and somehow devoured this in 3 days and that is coming from someone who takes so long to read books.
I think it is mainly because how fantastic and and realistic the banter was between everyone, mainly Shane and Diana and I loved how natural it felt. One more thing that I liked was the missing hole that I feel reading many romance novel was filled in this one by giving both the characters a really good character arc. I loved how they shared their vulnerabilities with each other.
The romance was truly fantastic delivered on everything, the sweet moments, the fun moments, the laugh-out-loud moments and the hot moments and believe the moments were VERY HOT! I think this was probably my favourite EK book after the deal and the graham effect.
---> 5 stars
Being with Diana is like discovering a piece of myself that I never knew was missing. She makes me want to be the best version of myself, not because I feel like I have to impress her but because she inspires me to be better.”
-
I'd be sorely disappointed if Elle keeps writing bout teammates/friends instead of the 2nd gen kids.😭😭
Edit: IsaacBlake plsssssssssssssss -
✩ 4.25 stars ✩
“I told them I had a girlfriend.” I start to laugh. “This is the greatest day of my life.” “Oh, it gets better, Dixon. I told them it was you.”
What to Expect:
➼ Fake Dating
➼ Enemies-to-lovers
➼ Friends with Benefits
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Hockey Player & Cheerleader
➼ Couples Dance Competition
➼ Make His Ex Jealous
➼ Domestic Violence/Stalking
➼ College Romance
➼ They Live on the Same Floor
➼ Grief & Loss
➼ Dual POV
I was extremely underwhelmed by The Graham Effect, but this was surprisingly good! I loved Shane & Diana’s dynamic so much! Enemies-to-lovers is a hard trope to do well and EK nailed it. Diana had some valid reasons to be wary of Shane, but mostly it just felt like they both liked to rile each other up. I was impressed by how well they both communicated when there were misunderstandings and that when Diana realized she had misjudged him, she owned up to it. I love the tension the enemies-to-lovers trope can create, but when authors drag it out, it ends up just making their MC’s seem immature and petty. Thankfully EK got the balance right.
I also really appreciated the way the author incorporated domestic violence into the plot. Sadly the way Diana handled it felt very relatable. She was embarrassed and placed some of the blame on herself even though rationally she knew it wasn’t her fault. If the same thing had happened to a friend, she would have insisted that they get help and go to the police, but she struggled to make that same call for herself. As a woman, it can be difficult to ask for help when you need it - or even to admit that you need help in the first place. Unfortunately these situations are all too real. I hope this book gives at least one girl out there the courage to get the help that they need. 🫶🏻
I was really not expecting this one to make me cry, but the ending had me sobbing. 😭For a college romance the plot had a lot of substance and the author did a great job of incorporating it all seamlessly into the story. I sometimes get the ick when men cry in books, but both scenes where Shane cried were so moving and only made me love him more. EK really found her mojo with this one - Beautiful characters and a beautiful story! This is definitely worth the read! 🖤
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Okay, I’m at 30% and I’m actually loving this, but someone really needs to tell EK that no one says “lit” anymore. 😅🫣
Pre-read: Hoping for plot with a side of smut, but knowing Elle Kennedy, I’ll probably get the reverse. 🙃 -
3.75 ⭐️
-
4.25🌟
🎶I like the way you kiss me 🎶
I’m going to try to keep this review on the shorter side since I’m behind on reviews. I absolutely adored this book so much. I think I favor the Graham Effect slightly more but this was still amazing. Shane and Diana’s banter was so funny. Shane is such a hopeless romantic which I definitely wasn’t expecting. He cares, and loves so deeply. Shane is so protective of his family and Diana, uhh my heart. Diana was such a firecracker I love her, she was self-assured of herself but I got glimpses of insecurities that made her feel so real.
“I told them I had a girlfriend.'
I start to laugh. 'This is the greatest day of my life.'
'Oh, it gets better, Dixon. I told them it was you.'
The book follows Diana and Shane over the summer. Diana has never been fond of Shane so when she finds out he’s moving in the apartment next door things get complicated. Shane is a hockey player for Briar University, he’s tired of meaningless hookups and wants to settle down with a woman he loves. Diana is working two jobs, all while attending cheer practice, and practicing for a ballroom dancing competition. When Shane’s ex-girlfriend is back in town he panics saying he has a girlfriend that happens to be Diana. After Diana’s dance partner drops out, Shane steps up to be her partner in exchange for being his fake girlfriend. She agrees not only because she’s in need of a partner, but also because her ex-boyfriend doesn’t know how to take no for an answer…
“It’s official. True love doesn’t exist.” I lie down beside her and bring her hand to my lips, brushing a kiss on her knuckles. “You’re wrong,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. “It does.”
What to Expect:
🏒dual pov
🏒 summer romcom
🏒cheerleader x hockey player
🏒fake dating
🏒 forced proximity
🏒 enemies to frenemies with benefits
🏒 (reversed) grumpy x sunshine
🏒 no third act breakup
🏒 mental health/anxiety rep
🏒slow burn
🏒 he falls first
🏒 9 inches → yes it’s an official trope, yes I checked she’s fine
“Admitting that you're weak sometimes doesn't mean you're not strong. It means you're human .”
I really enjoyed this, 100% recommend. I hope anyone who ends up reading it enjoys it as much as me. Thank you for reading !
Trigger warnings:
Domestic abuse, gaslighting, cancer, assault, & death of parent.
Bonus Quotes:
“If you love someone, you should always tell them. Life is too short, and you never know what tomorrow will bring.”
“Christ, I love this woman with all my heart. Being with Diana is like discovering a piece of myself that I never knew was missing. She makes me want to be the best version of myself, not because I feel like I have to impress her but because she inspires me to be better.”
“You have no idea how much I love you. It's almost pathetic. Never saw it coming, Dixon. But you're everything to me. I don't know when it happened, but it's true. You're the heartbeat of my days. You're the reason I look forward to tomorrow. I honestly never thought I’d find someone who understands me so completely.”
“I love you. I'm not giving you up. Ever.”
“Ever, huh?”
“Well, as long as you'll have me.”
----
4.25 RTC!
I saw something about 9 inches👀 Listen I have to make sure my girl Diana is okay. Hopefully I like this one as much as the first one 🤭💘 -
So good and bingeable.
-
If Elle Kennedy has no fans, then I'm dead. I LOVED this one so much.
-
HOLY SHIT!!!
THIS FANART! 🧎♀️🥵 -
4 stars
After reading ‘The Graham Effect’ I was excited to read more from Elle Kennedy’s ‘Campus Diaries’ series. I hoped this would be another next-generation book, but it’s not. The characters were friends of the hero and heroine of book one, though, and it was still fun to be back there.
Diana Dixon does not like Shane Lindley. And now, he’s her neighbor. Shane plays hockey and Diana is the head cheerleader. This starts enemies to lovers but the enemy part is very one-sided. Shane likes Diana just fine. As Diana gets to know Shane better she gradually becomes friends with him. Then enters the fake dating aspect of the book.
I love a fake dating storyline. I had so much fun with that part of the story. With the fake dating became a lovely friendship. The story did get much heavier as the book went on . There were a few hard-to-read parts. As a whole, I enjoyed the book a lot. Elle Kennedy does college sports romances so well!
Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Corvin King & Erin Mallon
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: NA Romance
Length: 13h 17m -
4.25 stars.
Oh my god I really binged this book. It's over 500 pages and I read it in ten hours. I really connected to Diana and Shane and it really felt like I was reading about real people. I love that Diana and Shane have flaws and insecurities because it makes them more like real people and I love how they love and support each other through so much in this book. Also the banter was everything in here. This book wasn't really that hockey oriented but I still loved it. RTC (hopefully this week). -
allie and garret being hannah and garretts friends🤝🏻shane and diana being ryder and gigi’s.
may 2024 here we go😌 -
Tbh I loved but also like so so sad. I was down bad crying in the gym reading the last 10%
-
The kitchen scene had my jaw on the floor, the next book is going to be sooooo good oml
-
The Story Itself: 5 out of 5 🌟
The Writing: 5 out of 5 🌟
read this if you like
📣 fake dating
📣 "who did this to you"
📣 sunshine x sunshine
📣 she falls first
📣 amazing banter
~three songs that vibe with this book~
📣 exes by Tate McRae
📣 bad idea right? by Olivia Rodrigo
📣 imgonnagetyouback by Taylor Swift
♡ Plot ♡Diana and Shane have never gotten along. He loves to rile her up, and she loves the idea of punching him in the face. They've done a decent job of staying out of each other's way—until Shane becomes her next-door neighbor. It also doesn't help that in a desperate, awkward reunion with Shane's ex-girlfriend, a random lie pops up that he's dating someone. That someone is Diana. But as it turns out, Diana has her own problems that could potentially be solved by a fake partner. It seems perfect on paper. After all, she and Shane hate each other. They could never really fall in love.
i didn't think this could beat The Graham Effect . . . but it might have? i could have a book i've been anticipating the release of for ages, and i'll still probably wait a while before picking it up. but i started read this the day i got it. if that's not motivation enough for you to read it, shane has a nine inch dick ✌️
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ Diana Dixon╰┈➤“I don’t want a sweet little wife.” He kisses my shoulder. “I want a sassy bitch.”
I snicker. “Did you just call me a bitch?”
diana is everything i've ever wanted and more. The Graham Effect had me swooning, but The Dixon Rule had me cackling. Elle Kennedy has always been an instant-buy author for me, and her latest books are only reinforcing my love for her. diana was such a complex and fun character to read about. im gonna be so fr and say i wasn't a huge fan of her in gigi's book, but i ADORED her in this.
⌦ .｡.:*♡ Shane Lindley╰┈➤“Diana and I have a love-hate relationship. As in, she hates me, and I love to annoy her.”
shane could spit on me and i would treat it like the world's finest shower. shane lindley, my oh my, he is everything i have needed and more. the dirty talk? the angst? the DOMINANCE? sir you don't have to worry about telling me to kneel because i'm already on it. no but for fucking real, shane was such a cutie patootie. i loved his sunshine persona and perspective on things. he was so much fun in ryder's book and even better here ✨✨✨
🩷 The Romance 🩷"No man is allowed to touch you but me, Dixon." His voice is low. Thick with desire. "And if one tries, I'll rip his fucking hands off."
“Never saw it coming, Dixon. But you’re everything to me. I don’t know when it happened, but it’s true. You’re the heartbeat of my days. You’re the reason I look forward to tomorrow. I honestly never thought I’d find someone who understands me so completely."
“I love you. I'm not giving you up. Ever.”
“Ever, huh?”
“Well, as long as you'll have me.”
i am such a whore for the "it's always been you" trope, so normally, when the mfc or mmc is hooked on someone else, i consider it an ick. but i actually found this to be very well-written. like, yes, shane was still a little hung up on his ex. but if anything, it made watching him fall for diana so much better. everything about these two was explosive. the spice, the humor, the fluff. this is truly one of the best romance books i have read as of lately. i have no regrets 💗💗
୨୧ Side Characters I Want to Talk About ୨୧
୨୧ the OG four
every mention of my husbands sent me to the moon
୨୧ Percy
as well as he and diana's trauma was written, i still fucking despise this man.
୨୧ Diana's Family
while i wasn't a huge fan of her mom, i grew to like her much more by the end of the book. her dad, however, had me in a chokehold from the page he was introduced. he was such a sweetheart and obviously cared about diana so much it gave me a toothache.
୨୧ Shane's Family
everyone was so perfect and sweet. i cried for ages.
༉‧₊˚. Things I Liked ༉‧₊˚.
- The Communication
shane and diana were a green forest. they were so honest and healthy with one another. ate and left zero crumbs.
- The Fake Dating
i LOVE this trope. it's been in my top five for a hot second now, so obviously i was ecstatic the moment i heard about miss Kennedy's announcement. and queen d e l i v e r e d. this was such a sweet slow-burn that had me wanting more.
༉‧₊˚. Things I Didn't Like ༉‧₊˚.
- 🙅♀️🙅♀️🙅♀️
this was a perfect five out of five for me.
✧ The Writing ✧
Elle Kennedy's writing has really aged like fine wine. i loved the off-campus series, but this might be even better.
✧ Summary ✧
automatic add to my roman empire list. i loved, loved, loved every second of this. even though this review is hella late--it's been almost a month--i can still recite every detail of this book and my enjoyment of it.
Official Age Rating: 18+
Spice Level: 4 out of 5 🌶️
TRIGGER WARNINGS
(anxiety, panic attacks, SA, abusive relationships, hospice, death, grief) -
ok all i'll say is i am traumatized by the "words" — "dicksand" and "pussysand", i am desparate and need to know what happens with beckett & will (pls elle kennedy give them a book 🙏), and i needed a few minutes after that last 10%
also the way will was so chill about doing di's skincare with her >>> -
“I told them I had a girlfriend.”
I start to laugh. “This is the greatest day of my life.”
“Oh, it gets better, Dixon. I told them it was you.”
✧𓈒⋆ 4.25 stars 𓈒⋆✧
this was so good, i can't even begin explaining how good this book felt! everything i love about elle kennedy books — the banter, the chemistry, the undeniable tension, comedic aspects, drama — all of those are present in this exact book! after finishing off-campus i was really dreading that the books about their kids would not be for me, but this book once again proved that i literally can't get away from this world for long. i love briar, love briar hockey team, love their shenanigans, those crazy kids have my whole heart and shane and diana without a doubt gracefully became one of my favorite couples from this universe.
if you loved the score and the deal, you'll for sure love this book because, as for me, it was a combination of both with healthy balanced new ingredients added to the mix. i was surprised with angst being thrown in the beginning of this book as usually it is not the case in those books, but here it worked pretty well and integrated into the story. i loved how the traumatic aspect was explored here, how the traumatic events influenced both diana and shane, but also how shane handled what happened and didn't start acting differently. their relationship in this book felt really wholesome even when they were not together and i loved that for them! more than that, i was actually so invested that i couldn't put this book down, i literally couldn't stop talking about it and my friend, who i didn't see for a while, had to listen to me yapping about this book when we finally arranged our schedules to go grab a coffee, so you can understand how much i loved this book
i really enjoyed the pace with which the event were unraveling as it wasn't so slow, but also the whole thing didn't move very fast and it made me really get to know both diana and shane, it made me fell in love with them individually before i got to see them as a couple. and i really thank elle kennedy for that here as previously i had this issue with her book. here? not at all. i can't talk about the plot much because i feel like it's very spoilery to discuss anything plot-related here, but i just want to say that plot-wise everything was very structured and layered, i was hooked from the very first page and, like i said, i couldn't put this book down!“You are unstoppable. Don't let what this one asshole did convince you that you're anything other than unstoppable. You're Diana Dixon for chrissake.”
✧𓈒⋆ diana dixon 𓈒⋆✧
i'm sorry allie-cat, but you have a serious threat now as diana is becoming my favorite girl in the whole off-campus universe after this book!
i absolutely in awe of how strong and resilient diana is, how absolutely stunning and empowering her energy felt and how without even trying she became one of my favorite girls in this series. i already loved her after the graham effect, but here? here i was so stunned by her strength, by her confidence and desire to prove herself. after everything that happened in the beginning of this book i was sympathising with the way diana handled everything, with the way she was doubting herself and being so embarrassed, how humanly real her reaction to what happened was and how she was able to piece herself back together, slowly but surely.
i absolutely admire her strongest parts, but i also love how down to earth she was, how she was this loud shining person and she didn't give a fuck about other people's opinions. i don't know if i'm in love with her character because she reminds me so much of my real life best friend, at some point it was really scary because i literally see my best friend in her. actually, who cares why i love diana dixon? i just do lol
“Before this morphine turns my brain into mush. I can think clearly right now, and I can see you clearly, and I want you to know I couldn't be prouder of the man you've become. You are everything to me. No, you're going to hear it. You're going to hear how much I love you. You're going to hear how proud I am of you. You're going to hear how sad I am that I can't be there for your rookie season, sitting at center ice for your first Blackhawks game.”
✧𓈒⋆ shane lindley 𓈒⋆✧
i wasn't sure shane would be for me as i was definitely more invested in the whole will/beckett thing and ryder as well, but guess what? i feel like shane's now my number one boy in campus diaries! something about him just clicks as he's funny and caring, admirable, he tells what he thinks, doesn't keep secrets, he shows his love with small gestures that turns out to be crazy big gestures if you think about them. and oh he's such a good brother and son as well! literally, he's just perfect and i love him for that 🤭
however, i have to admit that his own personal storyline wasn't really clear for me for a while as it felt like outside his relationship with both diana and lynsey he was just there. there wasn't even any hockey drama, so i was kind of dreading the moment shane's personal dilemma starts and, let me tell you, that i didn't see it coming at all. literally, the thing that he went through in the last sixty pages of the book? i was in tears because it felt like too much, honestly. don't get me wrong, it wasn't trauma damp, nothing like that, it was just so unexpected and i was so shocked because of that. but still the way shane dealt with that, the way he build himself back together for his family and diana, even for his teammates and most importantly for his own future, it all felt so admirable.“You have no idea how much I love you. It's almost pathetic. Never saw it coming, Dixon. But you're everything to me. I don't know when it happened, but it's true. You're the heartbeat of my days. You're the reason I look forward to tomorrow. I honestly never thought I’d find someone who understands me so completely.”
✧𓈒⋆ diana & shane 𓈒⋆✧
they were perfect! absolutely utterly perfect for each other and i really wished that we saw more of them together, more of them as couple. even though they were basically together from the beginning, i feel like we were robbed of some moments with them. gigi and ryder got together pretty early in the previous book and i actually hoped that elle would follow the same pace with shane and diana, but well. don't get me wrong, i still love them with all i have, but i just needed more of them.
and oh, the spice? i feel like this was the spiciest book by elle kennedy for now 🤭 the scene with will? please i can't even explain! if you read the score you know that elle was planning to do this kind of scene for a while and let me tell you that it delivered 🤭 🤭
their chemistry was literally something else and i fell in love with their love. the chemistry was electrifying, but also i absolutely adored for strong their feelings for each other were, how mature their story turned out. i can't say much, because i don't want to spoil the whole book, but the things that both shane and diana faced as couple and as individuals definitely affected them, but they didn't let those things dictate their lives. also, the message that it's important to be with the person you love without finding excuses not to because the life is too short, you never know what may happen — it's obvious, of course, but it's so drastically important.
and also, i feel like the inclusion of shane's ex was so necessary not to stir things up and too add unneccessary drama, but to show that sometimes people just don't work. lynsey was not bad per se, she was just not the one. usually i don't like the comparison of relationships, but here when shane was talking about diana and lynsey it was very intended to show that relationship is always 50/50. relationship is about being equals and that's exactly what shane and diana are.“RYDER: Me personally? Fuck no. But lemme ask the wife. If she wants to go, I’ll go.
BECKETT: Wow.
RYDER: Wow what?
BECKETT: That woman owns you now. You realize that, right, mate?
RYDER: Yes and?”
✧𓈒⋆ the campus diaries crew - gigi, ryder, will, beckett 𓈒⋆✧
ah i missed them so much! i really wished that the gang was included more, but i understand why we saw only the glimpses of them. with gigi and ryder preparing for their wedding, beckett being away and will dealing with his own stuff [and i can't wait to read the next book solemnly for will and beckett if you know], and also with the most of this book taking place in summer. however, i wanted to see more of them during wedding, i wanted to see boys being boys and having fun together like the off-campus gang usually did, i wanted this book to show the moments with them, not just briefly mention.
and oh my, blake logan being included? i need her own book like right now! i was actually shipping her with beau or wyatt, but now i feel like blake's book might start a football romance series with all that teasing in this book 👀“Oh, for fuck's sake. Why did we ever have a child? We knew there was a fifty percent chance it would be a daughter.”
Dean grins at Logan's dramatics. “Relax. Look-Blake's hugging AJ now. Go bother Connelly.”
“My daughter will never date a hockey player,” Logan says ominously. “I know what they're like.”
✧𓈒⋆ the og off-campus crew 𓈒⋆✧
i missed them so much! i read those books when i was in uni and now they bring me the feeling of nostalgia, so i absolutely adore every mention of the off-campus here. i feel like we were robbed of grace, allie and sabrina again! i desperately needed their cameos as they were the only ones of og who were kind of absent in the graham effect. i feel like allie and diana are so similar, so they could've bonded or at least could've had a conversation. maybe in blake's or beau's book?
i love how the shenanigans are still the same for ogs, how they are still being so close even after so many years, they are still best friends. the boys still play hockey together, they all are gigi's godparents and it's the cutest thing ever. ah, i really miss them, you know.
and oh, elle kennedy is also releasing some bonus content with ogs, for now it's only hannahgarrett, but i really can't wait to read more of those!“If someone wants to be in a relationship with you, they will. They won’t string you along. They won’t hit you up in the middle of the night for sex. They won’t feed you endless excuses about how they’re “not cut out for relationships” or how “you deserve so much better.” They would be with you, plain and simple.”
i promised myself to write a short review, but here i am writing a huge one again. i'm just not in a social mood right now, apparently. anyway, i absolutely loved this book, it was a heartwarming read that i desperately needed right now, and i feel like those type of books are such a rare thing nowadays, so i might treasure this one.
i really need february to come faster, because i can't wait to read about charlie [we don't know her yet], beckett and will as the setting for it is immaculate!
