| Title | : | The Play (Briar U, #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 422 |
| Publication | : | First published October 7, 2019 |
But there’s nothing in the rulebook that says I can’t be friends with a woman. And I won’t lie—my new classmate Demi Davis is one cool chick. Her smart mouth is hot as hell, and so is the rest of her, but the fact that she’s got a boyfriend eliminates the temptation to touch her.
Except three months into our friendship, Demi is single and looking for a rebound.
And she’s making a play for me.
Avoiding her is impossible. We’re paired up on a yearlong school project, but I’m confident I can resist her. We’d never work, anyway. Our backgrounds are too different, our goals aren’t aligned, and her parents hate my guts.
Hooking up is a very bad idea. Now I just have to convince my body—and my heart.
The Play (Briar U, #3) Reviews
-
Well, I think it’s time Elle and I take a break.
After wondering what was it that I didn’t like about this book, it came very clear the lack of friendship. The lack of emotion.
I don’t like comparing but there’s a vast difference between the Briar series and the Off-Campus. With the first series, Garrett, Logan, Tucker and Dean… they were friends. There was this warm feeling all over the books and while there are books within the series I like more than others, I felt the deep emotions in all four books. And that comes with both MCs having struggles that need to be worked on and flaws and insecurities and by the end of the book, they are the best versions of themselves.
That is what, I feel, is missing in this new series. The Chase was a bit better at that but I ended up not liking Fitz that much. The Risk and The Play have static characters and maybe some people like that but I don’t. I’m always way more interested in what makes a character the way they are and ups and downs and the growth… that’s what I like the most in Contemporary and that’s what I got with the Off-Campus series and didn’t get from Briar U.
I used to laugh, cry and swoon over the characters and Hannah, Grace, Allie and Sabrina are so so amazing and while Summer, Brenna and Demi had potential, they were underdeveloped. And just don’t get me started with Rupi.
It’s just sad, okay? I will, of course, go back to Elle’s books. I’ll probably re-read The Deal before the year ends but I will take a break from her. -
4.5 stars
The Play is the third book in Elle Kennedy’s Briar U series. These books keep getting better and better. I’ve liked each one more than the last and this is my favorite so far!
Hunter Davenport is now that captain of his college hockey team, and he’s taking that responsibility seriously. Last year, his sleeping around was a part in them losing their season, and he’s bound and determined not to let that happen again. So he’s been celibate. He’s set on keeping his hands to himself and even though it’s difficult, he’s keeping his promise to himself.
Then he meets Demi. Demi and Hunter become partners for a psych project and they click. Hunter and Demi become fast friends and Hunter is relieved to know that Demi has a boyfriend she’s devoted to. It makes keeping his hands off of her that much easier. Then the boyfriend screws up and they break up… and Demi wants a rebound. She wants Hunter. And she’s hard to resist.
I loved the push and pull between Demi and Hunter, as well as their fabulous banter. These two had such chemistry and such a great relationship, even before they were technically in one. I loved their friendship just as much as I loved the romance. I also really loved getting to see so many characters from Elle’s Off-Campus series. I love them so much!
Sports romance is my favorite (hockey especially) and I love a good friends to lovers read. This one was dang near perfect for me and it I was completely captivated while reading. Elle Kennedy’s writing is always great and this book was too much fun! I laughed more than once and loved it! I hope this isn’t the last Briar U book, I’m dying for Conor to get his own story!! -
I never thought I'd be sitting down and writing a two star review for this book. I absolutely love the Off-Campus series and those books hold a special place in my heart. The Briar U series has been a lot of fun so far and I really enjoyed Summer and Brenna's books, but I found myself really struggling to get through this one. Really struggling. Here's why:
-I felt no connection with Hunter and Demi. Unlike the previous books and the Off-Campus series, I didn't really feel like they were that connected to any of the other characters and I didn't really feel connected or care about their characters. There was nothing Hunter had going for his character except for that he played hockey and he was celibate for the year. That's it. And Demi's a whole other problem.
-DEMI. First, I wasn't a fan of the attempted representation here. She has a Black dad and a Cuban (I believe?) mom and it was stock-full of stereotypes. It felt so forced when she was shouting she had her mom's fiery Latina temper. Or her mom was cooking Cuban food. Or when she was mad people made assumptions about her because she's Latina, and then it turns out they were actually right but she was mad they would just assume, which felt just like another opportunity for her to just say she was Latina. It just didn't sit well with me. Then, I'm tired of these perfectly gorgeous and thin heroines it seems all new adult books have. Demi says multiple times how she just has a fast metabolism, so she's so in shape, and all guys are in love with her because she's just so gorgeous. PLEASE. Can we just have a normal girl? A girl who isn't stick thin or is always described as the prettiest girl in the room? Also, Demi talks about how she's only always friends with guys and they're her "lost boys" but I didn't feel like she was even that close of friends with ANYONE in this book. Sure there were TJ and Pax, but she was SUCH a bad friend to them and they only showed up when the plot needed it. Also, she was so pushy towards Hunter about having sex when he was celibate and I'm just like LET HIM HAVE HOCKEY. Hockey is so important to him and he didn't want sex distracting him and she wouldn't let it go. So I didn't like Demi. At all.
-The ending. I did not like the ending the direction took and didn't think it was necessary at all. And then Demi is all, "I should have seen it coming since I want to be a therapist!" Girl, you've take one class on psychology and watch true crime shows. YOU ARE NOT A PROFESSIONAL. She just came off all holier-than-thou and I didn't like it. And I didn't like how she was all, oh, I had no idea! BECAUSE YOU WERE BARELY EVEN FRIENDS WITH HIM. I didn't like how everyone was revolved around her and she was really this manic-pixie-dream-girl, which is a trope I hate.
Okay, I think that's it. As you can tell, there was A LOT I was not a fan of in this book. I'm starting on The Dare next, so I really hope I enjoy that one more than this. -
'THE PLAY' is the third full length new adult, romance book in Elle Kennedy's 'Briar U' series. But can be read as a complete stand-alone. Spoken in Dual POV's.
MY REVIEW AND OTHERS: can also be found on my blog:
➽ KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS
4 SEMI YUP YUP STARS
OMG I was so excited when this hit my kindle! Other than work, life went on hold!
After their last disastrous hockey season which all went up in smoke last year, which we read about in
The Risk all Hunter wanted to do was put it behind him and vowed to just focus on the game, making it his top priority and thus proving that he's perfect captain material, and to do that entailed he'd go celibate until the end game. Meaning no girls and a never ending case of blue balls!!
The guys voted me captain. I take that responsibility seriously, and I know from personal experience that I have the tendency to let women mess with my head. Screwing around got me a broken wrist last year.
ENTER DEMI..
She's Hunters partner in a research project for the year. In Hunters eyes she won't be a distraction because for starters she's in a long term relationship and only has eyes for her boyfriend whom she's been dating since the eighth grade, making her off limits and all loved up. Which is perfect for Hunter because girls are completely off limits.
BUT...
All bets are off when Demi's relationship ends and she's wanting a rebound..Nothing more..Nothing less. And who better to approach than Hunter. She's the player he never saw coming. Hunter turns down all her advances, he enjoys their unique, easy going, friendship and doesn't want anything to get in the way of that.
SHE UPS THE ANTE...
But how long can he stay a monk for when he's attracted to her? I'm going to tease my friend and hopefully convince him to break his vow.
I promised myself I wouldn't hook up this year, and the temptation to break that vow for Demi is overwhelming.
These two were just perfect for each other, their banter, their sexual chemistry sizzled off the pages, Demi deserved to know how she really should be treated and Hunter was the right man for the job. Get ready for all those swoony feels because they are ready to be felt!!
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2.5 stars
This was entertaining and the dialogues were really fun, but I had many issues with this book. First of all, I couldn’t get over how good they were as friends!! I just couldn’t see them as anything more. There relationship should’ve stayed platonic because I really didn’t feel their romance.
I also didn’t enjoy the end. It literally came out of nowhere. Such an important subject shouldn’t have been used like that, as a way to end the book with and to show how perfect Demi was and how loving hunter was. It just made me feel so uneasy. Demi was an funny character but I was so uncomfortable with how pushy she was. I wanted her to just respect Hunter wishes and let him be instead of constantly pushing him like that. Also the lack of research was so clear even I noticed that, and I’m not a Latina.
Side note; Despacito is not salsa. Thank you!
I still liked the characters as individuals tho. They were cute. But man Connor was the highlight of the book. I already love him and I’m trying not to because I don’t want to get my hopes up for the next book. He’s just so charming. The risk is still my favorite, so we will have to see if the next book will beat it. This book wasn’t bad, just disappointing. -
Oct 9, 2019:
I think I'm going to have to sit with this book for a bit before I rate it. On the one hand, I adore Hunter and Demi's friendship and their sloooooow slide to a relationship. On the other, some of the details of this book frustrated me and feel.... off, somehow.
Mar 14, 2019:
I WAS RIGHT. This is officially Hunter's book (announced on Elle's IG).
Feb 21, 2019:
It's definitely not about Rupi (or Hazel). Elle has said we've never met the girl in The Play. It's someone new.
Feb 10, 2019:
My best guess is that the guy in this book will be Hunter Davenport (the freshman Dean works with in The Score/Fitzy and Summer's roommate in The Chase) or Brooks Weston (Summer's friend from prep school mentioned in The Chase/Jake Connolly's roommate in The Risk). I am leaning toward Hunter based on nothing but a hunch and possibly the tagline. I could be wrong, and I'm cool with that.
Feb 6, 2019:
I'm only about 20% into The Risk, but I already know I want this one, and I am DYING to know who our main characters will be (I have some ideas...)!! -
The Play was the perfect NA college novel. A friends to lovers romance that was lighthearted, fun, cute and sweet.
Honestly, The Play was the perfect example for why I enjoy Elle Kennedy’s NA romances so much. Lots of jocks, good looking, smart, kind, and funny guys who enjoy college, parties and girls, but also work their asses off on the ice, and off – lol. And the women are feisty, sassy and smart, and know how to keep the hockey players/jocks on their toes.
Demi and Hunter were the ultimate couple for a friends to lovers story. They had chemistry and fun together. They understood and supported each other academically as well as in RL. All that stood in their way of MORE was Demi’s pesky ex-boyfriend and Hunter’s celibacy. And I must admit, he ROCKED it!!! Way to go Hunter!
I’m also incredibly happy that Hunter finally got his HEA, and even more so about his wonderful relationship with the three girls in his life, including Summer. There was no leftover friction or conflict about what happened in The Chase. One less cliche to worry about.
The story went its merry way, a bit predictable but I didn’t really care. All I cared about was Demi and Hunter, and how much I adored them. On top of it, the overall low-drama storyline was perfect for getting me out of my semi-book slump. Because even though I wasn’t WOWed by the story, I got exactly what I hoped for. An entertaining and light-hearted NA sports romance. A book I enjoyed reading from beginning to end. That kept me captivated, and engaged. I honestly couldn’t have asked for more.
ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review. -
it was going well until the last fourth of the book.
can authors PLEASE stop using important and serious topics (i.e. suicide) to further a plot point and (in the case of this book) highlight the main characters achievements while completely ignoring the significance of the actual topic? it’s not cute.
the three stars are mainly for hunter, bucky, and pablo. -
*****FIVE STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}
The moment our mouths make contact, a hot shiver rolls through me and settles between my legs. My dick is thick, heavy against my thigh. Motherfucker. This kiss is everything.
”THE PLAY” is by far my favorite installment of the Briar U series. Since the first book, I have been anxiously waiting to get my hands on Hunter Davenport’s story. I knew that it was not going to disappoint, and I’m happy to confirm it was well worth the wait! This book was everything I love in a good sports romantic comedy. It was funny, sexy, and had main characters who were lovable and had super hot chemistry.
Hunter has placed himself on hiatus from sex. He’s now the captain of Briar U’s hockey team and there is no way he wants his man whorish tendencies of the past to mess with the team’s chance at making it to the championship. It hasn’t been easy but he’s determined to make hockey his top priority. Hunter ends up becoming good friends with Demi Davis, his beautiful partner in his abnormal psych class. These two have easy and hilarious banter. While Hunter may be attracted to Demi, the fact that she has a boyfriend makes her easily off-limits to him. But once Demi’s relationship ends with her no-good cheating ex, the sexual tension that’s been building between them becomes nearly impossible to ignore.
To Demi’s utter frustration, Hunter is holding firm to his vow of celibacy. She’s tried to seduce him into becoming her sexy rebound but it seems she can’t break through his iron will, until one night Hunter is no longer able to control his need for Demi. As these two embark on a sexy friends with benefits relationship, old insecurities and fears start to weave their way up front and center. Is this only the best sex of their lives or could there be potential for something far greater?
Here are my overall ratings:
Hero: 5
Heroine: 5
Plot: 5
Angst: 4.5
Steam: 4.5
Chemistry Between Hero & Heroine: 5
”THE PLAY releases on October 7th! Those of you who love Elle Kennedy’s hysterically funny and off the charts steam hockey romances will not be disappointed.
Amazon:
https://amzn.to/2o5Wtqd
-
Loved it! Hunter and Demi have great chemistry. And the Briar U crew was in rare form. (The coach was particularly funny in this one.) Oh, and Pablo was a great touch.
-
Title: ➳ ❤The Play
Series ➳ Briar U 3#
Author: ➳ Elle Kennedy
Published October 7th 2019
💖💖💖💖
👄What a wild & crazy ride! I fell head over heal for Hunter Davenport when we were introduced to in The Chase.
I hope & 🙏🙏 for Hunter to get his own book & thankfully Elle Kennedy heard those 🙏🙏
💎Hunter Davenport is now that captain of his college hockey team, He feels guilty for his hand in Briar not making it to the national championship last year! So, Hunter Makes a vowel to his self that he is going to maintain his celibacy until the end of the season
💖when Hunter meets Demi Davis. he is already something like 7 months in his celibacy… Honestly after last years, hit it & move on action, I truly didn’t think that Hunter could keep his self-imposed abstinence up
💖Hunter & Demi are partners on the class project, so Hunter thinks that he is safe with Demi, due to the fact that she in long term relationship, so he feels it will be easy to keep things platonic. So there’s no temptation on his end.
😈😈What Hunter to do when Demi suddenly finds herself single, & she sets her sights on Him?
💎Oh, how great was catching up with characters you met in other series in this novella…
Lord Hollis & Rupi, that’s story in it’s self 🔪 I truly can’t tell if they’re madly in love or hate each other’s guts. Maybe a mixture of both? Either way, they’re highly entertaining.
😘Elle Kennedy is an amazing writer &, but I feel like she somewhat failed me on this final book in the Briar U series . I only say this cuz I feel like she didn’t give us enough in the Epilogue. I got super excited about downloading & reading the EXTENDED Epilogue, only to be let down even more…. I believe that Elle Kennedy purposely left us wanting more ! So that she might write another spin off series… only cuz of that fact am I giving this book 4 stars ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Briar U Series & reading order
The Chase (Summer & Fitz’s book)
The Risk (Brenna & Jake’s book)
The Play (Hunter & Demi’s book)
📚 Hope you enjoy this read & also always keep in mind this is just my opinion+ Also I wouldn’t never discourage anyone from reading this book, This is my honest, voluntary review.
Happy Reading & Enjoy --------Paulette thoughts
I highly recommend it to everyone. ♥️
-
After that sucky last season Hunter wants this year to go perfectly. At least when it comes to school and hockey. He doesn't need any distractions in the form of girls and/or sex. He's going to be celibate for a whole year!
Enter Demi. She's beautiful and funny and perfect. And she's going to be his study partner for the whole year!!! They can just be friends, right? She's got a boyfriend anyway. But what if she's suddenly single??? And looking for a rebound??
Nope. Not Hunter. No way. Right?
LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN .... ☺
══════════════════
EEEEEEP!!! HUNTER!
We're finally back in that amazing Elle Kennedy hockey world!
Time for Hunter to finally get his own happily ever after!
But he's not looking for it ... at all! What do they say? You'll find it when you least expect it. And there she is: Demi.
I just adored those two! They're just hilarious and so perfect for each other!
But of course we know that it's not going to be easy what with Hunter being celibate. LOL!
I LOVED every single moment of their love story.
Perfect New Adult romance! With some very adorable and some serious and heartbreaking moments. And soooo many funny moments - many of them thanks to Rupi and Hollis - LOL - they are just the best. They need their own Netflix show!!!!! ☺
And what is it with amazingly hilarious pets these days in romance books??! We have one in here too. LOL!!!
Nothing more to say! I LOVED THIS BOOK!
Well, there were some moments where I wanted to hit some parents over the head with my kindle - but most of them were good again towards the end. ☺
I can't wait to get more from this world - or any other world written by Elle Kennedy! GIMME!
THE PLAY was such an adorable & funny & sparky New Adult Hockey/College Romance! I adored every single moment! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Hunter - this one is MINE!!! ☺
♡
♡
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I love Elle Kennedy's writing style and I adore her sports series.
The "Off Campus" series, is definitely one of my favorites and this spin-off is turning out to be one as well ;) I had a blast finally reading Hunter's story and I happy to say that Elle found the perfect girl for him !!
Those of you, who have read the previous book, know all about the "fuck up" that was last season. Hunter, being the team captain of "Briar U", is taking things very seriously and personally... So he vowed that there would be no more distractions, and his solution...celibacy !!
I must say, that Hunter really did do his best, his balls were as blue as a smurf, yet he persevered. Things were pretty much going his way....until he met Demi that is.
Demi is Hunter's new partner in a class project. She is absolutely awesome. She beautiful, smart and funny ...but most importantly, she has a boyfriend. She is perfectly "safe" for Hunter to be friends with, and so they do. They become very good friends. But what happens when the boyfriend is no longer around and Demi starts opening her eyes to all that is Hunter !!!
All bets are off !! And so the chase begins. It was awesome seeing things from a different view for once. Usually, we have a man chasing the woman, but this time it was the woman doing the chasing and I must say...she really did give it her all ;)
I has a wonderful time reading this book, though I do advice to read the others in this series, before starting this one. I really can't wait to read Connor's story. I have a feeling his book is gonna top all the others for me. He is already a personal favorite
I highly recommend this series !!
An ARC was provided to
in exchange for an honest review
-
Okay, it's official. I'm tapping out of this series. I've clearly outgrown it or maybe it's just the genre itself. I don't know. I love hockey romances, enjoy ensemble casts that lean heavily on hijinks as the comic relief, but while I did recently reread (and love, again) the series that spawned this one, nothing since THE CHASE has worked. So I guess that was the fluke.
This is everything that you would expect it to be, both as a fan and from what it says on the box. It's got a reformed playboy who meets a girl he has to remain platonic with both because of her boyfriend and his vow of celibacy — a vow he's taken in order to do right by his team, to succeed and lead sans distractions, and atone for his previous mistakes. But then the boyfriend goes buh-bye, girl wants a rebound, so, you see where this is going.
I didn't love Hunter or Demi, but neither of them annoyed me the way Hollis and Rupi annoyed me in the background of THE RISK. Even though they were both present in this one. Again. Sigh.
The conflicts were fairly predictable, the speed bumps, too, and honestly everything was pretty standard. No surprises, no real joy, no real laughs, either. Definitely sucks to have to tap out but it's not worth reading on when it's doing both the author and me as both a reader and longtime fan a disservice.
So, yes, I think this will satisfy and entertain many. But just like in book two, I'm not one of them. In which case, please take this feedback with the tiniest grain of salt. As always.
** I received an ARC from the author (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at
A Take From Two Cities. -
4.5 STARS
You’re a fun date.” “This isn’t a date.” She tips her head in challenge.
“Then why are you giving me the Penis Eyes?”
“I’m not.”
“I know Penis Eyes when I see ’em.”
Elle Kennedy knows how to hit the spot just right when it comes to her addictive NA Sports romance. She's able to combine quirky humor with deliciously steamy romance and create page-turning books that seems to get better with each new one in this series. I know I said this when I finished the
The Risk, but I really mean it now when I say that this was my favorite in the series!
Hunter has been a character that's been on my radar since
The Chase. My heart went out for the guy after he lost the girl he was interested in to his buddy who swore up and down that he wasn't interested in her. We got to see Hunter spiral from that let down and turn into a quite an indiscriminate manwhore. The guy went through a stage where any woman that looked his way was game, and it almost cost him more than he bargained for. Now he's determined to rid himself of temptation by saying no to sex. Sex is what got him in trouble so sex is what he'll cut out. The answer? Celibacy. The problem? It's easier said than done.
When Demi and Hunter first meet in class, Demi thinks he's just like every other hot jock; vapid and vain. But when an assignment together forces them together, she soon discovers that there's many more layers to Hunter than meet the eye. He's sweet, funny, and soon becomes a friend and confidant. So who better to turn to when she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her and needs a rebound to move on? Her new buddy, of course. Unfortunately Hunter is a lot more stubborn when it comes to his celibacy that she thought.This guy is funny. And he’s much cooler than I’d thought, definitely not the arrogant asshole I expected him to be. I’m not gonna lie—Hunter Davenport is growing on me.
This was such a fun story. I love a strong and confident heroine, and Demi was definitely that. She's sassy, with a fiery temper, and a super sharp mind. I couldn't help but like her immediately. This is not a girl that plays game or doesn't speak her mind. She says what she means and she means what she says. You can't help but appreciate that. Hunter was wonderfully multi-layered. You get to peel back the layers and truly see what makes him tick, and when you begin to get to the true depths of him, you can't help but love the guy. There's just something so wonderfully endearing about him. I think I loved the friendship between him and Demi almost as much as their budding romance. I loved that Demi wasn't afraid to push his buttons to get what she wanted but she didn't play games with him either. She's extremely straight forward in what she wants.
The romance was a perfectly paced slow burn. These two start off as friends with fiery chemistry and it soon turns into something neither of them saw coming. I loved seeing the gang from the previous books and catching up with Garrett, Dean and Logan. Then there's my favorite crazy duo, Hollis and Rupi, and all of the other wonderful secondary characters. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we get Connor's book next. I seriously can't get enough of this series!
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
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[2.5⭐️]
I’ve wanted to read Hunter’s book since I read the chase, you can imagine how excited I was when this book came out.
This book was a disappointment to me. I was excited when I read that Demi was Cuban, then I read this book and what a disappointment.
The Cuban/Latino culture in this book was just.....
First of all, Despacito IS NOT salsa. It is Pop/Reggaeton and second of all, mothers don’t call their daughters “mami” that’s creepy af.
It was nice to see the off-campus gang in this book but I don’t know what’s the point of bringing them all back if Sabrina and Tucker (from the goal) aren’t gonna be in the book too, or even mentioned. Yes, I know their book wasn’t one of the best book on the series but I think they at least deserved to be mentioned.
Although the book disappointed me, I laughed a lot and I enjoyed some parts of it.
Anyway, I love Hunter Davenport and I’m really glad he got his happy ending. -
3 stars
I don’t know if my reading tastes have changed or if Elle Kennedy has lost her touch. Maybe a little bit of both? I used to DEVOUR her books and cry that there weren’t more. But this Briar U series has been a face plant for me. The pacing was off for me. The first 50% of this book was so beyond boring and slow for me. The second 50% was much better but felt incredibly rushed. I liked Demi as a heroine, but Hunter as a hero felt sanitized. He had no personality, it was so weird to me. Overall, I liked this book, but sadly I think this might be it for me and Kennedy.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
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4 STARS
You can't go wrong with Elle Kennedy, I love her books so much and this one is another fantastic read!I adore this series and the characters!The Play is refreshing and I loved the connection between the characters!
Everything felt realistic and I liked how things started!The romance was one of the best parts in the story! Demi and Hunter stole my heart, I enjoyed their sexual tension!I had a smile most of the time!
If you are looking for a captivating story with some funny and sexy moments that will make you swoon and smile this is the book you need!
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4,5 Sterne
Wie gewohnt konnte mich Elle Kennedy auch mit dem dritten Band der Briar U-Reihe wieder überzeugen! Daher habe ich für diese knapp 500 Seiten auch irgendwie wieder nur 2 Tage gebraucht. Die Seiten sind wieder nur so dahingeflogen!
Und wie gewohnt bin ich nun traurig, dass ich kein Buch mehr von ihr zum Lesen hier habe :(
Ich mag einfach die Art wie die Autorin diese Liebesgeschichten rund um die sexy Eishockeyspieler und College-Studenten erzählt. Allen voran geschieht das mit viel Humor, aber auch das gewisse Prickeln ist allgegenwärtig.
Eigentlich schon seit Band 1 der Reihe habe ich mich auf Hunters Buch gefreut, aber überraschenderweise haben mir sogar die Kapitel aus Demis Sicht noch in klein wenig mehr gefallen. Denn ich konnte mich irgendwie sehr gut mit ihr identifizieren und fand sie von Anfang an total sympathisch.
Auch schön fand ich, dass die ganzen "alten" Pärchen aus den vorigen Büchern und auch aus der Vorgängerreihe hier wieder ihren Platz in der Geschichte gefunden haben.
Einzige Kritik meinerseits ist das überspitzte Drama gegen Ende sowie dass innerhalb einer Sexszene das Wort "M*schi" irgendwie exponentiell verwendet wurde?!
Ansonsten kann ich nur wieder sagen wie sehr ich diese Reihen von Elle Kennedy liebe. Ich denke, dass Hunter nach Logan und Garrett mein liebster Eishockeyspieler war bisher. Außerdem hoffe ich, dass der nächste Band rund um Conor auch bald vom Piper Verlag übersetzt wird ;) -
I. Loved. This!!! The Play might be my new favorite of the Briar U series. I freaking adored Hunter and Demi!!
Thanks to the author for generously providing me an ARC to review. -
TITLE: THE PLAY
AUTHOR: Elle Kennedy
SERIES: Briar U #3
RELEASE DATE: October 7,2019
GENRE: Sports Romance, College Romance, New Adult
RATING: 5 STARS
CLIFFHANGER: No
READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG
There are many talented authors out there but for me Elle Kennedy is one of the best when it comes to College Romance/New Adult Romance/Sports Romance and I'll read anything, literally ANYTHING she writes. So when I started this one I read every free minute I had (which is a feat with school just having started again).
In THE PLAY we finally get Hunter's story and boy, I was not expecting to love him the way I did. I was a little worried that he'd be bitter, the way he acted after Summer and Fitzy went behind his back. But no! He gave me Dean vibes with his goofy sense of humor. I tumbled into love with him.“Everything gets me aroused, Bee. The feel of the wind on my face gets me aroused. Bumping into a table gets me aroused.”
Hunter was the was the full package - smart, kind, hilarious, sweet, entertaining and honest. He gave me so many laughs and favorite scenes throughout the story. There is his handling of Pablo Eggscobar, the boiled egg the team was tasked to take care of, his self imposed sex drought, or when he and Demi were locked up in jail and he took a picture of her."What’s a boner between friends, right?”
Demi is being introduced as a new character and the heroine of this story. In the beginning she can't help to think that Hunter is the stereotypical hockey player with puck bunnies lining up to get in his pants. She couldn't be farther from the truth because Hunter has been celibate for a couple of months after the disastrous ending of the team's hockey season, blaming himself for it. I have to say I was pretty impressed that he resisted as long as he did but that Demi had a boyfriend definitely helped. Anyhoo...Demi...her dad wants her to follow in his footsteps and go to med school but Demi has a completely different idea of what her future is going to look like. Her passion is psychology, she only needs to grow the cojones to tell her dad.
When her boyfriend becomes her ex-boyfriend Demi is hurt and I loved Hunter for being such a wonderful friend. In that regard Demi really showed backbone and it was then, when her dad was taking her ex's side and she stood up to him that I fell in love with her too. Speaking of, I thought Demi's parents were jerks. I didn't think they had a lot of redeeming qualities when they defended a young man who hurt their daughter so deeply. Ugh.A laugh tickles my throat. This girl is something else. She cracks me up. And she’s so fucking beautiful.
Demi and Hunter's connection is so palpable - their friendship is amazing, so laid back and natural and I loved how important it was to Hunter that he didn't want to ruin it. But there is also a spark, an explosive chemistry that is just waiting to be ignited. And when it does? Oh my! So good, so hot, so sweet.Gales of laughter shake my body. I love this guy. We have so much fun together, no matter the circumstances. We could be studying or sitting in a jail cell or lying naked in bed, and he’d never fail to crack me up.
We get to catch up with most of the Off-Campus characters which was a treat and I loved to visit with them and see where they are in life now. There are also a couple of characters that have huge potential to get their own books and a front runner is Conor, the man-ho that actually reminds me even more of Dean. That guy begs to be brought down to his knees!
I loved Summer and Fitzy, I worshiped Brenna and Jake but I think my favorites are Hunter and Demi. I'm walking on clouds after finishing this book and in my opinion Elle Kennedy did these two justice. I laughed, I giggled, I swooned - this story was so much fun. There was no unnecessary drama, only delightful banter, awesome characters and a sweet slow burn romance written in Ms. Kennedy's crisp, impeccable writing style. I think the author said that this would be the last installment in the Briar U series (for now) but there is potential for a new series. So let's see what happens!
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Once again I thoroughly enjoyed another instalment of the Briar- U series! This is the third book and it’s Hunter and Demi’s story!
I will admit that I wasn’t big on Hunter in the last book. To me he was way to easy with his sexual favours... basically way too promiscuous for my taste!!! In this book though he has taken a vow of celibacy so he can focus on playing hockey! He is now the team captain, and I will admit that I was able to see another side to Hunter... I began to like what I was seeing!
Demi was a great character too! In the beginning of the story she was with a longtime boyfriend; Nico... Unfortunately, the bastard hurts her very bad. Hunter and her have been partners for a major school project... and watching them develop a friendship with them was awesome! I adored these two together, and began rooting for them every step of the way!
As if I didn’t already enjoy this book... we have a ton of interaction with the hockey team! I love these scenes and I have to add that them taking care of their egg named Pablo was hilarious!!!
I highly recommend this series, if you’re looking for a funny, sexy, entertaining love story! You not only will get the feels; but you will have more than a few laughs too! -
this is fun, entertaining, and all, but plot wise its rather flat. even when theres a conflict, its more about the characters having inner struggles with themselves and not them dealing with one same issue as a couple. the good thing about this is that both of our main characters have a notable development.
on the flip side, their romance is a bit lackluster. they starts off as friends. then when they become a couple, nothing really changes except that this time they can bang each other whenever they want. also, why bother with an epilogue when it doesnt even talk about the main couple of the book?
if youre a fan of the friends to lovers trope, i dont think you’ll have any problems loving this book. unfortunately for me, this one didnt quite hit the mark. in any case, im glad i went through with the series. for the most part, its been a joyous reading experience. my favorite out of the three is definitely the second one. -
➳My gosh! Already the third book is coming this year as well! SOMEONE HOLD ME! I AM NOT OKAY!!!
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by far the best book in this series
this book had a lot of going on for itself but my favorite is that for the most part of reading it I had a huge smile on my face...
Garrett & Hannah are my fav couple from this bunch but....but I feel all kind of special feels for Hunter & Demi...
Look, the simple way to say it is..if you like to read New Adult..just read this book!
* happy & feelgood read
* great banter
* amazing characters
* laugh out laud dialogue
Hunter babe... I really like you...
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this book had NO BUSINESS BEING THIS GOOD like WHAT?? who allowed this?? I was so obsessed with this one that I made it last through 3 days because I refused to let it be over. First of all, friends to lovers? yes please I love that trope with all my heart. Second, Hunter Davenport… that’s all. this man was understanding, funny, caring, hot, HE HAD IT ALL. It was so nice to see how he changed from the risk to this one. he didn’t even need a character arc in this book because he was just perfect the entire time. Now Demi.. my queen. Being brazilian and living around miami most of my life with a psychology major and on route to med school before completely switching my path.. I RELATED HARD to Demi which made the book that much more enjoyable. I loved their friendship, I loved their relationship, I loved the important topics this book covered. ALSO IT WAS HILARIOUS??? i was cackling the entire time. and the epilogue? wow. the ONLY reason this wasn’t a 5 star was because I was really not a fan of Demi pushing him towards breaking his celibacy, that rubbed me the wrong way and I wish it would’ve been left in the drafts. Overall loved it tho!
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In
The Chase Hunter had his heart broken
In
The Risk his man-whoring ways got his wrist broken.
Now, he's back, he's sworn to celibacy, and he might have just met his match....
THE PLAY is live! Get yours:
Amazon |
Apple |
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KoboWhat I learned after last year’s distractions cost my hockey team our entire season? No more screwing up. No more screwing, period. As the new team captain, I need a new philosophy: hockey and school now, women later. Which means that I, Hunter Davenport, am officially going celibate…no matter how hard that makes things.
But there’s nothing in the rulebook that says I can’t be friends with a woman. And I won’t lie—my new classmate Demi Davis is one cool chick. Her smart mouth is hot as hell, and so is the rest of her, but the fact that she’s got a boyfriend eliminates the temptation to touch her.
Except three months into our friendship, Demi is single and looking for a rebound.
And she’s making a play for me.
Avoiding her is impossible. We’re paired up on a yearlong school project, but I’m confident I can resist her. We’d never work, anyway. Our backgrounds are too different, our goals aren’t aligned, and her parents hate my guts.
Hooking up is a very bad idea. Now I just have to convince my body—and my heart.
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Discover the Briar U series <- -
elle kennedy legit based her latino characters on gloria from modern family and said that's enough latino representation for today oof. as a latina, i am disgusted at the half assed attempt of rep she tried to incorporate in her series. at this point, i'm glad that 98% of her characters are straight caucasians because gurl here has no clue on how to write minorities nor interest whatsoever in doing so.
the play was actually boring and unnecessarily long for a new adult book.. i mean almost 500 pages for a NA book??? what was the reason? dry af characters, stereotypes galore and a ridiculous but failed attempt at writing humor in the form of having an egg as a pet. and don't even get me started on rupi and hollis' relationship being the most uninteresting thing to ever happen in the entire off-campus and briar u series combined. just cringy all the way through. i'm curious about conor's book tho, so might give that one a shot. -
Edit - 2/11/2020
I think it just hit me that the reason I gave this book 5 stars was due to the fact that there were people of different ethnicities in the book but in my ignorance, I never realized how stereotypical the author made the POC characters out to be. The only reason I loved Rupi was because she was an Indian girl, but in reality, the girl was hella annoying. I am reading other reviews about this book and not that I am well versed in the Latin culture specifically in this case; Colombian culture but the author seemed to have done a lot of her research by watching episodes of Modern Family.
I am trying to find more books where the characters are more diverse, and yes I am talking about people of varying ethnicities talking to each cause that happens in reality, surprise surprise lol.
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I loved it! Especially the fact that Demi is a POC, its nice to get some diversity :). Also, I love Hollis and Rupi in the extended epilogue whuch was freakn nuts btw. Overall, it was great to catch up with everyone and even though Elle says that this is the last book in the series I am holding out for more!
Edit October 3rd, 2019
So this is not about Rupi and I don't think the heroine is Indian :(. I honestly thought she would be since the cover girl looked brown, but none of the reviews mention anything so I am going to assume she is not. Still looking forward to reading it though!
Edit Feb 18th, 2019
So my guess is this book is going to be about Rupi, As an indian woman I REALLY HOPE this book is going to be played out well,I liked her character but I really hope she does not fall into the typical Indian girl stereotype (it does not seem like it).
Also Elle Kennedy if you have any questions about wacky but loving Indian parents, hit me up I got tons of suggestions :) Also its so funny that Rupi makes this face mask for the girls and herself because I make it too LOL!
PS: this is the face mask (but with stuff I use)
1 part chickpea flour
0.5 part rose water (optional)
1 part yogurt
And for the dusky to dark toned girls 1 part of turmeric is super beneficial! (Be careful it stains everything!) -
Ever since I was introduced to Hunter Davenport in The Chase and how he got his heart broken I couldn’t wait to get his book. I felt so bad for him and how he behaved in The Risk showed he needed a change. In behavior and what he wanted to do in life.
In The Play Hunter is celibate and very dedicated to succeeding while focusing on his main goal which is hockey. It’s going great also when he gets paired up with Demi for Psych class doing a project. Their bantering is awesome and so funny. I enjoyed every scene with them because they worked so well together. As partners on the class project and as friends.
Demi has a long time boyfriend which helps Hunter in only seeing Demi as a friend and nothing else. When Demi suddenly finds herself single she sets her eyes on Hunter. Well, she already had eyes on him prior to being single, acknowledging him as attractive and a great guy but now she wants and can act on it since she’s a single woman. This results in some laugh out load moments and of course hot as hell scenes. Hunter has definitely got his work cut out for him with Demi.
The Play is the final book in the Briar U series and it ended with a bang. Hunter and Demi are fabulous together and the perfect couple. The right woman for Hunter who had to go through so much to find the right woman and love. I know this is the final book but damn a Conor book would be amazing news. Here’s to hoping this isn’t the end.
4 Semi & Monk Stars
**I received an ARC**
