The Play

It's probably more of a 2.5.

CW: Suicide attempt

I have been so excited for the release of this book because it's been a long wait for Hunter's book, so I probably had too many expectations. Or maybe I've just become too old to enjoy these college age love stories - because reading this book didn't go as well as I expected it to.

Like every other Elle Kennedy book, this one too is a breeze to read and I finished it in just a few hours. The author's signature humor is present, but only sparingly and I didn't have many laugh out loud moments this time around. I liked the way the author used the main characters' Abnormal Psychology final project as a way for them to get to know each other better, it's definitely not something I've seen before. There is a whole side plot of the Briar hockey team taking care of their “egg” mascot which I thought was absolutely hilarious. There is also a cheating boyfriend subplot which I thought dragged on for a bit too long. But the worst part was the author trying to include POC characters and completely stereotyping them. Maybe authors shouldn't write marginalized characters if they aren't interested in doing the appropriate research instead of just wanting points for diversity.

And then came the suicide attempt which completely threw me off. I was in a particularly bad place and that was the exact reason why I decided to read this book, because I was so sure Elle Kennedy would make me feel better with her writing atleast for a few hours. So when that dreaded scene happened, I had to take some time for myself to make sure I could continue. Other than the fact that there are no content warnings anywhere (I know it's too much to ask for in books but many authors do mention atleast on their twitter these days), I hate that the suicide attempt is used as a plot device to resolve a particular conflict between three of the characters. Depression and suicide are too important and I just think it's disingenuous to use them as plot devices in such a reckless manner, and also not give the readers any heads up.

I've only always seen Hunter as a bit of a playboy like Dean, but it was nice to see a much more sweeter and bit vulnerable side to him. And while I thought his celibacy vow was a bit funny to read for a while, I just didn't think it was so necessary to show him as perpetually horny. Demi on the other hand is a very straight shooting, no nonsense taking would be therapist and I really liked her a lot (initially). I thought the development of their friendship was written very well and their chemistry really reflected off the page. However, every time Demi tried to manipulate Hunter to make him break his celibacy vow, it just made me uncomfortable. Even though both of them seem to be okay with everything that happens, I just couldn't get on board with it.

The best part of the book for me was getting glimpses of my favorite characters from Off Campus series. Garrett, Logan, Allie, Grace and Dean make appearances and I was so delighted to get to know more about their lives after Briar. They are as amazing as ever. While I was so interested in seeing Brenna and Summer again, I thought their characters felt too different from the previous books and I just couldn't reconcile what I knew about them with these new personas. Mike and Rupi make appearances too and they may be over dramatic, but I've gotten used to their antics now and find them sweet in their own way. But I hated how Summer and Brenna made fun of Rupi (which is so unlike them from The Risk where they were so supportive).

There were many new hockey players in the team this time and while only Conor stood out, I thought they all seemed like a fun bunch. But it's the other new characters like Demi's ex boyfriend or her father whom I really didn't like because none of them really seemed to take any of her opinions or choices seriously. They are shown as good people doing unkind things, but I just found their behavior appalling. There are some other friends of Demi who were introduced but none of them really left a mark on me.

To conclude, I just don't know what I have to say about this book. I liked the main characters for the most part, but the other elements of the story just weren't for me. If you have enjoyed the previous books of this series, you might still enjoy it, so take my review with a pinch of salt. I have still not decided if I'll continue if there's another book in the series, but we shall see.

Spoiler-Free Review:

Another fun read from Elle Kennedy. I swear, these are the most fun books to binge. This is the third installment in the Briar U series which follows Hunter Davenport, who we met very briefly in the Off-Campus series, and Demi a student at Briar. This is a forced proximity, friends to lovers, and slow burn romance. The banter between these two is, as usual, so fun, and I often found myself laughing out loud. We get a glimpse of some of our favorite Off-Campus character, like Garrett and Dean, which I love seeing where they are in their [fictional] life. The spice between Hunter and Demi was so fun. I really enjoyed Demi discovering what she liked with Hunter, their romance was both sweet and spicy. I took off one star because I just wanted to see more resolution for the characters. Y'all know I like closure, and I feel like some things were left a bit more open that I would've liked. Overall, it was still an amazing read! I've enjoyed this series so much, and I can't wait to get to the next book. These books are so fun to read, and I feel so attached to this world that Elle Kennedy has created. This book hits topics that may be triggering so, as always, check trigger warnings. This is an adult romance, 18+ for sexual content, language, and themes.