The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy Review: Garrett Graham’s Daughter Gets Her Romance

The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy is basically catnip for longtime Off Campus fans. It has that familiar energy of this series with the banter, the spice, the team dynamics, the grumpy hero, and then you add the extra sucker punch of seeing Garrett and Hannah as parents! LOVE. Is this my favorite Elle Kennedy book ever? No. But did I kick my feet and giggle every time one of the OG Off Campus characters showed up as a grown up dad or honorary uncle? Absolutely. This is a fun, nostalgic, sexy start to the Campus Diaries series, and if you loved The Deal, you need to meet the next generation.

quote from review ~ Under the Covers

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“You fall, I pick you up. Always.” The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy

What is The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy about?

The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy kicks off the Campus Diaries series, a spinoff of the Off Campus and Briar U books. We follow Gigi Graham, daughter of Garrett and Hannah from The Deal, which means I was seated immediately for it.

Gigi has big goals: make the women’s national hockey team, get an Olympic medal and step out from under the father’s shadow. She’s so talented, driven and focused, but she also knows she has to improve her game to get there. That’s where Luke Ryder comes in. He’s Briar’s new hockey co-captain, a massive grump, and of course very hot.

Ryder has his own problems. His team merged with a rival and everyone hates each other. He needs a coaching opportunity with Garrett Graham and made a bad first impression. So he strikes a deal with Gigi: he helps with her hockey and she helps him get back in her dad’s good graces.

But their chemistry had other plans!

“I know I have my flaws. But I need to level up to be with this woman. She forces me to be better. I want to be better for her. I want to be her hero.” The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy

Does The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy live up to the Off Campus series?

For me, yes. The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy fits so well into the Off Campus universe because it has the exact vibe we’re used to from those books. The humor, the hockey, the friend group dynamics, the romantic tension, the emotional baggage. It all feels very Elle Kennedy in the best way.

But the real bonus here is the nostalgia. Seeing Garrett and Hannah as parents was such a treat. They still feel like the characters we remember, but now we get this new side of their life. And the cameos from other characters like Logan and Dean? I ate it up. I am not immune to seeing fictional men I loved years ago become adult dads and uncles. That is my weakness.

I can be objective and say I know part of my enjoyment came from the second generation angle and the chance to revisit the world. If this had been a completely standalone, maybe it would’ve been a bit more generic.

How is the romance in The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy?

The romance between Gigi and Ryder was great. It had that addictive, binge worthy quality I want from a college hockey romance. You don’t want to put the book down because their chemistry was immediate, the tension worked, the banter was top tier and the spice was on point.

Gigi was a heroine I really liked. She contains multiples. She’s vulnerable but also fragile, grounded but not boring, and most importantly independent. And all of that made sense because at the end of the day she’s trying to make her own way while being Garrett Graham’s daughter. She wants something big and she wants to work for it.

Ryder, meanwhile, is such a grump, and I am but a simple romance reader. That works for me every time. He’s sexy and broody, but Ms. Kennedy gives him more depth than I expected. His dark backstory added a lot to his character and made him feel less like a standard grumpy hockey player cutout. That said, he does have the typical “I’m too damaged for a happily ever after” attitude, which can be eye-roll-y for me. I will never understand that. But overall? It worked.

Is The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy a good hockey romance?

One of the things Elle Kennedy consistently does well is making the sports element feel like it belongs there. The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy is absolutely a romance first, but the hockey isn’t just superficial. It feels like you’re reading a hockey romance, not a random contemporary where the characters happen to occasionally hold a stick. And at the same time, you’re not beat over the head with it. Just right for me.

I especially liked the inclusion of women’s hockey and the struggles for equality. Ryder’s team conflict also adds another layer, with the merged roster and all that built-in tension between former rivals.
The hockey never overtakes the romance, but it gives the story stakes.

What didn’t work in The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy?

This book definitely follows the formula of previous books in the Off Campus and Briar U world. You can feel the familiarity: the hockey, the banter, the tension, the steam, the friend group, the relationship.

But here’s the thing: I find that formula fun and enjoyable.

So while I wouldn’t call The Graham Effect wildly fresh or groundbreaking, I also don’t think it needs to be. I came here for a specific vibe, and Elle Kennedy delivered that vibe. The only thing that slightly held it back is that I don’t think the main couple themselves reached all time favorite status for me. I liked them a lot, I had fun with their romance, but the emotional high was definitely boosted by my love for the original series. Maybe that was my inner fangirl moments overtaking this love story.

About the Campus Diaries series by Elle Kennedy

The Campus Diaries series by Elle Kennedy is a spinoff of the Off Campus series. Each of the books are interconnected standalones, and you don’t have to read them in order if you don’t want to. But you do get the bigger picture and cameos if you do. This is a new generation series, so we get to see the daughter of Garrett and Hannah (The Deal by Elle Kennedy) in this first book.

The series captures the messy and angsty vibe of a college hockey romance, with team dynamics, lots of banter, swoon romance, found family and two people trying to figure out their life on and off the ice.

Should you read The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy?

Yes, especially if you’re a fan of The Deal. The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy is a must read if you want to meet the second generation and see the OG Off Campus characters as parents. For Garrett and Hannah fans, this one is basically required reading.

It’s also a great pick if you love a grumpy hero, a driven heroine, sports romance with real hockey, and that classic Elle Kennedy mix of humor, spice, and angst. It may not be my favorite Kennedy book, but it was such a fun addition to the universe, and it reminded me why these books became such comfort reads in the first place.

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