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kirareadssometimes's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book in the Briar U series was fun and easy but still dealt with a few harder issues. This one felt different from the previous two in the series but in a great way. This book focused less on the core group from the first books and we got a slew of new characters. Demi was a blast. She’s a powerful and smart young woman who knows what she wants but through the book we got to see her softer sides as well. Loved getting insight into Hunter who I found so mopey and exhausting during the last two books. He had good character growth and was just much more well rounded than I expected. Good amount of spice but it takes a bit to get there as it is friends to lovers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Emotional abuse
Minor: Medical content
tayloraddison's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
shaylee_reads's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Ratings:
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing:⭐⭐⭐ /5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐ /5
Romance:⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5
Diversity: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐ /5
Sadness:💧 /5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes: friends to lovers, hockey romance, sports romance, and collage romance
The Play by Elle Kennedy, the third book in the Briar U series which is a spin off of the Off-Campus series follows Hunter Davenport who we were introduced to in The Score is now the captain for the Briar U hockey team and due to an incident that had cost the Briar U hockey team state championship last year Hunter has sworn off girls and sex in order to focus on hockey. Then Hunter is paired up with a girl named Demi for a psychology project, the good news is that Demi is in a long term relationship so Hunter doesn't have to worry about her distracting him from his goal that is until Demi's boyfriend screws up and they end up breaking up. Now Demi is on the hunt for a rebound… a rebound she wants to be Hunter.
Honestly I hadn't heard much about this book so I didn't really know what to expect. All I knew is that it was a Briar U book so I was pretty sure I was gonna love it because Elle Kennedy hasn't let me down yet and she didn't let me down with this one.
Though there are quite a few things that I didn't love in this book, I enjoyed reading it.
I liked how Hunter and Demi's relationship wasn't like any of the other one. Before anything romantic happened they had started out as friends and I absolutely loved their friendship. They had some hilarious conversation and I loved how Hunter was there for her when she was going through her break-up. I thought they were extremely cute together and I like how their relationship was built on friendship and not just sex. Honestly their relationship reminded me a lot of Hannah and Garrett's relationship.
There are a few things that I didn't like about their relationship, at some moments I felt like there was a lack of connection and honestly I think I would have loved them as friends just as much as I would have liked them in a relationship. I feel like Demi jumped into a rebound way too fast and we didn't really get any development to get her to the point where she was ready for that. I also don't really like how much she pushed Hunter on the no sex thing and how she just kept trying to push him to have sex with her even though she knew that he didn't want to and that it was important to him not to. If the roles were reversed and it was Hunter pushing Demi, he would have been shown as creepy and it definitely would be considered sexual harassment so why is it okay to be done to Hunter? The answer is it's not. Honestly Demi should have just found someone new.
I've said this in my reviews for the last two books but I think one of the major things Briar U series is missing that they Off-Campus series had was a lack of friendship and I feel like that was really shown in this book. Both Demi and Hunter don't seem to be really close to any of the people they call their friends. For example Demi had no idea about any of the things that was going on with T.J. someone she considered to be one of her best friends. Hunter seems to dislike all the people he is living with and didn't have close bonds with any of them.
I loved all of the scenes with the hockey team! They were so funny and I loved the friendship they all seem to have. One of my favorite scenes in this whole book was the scene where they asked the coach for a pig for a mascot and he gave them an egg to take care of and I absolutely loved every scene that had to do with that egg. Whenever there was a scene with any of the hockey players together I could not stop laughing and I just absolutely loved it.
We are also introduced to Connor in this book who I absolutely loved and I can't wait for his book.
One of my biggest problems with this book was the ending. I just felt like it wasn't very thought out and was kinda pointless. I feel like it would have been better if we had seen and got to know more about T.J. and his relationship with Demi was more fleshed out. I honestly just didn't like the ending and could have done without.
People have pointed out that there is a lot of cuban stereotypes in this book, I can't really talk much about this due to the fact that I'm not cuban nor do I know much about the cuban community so I don't feel like I have a right to really discuss this but I felt like it was important to mention.
Overall, I did enjoy this book especially the friends to lovers trope and I'm glad I read it though it isn't my favorite in the Briar U series.
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Writing:⭐⭐⭐ /5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐ /5
Romance:⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5
Diversity: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐ /5
Sadness:💧 /5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Tropes: friends to lovers, hockey romance, sports romance, and collage romance
The Play by Elle Kennedy, the third book in the Briar U series which is a spin off of the Off-Campus series follows Hunter Davenport who we were introduced to in The Score is now the captain for the Briar U hockey team and due to an incident that had cost the Briar U hockey team state championship last year Hunter has sworn off girls and sex in order to focus on hockey. Then Hunter is paired up with a girl named Demi for a psychology project, the good news is that Demi is in a long term relationship so Hunter doesn't have to worry about her distracting him from his goal that is until Demi's boyfriend screws up and they end up breaking up. Now Demi is on the hunt for a rebound… a rebound she wants to be Hunter.
Honestly I hadn't heard much about this book so I didn't really know what to expect. All I knew is that it was a Briar U book so I was pretty sure I was gonna love it because Elle Kennedy hasn't let me down yet and she didn't let me down with this one.
Though there are quite a few things that I didn't love in this book, I enjoyed reading it.
I liked how Hunter and Demi's relationship wasn't like any of the other one. Before anything romantic happened they had started out as friends and I absolutely loved their friendship. They had some hilarious conversation and I loved how Hunter was there for her when she was going through her break-up. I thought they were extremely cute together and I like how their relationship was built on friendship and not just sex. Honestly their relationship reminded me a lot of Hannah and Garrett's relationship.
There are a few things that I didn't like about their relationship, at some moments I felt like there was a lack of connection and honestly I think I would have loved them as friends just as much as I would have liked them in a relationship. I feel like Demi jumped into a rebound way too fast and we didn't really get any development to get her to the point where she was ready for that. I also don't really like how much she pushed Hunter on the no sex thing and how she just kept trying to push him to have sex with her even though she knew that he didn't want to and that it was important to him not to. If the roles were reversed and it was Hunter pushing Demi, he would have been shown as creepy and it definitely would be considered sexual harassment so why is it okay to be done to Hunter? The answer is it's not. Honestly Demi should have just found someone new.
I've said this in my reviews for the last two books but I think one of the major things Briar U series is missing that they Off-Campus series had was a lack of friendship and I feel like that was really shown in this book. Both Demi and Hunter don't seem to be really close to any of the people they call their friends. For example Demi had no idea about any of the things that was going on with T.J. someone she considered to be one of her best friends. Hunter seems to dislike all the people he is living with and didn't have close bonds with any of them.
I loved all of the scenes with the hockey team! They were so funny and I loved the friendship they all seem to have. One of my favorite scenes in this whole book was the scene where they asked the coach for a pig for a mascot and he gave them an egg to take care of and I absolutely loved every scene that had to do with that egg. Whenever there was a scene with any of the hockey players together I could not stop laughing and I just absolutely loved it.
We are also introduced to Connor in this book who I absolutely loved and I can't wait for his book.
One of my biggest problems with this book was the ending. I just felt like it wasn't very thought out and was kinda pointless. I feel like it would have been better if we had seen and got to know more about T.J. and his relationship with Demi was more fleshed out. I honestly just didn't like the ending and could have done without.
People have pointed out that there is a lot of cuban stereotypes in this book, I can't really talk much about this due to the fact that I'm not cuban nor do I know much about the cuban community so I don't feel like I have a right to really discuss this but I felt like it was important to mention.
Overall, I did enjoy this book especially the friends to lovers trope and I'm glad I read it though it isn't my favorite in the Briar U series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Infidelity
Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Emotional abuse
annreadss's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Mental illness
toribrake17's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
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