This was AWESOME! I picked up The Graham Effect and never wanted to put it down. It was entertaining and a bit angsty with the best banter. I had a fantastic time reading it!
The Graham Effect (Campus Diaries #1) by Elle Kennedy
Gigi Graham has exactly three goals: qualify for the women’s national hockey team, win Olympic gold, and step out of her famous father’s shadow. So far, so good, except for two little things. Fine–a little thing and a big, grumpy thing. She needs to improve her game behind the net, and she needs help from Luke Ryder.
Ryder is six-foot five, built, opinionated, rude…and sexy as hell. But he’s still the enemy.
Briar’s new hockey co-captain has his reasons, though. The men’s team just merged with a rival program, leaving Ryder with an angry roster where everyone hates one another’s guts. To make matters worse, the summer coaching spot he’s angling for with the legendary Garrett Graham is out of reach after he makes the worst possible first impression on his hero. So, really, this compromise with Gigi is win-win. He helps her make the national team, she puts in a good word with her dad.
The only potential snag? This bone-deep, body-numbing, mind-spinning chemistry they’re trying to ignore. It’s a dangerous game they’re playing, but the risks just might be worth it.
5 out of 5 stars
I had such a fantastic time reading The Graham
Effect! I flew through it and did not want to put it down. I loved
the enemies-to-lover's vibe, the angst, the building sexual tension, and the
verbal sparring that turned into playful banter. It was an exciting read and I
couldn't get enough.
I loved GiGi and Ryder. I liked getting to know GiGi and
seeing how determined and headstrong she was. Ryder had a gruff, sexy demeanor
that I adored but even more, I loved getting to know him and how caring he was.
I loved learning about his past and the build to those details being revealed.
These two were so wonderful together. I loved their animosity in the beginning
and how their underlying feelings grew. I liked the heated looks between them
and when their barbs turned witty. They both had personal things they were
dealing with thanks to hockey and family and I like how that played into the
story. I liked how supportive and sweet they were and how they really opened
up. There were lots of emotions and feelings happening and I enjoyed it all.
The development and pace were great. There's angst and drama
along the way, even though some of that drama seemed a little unnecessary, but overall I liked the conflicts presented and how they all worked out.
There were a few things I didn’t see coming which is always awesome. There were
so many fun scenes that had me smiling, those moments when I was reading and I
literally would let out a bark of laughter because it was so spot on. I liked the characters introduced. Ryder’s roommates and teammates were wild and
I'm super excited that his roommate Shane gets a story with GiGi’s best friend
Diana in The Dixon Rule. I loved seeing Garrett again and other
cameos from the Off-Campus series. Granted it has been a while since I’ve read
those books but I recognized so many names and now I want to go back and reread
that series, then continue on to Briar U.
I read this the entire time really liking it, I was invested
and couldn't wait for GiGi and Ryder to get their HEA. The entertainment
value was high, there's good emotion happening, a nice amount of heat, and
likable characters. It was somewhere in the last half that
everything in the story totally clicked for me and I loved it. Bottom line, I
found it to be an addicting read and I was hooked!
"Incredibly entertaining with witty banter and fantastic characters!" - About That Story
Connect with Elle Kennedy
The Dixon Rule (#2) - Amazon
Have you ever blown off making dinner to keep reading? Let me know! And FYI, that totally happened when I was reading this. Leftovers for everyone! lol!
