Daniela

In Her Own League was one of my most anticipated reads this year — and honestly? It did not disappoint.

The Windy City Series is one of my all-time favorites, and this book immediately pulled me back in. Seeing Miller and Kai again so early on gave me actual chills. You can just feel that you're right back in this world, and the dynamic between Kennedy & Isaiah — but especially Kai, Miller, and Max — made my heart so happy. Maybe I'm a little biased because of that, but I loved every second of it.

That being said... I did miss the other couples. Not even a mention felt a bit strange, especially considering Kai and Miller's wedding. I really expected at least small cameos, so that was a tiny disappointment — but it didn't take away from the story itself.

Now, let's talk about Reese and Emmett.

Reese Remington is such a refreshing FMC. A 35-year-old, plus-size businesswoman who takes over the Windy City Warriors and has to clean up the financial mess left behind — all while constantly being underestimated. She's strong, driven, and determined to prove herself in a world that doesn't make it easy for her.

And then there's Emmett Montgomery... mid-40s, single dad, coach — and not exactly thrilled about Reese stepping in and making changes. Their dynamic? Tense, layered, and full of friction from the very beginning.

But once he realizes who she really is — that she doesn't see the team as numbers, but as family — everything shifts.

The tension between them is insane.
This is a true slow burn. Like... painfully delicious slow burn. The kind that makes you want to scream and kick your feet at the same time.

There are so many obstacles in their way, so many moments where you just feel everything — and when it finally hits? Worth. every. second.

Liz Tomforde did it again.
For me, this is an absolute must-read.

📖 Story: 2/5
🫶 Characters: 5/5
👫 Couple Dynamic: 3/5
✍️ Writing: 5/5
🌶️ Spice: 2/5

The Dare might have given me one of the sweetest Briar U couples, but unfortunately it also reminded me of one of my biggest frustrations with this series: the characters are often stronger than the plot they're trapped in.

The biggest strength of this book was definitely the characters. I genuinely liked both Taylor and Conor.

Taylor never annoyed me the way she seemed to annoy a lot of other readers. Her insecurities felt understandable, and while she definitely made some frustrating decisions, I could usually see where they were coming from.

And Conor? Probably one of the greenest flags in the entire Briar U universe.

From the beginning, he knew what he wanted. He was patient, supportive, gave Taylor space when she needed it, and never pressured her into becoming someone she wasn't. Honestly, he deserved an award for the amount of patience he showed throughout this book.

Unfortunately, the story itself didn't do them any favors.

At this point, I was begging Briar U to find a conflict that wasn't fake dating, communication issues, or unnecessary breakups.

Because somehow we got all three.

Again.

Including not one but TWO breakups.

One breakup? Fine. I didn't love it, but I understood it. The second breakup? Absolutely not. That one felt completely unnecessary and had me sitting there like: “We are really doing this again?” They already had a much deeper connection and a simple talk would have solved the issue.

A lot of the drama felt manufactured rather than organic, and there were sections where I found myself skimming because I was frustrated and just read parts where they were talking.

The Max situation was another example. It was built up as this huge looming conflict for most of the book, only to be resolved surprisingly quickly once everyone finally talked to each other. (Oh yeah, the stepfather did carwX he's not an ignorant man with cash!)

That said, I still enjoyed spending time with these characters. I loved seeing Brenna again, I loved the friendships, and the twist involving Brenna's dad and Taylor's mom :)

Elle Kennedy's writing remains the reason I keep turning pages even when the plot starts testing my patience. Her books are incredibly easy to read, the dialogue flows naturally, and she always manages to make me care about her characters.

So while The Dare didn't work for me as a story, it absolutely worked for me as a character book.

The characters deserved better than the plot they were given.

And honestly? That's probably the most accurate summary of my entire reading experience.

After finishing Briar U, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Campus Diaries.

Turns out, The Graham Effect delivered exactly what I had been missing.

This book somehow managed to keep everything I love about Elle Kennedy's writing while fixing many of the things that frustrated me in Briar U.

And honestly?

Luke Ryder and Gigi Graham definitely are in my top three favourite Elle Kennedy couples ever.

What made this relationship work so well for me was that both characters are hockey players. For once, neither of them had to explain the sacrifices, the pressure, the insane schedules, or the constant balancing act between school, hockey, and having some kind of personal life.

They simply understood each other.

No unnecessary explanations. No one asking the other to choose between their dreams and their relationship.

Just two ambitious people trying to make it work.

Gigi was such a strong heroine. I loved that she wasn't simply “Garrett Graham's daughter.” Her entire story revolves around proving that she has her own talent, her own goals, and her own future outside of her father's shadow.

And Luke Ryder?

I fear this man has permanently altered my brain chemistry.

Grumpy. Quiet. Loyal. Protective. Completely obsessed with only one girl. My weakness.

What I appreciated most was how refreshing the communication felt. Every time I expected a misunderstanding to spiral into fifty pages of drama, somebody actually opened their mouth and talked.

Revolutionary.

The book definitely has drama, but unlike some of Elle Kennedy's previous books, it felt believable. The conflicts came from who the characters were and what they had experienced rather than existing purely to create tension.

Luke's backstory was genuinely heartbreaking, and several plot twists completely caught me off guard. Even though we all know where a romance novel is going, their journey never felt predictable.

And then there were the cameos.

Grumpy Daddy Garrett. Supportive Mama Hannah. Uncle Logan. All the other aunts and uncles and new family members?

Every single appearance made me ridiculously happy.

The nostalgia factor alone could have carried half this book, but thankfully the story was strong enough to stand on its own.

The Graham Effect felt like the perfect bridge between the old generation and the new one.

A fresh start for Campus Diaries while still feeling like coming home.

And if Elle Kennedy's goal was to make me immediately invest in every future book in this series?

Mission accomplished.

The Dixon Rule put me in a very strange position because if I had picked this up as a standalone book, I probably would have loved it without hesitation.

But as my ELEVENTH book in the Off Campus/Briar U/Campus Diaries universe?

I have some complaints.

The biggest one?

FAKE DATING.

Again.

Listen, I love fake dating. I really do.

But at this point Elle Kennedy has officially used this trope on me so many times that I physically sighed when I realized where this was going.

And unfortunately, that wasn't the only storyline that started feeling familiar.

We once again had a hero(ine) struggling with their relationship with a parent, only for things to eventually work themselves out.

At some point I started feeling like the series was recycling ideas that had worked before.

The thing is...

I still really enjoyed this book.

Diana and Shane had fantastic chemistry.

I loved how much Diana got under his skin. I loved that she challenged him constantly, kicked him out of the group chat, refused to let him get away with anything, and generally made his life more difficult.

Their dynamic was easily the strongest part of the book.

I also loved the combination of hockey, cheerleading, competition, friendship, and all the little moments that slowly pushed them together. Watching them fight their feelings was honestly more entertaining than watching them admit them.

And unlike some previous books, the slow progression of their relationship felt natural.

What truly surprised me, however, was Shane's storyline.

For most of the book, I was completely convinced I knew where things were heading. I thought I had figured everything out.

I was wrong.

Very wrong.

The reveal absolutely destroyed me.

I genuinely haven't cried that hard in a while. Looking back, there were clues, but I was so focused on a completely different explanation that I never saw it coming.

That twist ended up being one of the most emotional moments I've read in this entire universe.

So while The Dixon Rule didn't excite me the way The Graham Effect did, and while I desperately need Elle Kennedy to retire fake dating for at least a few books, I still had a really good time.

Because even when the tropes start feeling familiar, she somehow always manages to make me care about the people.

And honestly?

That emotional punch at the end might have earned this book its fourth star all by itself.

Bookmates war tatsächlich mein erstes Buch von Anny Thorn – obwohl bereits drei ihrer Bücher in meinem Regal stehen. Als dieses Buch letzte Woche bei mir eingezogen ist und frisch erschienen war, musste ich natürlich sofort danach greifen, bevor ich überhaupt mit der Ice-Ice-Reihe angefangen habe.

Und ich kann direkt sagen: Dieses Buch hat mir unglaublich viel Spaß gemacht.

Paige war für mich definitiv eines der Highlights des Buches. Sie ist chaotisch, impulsiv und ständig mitten in irgendeinem Gedankenkarussell gefangen. Ehrlich gesagt konnte ich mich in ihren Gedankengängen und ihrem inneren Chaos erstaunlich oft wiederfinden. Ich glaube, dass sie für manche Leserinnen vielleicht etwas zu viel oder sogar anstrengend wirken könnte, aber für mich war sie einfach unglaublich sympathisch.

Auf der anderen Seite haben wir Mason Reed, den CEO und Sohn der Gründerfamilie des Medienunternehmens. Ich habe die Dynamik zwischen den beiden wirklich geliebt. Beide sind offensichtlich aneinander interessiert, aber Paige versucht sich immer wieder einzureden, dass eine Beziehung zu ihrem CEO keine gute Idee ist. Und Mason? Der macht es nicht unbedingt einfacher. Statt offen auszusprechen, was er will, flirtet er, provoziert sie und bringt sie regelmäßig aus dem Konzept. Dieses ständige Knistern zwischen ihnen hat mich durch das ganze Buch getragen und ich habe jede ihrer gemeinsamen Szenen verschlungen.

Was mir außerdem sehr gefallen hat, waren die vielen lustigen, chaotischen und teilweise komplett verrückten Momente. Es gab mehrfach Szenen, bei denen ich einfach nur dasaß und dachte: „Oh mein Gott, ist das gerade wirklich passiert?“ Genau diese Mischung aus Humor, Romantik und Fremdscham-Momenten hat das Buch für mich so unterhaltsam gemacht.

Ein paar Kritikpunkte habe ich aber trotzdem. Vor allem im letzten Teil des Buches wurde sehr viel Dramatik auf einmal untergebracht. Ich verstehe absolut, warum bestimmte Entwicklungen eingebaut wurden, aber für meinen Geschmack trafen dort mehrere dramatische Handlungsstränge gleichzeitig aufeinander. Das wirkte stellenweise etwas überladen.

Außerdem gab es unglaublich viele Referenzen auf andere Bücher, bekannte Charaktere, Zitate und Geschichten. Grundsätzlich liebe ich solche Easter Eggs und Verbindungen innerhalb der Bücherwelten. Hier habe ich mich zwischendurch gefragt, ob es vielleicht ein kleines bisschen zu viel war. Ob es mich wirklich gestört hat? Ehrlich gesagt nicht. Aber aufgefallen ist es mir definitiv.

Besonders lustig fand ich allerdings, dass Anny Thorn immer wieder auf ihre eigenen Bücher verweist. Und ganz ehrlich? Das ist geniales Marketing. Denn nachdem ich Bookmates beendet hatte, habe ich direkt zu Ice Ice Daisy gegriffen, weil ich einige der Figuren, die hier bereits auftauchen, unbedingt besser kennenlernen wollte.

Mission erfüllt, würde ich sagen.

Insgesamt hatte ich mit Bookmates eine richtig gute Zeit. Sympathische Charaktere, eine tolle Dynamik, viele lustige Momente und eine Geschichte, die mich von Anfang bis Ende hervorragend unterhalten hat – auch wenn die letzten Prozent für meinen Geschmack etwas zu viel Drama auf einmal bereithielten.