Gigi Graham, daughter of famous hockey player Garrett Graham, has her heart set on Olympic women’s hockey gold, but her challenges playing behind the net threaten to squash this dream. The Briar University men’s hockey team has just merged with a rival team, which is causing a lot of disputes amongst the new teammates including the co-captain Ryder, who is hoping to earn a summer coaching job with his idol Garrett Graham. When Gigi approaches Ryder with a proposition, Ryder will help Gigi improve her skills behind the net while Gigi talks Ryder up to her dad, it seems like a win-win. When their chemistry becomes too hot to ignore, Gigi and Ryder begin a secret relationship to avoid the wrath of Gigi’s ex, who is also Ryder’s co-captain. The Graham Effect is a spicy new adult hockey romance perfect for fans of books like Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, Iced Out by Veronica Eden, Shutout by Avery Keelan, the Playing for Keeps series by Becka Mack, the Red Zone Rivals series by Kandi Steiner, and the Bergman Brothers series by Chloe Liese. Even though it could be read as a standalone, for the best reading experience, The Graham Effect is ideally suited for readers who are already fans of Kennedy’s Off-Campus and BriarU series as The Graham Effect takes place after these series and includes a lot of the characters from these series. Themes and topics present in The Graham Effect include secrets and lies, love and heartbreak, parenthood and family, trust and forgiveness, friendship, social media, criminal justice, fame, communication, and appearance versus reality. Some potential trigger warnings include domestic abuse, foster care, attempted assault, and cheating. I love the Briar University universe from Kennedy’s Off-Campus and BriarU series, so I was very excited to read The Graham Effect, which takes place in the same universe and contains the descendants of the Off-Campus and BriarU characters (namely Gigi Graham, daughter of Garrett and Hannah). I have to say that The Graham Effect definitely exceeded my expectations and I believe that fellow fans will also enjoy the newest instalment in the Briar University universe! I really enjoyed Gigi and Ryder’s spicy “friends with benefits” and “good girl with bad boy” relationship. “Bad boy” Ryder ended up being very swoon-worthy; he finds excuses to bring Gigi flowers and he plans a charming opera date! I also appreciated that there wasn’t really a miscommunication trope (even though Ryder is quiet, Gigi and Ryder learn to communicate with each other throughout the book) and I enjoyed the unanticipated twists and drama in Gigi and Ryder’s story. Lastly, being a huge lover of butterflies myself, I really connected to Gigi’s love of butterflies and very much enjoyed reading about her visits to “her happy place” a.k.a. the local butterfly gardens.
I cannot wait to read more of this series! I wonder if the next book will be about one of Gigi or Ryder’s teammates (like the Off-Campus and BriarU series) or if it will be about another descendant of the Off-Campus or BriarU characters – guess we’ll have to wait and see. Overall, I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it to fellow fans of spicy sports romances!
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Kallum is a former boy band member turned pizza store owner who has recently had an untick in fame after the release of his sex tape. Winnie, who is famous for starring in a wholesome sitcom as a child, was known for her religious values…that is, until she divorced her childhood sweetheart. Ready to shake things up and get back into showbusiness, Kallum and Winnie are cast to co-star in a sexy Santa movie. Things get spicy after inexperienced Winnie, who is having trouble faking on-screen chemistry, enlists the help of Kallum for “research” purposes. When the distinction between “fake” chemistry and real feelings starts to blur, Kallum and Winnie must decide if their budding relationship can survive the real world after filming wraps.
A Holly Jolly Ever After is a spicy Christmas romance; it is a companion novel to Murphy and Simone’s A Merry Little Meet Cute but can be read as a standalone. I would recommend A Holly Jolly Ever After to fans of books like The Roommate by Rosie Danan, Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey, There’s Something about Merry by Codi Hall, A Photo Finish by Elsie Silver, The Nanny by Lana Ferguson, Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon, The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun, or Breakaway by Grace Reilly. Tropes in A Holly Jolly Ever After include spice coaching, good girl with bad boy, workplace romance, and accidental pregnancy. Important themes and topics present include religion, reputation, family and parenthood, appearance versus reality, female roles, sexuality, self worth, trust, miscommunication, marriage and divorce, body image, and narcolepsy. Potential trigger warnings to consider are cheating and complications during pregnancy. A Holly Jolly Ever After is split into two parts. I enjoyed part one of the book as it focused more on the emerging workplace romance between Kallum and Winnie, and their spicy “research”, whilst filming the movie. I personally thought that part one could have been the plot of the entire book as I found it to be more entertaining and engaging than part two. Part two changes the trajectory of the story and focuses more on the main characters struggling with some major life changes. I personally found that this part wasn’t as appealing, and it was dragged out a little too much for my tastes. I also wasn’t a fan of the prologue or epilogue of the book as they focused on two side characters (instead of the main characters) and they didn’t feel relevant to the plot. Even though I had some mixed feelings about this book, I appreciated all the Christmas and pizza related puns used throughout the book as they added a touch of humor. I also enjoyed the “Christmasy” film setting and thought that it was cool that, in part one, we almost got a behind the scenes look at what goes into filming a movie. Lastly, there are some swoony and heartwarming moments at the end of the book that I think fellow romance readers will appreciate. A Holly Jolly Ever After ended up being a lot more explicitly spicy than I was expecting. So, if you’re looking for a Christmas book with lots of steamy and explicit scenes, then you should definitely check out A Holly Jolly Ever After! |
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February 2024
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