Elle Kennedy

4/4.5 Stars | White-Hot Steam

I spent New Year’s Day curled up in literary ecstasy, feverishly devouring the first keeper-shelf release of 2016, Elle Kennedy’s dazzling and unforgettable, THE SCORE. Fresh, lively, unexpected, engaging, affecting and utterly sensual, Allie and Dean’s frisky and fiery charmer of a romance surprised, sizzled and thoroughly satisfied me from cover to cover. Unquestionably the steamiest installment of Kennedy’s spectacularly sexy Off-Campus series to date, show more THE SCORE delivers a blazing-hot-next-level-incendiary New Adult story that left me positively breathless and craving naughty, naughty things!

In the first two novels of the series my resounding and underwhelming impression of Logan and Garrett’s exhibitionist teammate Dean was that of an unapologetically gluttonous manwhore. Never was I more shocked and elated to discover that the real Dean is solid swoon-inducing perfection! Instantly lustable, effortlessly lovable, irrepressibly endearing and insanely irresistible, Dean is a filthy-mouthed erotic fantasy whose tantalizing words, wicked promises and preternatural prowess crowned him the king of all luscious heroes before him. That delectable hockey player knows his ever-loving way around a woman, lives to burn it up and thoroughly and repeatedly worships his lady with the voracity and stamina of a bonafide sex god. He’s not all sex—well, he’s mostly sex—but he’s also smart, funny, sweet, kind, loyal, thoughtful and caring. Dean is the best of the best and permanently seared a simmering place in my overheated soul.

Allie is a sparkling and delightful heroine—highly likable and relatable—and the ideal match for Dean. Her plucky strength, straightforwardness, compassion, vulnerability and humorous personality swiftly won Dean’s heart and mine. And—oh my goodness—when Allie unleashes her inner vixen and reveals her adventurous and unabashedly brazen side, I simply adored her. That girl is a straight-up boss in the bedroom! She shamelessly commands, directs and meets Dean’s insatiable hunger, blistering talents and unbridled passion stroke for blessed stroke. Reading that enviable pair get down and deliciously dirty every which way in scene after scorching scene of page-turning-standing-ovation-worthy carnal abandon was pure heaven, and I couldn’t get enough!

I absolutely cherished THE SCORE and plan to nurse my intense Dean and Allie inspired book hangover with a prompt and leisurely re-read to savor it all over again! I can hardly wait!

Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review. show less

The Score, the third installment in Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series, is an absolute standout—and easily my favorite of the series so far. This book brings the perfect mix of heat, heart, and humor, all wrapped up in a classic opposites-attract romance.

Dean Di Laurentis is the charming, sex-loving hockey player who wears his playboy status like a badge of honor. Allie is the emotionally grounded serial monogamist who’s just broken up with her long-term boyfriend. When she holes up at show more Dean’s place to avoid a messy breakup aftermath, their steamy weekend turns into something far more complicated—and far more meaningful—than either of them anticipated.

The chemistry between Dean and Allie is off the charts, but what really makes this book shine is the character development. Dean, in particular, shows surprising depth beneath all his bravado, and watching him fall—hard—makes for a deeply satisfying read. Allie is strong, relatable, and the perfect match to challenge him at every turn.

Full of witty banter, spicy scenes, and unexpected emotion, The Score hits all the right notes. Whether you're already a fan of the Off-Campus series or diving in for the first time, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves college romance with a whole lot of heart. show less

I know there are readers out there who are hesitant to read this.

Are you totally justified? Is there angst?? Yes.
Is some of it unnecessary? Probably.
Did it go on for too long? Maybe.

Regardless, the angst is plausible and realistic. So just brace yourself for the most absurd, man-child of a teammate Blake, who takes cockblocking to a whole new level of unbelievable proportions. Be prepared for a crazy, media frenzy that hardly lets Jamie and Ryan breathe. And know that you'll be driven show more bonkers by the inevitable lack of communication between these two.

Having said that, I never once doubted the love that they had for each other. Sure, they may have doubted the other's feelings, but Ryan and Jamie never, ever wavered in their own conviction that being with each other was the only thing going for them in the midst of their fucked up situation. This was sweet and painful and I wanted to beat the hell out of pretty much every character at some point in the story. Take solace though, that their chemistry was still off the charts, and the smex remained at a high level of yummy goodness.

So despite all that pesky drama, their happy ending was resolved perfectly and left me in a nice puddle of goo. Jamie and Ryan just entered my very exclusive, small pool of favorite couples I hold dear, and for me, that says it all on how I felt about this book. show less

“Are you trying to buy your way into my good graces?”
“Yup. And excellent pun, by the way.”
“I wasn’t punning. My name just happens to be a homonym.”
“I love it when you talk homonyms to me.”

There are books you read in a week, there are books that you might even finish over a couple of days, and then there are those addictive little gems that you inhale all at once, reading non-stop, often in the wee hours of the morning, showing complete disregard for your real life show more responsibilities, and loving every blissful moment of it. Flawlessly written—as I’ve now come to expect from this terrific author after the pleasant surprise that was The Deal—this is a story that had me grinning cover to cover, and while it had the perfect combination of engaging plotline and fulfilling character development, this was first and foremost a fun, heart-warming read. One I will definitely want to re-read very soon, whenever the fussy reader in me starts aching for a book to make me smile.

“He’s John f***ing Logan, one of the most popular guys at Briar. And I’m Grace f***ing Ivers, one of thousands of girls who are crushing on him.”

Grace Ivers is a good girl—cautious, responsible, always in control, a freshman in college…and a virgin. She is the girl no one notices because she does nothing to attract attention, even though she would give anything to be seen by her one and only college crush, the star defenseman of the hockey team. But good girls like Grace are not even on John Logan’s radar these days, his relentless pursuit of ‘easy lays’ whose name he is not even expected to know being the only kind of ‘relationship’ he appears to be interested in. Secretly, however, Logan craves the kind of intimacy and emotional bond his best friend and teammate, Garrett Graham, has found in his life, to the point of convincing himself of being in love with his best friend’s girl.

When Logan and Grace accidentally meet, they are both pleasantly surprised by how effortless and enjoyable it is to spend time in each other’s company, their flickering attraction gaining momentum quickly and irresistibly, and while one kiss is all it takes for it to ignite, one confession is all it takes to destroy their budding relationship. As quickly as it started, it all ends in an instant, leaving them both heartbroken and full of regrets.

“I was your distraction?”

Not a man to give up easily on what he wants the most in life, Logan then commences his stubborn and utterly entertaining pursuit of the woman who has captured his heart like no other before her, determined to make her forgive him and give them one more chance. He woos her unashamedly, becoming his teammates’ running joke, but Logan is a man on a mission and he refuses to give up until the one who has stolen his heart is his once again.

“Give me another chance. Let me prove to you that I’m not an egocentric a**.”

There are so many fabulous layers to this story, all working perfectly together to deliver an engaging, uplifting, unputdownable tale of opposites attracting, of two people being exactly what the other needs, in good times and in bad, and never giving up on each other. Ms Kennedy has given us two characters who steal our hearts from the get-go—a popular jock, reformed womaniser whose loyalty and selflessness make him impossible not to adore, and a strong, independent, kind-hearted heroine who loves fiercely, but respects herself the same way. The hilarious banter, the heart-warming romance, the skin-tingling sex scenes, the colourful array of secondary characters—this book excelled in every aspect, keeping me enthralled for hours, and it again left me craving for more from the irresistible Briar boys and their kickass leading ladies.

“I don’t want anyone else. All I want is another chance.” show less