The Play (Briar U) - College Romance Novel by Elle Kennedy | Perfect for Book Clubs & Beach Reading

The PlayI have literally pages upon pages of notes on this book to help me write this review - more notes than I have ever taken for any book to write the review - and yet, it was so good I still don’t feel I have the right words to do it justice. Like I am still in a little bit of shock over how good this book is.If you’ve read either of my reviews for The Chase or The Risk, you know that I’ve put off the Briar U series way to long after falling head over heals in love with the Off-Campus series. However, I am finding these series to be a little different. In the Off-Campus series, Garrett Graham came out swinging and while Logan, Dean and Tucker were all amazing, none of them could quite top Mr. Graham. Briar U has been a completely different experience - each book has been phenomenal, but each book in this series has been better than the last.I liked Summer and Fitz, I LOVED Jake and Brenna, but I absolutely ADORED Hunter and Demi. I didn’t think it was possible for Jake and Brenna to be topped, but Elle said hold my beer and watch this, because here comes Hunter and Demi and they did just that. And in typical Briar U captain fashion, the captain of the Briar U hockey team has yet again stolen my heart and ran away with it and I’m not mad about it in the slightest.Forewarning: this review is going to be very, very long. Proceed at your own risk and buckle in because I’m about to gush about my love for Hunter, Demi, this book, and Queen Elle Kennedy.We’ve known Mr. Davenport for awhile now. He was a freshman back in the Off-Campus days, he was majorly screwed over by Summer and Fitz’s miscommunication which caused him to go a little wild and on top of that ended his season last year with a broken wrist. To say Mr. Davenport has had an epic journey before his book even started would be an understatement.But can we talk about how we finally get to Dean Hayward-DiLaurentis’ protégé’s book and he’s celebrate?!? Let’s all laugh together. But Hunter has come a long ways from when Dean took him under his wing all those years ago, and he’s come a long way from where we saw him at in both The Chase and The Risk too.I honestly wasn’t expecting to love Hunter because we had known him for so long, but I do. I love Hunter Davenport. I LOVE Hunter Davenport. I LOVE HUNTER DAVENPORT. If it hasn’t been conveyed how much I love this man, someone grab Opera and a couch, and I’ll express my love for this man Tom Cruise style because it needs to be heard. He is on the same level as Garrett Graham and we’re not just talking about on the ice.First things first, how did I miss the fact that Fitz and Hollis were also seniors last year?! Because I somehow I did. And because of this, and so many other things, I really, really feel bad for Hunter. He is kind of taken advantage of a lot and just rolls with the punches. First with Fitz and Summer (which thank GOD this went down the way it did, but it still hurt and wasn’t fair to Hunter), then with the fact he now lives with three girls instead of being able to live like an actual guy and captain of the hockey team would like to with his friends and teammates. I do love Hunter and Brenna’s friendship, and I will never not love blunt Brenna Jensen (future Connelly). But when she joked about her and Jake being in an open relationship I was ready to throw hands! I have never been so relieved from a joke in all my life. I loved the friends elements of this book. While it wasn’t anything like Off-Campus, watching the friendship between the team and the girls was one of my favorite parts.I love Hunter’s cocky confidence and his never ending humor. I love watching him step into the roll of captain, and him learning what it takes to be good at it. I love (and honestly sometimes hate) how dedicated he is to hockey and the team through his vow of celibacy - but the angst and frustration this caused were top tier. But I don’t think I have ever willed someone’s restraint to snap more than I did with Hunter. I hated how Hunter felt like he had to hold himself back from what he really wanted out of fear. I love that he let Demi in enough to get to the bottom of that fear and help him work through that. I guess, as shallow as it sounds, I was not anticipating the complexity that is Hunter Davenport, but I loved every single layer were learned about this man. And I love, love, love, LOVE how patient, honest and transparent he is with Demi always.I also really loved Demi. Usually, when I’m reading, I prefer that chapters in the male characters POV. But this book, similar to The Deal and The Risk, I LOVED Demi’s POV as much as I did Hunter’s. She’s such a breath of fresh air. I love how she says exactly what she’s thinking and goes for exactly what she wants. I love how possessive, protective and jealous she can be. Her loyalty is inspiring. I loved seeing the inner workings of her head, especially with everything she went through in this book. I love how we uncover things about Hunter through her eyes. I love how feisty she is. I love how she hated beer, because girl same, and I feel Demi and I could hang out for hours.Now, can we all take a moment to thank Professor Andrews for the project and for assigning partners by last name. You, ma’am, are the real MVP.From the word go, I loved Demi and Hunter’s dynamic. She had a boyfriend, he was celibate, and their friendship was perfection. I loved how this friends-to-lovers book started with them as strangers, to friends, to lovers. There was an ease of their friendship that was addictive. I love the trust these two develop so early on through their friendship, and how Demi is able to talk to Hunter about things she isn’t able to tell anyone else. But, as soon as the famous ‘promise you won’t fall in love with me’ or in this book’s case, ‘promise you won’t ever want to sleep with me’ was uttered, we knew their friendship was destined for failure, and that being in the sense that friendship was never going to be enough for these two. But the friendship between these two was one of my favorite things, along with all the texting that his highlighted in Chapters 18 and 19.This book was also one of the funniest books I have EVER read. Don’t get me wrong, there are some series topics covered in this book, and be sure to check the trigger warnings, but for the majority of it, I was straight up cackling. Lying on my bed, kicking my feel, tears running down my face so hard I could barely see from laughing so hard. I cannot remember another book that had me laughing this hard and this consistently. Like the end of Chapter 20 and Chapter 21, I. WAS. ROLLING. And when Hunter calls Coach Jensen and asks him to “do his thing and yell at people.” I cannot, pure gold.I love how supportive he is for her through her breakup. I love how he, all be it unintentionally, but was there to save her from herself when the breakup went down. And then he stayed to help her piece herself back together. I love him helping her set up her Tinder and then going to the date with her to make sure she’s okay. I also love how disastrous this date was and how it ended up being a great time for them to hang out. And then we get to the end of Chapter 24 where I was equal parts impressed and irritated with Hunter’s commitment to the cause but the words Demi utters to him at them end…cue Monica Geller’s “This. Just. Got. Interesting.”Now, we just have to talk about one of my FAVORITE parts of the book. The scene where Hunter and Demi go to Dean’s hockey game and then hit the club with Dean, Logan, Garrett and Hannah. This was kind of the big turning point for Hunter and I am so here for it, especially considering the cameos from some of my all time favorite fictional characters. I loved watching how amazing of a coach Dean is, especially through Hunter’s eyes after he took him under his wing and worked with him. I also could not get over the crush Demi had on Dean and how jealous it made Hunter. This where the tables began turning, and then enter Conor Edwards to finish it off with operation jealousy…which I fully support by the way.I just loved everything about these two, obviously. I loved their chemistry. I loved how funny they both are and how even in serious situations, their humor found a way to shine through. I love how they helped heal each other. I loved how supportive they are for each other. I love the banter, the patience, the angst, and the arc these two’s relationship had. I love how she pushes him to go after what he really wants, even though he’s to afraid to want it for himself. I also love when he realizes it is a real possibility, he tells her he would want to play wherever she is accepted to grad school. Also, the way that she tells him she loves him…I love it so much. There is nothing, and I mean, NOTHING, I don’t love about these two.I freaking LOVE that damn egg. When Coach Jenson first tasked the guys with that I had not anticipated it to be that big of a part of this story and holy moly, watching how serious all of the guys took it.Before I read Briar U, I never understood why the last book in this series or at least one of the books wasn’t Hollis and Rupi’s. But now, now I don’t question that any longer. I understand entirely. Hollis and Rupi are ??‍♀️ in the best possible way. But their book would have been way too exhausting to read and probably to write. ? Their relationship will never cease to amaze me and confuse the hell out of me at the same time. But I wish these two nothing but the best and thank them for always keep everyone on their toes. But I am really excited for Conor’s book. He was new to the crew, but he fit in seamlessly. And for someone who doesn’t want a relationship, he gave Hunter some pretty sound relationship advice. So I am so here to see how his journey plays out next.Gahh, okay, okay, okay my rant and obsessive gushing for this book is over, but really, it is amazing. One of the BEST books I’ve read in 2023 hands down and one of the best books I’ve ever read period, no question. I am so sad it has taken me this long to read this book, but I loved it. Garrett Graham will forever and always hold the #1 spot in men written by Elle Kennedy for me, but Hunter freaking Davenport is as close of a number 2 as you can get. He might have to be #1.1 because this man…this man is that good. Cannot wait to conclude the Briar U series with Conor and Taylor before diving into the Graham Effect next week.Until next time, Briar U. ??Tropes:-Friends to Lovers-Sports Romance-She Falls First, but He Falls Harder-No Third Act Breakup