Review

What to Expect:
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ small age gap ➺ childhood crush ➺ forbidden fruit ➺ summer fling ➺ self discovering ➺ broody musician ➺ accidental pregnancy ➺ 3rd act breakup ➺ family dynamic ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

Such a hard book to rate. Some things I really really loved but other things really really annoyed me. Wyatt annoyed me with his hot and cold attitude. $h*t or get off the pot, dude! Blake also annoyed me every time she shrugged off Wyatt’s feelings. Girl, the guy is saying he loves you, does he need to get you the moon to validate his feelings??? You’re not 13, please! But the cherry of the cake was the 3rd act breakup. Was it really necessary after all the waiting to see these two together??? And did it need to last that long??????? Did Wyatt need to show that interested in Molly May?????? I was so frustrated, I wanted to throw my kindle against the wall. Ugh! There were still moments I enjoyed though. The banter—especially early on and they do have chemistry, but the constant push and pull was exhausting to read and not entertaining at all.

The book was also too long and yet still felt unfinished. An epilogue certainly would have been nice.

The dads and family chats were my favorite parts of the book, to be honest. The nostalgia in this one hits hard. I really loved seeing the original Off-Campus characters again. I also loved that we could see, for the first time in this spinoff series, how the second generation dynamic really is.

Overall, I think if you’re an Off-Campus lover like me, you’ll enjoy being back in the world and the read will be worth it.

Campus Diaries Series:

The Graham Effect
The Dixon Rule
The Charlie Method
Love Song

∗ Each book in this series features a different couple and can be read as a complete standalone. But for maximum enjoyment, follow the recommended reading order. ∗

❝ I’m frozen for a second. I’ve seen her smile before, but not like this, and I suddenly feel like someone seeing color for the first time. This smile is unguarded. It’s soft and alive and shining brighter than the sun. It traps my breath halfway in my chest.❞

❝ want… trust. Vulnerability. I want her to look me in the eye, to be right there with me. No walls. I want every thought, every look, every breath focused on me and what I’m making her feel .❞

❝This isn’t jealousy, I assure myself. It’s responsibility. She’s fresh out of a relationship, and she’s vulnerable. She doesn’t know what she wants right now. But I guarantee it’s not the douchebag with the mullet.❞

❝ I’m going to ruin you,” I say roughly.

“Maybe I’ll ruin you, too,” she whispers back.❞

❝ Dad chuckles. “Sweet pea, life isn’t about what makes sense on paper. It’s about who makes you feel like breathing’s easier when they’re around.❞

Blurb

New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy returns with her signature heat and humor for a Briar universe standalone romance featuring the next generation Off-Campus characters―where one unforgettable summer changes everything.

After a brutal breakup, college junior Blake Logan escapes to her family’s lake house in Tahoe, determined to shut out the world. Her plan is simple: no men, no drama. Until Wyatt Graham shows up. Four years older and far too good at getting under her skin, Wyatt is the living embodiment of a “bad idea,” and the guy who shattered her pride when she confessed her crush at sixteen.

With his music career stalled, Wyatt has come to Tahoe for inspiration. The last thing he expects is to find it with Blake. He’s spent years keeping his distance, convinced he’s all wrong for her, but she’s no longer the innocent girl he once knew. She’s confident, captivating, and impossible to ignore. And the slow-burning tension between them? It’s catching fire fast.

They both know this can’t last, but one reckless kiss turns into another, and soon they’re tangled in something that feels dangerously like more. Just as they finally give in to the pull, tragedy tears them apart, leaving their hearts in pieces.

But forgetting that one, nearly perfect summer? Not a chance. And when fate brings them together again, Blake and Wyatt must decide if this is a second chance…or the final verse.

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