Name: The Play
Rating: 4.000910746812386 (549 reviews)
ISBN: 9782755649147

Elle Kennedy

The Play

Caitlin

nanafark

My levels of anxiety reduce drastically when everything is neat and tidy.

“If people are acting shady it’s usually because they’ve done something shady. And the fact that he lost his shit and yelled at you speaks volumes. Guilty people attack. Innocent people don’t.”

I’m really sorry you had to go through all that crap with him,” I say in a quiet voice.

He shrugs. “Whatever. Other people have it worse.”

 “So? My boyfriend cheated—other women might have a husband of thirty years who cheated and six kids at home. Does that diminish my own experience, because someone has it worse? There’s always someone with a shittier life than yours. That doesn’t turn the shit in your life into roses.”

People are in control of their own lives and their own decisions. They’re not powerless victims to some cruel overlord who keeps them trapped in a misery loop.

A brand-new standalone novel in the New York Times bestselling Briar U series! What I learned after last year’s distractions cost my hockey team our entire season? No more screwing up. No more screwing, period. As the new team captain, I need a new philosophy: hockey and school now, women later. Which means that I, Hunter Davenport, am officially going celibate…no matter how hard that makes things. But there’s nothing in the rulebook that says I can’t be friends with a woman. And I won’t lie—my new classmate Demi Davis is one cool chick. Her smart mouth is hot as hell, and so is the rest of her, but the fact that she’s got a boyfriend eliminates the temptation to touch her. Except three months into our friendship, Demi is single and looking for a rebound. And she’s making a play for me. Avoiding her is impossible. We’re paired up on a yearlong school project, but I’m confident I can resist her. We’d never work, anyway. Our backgrounds are too different, our goals aren’t aligned, and her parents hate my guts. Hooking up is a very bad idea. Now I just have to convince my body—and my heart.

Not as good as the first two but definitely still enjoyable, worth the read. 

Alyssa deRaad

I feel like when I first read this book, I didn't like them but in this re read made me realize I love them djdjjdjd.

They are hilarious and I loved how they build their friendship and then their road to lovers. It was perfect and sobfreaking funny👌🏻. 

My only problem with this was the diversity. In the sense that I don't like they way they were characterized. The 'villains' were all poc y'all wtf. (The only good poc was that one hockey player that won't get their own book), and that's without mentioning that Demi's mom was a nurse but she always at home cooking???and in no place in the story they said she had retired or smth????

I feel like when I first read this book, I didn't like them but in this re read made me realize I love them djdjjdjd.

They are hilarious and I loved how they build their friendship and then their road to lovers. It was perfect and sobfreaking funny👌🏻. 

My only problem with this was the diversity. In the sense that I don't like they way they were characterized. The 'villains' were all poc y'all wtf. (The only good poc was that one hockey player that won't get their own book), and that's without mentioning that Demi's mom was a nurse but she always at home cooking???and in no place in the story they said she had retired or smth????

trixie

the mf egg 😭😭😭

actual ranking: 4.3/5
subjective: 80
plot: 75
writing/dialogue: 90
worldbuilding: 90
character development: 100
character relationships: 95
toxic relationships?: felt kinda weird about it so i gave it a 50
tokenized characters?: no
world rules abused for plot?: no

A brand-new standalone novel in the New York Times bestselling Briar U series by Elle Kennedy.

lexie

this might be my favorite of all 4 briar u series. i am a puck bunny for hunter. Rupi and Hollis they’re so funny plus Pablo eggscobar. This was more entertaining, funny and interesting novel. hunter davenport is AAAAAAA i love him so much

first and foremost, Hunter was such a sweetheart and i definitely didn’t think that when i first met him in 

 series. i guess what happened in the first book 

 was very important to him and it actually made me so sad when i read it. 

coming to this book now, apart from the fact that Demi and Hunter are super perfect for each other and everything worked out perfectly in the end, and that i love their story very much, i never like reading about long relationships with so much history to end. so although i’m happy for them, i wish Demi wasn’t in this situation before. i just can’t read about these relationships to fail and it breaks my heart.

the plot was very interesting and i’m a bit disappointed with the epilogue because i wanted it to be about them (Hunter and Demi) and not about Hollis. i honestly thought i could get to read about him in a parallel story telling for the final book. 

and guess what? Dean was again the highlight of my day 😍

first and foremost, Hunter was such a sweetheart and i definitely didn’t think that when i first met him in Off-Campus series. i guess what happened in the first book The Chase was very important to him and it actually made me so sad when i read it. 

coming to this book now, apart from the fact that Demi and Hunter are super perfect for each other and everything worked out perfectly in the end, and that i love their story very much, i never like reading about long relationships with so much history to end. so although i’m happy for them, i wish Demi wasn’t in this situation before. i just can’t read about these relationships to fail and it breaks my heart.

the plot was very interesting and i’m a bit disappointed with the epilogue because i wanted it to be about them (Hunter and Demi) and not about Hollis. i honestly thought i could get to read about him in a parallel story telling for the final book. 

and guess what? Dean was again the highlight of my day 😍

Annabella

Damn, this book made me laugh so much and then EK had to a) throw in the gang almost in full ad b) pull THE emotional punch

Zarah Hussain

sophia n

* 3.5 stars

kennedy and i are gonna throw hands. i’m so fucking torn with her writing and all these books in this series!!! one second she’ll have a male character saying “i hate living with my three girl roommates i wanna be with my bros bc women are Just Too Much amirite dudes” and then the next second she’ll have THE SAME MALE CHARACTER saying something about toxic masculinity and calling out bad behavior and drinking tons of Respecting Women juice and honestly? i’m not sure what’s going on. the internal monologues seem juxtaposed with the characters actual actions. and i’ll take that, bc the actions are what matter most, but it still sits weird with me. also i don't remember this being a thing in the off-campus series. maybe it was too long ago since i read those, though.

that all being said, i enjoyed hunter WAY more than i expected to. i thought he was gonna be kinda like a discount dean di-laurentis, but he somehow wasn’t, probably because of his shitty family and also his drive and desire was different. also getting to see him in the team captain role was really lovely and funny and great. by the end i found myself really loving him, demi was cute too, but god i really loved hunter lmao.

after being kind of annoyed with rupi and hollis in the last book, they were somehow WORSE in this book. i think they could have been really interesting (i love the idea of them being this wildly dramatic fiery couple that no one else understands bc they’re both ridiculous all the time) but it was so over the top and it just felt kinda mean actually. i don't get it.

one more crit, and possible trigger warning, there's a scene later in the story that played out, that felt … not non-consensual, but just sort of manipulative in a way i didn’t love. could be triggering honestly. i didn't like how it was handled. ALSO there was a scene referencing a suicide attempt that, imo, was poorly researched, and not really respectfully handled. both of these scenes just ... felt sloppy.

the reason why this is getting FOUR STARS (well, 3.5) instead of three is because (1) it made me laugh so hard so many times, pablo eggscobar was so funny and this is the best pure ‘boys being boys’ shit ever, and (2) the friends-to-lovers slow burn aspect was BRILL-I-ANTÉ. i loved eVERY SECOND OF IT. also wow that ex was a fucking piece of work whooo boy.

i'm kind of glad this is the last one out/available for now so i won't even be tempted to read another one for the time being LOL i need a break and i need to be forced to do it

Carolina Mendes

Yes, I’m 100% sure Hunter is every girl’s dream 😍 

I loved this book so freaking much! I was addicted to it from the start and I couldn’t drop it!! I read it in a day and a half that’s how good it was! 👀🥰

Again, I must mention the way Elle approaches important and delicate topics is so well! You can see that she researched about it, explains it and approaches it in a sensitive but real way, you know? I just love how she went all in on this and started to bring more and deeper topics to the table on Briar U. 

The only reason why is not a 5⭐️ for me is because there was a specific topic there that was a little grey about the “right or wrongness” of it. For me, it was wrong so that was an issue in the book that I would’ve liked it was kept in the drafts. Consent shouldn’t be a question, if someone doesn’t want to do it, whatever reason it is, you don’t push it (even if by teasing). Periodt.

Taking that bit out, this book was GOD DAMN entertaining!! I was laughing my ass off with Demi and Hunter, but also Bee, Summer, Rupi and all the crew!! 🤭😂

As usual I love the friendship on here! The hockey team is 😍 how they stood up for each member of the team, specially their captain had my heart melting!

Hunter backstory and the way it affected his decisions but not his character really got into me. I just adored him. And when he realized that he was not like his father and allowed himself to do the very thing that was his passion…bruh… I almost cried! 
The way Demi was there to give him a nudge with the help of one of his besties (G’s cue 🥺🥰) cause she knew him and knew he would regret it… and how Hunter was there for her, in a heartbeat, when she needed him (all the times!) 😭

I loved the developing of their relationship through the friendship first, allowing them to really know and trust each other in a way they probably wouldn’t if it wasn’t like that! How they felt comfortable and accepted each other’s flaws and secrets and push through the obstacles together! 🥺🤍

I also loved Demi’s character too, the way the growth and started standing up for herself and her dreams, even to her parents 🥲

And guys?! HUNTER FREAKIN’ DAVENPORT 😮‍💨🥵🤯😍 so we can finish strong 🤌🏻

The Play

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