The Chase by Elle Kennedy. Photo: Sarabeth Pollock
I spent most of the holidays reading hockey romance, thanks in large part to a box of Elle Kennedy books from my friends at Bloom Books. Let’s just say that once I started reading about Garret, Logan, Dean and Tucker I couldn’t stop. (Feel free to listen to the episode of the podcast that goes into great detail about my reading experience) Needless to say, when I saw The Chase, the first book in Kennedy’s Briar U Series, I couldn’t resist.
Kennedy’s Off-Campus Series is now available in eye-catching new print versions, with a new story coming in 2023, but there are plenty of stories to keep you occupied until then. The Briar U stories follow the exploits of the younger members of the hockey team.
The Chase is the story of Colin Fitzgerald, aka Fitzy, a member of the Briar U men’s hockey team, and Summer Heyward Di Laurentis, sister to Briar U hockey alum Dean. Fitzy and Summer have moved in the same circles for about a year, but when Summer transfers to Briar and needs a place to stay their connection goes to a whole new level.
Fitzy and Summer come from very different worlds. Fitzy could be the ambassador for World Introvert Day while Summer basks as the center of attention. It turns out, though, that opposites attract. No matter how hard they try to stay away from each other, they can’t help being pulled closer together.
I love the details that Kennedy builds into Fitzy and Summer’s characters. They both have insecurities that hold them back from living their lives to the fullest, and they need each other to see past those insecurities. Fitzy prefers keeping to himself while Summer is the center of attention; most people have no idea what’s behind their personalities and once they open up to each other it’s breathtaking.
I really love that Kennedy didn’t shy away from giving one of the characters a learning disability. You don’t see this very often and the way she introduces it and explores how it impacts that character’s life is powerful. Having worked with college students with learning challenges I can say that she did a beautiful job capturing what it’s like and how it impacts a college student’s experience. Trust me, college professors don’t always play by the rules when it comes to learning disabilities despite the laws in place to protect students (sad but incredibly true) and Kennedy hits the nail on the head with her depiction.
If you loved the Off-Campus series you’re going to love The Chase. I certainly did!
