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Campus Diaries #1

Audible audiobook 

Author: Elle Kennedy

Narrators: CJ Bloom and Teddy Hamilton

We are back at Briar U now with the second generation of our beloved characters. In The Graham Effect , we meet Gigi Graham – Garret and Hannah’s daughter. She’s at Briar playing hockey and carrying the weight of the her superstar dad’s name. She inherited his hockey genes while her brother inherited their mom’s songwriting abilities. She has one goal: qualify for team USA in the Olympics. She believes that’s the only way she can step away from her beloved dad’s shadow. She’s just broken up with the captain of the men’s team, who’s having a hard time letting her go and dealing with the fact that his team has just merged with their rival program.

Enter Luke Ryder – star of the rival program. He’s eyeing a summer coaching spot under Gigi’s dad, but he’s not made a good impression with the hockey legend. Gigi needs help with her game. He needs a good word with her father. Working together is a win win. But the chemistry between the two of them might blow up on their faces… The thing is – they don’t mind getting burned.

It wasn’t exactly the second generation vibe I was expecting, but I absolutely loved Gigi and Ryder’s story! It was great to go back to Briar U and catch up a bit with beloved characters, specially to see Garret and Wellsy as parents.

The audiobook is narrated with perfection by CJ Bloom and Teddy Hamilton. I love a feisty, badass CJ and grumpy, broody Teddy is swoonyville! I have to say that having them in my ears helped because I did think this was a bit too long. There are a few “team bonding” scenes and some sportsball talk that were a tad too much. The audiobook clocks at over 14 hours. It’s a good thing the story is good and these too are a joy to listen to.

Possible triggers: cheating (not MCs), mentions of violent death of a parent, incarceration, living in foster care