The Graham Effect revamps the hockey romance genre

If there’s one thing that’s hot right now, it’s hockey romances. When most people think of hockey romances, one author comes to mind and that’s Elle Kennedy.

While she took a slight break from the hockey romance world, she’s back and frankly, better than ever. With the release of The Graham Effect on October 31st, we returned to the world of Briar U and revisited a familiar face in the process.

If you’ve picked up the book, then you’ll know The Graham Effect follows Gigi Graham who is the daughter of Garett and Hannah from The Deal. Her romance is with Luke Ryder, an unlikely yet undeniably irresistible hockey player.

These two strike up a deal and from there, all bets are off. With some fake dating, steamy scenes, and lots of hilarious moments, The Graham Effect is not only Elle Kennedy at her best but proof that hockey romance has never been hotter.

The Graham Effect is a trending hockey romance for a reason.

Even though Elle Kennedy started the hockey romance trend, the scope has grown much broader. There are more authors writing hockey romances now than ever yet Elle Kennedy chose to come back. In large part, it’s due to the popularity of hockey romance and her original Off-Campus series.

Even so, The Graham Effect feels like an entirely new chapter for her. While her previous books have been steamy, The Graham Effect felt different. Yes, there were sexy scenes and lots of steamy times between Gigi and Ryder. However, it felt more purposeful and less about just adding it in for the heck of it.

What made The Graham Effect so hot for me was how realistic the relationship between Gigi and Ryder felt. These two had a lot to deal with and honestly, it felt refreshing to see them work it out in a unique way. While I don’t want to give away spoilers, Elle Kennedy made a great choice in how she handled their relationship.

In addition, The Graham Effect had no third-act conflict. These two took the time to figure things out, talk it out, and come back together. There was no pointless drama and squabbling for the sake of it. That’s why The Graham Effect feels like it’s so different from other hockey romances being published right now.

If we even look back at Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series, The Graham Effect feels different in the best way. Maybe it’s due to the changing romance landscape or the demand for more realistic/mature characters. Regardless, I think this first book helped set the precedent for a new era of Elle Kennedy books and hockey romances.

While this book won’t appeal to all hockey romance readers, I do feel like The Graham Effect will hit that sweet spot. It can appeal to new romance readers while also working for those who have read and loved Elle Kennedy for years.

The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy is out now where books are sold.

Have you picked up a copy of The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy? Let us know your thoughts!