Featuring the love story of the next generation of the beloved and iconic Off-Campus couples from The Deal and The Mistake – coming to TV on Amazon Prime in May…
New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy returns with her signature heat and humor for a Briar universe standalone romance – where one unforgettable summer changes everything.
Join us at the Logan family lake house in Tahoe…🌅🎼🎙️💓
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.
Review
I’ve been waiting for Wyatt’s book ever since reading The Graham Effect — and it absolutely did not disappoint.
Quick note before I dive in: if you check trigger warnings, make sure you do for this one. It touches on a sensitive topic that I won’t mention here because it would spoil things, but it’s worth being aware.
Wyatt and Blake have known each other their whole lives. Blake has been quietly crushing on him for years. Fresh off a breakup, she decides to spend the summer at her family’s (and Wyatt’s family’s) shared lake house to reset and figure out her next steps before her final year of college.
Unfortunately for Blake… Wyatt has the exact same idea. He’s battling writer’s block and desperate for inspiration. Enter: Blake. The muse he didn’t see coming.
The tension between them simmers almost immediately, and when they agree to a no-strings summer fling? Cue Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift — honestly, it’s the perfect soundtrack for the first half of this book.
This story was a ride I didn’t want to end. The drama. The angst. The yearning. And wow… the yearning. There’s so much heat, but also so much heart. The banter is top-tier, and the swoony moments had me fully invested.
Blake is such a likeable FMC, funny, sharp, and delightfully snarky with Wyatt. Their back-and-forth was easily a highlight; I could read them bickering forever. She’s feeling lost, trying to use the summer to figure out what she actually wants from her life, something I think most of us can relate to.
Wyatt gives major tortured artist energy. He’s desperate to make his mark in music, frustrated with his stalled songwriting, and emotionally closed off. But seeing his playful, softer side come out around Blake? So good.
The pacing of their relationship felt just right, a slow burn that builds into something scorching. Both characters carry their own baggage, which adds depth and weight to the story rather than just surface-level summer romance.
If you’re looking for a messy, emotional, heat-filled summer love story to warm you up during these cold days, this is absolutely the book to pick up.
My Rating: 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
About the Author
A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a BA in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.
Elle is the author of more than fifty contemporary fiction and romance novels, published by a variety of major houses. Her work includes the Off-Campus series, the global phenomenon which has captivated millions of readers around the world.
*I received an ARC of this book from [Publisher/Author] in exchange for an honest, voluntary review
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