The Chase by Elle Kennedy
Briar U, #1
Romance Contemporary
August 6, 2018
Berkley

Favorite Quote: “I feel like too many girls fail to remember one vital truth: we deserve someone who gives us one hundred percent. Half-assed effort isn’t effort. Half-assed love isn’t love.”

Reviewed by Tori

Everyone says opposites attract. And they must be right because there’s no logical reason why I’m so drawn to Colin Fitzgerald. I don’t usually go for tattoo-covered, video-gaming, hockey-playing nerd-jocks who think I’m flighty and superficial. His narrow view of me is the first strike against him. It doesn’t help that he’s buddy-buddy with my brother.

And that his best friend has a crush on me.

And that I just moved in with them.

Oh, did I not mention we’re roommates?

I suppose it doesn’t matter. Fitzy has made it clear he’s not interested in me, even though the sparks between us are liable to burn our house down. I’m not the kind of girl who chases after a man, though, and I’m not about to start. I’ve got my hands full dealing with a new school, a sleazy professor, and an uncertain future. So if my sexy brooding roomie wises up and realizes what he’s missing?

He knows where to find me. (Goodreads)

The first installment in Elle Kennedy’s sexy, humorous, charming, and mildly angst driven new adult Briar U series brings together two characters from it’s parents series; Off Campus. Fans have been waiting for Colin ‘Fritzy’ Fitzgerald’s story since the end of The Goal and I’m happy to see Kennedy is starting the new series with him.  Our heroine, Summer Di Laurentis-Heyward, sister to Dean Di Laurentis, was also met in The Goal.

This witty and engaging opposite attraction romance offers readers a laughter-filled first-row seat to two people whose differences offer a wealth of opportunity for a lasting love if they can just get out of their own way. Nicely balanced, Kennedy gives readers a sweet and funny college romance that is spiked with the social and personal issues that are sadly very common in this day and age.

Colin, Fitzy to his friends, plays for the Briar University hockey team and is a conundrum with his bold colorful outside that houses a shy introverted inside. An excellent player, his true passion is gaming and writing code. Having grown up in a loud, angry, toxic household, Fritzy avoids drama and confrontation like the plague. And Dean’s little sister is puuurrreeee drama.

Summer scares me. She always has. She makes me want to open up.

Summer isn’t looking for love but if it finds her-so be it. Having transferred to Briar after being “asked to leave” Brown, Summer is determined to do better this year. Fun and flirty, this heiress has a solid home life and though thought to be flighty and shallow, she is actually quite intelligent. She just suffers from a learning disability that has taken a toll on her self-esteem. She has always had a crush on Fitzy but when she overhears him disparage him to another friend, she walks away, head held high and pride intact.

He told his friends I’m surface level. He thinks I have zero substance, that I’m a party girl, and he said he’d never go out with me.

The push and pull of this relationship is the base of which the story is built, blending effortlessly with some internal and external conflicts that throw some speed bumps into the path of this couple. Summer is forced to live with Fitzy, Mike, and HUnter after she loses her housing in her sorority. That makes for some uncomfortable scenes, especially when she begins to date Hunter. Fitzy isn’t sure what he wants and is positive Summer is way out of his league. But the heart wants what the heart wants and living in such close proximity creates some scorching hot sexual tension that singes the pages.

Fitz gave me THE KISS. It lasted less than a minute, occurred in front of a dozen people during a juvenile game of Spin the Bottle, and yet? It has consumed my mind from the second I went to bed last night to the moment I opened my eyes this morning. I undoubtedly dreamed about it too, though I can’t remember…

I truly enjoyed this story and the reason is Summer with some help from her new friends and the hockey team. Summer is a delight with her wit, charm, and healthy attitude. Though she is insecure about her learning disability, she has no such problems in any other area of her life. She is a strong heroine who has no time for anyone who treats her as less. Forthright and commanding, she lights up the pages with her endless chatter and internal thoughts. She kept me in stitches, especially when she makes the hockey coach’s daughter her new bestie.

“Don’t do this to me, Summer,”
“Do what?”
“Bring me into the den of Satan.”
“Oh my God. And people say I’M a drama queen. We’re going inside. Deal with it.”

Fitzy was a little harder to get to know. He is very quiet and shy and Summer almost eclipses him with her personality. He despises all the messiness of emotions and Summer is the only one who brings him to the point where they all spill out. He makes some bad choices in his fear of having a relationship and in my opinion, treats Summer rather carelessly at times but luckily for him he is a quick learner and Summer generous with her forgiveness.

She’s my muse.
She’s my laughter.
She’s my trigger.
She’s my desire.
But most of all, she’s my heart.

A kaleidoscope of new and old faces grace the story offering advice, some finger shaking, and lots of laughs. I loved seeing the original characters from Off-Campus and meeting some new ones who I hope we’ll see in the future. Tucker and his baby mama make an appearance along with Garrett and Hannah, and Dean and Allie. Dean’s reaction to his younger sister dating and having sex is hilarious and I love the dynamics of their relationship. The sibling bond is strong.

“Dicky! Why would you go for his balls! We need them to make your future nieces and nephews!”

“Nieces and nephews plural? How many are kids are you planning on having?”

“A lot!”

“You’re not allowed to get pregnant until you’re at least 30. I’m not ready to be an uncle.”
“Oh my God. Life isn’t always about you!”  

Brenna Jenson is such a blast and I can’t wait to see who captures her heart in book two. Mike, Hunter, and the rest of the hockey team show up and out while we get to hang with the Briar football team and meet the fashion squad.

The Chase is indeed a fun chase though who was chasing who depends on who was telling the story. Fun and fast, Kennedy’s latest is a guaranteed good time and will certainly delight fans of this series and entertain new readers. While this can be read as a standalone, there are interactions and references to past books and characters. I’m certainly looking forward to book two-The Risk-set to release Feb. 19, 2018.

Grade: B

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