Let me paint you a picture. I was in Pilates class a couple months ago on a Thursday night and my Pilates instructor, Mellissa and I were discussing books we love to read. She told me about Off Campus and I had heard a show was coming out, but little did I know that I would go home, download the first book on my Kindle and fly through it in a day. Then I’m immediately downloading the next one. That was me with Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series, and I have zero regrets.
Now, Amazon Prime has turned those beloved books into a full TV series — and I am not okay. In the best possible way.
First, Let Me Tell You About the Books (No Spoilers, I Promise)
Elle Kennedy’s Off Campus series is a five-book college romance saga set at the fictional Briar University (which is set in Massachusetts – love!), and each book follows a different hockey player from the core friendgroup and the woman who absolutely wrecks him (emotionally, in the best way). Here are the couples:
- The Deal — Garrett & Hannah
- The Mistake — Logan & Grace
- The Score — Dean & Allie
- The Goal — Tucker & Sabrina
- The Legacy — the whole gang, one last time
What makes these books so addictive isn’t just the swoon-worthy, butterflies, toe curling romance (though, trust me, there is plenty of that). It’s the characters and their friendships. Elle Kennedy does a tremendous job at writing banter that feels authentic and has you laughing out loud hysterically. The stories aren’t above shallow jocks trying to woo the girl. Each character is heartfelt underneath, has messy family lives (don’t we all), ambitions and insecurities. I felt all the emotions through each book very deeply and that is testament to Elle Kennedy’s writing skills – she basically has superpowers. You will feel an emotional attachment to the Briar Boys and the girls, I swear!
And Now There’s a Show. A Really Good Show.
I had to speed read through all the books to ensure I finished them all prior to the show releasing. I had the worries anyone would, hoping that they do the book justice and that it is done in a way that feels connected. I like to go into these things with low expectations just in case because the last thing I wanted was to be heavily disappointed.
I was not disappointed.
Season 1 dropped all eight episodes on May 13th, 2026 on Prime Video, and it is based on the first book in the series, The Deal — the Garrett and Hannah story that started it all. Actress Ella Bright plays Hannah, a quiet music major, and actor Belmont Cameli plays Garrett Graham, Briar’s star hockey center. The basis of the story is that they create a fake-dating scheme that turns into very real feelings. It was completely delivered on screen. I watched the first 5 episodes in one sitting because it was more than necessary.
I want to start by saying the cast is genuinely excellent. Ella Bright brings a vulnerability to Hannah that makes you root for her immediately, and Belmont Cameli has this effortless charisma that makes you understand exactly why half of campus would be swooning over Garrett. The chemistry between them? Crackling. The friendship between Garrett, Dean, Logan and Tucker and Allie is chef’s kiss!
We get glimpses of Logan, Dean, Tucker and Allie — threaded throughout Season 1, setting up their own stories the way the books do. It’s structured a lot like Bridgerton (another favorite of mine): each season, a new couple, with the same group of friends at the center. And it’s already been renewed for Season 2 (Dean and Allie, anyone?!), so we’re in it for the long haul. I need them to release a trailer immediately!
One fun detail: Elle Kennedy herself revealed that she’s actually happier with one change the show made from the book. Hannah’s crush Justin — originally a football player — becomes a musician in the show, which adds a whole new layer to the love triangle. Even the author agrees it works better. Personally, I wish they kept Justin as a football player but actor Josh Heuston plays a great British boy band star.
Why You Need to Do Both — Books and Show
Here’s my honest recommendation: read the books first, then watch the show. The books are always better and that is just a fact.
If you do watch the show first, you won’t be lost or necessarily missing any information. They do a great job incorporating the big moments. Experiencing the books first gives you this incredible double-layer of joy while watching. You already love these characters, and then you get to see them. It is so fun to eagerly wait for a chapter you loved in the book to then play out in the scene on the show.
That said, if you’re someone who never picks up a book but loves a good streaming binge? Start with the show, then go back to the books. I promise you will want more. The books go deeper, the internal monologues are everything, and you’ll burn through all five before you know what happened to your weekend. I do wish they incorporated some of the internal monologues because the way Garrett thinks about Hannah will have you dying inside.
Either way, you end up in the Briar universe. And trust me — once you’re in, you’re not getting out!
The Bottom Line
Off Campus is the kind of story that doesn’t come along that often. Reason being it is hard to have a book series adapt to the screen so well that you are happy after watching. The book hangover is VERY real and so when you finish the show you will have that hangover yet again.
Elle Kennedy wrote five books’ worth of characters you’ll fall in love with. Amazon Prime gave them a show that does them justice. Now I’m just here, watching all the fan edits on Tik Tok, following the actors on Instagram, laughing at cast interviews on Youtube and impatiently waiting for more details on Season 2.
If you need me, I’ll be at Briar University.
