The Graham Effect
Gigi Graham has exactly three goals: qualify for the women's national hockey team, win Olympic gold, and step out of her famous father's shadow. So far, so good, except for two little things. Fine—a little thing and a big, grumpy thing. She needs to improve her game behind the net, and she...
- Pages
- 497
- First published
- October 31, 2023
- Language
- English
- Edition
- ISBN
- 9781960854513
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Reviews
Finished July 22, 2024
Finished March 18, 2026
Started July 28, 2025 · Finished July 31, 2025
- emotionallightheartedMedium-paced
Finished November 20, 2023
This book was near-perfect for me, and I honestly can't even really say why it's not getting a full five stars. Maybe it's that I've read every other Briar book and it's hard to top some of the other titles? But I still really enjoyed it. Firstly, I really appreciated that both leads were hockey players, and that it was something Gigi was serious about pursuing beyond college. It would have been easy to "feminize" her by making her less invested in the sport (or for her to only do it because her dad it), and I really loved that it wasn't taken that way. Overall, Gigi's character was really well-done; I liked that she was driven, introspective, and that she knew her value and stood up for herself when she needed to. Ryder's character was amazing, if frustrating at times. When his inability to communicate became an issue, it was pointed out as a problem and he actively worked on addressing it. I liked that he was quiet and secretly emotional. I liked them as a couple, too. It really made sense not only why they were into each other, by why they worked together. The plot was pretty standard for a college sports romance. My biggest critique is that the write-up for the novel made it seem like the deal they make in the beginning of the book would play a larger role throughout, but it's largely forgotten after the first half (which is more a critique on the write-up than the book itself). At points, I also wished we actually saw more hockey. It's always there and they're often talking about it, but I would have liked to see more than the few games we got, especially for the women's team. But that's more of a personal preference thing and not something that I think detached from my overall enjoyment of the book. Major spoiler: I'm still not sure how I feel about them getting married. It happened really quickly and with very little lead-up, so to me it felt a bit rushed and impulsive, even if the characters didn't feel that way. We were also blindsided by the revelation, so it felt like it may have been done for shock value. I might have been okay if they got engaged, but marriage might be a bit much for me. But maybe it's just my old-fashioned coming through. Lastly, I liked a lot of the Easter eggs and references to past characters and books in the Briar universe. They were incorporated well enough that they're fun for those of us who have read the books, but wouldn't leave new readers utterly confused by them. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and look forward to adding it to my go-to rereads list. Fingers crossed that the next book in the series is just as good.
Finished November 21, 2023