The Off Campus Series by Elle Kennedy: Reading Order

The reading order

1. The Deal (Hannah and Garrett)
2. The Mistake (Grace and Logan)
3. The Score (Allie and Dean)
4. The Goal (Sabrina and John)

The history behind this series' recent explosion

Kennedy published these books between 2015 and 2016, when hockey romance was still a niche corner of New Adult fiction. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she described how sparse the landscape was: "Around that time, there weren't a lot of hockey romances. There was maybe one other series I knew of." She's since written at least 18 hockey-centric books, making her one of the foundational voices credited with establishing hockey romance as its own recognizable subgenre. New Adult sports romance has had a significant resurgence over the past couple of years, driven heavily by BookTok, and Off Campus is consistently cited as one of the genre's foundational, most-recommended entry points. The renewed interest isn't about new content — it's an older series experiencing organic rediscovery through social media.

Do you need to read these in order?

No — each book is a complete, standalone romance with its own couple and full resolution. What you'd lose by skipping around is the cumulative pleasure of watching side characters from earlier books return with accumulated context, since Kennedy treats the whole friend group as a continuous community. Read The Score before The Deal and you'd still enjoy Allie and Dean's story, but you'd miss the earlier-established dynamic between Allie and Hannah.

Is there a TV adaptation now?

Yes, and it's likely a big part of the recent surge in search interest. Amazon MGM Studios adapted the books into a Prime Video series that premiered May 13, 2026, with Ella Bright playing Hannah and Belmont Cameli playing Garrett, the central couple from The Deal, as Season 1's focus. All eight episodes dropped at once. The series was created for television by Louisa Levy, and casting has set up a Di Laurentis to potentially lead a future season adapting The Score. Kennedy was directly involved in development and has spoken about wanting the adaptation to capture the team dynamic among Garrett's teammates, who become the romantic leads of the subsequent books.

Why has this show arrived at a well-timed moment?

Off Campus premiered following the surprise breakout of Heated Rivalry, a separate hockey romance based on Rachel Reid's Game Changers novels, which became a phenomenon after its late-2025 debut on Crave and HBO Max. That show's unexpected success helped put hockey romance into the mainstream spotlight, and Off Campus's press tour has repeatedly addressed the comparison. Beyond these two, 2026 has seen a notable wave of book-to-TV romance adaptations, suggesting sustained audience appetite.

Does Elle Kennedy have other connected series?

Yes, a follow-up series called Campus Diaries, set within the same fictional Briar University world with new couples — worth knowing about if you finish the original four Off Campus books and want more time in that world.

Frequently asked questions

What order should I read the Off Campus series in? Publication order (The Deal, The Mistake, The Score, The Goal) is standard, though each book works fine as a standalone romance.

Is there a TV series adaptation of Off Campus? Yes, Amazon MGM Studios adapted it for Prime Video, premiering May 13, 2026 with Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli as Hannah and Garrett.

Do I need to read all four books, or can I just read one? You can read just one and enjoy it fully, though recurring side characters reward reading the full series in order.

When were the Off Campus books originally published? Between 2015 and 2016, meaning the series' current popularity reflects rediscovery rather than new content.

Is Off Campus connected to Heated Rivalry, the other popular hockey romance show? Not directly, but both are part of a broader recent surge in hockey romance popularity, with Heated Rivalry's earlier success helping bring mainstream attention to the genre.

Does Elle Kennedy have other books set in the same world as Off Campus? Yes, her Campus Diaries series continues within the same fictional Briar University setting with new couples.

Who plays the lead couple in the Off Campus TV adaptation? Ella Bright plays Hannah and Belmont Cameli plays Garrett, the central couple from the first book, The Deal.

Was Elle Kennedy involved in making the TV adaptation? Yes, she was directly involved in the show's development and has spoken about wanting it to capture the books' specific team dynamics and atmosphere.

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