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The Play

by Elle Kennedy · 2019

The Play is a new adult sports romance, the third installment in Elle Kennedy's Briar U series, itself a spin-off of her popular Off-Campus books. It follows Hunter Davenport, an ambitious hockey player gunning for the… more

First published 2019 · 422 pages · Briar U #3 · English

29 quotes ★ 3.99 (187,137) Romance

Quotes from the Book

There’s always someone with a shittier life than yours. That doesn’t turn the shit in your life into roses.
46
Men really need to stop telling women what they mean or don’t mean.
26
You mean more to me than hockey,” he says simply, and damned if that doesn’t make my heart expand. “Get it through your stubborn head.
15
No one has a harder job than the man who comes after the cheater.
13
But this girl, the gorgeous woman in my lap—I’m definitely in love with her. I love everything about her. Her intelligence, her sassiness, her craziness. She has the most dynamic personality. There are so many different facets to Demi Davis, and the more I learn about her, the more I love her.
8
Beat it,” I tell Dean. It’s a joke. But also not a joke.
8
What’s up, Pablo?” I greet the egg. He doesn’t answer, because he’s not real, but hey, at least I’m trying to make an effort.
8
I mean, if a narcissist can’t recognize he’s a narcissist, how on earth do you treat his narcissism?
7
You’re already guilty of property damage." "I don’t care!" She says stubbornly. "Now I want to do bodily damage.
6
You want your rebound? I’ll give you your fucking rebound. Let’s go.
6
Like my mom always says, know your worth. Make them work for it.
5
Fascinated by child psychopaths, unhealthy relationship with food, will break your PlayStation if you f*%k with me. ”That makes me sound like a lunatic,” I say. ”Look me in the eye and tell me that none of those things are accurate.” ”I fucking hate you.
4
I hate these stupid things,” I complain as I move the hoop aside. “They’re a menace.” “You’re a menace.
4
Our pig needs his lunch. We have a pet, bro. Pet comes before pussy.
4
How does a pig hype up a crowd? Is he going to sing the national anthem?” Coach asks politely.
4
Some of the guys want a pig.” Coach’s eyebrows rise to his hairline. It’s rare to catch the man off guard, but right now he looks flabbergasted. “A fucking what?” I
4
As TJ ambles off, Hunter stares after him, shaking his head ruefully. “Poor guy.” “What does that mean?” “It means, poor guy. He’s got a major crush on you, but he’s so deep in the friend zone it’d take the same rescue team that dug out the Chilean miners to save him. And even then I think they’d fail.
4
Demi makes me forget that other people inhabit the world with us.
3
The egg says nothing because it’s a goddamn egg.
3
Give her a lollipop when she’s cranky. All other times, just feed her, or plant her in front of a TV and put on a murder mystery.
3
promise you, I’m not seeing anybody else. I’m not sleeping with anybody else. I’m with you, and I’m all in.” His voice cracks. “I love you.
3
With the utmost care, Bucky reaches for Pablo Eggscobar.
3
That’s Dean,” I tell Demi, who for once is speechless. “Oh,” she finally remarks. “Wow.” I narrow my eyes. “What does that mean?” “It means he’s insanely attractive.” “Yeah, and he knows it,” Garrett says with a sigh.
2
Huh. Okay.” Hunter pauses. “I give you permission to start calling me Big Daddy, then.
2
There is always someone with a shittier life than yours, that doesn't turn the shit in your life into roses.
2
Entendi.” Garrett assente algumas vezes. “Só que a vida é mais do que hóquei, Davenport.” Ele olha para a namorada ao dizer isso. Hannah é tudo pra ele. Não tenho dúvida de que ele abriria mão de tudo por ela, até da carreira promissora.
2
You shouldn’t. Always trust your gut, Demi. If people are acting shady it’s usually because they’ve done something shady. And the fact that he lost his shit and yelled at you speaks volumes. Guilty people attack. Innocent people don’t.” “Maybe, but…whatever, this was
1
Doesn’t mami mean mother?” Hunter inquires after Nico leaves. He furrows his brow. “Well, yeah, that’s the literal translation, but it’s also a term of endearment. Mami, papi—it’s like babe or sweetheart or whatever.” “Huh. Okay.” Hunter pauses. “I give you permission to start calling me Big Daddy, then.
1
Does that diminish my own experience, because someone has it worse? There's always someone with a shittier life than yours. That doesn't turn the shit in your life into roses.
1

Did you know?

  • The Play is the third book in Elle Kennedy's Briar U series.
  • Briar U is a spin-off of Kennedy's earlier Off-Campus series.
  • It was originally published on October 7, 2019.
  • The series was later reissued by Bloom Books.
  • The story follows hockey captain hopeful Hunter Davenport and student Demi Davis.

About Elle Kennedy

Elle Kennedy is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling Canadian author known for contemporary and new adult romance, including the popular Off-Campus and Briar U college hockey series.

More about the author →

About the book

The Play is a new adult sports romance, the third installment in Elle Kennedy's Briar U series, itself a spin-off of her popular Off-Campus books. It follows Hunter Davenport, an ambitious hockey player gunning for the captaincy of Briar University's team, and Demi Davis, a fellow student he becomes friends with. Hunter resolves to stay focused and avoid distractions, but as his friendship with the newly single Demi deepens, the line between platonic and romantic grows harder to hold.

Like much of Kennedy's work, the novel centers on the friends-to-lovers dynamic, balancing the pressures of college athletics and academics against the slow burn of attraction. Its themes include ambition and self-discipline, the messiness of dating in your early twenties, and the tension between protecting a friendship and risking it for something more.

The Play was a commercial success that helped cement the Briar U series' standing among contemporary romance readers, who praised its banter and chemistry. The series has since been reissued by Bloom Books, and Kennedy remains one of the most widely read authors in the new adult sports-romance space.

Key characters

  • Hunter DavenportBriar University hockey player aiming to become team captain
  • Demi DavisFellow Briar student who becomes Hunter's friend and love interest

Book details

First published
2019
Length
422 pages
Series
Briar U #3
Reading time
8 hours
Genre
Romance
Goodreads rating
3.99 (187k ratings)

Critical reception

  • The Briar U series, including The Play, is part of Kennedy's New York Times bestselling body of work.
  • Reviewers commonly praised the book's banter and friends-to-lovers chemistry.
  • The series was acquired and reissued by Bloom Books, an imprint of Sourcebooks.

Series & reading order

  1. 1 The Chase
  2. 2 The Risk
  3. 3 The Play
  4. 4 The Dare

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