Amy Lynn

13 de julio de 2026

Tucker and Sabrina’s story

Elle Kennedy delivers another absolute win with The Goal, blending laugh-out-loud banter with heartfelt moments that hit deeper than expected. Sabrina and Tucker’s dynamic is electric from the start—their back-and-forth is sharp, witty, and genuinely funny, making it impossible not to smile (or actually laugh out loud) while reading. Their chemistry builds in a way that feels both playful and grounded, pulling you in from the first chapter.What really elevates this installment in the Off-Campus series is how it balances that humor with heavier, more emotional themes. Kennedy doesn’t shy away from real-life struggles, and the way she explores responsibility, ambition, and unexpected life changes adds a layer of depth that tugs at your heartstrings. Watching these characters grow—both individually and together—makes the story feel meaningful beyond the romance. It’s a perfect mix of swoony, funny, and deeply human, and a standout in a series that just keeps getting betterVer más

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Jessica Hull

26 de septiembre de 2016

A sexy, frustrating sports romance that made me want to scream from the inside out!!

The Goal is an unpredictable, messy romance that follows a determined, headstrong, stoic law student and a sweet, laidback southern hockey player as they find their plans on thin ice, their goals suddenly beyond their reach. Sabrina and Tucker are two very different personalities headed in two very different directions. Sabrina has one goal... escape. The shame and the frustration of her broken, twisted home life has made her ruthless in her drive toward that escape, her academic goals providing her with the only way out. But that drive, that shame, that proud determination makes for a character that is so closed off, so hardened. She's the polar opposite of John Tucker, the sweet, loveable Texan who might be unsure of his immediate plans, but he knows where he ultimately wants to end up. Sabrina and Tucker thought they knew where they were headed, they each had their own plans for their respective futures, but when their lives tangle, the unexpected threatens everything.It's a dicey move to take an unlikable character from a previous book and turn her into your next heroine. It's hard to sell that to readers who've been trained to hate that character by the very same author now looking to endear them to her. Full disclosure, I'm a reader that didn't like Sabrina before either. We weren't meant to. So, of course, I was skeptical that I'd come to want a guy like John Tucker with a girl like her. But while she's definitely a tough nut to crack, I very much appreciated what this author chose to do with this character in The Goal. Sabrina isn't like other girls. She's as unapologetically sexual as the horny hockey players in this series. She's as impenetrable and difficult and frustrating as NA male characters typically are. She's complex and fierce and she has priorities that don't involve long term relationships. She doesn't exude a lot of vulnerability or emotion. She can come across as selfish, but it's not in a malicious way. She's just a girl that has always had to look out for herself and put herself first because no one else ever has. And given all of that, I'd say Elle Kennedy has successfully turned a villain into a heroine, and she's done so without compromising the integrity of her character. I can't get on board with an author taking a character she once vilified and completely altering her personality to fit the new goal of the author, to make her the sweetheart heroine you wish your readers will suddenly fall in love with. I have much more respect and appreciation for Elle Kennedy's choice to ensure Sabrina is still Sabrina. And getting to know her in all of her flaws and rough edges and her maddening stubbornness, I can NOW allow myself to want good things for her despite being so frustrated with her, without feeling like I read a story about a completely different character than the one presented to me previously. This author gets an A for character consistency. A big fat A.I really enjoyed this installment. It hasn't topped The Score for me as a series favorite, but it's a really beautiful, angsty story about finding new dreams, discovering all the things you want in life even if they were never part of your original plan. It's about deciding what's most important. It's about making the choice to roll with whatever life throws at you as long as the right person is there to hold your hand through it all. Sabrina is a hard heroine to root for. And Tucker is so freakishly nice, he's the polar opposite of the bad boys I typically fall for. But there was something so right about this couple. Even when everything was stacked against them, even when Sabrina fought so hard against the good in her life, even when Tucker should have probably run the other way, I wanted good things for this couple. I wanted their happily ever after. And Elle Kennedy delivers a really solid storyline that took me and these characters exactly where I'd hoped we'd go by way of the road less traveled.The Goal made me feel all the things. As Kennedy's sports romances tend to do, The Goal is chock full of colorful characters whose banter had me laughing and sighing, swooning and smiling. This story is peppered with amusing moments, times of heartbreak, seriously steamy, sexy scenes and the most frustratingly maddening storyline of the series. And I really loved it. I love a story that makes me want to scream from the inside out. There's a lot of ways a writer can drive a reader to the brink and this story tested my patience and my tolerance in ways no other book has before. Sabrina takes stubborn to a whole other place and Tucker's patience with her was far more virtuous than mine. But as stressful and angst ridden and damn infuriating as I found their story, it's a deliciously satisfying, honest one and I really, really enjoyed it.Ver más

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Tina G.

19 de julio de 2026

Not for me but cute

2.5⭐️Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. I never fully connected with Tucker and Sabrina. From the beginning, I had a feeling this wouldn’t end up being a favorite, although it did get a bit better as the story went on.I did love Sabrina staying true to her dream of attending Harvard despite everything she was facing. Given her difficult home life, it was inspiring to see her refuse to give up on her future. Tucker was also incredibly patient, supportive, and understanding from the very beginning, which made him easy to root for.However, their relationship felt very much like insta-love mixed with physical attraction. The pacing also leaned slower. There were sweet, heartfelt, and impactful moments that I enjoyed. But this one ultimately wasn’t for me.Ver más

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Kristin B.

11 de octubre de 2016

Tucker and His Southern Drawl Made Me Swoon!

I LOVE sports romances and last year I came across the Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy. I devoured The Deal, the first book in the series, and eagerly got my paws on the next books in the series as soon as I could! These books are typically classified in the New Adult and College or sports romance genres because most of the main characters are college students and several of them are usually athletes. I love Elle Kennedy's writing style in these books because she makes most of her characters likable and funny, not to mention relatable. That being said, when I saw that The Goal was being released this fall, I pre-ordered it way back in the summer and couldn't wait to dive back into the world of the Briar University athletes and their girls!"'So money doesn't matter once you get down to it. It doesn't matter how thin or thick anyone's wallet is. We all hurt. We all love. We're the same. And your past, who you live with, where you came from, it doesn't have to matter. You're creating your own future, and I want to see where the road forward takes you.'"Sabrina James is pre-law at Briar University who works two jobs to make ends meet and is planning on applying to Harvard Law School. She's had a bit of a crazy life, with both of her parents leaving her at a young age so she was raised by her grandmother. As a result, she has a hard time loving people and keeps her guard up with most people she meets. She has a couple of close friends but never makes time for a boyfriend, both because of her dreams of becoming a lawyer and she doesn't want to be disappointed if someone doesn't love her back."'You might want to get a sandwich. I'm gonna keep you in bed for a long time.'"Sabrina is at a bar with her friends one night when she meets John Tucker, a hockey player at Briar. He's from Texas and after graduation, he plans to move back to the Lone Star State to be close to his mom and invest in a business down there. Since he was born and raised in the South, he's got the southern drawl that makes all of the girls go crazy (every time he said "darlin,'" I think my heart skipped a few beats!). He and Sabrina are attracted to each other but they agree to get together for just one night and that's it. However, Sabrina's intelligence and beauty keep Tucker wanting more while, as much as she won't admit it, Sabrina is attracted to the way Tucker genuinely cares for her and wants to be around her."My goal, once upon a time, was to succeed. I didn't realize that success wasn't grades or scholarships or achievements, but the people I was lucky enough to have in my life."When I started reading The Goal, it felt a lot like the other books in the Off-Campus series. They take place at Briar University, full of good-hearted hockey players and their girlfriends, and are written in a fast-paced manner because of the hilarious dialogue between the characters. About halfway into the book, there is a dramatic turn of events which cause (I believe) a shift in the typical feel of these books. No longer was the book about college athletes and their comical antics, it was about college students who have to make real-life choices that greatly affect themselves and others. I think The Goal starts out as a typical NA book but finishes with more of a mature feel to it, given the circumstances Sabrina and Tucker now have, though there are still elements of the NA genre in the second half of the book. There were times when I wanted to shout at Sabrina and tell her to stop being so stubborn but that's just her character and in the end, she realizes what she really wants."Because love is the ultimate goal. It's not the one I had strived for, but I was lucky enough, so d**n lucky, to achieve it."In summary, I loved The Goal and it made my heart happy to see how the development of the characters unfolds and what they choose to do in their lives. Those familiar with the other Off-Campus books and who are looking to read The Goal may just want a bit of advanced warning that this book isn't exactly written in the same style. The first half is similar to the other books but the second half is a bit more serious and mature as the characters deal with some serious life events. Personally, I loved it but I also love books about love and family so The Goal satisfied my desires to read about college life, sports, as well as family. This book can be read as a standalone but I feel you will get more out of it if you read the other books first. I was also bummed to see that this is the last book in the series BUT there will be a spinoff for anyone, like me, who is eager for more! I loved The Goal and recommend reading it, especially if you have read and enjoyed the other books; just know that the second half has a different feel, even though I think it ends on a good note and the series is wrapped up nicely.

Booksy girl

13 de julio de 2026

Tucker is great...the book not so much...

This was my least favorite book in the series. I did love Tucker and I even liked Sabrina in the beginning and I felt like the author knew where she wanted to start and end but the middle got the best of her.Tucker was a great guy. I really loved him and how he stepped up and so much patience. Sabrina I really like her drive and I undestand why she's so guarded but she drove me crazy in the middle of this book.I loved the ending and I'm happy they finally got together. I sadly just had higher hopes for this addition to the series.Ver más

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Alexciz

6 de junio de 2026

Unbelievably, each story (almost in order) was better than the last!!!

I am in awe. I have no idea how Elle Kennedy continues to hit them out of the park. Or should I say, score those goals? A friend just asked me the other day which couple did I like best out of the series. I initially said Garrett and Hannah, then Dean and Ali came in a close second, Logan and Grace actually come in a bit out of order and third, but these two? Tucker and Sabrina? Are my hands down unequivocally favorite couple of the series, no contest! However, each and every book drew serious emotions out of me. It had been over a decade since I’ve started and read the first round. It was almost like brand new world, reading it again.I bet this story resonated with me most because I identify a LOT with Sabrina and a lot of of the things she grew up, dealing with. Those guards on her heart, the growing up and the not so best place, in a single parent household, with a mother working three jobs, with the determination to do better and be better, but mostly that earning driving hunger for love and to be loved. Sabrina had this horrible reputation of being an ice queen, because she did every thing she could to protect herself from any more emotional damage. I completely get it!Then enter Tucker. Oh my gosh Tucker. 😮‍💨 that is my dream man. Not my boyfriend, not my book husband, but my ultimate dream man. Oh how I wish he was real! Tucker was a perfect blend of strong, possessive, attentive, loving, and a southern gentleman all wrapped in one man. He brought hope to a time when men were just not giving and putting other people first. There’s so many narcissist out there, so many women with low self-esteem, that our world is working on such a sad level. That we all gravitate toward our boyfriends, and thank you for making some of the best ones!! Tucker grew up without a father, so also in a single-family home, but his mother raised him to be a great giving gentleman. She wasn’t the greatest to Sabrina, but I get why she wasn’t.I gobbled the story up! I didn’t hurt that when I was listening with Andrew Eiden & Susannah Jones narrating? They only brought the story to the next level. Both perfectly casts! Thank goodness because the woman who read books one and two? Horrible. I don’t normally like to bash narrators, but she just did not fit our characters at all whatsoever. I’m glad these two were able to deliverAll in all, I can’t wait to read The Legacy next. I can’t wait to see the twins being born if there are any other kids coming along when the other kids come along, and we’re tucking his family are next. Well, I loved all of these characters so much, this off-campus world so much, but I really wanna know what happened to all of them. I love that we have a 2nd & 3rd series spinoff from this one. We get to see a couple of our now current Freshman, sophomores and juniors “next” year in the next series then After that we have the kids of those kids. I really can’t wait to get into it. And I’m so glad prime brought back this entire series starting with the deal to make us fall in love again with Elle KENNEDY‘s series, and introduce her to some people that had missed out around one. Can’t wait to see what happens Next! This is officially where I finished, I haven’t read any of the Briarview stories. I did read the gram effect. But that’s it so the rest is new to me as well. Excited to go check it out right now!!