Apparently this is a rerelease of one of the first books Elle read, but I didn’t know it existed so I’m glad this caught my eye. I love hockey romances and this one did not disappoint. Hayden irked me a bit, as she came across as bratty and I hated that she kept telling Brody she only wanted a fling. Ma’am, you don’t only want a fling with this man, so give it a rest. He was an absolute babe and clearly worshipped her, what’s not to like? I definitely enjoyed their chemistry and banter and just wanted Hayden to get her head out of her ass. Regardless, this spice was killer and it was a quick and enjoyable read.

This is a re-worked and extended story. I love the idea of revisiting old stories and breathing new life into them. The author has a sweet blurb before the first chapter about how this came to be. I loved getting that context before I started reading!

Hayden is looking for a one night stand and meets Brody at a bar. They hook up, then go their separate ways. Only, it turns out he’s a player on her father’s professional hockey team. And Brody wants more than one night.

The B plot has to do with the team being under scrutiny after her father has some insider trading claims brought against him for gambling. It’s adds some extra thrill to the story. I had so much fun reading this!

Also, the mention of a Hummer in the first chapter was the funniest giveaway that it’s a reworked story. I haven’t heard someone mention that type of car in 10 years, so it gave me a solid laugh.

Thank you so much to the author, Harlequin, and NetGalley for my early digital copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for this ARC! I was so overjoyed to receive this ARC because I am a big fan of Elle Kennedy’s work. This was her first hockey romance and it was so entertaining! Hayden and Brody had such tension and chemistry that it kept me reading into the late hours of the night! It had romance, mystery and relatable characters!! I loved the genre he falls first and this book didn’t disappoint!! I works highly recommend this book and I will continue to read everything this author writes!! Thank you!!

Could a one night stand turn into forever? This was a fun and steamy book. I liked the characters and the professional hockey setting. The romance was great but the side plot involving her father did nothing for the story.

Body Check by Elle Kennedy was SUCH a fun read! I was eagerly anticipating a light-hearted and steamy read, and the book certainly lived up to my expectations. From the very beginning, the author managed to strike a perfect balance between tantalizing romance, thrilling drama, and irresistible spiciness that keeps you hooked.

While I would have liked to see more exploration of the ex-boyfriend, the novel still had plenty of gripping drama to offer. The controversies surrounding the father added an extra layer of intrigue to the plot, keeping me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Overall, Body Check was a great read that offers just the right amount of sweetness and drama to satisfy your reading cravings!

Hayden and Brody are hot. Hayden set out to have her first one night stand to forget her bland boyfriend she's on a break from in California and found Brody, a HOT hockey player who coincidentally wants what she really wants. She's only in Chicago to help her dad through his divorce, but she's torn up learning he's not who she thought he was. She knew they had drifted apart over the years, but it's much worse than she thought. Hayden and Brody's love story is a fun ride with the dad drama in the background. Overall it's an enjoyable read and I'll be laughing over the intimacy bridge for a while.

I LOVED Elle Kennedys Off Campus series and was intrigued to come across another hockey series by the author. Upon further investigation - it was her first book and it’s being re-released with extended scenes and a new cover.

This story was easy to get wrapped into, a gal + one night stand who turns out to be a professional hockey player who is one of the stars on the team her father owns but something fishy is going on with shady deals to throw games.

I love a good quick romance with an underlying plot that’s actually intriguing. A quick easy fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Romance for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Who doesnt love a man with feelings! That is what I fell in love with about this book. Also I love a good hockey love story, so you cant go wrong. Honestly if you love Elle Kennedy or hockey then this book is for you. Over all the book isnt bad but mid.

Elle Kennedy has been pretty hit or miss for me over the years. I adore the Off Campus and the The Graham Diaries, but haven't always loved her other series or standalones. It does pain me to say, but I did not vibe with this one. This was some of her earlier work that was reworked, but I still didn't love this. I found both MC's to not have the chemistry or banter that they should have. Elle has come a long way since this and for that I'm really glad.

I didn’t read the original, so this is my first dip into the novel and I was not disappointed!

Although it was purely smut, let’s be real, I enjoyed the little story line it had. The chemistry between Hayden and Brody was pure fire. 🔥 I loved the he falls first trope and this was well done!

I liked that there was an air of mystery, but the conclusion wasn’t surprising. This was full of cringey parts, but I still enjoyed it overall!

I'm an elle Kennedy fan, I found all the books at Briar U enjoyable, I liked her work with Sarina Bowen.

I was provided a copy of the re-release version with a new cover by the publisher. There's a disclaimer before this book where the author explains this book was one of the first she ever wrote and criticises her own writing in it.

Having also read the Avalon Bay series and her latest Girl, Abroad, I can say that the fictional Hockey world is where she belongs.

She may herself see some phrasing and wording in this one that she's grown from over the years (I know she hasn't grown in character development, I read Girl, Abroad afterall) but overall enjoyment as the reader, this book was what I'm looking for.

It's a tight story under 300 pages, the romance is fun, both characters are likable people, there's even sort of a mystery going on I cared about. The story moves quickly and is everything Briar U fans are looking for from the author.

*Characters are slightly older in their mid 20s but don't let that scare away anyone who's use to reading NA

This is my first Elle Kennedy book, but it won't be my last! This is a rewritten and updated version of one of her very first books. I really love sports romances, especially hockey, and I think Elle Kennedy is a master at this. I loved Brody and Hayden together, and the one night stand trope was really well done in this book. There was plenty of smut in this, but mixed with romance and a good plot. I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Kennedy and Harlequin for the eARC of this book.

Elle Kennedy is one of my comfort authors and I always enjoy her writing style. I love that she’s updating her first hockey romance that started her down the path to the off campus series. However, this story line was not my favorite. I didn’t connect to the characters or the challenges they faced. The “break” with the ex didn’t sit well with me and ultimately contributed to the lack of character likability. I generally love Elle Kennedy’s books, but this one just wasn’t my favorite.

Hayden is a professor of art history, and her father owns a hockey team. Hayden has never liked hockey but wants a close relationship with her father. When there is an impending divorce, he asks her to come to Chicago and be with him. Once she gets there it appears he is not only going through a divorce from his wife of 4 years but is accused of bribing players to throw games. Hayden is frustrated with her boyfriend and her friend suggests she have a one-night stand. She invites him to her hotel suite and is surprised to learn the next day he is a star hockey player. I really enjoyed this book. Hayden spends time thinking about what love looks like for the rest of her life. I liked the dedication Brody had to his team and his own family as his hockey allowed his parents to rest comfortably at home.

I love elle kennedy and anything she writes ! However this is to similar to alot of her other ones. Ie offf campus series.

Thank you Harlequin and netgalley for the eARC!!!

This looks to be Elle Kennedy’s first hockey romance book being repackaged and republished 15 years later. (For point of reference, this book was first released in 2009 and the Off Campus series was first released in 2015.)

I’m an Elle fangirl. I look forward to each and every one of her new releases, hockey romance and otherwise. I’ve read and own over a dozen of her books. Some of them in multiple copies. But this book? This book should have stayed under the radar. The characters had no depth, the dialogue was cringey, and even the smut was uninspired. Hayden’s narrative went back and forth between referring to her dad as “her father” and his first name. This felt like mediocre fanfiction writing. To the author’s credit, her writing has gotten so much better in the past 15 years and I will continue to read everything new she releases.

I really enjoyed Elle Kennedy's Off Campus and Briar U series, so I was excited to see this book available on Net Galley. I recommend Kennedy's books, especially her hockey romances. I hope to see more from her in the future!

2.5 stars.
This was kind of a shock to me because I really enjoyed Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus series. I ate up The Deal and when I saw this I expected to feel the same, which I guess is on me.

I feel like there was a lot of tell without show that made the relationship fall flat. Brody and Hayden’s sexual chemistry is obvious but everything else in their relationship happened behind closed doors or through texts. So when it came down to the HEA I was just like but is there really any subsistence to this relationship? I felt myself dragging through this book because I wanted to at least know how the plot ended. Which was very abrupt and not well explained. And that epilogue! A year later? The amount of stuff in that epilogue for it only to be a year had me trying to wrap my mind around how it was even possible but hey for the sake of fiction I will accept it.

I also wouldn’t classify this as a rom-com. There was no comedy in it for me, other than maybe the FMC’s best friend Darcy. Comedy is subjective so it may be funny to others.

This book didn’t entirely ruin Elle Kennedy for me, I just think I’ll stick to her more recent work.

I love a good Elle Kennedy book + hockey romance??? Count me in!

Although this has been rewritten, I have never read and this is my first time so I do not know what changes were made and if it impacted the story overall. What I do know after reading is that it’s:
•One Night Stand 💋
•Coach’s Daughter 🙊
•Sports Romance⛸️🏒
•He Falls First 💙
•Spicy 🌶️

On top of being romance and focusing on the relationship between Hayden and Brody, there’s a lot of drama. Luckily it’s mostly Hayden’s father and his ongoing divorce-which is pretty scandalous given that it relates to the team he formed and is in charge of. But is it as scandalous as one of his players seeing his daughter? Read and find out ;)

I quite liked Brody and Hayden, but there was not much aside from their sizzling chemistry and their slightly forbidden relationship. Hayden’s spent a lot of her life not really focusing on sports despite her dad being a major figurehead in the hockey world. Her main priority was seemingly to find a solid, stable relationship but then when her fling is offering just that she hesitates. Her break with Doug wasn’t bad, but her main reason for needing a break was bc of sex was a little…interesting. Not my favorite plot tool used, but not the worst.

Brody just seems to be very cool and wanting to settle down. Former F Boy turned Good Boy who was more like a golden retriever (never letting Hayden go). I did not enjoy very much the third act breakup. That was a lot and I felt like I should have seen it given the way the characters roles in each others lives were set up but it just annoyed me that they broke up to protect Brody’s image (which is fine but Like that made it even more sus for the scandal)

I enjoyed this book for its steamy spice and the drama brought on with Hayden’s dad.
Thank you Harlequin and netgalley for the eARC!!!

I love hockey romance... but I didn't love this. It was very insta-love ick. I felt no attachment towards the characters, and struggled to finish. Had I not been given this copy in exchange for my opinion, I probably would've DNF'd.