2.5 stars. I have enjoyed several other books by Elle Kennedy but this one missed the mark for me. I didn't feel like there was much depth to the characters and the relationship between both MMCs & the FMC was gratuitous in my opinion. I didn't feel like they actually connected nor did I care much about them working out what their poly relationship looked like. It just felt like several random, not well fleshed out storylines blended together as a means of portraying a poly relationship. The spice was spicing...and I unfortunately didn't really care about it in ways that I have for other romantic & sexual storylines.

This is the third book in the Campus Diaries series and follows two irresistible hockey roommates, Will and Beckett, as they navigate a relationship with Charlie, a STEM sorority girl and textbook overachiever. Only Elle Kennedy can make me fall equally in love with two characters and fully embrace a nontraditional romance!

The dynamics between the three felt authentic, with incredible sexual tension, witty banter, and open, honest conversations. Charlie’s character growth was particularly compelling as she grappled with her identity and the realization that she is in love with two men—a concept that took me time to fully embrace as well. She was easy to connect with and root for throughout the story, making me unable to put the book down!

Ohhh Elle Kennedy, a staple, an icon of hockey romance.

This one was… a little bit wild? A little bit anticlimactic?? There’s a great premise and interesting characters but too many loose ends left hanging.

I usually don’t think of EK’s books as being too rosy or lacking tension. There are so many clear conflicts and concerns addressed throughout the story, unfortunately, at about 70% of the book it all seems to just stop developing. Nothing is given enough weight in the wrap up to feel properly resolved, and the last chapter time jump felt a little like an emotional cop out to force the reader to assume all the ‘coming-to-terms’ was done off page.

I’m giving this book a true rating of 2.5, but despite the fact that I feel like I didn’t say anything nice in this review I’m rounding up to 3 stars because I actually did have fun and enjoy reading it. This series is still on my auto buy list, nothing’s changed on that front- I’m sure I’ll be just as excited for the next book as I was for this one.

I am so incredibly grateful to have received an ARC and ALC of The Charlie Method from NetGalley, Hambright PR and the author! 🫶

“This book is for all the people who are really, really bad at making decisions.”

The Charlie Method is one of the cutest reads ever and I loved it so much! 🥹💕 I read the whole thing in less than twelve hours because I couldn’t put this book down due to it being absolutely incredible! ❤️

Charlie is an overachiever, overthinks every possible situation, loves making others happy, and is a list-maker to help her make decisions! 🫶 She is a brand new character in the series and she is incredible. I love that her story goes into depth about trying to find her biological family since she happens to be adopted. Charlie does however have a wild side to her that she keeps a secret from others! 🤪 She loves racing cars and just so happens to be talking to two guys anonymously on a dating app! 🙈🏁🙀

This is my first ever why-choose story I have ever read and I thought it was done really well because the connection between Charlie, Will, and Beckett was so heartwarming! 💕I have been huge fans of Will and Beckett and I was so excited that both of them are showcased in this story! 🎉 They are both so incredibly sweet and kind to Charlie and it was so obvious how much they both were crushing hard on her! 🥹 All three characters in this story are going through so much in their personal lives and it definitely got me emotional and had me crying at certain points! 😭 It was truly such a beautiful read and this book is my favorite in The Campus Diaries series! ❤️ Lastly, the dad chat had me laughing hysterically to the point that I snorted! 😂😂

If you love hockey romance, women in STEM, multiple POVs, MFM relationship, college romance, and a book that will fill your heart with so much joy then this is the book for you! 🫶

What a ride! Elle Kennedy does not hold back when it comes to 3x the love and 3x the action. Will & Beckett together blend to the perfect boyfriend. Will is the sensitive caregiver and Beckett is the fun loving tease with the heart of gold. He may love to tease Charlie, but then he surprises her with the sweetest little notes in her bag to brighten her day. The journey of Charlie’s self-discovery in her original story provides a nice contrast to the fast paced spicy times. What I loved most though was seeing how well-displayed the acceptance journey was for each character. It was an instant thing, they each had to work through their own insecurities and fears and learn how to define their relationship. The family dynamics added a lot of flavor and different views which was great. There were plenty moments of excitement (ALOT of blushing), moments of sadness and a good mix of laugh out loud moments (family dinner revelations at Charlie’s house. 😂 IYKYK). I had a blast with their story.

I loved the duet narration on this one. Teddy Hamilton & Sean Masters are two amazing male narrators that have loved listening to. This was my first time listening to Persephone Lee and she was such a perfect choice for Charlie. I thought she did a fabulous job portraying Charlie’s insecurity and fear.

With “The Graham Effect” being one of my favorite reads from last year, my anticipation for “The Charlie Method” was high. I absolutely loved it. Going in, knowing it was a “why chose” novel with an MFM focus helps with expectations. I do not read a lot of why chose books, but ate this up. I love Elle’s characters and team camaraderie, and just Charlie’s overall vulnerability. She captures that last year of college when everyone is making plans while still trying to enjoy the last year of college. How to separate from people that you’ve spent every waking moment with for the last four years. I love the Briar University world and had no trouble getting right back into it. Charlie’s journey is a heart-felt one and she is such a great character. I love both Beck and Will and all their interactions with Charlie, each other, and their teammates.

The audiobook is amazing with the talents of Persephone Lee, Teddy Hamilton, and Sean Masters bring these characters to life with having each Charlie, Will, and Beck getting their own point of view in first person throughout the story. I loved getting everyone’s POV and really worked with this story. Even at 528 pages/15 hrs 41 min, the story just flew by and so easy to read/listen to.

Do not sleep on Charlie, it is an excellent spicy time with a lot of heart.

Thank you Elle Kennedy, DreamScape Select, and hambright pr for and ALC/ARC of this book!

*The Charlie Method* by Elle Kennedy is an enticing blend of romance, steam, and emotional depth. From the moment Charlie meets the two irresistible Briar U hockey players, Will and Beckett, the chemistry is palpable. The book's pacing is perfect, alternating between fun, flirty moments and those intense, heart-pounding scenes that will leave you breathless. What sets this story apart, however, is the underlying exploration of trust, safety, and vulnerability in relationships. As the characters navigate their messy secrets and complicated emotions, it’s easy to become deeply invested in their journey. Both Will and Beckett are complex and lovable, and Kennedy does a fantastic job of showing their growth alongside Charlie’s own self-discovery. The narrative strikes a balance between steamy moments and heartfelt introspection, giving the reader a well-rounded experience. The college setting adds to the excitement, but it’s the deeper themes of love and finding security in it that truly shine. By the end, you’ll be rooting for all three characters to find happiness, and you’ll probably find yourself wishing for more. Overall, *The Charlie Method* is a captivating read that will leave you swooning and reflecting long after you turn the last page.

I absolutely loved the cutesy poly romance by Elle Kennedy! I always love a good throuple, but i am obsessed with cute vibes and this brought that!

Thank you to Dreamscape Select & NetGalley for an ALC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

This audiobook was narrated to perfection, I could listen to Teddy Hamilton read a phone book honestly lol The three narrators reading the book, made it so easy to follow along!

I related to Charlotte so much with all the pressure she felt to be the perfect version of herself. And it was really refreshing to read about a FMC who was going through those struggles. And I love how Becket & Will help Charlie realize she is already perfect as is. The chemistry between the three of them was off the charts, and the spice was SPICING!!

This is book three in the campus diaries series but can be read as SA. I think all my Sports Romance girlies will love this one!

Charlotte Kingston is a woman of science. A STEM student in biomedical engineering, she approaches everything through the scientific method, but "The Charlie Method". She's been trying to grapple with student (and sorority) life, her risk-taking, thrill seeker ways and her forays into a hookup app. All that with dealing with finding a bio-brother and having to tell her family about him, while reconciling with her Korean roots. Oooof! 

Will Larsen is a congressman's son who has no interest politics but whose dad is dead set on making his hockey star son a poster boy of  "wholesomeness" for his campaign. Too bad that he  and his best friend, Aussie import, laid back Beckett Dunne have a reputation as true believers in "sharing is caring". 

Charlie has been chatting with the two hotties on the app and she gets the shock of her life when she finds out "The Swedes" are Will and Beckett from school. And she is willing "to be shared"...

This was a fun one (but very very long). Even though it is a MFM, spicy, sports romance, the story has three characters with amazing depth and back stories., Charlie is dealing with who she is and how being adopted (and not sharing the same ethnicity as her family) and how adventurous she is. Will is dying to be his own person and not a political prop for his dad. Beckett is hiding an enormous hurt and has the need to be closed off. Their getting together and creating a unit of support and love is really sweet (and definitely spicy). 

The audiobook is narrated duet style by Sean Masters, Teddy Hamilton and Persephone Lee. We all know Teddy and Sean can deliver, but I want to give a standing ovation to newcomer Persephone Lee! She's absolutely incredible as Charlie and as all other female characters, especially the sorority sisters. She really impressed me and I can't wait to hear more from her.

A lovely, "unconventional" (it's 2025, don't clutch your pearls) college romance that will have you swooning. Don't be discouraged by the length of the audiobook - it's worth it.

Side note: DAD CHAT! Hilarious! 

Thanks, Dreamscape for the audiobook.

Content notes: adoption issues, growing up in a family off different ethnicity, dysfunctional parents, grief

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC for my honest review.
Narrator did such an amazing job bringing the characters to life. Recommend you give this book a listen.

The vibes of this book were super fun while also being kind of chaotic. Charlie had a lot going on and that wasn’t helped by adding two boyfriends into the mix. I liked how there were these two people she showed to the world, one that was all proper and on track and the other was where she got to let her hair down a bit.

I think that’s maybe because we had three MCs to cover I didn’t feel like we got to totally flesh everyone’s stories out as much as I would have liked. There’s the Korean adoption for Charlie, the politician Dad for Will and the weird cheating ex for Beckett and I was left feeling like none of it really had a resolution.

Just skip this bit, it’s nonsense.
Ok, let me start this part off by saying that the narrators were great and this isn’t a criticism of them. As an Australian I always love it when books (especially audiobooks) have Aussie characters. Normally because they absolutely butcher the accent and I cackle about it to myself the whole time. Sean Masters in no way butchered the accent, but… I did feel like I was being gaslit into believing that they were Australian the whole time. It kinda went from Australian to South African sometimes but even though I’m making a big deal about it, it certainly didn’t ruin the story for me and his accent work is 1000x better than anything I can do. I did google him and I’m 99.9% sure he’s American, are there no Australian VAs? Should I become one to fill a gap? Ha! No.

Thanks to #netgallery for access to this ARC 💚💛

Genre: Romance MF
Format: Audio
POV: Multiple
Tropes: Poly, hockey MMCs, lite on the hockey, women in STEM, heavy on the nerd, international adoption, dna tests, secret dating, asshole ex, sorority sisters, family pressure, Australian accents out the wazoo.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 /5 - mostly kept the 🧤 on, no ⚔️, no butt stuff 😂 (I feel like that’s an important note for a MFM)
Ending: HEA
Age suggestion: 18+

i can’t believe this is the final book in the series, but I’m so excited to see where it takes us next hehe (*cough* blake and wyatt or aj?? idk but I need blake’s story)

-

if you’ve been following me for a while, you know elle is one of my go-to authors. i always trust her to work her magic, and let me tell you… she absolutely delivered with this one.

the spice ya’ll. oh, i ate that shit UP! it was so hot but also emotional ?? i was sweating, i was giggling, i was tearing up, i was living my BEST life.

this book also had so many cameos from off-campus and briar u, i was actually losing my mind (HELLO COACH HOLLIS 🙂‍↕️ oh how we missed you). And dad chat made me so happy. that’s all.

what you’ll find:
- poly / mfm
- sports romance (hockey)
- college setting
- woman in stem
- multi pov
- sorority fmc x hockey player mmcs
- asian fmc rep
- adoption journey

huge thank you to elle, get red pr, and bloom for the arc 🥹🫶🏼

Thank you to the author, Bloom Books, and Hambright PR for the free book and advance listener copy. These opinions are my own.

Charlotte is the perfect good girl, straight A student. But online, she goes by Charlie when arranging hookups. She keeps the facets of her life quite separate. And then she matches with a pair of men who turn out to be hockey players on her Briar University team, Will and Beckett.

I really enjoyed getting to know Charlie. She was such a unique character with her love of racing sports cars and her approach to her sorority. But she was also someone I deeply related to since she is a perfectionist who worries about her self-presentation. And I was quite impressed with how the book explored her feelings about being the one adopted child in her family.

And then there's Will and Beckett. The Charlie Method is the third book in the Campus Diaries series. I think it helps to have read the second book because The Dixon Rule explores the dynamics of Will and Beckett's relationship.

This book is steamy and fun and emotional in all the right ways. I was a bit annoyed by the ending, but it also felt like a good fit to what had preceded it.

I was so amazed by and pleased by the audiobook format. It featured duet narration with three narrators: Teddy Hamilton, Sean Masters, and Persephone Lee.

4.5 stars rounded up

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2025
I listened to the audiobook version of this story. Loved the MFM part and the throuple concept. I also loved how quickly the guys were there for Charlie when she needed someone and how they were all about her. Beckett and Will were so sweet and their chemistry with Charlie was chef’s kiss. Their individual family stories were also so well portrayed. That being said, the book is long, too long in my opinion, lots of small things and minor issues that could’ve been left out. The spicy scenes were okay. Now the narration by Persephone Lee, Sean Masters and Teddy Hamilton was what kept me engaged. They did a splendid job bringing this book to life.

I absolutely loved this one! It took me a bit to get through because I wanted to go back and reread and I'm so glad I did.
The poly aspect of this one was chefs kiss! Their banter was top tier and the spice was SPICIN' for sure!
You need to add this to your TBR. If not for the story itself, Teddy Hamilton brings this one to life!

EDIT: THE AUDIOBOOK IS DUET STYLE NARRATION! Teddy Hamilton as Will & Sean Masters as Beckett??? Did I just re read this because of the audio? Yes, yes I did and it was perfection.

Oh we got double trouble alright but also… I am LOVING these deeper, more emotional books from Elle!!!

Buckle up because a LOT happens in this book and at almost 600 pages, I still devoured this so quick like it was nobody’s business. I already was obsessed with Will & Beckett so I was waiting for this book like my depended on it, and Elle delivered!!

This is an interconnected (multi series) MFM college hockey romance and deals with some deeper themes such as identity (this is the main one), belonging, grief, adoption, perfectionism, and many more. However, in Elle fashion, the humour and banter was top tier and a perfect way to ease tensions and lighten the mood in such a seamless and heart warming way. *cue the heated and hilarious text threads*

Back to the interconnected - if you love found family as much as I do, PLEASE do yourself a favor and read The Off Campus series, Briar U series, The Legacy and The Campus Diaries series (in that order) so you don’t miss out on all the nostalgic cameos because Dad Chat was on a WHOLE OTHER LEVEL. The main cameos are Mike Hollis (Briar U) and Blake Logan, who’s Grace and John Logan’s daughter (Off Campus #2, The Mistake), but ALL the boys make an appearance and the wives are also mentioned (shoutout to Rupi for still being our favorite absolute terror!!)

If you’re worried about the Why Choose aspect of this book, I personally feel like this is the perfect way to ease into the genre because it was actually very deep, emotional and filled with so much love and understanding and was very beginner friendly. Even the group spice was very mild in comparison to other why choose books so you’ll be well taken care of 🤭

And this is NOT to say the spice isn’t spicing because Charlie!!! I LOVE YOU!! It’s an Elle Kennedy book with cavemen hockey boys - so it’s DEF spicy!

Charlie is a perfectionist with 2 identities: Charlotte is a proper sorority girl, teacher’s pet, does everything to please her parents and everyone around her. In the shadows though, she’s Charlie: a carefree race driving woman who’s eager to explore things with 2 hockey hotties. Will and Beckett need no introduction, but I surprisingly cried at a massive Beckett revelation I didn’t see coming and a Will bomb that left me in shambles. Beware - this one is emotional! That being said, The Dixon Rule still keeps #1 spot in this series because I sobbed so hard I fear my heart never fully recovered. Oh and Gigi, Luke, Shane and Diana (gosh I love her) are back in this one so nobody was left behind.

Can’t wait to see what’s next in store for us!! 💕

“The Charlie Method” audiobook by Elle Kennedy was great! The male and female narrators alternate between perspectives, enhancing the storytelling. If you enjoyed the series, you’ll love this. Charlie strives for perfection in life and school until Will and Beck turn her world upside down and fulfill her missing needs. I highly recommend the audiobook.

I laughed, I cried, I got flustered.

I was lucky enough to get granted the Audiobook via NetGalley.

This is my first Elle Kennedy audio book and if these are her regular narrators it will not be the last. They were AMAZING and brought so much to the table bringing these beloved characters to life.
Having met Will and Beckett in the previous Campus Diaries books I already knew I was in love with them and their relationship adding Charlie into this just made it better, she managed to bring out the best in each of the Boys,

Characters 5*
Plot 5*
Writing 5*
Narration 100*

This book was cute and involved a lot of characters. It presented the many aspects of poly relationships and the challenges of having those relationships while worrying about your image.