The Risk by Elle Kennedy Summary

The Risk by Elle Kennedy is a contemporary romance novel about a college student who must enter a fake relationship with Jake Connelly, a rival Harvard hockey player, to secure an internship. As the daughter of Briar's head hockey coach, she's forbidden from dating enemy team players, making their arrangement dangerous. The fake dating agreement includes a unique twist: for every fake date, Jake demands a real one, blurring the lines between pretense and genuine attraction.

Elle Kennedy is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author who grew up in Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. She has written over 40 titles spanning romantic suspense and contemporary romance, specializing in strong heroines and alpha heroes with compelling chemistry. Kennedy is particularly known for her college hockey romance series, including the Off-Campus and Briar U collections.

The Risk by Elle Kennedy appeals to readers who enjoy new adult contemporary romance with sports themes, particularly college hockey settings. This novel is ideal for fans of fake dating tropes, forbidden romance, and steamy scenes with witty banter. Readers who appreciate enemies-to-lovers dynamics, family conflict storylines, and strong female protagonists who refuse to compromise their independence will find this book engaging.

The Risk by Elle Kennedy delivers a compelling standalone romance within the Briar U series, offering readers a satisfying blend of humor, heat, and emotional depth. The novel succeeds through its well-developed characters, particularly the fearless heroine navigating career ambitions and forbidden attraction. Kennedy's signature style of combining college hockey culture with authentic relationship dynamics makes The Risk an entertaining read for contemporary romance enthusiasts, though readers should note it contains mature content.

The Risk by Elle Kennedy functions as a standalone novel within the Briar U series, meaning readers can enjoy it without reading previous books. However, the book is the second installment in the Briar U series, which connects to Kennedy's earlier Off-Campus series through shared settings and occasional character appearances. Reading the series in order enriches the experience by providing context about Briar University's hockey culture and recurring characters, but it's not essential for understanding the main romance.

The Risk by Elle Kennedy uses a fake dating arrangement where the heroine needs Jake Connelly to pose as her boyfriend to secure a competitive internship. The unique condition Jake establishes creates tension: for every staged public date, he demands one genuine private date where they explore their real chemistry. This structure allows Kennedy to blend professional necessity with romantic development, gradually breaking down the heroine's resistance as pretense transforms into authentic emotional connection.

Jake Connelly represents forbidden territory because he's Harvard's star hockey forward while the heroine is the daughter of Briar University's head coach. Dating a rival team player would damage her father's reputation, alienate her friend group, and potentially jeopardize her post-college career prospects. This forbidden element intensifies the romance stakes, forcing both characters to choose between family loyalty and personal desire while navigating the competitive college hockey rivalry.

The Risk by Elle Kennedy explores taking calculated chances in love despite potential consequences, as reflected in the book's title. The novel examines family expectations versus personal autonomy, particularly how the heroine balances her father's coaching career with her own romantic choices. Additional themes include overcoming prejudice, authentic self-expression, vulnerability in relationships, and distinguishing between reputation management and genuine emotional risk-taking.

The Risk by Elle Kennedy authentically depicts college hockey rivalries, particularly the competitive tension between Briar University and Harvard teams. Kennedy incorporates hockey terminology, training schedules, and team dynamics while exploring how athletic rivalries extend beyond the rink into social relationships. The novel showcases "bro banter" among teammates and the intense loyalty within hockey programs, creating a vivid backdrop where sports competition directly conflicts with romantic possibilities.

The heroine in The Risk by Elle Kennedy evolves from someone who claims to ignore others' opinions into someone who confronts her actual fear of vulnerability. Initially presented as a "bad girl" who draws the line at sleeping with the enemy, she gradually recognizes that her resistance stems from genuine stakes rather than mere rebellion. Her character development centers on learning when calculated risks in love are worth taking, ultimately choosing authentic connection over maintaining her carefully constructed reputation.

The Risk by Elle Kennedy stands out through its cross-university rivalry conflict, featuring a Harvard player instead of keeping the romance within Briar's team. Unlike Kennedy's other hockey romances where relationships face typical college obstacles, this novel elevates stakes through family-professional consequences tied to coaching politics. The internship motivation adds career-driven depth beyond pure romance, while the negotiated fake-to-real dating structure provides a fresh framework within Kennedy's established hockey romance universe.

The Risk by Elle Kennedy is the second book in the Briar U series, published in February 2019, following the successful Off-Campus series. This novel continues Kennedy's signature college hockey romance formula while expanding beyond Briar's campus to include rival schools. The Briar U series preceded her Campus Diaries series, which began with The Graham Effect, demonstrating Kennedy's sustained focus on academic sports romance settings with interconnected character worlds.