Everything You Need To Know About The 'Off Campus' Book Series
If you loved "Heated Rivalry," which was a BookTok fave that made a splash in 2026, and have been seeking more sports romance books for your next read, let it be the "Off Campus" series by Elle Kennedy. The series was adapted into and debuted as a Prime Video series in May 2026, and as of May 15, the show was the second most popular in the U.S. on Prime Video. If you're the kind of person who likes to take a tactical approach to book adaptations and prioritize reading the book (or books in this case) first, this is everything you need to know about the "Off Campus" book series before you dive into the Briar University universe.
The series, which was first released in 2015, consists of five books total, and each book is around 305 to 350 pages. "Heated Rivalry" fans, consider this your next mandatory obsession, because it's not just another sports romance book — it's another steamy hockey romance book. The series follows players of the Briar University hockey team as they juggle the pressure of college sports, campus popularity, and maybe even love.
As viral as the series was amongst the BookTok community between 2021 and 2022, BookTok creators are already analyzing the differences they've caught between the pages and the screen. Overall, fans of Kennedy's series seem to be satisfied with how well the TV adaptation captured the essence of the books, particularly the casting of characters, the core chemistry, and dialogue.
If you're limited on time, you'll want to read this book before watching the series
So, you want to read the original book series before you spend a whole weekend binge-watching the Prime Video adaptation of "Off Campus", but you're limited on time. No worries, you don't need to read all five books to be fully prepared for the show. In fact, just opt for the first book of the series, "The Deal," which was one of the essential hockey romance books we suggested checking out if you're a rookie to the genre. This is because the first season is primarily focused on the events that happen in the first book.
The first book follows a cynical, no-nonsense music major who can't help but admit she's crushing hard on the captain of her school's football team. When an elite hockey captain desperately needs her help, they strike up a deal to fake-date, so he can maintain his eligibility and she can make her crush jealous. It might be a classic, even cliché trope, but it's what fans have obsessed over all these years.
Although more than a million readers have reviewed this book on Goodreads, "The Deal" maintains an impressive 4.2-star rating. One 5-star reviewer said, "Elle Kennedy has nailed the balance between familiar tropes and a feel-good storyline with this one, making Garrett and Hannah's relationship come to life in a way that's fun and engaging."