60 pages • 2 hours read
Elle KennedyThe Graham Effect
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Genre Context: Sports Romances and Romance Novel Tropes
The early 2020s witnessed a surge in the popularity of romance novels, including the sports romance subgenre. The Graham Effect aligns with this trend and employs familiar romance tropes to shape reader expectations and develop character arcs.
Sports romances, notably those centered around hockey, gained momentum in 2023. They often feature male protagonists who, despite participating in physical sports like hockey or football, display unexpected levels of consideration and vulnerability. This contrast appeals to a wide audience, much like similar dynamics seen in vampire and military romances, where the allure stems from the contrast between the male lead’s dangerous nature and his tender treatment of the main character.
Elle Kennedy is well-versed in the hockey romance genre, which is evident in her Off-Campus and Briar U series, as well as the Him series co-authored with Sarina Bowen. However, The Graham Effect is the first book where the female lead, Gigi, is also an athlete. Through Gigi’s character, Kennedy explores the nuances between men’s and women’s hockey, emphasizing the strategic nature of women’s hockey due to the absence of body checking.
Hockey romances incorporate the excitement of sports, adding tension to the narrative through depictions of games and practices. In The Graham Effect, the struggle for both men’s and women’s teams to achieve victory in the Frozen Four enhances the romantic storyline’s intensity. Additionally, the sports genre facilitates the inclusion of a diverse cast of characters, including teammates and coaches, often leading to series expansions exploring the romances of various team members.
The Graham Effect incorporates several romance tropes, with Gigi and Ryder embodying the enemies-to-lovers and sunshine-grumpy archetypes. Gigi’s optimism gradually softens Ryder’s initially gruff demeanor, a transformation integral to Ryder’s character development. Despite Ryder’s initial unkindness toward Gigi, his growth is propelled by her unwavering love and support, overcoming the limitations often associated with the sunshine-grumpy trope.
Series Context: Off-Campus Series and Briar U Series
The Campus Diaries series stems from Elle Kennedy’s Off-Campus and Briar U series. In The Graham Effect, the focus is on Gigi Graham, the daughter of Garrett and Hannah Graham from The Deal, which provides a new and complex hockey romance and reintroduces familiar characters. While each book in the Campus Diaries series stands on its own, characters and storylines echo those from the Off-Campus universe.
Garrett and Hannah are Briar University alumni, making Gigi a legacy student. Their dynamics, including Garrett’s protective nature and Hannah’s gentle understanding of people, are echoed in their parenting of Gigi. Kennedy weaves in details like Hannah winning a Grammy and Garrett’s retirement, expanding upon their lives beyond their original stories. Gigi’s personality includes elements of both of her parents’ traits and characteristics.
In addition to Gigi’s parents, The Graham Effect features other characters from the earlier series. Jake Connelly, a hockey great from Kennedy’s novel The Risk, participates in the Hockey King show alongside Garrett. Moreover, Gigi’s familial connections to characters like Dean Di Laurentis, John Logan, and Alex emphasize the continuity and depth of relationships established in the Off-Campus series. Garret’s former coach, Chad Jensen, is Ryder’s current coach, and his consistent personality (including his aversion to pets, introduced in the Briar U novel) further enriches the interconnectedness of the series.
