I AM IN LOVE! Dixon Rule captures everything adore about Elle Kennedy. It's heartfelt and emotionally layered, hysterically funny and wonderfully witty, fresh and charming, and effortlessly swoony. This one just melted my heart. The charming and quirky characters, the banter, holy moly the spice! I'm just enamored with this whole story!

Frenemy neighbors who soon find themselves fake dating thanks to some invasive ex's. I love Diana- she's sassy, she's fierce and strong, but also a bit wounded. I felt for her for constantly trying to live up to everyone's expectations- and thus putting a barrier between herself and everyone around her. She can seem rigid with her rules. But turns out some of her intensity comes from her baggage- her rules and her bravado are all coping and a defense mechanism.

But dear, dirty talking, endearing Shane busts though all those walls. LORDY THIS MAN COULD MELT AN ICEBERG. He's so sexy, but he's also really sincere. I love the way he interacts with Diana- especially in the sweet, more emotional moments. He turns into such a dreamy book boyfriend...who does VERY delicious things to his lady.

This book is just ridiculously fun- I was laughing as much as I was swooning. This second gen cast is pretty expansive, but as an OG fan I am charmed by every time a secondary characters graces the page. I love the bromances, I love all the friends, I love the magical nods to the OG characters. It's a perfect balance of whimsy, nostalgic nods, hilarity, spice, and most of all really heart-hitting emotional moments.

This is shaping up to be an all time fav from Elle- I just adored it! And the audio was so perfectly performed- the energy, the emotional range, the vulnerabilities captured by the narrators- it brought it to life in a way that only enriched Elle's wonderful story.

Elle Kennedy is my queen of hockey romance. I am a huge fan of the Off-Campus and Briar U series, so it was a no-brainer that I would want to read this book, especially after loving The Graham Effect.
The Dixon Rule was equal parts hilarious and hot, and I am now utterly obsessed with Diana and Shane. The found family element is something that I love, and seeing characters from previous books make an appearance just made this all the more special. Elle Kennedy could continue writing within this world she has created forever and I would continue to read it.

Fake dating
Golden Retriever
Sports romance
Hockey player + cheerleader
Summer romance
Slow burn
SPICYY (her hottest book yet!)
Check triggers (on page assault, not by MMC)
"Admitting that you're weak sometimes doesn't mean you're not strong. It means you're human." Both of our characters are fresh out of relationships. Both hurt in completely different ways. Shane + Diana when the band snaps it snaps perfectly. Their banter, their chemistry. I WAS KICKING MY FEET. This was so freaking good. was blushing, screaming, laughing out loud while walking dogs and crying! The audio was fantastic! definitely recommend picking it up!

The story was great. I originally DNF as I could not get past the lack of variety in the male narrators voice. It felt forced and I kept getting thrown out of the story. I picked the physical book up and enjoyed the characters and the story line.

I AM IN LOVE! Dixon Rule captures everything adore about Elle Kennedy. It's heartfelt and emotionally layered, hysterically funny and wonderfully witty, fresh and charming, and effortlessly swoony. This one just melted my heart. The charming and quirky characters, the banter, holy moly the spice! I'm just enamored with this whole story!

Frenemy neighbors who soon find themselves fake dating thanks to some invasive ex's. I love Diana- she's sassy, she's fierce and strong, but also a bit wounded. I felt for her for constantly trying to live up to everyone's expectations- and thus putting a barrier between herself and everyone around her. She can seem rigid with her rules. But turns out some of her intensity comes from her baggage- her rules and her bravado are all coping and a defense mechanism.

But dear, dirty talking, endearing Shane busts though all those walls. LORDY THIS MAN COULD MELT AN ICEBERG. He's so sexy, but he's also really sincere. I love the way he interacts with Diana- especially in the sweet, more emotional moments. He turns into such a dreamy book boyfriend...who does VERY delicious things to his lady.

This book is just ridiculously fun- I was laughing as much as I was swooning. This second gen cast is pretty expansive, but as an OG fan I am charmed by every time a secondary characters graces the page. I love the bromances, I love all the friends, I love the magical nods to the OG characters. It's a perfect balance of whimsy, nostalgic nods, hilarity, spice, and most of all really heart-hitting emotional moments.

This is shaping up to be an all time fav from Elle- I just adored it! And the audio was so perfectly performed- the energy, the emotional range, the vulnerabilities captured by the narrators- it brought it to life in a way that only enriched Elle's wonderful story.

📣 Hockey player + cheerleader
🏒 Summer romance
📣Banter for days
🏒Spicy (dom-sub vibes)
📣Frenemies/Friends with benefits
🏒Close/Forced Proximity (neighbors to lovers)
📣Fling to stick it to our ex’s
🏒Sports Romance
📣Fake dating
🏒Thick book…and also thick D…..

⭐️⭐️💫 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Be prepared for explicit material, language, and content.

Let’s start first with the fact that Elle Kennedy knows how to write them steamy. I didn’t read the first book in the series, but I had read other stories by her so I had a general idea of what genre it was. It’s the story of two seniors in college. One is hockey star, and NHL draftee, Shane, and cheerleading captain Diana. They don’t like each other, and then find each other next door neighbors. And I think you can figure out where it’s going. 🥵🍆💃🏻🕺

Throw in two jealous exes, leading them to fake date, a ballroom dance competition, and family drama and you have the story. I did think it ran a little long, and call me a prude, but the explicit language and descriptions were a little much. (plus, I guess times have changed or I had my head in the sand [more likely], but I don’t remember college being this raunchy.) In the end I liked it, but it’s not something that I would readily recommend to just anyone.

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Diana Dixon, a cheerleader with a hectic schedule, and Shane Lindley, a charming hockey player, start off as bickering neighbors. When both need to deal with their exes, they enter a fake relationship that sparks genuine feelings. Diana’s strong personality and Shane’s sweet nature create sizzling chemistry, making their journey from reluctant allies to lovers captivating. The book sensitively addresses serious issues like physical abuse, adding emotional depth to the steamy romance. The audiobook, narrated by Erin Mallon and Corvin King, enhances the experience with their engaging performances, bringing the characters to life. I loved the witty banter, well-developed characters, and the blend of humor and heartfelt moments.

This book was a fantastic romance listen! As a long-time fan of the author, I was delighted with this story. A must-read for all romance enthusiasts!

I LOVED this book! Elle Kennedy was my introduction to sports romance with The Graham Effect and just when I thought I couldn’t love her writing more, she gave us The Dixon Rule.

Diana cannot stand Shane, but guess who just moved into her building? This book will make you laugh out loud with the fun banter and chemistry.

❤️ Sports Romance
❤️ Enemies to Lovers
❤️ Fake Dating

5/5 ⭐️

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks so much to @read_bloom, @hambright_pr, and @dreamscape_media for the free review copies!

💜 🏒Review - THE DIXON RULE by Elle Kennedy🏒 💜

Pub Date: 5/14/2024

Elle Kennedy is fast becoming one of my favorite romance authors. She just never misses and since I’m in my sports romance era anyway right now, The Dixon Rule, the second book in her new Campus Diaries series, was a must read for me. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

Shane is a hockey player, and Diana is head cheerleader. Diana is not a big fan of Shane’s because he has slept his way through almost her entire cheer squad. Things really hit the fan between them when Shane moves into Diana’s apartment building, and she can’t seem to get away from him no matter where she goes, even HOA meetings and the area when she and her dance partner are practicing for an upcoming ballroom dance competition. At wit’s end, Diana lays down some ground rules to save her sanity. No parties at the apartment, no more sleeping with her teammates, and most importantly, leave her alone!

This story was such a fun time! I loved both Shane and Diana, and I found Diana especially relatable, which always makes for a good read. The chemistry between Diana and Shane is off the charts, whether Diana wants to admit it or not, and I loved watching him get under her skin without even really trying. The banter between them is hilarious, and I was over the moon when they started a little frenemies with benefits arrangement because of course we know where that’s going!

In addition to the fun and sexy moments, there were also some weightier moments in the book, one in particular toward the end that made me bawl. I loved how Kennedy seamlessly weaves together those heavier moments with the lighter romcom ones to create a read that I simply could not put down. If you’re looking for the perfect beach read, look no further because this is it!

The audiobook was fantastic!. Erin Malloon and Corvin King do such a fabulous job of making that banter between Diana and Shane really pop and I was easily able to follow along with the story at my usual 1.75x.

This book gets all the stars. While it started out being more of a 4 stars the more I read the more I fell in love with the book and characters. This is top tier Elle Kennedy. I can't believe how much I loved Shane and Diana. I loved the enemies to lovers and how their relationship formed. This book put me through all of the emotions. It was spicy, made me giddy, had great banter, and was also soul crushing and heart felt. I'm so glad that this didn't have a break up at the end. I love how their relationship progressed. As always I loved seeing the OG off campus couples. I also loved seeing the friendships like between Diana and Gigi and Shane, Beckett, Will, and Ryder. I was loving the friendship between Diana and Will. We saw less after "that" scene but I wish we saw more of the friendship. This book remains me or the score in the best ways. I absolutely loved it.
The narrators were great in this book. I've never listened to a book by either of them but thought they both fit for Diana and Shane.
Thanks Elle Kennedy, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Select for the free AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

Yes! This book was sports romance perfection! Diana and Shane had such great frenemies vibes going into their romance. He loved nothing more than to irritate and prod her and she loved nothing more than to insult him. So when they became friends....very slowly....a little at a time, I couldn't have been happier.

Diana is such a structured and fierce woman. She has to be - - she relies on herself and can't let go of that control. She wants to be someone that everyone believes to be strong. Showing vulnerability doesn't come easy to her.

Everyone thinks Shane is a hookup kind of guy but he's been trying to cure the heartbreak he suffered when his longtime girlfriend broke up with him over a year ago. But was he's come to realize is that he's a girlfriend kind of guy. He doesn't want to be having casual one night stands. He wants more.

When Shane and Diana's exes both create issues for them, the easy solution seems to be a fake relationship between the two of them. But what starts out as fake quickly evolves into something more....dare I say, something where feelings get involved.

When I saw that this book was fairly lengthy, I was a little leary but it really didn't feel long as I listened to it. Even though you did get a lot of their daily interactions, it never felt redundant or overly detailed. The story was continually building on itself and everything in the book seemed to help in that process. I listened to the audio and the narration was really done well. It kept me engaged and I found that I looked for things to do which would allow me time to listen to it.

I'm really enjoying this series and look forward to the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley for this early copy of the audio. I voluntarily chose to listen to it and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

ELLE KENNEDY. I AM UNWELL. That entire book was EVERYTHING. I did not think I would like this one more than the first, but I was so so wrong. Diana and Shane. Scratch that... SHANEEE. Okay, okay, scratch that too... SHANE, WILL, and BECKETT. I am dead. If you have this book on your TBR, please do yourself a favor and read this. If you love: Hockey romance, fake dating, dom/sub (ish), slow burn, alpha hole, 12 inches (ha!), and HOTTTT, then this book is for you. I say this all the time, but this book had me feeling all the feelings. The last 25% had me in a choke hold and I cried, then cried again, before crying more. The banter between all the characters was perfection. I loved the little text message group banter that went on through out the book / epilogue. I think this maybe one of my fav reads this year. This will be a tough book to beat. I cannot wait for the third one!


Tropes:
•Hockey romance
•Hockey player / cheerleader
•Summer Romance
•jealous bf/gf and jealous ex bf/ex gf
• 9 Inches (I literally choked when she said "2 foot")
•Dom/sub (ish)
•Frenemies with benefits
•Fling or forever
•Enemies to Lovers
•Slow burn
•Fake dating
•Rom-com
•Steamy

thank you to Dreamscape Select & Elle Kennedy Inc. for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review

elle kennedy kills it with another college hockey romance set during the summer, featuring fake dating, forced proximity (they're neighbors), and friends with benefits.

I enjoyed that the characters were surprisingly complex (for a college hockey romance), and there was more plot development than I was expecting (for a book so heavy on the bedroom activities). does have a third act conflict involving another woman, mostly due to the male love interest being a dumbass, but it is quickly resolved. alas, I have come to expect this from college men.

in terms of the listening experience, the audiobook narration complemented the dual POV quite well. I would reach for audiobooks performed by these narrators in the future.

I never go into an elle kennedy sports romance expecting a great work of literature, but I always leave thoroughly entertained by the dramatic lives of these college athletes. there's always some pretty juicy tea. it's not necessarily a great book, but a great time nonetheless.

additionally, I thought I was immune to pretty much anything you could throw at me in terms of spice in romance books, but this catapulted me into a different stratosphere. do with that what you will.

3.5 stars

Omg the banter in this book was next level!!! I just love, love, loved Diana and Shane from the moment they first interact (and it is with a towel drop). There is so much sass and heated back and forth tension between these two. All the rules are just GIVING!

There are so many laugh out loud moments. You can’t help but fall in love with these two. I love them so much together but really loved them individually as well. Top tier swoon level book all the way!!!!

The audio was also next level! I loved the narrators and felt like they really gave the feels with all the emotions and brought the story to life.

YEEES! This read contained everything I love in a romance; enemies to lovers, fake dating, hockey, humour and spot on bantering 🙌 I was immediately drawn into the story and enjoyed every single part of it!

I've read some of Elle Kennedy's previous work and loved it, but this one was next level! The characters were just perfect with their fun and caring personalities, interesting backstories and sparkling chemistry. Oh and the SPICE!! I also really liked how there wasn't any miscommunication or third-act breakup 💯

All in all just a great romance and the perfect summer read!

The Dixon Rule follows characters we know and love from The Graham Effect, Diana and Shane, through another swoony college romance. I went into this trying to keep my hopes low since I didn't see how any of Kennedy's couples could beat the chemistry of Gigi and Ryder, but these two were explosive in their own extremely fun way. I loved getting to see them open up to each other and overcome their initial hostility, and once their goofy sides came out when they were dancing and binging reality tv, I got really sucked into the story.

The theme of family is particularly strong in this book, and I loved getting to see how Diana and Shane’s relationships with their parents affect their daily lives and overall personalities. Diana feeling like she’s never good enough or meeting the standard her mother sets is both relatable and devastating, and made me love her character so much because it gave us that deeper insight into her driven exterior. It was also nice seeing Shane have a loving relationship with his parents, but wow did that make the ending hit so much harder. I didn’t see that coming at all, and I definitely shed a few tears at THAT heartbreaking goodbye scene.

One of the subplots I loved most in this book was, suprisingly, the Percy and Diana journey. Don’t get me wrong, I hated his character and every atrocious thing he did, but I was grateful for a story like this to be put on paper because, yes, this is the type of thing women have to deal with. Every time Diana didn’t outright reject Percy because she was uncertain of how he’d react, I felt for her, because this is a common issue women have to face. We constantly have to be wary and on guard around men, always anticipating how they might react. Diana’s anxiety attacks felt so real, and resonated deeply with me. When she finally did cut ties with Percy and he reacted with physical violence, it was so hard to read, but again, I think it’s so important to shed light on matters like this because even though The Dixon Rule is fiction, these kinds of situations are very much real. I loved the way Kennedy portrayed this whole dynamic and also how she showed the disgusted reactions of the ~healthy~ men in Diana’s life.

From the wholesome fluff scenes to the face-fanningly spicy scenes, the romance in this book had all the ingredients of perfection. Banter, tension, healthy communication - well, for the most part - and two humans who genuinely grew with each other. The audiobook narrators did wonderful jobs breathing life into Diana, Shane, and the rest of the cast, and gave nuanced performances that had me finishing this in less than a day.

I have so much love for this story and these characters, and I can’t wait to see where the rest of this series goes.

Narrators Corvin King and Erin Mallon bring to life Elle Kennedy's 'The Dixon Rule', featuring Shane and Diana, respective best friends of The Gigi and Ryder from the first book 'The Graham Effect'.

Shane and Diana (aka Lindley and Dixon) are not quite friends, especially because Shane has left a trail of broken hearts among Diana's cheerleading teammates. Thanks to their respective best friends marrying but are often forced together, especially when, to Diana's horror, Shane moves into Diana's apartment building (I cackled at Diana's repeated moves to remove Shane from the building online forum).

This book was a lot of fun, but deeply moving as we slowly explore their individual journeys - Shane fighting the 'player' label he's been given after a bad break-up and Diana dealing with her toxic ex-boyfriend. I liked that Elle Kennedy didn't shy away from some tough scenes, but oh boy did my heart break for both Shane and Diana.

Both Corvin King and Erin Mallon are fantastic narrators. However, and this is an issue I have with all audiobooks of Elle Kennedy's books, I think that her books are miscast. These are characters in their early 20s. So why does she cast actors with voices who clearly sound ten years older than the characters? Or just sound completely wrong for her characters? (case in point, Teddy Hamilton made the taciturn Ryder sound like a stoned surfer or the two narrators for The Deal who were just awful to listen to for Hannah and Garrett).

Corvin King was more successful as he did sound like he was 21 (and what a beautiful rich and warm volume with the mischief which was perfect for Shane), whereas Erin Mallon sounded like she was in her 30s. I can't fault her narration because she brought Diana to life, but to me I really have an issue when the wrong (but talented) narrator is cast for my ears. I am extremely picky that narration needs to have actors cast that sound like the characters, just as if you were casting them for a TV or movie.

Overall 4 stars for the story, 3 stars for the narration only because of the casting.

Thanks to Dreamscape Select | Elle Kennedy Inc. and NetGalley for the ALC.

Everything about this is a 10/10. The narration is GREAT, and the entire book was me dying for more already. I absolutely love Elle Kennedy

i haven’t binged a book this quickly in such a long time. the banter!!! it was so PERFECT. i couldn’t stop laughing, diana is such a firecracker and i loved how she acted with shane. all their back and forth, quick-witted responses made this such a fun read. this book also made me really emotional by the end and i just think that goes to show how talented an author is when they can have you laughing one minute and crying the next!

i have a new book boyfriend and his name is shane! i loved so much about his character! his relationship with his family was just everything to me. he was so close with his parents and sister and made time/effort to visit with them. he had such a good personality and i loved the enemies to lovers vibes in this book. he was also so protective of diana and i loved getting to see them feel so comfortable around each other by the end

diana is a QUEEN! she was fun, flirty, sassy, and confident. she put a lot on her plate and wanted to achieve all her goals on her own without the help from her parents. her character was so fun and relatable. i loved when her and shane started fake dating, i couldn’t stop laughing during some scenes.

the dance competition was one of the highlights of this book and i loved the use of diana’s social media in this one. this book was also so spicy!! i wasn’t expecting some of the scenes that happened (iykyk👀) but miss elle kennedy did not disappoint!! this series has been so much fun i loved both books so far and also love getting to see the cameos from our faves of the off-campus/briar u series!! so freaking excited for the next book🤭