He made a rule. She might be the reason he breaks it.
The Play is the third book in Elle Kennedy’s Briar U series, the spin-off set in the same universe as Off Campus.
This story follows Hunter Davenport, a Briar hockey player determined to stay focused and avoid distractions, and Demi Davis, a smart, confident, and warm-hearted student who unexpectedly becomes the one person capable of breaking through his control.
Funny, emotional, and full of slow-burn tension, The Play brings another unforgettable romance to the world of Briar University.
Book Details
Series: Briar U
Book Number: #3
Author: Elle Kennedy
Release Year: 2019
Genre: New Adult Romance / Sports Romance
Main Couple: Hunter Davenport & Demi Davis
Setting: Briar University
Synopsis
Hunter Davenport is trying to get his life back on track.
After a difficult season and mistakes he wishes he could undo, Hunter decides that this year has to be different. No drama. No distractions. No hookups. His focus is hockey, leadership, and proving that he can be the teammate and captain everyone needs him to be.
Then he meets Demi Davis.
Demi is smart, funny, confident, and completely comfortable challenging him. She has her own life, her own goals, and a relationship that seems stable — until everything begins to change.
What starts as friendship slowly becomes something deeper. Hunter and Demi grow closer through honesty, humor, late-night conversations, and the kind of chemistry that becomes harder to ignore with every moment they spend together.
But Hunter has rules. Demi has her own complicated feelings. And neither of them expected friendship to turn into something that could change everything.
The Play is a story about second chances, self-control, friendship, trust, and realizing that sometimes the best kind of love is the one you never planned for.
Main Characters
Demi Davis
A smart, outgoing, and confident student with a big heart, a sharp mind, and the courage to question what she truly wants.
Hunter Davenport
A Briar hockey player trying to become better, stay focused, and prove himself after past mistakes.
Briar Hockey Circle
The team and friendship group at the heart of the Briar U series, bringing humor, loyalty, chaos, and emotional support.
Summer Di Laurentis
A familiar face from The Chase, connected to the Briar U world.
Brenna Jensen
A familiar face from The Risk, part of the wider Briar circle.
Book Tropes
College romance
Hockey romance
Friends to lovers
Slow burn
No-hookup rule
Emotional growth
Second chances
Found family
Unexpected feelings
Self-discovery
About This Book
The Play continues the Briar U series by focusing on Hunter Davenport, a character who has already been part of the Briar hockey world before getting his own story.
This third installment brings a softer, more emotional dynamic to the series, centered around friendship, personal growth, and the tension between control and desire.
Hunter and Demi’s relationship grows gradually, making their story feel intimate, funny, and heartfelt. Their connection adds another layer to the Briar universe, showing that love can begin quietly — through trust, honesty, and the person who makes you feel seen when you least expect it.
For fans of Off Campus and Briar U, The Play is another return to the friendships, hockey atmosphere, and romantic chaos that make Briar University so addictive.