Welcome back to Briar University.
The Chase is the first book in Elle Kennedy’s Briar U series, the spin-off of the beloved Off Campus universe.
This new chapter follows Summer Di Laurentis, Dean’s younger sister, and Colin “Fitz” Fitzgerald, a quiet, talented hockey player who would rather stay away from drama than become the center of it.
Set once again at Briar University, The Chase brings readers back into a world of hockey, romance, friendships, tension, and complicated feelings.
Book Details
Series: Briar U
Book Number: #1
Author: Elle Kennedy
Release Year: 2018
Genre: New Adult Romance / Sports Romance
Main Couple: Summer Di Laurentis & Colin “Fitz” Fitzgerald
Setting: Briar University
Synopsis
Summer Di Laurentis is confident, stylish, and impossible to ignore. After leaving her previous college, she arrives at Briar University ready for a fresh start — but finding her place is not as simple as she hoped.
Then there is Colin Fitzgerald.
Fitz is a hockey player, an artist, and the kind of guy who keeps his emotions locked away. He is quiet, focused, and determined to avoid unnecessary complications. Summer, with her bright personality and chaotic energy, is exactly the kind of complication he thinks he should stay away from.
But avoiding someone becomes difficult when the chemistry is impossible to ignore.
Summer is used to people judging her before they truly know her, while Fitz is used to hiding behind distance and silence. As they get closer, both of them have to face their insecurities, their fears, and the walls they have built around themselves.
The Chase is a story about attraction, vulnerability, self-worth, and discovering that sometimes the person who challenges you the most is also the one who sees you best.
Main Characters
Summer Di Laurentis
Dean’s younger sister, a bold and vibrant student trying to find her place at Briar while proving there is more to her than what people assume.
Colin “Fitz” Fitzgerald
A talented Briar hockey player and artist who hides behind control, silence, and emotional distance.
Dean Di Laurentis
Summer’s older brother and one of the original Off Campus characters, whose presence connects this story to the main series.
Briar Hockey Circle
A new group of hockey players and students bringing fresh dynamics, friendships, rivalries, and romances to Briar University.
Book Tropes
College romance
Hockey romance
Opposites attract
Grumpy / sunshine energy
Forced proximity
Roommate tension
Artist hero
Self-discovery
Found family
Briar University return
About This Book
The Chase begins the Briar U spin-off series and expands the world first introduced in Off Campus.
While the original books followed Garrett, Logan, Dean, and Tucker, this new series shifts the focus to another group of students and hockey players at Briar University, while still keeping familiar connections to the characters fans already love.
Summer and Fitz’s story brings a different energy to the universe: emotional tension, personal insecurities, slow-burning attraction, and the challenge of being truly seen by someone else.
For fans of Off Campus, The Chase is the perfect return to Briar University and the beginning of a new generation of love stories.