From Page to Screen: Elle Kennedy's Hockey Romance Journey
Elle Kennedy, the bestselling author behind the Off Campus series, recently sat down with industry reporters to unpack the surprising impact of BookTok on her career and the transition of her novels into a Prime Video adaptation.
Her debut hockey romance, Body Check, arrived in 2009, and since then she has penned at least eighteen titles that center on the fast‑paced world of college hockey, often weaving together multiple storylines and co‑authored works.
The surge of TikTok, especially the BookTok community, has propelled her backlist into the spotlight, driving a wave of new readers and boosting print sales that had previously plateaued.
The Off Campus books are set at the fictional Briar University, where a college hockey team and the women connected to its players intersect, creating a web of rivalry, friendship and romance that has become the series’ hallmark.
In 2019, Leanna Billings of Billings Productions optioned the franchise, and the adaptation finally premiered on Prime Video on May 13. The cast includes Belmont Cameli, Ella Bright and Mika Abdalla, who bring the on‑screen chemistry to life.
Kennedy stressed that preserving the dynamic between Hannah and her best friend Allie was essential, noting that the series’ appeal hinges on those nuanced relationships.
The success of Heated Rivalry, another title in her catalogue, has been cited as a catalyst for renewed interest in the entire Off Campus universe, reinforcing the genre’s growing mainstream traction.
Production for the show’s second season is currently underway in Vancouver, where the crew and cast are filming new episodes that will continue to explore the intertwined lives of the team and their partners.