REVIEW: Love Song by Elle Kennedy

In Love Song by Elle Kennedy, Lake Tahoe has always been one of Blake Logan’s favorite places to stay with her family but this summer it’s not just a getaway. No, the plan this year is to spend a couple of months alone there figuring out a career plan (okay…a career direction) as she heads into her senior year at Briar U. Blake also needs out of Boston for a while to clear her head after a bad breakup. But the quiet days she envisioned don’t happen thanks to family friend–and her several year’s long crush–Wyatt Graham crashing at the house as well. The musician claims he has writer’s block and hopes Tahoe will get him out of his funk. Blake only sees temptation every day he wanders around shirtless, strumming his guitar. When she finally catches his attention and they give in to the chemistry that’s been simmering for a long time, she has every intention of it staying casual. Too bad her heart didn’t get that memo.

Wyatt couldn’t believe it when Blake showed up at the lake house unannounced. Okay, so he was there without telling their close-knit families, either. He’s spent years trying to keep his distance from her after she confessed her feelings for him when she was sixteen and he was twenty. Wyatt knows he’s not the right guy for Blake. She’s a long-term relationship girl and he only does short-term flings. Plus, she’s wicked smart and is one of the best people he knows. She doesn’t need his baggage or issues slowing her down. But as the summer wears on, Wyatt can’t deny there is something big happening between them. Although, when a personal tragedy knocks both of them sideways, he knows it’s going to take some soul-searching and honest communication before they can decide if trying again is the right path for them both.

“All paths lead to you.”

Fans of Elle Kennedy’s Briar Universe rejoice! LOVE SONG introduces us to the next generation of characters from her extremely popular series with this standalone spinoff romance. Some of the names will be familiar–and some of the hilarious shenanigans will be too. But this angsty, passion-fueled story ushers in a whole new perspective on the Logan and the Graham families, their friendship having evolved and grown stronger over time. And it’s a good thing they had that strong foundation because Blake Logan and Wyatt Graham’s verbal clashes and unshakeable attraction created chaos in all of their lives. Thankfully, for the better. Eventually.

Even if you’ve never read any of the previous Briar books, Kennedy included just enough of the background between all the families so the dynamic will make sense. I loved seeing them together–the chat groups in particular had me laughing out loud continuously. But it was Blake and Wyatt who will truly grab your attention. They just had this visceral connection that came from building a friendship since childhood but morphed into something of a romantic sort more recently. Complicated doesn’t even begin to explain their relationship. But thanks to Kennedy’s carefully detailed description of their feelings, especially how they felt so settled and at home in each other’s presence, there was just no way they wouldn’t work things out. No matter what life threw at them.

TROPES/VIBES:

• Spinoff–Briar Universe Next Generation
• Forced proximity
• Unrequited crush
• Age gap
• Protective (musician!) hero
• Dual POV

CW: View Spoiler »Cheating, pregnancy loss, depression, grief « Hide Spoiler

LOVE SONG had all of the crazy antics, life-long friendships, seriously steamy romance, and relatable characters I enjoyed in Elle Kennedy’s OG Briar books. If you’re looking for something that will have you completely swept up in the storyline, look no further.

QOTD: Have you read any of Elle Kennedy’s Briar books? If not, have you read any “next generation” spinoffs from another author’s series?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: March 17th, 2026 | Bloom Books |

A Briar universe standalone romance featuring the next generation Off-Campus characters—where one unforgettable summer changes everything

After a brutal breakup, college junior Blake Logan escapes to her family’s lake house in Tahoe, determined to shut out the world. Her plan is simple: no men, no drama. Until Wyatt Graham shows up. Four years older and far too good at getting under her skin, Wyatt is the living embodiment of a “bad idea,” and the guy who shattered her pride when she confessed her crush at sixteen.

With his music career stalled, Wyatt has come to Tahoe for inspiration. The last thing he expects is to find it with Blake. He’s spent years keeping his distance, convinced he’s all wrong for her, but she’s no longer the innocent girl he once knew. She’s confident, captivating, and impossible to ignore. And the slow-burning tension between them? It’s catching fire fast.

They both know this can’t last, but one reckless kiss turns into another, and soon they’re tangled in something that feels dangerously like more. Just as they finally give in to the pull, tragedy tears them apart, leaving their hearts in pieces.

But forgetting that one, nearly perfect summer? Not a chance. And when fate brings them together again, Blake and Wyatt must decide if this is a second chance…or the final verse.