What are the Odds (Phil-U #1)
If you're living for childhood friends reuniting years later with unresolved feelings, prepare for nostalgia and heart-fluttering moments!
Grace Hughes shows up in Philadelphia carrying so much more than just her suitcase, and honestly, I felt for her immediately. The author nails that disorienting fog of grief so perfectly—how losing your parents doesn't just break your heart, it makes you feel like an alien in your own life. Her decision to study abroad isn't really about academics; it's about survival, and that desperation to escape everything that reminds you of what you've lost felt so real and raw.
Then there's Levi Holloway, and wow, what a complicated mess of a human being. He starts as this cocky hockey captain making bets about Grace's heart, which should have made me hate him immediately. But the author does something brilliant here—she shows us his growing horror at his own actions. Watching him realize he's falling for Grace while desperately trying to protect her from the truth of how this all started? That internal conflict had me completely invested in his redemption arc.
What got me was how the bet premise, which could have been absolutely toxic, becomes this vehicle for exploring what a genuine connection actually looks like. Levi's terror at potentially hurting Grace transforms him from someone playing games to someone fighting for something real. The way he starts wanting her genuine feelings rather than just a win creates these incredible emotional stakes.
Grace's journey from this grieving outsider to someone finding her tribe in chaotic American college life felt so authentic. Her connection with Levi builds through shared vulnerabilities and real conversations, not just sexual tension. The spice level definitely delivers, but it never overshadows the emotional core of their relationship.
I loved how the author uses Grace's Australian perspective as more than just a cute accent. It creates these genuine moments where both characters see their worlds through fresh eyes, and the whole hockey-versus-football rivalry provides this entertaining backdrop without taking over the story.
But what made this book special for me was how it explores chosen family after loss. Grace's ultimate decision about staying in America stops being about following a guy and becomes about claiming the life she's built for herself. That shift from "girl follows boy" to "woman chooses her own happiness" elevates this way beyond a typical college romance into something genuinely empowering.
This book reminded me why I love new adult romance when it's done right—it's not just about the relationship, it's about becoming who you're meant to be. Definitely adding this series to my must-read list!
Ratings: 4.2/5 Hockey Pucks✨
