I was eagerly anticipating this book ever since I learned it was coming out! I watched so many TikToks about this series and it made me feel so validated in my obsession for the Off Campus series and the OC couples. Therefore, I could not wait to read The Legacy as soon as it came out. I refreshed my Kindle app and there it was! I read all night, and slept for maybe 1 hour but I finished the book within 12 hours of it being released. I was SO pleased. This book was fabulous. Though it is 4 novellas (one for each couple) Elle Kennedy did an amazing job of weaving the four stories together and making it seamless. I really appreciated the continuity throughout the whole book. Seeing the group’s dynamic was a total highlight of this book.
I absolutely loved that we got to see their messages in the group chat and see how their friendships have stood the test of time and distance after their college days are over. I LOVED seeing the mentions of other characters in the Briar U/ Off-Campus universe as well. It reminded me of why I love this series so much. One thing, not a real spoiler but the epilogue is only about one couple, not all 4 like I had hoped and expected. I really hope we see more from the Off-Campus/Briar U universe in the future. If you love this series, you will really enjoy this book.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND READING THE WHOLE SERIES. IN ORDER. INCLUDING THIS AMAZING BOOK.
****CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD****
I appreciated that Elle Kennedy added more to Grace and Logan’s story given that a version of it was already published 2 years ago (?). I really liked their story. At first I was a little annoyed that it ended on sort of a cliff hanger, but once I read the whole book, it made sense because other novellas in this book ended the same way.
Allie and Dean are my favorite couple in the Off-Campus series, followed by Hannah and Garrett. Allie and Dean’s story in this book was great. I really loved getting to see them together again. The main conflict/ problem in their story was surprising to me. Allie’s hesitation about engagement, wedding, babies, seemed a little bit uncharacteristic of her. She is SUCH a hopeless romantic, that seeing her be apprehensive about all of those things was confusing for me as a reader and a fan. But overall, I really enjoyed seeing Dean and Allie again. I love Dean so much. He is such an innately good person and so is Allie. I’m sad that there was no “glimpse into the future” for A&D in the epilogue because I would have LOVED to see them start a little family and maybe name their son Beau since Beau Maxwell was such a big part of their story. Sabrina and Tucker’s story was also great.
I appreciated that the author gave them a conflict in this book that in my opinion was never really resolved/addressed in The Goal. Their communication skills as a couple was beyond bad and frustrating! Tucker’s admission to Sabrina that he is unhappy in his job coming as a surprise to Sabrina was bizarre. I enjoyed seeing them as parents to a toddler, so cute! Finally, Hannah and Garrett. The original Off-Campus couple. The people that started it all. I appreciated the premise of their novella, but bringing Garrett’s abusive father back into the storyline, but only in a novella was unfair. There is SO SO SO much to say and unpack with regards to that. Shoehorning it into a brief novella was frustrating as a reader because it felt like that needed to be a whole full-length book itself. And Hannah holding off on telling Garrett about the pregnancy was also strange and unlike them.
Garrett switching his opinion so quickly about being a dad was way too rushed. I feel like they were a couple who was pretty good at communication so seeing how Hannah handled this situation in this book was surprising. I would have really loved to see Garrett acknowledging that he has a lot of childhood trauma to work through and process in therapy! That would have been some real character development for him. Also, the lack of a wedding for them was upsetting because I feel like they deserve that and as a reader, I would have loved to see thatI!! Lastly, The epilogue was also a bit of a let down as I expected it to be a flash forward for all 4 couples, but it was just for Hannah and Garrett and it wasn’t really a flash forward at all.
