Plot Twists, Swoon-Worthy Moments, and ‘MY WIFE’—Ryder & Gigi’s Unforgettable Ride

"Always. You fall, I pick you up. Always."

This book had me laughing, giggling, and straight-up screaming in public. I took it to a coffee shop, and I’m pretty sure the barista now thinks I’ve lost it. Elle Kennedy has done it again. The cheeky little taglines at the start of each chapter? Chef’s kiss. The plot? Airtight. The execution? Flawless. And those sneaky callbacks to old characters? The cherry on top of an already delicious sundae.

Let’s talk about Gigi Graham—daughter of the Garrett Graham and Hannah Wells—following in her dad’s footsteps as a hockey player. Meanwhile, Garrett’s out here being a full-blown hockey legend. Enter Luke Ryder, another hockey star, and their first encounter? Sparks and sass. He calls her Gisele; she calls him Prom King. The enemies-to-lovers vibes are off the charts.

But wait, it gets better. Ryder practically worships Garrett, and that’s how their deal begins: he helps her with hockey, and she drops his name to her dad. Simple, right? Oh, sweet summer child. All this leads to that moment—a line so iconic it had me making noises I can’t explain. Gigi confesses to Ryder she needs to destress to which Ryder straight-up calls Gigi and says, “Use me” I mean, sir!

So, they start off as a fling—but let’s be real, it’s not a fling at all. All the texting, talking, and late-night convos? You two are practically dating! And the way they both finally come to that conclusion is just too adorable.

Did I mention Gigi’s ex, Colson, is also Ryder’s enemy and co-captain of the team? Yikes. The jealousy? Perfection. Seriously, I live for those jealousy moments, and this one hit all the right notes.

Now, let’s talk about the friends: Mya, Diana, Camila… Shane, Will, Beckett… hold up, Elle Kennedy better give us books on these characters, because there’s no way she’d tease us with them and not deliver. I’m calling it now—the next book is about Shane & Diana, but oh my god, I would literally sell my soul to get a Beckett & Will book. The crumbs she gave us? Famished. I’m starving for more.

Ryder’s past? Complex, to say the least. I was not prepared for the depth of it. His character development was next-level—seriously, chef’s kiss. Watching him come to terms with his first name was honestly both heartbreaking and healing in the best way. His and Gigi’s story reminded me of Hannah and Garrett’s because they were constantly lifting each other up, learning to feel worthy of the other’s love. Goals, honestly.

In most next-gen stories, the kids try way too hard to be just like their parents. But Gigi? Totally flipped the script. All she’s ever wanted was to escape Garrett’s shadow, and honestly, I’m here for it. As much as I’d give anything to have Garrett around, Gigi’s perspective totally makes sense. And you know what? I actually love that she went her own way. Props to her.

Oh, and when Luke brought flowers for Gigi—JUST BECAUSE? Sir, you’ve been officially promoted to Book Boyfriend status. The fact that he confesses first? I can’t even. Gigi’s last “I love you” was met with cheating, so this was like a breath of fresh air.

I actually had a lot of fun with the plot twist. Ngl, though, at first I just thought Ryder said to go see Gigi and make sure she was okay. My jaw is no longer attached to the rest of my face. So don’t even get me started on the MY WIFE moment. I was literally screaming. My man, I already love you. The whole standing-in-line-for-an-autograph thing? Cute doesn’t even begin to cover it. Even Garrett was impressed. I just wish we got to see Gigi’s reaction, though.

And when Ryder was all confused about how he messed things up with Gigi, so he calls his friend’s girlfriend for advice? Iconic. He took the right advice, fixed it, and honestly, I was swooning.

As much as Ryder was the grumpy, brooding, keep-your-distance type with everyone else, he was never that way with Gigi. He was always there for her, always showing up, always proving how much he cared. Whether it was the daisies at her door or sharing parts of his past he’d never opened up about before, his love for her was in everything he did. And damn, it made me melt every time. Plus, thank god there was no miscommunication drama between them.

Tropes:

☆ secret relationships

☆ grumpy x sunshine

☆ no third-act breakup

☆ he falls first

☆ forced proximity

☆ my wife trope

☆☆☆☆☆/5