BookTok’s favorite hockey romance universe has officially made the jump to television. Elle Kennedy’s bestselling Off Campus series is now a Prime Video show, and fans are already obsessing over the adaptation, the cast chemistry, and the major changes from the books.

Season 1 adapts The Deal, the first novel in the series, following Hannah Wells and Briar University hockey captain Garrett Graham. Their fake-dating arrangement starts as a mutually beneficial deal — she tutors him, he helps make her crush jealous — but quickly turns into one of romance readers’ favorite couples.

But if you’ve read the books, you’ll notice immediately that the show is not doing a page-by-page adaptation.

And honestly? That’s part of why fans are talking about it so much.

The Show Changes More Than You’d Expect

According to showrunner Louisa Levy, the series was designed more like Bridgerton than a strict one-book adaptation. Each season will focus on a different couple while still keeping previous characters heavily involved in the story.

That decision completely changes the timeline from the books.

One of the biggest surprises is that Dean and Allie’s romance — which doesn’t fully happen until The Score (book three) — is already introduced in Season 1. In the series, their relationship becomes a secret subplot much earlier than readers expected. Levy explained that the writers wanted to “keep audiences surprised,” even if they already know the books.

The adaptation also changes Hannah and Garrett’s breakup storyline. In the novel, Garrett’s father has financial control over him, which becomes a major factor in the conflict. The show updates this because modern NCAA rules now allow college athletes to earn money independently through NIL deals. Instead, Garrett pulls away because he’s afraid of becoming like his father.

It’s one of several examples where the series modernizes the books while trying to preserve the emotional core of the relationships.

Why Readers Are Still Telling People to Read the Books First

Even fans loving the adaptation are saying the books still deliver the stronger emotional experience.

The show moves faster, introduces multiple romances early, and builds a larger ensemble world. The novels, meanwhile, spend much more time inside the characters’ heads — especially Hannah’s trauma recovery, Garrett’s emotional growth, and the gradual trust between them.

That slower emotional build is a huge reason The Deal became such a massive romance hit in the first place.

The series captures the chemistry and college atmosphere well, but readers say the books make the relationships feel deeper and more personal. Many fans are recommending newcomers read at least the first two books before watching because future seasons appear to be weaving together storylines much earlier than the novels did.

What Order Should You Read the Books In?

If you want the full experience before diving into the show, read them in release order:

1. The Deal — Garrett and Hannah
2. The Mistake — Logan and Grace
3. The Score — Dean and Allie
4. The Goal — Tucker and Sabrina
5. The Legacy — the extended epilogue book

Season 2 is widely expected to adapt The Mistake, focusing on Logan and Grace, especially after India Fowler was cast as Grace Ivers before Season 1 even premiered.

Why Off Campus Feels Bigger Than Just Another Romance Adaptation

Part of the reason the adaptation is connecting so quickly is because it leans into what made the books popular in the first place: friendship dynamics, found family, emotional vulnerability, and messy college-age relationships.

Instead of treating each romance separately, the show builds Briar University as a shared universe where all the characters remain connected.

That ensemble approach also means fans already get hints of future couples long before their official seasons begin — which has turned the fandom into nonstop theory mode about what Prime Video is setting up next.

And with Season 2 already renewed before the premiere even dropped, it’s clear Amazon knows it may have found its next major romance franchise.

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