I am a woman possessed. I’ve become obsessed with a brand new hot hockey show and I’m not alone.

Since it premiered last week, Off Campus has managed to overtake The Boys as the most-watched show on Prime Video and taken over every human being’s social feeds. The utterly charming show takes place at Briar University, a fictional Massachusetts college where an elite ice hockey program and a robust arts department sit side-by-side. When hockey captain Garrett Graham (Belmont Cameli) discovers that he needs to pass philosophy or lose his spot on the ice, he convinces the class’s star pupil, music major Hannah Wells (Ella Bright), to tutor him. Hannah has an obsessive crush on campus rock star Justin Khol (Josh Heuston) and Garrett believes that Justin will crush on Hannah if he thinks she’s unattainable. And so, Garrett and Hannah pretend to date, which naturally leads to them catching feelings for each other.

Off Campus Season 1 is an adaptation of Elle Kennedy’s first romance novel set at Briar U, The Deal. As with any television adaptation, the show take liberties and makes changes from the source material. What makes Off Campus so exhilarating, though, is that series creator and co-showrunner Louisa Levy made some absolutely incredible changes that make the show even better than the books.

Here are the five biggest changes from Elle Kennedy’s books that help make Off Campus such an addictive show to watch!

1. The Show Is Sexy From the Start

   The first major difference between Prime Video’s Off Campus and Elle Kennedy’s The Deal is how long it takes to serve up some skin. Aside from Garrett’s early hookup with puck bunny Kendall, Kennedy’s book teases the reader for a whopping twenty chapters before the situation gets truly steamy. 

   Prime Video’s Off Campus wastes zero time letting the audience know they are watching a full on smutty show by letting Hannah walk in on a naked and showering Garrett.

   As wildly unrealistic as the show’s cold open is — like, Hannah, girl, you’re just going to bop into the men’s locker room without warning? — it’s a promise to the audience that Off Campus isn’t going to skimp on the sex. Moreover, Hannah and Dean’s initial attraction is resolved far sooner on the show than it is in the book, which means that more attention can be paid to dramatic revelations down the line and more time can be spent with the ensemble cast. It’s a win-win. 

2. Hannah Kisses Logan — Not Dean — To Prove A Point

   In Off Campus Episode 2, Garrett points out to Hannah that in order for their ruse to work, she’s got to physically respond naturally to him. That means she can’t blush when their bodies are close. Determined to prove a point, Hannah not only “practice” kisses Garrett, which turns out to turn them both on, but follows this makeout session up with a meaningless kiss with someone else. 

   In Kennedy’s version of events, Garrett’s friend, roommate, and teammate Dean Di Laurentis (Stephen Kalyn) bursts in on the two kissing in Garrett’s room. So Hannah kisses Dean. In Off Campus, though, it’s Garrett’s best friend, John Logan (Antonio Cipriano) who catches the two making out in the weight room. So, it’s Logan whom Hannah kisses.

   What seems like a meaningless change is actually a brilliant storytelling choice. In Kennedy’s books, Logan is harboring a jealous crush on Hannah that almost ruins his own romance with Grace Ivers (India Fowler) in The Mistake. By having Hannah kiss Logan, it not only deepens his reasons for his crush, but is also one of many additional moments that help build that storyline up. (Similarly, it’s Logan who has to tell Garrett what Hannah’s name is because he’s already interested in her in the show!)

3. Starting Allie & Dean’s Romance in Season 1

   I know this is a controversial opinion in some circles, but I don’t think books and television shows should be structured the same way. For instance, I’m not sure Bridgerton has necessarily benefited from attempting a one book-to-one season structure, especially since in those books, many of the romances are supposed to be happening at the same dang time! So imagine my thrill when I realized that Off Campus is already shuffling storylines from later books into Season 1. 

   Technically, Allie and Dean aren’t supposed to hook up until Book 3, The Score, but by weaving the early days of their love story into Season 1, Off Campus managed to keep the intrigue going as soon as Garrett and Wellsy were happily booed up. That means that while we got to delve into the deeper, darker parts of the main couple’s relationship, we still got the thrilling tension of an early courtship from Dean and Allie. 

   Moreover, Off Campus has been super clever about dropping Easter eggs that tease later storylines, from the Grace Ivers shoutout to the inclusion of Hunter Davenport. All in all, this doesn’t just keep audiences on their toes, but lets the world of Off Campus feel richer, deeper, more vibrant.

4. Combining Justin and Cass Into One Character

   In both the books and the show, Hannah is dealing with a terrible crush on Justin, her burgeoning feelings for Garrett, and the stress of preparing an original composition for a student showcase. However, in the books, the guy stymying her creative process is the odious Cass. He’s not exactly a charmer and every time Kennedy shifts to this storyline, the main romance takes a backseat. 

   Off Campus doesn’t have this issue because Off Campus cleverly combined Hannah’s crush with Hannah’s musical rival. Instead of being a so-so football star, Justin is now a talented musician. It’s a really great choice because no one’s missing Cass and now there’s all the more reason for Hannah to crush on Justin the way she does. (Also it means we get more Josh Heuston on screen, which is never a bad thing…)

5. The Whole Damn Breakup Is Better

   The whole sequence of events that lead to Hannah and Garrett’s breakup in Season 1 is vastly superior, more dramatic, and more realistic than what happens in the books. I know a lot of people have pointed out how important it was that show Garrett pointedly didn’t put a “Hands Off” warning on Hannah, but I think what’s even more important is what precipitates Garrett’s violent outburst. In the book, Hannah runs afoul of a friend of her rapist named Rob Delaney whom Garrett beats to a pulp in a parking lot. In the show, Aaron Delaney is now Hannah’s rapist and Garrett’s on ice rival. It makes so much more dramatic sense that Garrett would flip out on the ice when he discovers who’s been bodychecking his boys all night!

   What also makes so much more sense? Hannah and Garrett reaching an impasse about this event on their own. They have a bitter and emotional fight about Garrett’s outburst and what it means to each of them. Garrett sees it as proof that he’s doomed to follow his father’s abusive patterns; Hannah, on the other hand, is upset because Garrett risked his hockey career for her when she didn’t ask him to do so!

   The cherry on top of all of this? Phil Graham has nothing to do with their breakup. In the books, Hannah only breaks up with Garrett because his father threatens to cut him off financially. It’s such a silly concept that even book Garrett laughs about it after the truth is revealed. (Especially since book Garrett has just come into an inheritance from his maternal grandparents.) 

   Off Campus makes Garrett and Hannah’s breakup feel both realistic and earned. So when the two finally do get back together, it feels all the more cathartic. In fact, all of these tweaks from the source material make the show more enjoyable and give me hope that Season 2 will continue to have fun bringing Kennedy’s characters to life.