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Off the Ice #2
Spiral
AN INSTANT USA TODAY AND INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
He’s on edge while she’s en pointe in this fake-dating sports romance from the author of the smash hit Collide.
Elias Westbrook, a newly drafted hockey player for the Toronto Thunder, is facing the challenges of fame and media scrutiny. With a growing fan base and too many expectations on his shoulders, he’s struggling to make his first career goal. The tabloids are reporting on his every move, including which woman he was last seen with, but all he wants to do is escape the spotlight.
Enter from stage left Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina with dreams of joining the Aurora Ballet Theatre, but her lack of popularity online leaves her at a major disadvantage for securing the lead role. When Sage finds herself with the perfect opportunity to make her dreams come true by fake dating Elias, she takes her shot.
Soon enough, the flimsy fake-dating rules they set in place fall away in the face of their sizzling connection. But before things spiral out of control, Sage and Elias will have to decide if they’re willing to take the leap together or if they'll call it quits.
He’s on edge while she’s en pointe in this fake-dating sports romance from the author of the smash hit Collide.
Elias Westbrook, a newly drafted hockey player for the Toronto Thunder, is facing the challenges of fame and media scrutiny. With a growing fan base and too many expectations on his shoulders, he’s struggling to make his first career goal. The tabloids are reporting on his every move, including which woman he was last seen with, but all he wants to do is escape the spotlight.
Enter from stage left Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina with dreams of joining the Aurora Ballet Theatre, but her lack of popularity online leaves her at a major disadvantage for securing the lead role. When Sage finds herself with the perfect opportunity to make her dreams come true by fake dating Elias, she takes her shot.
Soon enough, the flimsy fake-dating rules they set in place fall away in the face of their sizzling connection. But before things spiral out of control, Sage and Elias will have to decide if they’re willing to take the leap together or if they'll call it quits.
Unknown Binding
First published January 28, 2025
1,745 people are currently reading
65.5k people want to read
About the author
Bal Khabra
9books3,185followersBal is a Canadian writer, romance enthusiast, and book lover. Before she decided to jump into the romance pool, she spent her time gushing about books on social media.
She loves reading about love, watching movies about love, and now, writing about it herself. There really isn’t much else that gets her heart fluttering the way HEAs do. She fell in love with writing and hopes to continue living out her romance author dreams.
She loves reading about love, watching movies about love, and now, writing about it herself. There really isn’t much else that gets her heart fluttering the way HEAs do. She fell in love with writing and hopes to continue living out her romance author dreams.
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March 2, 2024Am I the only one who wants this book to be about Dylan and Kian!?
April 18, 2025
� 4.25 Stars.
new fav book alert “Eli and sage unfiltered� .. “Eli and Rowan unfiltered� when?? When is my damn turn??
may this type of love find me immediately because, honestly, I deserve it. I deserve a perfect green-flag man who speaks every love language fluently! My heart can barely handle how much this book made me feel.
the last time I was this giddy over a story was back in December when I read Beg, Borrow, or Steal. But wow—this one? It caught me off guard in the most breathtakingly beautiful way. I went in cautious because, while I had fun with Collide, I couldn’t ignore the flaws. That book left me wary, and even when I hit the halfway mark of this one, I was bracing myself for the author to drop the ball again. But thank god—it never happened.
� the book begins with Elias, who’s falsely painted by the media as a womanizer. to make matters worse, he hasn’t scored his first NHL goal yet, so people are ruthless—accusing him of playing off the ice more than on it. then there’s Sage, a ballerina desperate to get the Swan Lake role but struggling because popularity, not talent, determines who gets picked—and she doesn’t have the followers. Their worlds collide (pun intended) at an auction, and from that moment, everything changes.
so Sage come up with a fake dating plan: it’ll help Elias shift public perception and say he’s in a stable relationship, and she’ll gain the social media clout she needs for her career by being with him. At first, Elias is resistant, and Sage get upset. But the next day, on live television, Eli claims Sage as his girlfriend bc he got protective—and I swear I had to stop reading to catch my breath. that scene? absolute perfection. I giggled like an idiot and kicked my feet and ran to booksta and made a reel about it (my link in bio)
the story doesn’t stop with fake dating. Oh no, it ups the ante with the accidental roommates trope when Sage’s apartment catches fire, and Eli insists she stay with him. Grumpy-sunshine was chef’s kiss!! let me just say: it’s grumpy-sunshine done right. So many authors reduce “sunshine� fmcs to bubbly, shallow caricatures, but Sage is proof that a sunshiny woman can also be strong, layered, and compelling.
� sage beaumont: she surprised me in so many ways. one of my main issues with Collide was the fmc, Summer, but Sage? Sage was immaculate. Initially, I wanted Elias to end up with amara, but now I’m so grateful he found Sage. I can’t see him with anyone but HER!! - I’ll admit, I don’t usually like people-pleasers in my books or real life (I have personal trauma from a people pleaser lmao). But Sage’s people-pleasing tendencies didn’t irritate me at all. on the contrary, they felt deeply selfless and genuine. she take double shifts, just to make sure her younger brother has a better life than she did. She puts her loved ones before herself, not because she’s a doormat, but because she’s driven by this beautiful sense of love and responsibility. She’s fiercely independent yet carries this beautiful lightheartedness that draws you in.
her relationship with her brother was one of my favorite parts of the book. Sage raised him practically on her own, and the way she’s shaped him into this polite, confident young man is a testament to her character. There’s this one moment where her brother stands up to Eli to make sure his sister is being treated right. It was such a sweet scene, and it made me respect Sage even more. Sage isn’t just sweet and selfless; she’s layered. She’s fun, giddy, and full of life, but beneath that, there’s so much vulnerability. She carries the weight of her past, her struggles, and her dreams, and it makes her feel so real. She’s the kind of character who lights up a page, who makes you laugh one moment and ache for her the next. and you just want too see her shine and get what she wants! if I have one small gripe, it’s that she slightly pushed Eli to break his celibacy, which didn’t sit well with me. If the roles were reversed, people would be screaming about it! But aside from that, she was great. Oh, and the way she befriended Summer? my heart. my Shayla 🥹 Sage had never had a real friend before, so watching her become part of Eli’s tight-knit friend group was genuinely heartwarming.
you go girl!! (I’m insanely jealous)
� Elias Westbrook: Elias. Freaking. Westbrook. the man that you are! where do I even begin? First of all, I owe this man an apology because I thought he was bland in Collide. Turns out, he’s perfect. and not just “fictionally perfect� but “perfect perfect� as in “I need to marry him right now perfect� It hurts knowing he’s not real. so here I am publicly claiming this man MINE!!! the media painted him as a playboy but the fact that this men was actually celibate is crazy, I think he never had a girlfriend before sage and he haven’t went on dates for years!! call me toxic but I loved knowing he’s not for the streets even though I know his shitty dad blackmailed him with that video that’s why he stopped dating. I just loved that he’s untouchable. and he’s dominate in bed 🤭
but you know what killed me and made me sob? is that this man speaks my favorite love language: acts of service.
on their first date, he rents out an entire restaurant. she never gets flowers so he buys her daily bouquets until she decided what’s her favorite is. when he notices Sage doesn’t have girl-friends, he does face masks with her on her wellness days just to keep her company. He cooks for her everyday. He baked her two birthday cakes!!. One for them to share and another for her to celebrate with her brother. that scene made put the book down and stare at my wall because how thoughtful a man can be? oh, and he baked sugar-free cupcakes for her brother because he knows he’s diabetic! Be still, my heart Is melting for this man! I always say it and I’ll say it again, a man that even take care of you loved ones because he loves you is a keeper!!
He Googles ballet moves to understand her hobby. He takes care of her when she’s drunk—he sat down and did her skin care for her. how the fuck am I supposed to be in a real relationship when Eli exist? and when her brother spends the night at a friend’s, Elias gets the parents� numbers and the neighbors� numbers just to ensure Sage doesn’t worry. the sheer thoughtfulness this guy have is actually insane! I haven’t read about a book-boyfriend like that in a long long while or maybe� ever? when Sage’s uncle tried to tear him down and told him he’s not good enough for her, Elias wasn’t fazed—he was just relieved that Sage had someone who’d fight for her. and when he got injured during a game? He smiled while bruised because sage told him she worried. it meant she cared. and let’s not forget: he’s tattooed a sage plant on his finger. and yes, he’s mastered the most devastatingly lethal weapon in romance—forehead kiss! I’m a whore for forehead kisses and he weaponized them again me y’all 😭
the way he’s so mature and handles his problems all on his own is absolutely unmatched. it’s so attractive how he gets things done. and just figure his shit out right, and he’s got it down perfectly. He’s so passionate about hockey, and I’m not even exaggerating when I say I’m obsessed with him. When he scored his first goal? I almost screamed—I was that proud of him. i was grinning so hard as if he’s real, so happy for him!!
don’t even get me started on how much he loves his parents and how gracefully he dealt with the whole situation with his biological father. It was so raw and mature, and it honestly made me fall even harder for him. and the fact that he was willing to let go of Sage just so she could chase her dreams? Like, who even does that? It’s selfless, it’s real, and it just proves how deep his love runs. I’m in awe of him, truly.
� their Relationship: elias and Sage’s relationship is so pure, so gentle, so real. It’s a slow burn in the best way, and it needed to be. their personalities demanded time to unpack their feelings, and every milestone they reached felt earned. i could write pages about their dynamic, their love was trusting, vulnerable, and deeply emotional. It wasn’t just romantic—it felt sacred. all the longing and want and desperate need of belonging to each other was done so very perfectly. I wish I could break down every scene to tell you how it made me feel, but we’d be here forever. Instead, I’ll say this: read it. Experience it. Feel it.
this book left me empty and sad and longing for my own Elias. where can I find him? Someone send me a link aaaa Their relationship wasn’t just romance—it was a masterclass in trust, vulnerability, and love. honestly, the book was just a tiny bit too long, which kept me from giving it a full five stars. But it was so close to perfect that I can forgive that.
� as for the rest of the series? I’m cautiously optimistic. Dylan’s book is next, and it’s a double-sport romance (he’s a hockey player; she’s a figure skater). The cover looks like Icebreaker, which is hilarious, but I’m holding my tongue until I see what the author delivers. bc I wasn’t interested in Eli while reading collide and look where I am now� as for now, though, I’m still basking in the glow of Elias and Sage.
� ARC provided by the publisher—Berkley Publishing Group—in exchange for an honest review.
new fav book alert “Eli and sage unfiltered� .. “Eli and Rowan unfiltered� when?? When is my damn turn??
may this type of love find me immediately because, honestly, I deserve it. I deserve a perfect green-flag man who speaks every love language fluently! My heart can barely handle how much this book made me feel.
“And I’m the right woman?�
“The perfect one.�
the last time I was this giddy over a story was back in December when I read Beg, Borrow, or Steal. But wow—this one? It caught me off guard in the most breathtakingly beautiful way. I went in cautious because, while I had fun with Collide, I couldn’t ignore the flaws. That book left me wary, and even when I hit the halfway mark of this one, I was bracing myself for the author to drop the ball again. But thank god—it never happened.
� the book begins with Elias, who’s falsely painted by the media as a womanizer. to make matters worse, he hasn’t scored his first NHL goal yet, so people are ruthless—accusing him of playing off the ice more than on it. then there’s Sage, a ballerina desperate to get the Swan Lake role but struggling because popularity, not talent, determines who gets picked—and she doesn’t have the followers. Their worlds collide (pun intended) at an auction, and from that moment, everything changes.
so Sage come up with a fake dating plan: it’ll help Elias shift public perception and say he’s in a stable relationship, and she’ll gain the social media clout she needs for her career by being with him. At first, Elias is resistant, and Sage get upset. But the next day, on live television, Eli claims Sage as his girlfriend bc he got protective—and I swear I had to stop reading to catch my breath. that scene? absolute perfection. I giggled like an idiot and kicked my feet and ran to booksta and made a reel about it (my link in bio)
the story doesn’t stop with fake dating. Oh no, it ups the ante with the accidental roommates trope when Sage’s apartment catches fire, and Eli insists she stay with him. Grumpy-sunshine was chef’s kiss!! let me just say: it’s grumpy-sunshine done right. So many authors reduce “sunshine� fmcs to bubbly, shallow caricatures, but Sage is proof that a sunshiny woman can also be strong, layered, and compelling.
“Sage is beautiful and strong, a ray of light in a field of darkness.�
� sage beaumont: she surprised me in so many ways. one of my main issues with Collide was the fmc, Summer, but Sage? Sage was immaculate. Initially, I wanted Elias to end up with amara, but now I’m so grateful he found Sage. I can’t see him with anyone but HER!! - I’ll admit, I don’t usually like people-pleasers in my books or real life (I have personal trauma from a people pleaser lmao). But Sage’s people-pleasing tendencies didn’t irritate me at all. on the contrary, they felt deeply selfless and genuine. she take double shifts, just to make sure her younger brother has a better life than she did. She puts her loved ones before herself, not because she’s a doormat, but because she’s driven by this beautiful sense of love and responsibility. She’s fiercely independent yet carries this beautiful lightheartedness that draws you in.
“Like a ray of sunlight, Sage cuts through the dark clouds distorting my vision. I realize that no matter what, I’d spend my entire life trying to be good enough for her.�
her relationship with her brother was one of my favorite parts of the book. Sage raised him practically on her own, and the way she’s shaped him into this polite, confident young man is a testament to her character. There’s this one moment where her brother stands up to Eli to make sure his sister is being treated right. It was such a sweet scene, and it made me respect Sage even more. Sage isn’t just sweet and selfless; she’s layered. She’s fun, giddy, and full of life, but beneath that, there’s so much vulnerability. She carries the weight of her past, her struggles, and her dreams, and it makes her feel so real. She’s the kind of character who lights up a page, who makes you laugh one moment and ache for her the next. and you just want too see her shine and get what she wants! if I have one small gripe, it’s that she slightly pushed Eli to break his celibacy, which didn’t sit well with me. If the roles were reversed, people would be screaming about it! But aside from that, she was great. Oh, and the way she befriended Summer? my heart. my Shayla 🥹 Sage had never had a real friend before, so watching her become part of Eli’s tight-knit friend group was genuinely heartwarming.
“Because just like I secured the role, I’m going to secure the boy too.�
you go girl!! (I’m insanely jealous)
� Elias Westbrook: Elias. Freaking. Westbrook. the man that you are! where do I even begin? First of all, I owe this man an apology because I thought he was bland in Collide. Turns out, he’s perfect. and not just “fictionally perfect� but “perfect perfect� as in “I need to marry him right now perfect� It hurts knowing he’s not real. so here I am publicly claiming this man MINE!!! the media painted him as a playboy but the fact that this men was actually celibate is crazy, I think he never had a girlfriend before sage and he haven’t went on dates for years!! call me toxic but I loved knowing he’s not for the streets even though I know his shitty dad blackmailed him with that video that’s why he stopped dating. I just loved that he’s untouchable. and he’s dominate in bed 🤭
but you know what killed me and made me sob? is that this man speaks my favorite love language: acts of service.
on their first date, he rents out an entire restaurant. she never gets flowers so he buys her daily bouquets until she decided what’s her favorite is. when he notices Sage doesn’t have girl-friends, he does face masks with her on her wellness days just to keep her company. He cooks for her everyday. He baked her two birthday cakes!!. One for them to share and another for her to celebrate with her brother. that scene made put the book down and stare at my wall because how thoughtful a man can be? oh, and he baked sugar-free cupcakes for her brother because he knows he’s diabetic! Be still, my heart Is melting for this man! I always say it and I’ll say it again, a man that even take care of you loved ones because he loves you is a keeper!!
“I feel more myself around you than anyone else. You make me feel like I don’t need to hold back, and� fuck, Sage, you have no idea how much I want to let go when I’m with you�
He Googles ballet moves to understand her hobby. He takes care of her when she’s drunk—he sat down and did her skin care for her. how the fuck am I supposed to be in a real relationship when Eli exist? and when her brother spends the night at a friend’s, Elias gets the parents� numbers and the neighbors� numbers just to ensure Sage doesn’t worry. the sheer thoughtfulness this guy have is actually insane! I haven’t read about a book-boyfriend like that in a long long while or maybe� ever? when Sage’s uncle tried to tear him down and told him he’s not good enough for her, Elias wasn’t fazed—he was just relieved that Sage had someone who’d fight for her. and when he got injured during a game? He smiled while bruised because sage told him she worried. it meant she cared. and let’s not forget: he’s tattooed a sage plant on his finger. and yes, he’s mastered the most devastatingly lethal weapon in romance—forehead kiss! I’m a whore for forehead kisses and he weaponized them again me y’all 😭
“If I could handcuff you to myself, I would. But you’re a star, Sage Beaumont, and you’re too precious to be kept a secret�
the way he’s so mature and handles his problems all on his own is absolutely unmatched. it’s so attractive how he gets things done. and just figure his shit out right, and he’s got it down perfectly. He’s so passionate about hockey, and I’m not even exaggerating when I say I’m obsessed with him. When he scored his first goal? I almost screamed—I was that proud of him. i was grinning so hard as if he’s real, so happy for him!!
don’t even get me started on how much he loves his parents and how gracefully he dealt with the whole situation with his biological father. It was so raw and mature, and it honestly made me fall even harder for him. and the fact that he was willing to let go of Sage just so she could chase her dreams? Like, who even does that? It’s selfless, it’s real, and it just proves how deep his love runs. I’m in awe of him, truly.
“If I could put you on a damn pedestal and show you off all night, I would.�
� their Relationship: elias and Sage’s relationship is so pure, so gentle, so real. It’s a slow burn in the best way, and it needed to be. their personalities demanded time to unpack their feelings, and every milestone they reached felt earned. i could write pages about their dynamic, their love was trusting, vulnerable, and deeply emotional. It wasn’t just romantic—it felt sacred. all the longing and want and desperate need of belonging to each other was done so very perfectly. I wish I could break down every scene to tell you how it made me feel, but we’d be here forever. Instead, I’ll say this: read it. Experience it. Feel it.
“I don’t want to look at you too long because I like it too much.�
this book left me empty and sad and longing for my own Elias. where can I find him? Someone send me a link aaaa Their relationship wasn’t just romance—it was a masterclass in trust, vulnerability, and love. honestly, the book was just a tiny bit too long, which kept me from giving it a full five stars. But it was so close to perfect that I can forgive that.
� as for the rest of the series? I’m cautiously optimistic. Dylan’s book is next, and it’s a double-sport romance (he’s a hockey player; she’s a figure skater). The cover looks like Icebreaker, which is hilarious, but I’m holding my tongue until I see what the author delivers. bc I wasn’t interested in Eli while reading collide and look where I am now� as for now, though, I’m still basking in the glow of Elias and Sage.
� ARC provided by the publisher—Berkley Publishing Group—in exchange for an honest review.
━━━━━━━━━━ � ━━━━━━━━━━
February 17, 2025
3.5 ˖⁺‧✮
collide was the only hockey romance that i rated 4 stars or higher but spiral was honestly so close to stealing the spot. fortunately or unfortunately collide is still my favorite 💕
i want to begin my review with discussing the cover of the book, because it deserves so much recognition. i love love love it! the purple cover and characters is such an incredible mix and i’m honestly obsessed.
now, lets talk about the book.
i enjoyed chemistry, dialogues and interactions between main characters. there weren’t any weird or uncomfortable moments where i wanted to close the book or dnf it. i was genuinely interested in the storyline even more wanted more scenes with sage and elias.
i loved sage. she was so determined and focused on her goal that with or without elias she’d still get that job. but he was a nice addition. no opinion about him? i was a little confused with his whole situation and i didn’t care about him as much�
i think last 3 chapters should’ve been longer. the ballet drama was actually pretty good and i loved how it was developed but it was so short and therefore it felt rushed.
i also wished for more scenes with that person from the epilogue (this person was mentioned earlier in the book👀🩰) i was honestly not expecting this to happen but omg it was a nice surprise. i’m just curious about the story behind this whole moment and i’d love to read about them talking and making the decision.
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy of Spiral.
pre-read
no way i have this book in my hands🫠
collide was the only hockey romance that i rated 4 stars or higher but spiral was honestly so close to stealing the spot. fortunately or unfortunately collide is still my favorite 💕
i want to begin my review with discussing the cover of the book, because it deserves so much recognition. i love love love it! the purple cover and characters is such an incredible mix and i’m honestly obsessed.
now, lets talk about the book.
i enjoyed chemistry, dialogues and interactions between main characters. there weren’t any weird or uncomfortable moments where i wanted to close the book or dnf it. i was genuinely interested in the storyline even more wanted more scenes with sage and elias.
i loved sage. she was so determined and focused on her goal that with or without elias she’d still get that job. but he was a nice addition. no opinion about him? i was a little confused with his whole situation and i didn’t care about him as much�
i think last 3 chapters should’ve been longer. the ballet drama was actually pretty good and i loved how it was developed but it was so short and therefore it felt rushed.
i also wished for more scenes with that person from the epilogue (this person was mentioned earlier in the book👀🩰) i was honestly not expecting this to happen but omg it was a nice surprise. i’m just curious about the story behind this whole moment and i’d love to read about them talking and making the decision.
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a copy of Spiral.
pre-read
no way i have this book in my hands🫠
November 22, 2024
4.5 stars �
� collide has nothing on this cutesy perfection of a book <33
🫶🏼 “Let’s go home,� she whispers into the crook of my neck. I nod, but she doesn’t know that im already there. 🫶🏼
when I started this book, with pretty low expectations bc unfortunately collide disappointed, i did not expect to see the most thoughtful man in the world with the purest kindest heart on the planet. they truly exceeded all my expectations and raised all my standards.
💌 plot 💌
elias westbrook has been having a rough time adjusting to the fame at the nhl, being a rookie. anytime he’s captured in the press with a woman, the tabloids go crazy. calling him a playboy, harassing him with unwanted attention� and even sending death threats and hate towards any woman he’s seen with. to make matters worse, he still hasn’t scored his first career goal, which only earns him even worse press. fans begin to doubt his capabilities, calling him unworthy of a role in the NHL.
sage beaumont, niece of NHL coach marcus beaumont, is also having a dilemma in her career. as a ballerina, her biggest dream is to have a role in the production of swan lake. but when she goes to audition they turn her down� not due to her lack of dance capabilities but rather her low following on social media. as it turns out, the studio focuses on people that can advertise their production well through socials, more than their ability to dance and perform.
so when sage and elias cross paths, they strike a deal to fake date� this will allow the media to stop commenting on his relationship status and respect his privacy, and also gives sage the attention she needs to gain a following on social media. it’s a foolproof plan. until real feelings get involved..
🫂 general thoughts 🫂
sorry, that was a longer plot description than I was going for but let’s get into my thoughts!!
🩰🏒 characters. i found elias and sage to be some of the most lovable characters i’ve encountered. sage was witty, flirty, funny and incredibly confident which i adore seeing in an fmc. elias was shy, reserved, gentle. for a hockey player it was quite refreshing to see portrayal of someone who’s not all cocky and arrogant and full of ego. they matched perfectly and i found myself highlighting basically every page bc it was so funny and sweet. love them <3 soooo much better than book 1.
💞💐 tropes. this book has it allllll. all my fav tropes crammed into one: fake dating, shy mmc x confident fmc, nightmare trope, forced proximity, slowburn-ish, found family. everything one can ask for, in a SINGLE BOOK. that’s just amazing.
🧸 conclusion 🧸
i wouldn’t wanna bore anyone, plus I don’t wanna go into too many details so the book can be a surprise to everyone that’s excited for it!! so i’ll stop here though i really could go on and on about this book. pls read it when it comes out� and if you do, spam me ALL your thoughts. it’s all i wish for <3
thank you to netgalley and berkley publishing group for this arc in exchange for an honest review!!
� collide has nothing on this cutesy perfection of a book <33
🫶🏼 “Let’s go home,� she whispers into the crook of my neck. I nod, but she doesn’t know that im already there. 🫶🏼
when I started this book, with pretty low expectations bc unfortunately collide disappointed, i did not expect to see the most thoughtful man in the world with the purest kindest heart on the planet. they truly exceeded all my expectations and raised all my standards.
💌 plot 💌
elias westbrook has been having a rough time adjusting to the fame at the nhl, being a rookie. anytime he’s captured in the press with a woman, the tabloids go crazy. calling him a playboy, harassing him with unwanted attention� and even sending death threats and hate towards any woman he’s seen with. to make matters worse, he still hasn’t scored his first career goal, which only earns him even worse press. fans begin to doubt his capabilities, calling him unworthy of a role in the NHL.
sage beaumont, niece of NHL coach marcus beaumont, is also having a dilemma in her career. as a ballerina, her biggest dream is to have a role in the production of swan lake. but when she goes to audition they turn her down� not due to her lack of dance capabilities but rather her low following on social media. as it turns out, the studio focuses on people that can advertise their production well through socials, more than their ability to dance and perform.
so when sage and elias cross paths, they strike a deal to fake date� this will allow the media to stop commenting on his relationship status and respect his privacy, and also gives sage the attention she needs to gain a following on social media. it’s a foolproof plan. until real feelings get involved..
🫂 general thoughts 🫂
sorry, that was a longer plot description than I was going for but let’s get into my thoughts!!
🩰🏒 characters. i found elias and sage to be some of the most lovable characters i’ve encountered. sage was witty, flirty, funny and incredibly confident which i adore seeing in an fmc. elias was shy, reserved, gentle. for a hockey player it was quite refreshing to see portrayal of someone who’s not all cocky and arrogant and full of ego. they matched perfectly and i found myself highlighting basically every page bc it was so funny and sweet. love them <3 soooo much better than book 1.
💞💐 tropes. this book has it allllll. all my fav tropes crammed into one: fake dating, shy mmc x confident fmc, nightmare trope, forced proximity, slowburn-ish, found family. everything one can ask for, in a SINGLE BOOK. that’s just amazing.
🧸 conclusion 🧸
i wouldn’t wanna bore anyone, plus I don’t wanna go into too many details so the book can be a surprise to everyone that’s excited for it!! so i’ll stop here though i really could go on and on about this book. pls read it when it comes out� and if you do, spam me ALL your thoughts. it’s all i wish for <3
thank you to netgalley and berkley publishing group for this arc in exchange for an honest review!!
April 5, 2025
not a super unique/original plot but i did appreciate the characters! both had flaws but weren't irritating. not sure that the hero's cock being pierced really fit his personality but other than that, no complaints really.
August 6, 2024
Can you hear that? It’s me gnawing at the bars of my enclosure because this was so unbelievably good!!! Hockey player x ballerina with fake dating and a rule that there’s no pda whatsoever and oh they can’t fall in love with each other either. SHUT UP!!! It’s actually so criminal that this is one of my top romance reads this year and it doesn’t even release until Jan 2025!! I don’t even know where to begin on what I loved the most, the most deliciously mouth watering slow burn ever, tension and angsty parts that came with the forced proximity or the fact that the Elias had me barking like a dog the entire time.
There was so much vulnerability between Elias and Sage, the pair of them having gone through so much and opening up to one another had me genuinely sick to stomach. I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOUR!
But I also have to add for my the right move girlies you will LOVE THIS!!! ELIAS gave Ryan Shay energy in the best way possible!!!
Thank you so much Netgalley and Berkley for blessing me with this arc, I owe you everything!
There was so much vulnerability between Elias and Sage, the pair of them having gone through so much and opening up to one another had me genuinely sick to stomach. I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOUR!
But I also have to add for my the right move girlies you will LOVE THIS!!! ELIAS gave Ryan Shay energy in the best way possible!!!
Thank you so much Netgalley and Berkley for blessing me with this arc, I owe you everything!
Want to read
July 22, 2024apparently it's about eli and sage
this better be amara and eli
this better be amara and eli
March 6, 2025
4⭐️
Please I love this series so much 😭 I had no doubts when people were telling me I was going to love this one! While it did have its problems, I ended up really enjoying it regardless.
When I tell you I have not liked a book boyfriend this much in a long time, I mean it. Eli reminds me a lot of Theo from Reckless! Just the care-taker mindset and the way he cares for the people he loves is just so heartwarming. I found Sage to be extremely relatable and I could feel for her in so many ways. However, I found her character to be a bit annoying at times. Although, her determination and the way she shows her love was adorable. In general, I liked her character! The relationship between her and Eli was undeniably special. I really enjoyed their connection and I thought they had amazing chemistry!
I find that sports romance can be a hit or miss for me, and this ended up being a hit. The plot line of Eli and Sage's career was written so well. Not only was it just about their connection and relationship, but we go much deeper into was makes Eli and Sage who they are. His hockey career and her ballet career. Seeing them grow throughout the book was beautiful and it was just the right amount of everything. The spice was entertaining; I liked it! However, one thing I wasn't too fond of was just how far and fast they moved especially towards the end of the book. It really took away from the amazing story and it felt rushed.
Overall, this series is one of my favorite contemporary romances. I enjoyed so much of this and I would definitely recommend. The love, strength, and determination was so apparent and I think a lot of people can resonate with it. Yes, it did have its low points, but I think it was enjoyable and I had a really good time. Can't wait to see what the next one holds. 💜
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wanted something cute and fluffy and I really liked the first one so I just had to start this 🤭💜
Please I love this series so much 😭 I had no doubts when people were telling me I was going to love this one! While it did have its problems, I ended up really enjoying it regardless.
When I tell you I have not liked a book boyfriend this much in a long time, I mean it. Eli reminds me a lot of Theo from Reckless! Just the care-taker mindset and the way he cares for the people he loves is just so heartwarming. I found Sage to be extremely relatable and I could feel for her in so many ways. However, I found her character to be a bit annoying at times. Although, her determination and the way she shows her love was adorable. In general, I liked her character! The relationship between her and Eli was undeniably special. I really enjoyed their connection and I thought they had amazing chemistry!
I find that sports romance can be a hit or miss for me, and this ended up being a hit. The plot line of Eli and Sage's career was written so well. Not only was it just about their connection and relationship, but we go much deeper into was makes Eli and Sage who they are. His hockey career and her ballet career. Seeing them grow throughout the book was beautiful and it was just the right amount of everything. The spice was entertaining; I liked it! However, one thing I wasn't too fond of was just how far and fast they moved especially towards the end of the book. It really took away from the amazing story and it felt rushed.
Overall, this series is one of my favorite contemporary romances. I enjoyed so much of this and I would definitely recommend. The love, strength, and determination was so apparent and I think a lot of people can resonate with it. Yes, it did have its low points, but I think it was enjoyable and I had a really good time. Can't wait to see what the next one holds. 💜
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wanted something cute and fluffy and I really liked the first one so I just had to start this 🤭💜
January 23, 2025
𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’� 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’� 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓� 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆.�
Hello, it is I, letting you know that this book was so freaking amazing.
First off, yes the hockey x ballerina trope was perfect 💞. A hockey guy that needs the press to lay off his back and a ballerina that needs media exposure aaand obviously let's give it a round of applause for fake dating! 💏
“� 𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈.� “𝑨𝒏� 𝑰’� 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏?� “𝑻𝒉� 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆.�
I’ve read a ton of fake dating, and you know how it goes "is this real, or is this fake?" AND To be honest, the transition was done so well. You could fully see how the lines started to blur and how amazing Eli is at respecting the boundaries set at the beginning with Sage and how he REALLY tries not to break them... but you know what they say rules are meant to be broken , buahaha 😈.
“� 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒔. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’� 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐,� 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒚. “� 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕—�
“𝑺𝒂� 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏.�
“𝑾𝒉𝒂�?�
“𝑺𝒂� 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝑺𝒂𝒈𝒆,�
“� 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒔.�
I also adored Sage. She is so relatable, having the world on her shoulders and never letting anyone else take care of her until Eli ❤️ She is so resilient and strong that watching her character development throughout the entire book was one of my favorite parts.
Lastly, let's talk about romance. Yes, there is spice, and it was amazing, but also the scenes embody how giving and receiving doesn't have to be transactional. I think that's important to illustrate because that part of it was what made the love scenes SO MUCH BETTER.
“𝑰𝒕’� 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆. 𝑼𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆.� 𝑰 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒍𝒚. “𝑫𝒐𝒏’� 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓� 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒄𝒌.�
tropes
💛 sports romance (and dance - ballerina)
💛 fake dating
💛 roommates
💛 forced proximity
💛no third act breakup
Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for my honest review
�. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁�.�. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁�.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆ� ˚� idk how the Berkley gods blessed me with not just a hockey romance but a hockey x ballerina, so excited 😭🩷😭🩷
Hello, it is I, letting you know that this book was so freaking amazing.
First off, yes the hockey x ballerina trope was perfect 💞. A hockey guy that needs the press to lay off his back and a ballerina that needs media exposure aaand obviously let's give it a round of applause for fake dating! 💏
“� 𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈.� “𝑨𝒏� 𝑰’� 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏?� “𝑻𝒉� 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆.�
I’ve read a ton of fake dating, and you know how it goes "is this real, or is this fake?" AND To be honest, the transition was done so well. You could fully see how the lines started to blur and how amazing Eli is at respecting the boundaries set at the beginning with Sage and how he REALLY tries not to break them... but you know what they say rules are meant to be broken , buahaha 😈.
“� 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒔. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’� 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐,� 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒚. “� 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕—�
“𝑺𝒂� 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏.�
“𝑾𝒉𝒂�?�
“𝑺𝒂� 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝑺𝒂𝒈𝒆,�
“� 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒔.�
I also adored Sage. She is so relatable, having the world on her shoulders and never letting anyone else take care of her until Eli ❤️ She is so resilient and strong that watching her character development throughout the entire book was one of my favorite parts.
Lastly, let's talk about romance. Yes, there is spice, and it was amazing, but also the scenes embody how giving and receiving doesn't have to be transactional. I think that's important to illustrate because that part of it was what made the love scenes SO MUCH BETTER.
“𝑰𝒕’� 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆. 𝑼𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆.� 𝑰 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒍𝒚. “𝑫𝒐𝒏’� 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓� 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒄𝒌.�
tropes
💛 sports romance (and dance - ballerina)
💛 fake dating
💛 roommates
💛 forced proximity
💛no third act breakup
Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for my honest review
�. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁�.�. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁� � . ݁˖ . ݁�.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆ� ˚� idk how the Berkley gods blessed me with not just a hockey romance but a hockey x ballerina, so excited 😭🩷😭🩷
April 10, 2025
ੈ♡˳ rating: five of five stars
ੈ♡˳ summary: spiral by bal khabra is a fake-dating sports romance that brings together the worlds of professional hockey and ballet. elias westbrook, a newly drafted nhl player for the toronto thunder, is struggling under immense pressure—his career is just starting, but the media is already scrutinizing his every move. sage beaumont, a dedicated ballerina, is facing her own challenges—without enough social media attention, she might not get the roles she’s been working toward her entire life. to fix their public images, they strike a deal: a fake relationship that benefits them both. but as they spend more time together, the past comes creeping in, and suddenly, the line between fake and real isn’t so clear anymore.
ੈ♡˳ thoughts: this book completely took over my brain. elias is the perfect book boyfriend—protective, patient, and just the right amount of possessive without being overbearing. the way he treats sage??? obsessed. and sage?? i loved her. she’s so strong, so determined, but still soft in a way that makes you root for her every step of the way. their backstories were so well developed, and i loved that the book didn’t just throw their pasts aside—it actually built on them to make their connection even stronger. also, the tension??? immaculate. every interaction between them had me fully invested.
this book had everything—angst, longing, undeniable chemistry, and a romance that felt earned. i loved how their past wounds weren’t magically fixed just because they found each other, but instead, they helped each other heal in a way that felt real. i already know i’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time.
ੈ♡˳ fave quotes:
� “does it look like i’m fucking jealous?� he says. “i don’t care about him. i care about you.�
� “what does it mean when your celibate fake boyfriend kisses you like he’d die if he didn’t?�
� “this is for me?� “it’s always for you.�
overall: this book fully delivered on everything i wanted and more. if you love fake dating, deep emotional backstories, and a hero who worships the ground the fmc walks on, you need to read this. 5/5 stars.
------
post read: ohhhhhhh mama ate with this book >>> 10x better than the first book. full rtc. 💌
—Ĕ�
pre read: i think i remember close to nothing from the first book but that i didn’t love it. hopefully this book is memorable.
ੈ♡˳ summary: spiral by bal khabra is a fake-dating sports romance that brings together the worlds of professional hockey and ballet. elias westbrook, a newly drafted nhl player for the toronto thunder, is struggling under immense pressure—his career is just starting, but the media is already scrutinizing his every move. sage beaumont, a dedicated ballerina, is facing her own challenges—without enough social media attention, she might not get the roles she’s been working toward her entire life. to fix their public images, they strike a deal: a fake relationship that benefits them both. but as they spend more time together, the past comes creeping in, and suddenly, the line between fake and real isn’t so clear anymore.
ੈ♡˳ thoughts: this book completely took over my brain. elias is the perfect book boyfriend—protective, patient, and just the right amount of possessive without being overbearing. the way he treats sage??? obsessed. and sage?? i loved her. she’s so strong, so determined, but still soft in a way that makes you root for her every step of the way. their backstories were so well developed, and i loved that the book didn’t just throw their pasts aside—it actually built on them to make their connection even stronger. also, the tension??? immaculate. every interaction between them had me fully invested.
this book had everything—angst, longing, undeniable chemistry, and a romance that felt earned. i loved how their past wounds weren’t magically fixed just because they found each other, but instead, they helped each other heal in a way that felt real. i already know i’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time.
ੈ♡˳ fave quotes:
� “does it look like i’m fucking jealous?� he says. “i don’t care about him. i care about you.�
� “what does it mean when your celibate fake boyfriend kisses you like he’d die if he didn’t?�
� “this is for me?� “it’s always for you.�
overall: this book fully delivered on everything i wanted and more. if you love fake dating, deep emotional backstories, and a hero who worships the ground the fmc walks on, you need to read this. 5/5 stars.
------
post read: ohhhhhhh mama ate with this book >>> 10x better than the first book. full rtc. 💌
—Ĕ�
pre read: i think i remember close to nothing from the first book but that i didn’t love it. hopefully this book is memorable.
January 28, 2025
happy pub day to this cutie!!! 💫
wowwww she was actually pretty darn cute. elias and sage were so swoony from the beginning (my absolute favorite way for chemistry to reveal itself!!) and it honestly felt like they developed really authentically? i wasn’t bored for the non-romancy parts and was fully invested in their scenes together which i’ll take as a win 🩰
they were actually so pure due to a particular plot point that i honestly wish they HAD gotten more down and dirty…justice for these fools because the tension was out of this world and i know miss girl can write some smut 🤨 i digress
thank you to netgalley and berkley for the arc!!
wowwww she was actually pretty darn cute. elias and sage were so swoony from the beginning (my absolute favorite way for chemistry to reveal itself!!) and it honestly felt like they developed really authentically? i wasn’t bored for the non-romancy parts and was fully invested in their scenes together which i’ll take as a win 🩰
they were actually so pure due to a particular plot point that i honestly wish they HAD gotten more down and dirty…justice for these fools because the tension was out of this world and i know miss girl can write some smut 🤨 i digress
thank you to netgalley and berkley for the arc!!
March 18, 2025
જ⁀� 4.75/5 ⭐️
� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ꒰🧾꒱ 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚊𝚕
thank you so much to berkley for this e-arc
� 💜 � - this book is actually adorable and perfect in so many ways. ugh like i’m already missing sage and eli sm. bal’s writing style is so refreshing and endearing. i am in love with spiral and i read collide earlier last year and devoured that book. i am sage, she is me. what’s it with bal and peyton when it comes to writing THE most relatable fmc’s ever (personally.) like i feel so exposed when reading these books (in the best way tho). it’s acc insane how emotionally connected i am. eli is for the quiet misunderstood people, the ones who let people walk over them and put others before themselves. this book does have smut.
┶┶┶┶୨ৎ┶┶┶┶
� 🩰 � 𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄 - my girl. i love her so much, and i can’t even begin to describe how i felt so seen and understood while reading about her. her behaviour and feelings, how she cared for her brother and put him before everything. sage is for the people pleasers and the eldest sisters who want to be taken care of but don’t want to ask for it. she seems like an openbook, tells people (almost) everything and is an oversharer, but it’s a facade she hides behind. not who she actually is. eli explained it perfectly:
“she hides her guarded heart beneath a cloak of openness that not many have the privilege to pull back.�
� lives were changed!! how is my entire being described in one simple sentence. like oh my gosh� bal how do you keep writing characters that are so deeply connecting to me and hit really hard. like why am i learning so much about myself reading this (LOL)
“it’s like no matter what i do, no matter how much i try, i’ll always be scraping by.�
� damn okay.
� 🏒 � 𝐄𝐋𝐈 - um, he’s perfect and the new loml. (hehe) why can’t he be real? this man wore eye masks for her on her self-care night, posted a picture with them both wearing them as her fake boyfriends, and captioned it best part of my day? ughh actually invested in this guy. also googled her dance moves for her performance right before so he could understand them better, brought her extra glue and crystals:
“you told me that one time they came off before you even got onstage and how upset you were. I didnt want that happening again.�
� screaming rn - brb
okay so um when do i get my own elias westbrook. i’m patiently waiting for my hockey boyfriend. 🙏he literally makes sugar free cupcakes for her younger brother because he’s diabetic (did i mention he’s a baker + chef?!!) like my heart is breaking that he’s not real. he used micellar water to remove her makeup when she was exhausted, like he’s perfect y’all.
� 💖 � 𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐋𝐈 - goals literal goals.
life goal: to have a relationship at least half as amazing.
i need someone to love me like eli loves sage. like someone who can see right through me. as an over sharer who doesn’t actually share personal things? yea..
“sometimes i think you do too much for me.� - sage
“nothing is too much when it comes to you.� - eli
“i’m a people pleaser� - sage
“then let me be the one to please you.� - eli
� these two omigosh. ahhhhh squealing!! their actually adorable and so sweet
┶┶┶┶୨ৎ┶┶┶┶
� 💟 � - definitely recommend if you love hockey romances and found family! loved every drop of this book and will read anything by bal. first review of 2025!! also how blessed am i to be given arc’s of spiral & unloved?!! forever thankful to berkley for this arc 🫶🏽 also this review was so time consuming
ೃ⁀➷p-𱹾
omg this was so cute and I loved it
4.75 �
rtc!!
ೃ⁀➷p-
december 12, 2024
OMD OMD I GOT THE ARC OMGG
� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ꒰🧾꒱ 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚊𝚕
thank you so much to berkley for this e-arc
� 💜 � - this book is actually adorable and perfect in so many ways. ugh like i’m already missing sage and eli sm. bal’s writing style is so refreshing and endearing. i am in love with spiral and i read collide earlier last year and devoured that book. i am sage, she is me. what’s it with bal and peyton when it comes to writing THE most relatable fmc’s ever (personally.) like i feel so exposed when reading these books (in the best way tho). it’s acc insane how emotionally connected i am. eli is for the quiet misunderstood people, the ones who let people walk over them and put others before themselves. this book does have smut.
┶┶┶┶୨ৎ┶┶┶┶
� 🩰 � 𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄 - my girl. i love her so much, and i can’t even begin to describe how i felt so seen and understood while reading about her. her behaviour and feelings, how she cared for her brother and put him before everything. sage is for the people pleasers and the eldest sisters who want to be taken care of but don’t want to ask for it. she seems like an openbook, tells people (almost) everything and is an oversharer, but it’s a facade she hides behind. not who she actually is. eli explained it perfectly:
“she hides her guarded heart beneath a cloak of openness that not many have the privilege to pull back.�
� lives were changed!! how is my entire being described in one simple sentence. like oh my gosh� bal how do you keep writing characters that are so deeply connecting to me and hit really hard. like why am i learning so much about myself reading this (LOL)
“it’s like no matter what i do, no matter how much i try, i’ll always be scraping by.�
� damn okay.
� 🏒 � 𝐄𝐋𝐈 - um, he’s perfect and the new loml. (hehe) why can’t he be real? this man wore eye masks for her on her self-care night, posted a picture with them both wearing them as her fake boyfriends, and captioned it best part of my day? ughh actually invested in this guy. also googled her dance moves for her performance right before so he could understand them better, brought her extra glue and crystals:
“you told me that one time they came off before you even got onstage and how upset you were. I didnt want that happening again.�
� screaming rn - brb
okay so um when do i get my own elias westbrook. i’m patiently waiting for my hockey boyfriend. 🙏he literally makes sugar free cupcakes for her younger brother because he’s diabetic (did i mention he’s a baker + chef?!!) like my heart is breaking that he’s not real. he used micellar water to remove her makeup when she was exhausted, like he’s perfect y’all.
� 💖 � 𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐋𝐈 - goals literal goals.
life goal: to have a relationship at least half as amazing.
i need someone to love me like eli loves sage. like someone who can see right through me. as an over sharer who doesn’t actually share personal things? yea..
“sometimes i think you do too much for me.� - sage
“nothing is too much when it comes to you.� - eli
“i’m a people pleaser� - sage
“then let me be the one to please you.� - eli
� these two omigosh. ahhhhh squealing!! their actually adorable and so sweet
┶┶┶┶୨ৎ┶┶┶┶
� 💟 � - definitely recommend if you love hockey romances and found family! loved every drop of this book and will read anything by bal. first review of 2025!! also how blessed am i to be given arc’s of spiral & unloved?!! forever thankful to berkley for this arc 🫶🏽 also this review was so time consuming
ೃ⁀➷p-𱹾
omg this was so cute and I loved it
4.75 �
rtc!!
ೃ⁀➷p-
december 12, 2024
OMD OMD I GOT THE ARC OMGG
August 12, 2024
4.5 rounded up!!! bal khabra absolutely redeemed herself for me with this book.
i am super excited to say that though i strongly disliked collide, i LOVED this book and i am so happy i decided to give bal another chance. eli and sage were just immaculate start to finish 😭
the only reason i knocked .5 off of this is because around 70% it felt like the book was hitting a point of “ok what could possibly happen for the next 30%� and made it feel as though the book could have been about 50 pages shorter because in that last 30% concluding every pilot point that was left felt a little rushed (aside from sages ballet, that pacing was awesome) but i did feel like if there were some trimmed pages in the first half to give the last half more room to breathe it wouldve been perfect.
one of my favorite things about this book was the tension my god it was THICK and palpable, the slow burn in this was so ridiculously good. this book will give you blue balls over and over again as their right on the cusp of explode just for something to snuff it out and i DEVOURED.
eli is the perfect man in like every form possible and sage is chaos personified yet so graceful and beautiful inside and out 😭
there are SOOOO many things that i want to absolutely go in on gushing about but i think theyre so much better left to reading yourself in the book so until next january i am refraining and barking & gnawing at the gates of my enclosure like a rabid dog trying to get to elias myself 🐕🐕🐕
lastly because i just cant help myself and feel the need to say it - if this summer that was in this book (amazing beautiful wonderful kind to my sweet sage) was written in collide i would have no doubt in my mind rated that book 5 stars. i cannot describe to you how much i wish that collide summer was the same girl as spiral summer.
PS as a hardcore canadian hockey team hater and tampa bay lightning stan absolutely side eyeing bal for her comments against my tbl. only in your wildest dreams would we be the lowest ranking team in the eastern conference 🤺
i am super excited to say that though i strongly disliked collide, i LOVED this book and i am so happy i decided to give bal another chance. eli and sage were just immaculate start to finish 😭
the only reason i knocked .5 off of this is because around 70% it felt like the book was hitting a point of “ok what could possibly happen for the next 30%� and made it feel as though the book could have been about 50 pages shorter because in that last 30% concluding every pilot point that was left felt a little rushed (aside from sages ballet, that pacing was awesome) but i did feel like if there were some trimmed pages in the first half to give the last half more room to breathe it wouldve been perfect.
one of my favorite things about this book was the tension my god it was THICK and palpable, the slow burn in this was so ridiculously good. this book will give you blue balls over and over again as their right on the cusp of explode just for something to snuff it out and i DEVOURED.
eli is the perfect man in like every form possible and sage is chaos personified yet so graceful and beautiful inside and out 😭
there are SOOOO many things that i want to absolutely go in on gushing about but i think theyre so much better left to reading yourself in the book so until next january i am refraining and barking & gnawing at the gates of my enclosure like a rabid dog trying to get to elias myself 🐕🐕🐕
lastly because i just cant help myself and feel the need to say it - if this summer that was in this book (amazing beautiful wonderful kind to my sweet sage) was written in collide i would have no doubt in my mind rated that book 5 stars. i cannot describe to you how much i wish that collide summer was the same girl as spiral summer.
PS as a hardcore canadian hockey team hater and tampa bay lightning stan absolutely side eyeing bal for her comments against my tbl. only in your wildest dreams would we be the lowest ranking team in the eastern conference 🤺
January 25, 2025
This is the ultimate fake dating + found family romance! The heartwarming story follows Sage, a ballerina down on her luck, and Elias, a hockey player struggling with his newfound fame and career. When the two meet at an auction and Sage reluctantly bids on a date for Eli, they both quickly realize that a fake relationship would solve their problems. However, that is easier said than done when their feelings start to feel anything other than fake; and both must decide if they are willing to let their romance spiral into something real.
This was the sweetest and most caring hockey romance I've read to date! The love and attention Eli gave to Sage was so adorable, the two were just absolutely smitten for each other. Their whole relationship was so healthy and I loved all the communication and reassurances. Add in the wholesome found family and slow burn, and I was in heaven from beginning to end. This romance just delivered everything I wanted, the balance of raw emotion, humor, tension, and steam will be in my head for months to come!
~Many thanks to Berkley for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
This was the sweetest and most caring hockey romance I've read to date! The love and attention Eli gave to Sage was so adorable, the two were just absolutely smitten for each other. Their whole relationship was so healthy and I loved all the communication and reassurances. Add in the wholesome found family and slow burn, and I was in heaven from beginning to end. This romance just delivered everything I wanted, the balance of raw emotion, humor, tension, and steam will be in my head for months to come!
~Many thanks to Berkley for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
December 30, 2024
3.75 �
i really liked the first half , i loved how they were communicating and sharing there feelings with each other . it was so beautiful and i loved everything about it so much . i also related to our fmc , sage , a lot. i definitely love eli as well!! but the last 10% or so dragged for me or it would have been a 4 star 😞
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review
i really liked the first half , i loved how they were communicating and sharing there feelings with each other . it was so beautiful and i loved everything about it so much . i also related to our fmc , sage , a lot. i definitely love eli as well!! but the last 10% or so dragged for me or it would have been a 4 star 😞
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review
October 6, 2024
Okay! I just slapped my head too hard! It hurts like hell! But I made stupid decisions! Don’t get me wrong—reading this book was the smartest decision ever, but my biggest mistake was procrastinating! Why didn’t I request it sooner? Why did I have second thoughts?
Well, lately, I’ve been reading too many sports romances, and I guess I was looking for something different. But that’s still a lame excuse because I loved Collide, the first book of the series. And, fun fact, the second books in most sports series are even better than the first.
At least, that’s my perception. Anyway, in this case, my opinion holds: Spiral is an even better, cozy, cuddly, sweet romance than Collide, which already earned my five hockey-ballet-sweetest-main-characters-impressive-fake-dating-forced-proximity-sports-romance stars!
Elias, a rising hockey star, is trying to prove his place on the team. He hasn’t scored a goal yet and is dealing with paparazzi who are trying to ruin his reputation with sexcapades he wasn’t even involved in! He’s just trying to be part of the team, working hard to change their manager’s biased perception of him as a rich daddy’s boy who always gets his way.
His path crosses with Sage, a young ballerina working tooth and nail to become the Swan Queen at the latest theater auditions, where a strong social media presence is more important than a professional resume. After being abandoned by her drug-addict parents, Sage raised her little brother, who suffers from diabetes and is bullied at school.
He’s now thirteen and at boarding school, thanks to her support. Sage attends a charity sports auction as a last-minute replacement for the dance performers. When Elias� teammate and best friend Aiden, who shares the same table with her, asks for help to win the auction for Elias, she agrees to help save Elias from a stalker. What Sage didn’t expect is that after their forced charity date, the press would catch them together.
When Elias, ever the gentleman, carries Sage to help her walk after her feet start aching, rumors begin to swirl that Sage is his girlfriend. Sage comes up with an idea that could benefit them both: they’ll fake date to achieve their goals. For Sage, it’s the social media attention she needs to catch the Swan Lake judges� eye, and for Elias, it’s shaking off the paparazzi by appearing to be in a stable relationship. Elias reluctantly agrees to the plan, laying down some ground rules, but as they spend more time together—and a tragedy forces them to share a room—he realizes those rules might be bendable.
Even though he’s hiding a secret he’s kept for four years that could affect their relationship, he can barely resist falling for her. But when the heart wants what it wants, all rules and promises are bound to fail.
Overall, I loved the slow-blooming romance and the strong chemistry between Sage and Elias, as well as the mature way they dealt with their family issues. Elias is definitely the best, most caring, sensitive, and giving boyfriend—even if he insists it’s all fake, his actions say otherwise.
I’m promising myself that as soon as the next book in the series comes out, I’ll dive into it without hesitation! This was so much fun!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this addictive romance‘s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange of my honest thoughts.
Well, lately, I’ve been reading too many sports romances, and I guess I was looking for something different. But that’s still a lame excuse because I loved Collide, the first book of the series. And, fun fact, the second books in most sports series are even better than the first.
At least, that’s my perception. Anyway, in this case, my opinion holds: Spiral is an even better, cozy, cuddly, sweet romance than Collide, which already earned my five hockey-ballet-sweetest-main-characters-impressive-fake-dating-forced-proximity-sports-romance stars!
Elias, a rising hockey star, is trying to prove his place on the team. He hasn’t scored a goal yet and is dealing with paparazzi who are trying to ruin his reputation with sexcapades he wasn’t even involved in! He’s just trying to be part of the team, working hard to change their manager’s biased perception of him as a rich daddy’s boy who always gets his way.
His path crosses with Sage, a young ballerina working tooth and nail to become the Swan Queen at the latest theater auditions, where a strong social media presence is more important than a professional resume. After being abandoned by her drug-addict parents, Sage raised her little brother, who suffers from diabetes and is bullied at school.
He’s now thirteen and at boarding school, thanks to her support. Sage attends a charity sports auction as a last-minute replacement for the dance performers. When Elias� teammate and best friend Aiden, who shares the same table with her, asks for help to win the auction for Elias, she agrees to help save Elias from a stalker. What Sage didn’t expect is that after their forced charity date, the press would catch them together.
When Elias, ever the gentleman, carries Sage to help her walk after her feet start aching, rumors begin to swirl that Sage is his girlfriend. Sage comes up with an idea that could benefit them both: they’ll fake date to achieve their goals. For Sage, it’s the social media attention she needs to catch the Swan Lake judges� eye, and for Elias, it’s shaking off the paparazzi by appearing to be in a stable relationship. Elias reluctantly agrees to the plan, laying down some ground rules, but as they spend more time together—and a tragedy forces them to share a room—he realizes those rules might be bendable.
Even though he’s hiding a secret he’s kept for four years that could affect their relationship, he can barely resist falling for her. But when the heart wants what it wants, all rules and promises are bound to fail.
Overall, I loved the slow-blooming romance and the strong chemistry between Sage and Elias, as well as the mature way they dealt with their family issues. Elias is definitely the best, most caring, sensitive, and giving boyfriend—even if he insists it’s all fake, his actions say otherwise.
I’m promising myself that as soon as the next book in the series comes out, I’ll dive into it without hesitation! This was so much fun!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this addictive romance‘s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange of my honest thoughts.
April 7, 2025
fake dating you’ll always be famous <3
~~~~
this one is for rowan 😽 i will be coming after u if i am disappointed 🤺
~~~~
this one is for rowan 😽 i will be coming after u if i am disappointed 🤺
August 11, 2024
� 3 stars 🌟 (are we surprised cuz i literally give every single romance book in the world this rating)
this is a sports, fake dating romance <3
i think this book was mid, like the characters were okay i guess?? i think they were cute in the beginning but then the guy started acting all dominant and weird and i wanted to throw myself off a cliff...... i hate it when male characters act like that like pls calm down, she isnt urs u met three weeks ago <3 also the owen dude and the marcus uncle dude were so annoying saur thats that !
overall i didnt hate this book, but i think the personalities of the main characters were flat and a little too centered on the romance. also, all the problems the couple had were fixed by doing the you know what 😭 i would recommend if youre looking for a spicy sports fake dating romance but if youre expecting depth and deep analyse on the characters backstories, i wouldnt say this is the right book for u....
my biggest thank u to netgalley and the publisher for giving me an arc in exchange for a honest review !!
this is a sports, fake dating romance <3
i think this book was mid, like the characters were okay i guess?? i think they were cute in the beginning but then the guy started acting all dominant and weird and i wanted to throw myself off a cliff...... i hate it when male characters act like that like pls calm down, she isnt urs u met three weeks ago <3 also the owen dude and the marcus uncle dude were so annoying saur thats that !
overall i didnt hate this book, but i think the personalities of the main characters were flat and a little too centered on the romance. also, all the problems the couple had were fixed by doing the you know what 😭 i would recommend if youre looking for a spicy sports fake dating romance but if youre expecting depth and deep analyse on the characters backstories, i wouldnt say this is the right book for u....
my biggest thank u to netgalley and the publisher for giving me an arc in exchange for a honest review !!
October 3, 2024
i really need to start reading descriptions because this is like the 8th time this year i’ve picked up a book just for the plot to be fake dating
i just didn’t enjoy this, i think the fake dating trope is so overdone and at this point the reasoning for them fake dating is unoriginal. the couple was okay but not people i really root for and the smut was boring. there was a point in the book where the love interest being celibate was revealed as if it was a plot twist and i just thought that was weird but whatever.
i just didn’t enjoy this, i think the fake dating trope is so overdone and at this point the reasoning for them fake dating is unoriginal. the couple was okay but not people i really root for and the smut was boring. there was a point in the book where the love interest being celibate was revealed as if it was a plot twist and i just thought that was weird but whatever.
November 1, 2024
This was so much better than the first book I think the author's writing and overall editing was better than Collide. Sage and Elias the main characters were so cute, I really liked the struggling ballerina and hockey player who needs to spin his image with the media. They meet at an actuation and after going on a date for charity they decide to fake date to benefit each other situation.
I personally liked both characters and the struggles they both went through. I liked that though this is a slow burn there is immediately chemistry between the mc's even after they make guiding rules for the fake dating. I liked how possessive and assertive Elias was especially during the steamy scenes. I love the found family in this book and that we got to see more of Aiden and Summer from the first book. Overall this is a cute sports romance that's steamy and an easy read. Thanks to Berkley for this arc!
Read for:
- Sports romance
- Fake dating
- Ballerina/hockey player
- College romance
- Found family
I personally liked both characters and the struggles they both went through. I liked that though this is a slow burn there is immediately chemistry between the mc's even after they make guiding rules for the fake dating. I liked how possessive and assertive Elias was especially during the steamy scenes. I love the found family in this book and that we got to see more of Aiden and Summer from the first book. Overall this is a cute sports romance that's steamy and an easy read. Thanks to Berkley for this arc!
Read for:
- Sports romance
- Fake dating
- Ballerina/hockey player
- College romance
- Found family
April 12, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
౨ৎ˚�
pre-read
・❥�
me in my romance era 💓🩰
౨ৎ˚�
pre-read
・❥�
me in my romance era 💓🩰
February 6, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
I enjoyed this book and found it to be fast-paced and easy to read.
Eli and Sage were likeable, emotional characters with depth, and their similarities convinced me they could make it for the long haul. While I did feel the pacing could be strange at times, and the 10-page time jumps in the epilogue were a bit jarring, overall, it was an enjoyable read, especially for fans of slow-burns. However, there was one sentence about a piercing that gave me such an intense "ick" moment that I wanted to bleach my eyeballs.
I did however, find it super super weird how
I want Sage's brother to have his own book
Tropes/Microtropes:
Fake Dating
Book 1 Character Cameos
Ballerina x Hockey player
Coach's Niece
Forced Prox??
Slow Burn
thankyou to netgalley and the bloomsbury for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
—�-
violently shaking with excitement because I got an e-arc of this!
I enjoyed this book and found it to be fast-paced and easy to read.
Eli and Sage were likeable, emotional characters with depth, and their similarities convinced me they could make it for the long haul. While I did feel the pacing could be strange at times, and the 10-page time jumps in the epilogue were a bit jarring, overall, it was an enjoyable read, especially for fans of slow-burns. However, there was one sentence about a piercing that gave me such an intense "ick" moment that I wanted to bleach my eyeballs.
I did however, find it super super weird how
I want Sage's brother to have his own book
Tropes/Microtropes:
Fake Dating
Book 1 Character Cameos
Ballerina x Hockey player
Coach's Niece
Forced Prox??
Slow Burn
thankyou to netgalley and the bloomsbury for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
—�-
violently shaking with excitement because I got an e-arc of this!
December 31, 2024
4.25 stars
�Spiral is a book I was looking forward to after reading ‘Collide� and I’m happy to say I loved it even more than the first! Elias Westbrooke is everything and I adored Sage as well. This was fake dating/friends to lovers done so well. And y’all know I love a hockey romance!
Eli is in his rookie season of playing professional hockey, and though his assists are on point, he can’t score to save his life. He’s in his head because of all of the unfounded media coverage he’s getting. Sage is a struggling ballerina who is exponentially talented but can’t seem to get auditions for the big roles she dreams of because she doesn’t have the reputation/social media following that the big companies want nowadays.
These two meet at a hockey auction that Sage is dancing at and strike a deal. They can help each other with their respective problems by fake dating. Sigh. There is nothing better than seeing fake dating become real and seeing friendship grow into something more. I adored this book so much. I hope there is more to this series because the secondary characters were great as well. This was a win for me!
�Spiral is a book I was looking forward to after reading ‘Collide� and I’m happy to say I loved it even more than the first! Elias Westbrooke is everything and I adored Sage as well. This was fake dating/friends to lovers done so well. And y’all know I love a hockey romance!
Eli is in his rookie season of playing professional hockey, and though his assists are on point, he can’t score to save his life. He’s in his head because of all of the unfounded media coverage he’s getting. Sage is a struggling ballerina who is exponentially talented but can’t seem to get auditions for the big roles she dreams of because she doesn’t have the reputation/social media following that the big companies want nowadays.
These two meet at a hockey auction that Sage is dancing at and strike a deal. They can help each other with their respective problems by fake dating. Sigh. There is nothing better than seeing fake dating become real and seeing friendship grow into something more. I adored this book so much. I hope there is more to this series because the secondary characters were great as well. This was a win for me!
March 23, 2025
A really cute slowburn sports romance with my favourite tropes of
fake dating and found family
! 💜
[ Contains some spoilers ]
PLOT SUMMARY
To misquote �Sk8er Boi� by Avril Lavigne: He was an ice hockey player, she did ballet. What more can I say?
Sage Beaumont is a ballet dancer, who dreams of being a star like Misty Copeland. Her parents abandoned her and her diabetic younger brother Sean. Circumstances have meant she has stacks of bills for her brother, and her job as a ballet teacher is barely getting her by. She auditions for the lead role of the swan queen for Swan Lake at the NBT (Nova Ballet Theatre) but unfortunately, they are only interested in hiring people with a large social media following.
Elias “Eli� Westbrook is a rookie ice hockey player for Toronto Thunder in the NHL (National Hockey League) who has yet to score his first career goal though constantly assists wins. His charming nature and newness to the team put him at the center of public scrutiny in the media, currently dubbed as the �golden boy turned playboy� with crazy fangirls trying to flaunt themselves at him at every opportunity.
The yearly fundraiser for charity occurs, and Sage is invited last minute by her uncle Marcus Smith-Beaumont to stand in for a dancer. Bids are being placed for a date with Eli, and his friend Aiden Crawford begs Sage to outbid a fangirl and he will cover the costs. Reluctantly she does so, which leads to more than what either of them bargains for.
After their date, gossip magazines release a photo of them with rumours circulating that Sage is Eli’s girlfriend. They decide this idea can work to their advantage and decide to fake date: Sage will get all the followers she needs to attract the attention of the NBT and secure the role; Eli will get less negative coverage in the media.
The only problem with this? The more time they spend together, the more the line between what is real and what isn’t becomes blurred. And there are obstacles in the way including her ex, Owen (who happens to be the new right-winger of Toronto Thunder) and Sage’s uncle Marcus (who happens to be the general manager of Toronto Thunder). And Eli has a few of his own secrets.
This is told from the first-person present-tense POV of Sage and Eli.
OVERALL OPINIONS
Okay but� why are men in these things always 6ft 4? Unrealistic standards. Like, my 5ft nothing self would break my neck looking up at this man! “What’s up, girl?� You, apparently! Get down from there! Anyway.
First of all, I am in love with the book’s dedication. Let’s start there:
This is book 2 in the Off the Ice series, after Collide about Summer and Aiden. They are both in this book continuing their long-distance relationship but they also have roles to play here: Sage does not have any friends of her own and she forms a great bond with Summer; Aiden gives Eli some relationship advice and is the reason for Sage and Eli meeting. Bless!
Truth be told, I have not had the opportunity to read Collide (I know!) but I will do and I look forward to more. The good news is if you’re like me and have not read the first book either, this can be read as a standalone so nothing will be confusing.
Spiral is an excellent title choice for this one because there is the phrase “spiral out of control�, which is accurate for their relationship � they try to restrain themselves but they lose control and are mad for each other. There is also the idea of “going into a spiral� which the two of them do often because of past traumas. This is used in Chapter 31 wherein Sage feels she has been �tossed into a downward spiral almost as complicated as our fake relationship�.
Indeed there are beautiful parallels between Sage and Eli : they both perform well when they are together/supporting each other, they want to prove people wrong (Sage wants to show the artistic director Aubrey Zimmerman that she has come a long way since he laughed at her and her audition; Eli wants to show general manager of the team Marcus that he will do better and he will achieve his first goal and wants to show the media he is more than a playboy), they both get injured doing the sport they love, they have trouble sleeping.
The thing that personally stuck with me was this quote, when Sage talks to Eli about her ex:
<< Positives >>
🠚The cover is super adorable!
🠚The dedication!
🠚Didn’t want to put it down!
🠚The relationship of Eli and Sage is so lovely, I was ooh-ing and aww-ing throughout! I especially loved the parallels. The spice was also good.
🠚The story emphasised the important message that long distance can work and isn’t a be-all-end-all, through the examples of both Summer and Aiden and Sage and Eli.
🠚The side plot about Marcus and Amy was sweet, wish it had been covered a little more.
🠚There were some great descriptions. For example: �Irritation flares in my gut as I watch his retreating figure. His bald head and straight-set shoulders burn into my memory. At least I’ll have a new silhouette for my sleep paralysis demon.� � hilarious. And this: �she looks at me like she’s mapping an entire constellation with her eyes.� � utterly beautiful.
🠚Summer and Aiden are back.
🠚The found family trope is so lovely, it is heartwarming to see Sage go from having only her brother Sean and uncle Marcus to both finding friends who essentially become her family, as well as adopting so she has a family of her own.
🠚Healthy vs toxic families are explored through Eli’s adoptive parents and his biological father.
🠚The issues of being a sibling forced to grow up too soon, step into their parents� shoes and take care of the family is explored very well through Sage.
🠚Khabra covers the realistic issue of ballet dancers who are self-conscious of their bodies, especially because of remarks ballet directors have said. This is ashame, and it is nice that Sage has got to the point where such things don’t affect her the same �It’s been hard keeping them out, but I try�.
<< Negatives >>
🠚I thought there would be more to do with Lana, the crazy fangirl at the start, especially because we are given her name.
🠚Some sections were very rushed, particularly 3/4s in and I expected them to either take up more of the book or have more of an impact. The main thing is Eli’s father threatening to reveal stuff from the past. The 3rd act breakup/angst was rather quick (not perhaps a bad thing, as I dislike this). The ballet sabotage at the end too, it comes out of nowhere.
🠚Other moments felt repetitive: the main one that comes to mind is their making out session and then Eli withdraws. The same thing happens the next night except in a different location in the house. If it had had a different outcome, it would’ve been fine.
🠚There could have been more of a relationship built between Sage and Nina. I think Sage should have adopted Nina during the main text, rather than a “by the way, this happened� in the Epilogue. It’s so sweet, but it had a lot of wasted potential.
🠚Mason and Marcus initially confused me name-wise as they are quite similar.
🠚Owen essentially disappears just after halfway. There was an opportunity for him to be made aware of some of his inappropriate behaviour and apologise about how he treated her or something.
🠚Sage and Eli’s age aren’t explicitly revealed. We know the brother Sean is 15, but I feel like because Sage has her birthday, we should know how old she has become. I believe they are around 22 because Eli mentions being �eighteen when we won the world juniors� except that night we celebrated, and it got out of hand� � which we know is around 4 years ago because that is the last time he hooked up with anyone.
🠚The moment where Sage and Eli are pretending to be strangers and flirt, and he doesn’t care about asking if she is single and she says �Oh, you should, my boyfriend is huge. We need to make this quick.� to which he responds �Your boyfriend can wait.� � this struck me as odd! Like, yes they’re just pretending, yes Eli is the boyfriend therefore she is referring to him, but it also sounds like cheating? Was this meant to be hot? See if this was done differently, like she could say �He is an amazing boyfriend� and he smiles or smirks and says �Is that so?�, there’d be far more chemistry with that.
🠚Sage’s favourite thing is to make Eli uncomfortable??? That’s such an odd thing to say too, I don’t know about that!
🠚Eli taking a picture of Sage when she is sleeping and posting it on the internet, though to some extent is sweet, is contradictory � you’d have thought because he had a girl who, while he was sleeping, took a photo of him and frame him for taking drugs Eli wouldn’t be keen on taking pictures while someone is unaware.
🠚In Chapter 27, Sage says if Eli liked her, he would have kissed her by now. He literally did, though. Was she not aware of what happened in Chapter 17?
CHARACTERS
-ˋˏ � Sage� ˎˊ-
� Poor Sage, such a people pleaser who takes care of others and doesn’t let others take care of her. I find her relatable to some extent. It is good of her to look after her brother but it is unrealistic that she can’t cook to save her life (I feel circumstances would have forced her to learn to cook for her and her brother). She is such a strong woman, it is admirable.
🠚I like her little �Note to Self”s through the book. Personal favourite is �When one door closes, smash the window.�
🠚She did annoy me a few times, I won’t lie. Especially her stubbornness when her apartment burns down. She has nowhere to go and is like “This is no big deal� � it literally is. I was just as mad as Eli in that moment. At least she’s self-aware she’s stubborn, I’ll give her that.
-ˋˏ � Eli� ˎˊ-
� This man is an angel from above! He goes out of his way so many times to do things for her in so many different lovely ways. (I wish Sage had done more things for him in return!)
🠚My 2 most favourite things that he does for her are firstly, bringing the glue and extra crystals for her because he remembers her telling him about �that one time they came off before you even got onstage and how upset you were. I didn’t want that happening again�. Literally, stop it!! Secondly, when he takes her out to watch her favourite movie at a drive-in cinema to watch her favourite film Dirty Dancing and bakes her a cake.
🠚He was literally such a gentleman, his mother raised him well, bless her heart.
🠚He is very dominating which is insanely attractive.
🠚The only time I was annoyed with him was when Sage says she loves him and he instantly freaks out and pushes her away. I get it but I was like oh come onnn!
FAV QUOTES
� When he pushes back the damp hair that was sticking to his forehead, I find myself mapping the contours of his face. His brown eyes, straight nose, and a bottom lip plumper than the top one blend together effortlessly. He’s impossible not to stare at. It’s a shame they make hockey players wear helmets that obstruct the fans� view of their faces. Maybe I should start a petition.
� when I’m running toward the water, feeling the rough sand beneath my feet, I’m no longer thinking about the tabloids. I’m thinking about the laughter coming from the girl who just ran into Lake Ontario.
� I have the urge to float around untethered. Something I used to do in high school. But now, there’s a split second where I want Elias to hold me tighter, to make me not feel so free—like there’s something to anchor me. Something that *wants* to anchor me.
� Suddenly, Sage’s laugh sounds fresh in my ears, and the way she bursts with energy is so contagious that it was impossible not to feel it too. Carefree and happy.
� With hockey, it’s easy to tell the difference between the players who worked hard and those who eat and breathe hockey like it’s a part of their soul. That’s what I see when I watch Sage. Dancing is a part of her soul.
� What chaos is trapped in that beautiful head of his?
� Lusting over your fake boyfriend should come with an advisory notice. Not that I would heed it anyway.
� The hand rubbing my back deflates the weight that’s been sitting on my shoulders this entire week as I fall into his chest. For once in my life, I feel like I’m allowed to cry outside the shower and in front of someone who won’t crumble if I do.
� “Why do you buy me flowers?� | He answers after a beat. “Because I like seeing you light up, even if you say you don’t like flowers.�
� “Wouldn’t want us breaking any other rules,� I say half joking. But there’s one I’d love to break. Especially right now as he wraps me in the cloak of his warmth. There’s something about this connection. A transfer of something created in our own bodies that we’re willing to share. It’s small, minuscule even, but it sets my heart alight. I steal the warmth of Elias like it’s mine to have, and he gives it to me like that’s true.
� I can’t remember the last time I felt this way. Desperate, needy, fucking *insane*. There’s too much I want to say, and too much I want to do. With Sage’s gaze lifted up to mine, it feels like a challenge. Like I need to wipe that smirk right off her face, and give her a better use for those perfect lips.
� This girl who carries everyone’s pain and problems is earnestly asking me to give her more. To give her my problems because she would rather carry them than see me crumple under the weight. Sage is beautiful and strong, a ray of light in a field of darkness.
� “You don’t have to pretend that you’re okay, but I’ll never let you doubt yourself. There’s nothing that can dim your light, and if you think there is, I’d crush it before it ever touched you.�
� I’ve waited my whole life for someone to tell me I’m worth it. Worth choosing, worth staying, worth loving. To tell me my dreams are attainable, and I wouldn’t be another fallen star with no way back. Elias has said that every step of the way, but it never truly clicked until this moment. Until *I* decided that I’m worth it.
� I was certain that whoever ended up with Sage Beaumont would never be bored. The girl is a star, and as much as I denied it then, I wanted to be the one she shone down on—the one she broke out of the sky for, and the one that caught her.
══════════ ⋆★� ══════════
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and I’d like to thank Bal Khabra, Bloomsbury Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity. This has not affected my opinion in any way.
She hugs me. She hugs me like she needs me, and it’s more than I could ever ask for. The embrace is a wave of bliss, a flood that momentarily helps drown out the knowledge that we’ll be apart soon. In this instant, all that matters is the warmth of her presence and the reassurance that she’s here with me.
“Let’s go home,� she whispers into the crook of my neck.
I nod, but she doesn’t know that I’m already there.
[ Contains some spoilers ]
PLOT SUMMARY
To misquote �Sk8er Boi� by Avril Lavigne: He was an ice hockey player, she did ballet. What more can I say?
Sage Beaumont is a ballet dancer, who dreams of being a star like Misty Copeland. Her parents abandoned her and her diabetic younger brother Sean. Circumstances have meant she has stacks of bills for her brother, and her job as a ballet teacher is barely getting her by. She auditions for the lead role of the swan queen for Swan Lake at the NBT (Nova Ballet Theatre) but unfortunately, they are only interested in hiring people with a large social media following.
Elias “Eli� Westbrook is a rookie ice hockey player for Toronto Thunder in the NHL (National Hockey League) who has yet to score his first career goal though constantly assists wins. His charming nature and newness to the team put him at the center of public scrutiny in the media, currently dubbed as the �golden boy turned playboy� with crazy fangirls trying to flaunt themselves at him at every opportunity.
The yearly fundraiser for charity occurs, and Sage is invited last minute by her uncle Marcus Smith-Beaumont to stand in for a dancer. Bids are being placed for a date with Eli, and his friend Aiden Crawford begs Sage to outbid a fangirl and he will cover the costs. Reluctantly she does so, which leads to more than what either of them bargains for.
After their date, gossip magazines release a photo of them with rumours circulating that Sage is Eli’s girlfriend. They decide this idea can work to their advantage and decide to fake date: Sage will get all the followers she needs to attract the attention of the NBT and secure the role; Eli will get less negative coverage in the media.
The only problem with this? The more time they spend together, the more the line between what is real and what isn’t becomes blurred. And there are obstacles in the way including her ex, Owen (who happens to be the new right-winger of Toronto Thunder) and Sage’s uncle Marcus (who happens to be the general manager of Toronto Thunder). And Eli has a few of his own secrets.
Elias Westbrook is the most gentle man I’ve ever known, but if he wanted to, he could tear my heart to pieces.
This is told from the first-person present-tense POV of Sage and Eli.
OVERALL OPINIONS
Okay but� why are men in these things always 6ft 4? Unrealistic standards. Like, my 5ft nothing self would break my neck looking up at this man! “What’s up, girl?� You, apparently! Get down from there! Anyway.
First of all, I am in love with the book’s dedication. Let’s start there:
You are a light in this world,
don't waste it on those who can't see it.
Find the people who can.
This is book 2 in the Off the Ice series, after Collide about Summer and Aiden. They are both in this book continuing their long-distance relationship but they also have roles to play here: Sage does not have any friends of her own and she forms a great bond with Summer; Aiden gives Eli some relationship advice and is the reason for Sage and Eli meeting. Bless!
Truth be told, I have not had the opportunity to read Collide (I know!) but I will do and I look forward to more. The good news is if you’re like me and have not read the first book either, this can be read as a standalone so nothing will be confusing.
Spiral is an excellent title choice for this one because there is the phrase “spiral out of control�, which is accurate for their relationship � they try to restrain themselves but they lose control and are mad for each other. There is also the idea of “going into a spiral� which the two of them do often because of past traumas. This is used in Chapter 31 wherein Sage feels she has been �tossed into a downward spiral almost as complicated as our fake relationship�.
Indeed there are beautiful parallels between Sage and Eli : they both perform well when they are together/supporting each other, they want to prove people wrong (Sage wants to show the artistic director Aubrey Zimmerman that she has come a long way since he laughed at her and her audition; Eli wants to show general manager of the team Marcus that he will do better and he will achieve his first goal and wants to show the media he is more than a playboy), they both get injured doing the sport they love, they have trouble sleeping.
The thing that personally stuck with me was this quote, when Sage talks to Eli about her ex:
“He saw me as a wind-up ballerina, ready to perform whenever he twisted the key.�I hate Owen so much, but this is such an incredible way of using fitting imagery to show rather than tell that he was a controlling man. I audibly gasped at this! I would also argue this is the most poetic description in the whole book.
<< Positives >>
🠚The cover is super adorable!
🠚The dedication!
🠚Didn’t want to put it down!
🠚The relationship of Eli and Sage is so lovely, I was ooh-ing and aww-ing throughout! I especially loved the parallels. The spice was also good.
🠚The story emphasised the important message that long distance can work and isn’t a be-all-end-all, through the examples of both Summer and Aiden and Sage and Eli.
🠚The side plot about Marcus and Amy was sweet, wish it had been covered a little more.
🠚There were some great descriptions. For example: �Irritation flares in my gut as I watch his retreating figure. His bald head and straight-set shoulders burn into my memory. At least I’ll have a new silhouette for my sleep paralysis demon.� � hilarious. And this: �she looks at me like she’s mapping an entire constellation with her eyes.� � utterly beautiful.
🠚Summer and Aiden are back.
🠚The found family trope is so lovely, it is heartwarming to see Sage go from having only her brother Sean and uncle Marcus to both finding friends who essentially become her family, as well as adopting so she has a family of her own.
🠚Healthy vs toxic families are explored through Eli’s adoptive parents and his biological father.
🠚The issues of being a sibling forced to grow up too soon, step into their parents� shoes and take care of the family is explored very well through Sage.
🠚Khabra covers the realistic issue of ballet dancers who are self-conscious of their bodies, especially because of remarks ballet directors have said. This is ashame, and it is nice that Sage has got to the point where such things don’t affect her the same �It’s been hard keeping them out, but I try�.
<< Negatives >>
🠚I thought there would be more to do with Lana, the crazy fangirl at the start, especially because we are given her name.
🠚Some sections were very rushed, particularly 3/4s in and I expected them to either take up more of the book or have more of an impact. The main thing is Eli’s father threatening to reveal stuff from the past. The 3rd act breakup/angst was rather quick (not perhaps a bad thing, as I dislike this). The ballet sabotage at the end too, it comes out of nowhere.
🠚Other moments felt repetitive: the main one that comes to mind is their making out session and then Eli withdraws. The same thing happens the next night except in a different location in the house. If it had had a different outcome, it would’ve been fine.
🠚There could have been more of a relationship built between Sage and Nina. I think Sage should have adopted Nina during the main text, rather than a “by the way, this happened� in the Epilogue. It’s so sweet, but it had a lot of wasted potential.
🠚Mason and Marcus initially confused me name-wise as they are quite similar.
🠚Owen essentially disappears just after halfway. There was an opportunity for him to be made aware of some of his inappropriate behaviour and apologise about how he treated her or something.
🠚Sage and Eli’s age aren’t explicitly revealed. We know the brother Sean is 15, but I feel like because Sage has her birthday, we should know how old she has become. I believe they are around 22 because Eli mentions being �eighteen when we won the world juniors� except that night we celebrated, and it got out of hand� � which we know is around 4 years ago because that is the last time he hooked up with anyone.
🠚The moment where Sage and Eli are pretending to be strangers and flirt, and he doesn’t care about asking if she is single and she says �Oh, you should, my boyfriend is huge. We need to make this quick.� to which he responds �Your boyfriend can wait.� � this struck me as odd! Like, yes they’re just pretending, yes Eli is the boyfriend therefore she is referring to him, but it also sounds like cheating? Was this meant to be hot? See if this was done differently, like she could say �He is an amazing boyfriend� and he smiles or smirks and says �Is that so?�, there’d be far more chemistry with that.
🠚Sage’s favourite thing is to make Eli uncomfortable??? That’s such an odd thing to say too, I don’t know about that!
🠚Eli taking a picture of Sage when she is sleeping and posting it on the internet, though to some extent is sweet, is contradictory � you’d have thought because he had a girl who, while he was sleeping, took a photo of him and frame him for taking drugs Eli wouldn’t be keen on taking pictures while someone is unaware.
🠚In Chapter 27, Sage says if Eli liked her, he would have kissed her by now. He literally did, though. Was she not aware of what happened in Chapter 17?
CHARACTERS
-ˋˏ � Sage� ˎˊ-
� Poor Sage, such a people pleaser who takes care of others and doesn’t let others take care of her. I find her relatable to some extent. It is good of her to look after her brother but it is unrealistic that she can’t cook to save her life (I feel circumstances would have forced her to learn to cook for her and her brother). She is such a strong woman, it is admirable.
🠚I like her little �Note to Self”s through the book. Personal favourite is �When one door closes, smash the window.�
🠚She did annoy me a few times, I won’t lie. Especially her stubbornness when her apartment burns down. She has nowhere to go and is like “This is no big deal� � it literally is. I was just as mad as Eli in that moment. At least she’s self-aware she’s stubborn, I’ll give her that.
“If this is your way to sabotage me, it won’t work. Even if I break my damn leg out there, I’ll still perform. You can’t take this away from me.�
-ˋˏ � Eli� ˎˊ-
� This man is an angel from above! He goes out of his way so many times to do things for her in so many different lovely ways. (I wish Sage had done more things for him in return!)
🠚My 2 most favourite things that he does for her are firstly, bringing the glue and extra crystals for her because he remembers her telling him about �that one time they came off before you even got onstage and how upset you were. I didn’t want that happening again�. Literally, stop it!! Secondly, when he takes her out to watch her favourite movie at a drive-in cinema to watch her favourite film Dirty Dancing and bakes her a cake.
🠚He was literally such a gentleman, his mother raised him well, bless her heart.
🠚He is very dominating which is insanely attractive.
🠚The only time I was annoyed with him was when Sage says she loves him and he instantly freaks out and pushes her away. I get it but I was like oh come onnn!
“From the moment I saw you, I couldn’t look away. And it had nothing to do with your body or face. It was just you. Your energy, your determination, your strength. That’s all that I could see. It was blinding.�
FAV QUOTES
� When he pushes back the damp hair that was sticking to his forehead, I find myself mapping the contours of his face. His brown eyes, straight nose, and a bottom lip plumper than the top one blend together effortlessly. He’s impossible not to stare at. It’s a shame they make hockey players wear helmets that obstruct the fans� view of their faces. Maybe I should start a petition.
� when I’m running toward the water, feeling the rough sand beneath my feet, I’m no longer thinking about the tabloids. I’m thinking about the laughter coming from the girl who just ran into Lake Ontario.
� I have the urge to float around untethered. Something I used to do in high school. But now, there’s a split second where I want Elias to hold me tighter, to make me not feel so free—like there’s something to anchor me. Something that *wants* to anchor me.
� Suddenly, Sage’s laugh sounds fresh in my ears, and the way she bursts with energy is so contagious that it was impossible not to feel it too. Carefree and happy.
� With hockey, it’s easy to tell the difference between the players who worked hard and those who eat and breathe hockey like it’s a part of their soul. That’s what I see when I watch Sage. Dancing is a part of her soul.
� What chaos is trapped in that beautiful head of his?
� Lusting over your fake boyfriend should come with an advisory notice. Not that I would heed it anyway.
� The hand rubbing my back deflates the weight that’s been sitting on my shoulders this entire week as I fall into his chest. For once in my life, I feel like I’m allowed to cry outside the shower and in front of someone who won’t crumble if I do.
� “Why do you buy me flowers?� | He answers after a beat. “Because I like seeing you light up, even if you say you don’t like flowers.�
� “Wouldn’t want us breaking any other rules,� I say half joking. But there’s one I’d love to break. Especially right now as he wraps me in the cloak of his warmth. There’s something about this connection. A transfer of something created in our own bodies that we’re willing to share. It’s small, minuscule even, but it sets my heart alight. I steal the warmth of Elias like it’s mine to have, and he gives it to me like that’s true.
� I can’t remember the last time I felt this way. Desperate, needy, fucking *insane*. There’s too much I want to say, and too much I want to do. With Sage’s gaze lifted up to mine, it feels like a challenge. Like I need to wipe that smirk right off her face, and give her a better use for those perfect lips.
� This girl who carries everyone’s pain and problems is earnestly asking me to give her more. To give her my problems because she would rather carry them than see me crumple under the weight. Sage is beautiful and strong, a ray of light in a field of darkness.
� “You don’t have to pretend that you’re okay, but I’ll never let you doubt yourself. There’s nothing that can dim your light, and if you think there is, I’d crush it before it ever touched you.�
� I’ve waited my whole life for someone to tell me I’m worth it. Worth choosing, worth staying, worth loving. To tell me my dreams are attainable, and I wouldn’t be another fallen star with no way back. Elias has said that every step of the way, but it never truly clicked until this moment. Until *I* decided that I’m worth it.
� I was certain that whoever ended up with Sage Beaumont would never be bored. The girl is a star, and as much as I denied it then, I wanted to be the one she shone down on—the one she broke out of the sky for, and the one that caught her.
══════════ ⋆★� ══════════
I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and I’d like to thank Bal Khabra, Bloomsbury Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity. This has not affected my opinion in any way.
January 30, 2025
This enchanting romance follows Élias Westbrok, a talented but struggling rookie for the Toronto Thunder, and Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina pursuing her dreams of joining the prestigious Aurora Ballet.
When these two seemingly different souls cross paths, they devise an ingenious solution to their respective challenges: a fake relationship that could boost Sage's social media presence and rehabilitate Élias's public image. However, as with all the best fake-dating narratives, their carefully constructed arrangement becomes increasingly complicated as genuine feelings begin to surface.
Sage emerges as an extraordinarily compelling protagonist.The author's intimate knowledge of ballet shines through in the technical details, offering authentic glimpses into a dancer's world that will particularly resonate with readers familiar with the art form.
Élias's character development is equally well-crafted. Despite his initial reputation as the team's "playboy" and his deep-seated trust issues stemming from past experiences, his genuine nature emerges through his interactions with Sage. His instinctive desire to protect and support her, despite their arrangement's supposed limitations, reveals layers of complexity beneath his outward image.
Thank you prh for the ARC ✨�
When these two seemingly different souls cross paths, they devise an ingenious solution to their respective challenges: a fake relationship that could boost Sage's social media presence and rehabilitate Élias's public image. However, as with all the best fake-dating narratives, their carefully constructed arrangement becomes increasingly complicated as genuine feelings begin to surface.
Sage emerges as an extraordinarily compelling protagonist.The author's intimate knowledge of ballet shines through in the technical details, offering authentic glimpses into a dancer's world that will particularly resonate with readers familiar with the art form.
Élias's character development is equally well-crafted. Despite his initial reputation as the team's "playboy" and his deep-seated trust issues stemming from past experiences, his genuine nature emerges through his interactions with Sage. His instinctive desire to protect and support her, despite their arrangement's supposed limitations, reveals layers of complexity beneath his outward image.
Thank you prh for the ARC ✨�
Want to read
January 7, 2024okay I haven't finished Collide yet so idk if the protagonists for this one were announced at the end BUT I hope this book is about Kian OR I want it to be about Tyler and Amara (but I think Amara's book might actually be her and Eli)
we shall see if I'm correct
we shall see if I'm correct
February 25, 2025
4.25 stars
This was such a huge improvement from Collide.
Right from the start, the two main characters are on the same page and communicate well. And with the exception of a couple smaller things, that stands throughout the book.
There were a couple times I felt like Eli was yanking her around a bit that seemed unfair, but he was also going through some tough stuff and so it was understandable that they were both having some hard times and were trying to figure out how to navigate everything.
This also didn't drag at all; the first book was just so long and the pacing was off, and that was not the case here. I don't know if it's just the storyline that I just enjoyed more, but I feel like I just witnessed the author improving her writing from one book to the next and that is exciting to see 🩷
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
This was such a huge improvement from Collide.
Right from the start, the two main characters are on the same page and communicate well. And with the exception of a couple smaller things, that stands throughout the book.
There were a couple times I felt like Eli was yanking her around a bit that seemed unfair, but he was also going through some tough stuff and so it was understandable that they were both having some hard times and were trying to figure out how to navigate everything.
This also didn't drag at all; the first book was just so long and the pacing was off, and that was not the case here. I don't know if it's just the storyline that I just enjoyed more, but I feel like I just witnessed the author improving her writing from one book to the next and that is exciting to see 🩷
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
March 27, 2025
I really liked Collide, and was hoping I'd love this one too, but Spiral wasn't as good.
My main issue is that I couldn't feel any tension on chemistry between the MCs, even though I liked the story. Both of their interactions with each other felt very flat, and their fake relationship had no stakes.
What also bugged me is how Eli's celibacy was handled. It felt like the only reason it was added, was to stop them from getting together too soon / so it would be more of a slower burn.
When Sage finds out Eli's celibate, she starts slamming down drinks as if he just told her he's really sick and about to die like...girl it's not that serious???
Now, I will say that Eli kept starting stuff with Sage and not finishing it, so some of this is on him too.
And the reason he finally breaks it, is jealousy, which...okay, I guess, whatever.
I'll still read book three, hopefully it'll be more like book one and not like book two.
My main issue is that I couldn't feel any tension on chemistry between the MCs, even though I liked the story. Both of their interactions with each other felt very flat, and their fake relationship had no stakes.
What also bugged me is how Eli's celibacy was handled. It felt like the only reason it was added, was to stop them from getting together too soon / so it would be more of a slower burn.
When Sage finds out Eli's celibate, she starts slamming down drinks as if he just told her he's really sick and about to die like...girl it's not that serious???
Now, I will say that Eli kept starting stuff with Sage and not finishing it, so some of this is on him too.
And the reason he finally breaks it, is jealousy, which...okay, I guess, whatever.
I'll still read book three, hopefully it'll be more like book one and not like book two.
November 15, 2024
thank you netgalley and berkley publishing group for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
guyszszzzzz this one was hard. i did not like Collide (her first book) but i like Eli/Elias so i was honestly pumped for this! but i should’ve listened to my gut because this is (duhhh) the same exact writing as the first book.
~NO SUBSTANCE whatsoever, i felt no character development at all and i couldn’t grasp the main characters personality.
~the 🥴🤨piercing was SO out of left field. it definitely turned me off. how can a floppy haired grumpy? shy? (idk couldn’t figure it out) hockey player with no tattoos and CELIBATE.! have a 😳piercing. very very out of character.
~and about the celibate thing.. oh my god we get it. it was so annoying. i bet the word “celibate� is mentioned 50 times and everytime im just like UGH.
~toooooo slow burnt. and it was all because of the celibacy
~could have ended at chapter 39 (80%) but then it carried on for 6 more chapters and an epilogue. with unnecessary drama.
︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶
i DID enjoy how fast and simple it was to read but it was not a good read tbh it was very surface level and had its moments but i felt nothing for their relationship.
guyszszzzzz this one was hard. i did not like Collide (her first book) but i like Eli/Elias so i was honestly pumped for this! but i should’ve listened to my gut because this is (duhhh) the same exact writing as the first book.
~NO SUBSTANCE whatsoever, i felt no character development at all and i couldn’t grasp the main characters personality.
~the 🥴🤨piercing was SO out of left field. it definitely turned me off. how can a floppy haired grumpy? shy? (idk couldn’t figure it out) hockey player with no tattoos and CELIBATE.! have a 😳piercing. very very out of character.
~and about the celibate thing.. oh my god we get it. it was so annoying. i bet the word “celibate� is mentioned 50 times and everytime im just like UGH.
~toooooo slow burnt. and it was all because of the celibacy
~could have ended at chapter 39 (80%) but then it carried on for 6 more chapters and an epilogue. with unnecessary drama.
︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶
i DID enjoy how fast and simple it was to read but it was not a good read tbh it was very surface level and had its moments but i felt nothing for their relationship.
February 5, 2025
This was so wholesome 🥹
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