This took way too long to get off the ground and I’m not sure this stands out in a very saturated hockey romance genre. It was cute but overall just left me a bit meh.

This was a great hockey romance. While I do love a bad boy turned good, I really appreciated that Aiden was a good guy throughout. He wasn't a womanizer and he always treated Summer great. This is perfect for fans of Icebreaker and The Deal.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

COLLIDE by Bal Khabra blew up on BookTok for a reason! I'll be the first to say that I'm a huge fan of hockey romances, and this one did not disappoint! It's officially one of my favorite books in the genre to date.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this arc!!

4/5 stars

This was a fun and sweet romance! I don't normally read sports romances but my coworkers were really excited about this one and hyped it up, and I'm glad they did! I really enjoyed their chemistry and the reverse grumpy sunshine trope! Their character growth was great, I love a book with good character growth yaaas!

4.5/5 stars
This book follows a college student who has committed off from hockey players but her world collides with one and now they can’t separate. This is honestly such a cute book and I loved the storyline. Khabra did an amazing job with this book as I loved the college setting line and conflicts in this book. There is a lot of family setting in this book other than romance which I thought was amazing. I do wish the author touched a but more on Summer’s culture as I would say it’s hard to know what her cultural status may be. This book is told from dual povs of Summer and Aiden.

Summer is getting her thesis ready but the presure is too much and she doesn’t want a hockey player in the middle of it. I liked her character and how sassy she is. I can relate to her character and loved her development. Then we have Aiden whose a sweetheart and heads over heels for Summer. He’s literally a golden retreiver. They both have great character devlopment. There are many side characters in this book and I’m excited to see there stories in the future books. The romance is reverse grumpy x sunshine, friends with benefits, and slow burn.

The ending was well done and I really enjoyed this book. A lot of the scenes felt like they would be from booktok but I was all here for those cute moments. I’m super excited to read Eli’s story and see who he falls in love with.

Hockey romances are everywhere and I am here for it. With books like Icebreaker" topping tiktok charts, Collide is skatiung in as a perfect read-a-like for your book slump. As a new adult title, Collide is fitting in for those readers who are over YA romance, but not yet ready to jump into marriage and kids level romances.

don’t have much to say because i didn’t LOVE this book really…

here’s what i didn’t like:
-Summer. I thought she was a tad bit moody and mean to Aiden at times and at one point i thought she flat out was not interested in him. he was WHIPPED and she was like eh i don’t really care. she also said some out of pocket shit! she would mention getting with other guys to mess with him and he did notttt like that. like girl chill!!! stop saying that!!!
-it was too long.
-i don’t even think they are meant to be. event tho we see in the epilogue they last for 9 years but i just don’t see them being a forever couple.

what i liked:
-i enjoyed the sex scenes. they were hot!
(that’s about it)

it was a basic hockey romance nothing crazy special to it. so if that’s what you’re looking for then i recommend it as a good palette cleanser!

I love a sports read, esp ice hockey. It was overall okay, the development slow and felt super superficial, but it was interesting. The pacing was fine, a little slow, but it was still enjoyable as a past time.

I loved the banter in this book and really enjoyed the writing style. I did however just not feel very connected to the characters or the story so there for the vibes but lacked the personal investment i crave in books

I was given access to this arc to read thanks to NetGalley. A fun romance. Great read. Would read more by this author.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

*Collide* by Bal Khabra is a riveting exploration of fate, choice, and the intricate web of relationships that shape our lives. Khabra’s writing is sharp and immersive, pulling readers into a world where every decision has profound consequences.

The characters are well-crafted and multi-dimensional, each grappling with their own conflicts and desires. Khabra does an excellent job of portraying their internal struggles, making their journeys feel authentic and relatable. The interplay between the characters adds depth to the narrative, highlighting the complexity of human connections.

The pacing of the story is engaging, with a perfect balance of tension and introspection. The plot unfolds with a series of twists that keep you guessing, although there are moments where the narrative could benefit from a bit more clarity. Despite this, the emotional payoff is rewarding, as the themes of love, loss, and redemption resonate powerfully throughout.

Overall, *Collide* is a thought-provoking read that captivates from start to finish. It’s a compelling choice for anyone who enjoys character-driven stories with a blend of drama and intrigue. I look forward to seeing what Khabra will bring to readers next!

I want a man obsessed with me the way Aiden was of Summer!!!!!!!!!

”summer is my sun, and i’m the simple planet revolving in her orbit."

Aiden is the golden retriever MMC we all love, sweet and gentle and a handsome hockey player!! him and summer were so cute together, their dynamic in the book was so solid! she was adorable.

Hockey romances are hit or miss for me, but this one was fun. Is it my new favorite book of all time? No, but it was cute. I thought the relationship was a realistic build-up of enemies to lovers which sometimes can be hard to pull off in a believable way. I thought the love story was done well in this one though. It was a fun read!

The book is a mix of Icebreaker and the Deal, with a slow burn and a insta-lovey trope. The characters, Summer and Aiden, have a complex relationship, with Summer being a hockey player who dislikes them and Aiden being a gentle and kind dog. Summer's father is constantly criticized for his abandonment of her, and Aiden's dismissiveness of Summer's feelings. Aiden is devoted to Summer, but his spineless nature makes him seem spineless.

The book could have used more editing, as the writing felt clunky, with inconsistencies in the story and characters' backstories. The pacing was inconsistent, and the project aspect was glossed over. Aiden's contribution to her research was never expanded on, and there was barely any hockey in the story.

Despite these criticisms, the book is enjoyable with its banter between Summer and Aiden and the absence of a third-act breakup. Although the story feels unoriginal and predictable, it is a cute and good debut novel filled with lighthearted and cute moments. The diversity of the characters is appreciated, but the author wishes for more of Summer's heritage to be explored.

In Collide by Bal Khabra, the clash of worlds unfolds between ambitious honors student Summer Preston and carefree hockey captain Aiden Crawford. Tasked with researching Aiden for her sports psychology program, Summer finds herself reluctantly drawn into a sport she despises, leading to humorous and heartfelt banter that challenges her perceptions of hockey and its players. As they navigate their differences, the story captures the tension between ambition and unexpected romance, showcasing Khabra's knack for character-driven storytelling. With witty dialogue and relatable challenges, this novel is a charming exploration of how love can emerge from the most unlikely circumstances.

It was a very cute book; I enjoyed it. The MMC was mature and didn't react in the typical toxic way for college romance books. I found it different and refreshing. The FMC's relationship with her ex was annoying, and although I understand it was like that to move the plot forward, I wish it had been done differently. In all, I enjoyed the read.

I somehow accidentally ended up on a sports romance kick - and even like specialized in hockey somehow. When I read a book, I tend to take notes so that way this part comes easier (writing the review) especially if I’m working through 4 books at once, it helps me keep them straight.

Going through those notes currently has be cackling:

“Aiden Crawford has me full swooning.”
“And that group chat with some of the hockey boys titled Sunny’s Angels. Crying.”
“No third act breakup!!!”

And if you’re a romance reader like me, you know third act breakups are very prominent in this genre - so the genuine happiness I had - just superb.

This follows Aiden and Summer. He’s captain of the hockey team. She needs a hockey player to study to write her psychology paper to get into a big program. He’s on probation after taking one for the team, she hates hockey players. So it starts a bit feisty. We get enemies to lovers (kinda???), and he falls first. He falls so hard, my ovaries were exploding.

This was shaping up to be a 4-5 star read, but I think the length and odd plot points at the end brought it down to a 3-3.5 star read. I just think this was too drawn out (a reoccurring issue in hockey romance for me), and I just thought some of the plot was ridiculous- especially because the villain was so outwardly evil.

I'm a sucker for hockey romance, but this one didn't hit like i wanted it to.
It was a very cute read. It was all romance and fluff, i think i was missing plot.
And it felt almost insta-love to me.

But it wasn't a bad book! It just didn't hit my expectations.