this is MY KIND OF ROMANCE 🥰🔥🏒 she’s driven and focused on getting into grad school, he’s a flirt and captain of the hockey team. she hates hockey, but it turns out he’s who she has to work with to get her research done for her application. there’s simmering tension, a lot of pesky provoking, and of COURSE underlying attraction. nooooothing to see here… 😏

read this in one sitting and loved it and can’t wait for book #2!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️— really liked it! #radfourstarreads

I wanted to like this book so much more but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. I can definitely see people enjoying this, especially those that are extreme fans of hockey romance but for me, this book just felt so long for no reason.
I don’t want to just fully badge this book because like I said, I do think it was more a me thing than the actual book itself. While I did find the writing slightly immature in the sense that it was very wattpad-ish, I am someone that can still find that enjoyable in books but for me this just wasn’t it. I feel like this book could’ve used more editing honestly like it felt very clunky at times but also like there were areas that were just not explained at all like, what did Aiden even contribute to her research?? Just like to make one random point lol I also like do you understand that summer hated hockey but I feel like there was literally no mention of hockey in this “hockey romance”.
Anyway, despite my issues with the book, I did actually enjoy a lot of it. I thought the banter between the two of them was really fun and I was laughing out loud a few comments that were made. I feel like this book kind’ve felt like a mix between The Deal and Icebreaker.
Overall, I feel like I just kinda feel indifferent towards this book. I don’t really think I’m gonna have that much of a lasting memory of it and I’m not super interested in continuing though I did really like the friendships that were going on, I can definitely see myself enjoying reading about them but idk I don’t think it’s a main priority of mine to continue. I did enjoy this one for the most part but I probably wouldn’t recommend this hockey romance over other ones I’ve read.

*Thank you so much to Berkley Romance and team for an e-arc of this book! All opinions above are 100% my own!*

College hockey romance at its finest!!! I love Summer and how headstrong she is, how passionate and determined and steadfast in her convictions and I love Aiden for the way he loves her in totality. This is a standout of the year for me and I cannot wait to read EVERYTHING from Bal Khabra in the future!!

Did Not Finish.

I seriously ran to download this one when I saw it was being re-released by Berkley. I had seen it all over the gram when it was indie and it had so many things going for it.

🏒enemies-to-lovers
🏒hockey!!!!!
🏒golden retriever MMC
🏒desi/POC FMC

Unfortunately, Summer is a real drag. She’s immature, rude, and downright mean at times. I don’t understand why Aiden was so obsessed with her. And frankly—Collide gave me some PTSD flashback reminders of Icebreaker (another hockey romance that let me down!).

Thank you to Berkley for the eARC and PRH Audio for the free audiobook, but sadly this one was not for me.

Canadian author 🤝 hockey romance
im a sucker for hockey romances and this one was super good. i enjoyed the characters and the storyline

I was never really a sports romance girl but this was a pretty good time! This was very cute and sexy I enjoyed my time with it.

First I want to give a thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC of this book! It is greatly appreciated.

I rated this at 3 stars because it was very average for me. I really love a sports/hockey romance and I definitely love a man who is going to yearn but this was just a little too cheesy for me at some points and felt sometimes like I was reading a fanfic on Wattpad. I did really love the two main characters and I loved their story together, there were just some parts of the book that made me cringe.

There's also a LOT of side characters, which is usually a given with sports team books, but that's one of the harder parts of reading a book with this kind of trope. I'm sure that is going to play into the fact that this is a series, so there will be books about the other side characters, but sometimes it's just hard to keep up with who's who. One honorable mention is: no third act break up. Thank God!

Read if you love:
- dual POV
- hockey/sports romance
- he falls first
- jealous pining
- grumpy/sunshine

this was such a cute and fun read!! i love hockey romance so i had to pick this one up and ended up loving it (as expected).

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SPICE: 🔥🔥

I loved this book in indie version and I love it in trad version. I’m a hickey romance Stan, and college hockey romances are one of my favorite things. Aiden and Summer did not disappoint. Their banter was bantering the whole time and let me tell you, I will always fall for the cinnamon roll. Every single time!

TROPES
✨ Hockey Romance
✨ He Falls First
✨ Cinnamon Roll MMC
✨ Grumpy (her)/ Sunshine (him)
✨ Close Proximity

Aiden is the hockey captain who takes the fall when his team gets in trouble. Ans that leads him to working with Summer who is a research student. Summer has high walls and wants nothing to do with him, but they need each other and so they figure out a way to make it work.

I love the grumpy FMC, and Summer was no different. she is guarded but watching Aiden get her to let him in was such a great read. Aiden is just ooey gooey and a complete nurturer. I really fell for him.

This one has great vibes if you like banter filled college romances and has some good spice. For a debut (which I read when it was first released) this one has great style, good characters and is an easy and fun read!

This book reminded me very much of The Deal (which is one of my favorite hockey romances) mixed with Icebreaker. Reverse grumpy/sunshine. i Genuinely like the characters (especially the side characters) and can't wait to continue the series as interconnected hockey romance can do no wrong.

Thank you to Bal Khabra and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy of "Collide". This read a lot like Hannah Grace's "Icebreaker" to me, as the cover and hockey romance premises were really similar. I think if you liked "Icebreaker", chances are that you would really appreciate Khabra's "Collide" as well. I loved that Summer was a sports psychologist, because I am also studying psychology and it is a breath of fresh air to have a FMC that is a psychology student too! Her character got on my nerves sometimes, but I think that's just something I encounter a lot in general with rom-com novels. This was a great palate cleanser for all of the horror and thriller books I have been reading lately. Super fluffy, lighthearted, and fun!

this book could’ve used so much more editing. the writing felt clunky, there were so many inconsistencies with the story and the characters backstories, the pacing was all over the place and the whole project thing was glossed over. like what did aiden contribute to her research?! i honestly don’t know what his whole purpose was bc it was never expanded on even tho that was the whole premise towards the plot. i wanted to see what data she was inputting towards her paper but it was pushed aside and it never rly got mentioned again.. and for a hockey romance there was barely any hockey lol.

I’m actually so pleasantly surprised by this one. I completely understand the hype for it. It was so cute and so funny. I loved Aiden so much???? Their banter was incredible and just the right amount of hockey was thrown in. I will 100% be continuing this series when book 2 comes out!

The only reason it isn’t a full 5 star read is because I found it almost becoming a little too cheesy at the end for me but that’s okay I still loved it. 🥰

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!*

⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

❝Who are you and what have you done with Summer?❞
❝She fell in love.❞

⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

Alexa... play Streets by Doja Cat

0:00 ♡──────── -3:48
↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺

"Cause you're a one in a million, there ain't no man like you"

"Everything about her feels like it's one in a million. Being able to be this close to her makes me feel like I'm one in a million."

⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

જ*⁀➷Includes:
➵enemies to friends with benefits to lovers
➵forced proximity
➵sworn off relationship
➵rejected as unworthy by parent
➵grumpy x sunshine
➵smut

જ*⁀➷Summary In the Form of a Quote

❝Her five year plan has been thoroughly dismantled, but mine has just begun, and she is its focal point. Summer is my sun, and I'm the simple planet revolving in her orbit.❞

જ*⁀➷Themes
Unexpected love can arise from the ashes of ruined plans.
Love sometimes comes when we least expect it.

જ*⁀➷Characters

Summer
It sometimes surprises me when I read new adult books and the main characters are actually interesting. Like, Summer had a backstory, she had actual feelings and thoughts I could relate to, and she didn't annoy me at all (except when she was supposed to). She wasn't a pick me (Autumn, I'm GLARING at you) and her chapters were actually entertaining. But in contrast, she wasn't anything special either. If I'm being honest, she was just kinda meh, but not in any type of bad way!

"She makes a face. 'You're nauseatingly perfect. I think I really like you.'"

Aiden

AHHH this MAN!! 🤭
Now, if we're talking perfection that's basically the best way to describe him. He was sweet, thoughtful, caring, and just so amazing. He quite literally made me kick my feet and giggle every time he opened his mouth. WHERE CAN I GET ME AN AIDEN CRAWFORD???

"What happened to never losing?"
"I'm fine with it if you're the one winning."

Kian

HONORABLE MENTION TO MY BABY KIAN!!!
His roommates were actually so mean to him throughout this whole book, with creating a separate group chat, to telling him to shut up every time he opened his mouth...
LET HIM BREATHE
And he was so nice too!!
Justice for Kian!!

"Hey, you never told me what it was like."
"What?"
"Being dropped on your head as a child."

LEAVE HIM BE 😭😭

જ*⁀➷Plot
I was fairly surprised with this one! I expected it to be fully stocked with smut, but it honestly wasn't! The smut itself didn't even start until about the 20% mark, and the last 50% was smut free. This book mainly focused on growing Aiden and Summer's relationship in an emotional way instead of physical, which was really surprising and I really appreciated it! They had so many cute moments oh my lord! 🤭

"I forgot how much you feel like home." 🤭🤭🤭

જ*⁀➷Quotes
🌷"Well, you said it's your favorite thing. If it makes you happy I'd do it."

🌷She adds the latter suggestion purposely, but her smile is so pretty I have a hard time focusing on anything else.

🌷It's her sated smile when she drops her forehead to mine that cracks my chest wide open.

🌷He nods and leans in to kiss my forehead. Once, twice, three times. Each kiss causes a devastating flutter to erupt in my stomach.

🌷This girl is fucking sunshine embodied, and she has no clue.

🌷Because that is what Aiden does-he makes me feel safe even in moments where I've never felt more alone.

🌷"I can't understand how someone so fucking amazing is bound up into one human being. You make everything so much brighter, Summer, and it drives me crazy that you can't see that."

🌷"You make it sound like I'm perfect."
"To me you are. You're beautiful, strong, kind, and so deserving of love that I hope I can prove it to you in this lifetime. Because that's how overwhelmingly perfect you are to me."

🌷This fucking guy. He's ridiculously attractive and sweet. I didn't stand a chance.

🌷"Of course you would say something like that. You just had to be everything I wanted."

🌷Never did he make my feelings seem less than because of his own experience. No one has ever understood me like he does.

જ*⁀➷Rating

Characters: 4.25/5 ⭐

Plot: 4/5 ⭐

Quotes: 5/5 ⭐

Ending: 4/5 ⭐

Overall: 4.30/5 🌟 (Rounded down)

⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

❝I love you. Like, a lot.❞
❝I love you, too, Preston. Like, a lot.❞

⊹₊♡⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

This was such a fun and light hearted read! It's the perfect palette cleanser between really heavy books or if you're in the mood for an easy contemporary! I will say that there were a few things I had trouble digesting about this. While i loved the romance, it might have been due to Aiden being too perfect? Where were his faults? This book borderlines on unbelievable sometimes because I was kind of taken aback at how easy it seemed. And then the student professor relationship was so glossed over we got an exposition of those consequences. What was the reason of Donny being so…… ugly? Reminded me too much of Icebreaker with the other ugly character.

However, despite the unbelievable relationship this may have had, I was still rooting for those sweet moments. The banter was a lot better than I expected and that is why I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 3!

This was my first hockey romance and I really enjoyed it! I found both the FMC and MMC likeable, and I really enjoyed Summer's relationship to her bestfriend, Kian, and how that played into the role of everything. I docked one star because I felt like it took a little too long for me to really start enjoying it, but overall it was so cute and I would recommend any romance lover to read it!

love the cover love a hockey romance i did enjoy the book but there were parts on the second-half where I felt like the story got lost for a bit and took a while to find its way back to the the point. Also these characters did come off young so if you don't enjoy reading new adult this is not the book for you.

I had high expectations for this one, but it let me down. I didn't feel attached to the characters! Disappointed, it sounded promising!

While this wasn’t the most unique of romances, I did find COLLIDE to be very enjoyable - this is definitely a feel good guilty pleasure romance! This wasn’t super plot heavy but still very enjoyable. The chemistry, banter and relationship between Summer and Aiden was engaging and the side characters were hilarious. Definitely worth a read if you are into sports romances!

I am 100% unapologetically in my hockey romance era, so I was glad to get a chance to read TikTok sensation Collide by Bal Khabra. Aiden and Summer definitely have an opposites attract romance, and it makes for an engaging read.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.