This book is much too long. As a long-time romance fan, it seems that most romance books can accomplish their goals in about 8-9 hours. This audiobook as a 12 hour run time and at 8 hours I realized that I was no longer interested in seeing how things worked out. While I loved the banter and the spice was super sweet and hot, that daddy-issues did not seem like a good enough plot point do drag out this long.

Thank-you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Bal Khabra for the eARC.

I don't know what sort of witchcraft was involved in this because this is SO not my usual type of romance (esp. HETERO romance) but oh my gOD the chokehold this book had on me LMAOOO. Had me giggling and kicking my feet up and shit. I loved it. Loved it loved it loved it and I already cannot WAIT for more books in this series. I love a chaotic found family and TBH if Miss Khabra decides she wants to write a book for every single member of the hockey team AS WELL AS Summer's roommates, I will be ready and sat for each and every one.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with the ARC of Collide! I thought that it was a fast-read, but I thought that the progression of their relationship was too erratic for me. I think it'll be well-liked, but just not for me!

Thank you, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC!

Collide by Bal Khabra is a super fun black cat/golden retriever hockey romance perfect for lovers of Elle Kennedy & Hannah Grace! Summer and Aiden are forced to work together on Summer’s thesis project, much to both of their annoyance. Summer, a self proclaimed hockey hater, is not pleased to have to work with hockey team captain, Aiden. However, Aiden’s happy go lucky personality starts to chip away at Summer’s hard exterior, and the two find something like a friendship blooming. Once they start to like each other, it becomes increasingly harder to stay friends.

Khabra has created an endearing and lovely world within this book! I love a big friend group, and these characters did not disappoint. Their unique personalities coupled with witty banter amongst them really made me fall in love with the characters. Aiden & Summer were a cute duo that I was chanting, “just kiss!” to the entire time. This is a very classic hockey romance, though - similar to others that hockey romance readers know & love. It isn’t changing the landscape of hockey romances, but if you’re looking for a straightforward, quick-read hockey romance with spice, you’ll probably enjoy this!

Thank you, again, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for this ARC!

This spicy and sweet romance was a ton of fun! I loved all the characters, main and minor. The antics everyone got up to made me laugh and how much the two MCs grew together made me want to hug them 💕

For those who love stories with….
LOTS OF SPICE(with good girl, dirty talk vibes) 🥵
COMPLICATED FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
BANTER
HOCKEY MEN
HE FALLS FIRST HARD
GREAT MINOR CHARACTERS
FOUND FAMILY/GREAT FRIENDS
DUAL POV
NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP

A proper and fun sports romance. Very much enjoyed this title. Bal Khabra knows how to write a likable FMC and MMC. Definitely recommend if you’re looking to get into contemporary romance!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. This was a typical hockey romance book. Easy to read, entertaining, spicy and sweet.

As soon as I saw this was a hockey romance where the smut was smutting - it was the perfect book to devour! This was so freaking good and I could not put it down! I will always read grumpy and sunshine books, but put them in a college setting and make him fall first and HARD - you'll catch me running. As a bonus, this amazing book doesn't have a third act break up and it was the cherry on top of an already delicious cake! I had such a great time reading this one <3

This plot was a similar formula to several college hockey romances I’ve read, but why fix what isn’t broken? I love Summer and Aiden together, and the journey they go on together to heal broken parts of themselves. The banter and spice was chef’s kiss! The dual narration by Julia Knippen and Max Meyers was excellent and really brought the book to life.

Thank you to PRH Audio for providing me with a copy of the audiobook, and to Berkley and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc.

I have been in my hockey-girl romance era so I was excited to get approved to read Collide by Bal Khabra. I think this book was middle of the road for me. I didn't completely love it, but I didn't outright hate it. I wish the book was a tad shorter, especially because the characters fell pretty fast for each other. There wasn't a slow-burn intro like most books that are over 400 pages. Summer was a hard character to love. Her daddy issues felt stupid to me. He was constantly reaching out and she denied every aspect. And then to deny any contact with any hockey players because her dad chose hockey over her was dumb, Aiden was cute and I did enjoy his characters, however, his decision at the end of the book was stupid. Despite not loving all the characters, the banter was good.

I am looking forward to future releases in this series, as I see a lot of potential.

This is an entertaining and steamy hockey romance. The characters are really well done, less stereotypical than in other hockey romances I’ve read. I liked reading about the details of the sport, and I enjoyed this book, 4 stars.
Summer is forced to work with the captain of the hockey team, Aiden, on her grad school admission thesis. His coach volunteered him for the job as punishment after he took responsibility for something his teammates did.
As they spend time together their relationship gets decidedly less hostile and much more romantic.

From the publisher:

An ultimatum from Summer Preston’s thesis advisor thrusts her into an unexpected collision with the hockey team’s captain, Aiden Crawford. She’s caught between conflicting desires of fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a sport psychologist and staying as far away as possible from the god-awful sport. And once she meets Aiden—well, let’s just say he confirms all her worst assumptions about hockey players. 

Summer can’t stand Aiden’s blasé approach to life, and Aiden doesn’t understand why she’s twenty years old with a twenty-five-year plan. But their bickering soon turns to bantering—and once they let their guards down, there’s nothing to check their feelings.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of [this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I had such a good time with this college hockey romance! Aiden and Summer shared such fun chemistry and their banter was SO MUCH FUN

Summer is working on her grad school application for sports psychology and finds herself paired up with the hockey captain, Aiden, much to both of their displeasure. Aiden is working on community service after a team issue and has no choice but to help Summer or face probation. The catch, Summer hates hockey players and refuses to change her mind.

Aiden and Summer are your classic cinnamon roll and black cat personalities and I loved them. They have some of the best banter and the spicyness between them was HOT HOT HOT. Aiden falls first and he falls hard for Summer and his little acts of service from her tea order to caring for her during her time of the month were so sweet. Summer has good reason to be hesitant and I could definitely find myself relating to her at points. I loved her progression as a character and the progression of dislike to friends to lovers for her and Aiden.

Other things I found myself really enjoying were the friendships and found family vibes between the hockey players and also between Summer and the guys. It has me invested in seeing how the rest of the series goes. The epilogue and the bonus scene for the new Berkley addition were PERFECTION! All the sweet and tender moments really got me 💕

Read it you love:
- black cat fmc / cinnamon roll mmc
- found family
- college hockey romance
- hockey captain/ psych student
- hilarious banter
- top tier spice
- caretaking
- he falls first & hard
- no third act breakup
4.5⭐️
3🌶️

*thank you so much @berkleyromance and @netgalley for the arc 💖 #netgalley #berkleyromance #hockeyromance

I would give this one a solid 3/5 stars. I enjoyed it and thought it was a cute read but it reminded me a lot of Icebreaker and I felt myself become bored in some areas of the book. Summer is our fmc that has overworked herself with school work. Our mmc is the captain on the hockey team and gets in trouble due to covering for his team mate. Summer and him are forced to work together during his punishment.

-golden retriever man x black cat girl
-daddy issues
-college hockey romance
-angsty

"Collide," the first book in the "Off the Ice" series by Bal Khabra, is an engaging and steamy sports romance that intertwines the lives of two seemingly incompatible college students, Summer Preston and Aiden Crawford. Summer, an aspiring sports psychologist, is forced to collaborate with Aiden, the captain of the college hockey team, for a research project. Their initial clashes and misunderstandings gradually evolve into a deeper connection, making for an entertaining and heartfelt read.

The dynamic between Summer and Aiden is electric. Their banter is sharp, and their chemistry is palpable. The gradual development of their relationship from antagonistic to affectionate is well-paced and believable. The secondary characters, including Aiden's teammates and Summer's friends, add depth and humor to the story, creating a sense of community and support that enriches the main narrative.

The witty exchanges and humorous situations keep the story lively and engaging. The playful teasing between Summer and Aiden is a highlight, adding a lighthearted tone to the romance. Both protagonists experience significant personal growth throughout the novel. Summer learns to confront her fears and past traumas, while Aiden matures and becomes more responsible.

The plot follows a familiar trajectory typical of sports romances. While the execution is enjoyable, the overall storyline is somewhat predictable, with few surprising twists. At nearly 400 pages, the book could benefit from some trimming. Certain scenes and subplots feel repetitive and could be condensed to maintain a tighter narrative. The initial premise of Summer being forced to work with Aiden for a research project feels a bit contrived. However, once the story gains momentum, this becomes less of an issue.

"Collide" is notably steamy, with plenty of smutty scenes that intensify the chemistry between the main characters. The explicit content is well-written and adds to the overall allure of the romance. Despite its predictability and length, the book offers an enjoyable reading experience that will resonate with fans of the genre.

This was pretty good for a debut. There were some things that were really promising - character development, interesting side characters, chemistry, sex scenes, etc. But there were definitely things I didn’t really love. Summer’s personality was not fully polished. It was always like having whiplash, but not on purpose, if that makes sense. She is always described as in control and polished, but it was just confusing and not great. There were some awkward transitions and pacing, but again, this was good for a debut novel. I’m hopeful this series will continue to get better!

2.5 Stars
This definitely gave Icebreaker vibes but I was also rooting for these 2 more because we had a colored FMC. It was definitely a bit longer than it had to be and a lot of the time I was annoyed with Summer because I felt like she complained a lot and kept bringing up therapy but didn't really display that emotional maturity I'd expected. Like Icebreaker, this was super predictable but I think I enjoyed these supporting characters more. The "conflict" in this was beyond dumb though and I truly believe Aiden carried their whole relationship the whole time because he had amazing communication skills (but I love him even more for that).

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!

With an appealing black cat/golden retriever combo and definite "he falls first" vibes, it's no surprise that this was such a hit with the Icebreaker crowd. I don't read a ton of college romance these days, but after a few too many soft romances in a row, I was in the mood for something with a touch more drama. And this certainly satisfied the craving - it's light and a little spicy, with modern hookup vibes. These two fight their feelings before falling for each other along the way, but I loved that the hero was so steady. Once he realized what he had in front of him, he was solid and secure. He provided the trust and safety that our commitment-phobic heroine needed, and ended up being a pretty great guy. I would've loved a little more swoon and a little less messiness, but this was an excellent series starter overall. It introduces a cast of characters who have my interest, and delivered an easygoing, bingeable read.

The story follows Summer, a psychology student whose professor has required her to work with a hockey player to complete her final research assignment. While many of the girls on campus would love the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with the captain, Summer feels very differently. She's got a history with hockey that makes her avoid it at all costs, and the smirky Aiden gets on her nerves. He's not too enthusiastic about working with Summer either, but he doesn't have a choice in the matter. But as these two instant enemies get to know each other better, they form a friendship with a side of flirtation. Summer is still not convinced that getting together with a hockey player is a good idea, but there's something about Aiden that makes it impossible to stay away.

So I actually remember when this was a new indie release, because that cover is striking. It really does give off Icebreaker vibes (same artist), and the book does as well. It's no surprise that the series was snatched up quickly, and with good reason. Personally, I resonated with this a lot more than Icebreaker - there's still some messiness and OP drama, but not to the same extent at all. Our golden retriever hero shines, and he was a major reason why the story worked. I liked Summer a lot, but her resistance to moving forward was frustrating at times. She needed to build up trust with Aiden, and he made that easy. There are some great moments between them, and I liked that it was a slowish burn. The vibes are upbeat and relatively low angst, with just enough drama to feel like a new adult romance. This also seamlessly kicks off the series in a way that got me interested in future love stories without bogging down the central romance, which is tough to do. It was a solid 4/low 5-star read for me the whole way through, and I'm excited to see what's next.

This book is a 4 read for me. I read and enjoyed the majority of it plus, it’s hockey romance! I’m in my hockey romance era at this point haha

Grumpy x Sunshine is my jam so I jumped head first into this pool with high hopes. Personally I think this one was slightly on the annoying side. The FMC being the grumpy and the MMC being the sunshine just didn’t sit right in this setting at first. But as the book went on I did grow to love the golden retriever like attitude from our male lead. I found myself wanting to yell at her and tell her to forget the ex, Mr. Right is this gorgeous puppy right here.

All in all this book took me about 100 pages to fall in love with and I’m so happy I stuck with it.
Book - 🏒🏒🏒🏒
Spice - 🌶️🌶️🌶️


Thank you @berkleypub and @netgalley for this arc read!

Fun, cute, steamy. A college hockey romance between an aspiring sports psychologist student and captain of the hockey team in this black cat x golden retriever, he falls first, dual POV steamy romance. She’s more hesitant and tough to crack, whereas he’s sweet and all in. For fans of Icebreaker!

Loved icebreaker? This should be your next read! A VERY happy trad pub re-release!

12/13 ⭐

"Collide" is a fun college hockey romance filled with lively banter and passion. It centers on Aiden, who, reluctantly paired with Summer for a research project, discovers a deeper connection despite initial reservations. Aiden's unwavering commitment proves he's willing to overcome any obstacle for love.

The chemistry is 🔥🔥🔥 and the banter is so so cute! It was a sweet take on grumpy sunshine with the perfect golden retriever-book boyfriend! An easy and fast read that is perfect for the summer and will definitely leave you smiling.