This was such an enjoyable book! I always love a hockey sports romance, but mixing it with ballet worked out so good! I loved both the main characters, and the story was really well written. Definitely one I can recommend!

2nd in a series and I really liked it. I wish some of the characters in the first book had showed up more in this one to tie it together

This is my second Bal Khabra novel, and I'm loving her niche of sports romances centered around diverse characters! Most of the popular books in this genre feature white main characters, making this a refreshing read. Having said that, the characters' races don't form a focal point of the story, it’s just a fact of their lives. I appreciate that Khabra takes the liberty to modify her fictional world in this small way.

The romance is sweet, almost a slow burn. I loved the fake dating trope (it's my favorite, so I might be biased here!). The plot kept me engaged, and I found myself falling more and more in love with Sage and Elias's relationship, even more than with either character individually.

4⭐️ for the strong relationship development and growth portrayed!

I’m really enjoying this series, and I loved the ballerina/hockey player trope! The fake dating setup made a lot of sense—he needed to improve his image, and she needed to build a social media following to help her land a lead role in ballet. I was a bit surprised by how quickly their relationship shifted from fake to real. The stakes were well established, and I think there was potential for more angst or denial of their feelings before they fully gave in. Because of that, I found myself wondering what was really keeping them apart, and I lost a little interest near the end. That said, it was more of a trope preference than an issue with the characters or writing, which I still enjoyed!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I am over the hockey romance books, as I could not get into this story.

{Wind Me Up} Elias Westbrook is used to scoring - goals not girls - but that changes when a struggling ballerina wins a date.

His rookie season on the NHL Toronto Thunder is in a downward SPIRAL. He went from media darling to deviant, and it’s messing with his game. He is guarded (and rightly so), but can’t seem to help his attraction.

Sage is used to struggling - ballet, double shifts, guardianship of her younger brother. Her lack of fame and fortune are hindering her dreams of becoming a principal ballerina in a top tier show. Her unwanted attraction to a closed off NHL player is NOT the distraction she needs.

They are the definition of opposites attract. Both have scars from their pasts. Both deny their chemistry. Eli’s blatant refusal and Sage’s mask of honesty are constants throughout the story. This story had all the elements of a great sports romance, but I wasn’t able to connect with the characters as deeply as I wanted. Their attraction felt surface level. I did love the jealous moments, the found family aspect, and the point when tension finally snaps.

Audio Notes:
{Dual} - Nia and Aaron did a great job! Nia embodied a self-sufficient attitude while also expressing Sage’s struggle. Aaron was a fantastic Elias - reserved but was able to unleash the beast. I did still miss some of the chemistry and connection between characters. I would still very much recommend this audiobook.

Rating: 3.5⭐️ | Spice: 3🌶️ | Audio: 4🎙️
What to Expect:   
Fake Dating
Roommates
Pro Hockey Player x Ballerina
Found Family
Opposites Attract

Recommended to...  
Sports romance readers who love tension of fake dating roommates.

Okay, I need to start by saying I am obsessed with Elias. Like, utterly and completely obsessed. He is so gentle, sweet, and patient, and I found myself swooning over him the entire time. The way he treats Sage? Pure perfection. The man has zero toxic alpha energy, and I loved that about him.

Now, the book itself—Spiral was an emotional rollercoaster. Sages’s journey was heavy and raw, and watching her navigate her struggles while Elias stood by her side? Ugh, my heart. The romance was slow-burn but so worth it, and every little moment between them felt so intimate and tender. Their connection was just so deep, and I couldn’t get enough of it.

I also loved how the story didn’t shy away from difficult topics but handled them with so much care. It made the romance feel even more powerful because it wasn’t just about falling in love—it was about healing and finding someone who truly sees you.

A spicy slow burn sports romance.

✔ 2 POV
✔ Ice Hockey Hero
✔ Aspiring Ballerina Heroine
✔ Fake Date

Elias Westbooke and Sage Beaumont will find their lives suddenly connected when a charity auction turns into something more. Will anyone believe they are a real couple with all the baggage, secrets, and drama?

When Sage's ex becomes Elias' teammate will she be able to survive what happens next?

Both are struggling to prove themselves to achieve their dreams. Each has their own rituals and rules. Somewhere along the way Elias and Sage will discover they don't have to struggle faking things. Will they find the courage to tell the other how they really feel?

With all the secondary characters I'm curious if we will see more from Elias and Sage in another book in the future.

First, I want to say thank you so much to the author and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so cute, and I found it to be super easy to binge. I honestly enjoyed reading this one more than the first one, and I think that's because they were mostly out of the college setting and in the world as adults, Eli being a player in the NHL and not for a college team. Less of the dramatics when it's not set in a college atmosphere.

I loved the dynamic of both Sage and Eli being athletes. Sage a ballerina, and Elias a professional hockey player. I think this linked them together well in the sense of their real relationship and helped them relate to each other more and see each other in similar lights. Also, both of them coming from broken families really brought them together as well. Different circumstances, but they still understood each other all the same. I absolutely adored Eli as the MMC, he had such a care-taker mindset and that is just *chefs kiss* in the book boyfriend handbook. He wanted the best for Sage always, and he wanted to be the one to give it to her. I am excited to see where the rest of this series goes! Solid 4 star read.

This was a great follow up to Collide! I really enjoyed Sage and Elias as characters and it was so fun to watch them fall for each other. This one is a slowburn but it feels appropriate for the characters and their connection.

The fake dating element was fun and I really liked that Elias went out of his way to take care of Sage even when they were fake dating. He really went out of his way to show that he appreciated her. I liked that they shared big career ambitions and supported each other.

I would have loved to see a bit more about race in the book. We hear from Sage that it has been hard to have body positivity as a ballerina but I would have liked to see more about what it was like to be black in a largely white art like ballet. I would have also liked to hear a bit about any challenges of being in an interracial relationship.

Overall, I found this a really fun read! If you are a fan of a new adult romance, slowburn or fake dating this one is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spiral by Bal Khabra follows Sage, an aspiring ballerina, and Elias, a mislabeled pro hockey player. The two strike up a deal to fake date so that Elias can focus on hockey and no longer be called a womanizer and Sage can gain some much-needed social media traction to add to her ballerina resume.

This was such a sweet read and definitely kept up with book one in this series in terms of enjoyment. I really loved that the author flipped the characterization of Elias on its head--even though he's a hockey player, he isn't portrayed like most pro athletes are. He was sweet and gentle and I really loved his character! And Sage was no less engaging, she was determined and confident and I loved seeing their relationship develop.

Overall, I gave this book four-stars because I loved the plot, the writing was great, and the characters were endearing. I think this definitely solidified Bal Khabra as an auto-buy author for me! Highly recommend :)

i have a feeling that this author just might now be for me or i just read this book at the wrong time. i enjoyed collide, but the fmc i absolutely could not get behind. i has such high hopes for this one…however, i could not get myself to connect with these characters. it seems like a great quick & light read! i wanted to love it so so much like everyone else, but i just couldn’t. i have been reading a bunch of hickey romances recently, so i don’t know if this one was just too similar to a few i read or what. if you liked collide, then definitely read this!

3⭐️
"In this instant, all that matters is the warmth of her presence and the reassurance that she’s here with me."
I really wanted to like this more, but sadly it just didn't work for me. A contemporary fake-dating story has to have a REALLY solid reason for fake-dating in my opinion, or else it just feels childish and stupid. And this did not have a solid or well executed reason

I also just felt like the main characters lacked any sort of chemistry. By the end of the book even their conversations still felt silted and awkward

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read anything by this author, but I will be looking out for other books they write in the future. I really enjoyed the story as well as the pacing of the story.

Kicking myself for not reading this sooner!
cuz how fricken cute was this one? 🥹

Eli is so thoughtful. I was sold on this man when he was Googling ballet moves and bringing her extra glue and crystals lol.

And Sage is such a badass - I love how outspoken and unapologetically herself she is. Good and bad and messy. She owns is and it’s kinda a superpower lol

After a sporting event auction - both Sage and Eli realize that if they pretend to date, it will benefit them both. Eli needs the media to butt out of his personal life and Sage is hoping that by ‘dating’ Eli, his fame will help her get noticed by some ballet big wigs.

The perfect fake dating set lol

He’s a pierced golden retriever?! Might be a new fav combo of micro tropes lol HELLO

He bakes and cooks and when Sage says she doesn’t have a fav flower, he buys her different ones each week to see which she likessss. Bye

HE MAKES HER DIABETIC BROTHER SUGER FREE CUPCAKES

GET. GETS. A. SAGE. PLANT. TATTOOO.

Ugh like I said, I should have read it sooner! And I’ll be diving into the next release as soon as it’s out 🙌🏻

Say the word Hockey Romance and I am there! Hockey player x ballerina with a fake dating trope—complete with a strict no-PDA rule and the ultimate promise that they absolutely cannot fall in love. What made this story truly shine for me was the slow burn and the intense tension that came with their forced proximity. Elias and Sage carried so much emotional depth, and watching them gradually open up to each other was adorable. Their vulnerability, their past struggles, and the way they found solace in one another made every moment between them feel raw and real.
I’ve read my fair share of fake dating tropes and that ever-present question—"Is this real, or is this still fake?"—was handled beautifully here. The transition was seamless; you could truly see the lines begin to blur. And Eli? The way he respected Sage’s boundaries from the very start, the way he really tried to follow the rules… but, of course, rules are meant to be broken.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy!

I fear I am very conflicted. I wanted to read Spiral and give Bal Khabra another shot after I disliked her debut. However, there were so many details in this book that stuck out like a sore thumb.

First, we're told he's painted as a play boy by the media, but he has only been spotted once with one woman?? Who worked for the hockey team anyways?? Then later we're told the media thinks of him as a sweet guy with a heart of gold... So which one is it in the media? Playboy millionaire nepo baby? Or heart of gold?

Also... Does not scoring actually, like truly, pose as a reason to kick him off the team? Considering he is constantly playing well with assists? I wish I could ask a hockey person this. Does not scoring during a season, DESPITE playing well and gaining many assists truly pose as a real reason to remove a rookie from the team?

His piercing gave me the ick. I'm sorry 😭

Also - how did miss girl not get in trouble for burning her apartment to ash?? At one point she mentions not having insurance, and another mentions having renters insurance. Then, early in the story mentions having a broken stove that she won't ask her landlord to fix because they'd make her pay for it. But, then she didn't have to pay to have her apartment fixed and cleaned after it got super burnt?

I did like parts of it but these things stood out like a sore thumb and I couldn't get them out of my mind.

First, special thank you to Berkley Pub for the ARC. I literally was shocked since I always get denied by this publishing group.
As for Spiral- a fake dating/ friends turn to lovers trope with competitive and talented characters. Eli is a hockey player and Sage is a ballerina. Both are physically disciplined, mentally determined in each of their passion. I love the first part of their relationship. The interaction was fun, witty and entertaining. When it unfolded, it got predictable and rushed and a little bit boring. It was a fast read, feel good and easy liked book. There is apparently more in the series from this author but each can be read as a stand which is a plus!

This was such a fun, banter-filled, romantic new hockey romance! Love the dancer/athlete dynamic, the closeness this pair develops, and the evolution of their romance.

I'll be honest, this was not what I wanted out of this book. I got about halfway through before DNFing it. I did not like it. The romance felt very forced and not at all genuine and the characters fell really flat. I wanted more from this book. But I didn't get it, unfortunately.