Spiral
Pub: January 2025
Written by: Bal Khabra

I loved this story! It was so refreshing to see Spiral set in Toronto! I love reading about places that are familiar.

I loved the chemistry between Elias and Sage. They both have differing personalities, each person has their challenges and motivations, and histories, yet they couldn't be more perfect for each other!

Both Elias and Sage were both working hard to navigate the beginnings of their careers. The novel explored themes of love, resilience, and self-discovery. I really admired the characters for how focused and dedicated they were to their craft. Even when faced with so many challenges, they persevered, learnt to accept help, and got through it stronger.

It was a a compelling blend of romance, sports, and personal growth.

A definite must-read! I'm excited for Khabra's next novel, Revolve, coming out in October 2025.

I'm a sucker for hockey romances, even those that are not so well-written, but I found the writing in this one to be very good and really enjoyed the character development of both lead characters. I also really enjoyed that the FMC was a ballet dancer, and not a figure skater, etc. like many authors like to do. Really lovely ending and very nice read!
Thanks, Netgalley!

loved this book! It was such a great sports romance. I had never read from this author before but always saw her books on social media so I am thrilled that I was offered an arc. I really loved the relationship between Elias and Sage, I think it was such a perfect setup and I was entranced by the tension between these two characters. I enjoyed their character backgrounds and felt like both of them had really good character arcs. I can't wait to read the rest of this series.

This hockey romance is heartwarming, swoon worthy and fun. Sage and Elias are both great characters with their own struggles and insecurities. I loved Sage. She is fiercely independent, selfless, loyal, and unique. I really like her relationship with her brother and her uncle. I really enjoyed the development of her relationship with Elias. Their journey is emotional, sweet, steamy and beautiful. I definitely enjoyed this read!

I've been reading a lot of hockey romances lately and unfortunately, this was not one of the better ones. How would Elias not know about Owen? I thought that plot line was kinda dumb. Sage not taking any help from her uncle was also a bit much. I wouldn't read another book by this author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — “If I could handcuff you to myself, I would.” Say less, Elias.**

After LOVING Collide, I was so excited for Spiral. This one is a slow-burn, fake-dating romance between a struggling ballerina and an NHL rookie desperate to fix his public image—and it somehow made my heart flutter and melt all at once.

Elias Westbrook is the ultimate green flag: protective, soft, thoughtful, and assertive (especially during the steamy scenes 👀). His love language? Acts of service. From daily flowers to baking for her diabetic brother, this man understood the assignment. Sage was also such a standout character—sunshiney but layered, strong but vulnerable. Her story, her heart, her bond with her little brother? Loved every second.

Their chemistry? Instant. The slow burn only made their connection feel even deeper, and I adored the rules-to-lovers tension. Plus, we get fake dating, found family, accidental roommates, and a little college romance backdrop.

If you love:
💘 Sports romance
💃🏻 Ballerina x hockey player
🏠 Found family vibes
📚 Steamy but sweet slow burns
…then this one’s a must. I’m still emotionally recovering. Send Elias immediately.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc.

Bal Khabra's follow-up to Collide, Spiral has all the same ingredients to make this book a hit. With enjoyable characters and a cute romantic story, Spiral should be placed on your TBR if you love hockey romances.

3.5/5

I had fun reading this book. It was such a fun lighthearted read but it did unfortunately drag out in the last 10% which resulted in some points being deducted as I wasn’t being engaged anymore

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

What a read! It put me in my feels and rekindled my love of romance or should I be clear and say sports romance. The book follows Elias a hockey player and stud for the Toronto Thunder whose reputation is scandalous. To savage his relationship he enters a fake dating relationship with ballerina Aurora .But soon the lines become blurred. It's perfect for fans of fake dating. Delightful.

overall had a good time but I just wish there'd been bigger consequences for all the antagonists like wdym [REDACTED] didn't get ratted out wdym [REDACTED] just embarrassed himself and that's it (in my French vanilla fantasy he had a heart attack and died LMAO) also where the heck did Owen go LMAO

I was worried about this book when I first got it because I wasn't the biggest fan of the first book. However, I wanted to give this book a chance and I'm so happy that I did! This book was funny, emotional, a little spicy, and was full of so much heart. The characters were well flushed out, the story developed nicely and it was overall just a great book. I can't wait to read the third book!

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.