Spiral was such a fun continuation of the world of Dalton hockey. I loved getting to learn more about Eli and his past. And we meet Sage, who needs a break, and to be kinder to herself. While their relationship seems a little rushed (they moved in real early in it), it was fun to watch it grow and develop from fake to very real. They both have some parental issues in the past, and they each help the other work through the issues that the past brings. The character development in both characters was good, and I feel like the plot was drawn out at an appropriate speed.

Elias is struggling with his rookie position on the Toronto Thunder hockey team and unearned playboy reputation he's garnered. Sage is struggling to make it as a professional ballerina when all anyone seems to care about is social media following, rather than talent. Enter a solution: the two fake-date, showing the press that Elias is off the market, and garnering Sage the publicity she unfortunately needs. But misunderstandings, pesky feelings, and Sage's Uncle (who happens to be the team's GM) make what seemed like a simple plan all the more complicated.

I actually read book three in this series, then book two (this one), and am waiting for my library hold of book one to become available--so all out of order! But I have really enjoyed this series thus far, and am sure I'll enjoy book one, as well. The books give me major Elle Kennedy vibes, in a good way, as she is a master of new adult, steamy, hockey romance. New adult books can be hit or miss for me, as the characters can often seem immature or encounter unrealistic problems, but this book takes our characters out of school and into real adulthood, and they'd seem more mature even if that weren't the case. I've definitely become a Khabra fan, and look forward to reading more of her books.

Thanks to Berkley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

piral by Bal Khabra is a deeply emotional and compelling sports romance that blends the fast-paced world of professional hockey with the grace and discipline of ballet. As the second installment in the Off the Ice series, this story follows Elias Westbrook, a media-scrutinized rookie struggling to find his place on the Toronto Thunder, and Sage Beaumont, a fiercely ambitious ballerina yearning to break into a leading role at the Aurora Ballet Theatre. Their lives intertwine when Sage wins Elias in a charity auction and proposes a fake-dating agreement to mutually boost their public images: what starts as a calculated arrangement quickly spirals into something real.

Khabra masterfully develops both characters with emotional nuance. Elias, often misunderstood as a shallow playboy, is revealed to be gentle, introspective, and kind: particularly in his quiet acts of care, like baking birthday cakes or showing up for Sage’s diabetic younger brother. Sage is equally well-drawn: strong, soft-hearted, and determined, managing family responsibilities while chasing her own dreams. Their chemistry is undeniable and tender, rooted not just in attraction but in trust, vulnerability, and mutual healing. The fake-dating trope here is more than a plot device, it becomes a space where both characters feel seen and safe.

What makes Spiral stand out is its emotional depth and commitment to authentic representation. Khabra doesn’t shy away from tackling themes like public pressure, performance anxiety, and the struggle to find identity beyond labels. The pacing may feel slow in places, but the payoff is rich with quiet, emotionally satisfying moments that build organically toward a heartwarming and steamy conclusion. Though Spiral can stand alone, reading Collide first enriches the experience, offering deeper insight into the characters' backstories and the world they inhabit.

With vibrant writing, believable dialogue, and a romance that’s both swoony and sincere, Spiral is a heartfelt exploration of ambition, image, and intimacy. Fans of slow-burn, grumpy-sunshine pairings, and layered fake-dating stories will find themselves fully immersed. Khabra proves once again that she’s a voice to watch in contemporary romance—delivering stories that are as emotionally satisfying as they are passionate.

I should have just not even started this book, I made it through Collide, liked the friend group and came around to the pairing even though parts made my eyes roll. This book started off strong and I was so hype because fake dating is my favorite trope. This just did not do it for me. The characters were not fleshed out, and it felt unbelievable at times. Sage was stubborn and it bothered me so much that she didn't take money from her uncle. I did not believe them together and thought there was more chemistry between her and the love interest from Collide. I won't be reading another book by this author. I also think I'm just over hockey/sports romances, particularly set at colleges.

This was such a cute read! I also love that there is not really a third-act break-up. I really just love an MMC that is down bad for the FMC!

Elias Westbrook and Sage Beaumont come from different worlds, but could they maybe find a way to bring them together and move their careers forward? Spiral is a cozy romance set in the world of professional athletes, giving readers a realistic look into the pressures athletes of all kinds face. Elias and Sage are both relatable and charming, sure to tug at your heartstrings. While the characters find themselves in some intense situations, Khabra adds just the right touch of humor to lighten the mood. Overall, it's a warm-hearted and delightful romance to enjoy.

Fake dating, and grumpy sunshine tropes are always an insta-read for me. This book was cute but nothing life altering. The FMC is a little annoying, but otherwise the story line is good.

I’m going to start this off by saying that this was a highly anticipated release for me for 2025. I really enjoyed Collide when I read it last year and was hoping for the same when I read this one.

I felt like this book had all the elements of a cute and fun romance but in my opinion, didn’t live up to its potential. 85% of the book was the fake dating plot and the last 15% had some additional plot threads that should’ve been used from the beginning and i think that would’ve given more depth to the book. Since the last part of the book felt so rushed, it did feel like I was reading 2 different stories.

I really enjoyed seeing the friend group cameos and interactions! I genuinely love the characters together as a whole. In this book however, I didn’t feel like I connected much with either character and that was pretty disappointing for me.

Bal Khabra does not miss.

Sage and Elias have chemistry right from the beginning. They have cheeky banter and flirty dialogue that was a delight to read. Sage makes Eli blush constantly. It’s a “it was never fake for me” situation and I ate that shit up.

There was one element of Elias’s story that I found to be cringe and annoying but I won’t go into detail because it was sort of “revealed” like it should be a plot twist.

The ending dragged on a bit and I thought this could be at least 40 pages shorter and just as effective.

I would give this book 4.5 stars!

Spiral is the second book in the “Off the Ice” series, but I feel like this can be read as a standalone! This story is about hockey player Elias Westbrook and dancer Sage Beaumont. They both agreed on fake dating for their personal gains. However, their chemistry definitely flourished overtime. They faced a lot of obstacles together and really supported each other. The ending was probably the most interesting part of the book, with the ballerina drama and all. I really enjoyed the sense of found family in this book, especially in the epilogue!

To be honest I haven’t read the first book in this series, but I’ll definitely try and read Collide sometime!

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for a copy of this book!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

“𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝘐𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦.”

AHHHHHH! I am screaming. I absolutely love this book and it's just as good as the first one. Easily one of my quickest five stars of 2025.

This book has everything; smut, depth, character development, and cameos from the first book. I definitely recommend reading the first book so you get to truly enjoy the cameos, however you technically don't *have* read it if you just want to dive right into this one.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes:
○ fake dating
○ sports romance
○ slow burn
○ found family
○ forced proximity
○ sleeps better together
○ witty banter

I love Sage. She's such a fun, quirky, sarcastic girly. She's so strong and I love watching her grow & learn to love and trust.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Berkley for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Hockey, dancer, fake dating

Love this so damn much! I love them as a couple right away. I was rooting for them the whole time. I love how everything in this book unfolds. It is so organic and real. I highly recommend this!

I devoured this book in about a day and could not put it down. I loved the instant connection and the love story was done well. I have always loved the world of ballet and seeing it mixed into the world of hockey is so brilliant. I can't wait to read the next of the series.

FIVE STARS!

Dare I say it was better than collide? And I absolutely LOVED collide!

Tropes:
Fake dating
Slow burn
Found family
Hockey x ballerina romance

This story follows Sage who is a ballerina who is try to land any ballet job but mostly a lead role. And Eli who is a professional hockey player who is trying to get his first NHL goal and trying to stop the media from labeling him as a play boy.

Sage blew me away with how resilient and funny she was. I loved how she was very blunt and unfiltered. I laughed so many times throughout the book with the things that she said. She is probably my favorite fmc I’ve read in a romance book.

Eli had me fall head over heels from the very beginning. He was very thoughtful and caring no matter the situation and paid attention to the little things.

I never skip an epilogue and this one was so heart warming and I loved then story coming to an end the way that it did. Made me tear up a bit with Nina!

Overall it was an amazing story with great character development and banter and spice.

5 stars

I'm in love with Sage and Eli. Sage is strong and confident, but it's hard to put herself first. Eli has trust issues; with fame, a lot of people try to use him. Poor Eli. They both heal each other, and reading their story is wondrous.

I can't wait for Revolve. Dylan's book

This was cute. I am always a fan of the fake dating trope so I knew I'd enjoy this read. I loved how wholesome the found family aspect was and I do love me a good slow burn so this had a really great combination of some of my favorite romance tropes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing me with a digital arc of this book!

I want to preface this by saying romance is not my typical genre. That being said, I greatly disliked this book. Ballerina and hockey player? Incredibly overdone. Poor girl and rich boy? I see it everywhere. There was nothing unique about this book and it didn't say anything new. It felt like a reproduction of popular books for sales and I did not enjoy it at all. The best thing I can say about it is that it's forgettable so at least I don't have to remember it....

Big big nope, this author is just not for me. This felt gratuitous for no reason and the characters didn’t seem to even make sense together. Their “banter” was just normal conversation and I couldn’t buy their connection at all.

Bal Khabra’s Spiral, the second book in the Off the Ice series, is an exploration of two individuals, Elias and Sage, striving to achieve their dreams of hockey and ballet stardom while navigating the complexities of public life and personal relationships. Its blend of romance, character development, and real-world challenges makes it a swoon-worthy read for fans of sports romances, especially those of us who appreciate the fake-dating trope intertwined with the found family trope, professional sports and performing arts.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

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.