Oh I loved Elias and Sage so much. I was swooning over every interaction and I absolutely loved how they brought the best out of each other. The tension was everything and seeing Sage being taken care of after everything she’s been through was such a treat.

I was not the biggest fan of collided but I LOVED spiral!
I will say the last maybe 20% felt a little boring because it felt like filler but I still really enjoyed it!
I love the fake dating trope, and this was pretty spicy!!

Ugh!! I immediately fell in love with Sage and Elias in story which I have never done this quickly before! Sage’s story of her life of struggle and strength was beautiful and paired with her being a ballerina was perfection! Elias’ superstar hockey life paired with his personal issues was a match made in heaven as well. I always love a fake dating story, but this one was much more to me than that! I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will say it’s adorable, heart wrenching, beautiful, spicy and a 5 star read all in one! I am now obsessed with Bal Khabra’s words!

Spiral is a delightful fake-dating sports romance that twirls its way into your heart with charm, chemistry, and just the right amount of drama. The pairing of a rookie hockey player and an aspiring ballerina may sound unlikely, but this opposites-attract duo makes for an irresistible love story that hits all the right beats—on and off the ice.
Elias Westbrook, the newly drafted hockey star, is dealing with the pressures of fame, an unforgiving media spotlight, and the mounting stress of scoring his first big goal. Meanwhile, Sage Beaumont is on pointe, quite literally, as she chases her dream of becoming the lead ballerina at the prestigious Aurora Ballet Theatre. The catch? She’s struggling with the rise of social media popularity that seems to determine who gets the spotlight.
Enter the fake dating scheme. It’s the perfect solution for both Elias and Sage: Elias gets to keep the tabloids off his back, and Sage gets the public attention she needs to land her big break. But as their fake relationship starts to blur into something real, the chemistry between them becomes impossible to deny. The author masterfully builds the tension between these two, and their sizzling connection jumps off the page. Watching their walls come down and their relationship spiral (pun intended) from staged encounters to genuine affection is both heartwarming and addictive.
Sage and Elias are refreshingly layered characters. Sage is ambitious and determined, using every ounce of her strength and grace to chase her dreams in a world that’s all about optics. Elias, on the other hand, is struggling with his newfound fame, and his vulnerability adds depth to his character beyond the typical jock persona. Together, they balance each other perfectly—Sage’s grounded yet passionate outlook complements Elias’s quieter, more reserved nature. Their banter is fun, their chemistry is undeniable, and their individual journeys are as compelling as their romantic one.
While the fake-dating trope is familiar, Spiral spins it in a fresh way by blending two very different worlds—sports and ballet—seamlessly. The author's attention to both the physicality of hockey and the artistry of ballet makes the setting feel vivid and real, and you’ll find yourself rooting for both characters to succeed not just in love but in their careers, too.
The only reason this isn’t a five-star read? Some of the secondary characters and plotlines could have used a bit more depth. There were moments where I wished the narrative spent more time on Elias’s internal struggles or Sage’s rivalry within the ballet company. However, these are small critiques in what is otherwise a thoroughly entertaining, feel-good romance.
Overall, Spiral delivers a perfect pirouette of passion, personal growth, and swoon-worthy romance. Whether you’re a fan of hockey, ballet, or just love a good fake-dating trope, this book has something for everyone. Prepare to fall in love with Elias and Sage as they navigate the spotlight, their careers, and—most importantly—their feelings for each other.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Hockey Player x Ballerina sign me up immediately. It was great to see the relationship develop and how much they opened up to each other. I love a good forced proximity and tis book delivered on the angst.

I liked this one enough to immediately buy book one in this series of standalones. A ballerina struggling to make ends meet as she faces constant professional rejection and a hockey player with an unearned bad boy reputation team up to fake date. The ballerina hopes to boost her social media presence enough to impact her professional career while the hockey player just wants to clean up his image. Of course they fall in love. Overall, cute read.

4.5/5 ✨

There’s something about an eldest daughter book that is always going to hit for me 🥹 I love a FMC that constantly takes care of everyone around her and finally gets to have someone who takes care of her. (And someone who also knows when to give her space to process 🥲)

Sage and Elias had such a genuine connection and friendship between them that you could feel it in every interaction. I loved getting to watch them fall in love and learn how to communicate / be in a relationship together. The encouragement of their dreams GAH. This is such a feel good read. I mean don’t get me wrong, there are definitely some emotional moments that lowkey wrecked me. BUT overall, you just feel so happy by the end of this book

ALSO I am a sucker for a fake dating trope, and let me tell you, this one felt so genuine. There are so many moving parts surrounding both characters that deciding to be together (for real) was so much more than just a simple ask. there are hard conversations and things they have to work through that make them being in a real relationship that much sweeter 🥲

There are just so many moments from this book that I highlighted and loved, and I can’t wait for everyone to read this book 🥹 (I also feel like this is a review that I will probably have to come back and update as I continue to process this book because that’s how much I love it.)

Thank you Bal and Berkley for this advanced review copy of Spiral 🤍

That’s it, I’m officially a Bal Khabra super fan. I loved Collide and was so excited to get my hands on Spiral - there was certainly no sophomore slump here! I am a sucker for hockey romance and while some are a dime a dozen, Khabra’s truly are a standout for me - real, raw and emotional while still being swoony. I hope this series has many more books forthcoming!

Absolutely loved this book! Sage is so sweet, relatable, and works so hard to make it in her industry. She’s funny and so confident in who she is. Elias!! 🥹 He’s so caring, strong, and is a character that was written with such depth that didn’t make his entire personality about hockey. I related to him a little more given his fear of change and being unwilling to disappoint others.

Their relationship from the start was so wonderful. He did whatever he had to do for her. He was willing to drive to her immediately not even knowing what was going on 💞💞 Imagine!! The found family in this book was also so comforting and sweet 🥹 The storyline, the romance, the charm 🤌🏼 One of my favorite reads this year!

This was cute! I haven't read anything from Bal before but I enjoyed this. The hockey x ballerina trope was well done without being too sports heavy. I thought it was a perfect blend of romance while highlighting on both sports. Sage & Eli were great together and I loved their chemistry. The fake-dating trope was done really well here and I loved seeing their relationship bloom. I think a lot of people will really like this one.

My favorite aspect of this book was most definitely the characterization; both Elias and Sage are so open and vulnerable with each other, making their slow-burn relationship that much more realistic and heartwarming.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Loves this. Fake dating. Deep character development. Estranged family drama. Hockey romance
The sex scenes were very lack luster. I would say 1/5 chili peppers. But fans of Icebreaker will definitely love

I liked this one more than Collide, which I didn't expect to. I have never read about a celibate character before, but I found myself connecting deeper with the romance because of this, maybe because I am demisexual. It was very nice to read this relationship forming without the aspect of sex even if the attraction is clearly there. I also think this will appeal to the slow burn lovers. There is also fake dating trope

I loved Bal Khabras first book but I just knew this one was going to be ABSOLUTELY everything and I was right. This had me in my feels. It was emotional, funny, and sooooo cute. I’m literally obsessed and need more right now .

A hockey x ballerina romance?! Of course I had to read it… I was lucky enough to receive an arc of Spiral, and I just knew I would love it, both because of the summary and because I really liked Collide (the first in the series!). Eli and Sage's relationship was so magical to watch unfold, and as in Collide, the story follows not only the romance but also the personal growth and deeper themes that come with each character individually. Eli's generosity towards Sage was so sweet, and watching them grow closer and Eli let his guard down to let her in was so cute! Also, the fake dating trope is alive and well in this book so I ate that up - then, of course, it's the blurred lines between what's real and what's not. I think all of my besties who enjoy sports romances would love this book and Eli & Sage!

If you know me you know I’m obsessed with Collide and Spiral did not disappoint. Eli and Sage were just the cutest. I also loved that there was depth to this book with childhood trauma and overcoming their past issues together. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4..5⭐️
Elias Westbrook, my sweet baby 🥺 I loved how he showed up for Sage and made her feel important. Sage Beaumont, my funny outgoing selfless girl!!! There’s nothing I love more than loving an FMC more than the MMC. 🩷

Elias and Sage unfiltered ❤️ if you’re looking for a book that has two characters that show each other love through acts of service and words of affirmation this is the book for you! I really enjoyed how they both equally showed up for each other.

I do think this book was really fast paced compared to Collide but it was still a great book!

I really enjoyed this anticipated follow up to Bal Khabra’s Collide, at times more than the first book. I preferred moving out of the college setting and into the professional hockey and ballet world. I appreciated how much more focused the storylines are in Spiral, that the book is focused on the central narrative of their fake relationship and their developing real relationship. I also appreciated how Eli and Sage’s characters mirror each other and how they don’t necessarily fall into an archetypal trope relationship beyond the circumstances in how they get together.

I really enjoyed this book! I have not read any of the authors, but the premise really appealed to me so I decided to give it a try. I will definitely be reading Collide soon. The storyline did feel a little cliche at times, but I thought both characters were well developed. I appreciated the focus on Elias's anxiety and stress regarding being in the spotlight. Sage was a wonderful main character, and I especially loved her relationship with her brother. Overall, while there were a few things I think could be improved, I would definitely recommend this book.

First, a big thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC of Bal Khabra's "Spiral” – “He’s on edge while she’s en pointe in this fake-dating sports romance from the author of the smash hit Collide.”

Let me start with I love a ballet romance. Immediately I am obsessed with the premise of this book. Elias or Eli is a hockey player struggling in his career and Sage is an aspiring ballerina with hopes of joining a ballet theatre. When I say that I read this book in one sitting I am not kidding. I could not put it down. This is a really sweet and heartwarming sports romance with fake dating, forced proximity, and a dual POV.

This book felt like a treat to the acts of service as a love language. I truly enjoyed both characters and how selfless they were to each other. It felt like a really healthy relationship. The writing was easy and well put together. The banter and chemistry in this was everything. I really felt like Eli and Sage were well paired and honest. This book felt really genuine.

Elias Westbrook is easily one of the sweetest male main characters I’ve come across in recent reads. He is so genuine and caring about everyone around him. I really loved this character.

Sage Beaumont was also a genuinely lovely character. She’s a character that does so much for others but doesn’t realize how deserving she is of having others love and take care of her. Overall Sage is a selfless female main character, she is a wonderful sister and an amazing niece. I also really loved that she is a ballerina and overcomes so many fears and insecurities.

This book was filled with so much love, gratitude, and a found family. If you liked Collide by Bal - this one is even better. Characters definitely cross over from the first book which was good to see. Definitely check this book out!

Thank you NG and Berkley for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.