4.5 rounded up!!! bal khabra absolutely redeemed herself for me with this book.

i am super excited to say that though i strongly disliked collide, i LOVED this book and i am so happy i decided to give bal another chance. eli and sage were just immaculate start to finish 😭

the only reason i knocked .5 off of this is because around 70% it felt like the book was hitting a point of “ok what could possibly happen for the next 30%” and made it feel as though the book could have been about 50 pages shorter because in that last 30% concluding every pilot point that was left felt a little rushed (aside from sages ballet, that pacing was awesome) but i did feel like if there were some trimmed pages in the first half to give the last half more room to breathe it wouldve been perfect.

one of my favorite things about this book was the tension my god it was THICK and palpable, the slow burn in this was so ridiculously good. this book will give you blue balls over and over again as their right on the cusp of explode just for something to snuff it out and i DEVOURED.

eli is the perfect man in like every form possible and sage is chaos personified yet so graceful and beautiful inside and out 😭

there are SOOOO many things that i want to absolutely go in on gushing about but i think theyre so much better left to reading yourself in the book so until next january i am refraining and barking & gnawing at the gates of my enclosure like a rabid dog trying to get to elias myself 🐕🐕🐕

lastly because i just cant help myself and feel the need to say it - if this summer that was in this book (amazing beautiful wonderful kind to my sweet sage) was written in collide i would have no doubt in my mind rated that book 5 stars. i cannot describe to you how much i wish that collide summer was the same girl as spiral summer.

PS as a hardcore canadian hockey team hater and tampa bay lightning stan absolutely side eyeing bal for her comments against my tbl. only in your wildest dreams would we be the lowest ranking team in the eastern conference 🤺

This was such a fun read! I love Bal Khabra’s other romance books so was super excited for this! It was entertaining and an easy read with fun tropes. Will add to our library!

A strong 4 stars! I enjoyed this so much - it was adorable and I was smiling the whole time. I will always eat up a fake dating sports romance, especially when the male main character is as sweet and caring as Elias is. He was the shining star of this book in my eyes!! I want to protect him at all costs. Both main characters went through hardships and were learning how to trust again which was beautiful to witness. If you liked “the right move,” definitely read this!

This was a great follow up to Collide. I love anything hockey related, and this book was no exception. The trope of ballerina and hockey player will always make me swoon. I also readily loved our glimpses of Summer and Aiden, and how accepting they immediately were of Sage.

Sage is such a strong character. At such a young age she has had to go through sop much and take on so much responsibility. her backstory is tragic, but it is inspiring how she took that tragedy and made it into a strength. She is constantly there for everyone in her life, and I am so happy that Elias saw that and tried to lessen some of her burden while not making her feel weak. I started tearing up when Sage found out that Elias paid for Sean's medication.
Sage also is not one to let hurdles stop her from achieving her dreams. Even though she received constant rejections from ballet companies, she did not let that deter her from her ultimate dream of becoming principle in Swan Lake. Even when she did get the role she still had to jump through hurtles which she accepted and took on with integrity and strength.

Elias was a mystery at first, unlike Sage. He too has a quiet strength due to his younger days of being taken advantage of by his own father. He chose an opposite route of Sage though, and used that obstacle to keep him from living his life. It was not until Sage and her strength and support that he was finally able to realize that he deserves success and happiness.

Sage and Elias truly made each other better. Elias provided his strength to help Sage through the tough times, and Sage provided her constant encouragement and support to help Elias open up and accept love. ]

This was a unique kind of slow burn, We got little snippets of spice throughout, but it is not until about 70% that we get full blown. Obviously we learn why, which was definitely a twist I was not expecting. The wait is worth it because Elias Westbrook is an amazing dirty talker.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to see what is next in this series.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Bal Khabra for a digital arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

↳ 3 stars 🌟 (are we surprised cuz i literally give every single romance book in the world this rating)

this is a sports, fake dating romance <3

i think this book was mid, like the characters were okay i guess?? i think they were cute in the beginning but then the guy started acting all dominant and weird and i wanted to throw myself off a cliff...... i hate it when male characters act like that like pls calm down, she isnt urs u met three weeks ago <3 also the owen dude and the marcus uncle dude were so annoying saur thats that !
overall i didnt hate this book, but i think the personalities of the main characters were flat and a little too centered on the romance. also, all the problems the couple had were fixed by doing the you know what 😭 i would recommend if youre looking for a spicy sports fake dating romance but if youre expecting depth and deep analyse on the characters backstories, i wouldnt say this is the right book for u....

my biggest thank u to netgalley and the publisher for giving me an arc in exchange for a honest review !

Aiden and Summer are cute...but Elias and Sage? They have my heart.

Spiral is a balanced marriage of the ballet-core aesthetic and the hockey romance genre. In her second novel, Khabra really takes us through the wringer with two characters that have significant emotional trauma! Elias and Sage are both givers in a relationship, and they give so much to one another. All that they give in turn allows them to grow and to accept that they deserve to be cared for. With visits from past characters from book one, for me, Aiden becomes such a vessel of knowledge for Elias. It's refreshing to see two men have conversations about love, and the commitment it takes to protect a relationships. Even when filled with insecurities.

However, once the characters move past insecurties and things I don't want to spoil, we're given the opportunity to truly read a charming slow-burn love story set in Toronto. And that makes this Canadian girl, who also loves the National Ballet of Canada, happy! Make no mistake, dance is a sport and I love that we really get to see the toll it takes on Sage's body, the same way hockey does for Elias.

There are so many moments in this book that I know will make readers squeal and sigh. For me, I have four top moments and I can't wait to see how readers react once this book is out in the wild.

The reason I'm bumping down my rating to a 4.5 is kinda serious. I feel that some of the tropes utilized were antiquated, and sometimes fed into really unappealing stereotypes. It didn't affect my whole reading experience, and maybe it was done unintentionally, but I always urge authors of colour, writing characters of colour, to be aware and conscious of these things.

Overall, I'm so excited for book three, and I'm giving Spiral 4.5 stars! This is once again another stellar addition to this series. Thank you, Berkley and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 I am always guilty of judging a book by its cover and Spiral was no exception; I will own it. Adorable cartoon cover for a sports romance where the hockey player meets the ballerina, count me in! I was prepared for a good story and Bal Khabra delivered on that. The characters were beautifully written and I immediately fell in love with Elias and Sage…their banter was engaging and hilarious while absolutely filled to the brim with chemistry. Included was a top notch crew of supporting characters and a healthy dose of seeing them work hard to fulfill their dreams in their respective sports careers.

What I was not prepared for was my absolute and total investment in both Elias and Sage’s lives and relationship throughout this novel. I could feel the pitter patter in my chest as the words seemed to leap from the pages to leave an imprint on my heart. I was rooting for these two from my very core. Life is hard and healing from trauma can be even harder. Spiral carried such a poignant message of finding trust in yourself and others to break down those walls and let light and love in.

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!

Sage and Elias were two characters I immediately fell in love with from the start. They’re both incredibly complex individuals who came from deeply traumatic childhoods, Sage in particular, yet they both remained resilient and loving in who they were. The more we learned about Sage and all she endured in her past, the more I wanted to shelter her from any harm and I loved that Bal gave us Eli to do just that. From the start, their dynamic contained humor, thoughtfulness, and consideration and I genuinely loved them together. This was a fake dating story that developed from strangers to lovers and I really enjoyed how we got to see them grow as people and as a couple.

An added bonus is that we got to see characters from the past woven seamlessly into the story in a way that really emphasized the idea of a found family within the pages. The way we got to see BOTH of them in their element and supported holistically in their respective sports made it even better.

Note: due to the nature of what some of the characters endured in their past and the frequency of which it is mentioned, this book needs trigger warnings. Though it takes on a jovial tone at times, I would not characterize this as a lighthearted romance in any regard, and it’s important to consider the weight and depth of not only what these characters experienced, but the societal repercussions of its depiction.

Bal Khabra, I don’t know what kind of crack you put in this book but I’m obsessed. This book was SO good. The banter!!! The pining!!! The tension!!! The love!!! It was all perfect.

I thought Aiden was the best book boyfriend, but I was proven wrong by Mr. Elias Westbrook himself!!! I loved every bit of Eli’s character. He’s sweet, sexy, insecure, protective, and thinks the world of Sage which is so beautiful. Sage is incredible as well. She’s so resilient and smart and determined and thoughtful. The former ballerina in me just fell in love with her.

This book deserves all the stars and I can’t wait for the rest of the world to read it!!! Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley for the arc, it meant the world to me <3

Sooooooooo, I don’t want to say it, but I think that this author isn’t for me. Trust me, I really did try to give her another spot. I didn’t really like the first book in the series, but I wanted to give her another chance with the second book in the series. And I didn’t like neither.

It was an okay romance read. Nothing too special or loved so much. I just didn’t like the pace of the story or the characters. I didn’t find the chemistry between them. It just felt weird. Sorry, but I’m just not going to read her books anymore.

Spiral by Bal Khabra is the follow up to Collide and it is just as epic!

I absolute love Collide so I was very excited for Spiral and it did not disappoint. What I love about Bal's writing is the dynamic that she creates with her characters. Elias and Sage were so lovable from the start. I loved the fake dating, I loved that they were both passionate athletes. She's a ballerina and he's a hockey player. I loved how caring and protective he was of her and how he wanted to make sure she knew that she wasn't alone. I loved the vulnerability in her character and her tenacity and drive. She is such a lovable character who's so strong and kind hearted and would do anything for her brother. I loved the found family trope in this book and we get to see familiar faces from the previous book and see how they all become one close family. I loved the sports element, the way they both balance and compliment each other. I loved that Bal went with a lot of swoon romance but also goes in depth to their relationship and how they go from fake to real and their deep conversations, adversity that they both go through and help each other with. I loved them so much. I loved learning about ballet and the good and bad and how sage's career path forges and Elias supports her and the way they support each other and become a power duo. The epilogue was so perfect. I was so emotional reading it. I couldn't have thought of a better way to end their story. I loved this book so much and I cannot wait to read what Bal Khabra has in store next!

Really cute, funny little romance and really fast pace. I really liked the character, Sage and Eli are so sweet and cute together. Also loved to see Summer and Aiden evolution together. But I would have liked to have more context on both character's past, there was a little but not enough to fully understand the whole situation and character in my opinion.

Can you hear that? It’s me gnawing at the bars of my enclosure because this was so unbelievably good!!! Hockey player x ballerina with fake dating and a rule that there’s no pda whatsoever and oh they can’t fall in love with each other either. SHUT UP!!! It’s actually so criminal that this is one of my top romance reads this year and it doesn’t even release until Jan 2025!! I don’t even know where to begin on what I loved the most, the most deliciously mouth watering slow burn ever, tension and angsty parts that came with the forced proximity or the fact that the Elias had me barking like a dog the entire time.
There was so much vulnerability between Elias and Sage, the pair of them having gone through so much and opening up to one another had me genuinely sick to stomach. I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOUR!

I have been waiting for this book since I finished reading Collide back in April!

Khabra has done it again ya’ll! I still love Aiden the most, but Elias is right there with him at the top of the hockey boyfriend list! He’s sweet, thoughtful, caring, considerate, and sexy as heck! And Sage, she was my spirit animal with her hilariously inappropriate sense of humor!

I have to admit I did not expect the whole Elias celibacy thing and as much as I wish they had done it from day one, the slow burn was pretty epic!! Sage riding his thigh was so funny and totally relatable :P Their “Elias and Sage unfiltered" promise was everything!

“Because I know that no matter where I am, I’ll always be home as long as I have her.”

The ending had me in tears. I loved that everyone got a HEA and now I’ll be impatiently hoping and waiting for Kian and Dylan’s books!

I am a sucker for the cutesy romance and Bal Khabra has out done herself! I was over moon being approved for this and it did not disappoint.

Bal Khabra certainly knows how to write a cute romance with swoony male leads. Spiral is book 2 of the off the ice series that follows the story of eli and sage. Another bang on hit by Khabra after the bestseller- Collide.

#Netgalley #Spiral

Big thank you to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group for providing me an arc to read in exchange for my honest review.

I gotta admit I was nervous about starting Spiral by Bal Khabra. Mainly because I read Collide, the first book in this romcom series earlier this year. And after finishing Collide I had some mixed feelings. Like I enjoyed the characters and the overall story arc but felt some parts slow, boring and overhyped. Even with all that said I still wanted to give Spiral a shot because I really enjoyed the introduction we had to Elias in book one.

And let me tell you Elias storyline did not disappoint. I started this book last night right and I wanted to devour it in one sitting. However, I had to unfortunately be an adult and wake up and go to work. But once work was done I could not be stopped. Elias and Sage story was truly relatable and heartwarming. Honestly I’m not ready to let them go. PS Bal may we have more extended epilogues please ;)

I don’t want to go too much more in depth because I want to stay away from spoilers. So I’ll leave you guys with this. Please buy this book when it releases in January 2025. You will not be disappointed!

Sweet, warm, and heart-warming. Everything I want in a hockey romance! I liked this one more than Collide which surprised me! Excited for the rest of the series and more from Bal!

I’ve been so excited for this one because of the cover and after reading Collide! Elias & Sage are so mom & dad coded and this story was sooo freaking cute. All the small moments like the wrist kisses. the TATTOO, the cooking and the drive-in movie, ugh I’ve been SWOONING. Don’t get me started on that epilogue it had all the feels. I loved that this one let us follow Eli on his journey and meet sage who i think is my fave fmc. I don’t laugh while reading books but this one had me laughing out loud more than once. Y’all the SMUT lol Bal knows what she’s doing. I enjoyed every second and overall its a sweet comfort read that i devoured in 2 days.

The way their pretend relationship evolves into something real and deeply emotional is beautifully done. With its perfect mix of romance, tension, and heartfelt moments, this book is a delightful rollercoaster that I couldn’t put down. I was captivated by every page and loved every moment of their incredible journey. It’s sweet, fun and entertaining.