“𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆”

Do you know how, if you’re lucky, you meet the perfect book at the right time? The book that’ll stay with you, that made you feel at loss and grieving after closing it, that changed your life? This is one of those books for me.

I’ve been obsessed with butterflies since the beginning of the year, now I know why.

This is the story of a tutor, Ro, and her student, a hockey player, Freddy. And you would think “oh how cliché!” But it’s so much more.

In this book, we meet two people, two young adults, like me, like most of us, that are struggling.

We have Ro, a top student, a sweet girl, a kind soul who feels so very lonely, who can’t understand why she can’t make friends and who to feel any sort of love stays in a relationship that does nothing but drain her.

We have Freddy, a top athlete who because of his ADHD, dyslexia and dyscalculia, is struggling in school. And he blames himself for it. He is surrounded by people, friends and girls, yet he cannot help but feels so lonely.

This is a story of two lonely souls who meet in unexpected ways and proceeds to develop the sweetest friendship and bond. The theory of the red string has never felt as real as it did in this book.

Whether it is their loneliness, Ro’s tox!c relationship or Freddy’s narcissistic father, I saw myself in them and that made the book hit much more deeper than I ever anticipated. I also love that Ro kinda looked like me? A curly headed girl and even though she’s Turkish and I’m Moroccan it’s the closest I’ve ever felt represented in a book.

The playlist alone is enough to rip your heart out so do yourself a favour and listen to it, follow it, while reading the book for a much MUCH immersive experience.

This book is for anyone who’s ever felt lonely, who’s ever felt like people only want them for what they can give to them, who have a hard time making friends, who give so much love and try to be “enough” yet they never are, for anyone who’s ever felt unlovable.

You are enough, you are loved.🤍

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Thank you @peytoncorinneauthor @netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!

4.65 rounded up ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

wow. my heart hurts after reading this

i’ve read so many books with the mmc being a reformed playboy but none have discussed consent concerns and the sexual harassment that they go through like this book did. i think it is SO important to be talking about this in romance books regardless of gender

this was slow-burn, friends to lovers, tutor x hockey player, college romance

it made me cry, squeal, kick my feet and laugh with more tears running down my face

i devoured it.

it wasn’t a light book, it navigates tough themes of grief, abusive relationships, abuse of sexual power dynamics, loss of a parent, sickness of a parent and mental health. but even though this book has such poignant sadness present, the love between the two characters is so genuine and kind and respectful that you just find yourself completely under the authors spell

I loved unsteady and i loved unloved, this author has such a talent and i cannot wait to keep reading their work

the only thing i am left wanting is revenge against three very specific characters (yes I am including Mark in this even though he’s a small character) but i think that was purposeful, so many people do awful things and just continue to work alongside us and don’t face repercussions due to injustice and sexism that is rampant in higher education

Unloved
By: Peyton Corinne

I love a good sports romance that blends a good storyline with it. This is the second book in the series. Unsteady, book one introduced us to Ro and Freddy aka Matty. Unloved gave us their full story. This is not just a sports romance but a book full of loss and grief, of losing yourself and finding yourself. A book of letting yourself love yourself again while you find love yourself.
I would 100% recommend this book.
4 star read for me.

This book was reminded me of the Japanese art kintsugi where gold is put into the cracks of pottery to mend it. It is devastating in its beauty. I freaking loved it.

Both main characters are so strong and damn. I cant love them both enough.

The epilogue was perfect. But I also would have liked a chapter where karma catches up to all the villains (Carmen, Tyler, papa asshole). But i feel like the morale of the story here isn’t that they step on legos for the rest of their life, but that they fade into obscurity. Which is nice, if you aren’t a vengeful bitch like me.

I cant wait for the goalie to maybe get the next book please please please

This book is for you if you like
* Taylor Swift - Tolerate it
* hockey romance
* spicy lessons
* found family
* healing through each other <3

“I think falling in love with you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”

This is the most gut-wrenching take on a reformed playboy you’ll ever read. This book has me completely distraught. Two quietly lonely people who just want to be loved and find safety within each other 😭 Peyton, who hurt you?!

I want to live in this book. Matty and Ro are so raw, honest, healing, and tender together. THEIR SLOW BURN IS UNBEATABLE. 100/10 the pain is worth it.

“Having her in my arms has always been healing, like something soft pressing away the lingering cuts that I’ve never managed to patch.”

I’m so blown away by this one. I read Unsteady while it was still an Indie release and was so in love with the story and Peyton Corinne’s writing. She has such an amazing ability to portray these really deep and hard topics in her story while also handling these topics with such care. She doesn’t use these as just a plot device to help drive the story forward, she uses these topics to make her characters so well-rounded and so much deeper than just a surface level character that we sometimes see in romance novels.
The discussion of grief in this book was great because while some are able to move forward after their grief, others self destruct and that’s exactly what Freddy did. He never felt like he was enough and seeing his struggles with that feeling of never being worthy of love made the love between him and Ro that much more meaningful. They both have the struggle of not being enough and together they were able to heal. Getting to read their story and their journey of realizing their self worth was so beautiful and emotional. Seeing Ro and Freddy finally able to stand up for themselves with not just the support of each other, but their friends and family was such a satisfying thing to read.
I love that this story takes place during Unsteady. You get this initial introduction of Ro and Freddy in Unsteady but Peyton Corinne perfectly portrayed the masks they put up. Getting to read their actual POVs, it all starts to click. You realize how fiercely protective they are of the people they love because of the struggles they feel of not being enough. Peyton Corinne has quickly become an auto-buy author for me, and the fact this is only her second release is so incredibly impressive.

This is my first book by Peyton Corinne but let me tell you, she has gained another fan and follower of her work.
I like to read books I can emotionally invest into, that allows me to enter the world and atmosphere of the book with rich and thorough descriptions. This book allowed me that opportunity.

The book Ms. Corinne has written has allowed me to get attached to the two main characters, Ro Shariff and Matt ‘Freddy’ Fredderic. Throughout the story, these two ‘imperfect’ people try to navigate not believing they are good enough for themselves, their family, their friends, or anyone else for that matter. But the author has shown that through them coming together, becoming vulnerable with themselves and one another, they can evolve, grow, and thus experience the riches that life and love have to offer and shed the labels that others have thrown at them.
The story evolves with Ro first encountering Freddy during their freshman year of college at a party before the fall term begins that elicits her attention to him. The story then picks up during their senior year with Ro now having a persistent crush on Freddy, unbeknownst to him, and as fate would have it, they have another chance encounter at another party that now sparks Freddy’s attention to her. However, they are brought together when Ro becomes his tutor, with neither one revealing their previous encounters with one another to each other. This allows both Ro and Freddy to enter into the tutor/student relationship with questions and anticipation that pushes them to open up to each other in a way that becomes a healing and progressive self-discovery for both.

The author lays bare issues and experiences of parental loss, grief, a narcissistic parent/partner, loneliness, learning challenges, and self-loathing. Ms. Corinne’s presentation of these issues is real, true, tender, and relatable. What was most profound for me was the presentation of the young men is this book with seeing both sides (toxic masculinity vs. healthy masculinity). The author presented Matt, Rhys, Bennett, Holden with compassion, empathy, thoughtfulness, and emotional intelligence in a way that is an example that others should subscribe to.
The development of the two main characters was seamless and rich with uniqueness, relatability, and depth. The trajectory and pace of the story was perfect and spot on. It did not lag or display any holes, which is a testament to Ms. Corinne’s talent as a writer. The author did offer background and insight into Freddy to emphasize why he was the way he was, but I wanted to see the same for Ro.

I came to dislike Tyler (along with all his friends), Professor Carmen Tinley, and John Fredderic (Freddy’s father) to the point where I wish they befell some type of punishment in some way for their infliction of the hurt and pain they caused Ro and Freddy.

However, I wanted to know more background regarding Bennett, as his portrayal in the story was critical and instrumental. But I am going to assume, with anticipation, that his story is to come in a forthcoming book (fingers crossed).

Since this story overlaps with the previous novel, I will be reading Unsteady (which occurs in tandem with Unloved) next but looking forward to any other installments that may come in this series.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGallery for this advanced copy and allowing me to provide my review of this book.

Unloved by Peyton Corine is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of love, loss, and self-discovery that lingers long after the final page. With poetic prose and a touch of raw honesty, Corine captures the vulnerability of her characters, weaving together themes of heartbreak and healing in a way that feels both intensely personal and universally relatable. The story's emotional depth is balanced with tender moments that shine light through the darkness, leaving readers with a sense of hope and resilience. Unloved is a captivating read for anyone who’s ever had to piece themselves back together—highly recommended for lovers of emotionally charged fiction.

Thank you for this ARC! I really enjoyed this book.

First of all, thank you NetGalley and Atria for the ARC, truly was so excited to see this land on my shelf.

This book is absolutely one of my favorites of the year and it isn't even out until February!

This was deliciously sweet, and the best slow burn. These two are honestly the epitome of a healthy relationship in every single way. Their friendship is golden. Their quiet moments will have you curled up tight and cozy but don't let the fool you, the tension is rising!

There is a lot of depth and emotion packed into this book as there was in Unsteady. Both Freddy and Ro working through so much and I feel like everything timeline wise fell into place perfectly.

I knew the second I started this book I was going to finish it in a matter of days, (1.5) and I honestly could turn around and read it again. This felt like a real raw story that I can relate to personally and that is my favorite feeling. Two people who haven't been treated right for a long time healing each other from the inside out.

I will be back to say more when this book releases but if it's not of your tbr it's time to add it! I would highly recommend reading Unsteady before this as well. They really tell a great story together, I'm glad I did a little reread before I got into this because it was nice to see the other perspectives.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the eARC!
I liked this better than the first book, but it still fell kind of flat for me. The characters had way better chemistry than what the characters from the first book did, and I absolutely loved Matt.
There unfortunately just wasn’t a lot going on, and it didn’t keep my interest through some of the book, but since I loved the two characters, so it made up for it.
I really loved the grief aspect of the book, and it showed it in a really beautiful way.
I wish there was some more spice, and the scenes there were, weren’t very long or very detailed, so I was disappointed in that aspect as well.
Overall, with the intense chemistry between Ro and Matt, it was a good read.

“To be loved is to be known”
That sums up Ro and Matty. They are two of the most beautiful characters I’ve read. They truly deserved their HEA because oh my days they went through it.
Unloved has these two beautiful people who are so used to never being treated right, always being “the second option” or never being “enough” for whoever they were with. When they finally realize that they are each others person IT WAS JUST SO HEARTWARMING READING ABOUT THEM FALL IN LOVE. Also the found family in this that is slowly forming is making me so so happy. I can’t wait for the next book (please be Bennet, please be Bennet.)

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

I loved Freddy! His struggles with his reputation and family/grief and past relationship made for a great character arc.

Ro I was less sure on. She's pretty cringe, especially in the beginning. And I didn't love how she stayed with her ex for so much of the book when all he did was repeatedly stand her up and call her embarrassing in public and use her secrets against her. I think it would have been more believable if there were little bits of good sprinkled in between the bad.

Freddy and Ro together were very sweet, but it was a bit confusing because this timeline overlaps with the events of the previous book so it was kind of like watching their relationship bloom while simultaneously relieving the first book again but from afar.

I cried, laughed, and loved throughout Ro's story.. I related so hard to this beautiful girl as my own journey to get to where I am today was a hard one. Terrible exes. Such a lovely and powerful romance and story with such real characters that come to life on the page. This was such a good book I couldn't put it down. I devoured it in a night. Just give it all the stars. So freaking good. College hockey romance with tons of emotion and feels and honesty and growth.

Anyone who's been in a bad relationship will find some parallel and healing power within these pages. Freddie also has a powerful story to tell within the pages. I've never cried and felt so much, reading through a book before. It is one of the most powerful books I've read, and I'm climbing 300+ this year. Amazing. Writing style was also phenomenal.

Recommend 1000x over

“Unloved” by Peyton Corrine was a very emotional and relatable story. I found this to be a heart felt story of personal struggles that will resonate with young people. The love between “Freddy”/Matt and Ro was beautiful. They’ve both been through so much. I found myself just wanting to tell Matt that everything was going to work out and he’d be ok.

Will recommend and I look forward to the next book in the series.

Freddie and Ro Supremacy I think.

I LOVED Unsteady, but Unloved may have knocked it out of the park for me. A reformed playboy with a hidden soft spot of wanting to be loved? A girl wanting to explore overshadowed by a narcissistic exboyfriend? FINDING EACH OTHER AND FALLING IN LOVE NOT KNOWING THEY HAD DRUNKEN MOMENTS WITH ONE ANOTHER???

I was down bad, just like Freddie.

This book is everything, I loved how much Ro cared for Freddie, both as a student and a friend. Their relationship felt like such a natural progression from friends to lovers. I also fully wasn't prepared for this to take place at the same time as Unsteady and I was so pleased to see how deep these two held love for their friends. The whole time I wanted to reach into these pages and hug both Ro and Freddie. As much as this is marketed as a hockey romance, it does have darker undertones and the characters hold depth. I love and appreciate that as a reader so much.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a reivew.

Holy Moly! SO FREAKING GOOD. If there was one book on my need to read in 2026, it would be this book! Unsteady set the standard, and Unloved absolutely solidified my love for Payton Corinne books.

Ro was just trying to find a rhythm in college. Get her degree, write her thesis, do some extracurriculars, make some friends, and maybe find a nice guy to kiss and explore her spicy list with. Now she finds herself, getting her degree, writing a thesis she can’t get behind, not getting invited to group activities, her only friend having to take care of her brothers full time, and dating a guy that doesn’t like her spicy list and definitely not the guy that got away that she shared the most amazing kiss with Freshman year. No, that guy is now the hockey player she is tutoring that her boyfriend insists is some dumb jock trying to get in her pants. As her boyfriend continues to be the most upstanding prick on the planet, Ro finds herself pulled more and more into Freddy’s orbit. With her being his Tutor, all eyes on him, and her boyfriend waiting in the wings. Ro knows it will never be a good idea to be more than friend with Freddy the hotshot hockey star. However, the more that is revealed in the world around them, each other is all they really want.

No one can tell a better self deprecating joke than Freddy. Let’s just say, if you’re the one to say it, less people will say it behind your back. And let’s be real, all they really say is how many people warm his bed, and Freddy is really good at warming beds. After having your heart ripped out and trampled on, getting attached is the last thing he wants to do. When Freddy finds himself with his 3rd tutor in 2 years, due to his learning disabilities, Freddy starts thinking if it is actually worth it to finish. However, Freddy started this journey to make his Mom proud and he’ll finish to make her even more proud. Freddy never expected the little up tight tutor to have a fiery streak, but Freddy finds himself doing what he can to protect Ro, especially from that prick of a boyfriend and his broken heart past that keeps standing in way of that one credit to get his degree. Freddy finds himself picking Ro up more than once, and for her he’ll do it, he just knows when she tries to reciprocate, he will do whatever it takes to keep her away from his unlovable heart.

I truly don’t even know where to start. It was truly all PERFECTION. The struggle of acceptance, the struggle of getting over your first heartbreak, the struggle for just finding your path was so beautifully executed in this book I never wanted to leave.

I’m in the minority, but I had several issues with this book and think it’s a step back from Unsteady.

There were a few elements I enjoyed, including the found family vibes and the fact that Ro and Freddy’s relationship starts as friends so it’s more believable that it’s a strong foundation for a healthy relationship.

However, those are over shadowed by
1. Ro. There is no backstory to help me understand why she is the way she is or to help me empathize or understand her actions. As such, I don’t understand why she stayed with Tyler and continued to fanaticize about a relationship with him. And the back and forth of him treating her poorly and her allowing it went on way too long in the book.
2. There are a lot of loose strings that are never addressed. For example, nothing comes of Tyler harassing Ro nor if Dr. Tinley sleeping with a student. Toren Kane defends Ro and she never acknowledges him let alone thanks him. There are attempts to tie in Rhys/Sadie but they aren’t well explained (e.g., why Ro would be so upset by Rhys texts after the accident). The list goes on…
3. A lot of the characters in the book are just…not good people which was grating to read over and over again (e.g., Carmen and Tyler obviously, but also all the tutoring guys, Freddy’s dad, Freddy’s math teacher, the friends who let Tyler abandon Ro at the hockey game, etc.)

Thank you to NetGalley, Peyton Corrine, and Atria for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

LOVED this book! Thank you @netgalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed the slow burn relationship development between Ro and Freddy because they became good friends before being a couple. It was interesting to read about a hockey star hero who also has some self worth issues to work through. It was lovely to see more of the main and side characters from book one also! I can’t wait to read Bennett’s and Toran’s stories in future. If you liked Unsteady, then you’ll love Unloved! Unloved is a beautiful slow burn romance. Release Date: 2-4-2025
📗Net Galley

Okay, I won't lie. Going into this one, I thought it was going to be another raunchy hockey rom-com - absolutely nothing wrong with that and I LOVE that trope, but this book was SO much more! As a friends to lovers book, I really enjoyed the slow burn romance between Freddy and Ro and loved reading their story! While it was still the lighthearted, witty romance I was expecting, it also provided quite a bit of representation to shed light on more serious topics as well such as grief and disabilities. This is my first book by Corinne but will NOT be my last. Thanks so much for this ARC!

This was such an easy 5 star read. Freedy and Ro were everything I thought they would be and more. I loved them both so much. This was a friends to lovers, and a slow slow burn. I loved how their friendship blossomed over time and I like how slow their actual relationship formed. Another thing that I really liked was that the timeline of this book overlapped with the previous book. I have a feeling the next book could be with Bennett and Paloma?! and then maybe a book with Toren Kane after and I hope they will continue to be on the same timeline. It is unique and I really like how well done it was written. It easily could get repetitive but it did not feel like that at all. The representation in the book with learning disabilities, grief, and just feeling loved was done so well. I truly felt for both Ro and Freddy. The only downside to this book was that, it did seem a little long, and there were a few things, like the scene with Sarah (who we didn't even know who she really was) which I don't think added to the story. All that being said I loved the first book in this series, but this book was even better. We got to see more of the same found family, along with a few new additions. There was so much more to this book than just a hockey romance. Also love the bits of music, and the nod to GMM.


Thank you NetGalley, Peyton Corinne, and Atria Books for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!