Matt “Freddy” Fredderic is all smiles—at least on the surface. On the ice, he’s the star left winger for the Waterfell Wolves with a stellar reputation in bed and a potential future in the NHL. But in the classroom, he’s barely scraping by on a 2.0 GPA, retaking failed classes and struggling with a rough mix of dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD. Now tied to an NHL contract upon graduation, Freddy needs help to pass biology with a professor he has a tumultuous past with.

Ro Shariff is a hopeless romantic with terrible luck in love—and now, Freddy’s newly assigned tutor. Trying to convince herself that she’s very happy with her on again/off again boyfriend, Ro is desperate for real affection. As her tutoring sessions with Freddy lead to late-night phone calls and a deep understanding of each other’s hidden pains, a real friendship strikes up between them. And, inevitably, a wistful secret pining hidden by them both. Ro can’t stop thinking about her first kiss her freshman year with Freddy—a spine-tingling moment that Freddy doesn’t seem to remember. Meanwhile, Freddy can’t let go of Ro’s drunken heartfelt confessions from the night she doesn’t remember.

I really enjoyed this, despite the fact that it reads a lot like "just another hockey romance" but with an ADHD main character. Sometimes it feels like too many of the popular books are cookie-cutter of each other. This was just close enough to everything else that I think it will do well, though! Solid read! 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

If you've read Unsteady, you won't be surprised by the emotional rollercoaster Peyton can put you through. (If you haven't, watchu doin babes???)


Thank you, Peyton (my boo) and Atria, for this ARC.

Unloved is a breathtaking journey of healing, hope, and finding love when you least expect it. Peyton weaves a story filled with tender moments and sizzling chemistry that truly is a must-read. Freddy and Ro’s story will linger in your heart long after you turn the final page.

Freddy and Ro meet at a college party during freshman year which leads to a kiss Freddy can’t remember. Three years later, Freddy is struggling academically due to his dyscalculia and dyslexia, and Ro is assigned to him as his new tutor. Watching them turn from strangers to friends to lovers is all about the subtle moments, small touches, and emotional conversations. Honestly, I would have read 500 more pages of them healing and finding happiness together.

Ro was my favorite—I said what I SAID. Peyton writes the most wonderful FMCs, and Sadie is who I inspire to be when I grow up, but I LOVE a good "girl who learns her worth" story, and watching her get rid of that dumba** was the most satisfying feeling. Freddy, who has nothing to do with the labels others put on him, is the most lovely golden retriever hero. He's patient, soft, and a Broken Boy TM. One of my favorite boyfriends of 2025, just you watch.

I won't hear a word about it: this book is stunningly written, perfectly executed, and an absolute joy to read. It comes out Feb 4th (so soon!)
I will now pause my existence until the third book comes out. Bennett? Hmmmm???

I don’t know what was in this book but it had me hooked. I read this in a solid day and enjoyed every page. I loved them going from tutorial to friends to everything. So obsessed.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. I felt like I couldn’t connect with the story. It felt all over the place. Tyler was super annoying. Ro deserves the world.

ARC Review
Unloved by Peyton Corinne
The Undone - Book Two

This was a beautiful book of learning to love yourself and learning to allow yourself to be loved at the same time. It was hard to watch Ro go through the stages of realizing her relationship was not what she thought it was. In Unsteady, we got to see the outside view of the relationship, so it was interesting to see how the character saw it herself.
Freddy/Matty has been the perpetual f-boy but not quite to the level that people made him out to be. It was amazing to see how he saw Ro for who she was and not someone he wanted her to turn into.

Pick this one up if you enjoy:
* hockey romance
* tutor x student
* slow burn
* biggest green flag MMC

This. Book.

I think this may be my favourite read in 2025 so far. I’m a huge hockey romance girlie and the first book was beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. Peyton Corinne came back harder with this book. It wrecked me. In the best way.

I love that this book’s timeline matches the first one so that they are simultaneously going on. Which I didn’t think I’d love so much! This book is powerful and really concentrates on grief and love and it’s heartbreaking at times. And makes me giggle at other times. The story behind Freddy is heavy and shows strength.

It’s a super slow burn and its spice level is low with not many smut scenes but it was beautiful and worth the wait for the minimal spice. I’m a huge spicy reader and this was still perfect.

So…are we getting a book about Bennett?!

I absolutely loved this book. Matt and Ro not only had such a sweet and romantic love story but also an amazing friendship. I worried that nothing would top Unsteady but this was absolutely amazing. I wish I could read this again for the first time!!

4.5 ✨

Man this book hit me in my feels. It is a deeply emotional book about Ro and Matt also know as Freddy who are the embodiment of Invisible String by Taylor Swift. They are both on their own journey of finding themselves, through hardships, while bringing up a really sweet friendship. I love how well they get each other like just by looking at each other. They are so soft and careful with each other which I feel you don't see very often. They generally match each other so well. Fair warning that this is definitely a slow burn in the best way, but also you also just want them to kiss already. I honestly think it's perfect giving everything else going on in the storyline. Also both characters are fiercely protective of each other.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.75⭐️ This was so cute and sweet 🥰 Matt and Ro really healed each other and I really loved that about this story. There wasn’t a third act breakup 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 which I love!! There was a conflict but the way the author had these characters handling it was great!! It kinda healed me a little and hope for the future

Peyton Corinne does it again - her books do not disappoint and I ate this book up in my sitting!

Tropes:

Tutor x Athlete
Found Family

Slow Burn

Friends to Lovers
Mental health rep

Unloved gave me some feels I had watching OTH back in the date Haley & Nathan tutor days! Matty & Ro are just A++ their connection, the way they protect each other and figure each other it’s just perfect! I also really love when a book has mental health/disability rep.

Thank you so much for this arc copy!

Unloved follows Freddy, a hockey player for his school's hockey team. He is about to get kicked off the team because he is failing. But this is due to a mix of dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD. He needs help with passing. Ro is set to be Freddy's new tutor. She is in a relationship but isn't really getting much out of it. After tutoring Freddy they become friends. But soon things start to change. Freddy wants to prove to Ro that she is worthy and show her that she can be loved. Ro realizes that the relationship she is in sucks and might just give Freddy a shot. 

I thought this book was really cute. I have not read Unsteady yet which is the first book in this series. So I am not sure if this book has any callbacks to that one. But I don't think you need to read the first one to read this. I thought it was easy to understand and didn't feel like I was missing anything. I really like how this book had more serious moments to balance everything out. I thought that Freddy was a sweet character. I love how it showed Ro that she is worthy. I thought the relationship between the two was really cute. I do wish that this book had a bit more spice. But overall I thought this was really good. I think this is a great book for someone who is new to the hockey romance genre. We all know that is my favorite genre. So I do tend to judge those books harder. But this was really good. I highly suggest this one. 

Thank you Atria Books and Peyton Corinne for the ARC of this book. This comes out on February 4.

Peyton Corinne’s Unloved is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant story that had me hooked from the very first page. This book is an easy read, perfect for getting lost in during a quiet evening or a lazy weekend.

The characters are undoubtedly the heart of this novel. Each one feels real and relatable, with their vulnerabilities and strengths bringing the story to life. I found myself fully invested in their journeys, rooting for their triumphs, and aching through their struggles. The way Corinne develops her characters is a testament to her ability to connect with readers on a deeply personal level.

What I loved most was how effortlessly the story flowed. Corinne’s writing is engaging and accessible, making it hard to put the book down. Whether you’re a seasoned romance reader or new to the genre, this book strikes the perfect balance of heartfelt emotion, realistic conflict, and moments that will leave you smiling.

Unloved is more than just a story—it’s an experience. It’s about love, loss, and finding hope in the unlikeliest of places. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating read with well-rounded characters and a touch of soul. You won’t regret picking this one up!

4.25 stars

Let me just say, if you’re in a reading slump, then this is the book for you. I genuinely stayed up until 3 am reading this one because I couldn’t put it down. This is more than just a hockey romance book, yes it is romantic, yes I was swooning, but Peyton Corinne managed to add elements of depth that had me boohooing and invested from the get go. Both characters have gone through so much and seeing their relationship blossom from being essentially strangers to each other’s safety net was chef’s kiss for me.

Also yall best believe I WILL be buying a physical copy of this one release day!

(Huge thank you to Atria Books and Netgally for the arc in exchange for an honest review!!)

thank you to netgalley and publishers for the e-arc!!

i am so glad i decided to revisit this series, this book definitely has a different tone and approach than unsteady. it’s much more slow burn (which is one of my favorite tropes) i loved the build up between ro and freddy, especially when it comes to uncovering their grief/trauma and both of them overcoming it realistically.

i related to ro sooooo much! you see her initially as introverted and reclusive, and how that reflects on her relationships/how she allows herself to be treated. simultaneously, you get freddy’s pov which deals with grief, mentally abusive family dynamics, and negative self-perception. to see their growth individually but also with one another was so rewarding!

i love a good slow burn friends-to-lovers setting every time!!! only thing that always took me out of it was the naming of songs to set the tone for certain chapters, it just felt so misplaced for me!

but i can say i’m sticking with the series and i NEED a toren kane book next, there’s so much potential there!!!

It took me a hot minute to finally read Unsteady, Peyton’s breakout hit, but once I did I had to instantly dive into book two of her The Undone series, because I needed Ro and Freddy’s story and you know I can’t turn down a good hockey romance.

The title alone was already breaking my heart and having me love these two wounded souls before I even began. Once I started, I read this book in one sitting, unable to put it down!

While you meet Ro and Freddy in book one, this can be read as a standalone if you just want to dive right into this series with this book (but I highly suggest circling back to book one). This book takes place concurrently with Unsteady with some overlapping scenes but now from Ro and Freddy’s point of view.

It is senior year at college and Freddy is onto academic tutor #3 to help him stay eligible for the team. So many moments broke my heart in this book, but none more than the times Freddy was teased relentlessly about his intelligence by Ro’s on again- off again boyfriend. Man that guy was such an a$$hole that I wanted to reach into the book into punch him in the nuts for how he treated Freddy and Ro.

The way Ro helped Freddy and stood up for him in front of professors and counselors was so satisfying given how much that college failed him given his need for accommodations.

Despite the academic hardship, his grief, his loneliness and the way a certain someone preyed on him, his strength and humor were so admirable as well as his kindness to Ro.

Ro deserved a sweet guy like Freddy after dealing with Tyler the douchebag. It’s narcissistic people like him and the way that they tear down the people that make me want to scoop up everyone in their path and give them a big hug and show them that what they have dealt with is not normal or acceptable.

My heart ached for Ro and Freddy and the loneliness that they hid. Because of their academic relationship and reputations, their love story was a sweet slow burn despite having two moments of instant connection starting back to their freshman year.

While I was dying for them to finally admit their feelings for one another, the slow burn was well worth it.

Peyton has definitely made her mark on college hockey romance which is having its hey-day. If you loved The Deal by Elle Kennedy or Play Along by Liz Tomforde, then this is the book for you.

I love how she’s blending every hockey player’s story into each book, dropping little teasers for what’s to come. I’m SO ready for Bennet and Tane’s books!!

Count The Undone series as one of my new favorite hockey romance series – it’s a must read!

*Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank You to NetGalley and Atria Books for the Arc of Unloved. 3.25✨ I love Ro and how sweet she was and her willingness to help out. The mental health rep is always so nicely done. Freddy and Ro are sweet together.

This book made me weep openly more than once on a flight - I think the people around me were getting concerned, but I absolutely couldn't care because I was so sucked into the reading experience of this book. Unloved was a perfect way to follow up Unsteady, last year's poignant and heartfelt release from Peyton Corinne. In Unloved, we are following Ro and Freddy as they go from a stranger Ro is crushing on, tutor/student, then friends, then eventually together, and wow is it a great journey. They both have things to work through - she has an actively horrible situation with an ex and he is grieving and trying to mend his playboy reputation while not failing out of a school system that's ignoring his serious learning disabilities and dealing with some daddy issues and exploitations of power on top of all that. This book was not light and fluffy, but the moments that Ro and Freddy (Matt) start to show up for each other and trust each other, then act on their feelings are so delightful. I want the world for these precious angel babies!

This book does end on a happy note, but definitely check the TW to make sure there's nothing in here that will be distressing for you. If you like your romance to pack a big, heartfelt, emotional punch, this is definitely for you.

Unloved by Peyton Corinne

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Peyton Corinne for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

The cover immediately caught my eye so I was ecstatic when I was approved for this ARC, and it did not disappoint! I was unaware that this was the second book in this series but because it is set during the same time as the first book, it was pretty easy to follow and could honestly be read as a standalone ( I will be reading Unsteady soon though!) I loved reading about the different representations; ADHD, Dyslexia and Dyscalculia as it brings awareness to those who might not have been familiar.


Tropes:
- Tutor x Athlete
- Found Family
- Slow Burn
- Friends to Lovers

4.5⭐️ First, thank you to NetGally and Atria Books for the free arc in exchange for an honest review!

I feel like I've been pretty lucky with my recent romance arc's. I'm definitely not in the mood to read romance at the moment, but the arc's on my must-read tbr have both captured and held my attention. 'Unloved' was no exception. I started off hesitant mainly because of the age of the main characters (I just don't care for 18-22 year old stories anymore). I thought this was going to be another 'Icebreaker"...shallow and full of aimless smut. But this was more than just any old hockey romance. 'Unloved' was an exploration of vulnerability, grief, and love's powerful ability to heal. While it did have many of the tropes/characteristics of a modern romance novel, it still did a good job of going beyond surface level and digging deep into the characters within its pages.

I have to say I was nervous while reading the first half of this book. Some of the interactions between Ro and Tyler really cringed me out and his character was truly deplorable. But as I did some reflecting, I thought about modern relationships and how much I hear about women dealing with situations similar to Ro's, where they are essentially gaslit and made to feel inferior to their partner. I listen to a podcast by the influencer Tinx, and so many women call in with questions asking for advice on how to advocate for themselves (be it sexually, physically, emotionally) in a relationship. And 'Unloved" made me think of her podcast and wish I could recommend it to Ro and any girl struggling in their relationship. I physically wanted to reach through the pages at times and punch Tyler in the face, but thankfully Ro had Matty. Matty, who defies stereotypical jock mmc's. His desire to be seen and loved and cherished as a partner was so refreshing. His vulnerability makes him one of my all time favorite male mmc's. And lovely Ro. Watching her find herself and her voice had me rooting for her from the get go.

Possibly my favorite thing about 'Unloved' was that we get to watch the entire development of Matty and Ro's relationship. Whereas in most romances, once he gets the girl, we end scene and jump ahead to the epilogue. There were some rather tough parts as each character dealt with their trauma, but that made the book that much better than a typical romance. My only issue with the book, was that it was quite long and some parts seemed to slow in comparison to others. But the length did possibly allow for witnessing the progression of the relationship, so maybe I'm the problem lol.

Buckle up, because this was quite a roller coaster of emotions, but watching everything come to fruition was so much fun. Easily a top romance read for me this year.

Peyton has created a masterpiece with this one.

Matty/Freddy is so caring, and such a well rounded partner. I briefly wondered about what his love language is after reading the book, but the simple truth is he shows all five constantly and intentionally.

The emotions that this book evoked… frustration with the mishandling of two sensitive beings, giddiness over their relationship building, tenderness of their love for each other.

So well written, including the most perfect details that feel very organic to the characters and story.