As a devoted fan of "Unsteady," I eagerly anticipated Peyton Corinne's latest offering, and it exceeded all expectations. Corinne's signature strength lies in her ability to craft complex, flawed characters that feel authentically human. Their imperfect choices, while sometimes frustrating, ultimately make them relatable and endearing.

"Unloved" is a poignant exploration of grief and the enduring power of love. Matt's struggle with loss resonated deeply with me on a personal level.

The story is beautifully written, drawing the reader into the emotional journey of the characters. I found myself deeply invested in Rosalie's well-being, experiencing a range of emotions from empathy to protective anger. The resolution of the story is both satisfying and emotionally resonant.

”I make a vow then to protect her, the pretty girl with butterflies in her messy curls, even if she'll never really be mine.”

3 ˖⁺‧✮

i was waiting for this book for so long and when i got the message that i was approved for the arc???

Ro was the sweetest character in the book. Her butterflies in hair and care for others was probably my favorite part from the whole series. I truly enjoyed her chapters and (i can definitely say she was the reason i was keeping reading this book). I don’t want to spoil but the way she did so much research to help others? She deserves everything and more.

Freddy was also an interesting character but i found him too standard. you know, the general male character you find in every hockey romance book. it’s him. except his difficulties with studying and the general (no spoilers). his story is sad, not denying, but, i don’t know. i just had no interest toward him and as a character he didn’t develop as much as male character in the previous book,

the first book in the series was so much more engaging and better. the characters and their stories were developed and i just loved it. this one was less gripping but still really good. what i mean is i actually love how author showed grief throughout the story. it was very lightly written but i felt connected to the story and emotions.

spoilers (maybe)?
risk on your own

how she never found out about butterflies on his nightstand? hello? wouldn’t that be the best moment in the book? also, the way he reacted to her having a crush on him and finding out that they actually kissed earlier in college. he was protective in the moment but after that 🤷‍♀️

"I think it's hard for people to like me. And I try really hard."

After reading Unsteady, Peyton Corinne became one of my favorite authors and I couldn’t wait to read more about Ro and Freddy!
If you’re a hopeless romantic, gentle love, and friends to lovers, this book is for you!

Rosalie “Ro” Shariff and Mathew “Freddy” Fedderic are two characters that deserve the world…and some hugs.
I loveee how these two protect and SEE each other. From Ro advocating for Freddy as his tutor and showing him that he is worthy of love, to Freddy being a safe space for Ro to be herself.
I know this book is about Ro and Freddy, but I also love how Peyton takes time to show the various friendships in this story and the found-family dynamic of the Waterfell crew.

I adore this book so much! If you loved Unsteady you will love this, so get your copy on February 4th!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for this eARC!

Ro and Matty, you have easily become one of my top favorite romance novel couples! It has been a reallyyy long time since I rated a straight up romance novel 5 stars. This one just blew me out of the water. A sweet hockey romance that displayed true emotions from dealing with grief, emotional abuse, trauma, and self-deprecation. It was so beautiful to watch these two characters grow in their own ways separately and grow even more together. Overcoming their past as friends, then building a future as lovers, a research-loving girl and hockey-playing boy make you laugh, cry, and squeal throughout the entirety of the book. I cannot recommend this book enough!!

Unloved is coming out on February 4th (just over a week!!), so be sure to grab your copy!! Thank you so so much to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book with high hopes—it had all the makings of a story I’d adore: a hockey star with hidden vulnerabilities, a hopeless romantic tutor, and a slow-burn connection simmering beneath the surface. While there were moments that shone, ultimately, this one didn’t quite stick the landing for me.

Freddy’s character had so much potential. His struggles with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD were portrayed with sensitivity, and I appreciated how the author didn’t shy away from showing the difficulties he faced both on and off the ice. However, I felt like his development stalled halfway through the book. We got glimpses of his growth, but it never felt fully realized, leaving me wanting more depth and resolution for his arc.

Ro was a sweetheart, and I admired her resilience and determination to find love and stability in her life. Her dynamic with Freddy had its sweet moments, especially their late-night phone calls and the subtle ways they supported each other. But her on-again/off-again relationship subplot felt unnecessary and detracted from her connection with Freddy. It was hard to root for their romance when so much time was spent on Ro’s indecision about her current boyfriend.

The pacing was another issue for me. The first half of the book set up Freddy and Ro’s friendship beautifully, but the second half felt rushed. The romantic tension fizzled out just when it should have reached its peak, and the resolution came too quickly to feel satisfying. I wanted to see more of them navigating their relationship and addressing the challenges they faced as individuals and as a couple.

That being said, there were parts of the story I really enjoyed. Freddy’s vulnerability and Ro’s steadfastness made for a touching friendship, and the author’s portrayal of learning disabilities was heartfelt and nuanced. I also loved the moments where Freddy’s teammates rallied around him, showing that even the toughest guys have soft spots for their friends.

Overall, this book had a lot of heart, but it didn’t fully deliver on its promise for me. It’s a solid read for fans of sports romances and stories about overcoming personal challenges, but it left me wanting more in terms of character development and emotional payoff. A good book, but not a great one—three stars.

This book HURT. It grips the heart of every one of us that has ADHD, dyslexia or a constant need to feel needed. Us who constantly want to feel like we are enough. At times I wanted to scream through the screen and say “you are worth so much more than you accept!” And while at times I felt annoyed, I think it was more that I’ve been in their shoes. And as I’ve gotten older I can see the bullsh*t for what is.

The growth these characters have throughout the book is something that should be learned by the masses. It’s okay to be vulnerable and to stick up for yourself. Yes, it’s something that has to be learned, but can also be taught through love and patience.

This book will be one I will show my kids (once they get old enough) to show them 1) what is not acceptable and 2) the love that is acceptable and should be the standard.

Freddy is joy, but masked. And the way we got to see the mask stripped away, and actual real joy to shine through was beautiful. He shows everyone the love that he wished he had for himself, and in doing so gained through Ro.

Ro’s growth was painful to read, but made it so rewarding when she finally stuck it the ones who did her wrong.

Another five stars for Peyton’s books (even though they cause me physical pain)

I absolutely loved this. The disability and mental illness representation in this book was done so well and I think a lot of love and research went into this one. I adored the romance and I am so excited to continue to read from this author.

The best romances are ones where the characters go on their own journeys of healing and happen to fall in love along the way. Those are the stories Peyton Corrine writes.

Matt Fredderic is the hockey superstar, good-time guy that no one takes seriously. Past the facade is a the gentle man that’s hurting. Ro Shariff is stuck in a toxic cycle with a man who has destroyed her self worth. She gives everyone her all without anything in return.

Matty and Ro are both stuck hearing the voices of toxic people telling them who they are or who they should be. With each other, though, they’re finally able to be exactly who they want to be. These two are learning to love themselves while falling in love with each other.

Reading from each of their perspectives makes you realize just how easy it is to think you know someone while actually knowing very little. These are layered and dynamic characters who most importantly feel real.

I saw myself in both of these characters, and I think everyone will to some degree. Matty’s grief is palpable, raw, and unflinchingly real. He moves through it messily, like we all do. But his journey is so beautiful and such important representation for people like me who are also grieving but think it’s been long enough that they shouldn’t be. And Ro, my sweet angel. She just wants everyone to feel loved without being a burden to anyone.

The book isn’t just a romance; it’s a book about the lives of two people intertwining and the healing that results. They deserve all the soft love in the world, and Peyton Corinne does too for creating them. We should all aspire to be better, kinder people to ourselves and those we love, just like Matty and Ro.

I went back and forth between four and five stars because there were instances where I felt like I was missing something. A few times there was a small time jump between chapters that left them feeling disjointed. I didn’t understand how the characters got to this other point in time without an important moment that we as readers needed to see. However, these were few and far between. Giving this book anything other than five stars felt like a crime when I had the absolute best time reading it.

“Unloved” will be published February 4, 2025. And yes, I already pre-ordered my physical copy.

Thank you Atria Books for providing me this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unloved by Peyton Corrine is the second in her series following the Winterfell hockey team after Unsteady.

In this book our main characters, Rosalie Shariff (Ro) and Matt Fredderic (Freddy), meet at a party in their Freshman year and after an encounter that Freddy doesn't remember, meet again their Senior year when Ro becomes his tutor. Ro is in an on/off relationship with another tutor, Tyler, and still harbors a crush on Freddy that she won't really acknowledge.

The book covers a lot. Ro's verbal abuse from Tyler, Freddy's from his father. They each have other problems that they have to work through as their friendship that develops while Ro tutors him into something more.

It's great to see our friends from Unloved back as secondary characters and some hopeful in future books.

Ms. Corrine creates great characters to root for AND against. I don't think Tyler got everything he deserved, but like life, that doesn't always happen.

This was a great book and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in consideration of an honest review. All opinions are my own.

before i review i just need to say, this is my new favorite book!

Unloved is the second book in the series and follows Matthew Fredderic a star hockey player at Waterfell University who needs to get accommodations for his various learning disabilities but has not gotten the help he needs. Now he’s in a class with a professor he has a past with and needs help to pass. Insert, Rosalie Shariff a tutor at Waterfell and Sadie’s best friend (from the first book, Unsteady). She’s in an on/off relationship with her boyfriend, Tyler and is trying to find herself while working towards an amazing grad program. They start to build a friendship and the rest of the book unfolds from there. Below is a more in depth review about some of my favorite parts of the book. Thank you to Peyton Corinne and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

i have never read a pair of books that flow so well together. this is the second book of the series and is happening at the same time as the first book. you meet so many characters in the first book but you only learn about them at the surface level as there was a lot going on in the first book. but in this book you not only learn more about your main characters but all your favorites and every pov views them differently. giving you snippets of information for future books (bennett and his girl IM SOBBING). the friendships within this book run so much deeper than you first anticipate. the ro and sadie friendship plot line rips my heart to shreds because they both just want to be good enough for each other. sadie thinks ro does too much for her and is too good to her and ro just wants her to know she's not leaving and that sadie is her best friend. the freddy in the trio plot line does me in EVERY TIME!! freddy is SO MUCH more than he was made out to be in Unsteady. getting to read that again in preparation for this i really saw how much he just wanted to be there for his friend, the man he looks up to. the friendships in this series are the most profound form of love i've ever seen. i cannot emphasize enough how much i loved this book. no book after it could compare, and i had a major book hangover because all i could think about were ro and freddy. nobody is ready for how these pathological people pleasers slowly find love in each other and heal through patience, kindness, and trust.

things i will never get over about this book in no particular order:
"i think you'd be really easy to love"
freddy mad at rhys in the hospital for how he talked to ro
ro defending freddy's accommodations (as someone who works in a disability office, this hit so close to home)
the SHOELACE (this flashback had me SOBBING, and thinking back to Unsteady when freddy snaps at rhys to not touch his shoes)
the bucket list and how healing it was for ro to do it with freddy
it's rosalie and matt not ro and freddy
"but i'm the school slut right" (LITERALLY A PUDDLE OF TEARS ON THE GROUND)
ro never wanting to objectify freddy
meeting ro's dad and saying matt
"do you like him because he's smarter than me" (this was a stab to the chest)
freddy's love for rhys
TORENS TATTOOS (and halloween costume) (actually just toren kane)
the locker room scene where freddy defends himself (remember that stab to the chest? this was the knife twist)
remembering coffee orders
freddy finally feeling safe enough to tell someone what happened
"I think it's hard for people to like me. And I try really hard." (I LOVE YOU BABE!!)
ro googling tips for helping students with disabilities
"let me make you feel good...i'm good at that, at least, right?" (this was the point my heart shred into a million pieces)
the concept of lets be lonely together
"can i use your computer while you're in there princess?"
"what about your prom?...."i look great in baby blue princess" (the hug i wanted to give this man)
homesick daughter meets i miss my mom son
"all i have to do is ask?"
bennett reiner bennett reiner bennett reiner (i'm itching for his book)
"i'll take care of him, i vow to her silently. i promise." (on the floor sobbing)

in the end, this book covers a lot of hard topics and was written beautifully. peyton honored what it can be like to be a college student with a disability while covering abusive relationships of all kinds, and creating multifaceted characters that are made to reflect the parts of us we may not love but learn to accept anyways. ro and freddy learned to love all the sides of themselves whether or not someone else loved it while facing real day to day struggles. their build up of friendship made their relationship special because freddy learned what didn't serve ro without her telling him and vice versa. they learned each other better and took the time to trust because nobody had ever been careful with their hearts, until now. i will recommend this book to everyone i meet, thank you so much for this arc. i’m so excited that my very first netgalley arc is for one of my very favorite authors so thank you again :)

I AM OBSESSED!!!

If you loved Unsteady, I promise you that you’ll love this book just as much. I genuinely never wanted this to end… I love them so much! This is a slow burn that will have you sobbing and laughing all in one. You’ll think you’ve gone crazy, but it’s okay, because it’s the good kind of crazy.

“I think you’d be really easy to love.”

Ro and Freddy have my entire heart and then some. They are softies with the biggest hearts who care so deeply for each other. They didn’t rush their relationship and simply let it happen, and that might have been my favorite thing about them. They always found their way back to one another.

The little moments and small touches they shared had me kicking my feet. They brought out the good in one another, and I can honestly talk about them all day. I cannot recommend this book enough!!! It’s a must read.

2.75 stars
i surprisingly enjoyed this a lot more than book 1, however i felt like there was something off about it. i enjoyed the characters a lot more but i was able to connect to the characters of book 1 a lot more. i feel like the author had the opportunity to touch deeper into topics brought up such as dyslexia, adhd & dyscalculia. i enjoyed the representation and the true challenges most people face with no accommodations made available but it felt like we got nothing substantial besides constant flirting during the tutoring scenes. cute and all but i wanted more from both main characters. i still enjoyed it especially the protectiveness from the mmc and the mc's compassion towards the mmc's struggles.

this had its cute and emotional moments and i think if you liked book 1 you could enjoy this!

i was very hesitant going into this one because I am not a big fan of the reformed playboy trope, but I loved Unsteady so I gave it a shot. I'm so happy I did, this book made me cry and smile, it was beautifully written. I can't wait for Bennett's book I think his might be my favorite. I definitely did not see coming who I think the author is pairing him with so it will be interesting.

Unloved by Peyton Corinne is a sweet hocky romance. I loved the characters and the book was a quick and easy read with great writing from the author. Thank you Netgalley.com for giving me the opportunity to read and review.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!

I am a huge fan of Unsteady, so I was really looking forward to this one. And it did not disappoint! One thing I love about Peyton Corinne’s characters is that they are flawed and imperfect, but it makes them feel like real people. Sometimes they make choices that make you yell at the pages of the book, but you always root for them.

This book was a beautiful story of two people overcoming grief and hardship to find love together. Having lost my mom a couple of years back, Matt’s struggles with grief were so relatable.

I just loved this book. I wanted to give Rosalie a hug, and I wanted to throw down for her haha. The resolution was excellent.

Can’t wait for more in this series!

Thanks to NetGalley & Atria Books for this ARC.

First off, give me any hockey romance, I'm here for it! Second, I didn't realized that this book is part of a series, but it can be read as a standalone. The story stands on its own, though you do feel like you missed something between Matty & his disdain for Sadie. And the book does mention how Rhys was having issues/reactions to Kane. This book also brought up Kane quite a bit in the middle, and for a good second, I was wondering if Kane is going to ruin the good thing going between Ro & Matty. Luckily, he seems to be good enough guy. So maybe the next one would be about Kane. Also wouldn't mind if it's about Bennet, because there's a hint of that in the book too.

Alright let's talk about the main point: the book nicely illustrated how two very damaged people in very different ways wanted love and how to get it from each other. Matty grew up with an abusive father, and lost a lover that he put everything on the line for. To mask that pain, he went to the direct opposite to over correct, and earned a reputation. But down to the core, he's a good dude. Know how the treat the ladies right, not just physically, but also very thoughtfully and respectfully. So, he might be known as a playboy, he leaves no disdained from the ladies because he's so respectful.

Meanwhile, Ro was gas-lighted by her boyfriend of 2 years and he was emotionally abusive. She's struggling between growing up and finding her self. Her ex kept making her feel embarrassed and less than, and lucky Matty came to correct that. He reinforced the positive and not make her ashamed. He's proud of her not just for her smarts, her sense, and her bravery. Meanwhile, Matty has his own struggler and Ro want to protect him, fight for him, fight with him.

Truly, this is a lovely book that two young people who are new to love, were mistreated emotionally finding love. Not just romantic love with each other, but familial love with their respective support in true family and the family they made with their teammates & friends. I love how he's always put her first, even before they got together. He notices her coffee order but her own boyfriend didn't. I like how they got together and their journey finding their way together. And may I just say, thank you for not having 3rd act. I love how journey slowly merge their lanes together, not perfect, because they're not perfect, but heading the right directions, together. So thank you for no dumb miscommunication to muck that up.

“I think you’d be really easy to love” this book was so sweet, I have no words…. It’s a must read !!

“To be loved, is to be seen.”
“I think you’d be really easy to love.”

Unloved is a story about two lonely souls who build a friendship and then fall in love ❤️
Matt Fredderic (Freddy) is all smiles, jokes, and fun times. Using his magnetic energy, Freddy hides his insecurities and self doubts. He struggles with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia, making some classes a struggle at times. Insert Ro.
Ro Sharrif is sweet hearted and intelligent, but has been lacking in the romance department. Her on/off again bf, Tyler, constantly criticizes, belittles, and pokes at all her insecurities. As a hopeless romantic, she is desperate for love and affection, and takes what scarps he gives her.
When Ro is assigned to tutor Freddy, they build a solid friendship. They find a likeness in each other, recognizing that loneliness, and form a deep understanding of each other.
They both pine for each other during their friendship. Freddy wants to protect Ro and show her she deserves more, that she is worth more. Ro wants to prove that Freddy is more than his reputation or academic struggles, that he is worthy of being loved and being seen.
This book had me so deep in my feels. I just wanted to hug Ro and Freddy (my babies 🥹) and never let them go.
YA’LL NEED TO BUY THIS BOOK COME FEBRUARY!
Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!!

3 stars.

This book was a heartwarming class romance about a hockey player with a playboy reputation and an innocent nerd who just got out of a bad relationship. Was it cliche? Yes, absolutely. Was Matty also the most loving book boyfriend ever? Yes.

I was giggling and kicking my feet over every cliche and I don't feel bad about it. This was the perfect book to pick up in between my fantasy series as a light palette cleanser. The themes faced in this book can be dark at times, but the emotional intelligence of these two characters makes the conversations much more digestible. Some of the flashback scenes were not my favourite as the back and forth between present and past go confusing at times. The writing style of the flashbacks also felt very different from the rest of the book which bugged me but that is my main trite with this book.

Unloved is going to be released February 4th, 2025. I definitely recommend everyone pick up this cute romance. Thank you to NetGalley, Peyton Corinne, and Atria Books for this ARC!

PS SPOILER
I want a person to stand up for me like Matty did for Ro when she formally announced her quitting from the team. Tyler was sooo embarrassed.

Tropes:
*hockey romance
*athlete/tutor romance
*slow burn
*friends to lovers
*Cinnamon roll MMC

This was my first book by Peyton Corinne, and I immediately went back for more when I finished this one! Unloved is the second book in the Undone Series (the first is Unsteady). I did not feel like I was lost at all starting on the second book because it was focused on Ro and Freddy’s romance and you get their entire story. But I needed to know Rhys and Sadie’s story so I bought it as soon as I finished this one and have almost devoured it as well (it is amazing too but that is a different post!) Bonus, they actually occur during the same time line so each story can be read independently but when you read both they give insight into what was going on as a whole.

Ro (Rosalie Shariff) has been in an abusive relationship for a couple of years but harbored a crush on the hockey player she kissed one night years ago, Matt Frederic (AKA Freddy). Freddy plays the fun, good time guy for everyone but underneath it all he just wants to be enough for someone to stick around. Coupled with his ADHD and learning difficulties, he feels like his charm is all he has to offer. After other tutors have failed to help Freddy, he is passed off to Ro for the semester to try to get through his biology class. But just before tutoring starts, Freddy hangs out with a drunk Ro whose unfiltered, spoken thought sends Freddy into a tailspin. I showed my husband that line in the book and he goes “yeah, that would do it.”

With the tutoring lessons and time together came patience and understanding for one another that built a caring friendship and a desire to protect each other. This was definitely a slow burn, but it was so sweet to watch them build this relationship and overcome their insecurities a little at a time together. Their fears of not being enough are very relatable and made Ro and Freddy so lovable. They both needed the type of love the other always wanted to give. Freddy was a true sweetheart and would do anything for Ro. I loved this book so much because of this beautiful storyline. I am now almost finished with Unsteady as well and, not to rush Peyton, but I NEED Toren and Bennett’s stories!! Please let there be more to this series!!

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and Peyton Corinne for a chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!