Dual POV, first person
Rating: 3.75 ⭐️
Spice: 2 🌶️
Tropes: college hockey, tutor/student, sloooow burn
Trigger warnings: loss of a parent (past), people pleasing to the extreme, grief, verbally/mentally abusive partner

I enjoyed Unsteady; college sports romance will hold a forever place in my heart. So I was excited to finally get Ro & Freddy’s story. I knew underneath that playboy persona would be a lovable teddy bear and I was right.

This has everything you want from Peyton Corinne from the first book: the drama, the depth, the emotion, the tension.

Ro is so smart and the way she took the time to help Freddy adapt to his learning disabilities made me want to protect her at all cost. I loved her love for Sadie, her black cat bestie. I hurt for her while she was missing her parents in another state. I was cheering for her as she realized she had people in her corner to be there and put her first.
Freddy, my love. My heart was aching for him. His father is horrible. He has the cards stacked against him with his learning disabilities (from personal experience, dyscalculia is awful and I loved that we got some rep). His mom passed away. He had a messed up relationship with a person of power. And he was basically hanging on by a thread, but the love he had for Ro was so sweet and gentle.
I loved the two of them together and with their found family of the hockey team.

Now to my least favorite parts… which might be a little spoilery but I’ll try my best.

I HATED Tyler. I hated we had so much time with him. I hated (as a fellow people pleaser) how many times Ro kept going back to him or calling him her boyfriend when he was doing such awful things to her. This is a slooooow burn (well over half the book? Maybe even about 70% in) which was nice in a sense of we got a solid friendship for Ro and Freddy. But the amount of time that was a slow burn simply because she was holding onto this empty relationship with Tyler had me banging my head against the kindle.
Which brings me to the fact that we deserved more in the end for his character and the teacher. As in they should have at least been brought the school board for the things they were doing! Instead there’s not enough closure.

We spend a lot of time with the back and forth with Tyler and Ro that it took up a good majority of the book. Unloved is on the bigger side and you really feel the extra 100 or so pages after awhile because the first half dragged with their storyline.

Who was the girl in the car with Freddy when Ro is stood up? I felt like there was more to that?

Why didn’t we get a scene with Ro finding out he kept the butterfly hair clips?

I honestly just keep thinking about my hatred for Tyler at this point.


I do think this was a good “continuation” of the series. I don’t recommend reading as a stand alone simply because it does follow the same timeline as book one and, while I have read it, it has been a hot minute and I felt kinda rushed in some scenes that ended up being the other side of ones from Unsteady.
I’m excited to see where she takes the rest of the series.

*ARC REVIEW*

One of the best hockey romances. I was a bit skeptical of Freddy based on his characterization in Unsteady, but he really is just this fun ball of sunshine. Could there be a sweeter fmc than Ro. I just love this couple and I love this series.

4.5★

This was so endearingly sweet. Ro and Freddy gave me that giddy feeling throughout this entire book. I loved how gentle they were with each other. How they communicated, despite their insecurities and self doubt.

I really felt for both of these characters. They both endured abuse from others that no one should ever have to experience. The way they slowly healed each other was so satisfying though.
Their love was emotional and insanely heartwarming, I couldn’t get enough of them.

I also really enjoyed seeing Ro’s side of her and Sadie’s friendship. They were both fiercely protective of one another. Same for Freddy and Rhys. Really, I love all of the friendships in this series. And the way the team rallied around Freddy when his dad was giving him trouble?! It made me so happy.

I’m already dying for the next book in this series. I need more of Bennett, of course, but I might actually cry if I don’t get more of Toren.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

I knew this book would destroy me then put me back together again & oh boy did it deliver. What a rollercoaster of emotions.

It was beautifully written. Ro & Freddie’s story was so relatable but most importantly they show each other that those who love you don’t need to be begged to do so.

It has all the feels & I cannot stop talking about it to everyone & anyone who will listen.

Can’t wait for it to drop to grab my own physical copy.

Peyton has done it again! I love love loved this book! While the plot follows the classic athlete x tutor trope, there is so much more to these characters. With kindness, tenderness, and love, these two characters are able to break past the tutor/student relationship and help each other heal from past pain. This book does such a beautiful job of showing the lasting effects and insecurities of previous relationships and experiences, while also maintaining an undercurrent of hope throughout. I can’t wait for the rest of this must read series!

I already knew going in that I was going to love this-
And i was right! Theres something so special and so RIGHT about the way Peyton writes romance that hits you right
In the feels. If you loved Unsteady…buckle up because you may just love UNloved even more

This book was EVERYTHING

Peyton Corinne can take my money any day of the week. I was put into a reading slump after this!!!!

There were some chronology errors or little things I think an editor taking a look at one more time could fix up but otherwise this was perfect. I cried yet again!

In the epilogue when matty was like "that's my wife" I cried

I loved everyhting about this!!!

Shed many, many tears for and with Freddy and Ro. This book was truly perfect. It captured the grief and subsequent loneliness that both of these characters experienced in different ways. As Ro stated that she thought loving Freddy was easy, she was right. Loving both of these characters was easy. They felt very rooted and real. I haven't cried this much reading a romance book in a while.

Absolutely amazing! I couldn’t stop reading it which I’m not a hockey fan but reading it is a whole other story!

had to dnf halfway into the prologue or whatever because the writing was already too slow for me which makes me sad because i was so looking forward to reading this book and have heard so many good reviews :(

Before anything else, I hate Tyler. The story follows the life of Matt, a talented hockey player struggling with dyslexia. When faced with the daunting challenge of balancing his athletic career with academic demands, he enlists the help of a brilliant tutor named Ro. Their dynamic is both refreshing and heartwarming, as they support and encourage each other to reach their full potential. Unloved is a must-read for fans of contemporary romance and sports fiction. It's a reminder that love can blossom in the most unexpected places, and that with determination and support, anything is possible.

Ro was the sweetest character in the book. Her butterflies in hair and care for others was probably my favorite part of the book. I truly enjoyed her chapters and (i can definitely say she was the reason i was keeping to read 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 me character you find in every hockey romance book. it’s him. except his difficulties with studying I didn’t care about him. his story is sad, not denying, but, i don’t know.

the first book in the series was so much more engaging and better. the characters and their story was developed and i just loved it. this one was less gripping but still 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 through it.

spoilers (maybe)?
risk on your own

how she never found out about butterflies in 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 finds out that they actually kissed earlier in college. he was protective in the moment but after that 🤷‍♀️

I ADORED this book! Ro is amazing and super relatable which really pulls you into the book. I loved watching her come into her own and embrace her quirks. Freddy is also great, classic playboy character with a hidden sensitive side.
While this was a classic good girl (tutor) x playboy, there were twists that came unexpected and it pulled enough emotion to stand on its own amongst the tropes it conveyed. I also thoroughly enjoy that we get a bit more past the HEA, all the lose ends tied up in a pretty bow and then some cute moments after- it prolongs the time we get with the characters we fell in love with before having to say goodbye.
My rating on storygraph is 4.5 stars, as some of the plotlines seemed to last a bit longer than I felt necessary (could also just be my dislike for Tyler though), and it stopped it from being a full perfect book for me.
Tyler aside though, I highly recommend picking up this book if you love: tutor vibes, hockey romance, the found family that comes with hockey romance (my fave!), interconnected stories, emotional moments mixed with funny ones, and top notch spice!

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I'm so thankful to have received an early copy. Peyton deals with such heavy topics in a way that make you feel seen in her words and love her characters. This book was raw and real, discussing themes of grief and insecurity with a tender romance that made me tear up. Matty and Ro forever!!!!!!

My first book by this author and it won’t be my last! I love a good sports romance and this had everything- spice, emotions, good girl and bad boy. It was fun and also so touching and emotional.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚.

𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙢𝙚? 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙄 𝙖𝙢? 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙡𝙮, 𝙩𝙤𝙤?

𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨.

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙢, 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡.

I’m a mess.

How do I even put into words how amazing and beautiful and joyful and heartbreaking this book was? My god.

I say this a lot, but I’ve never resonated with characters more and this time might be the most meaningful.

Ro’s relationship with Tyler was one that hit way too close to home and I’m sad about it.

Freddy’s relationship with his dad felt like my own relationship with a parent and it made me cry so many times.

This story was one of growth, of strength, or grief, and learning to love—not just others, but ourselves.

I am truly in awe of this story and I know it will resonate with me forever.

Thank you so much to Atria for the ARC of this book 😭🫶🏻

this was my first book by this author and I'm not sure if toxic, abusive relationship are part of their style, but this book was hard for me to push through. I know the characters are college age but I wanted to shake some sense into them the whole time. It was hard for me to like any of the characters or their relationships.

How do I form into words how this book was everything that I never knew I needed.
Peyton Corinne gave such a groundbreaking story about loneliness, self-doubt, and healing. This book felt like a love letter to myself because I’ve never related to character more than I did Ro and Freddie.
This was so much more than a hockey romance and I truly loved the slow burn in this and I will forever protect my babies 🥹🫶🏼.
This book absolutely destroyed me and put me back together. I already can’t wait to read it again.
By far one of the best books I’ve read.

“To be loved is to be seen.”

Unloved by Peyton Corrine is an amazing follow up to the debut! Peyton Corrine continues to prove that she's a powerhouse author in sports romance and combing emotional and impactful love stories with complex characters.

I absolutely loved Matt and Ro and their dynamic. I absolutely love characters that are at their core complex and deeper as we get to know them. I love a good tutor romance where she's the bookish girl that tutors the athlete. One thing I love about this story is that we get a more emotional side of needing help and learning disabilities. I love that Ro encourages Matt and does not make him feel stupid and teaches in a way that is helpful to him and seeing them bond and become friends was so sweet. I love that we get a bit a bit of a backstory and we see how they met and how they slowly fall for each other. Their romance is such a sweet and emotional slow burn. They both bring things out of each other and balance each other out, I loved how Matt encourages her love for books and doesn't make fun of her for it but adores that about her. Despite being a hopeless romantic, Ro has a crappy ex boyfriend Tyler that is the bane of everyones existence and I love how Matt shows her how she should be loved and how he can be that for her. Another thing I loved was that they both go through individual arcs that help them grow as people and how to be better for each other. This book has it all. Ro and Matt being cute, going to hockey games and cheering him on, seeing their future together. Their romance is such a sweet slow burn that you can't help but grin and squeal every time they got closer. I cannot think of a better pairing and I absolutely adore the found family trope with this series. I cannot wait for what Peyton Corinne has next! This is a must read for the hopeless romantics, the sport romance loving girls and the idea of "you're not hard to like. you're easy to love" is such a big role in their relationship that was so special to me.

A book I’ll recommend to anyone who needs a next 5⭐️ read!

Tutor x athlete
Disability rep
Hockey romance

I am a sucker for all things hockey and romance so going in to this book I had an idea I would like it but didn’t realize I would LOVE it. I loved watching Freddy and Ro find each other and fall in love. They compliment each other so well and found their person. They are consistently there for their person and you love to see it. A slow burn but worth the wait! I couldn’t put it down from the second I started it. The minute I finished it I texted any friend I thought would enjoy it and told them about it

I cannot wait to see what book we get next in this series. Will it be Bennett or Toren? Either way I will be reading that one in a day just as I did this!

Thank you for the E-ARC Peyton Corrine, Atria books and net galley 💕