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!

Unloved is a deeply emotional story about grief and love. Unloved follows Ro with her questionable relationship as she begins tutoring Freddy, the hockey star with a mix of dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD. Unbeknownst to Freddy, he was Ro’s first kiss during freshman year and she’s harbored a crush on him ever since.

Unloved is an angsty, slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance. The tension and angst between Ro and Freddy was palpable.

While Unloved is a fun and angsty romance, it does tackle themes of grief and emotional abuse. Unloved is a heavy hitting novel as the characters attempt to navigate the complex and ever changing emotions of grief and abuse.

Freddy is my favourite type of love interest. He’s a sensitive man who is comfortable in his sexuality. He’s soft for his love interest and is obsessed with her (but not in a creepy way). He’s a he falls first kind of character, if you get what I mean.

On the other hand, Ro is not my favourite type of main character. While she isn’t a complete pushover at times, she’s soft. If you read Unsteady, Ro is the opposite of Sadie. Personally, I prefer Sadie’s kind of character.

Overall, Unloved is a deeply emotional story about grief and love. The angst and tension between the main characters was palpable. I loved every second of it.

Unloved is about two unlikely characters that share a connection that most people never have. Ro and Freddy meet during the start of their freshmen year and never speak to each other again until they are forced to work together their senior year. Freddy has some learning issues and is struggling with some of his classes. Ro is asigned to be his tutor. When they meet again. Ro is in on/off again relationship with Freddy's former tutor. A long the way, Freddy and Ro fall for each other and realize that they both have faced some rough times during their lives. I loved the ending of the story and the epilogue.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I loved Unsteady, so I was so thrilled to get an ARC for the sequel! I DEVOURED this book in one sitting. Freddy and Ro felt like your typical college kids, but there was so much underneath the surface that I worried the whole time I was reading how they would work it out and come together. I loved the interspersing of Rhys and Sadie's story throughout as well, and getting to see them from another angle. I would never have guessed the turmoil for Freddy or Sadie while reading Unsteady.
This book was delightful but it was also hard to read since so much of Freddy and Ro struggle with loneliness and feeling less than their peers. I wish there had been some mention of therapy rather than them seeming to "save" each other, but overall it was a great read and I'm looking forward to whoever gets their story next.

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.
While Freddy is determined to protect Ro from his reputation and prove to her how worthy of love she is, Ro wants to show Freddy that despite what others have led him to believe, he’s worth more than just his body. Together, with gentle affection and true admiration, they will show each other how easy it is to love the right person, no matter their flaws.

This book! This emotional, slow burn, friends to lovers book is EVERYTHING! Unloved is the second book in Peyton Corrine's Undone series and follows Matt (Freddy) Frederic and Rosalie (Ro) Shariff two of the kindest, sweetest souls I have seen. Both characters have been hurt by events and people in their pasts but neither one let's any of those things turn them bitter or hard. I was here for the soft sweet love in this story as Freddy and Ro give each other the gentle care the other needs.

This is a true slow burn friends to lovers story. I loved the growth of both Ro and Freddy as they blossomed under the love and respect they had for one another. This character driven story gave me all the feels!!

I loved seeing some events from Unsteady through different eyes. Also loved the glimpses we got of Bennett and Torren. I cannot wait for their books.

If you are looking for an emotional love story with two characters who absolutely deserve their HEA Unloved is definitely a romance for you. All the stars!!

Thank you to Atria and Netgalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

I had the absolute honour of receiving this ARC yesterday, and I devoured it! A hockey romance with the found family trope as part of an interconnected standalone series is exactly what I needed!

The story follows Matt "Freddy" Fedderic, the star left winger for the Waterfall Wolves, known around campus as quite the ladies' man. His goal is to make it to the NHL, but he can’t do that without graduating. Unfortunately, he’s struggling with his classes due to ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia, so he needs some additional support. Enter Ro Shariff, Sadie’s best friend from Unsteady who’s a hopeless romantic with a not-so-great love life. Now, Ro’s set to be Freddy’s new tutor—an interesting twist, especially since Freddy’s been her crush since freshman year, after he gave her her very first kiss at a party.

The build-up to their relationship is one of the best I’ve ever read. The slow transition from strangers, to tutor-student, to friends who are fiercely protective of each other, to lovers—it had me squealing! Plus, the reformed playboy trope has always been one of my favourites.

Ro’s been in a complicated, on-again, off-again relationship with Tyler, who’s left her feeling like she’s never quite enough, leading to her own struggles with self-esteem. Watching Freddy support her, even before they were officially together, was so touching. Freddy himself is dealing with a lot—after a betrayal by his professor while grieving, he’s felt defined only by his worth in bed or on the ice, and he’s come to believe he’s “dumb.” Watching him play into this act, shutting down or flirting to hide his true self, was gut-wrenching. All I wanted was to give him the biggest hug.

Both Ro and Freddy struggle with deep-seated self-esteem issues, feeling unworthy in their own ways. It broke my heart but brought me so much peace to see them find each other and become whole together.

The book dives deeply into themes of grief, and it brought me to tears more than once. I didn’t expect it to be so deep, but the way the author handles such sensitive topics with care and attention is what makes it such a beautifully written story.

Without a doubt, this is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s absolutely stunning, and I highly recommend it. I’ve barely scratched the surface with this review, but trust me—the book itself is SO MUCH BETTER!

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Simon and Schuster for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.