Oh my GOSH, I need a moment to pick my jaw up off the floor because wow—this book delivered! As a die-hard hockey romance fan (who’s also very particular and protective of the genre), I went into Spiral by Bah Khabra with high expectations and, much like Collide, it did anything but disappoint. I honestly don’t even know where to begin because there’s so much to love.

This is a hockey player x ballerina romance with a fake dating trope, and oh my, the tension is absolutely palpable. The slow burn had me racing to turn every page, desperate for more. And the forced proximity only added to the angst! It was downright delicious and may or may not have left me staying up way too late. Both main characters had pretty tough pasts, and watching them slowly open up and find comfort in each other brought me so much joy. I loved how their relationship felt real and raw, with just the right balance of vulnerability and sweetness. The story also did a great job showing how hard it can be to stop being a people-pleaser and finally put yourself first—to feel like you’re worthy of being chosen and experiencing good things.

The chemistry between these characters was so intense it had me staring at the page in total shock, wondering if I was actually reading what just happened. Their interactions were everything—funny, emotional, and sometimes so charged I couldn’t help but giggle or kick my feet like a freaking child. This book left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside and already wishing I could read it the next one BECAUSE DYLAN here we come.

This is a fantastic slow burn romance, I love that we got to see more of Aiden & Summer after Collide as well as some guest appearances from Dylan and Kian (hoping they get a book at some point). The way that this delved into the self doubt that both main characters have in multiple aspects of their life was handled so well and beautifully written. I love the found family that Eli had already found but instantly accepts and includes Sage without a second thought. I loved everything about this book - which is surprising as fake dating is not my go to trope.

Spiral by Bal Khabra is a delightful ice hockey romance that hits all the right notes. The story follows two strong, charismatic protagonists—Sage, an up-and-coming ballerina, and Elias, a a newly drafted rookie for the Toronto Thunder—who can't seem to resist their undeniable chemistry. The novel is fast-paced, flirty, and immersive, making it the perfect quick read for romance lovers. Khabra masterfully blends sports action with steamy, witty banter, creating a fun and engaging dynamic between Sage and Elias. Their sizzling, slow-burning tension and playful interactions kept me hooked from start to finish, with both characters developing in ways that made their relationship feel authentic and earned. While the plot is predictable in parts, the sharp dialogue and the vibrant, competitive setting of the ballet and hockey world kept it fresh. If you're looking for an easy, feel-good read full of sparks, Spiral is a must-read for any romance fan!

if you want a cute, easy read, fast paced romance book that’s also really, really good - read this!
i really enjoyed reading this book! it had a little of everything: banter, teasing, spice!!
will definitely read other books by this author!!
4,5⭐️

Firstly, thank you so much for letting me read spiral early.
Ice hockey and ballerina fake date.
They both are not achieving their goals with their careers. But when they are spotted together by the paparazzi, they come up with a plan which should help them both.
I highly recommend this beautiful book.

He was a top draft pick and is currently playing for Toronto. As far as everyone can tell he’s living the dream. The media isn’t a big fan of his performance and the pressure is getting to him. One day he runs into Sage, an aspiring ballerina but her lack of popularity puts her at a major disadvantage. Fake dating is the perfect solution to both of their problems. Before things spiral out of control they have to decide if they’re willing to take the leap together.

This is one of if not my favorite hockey romances novel and that’s saying something because I’ve read quite a few. The characters have a lot of depth and relatable struggles. Watching them being vulnerable and opening up to one another made me emotional. Elias is the most caring, sensitive and giving man ever. One of my new favorite book boyfriends.

The forced proximity and Elias vow of celibacy makes for an incredible slow burn romance. The tension between them is ridiculous. Couple goals!!

It’s an incredible novel however it could’ve been a bit shorter but that’s just me being nitpicky.

This is the perfect book for hockey romance girlies. If you’re not the biggest fan of slow burn this will change your mind. Keep an eye out for this one, it’ll be out early 2025.

Read this is you like
❄️Hockey romance
🔥Slow burn
💜Opposites attract
💫Fake dating

After not overly enjoying the first book in this series, I hoped this one would be better and it really was. The characters remained true to themselves throughout which is something I felt the first book didn't have. I loved how sweet Eli and Sage were together and how they brought out the best in each other too. The writing style flowed and the development of different relationships felt like it was organic and natural. I would definitely read this one and again and can't wait for the next in the series

This is the epitome of a slow burn emotional romance. The rollercoaster ride the characters take you one is completely perfect and completely worth it. You see Khabra develop as a writer through Spiral, and with it it creates the most beautifully tension filled romance that has you on the edge of your seats. Both a comfort read and a gripping romance in the sense that you can fall into it and forget the outside world, but be caught within the tension of the romance between Eli and Sage.

Easy 5 stars for this Hockey player x Ballerina fake dating romance. I enjoyed every minute of this.

Hockey player Elias has a bad rep with press who love painting him in a bad light.
Sage is trying to make it as a Ballerina but the company she wants to dance with shot her down and she needs to raise her social media presence for a shot at an audition. After meeting at an auction where she wins a date with him (funded by his best friend), a plan is concocted for them to fake date- her profile will be raised and the press will lay off him if they think he’s in a serious relationship.

I ate this up. Elias is everything. Attentive, supportive and loving. I loved watching his walls fall down as his relationship with Sage developed. They were both exactly what the other needed and I loved how they built each other up and watching them both overcome their own insecurities. The pacing of the book and the push and pull between them was delicious and the wait was worth it. I was invested the whole way through! Bal Khabra did a fab job.

There are plenty of hockey romances around but this has been the most enjoyable one I have read in a while.

This was an easy fun ready!

I love fake dating x sports romance, so that had me excited for Sage and Elias!

Elias was such an acts of service guy, which I love, so he had me swooning 🫠

I found the plot was lacking a bit for me, and it was a book based on the tropes in it rather than the story itself.

Who doesn’t love the the fake dating trope , add in forced proximity , a hockey playing mmc and ballerina FMC and you have all the ingredients of a truly engaging Rom com.

When the first book in a series is such a smash hit I almost worry how the author is going to match it or is book 2 going to fall short but Bal delivers a book that keeps the reader engaged with a great plot great characters Elias and Sage who support each other personally and professionally and have the reader wanting to read their story.

Not only do you love Elias and Sage but I loved the side character in this story and it is those characters that have you wanting coming back for more for the next instalment in the series.

3 Stars

I was looking forward to reading this book as I enjoyed the first book Collide and hoped this would be a step up from it. In the end, I enjoyed Spiral a little less.

Spiral is about professional Ice Hockey player Eli. He hasn't had the easiest of upbringings and is also struggling in his Rookie year both on and off the ice.
Our lead female is Sage, a ballerina who can't catch a break. After meeting Eli, they decide to fake date to get Sage more exposure and to make Eli look "settled down" for the press.
I love fake dating and I enjoyed their banter and how Sage was the cheeky one with the innuendos and Eli was the more straight laced guy. I loved their quieter more caring moments too.
I also ADORE sports romance and this was made even better having an Ice Hockey Pro and a Ballerina.
As with Collide, I thought there were too many mini storylines happening, none of which made a huge impact. There were a few side stories that just didn't need to be there and I personally think Khabra needs to focus more on the original story.
There is a storyline around celibacy that could have hit hard but in the end seemed stupid. The "celibate" character kept pushing for intimacy only to then change their mind and leave the other hanging. Over and over again. It made me actually ANGRY. However the smut when it did finally come was well-written and better than the first book.
It was definitely a rollercoaster of a book as I loved some scenes and then others completely dragged. The writing was fine, easy to read but nothing special.

Overall, the word for this book is POTENTIAL. I will be interested to see how Bal Khabra improves with time but for now, I think this is the final book I will be reading by this author for a while.
(Afterthought - I lied. I will probably read Kian's book as I adore that boy!)

Bal Khabra delivers with the second book in the Office the Ice series. It's even better than the first, with the cutest fake dating trope and a book boyfriend you are going to fall for instantly. Spiral is an enjoyable and entertaining read full of all the feels.

4 ⭐️

This book had some of my favourite tropes like fake dating & forced proximity.

i loved how much they supported each other no matter what🥹
i really appreciated that we got to see snippets of Summer & Aiden in this too! 🫶🏻

This was a pretty easy read and i’d definitely recommend to anyone who loved Collide or loves cute ice hockey romances🩷

Overall I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what’s next!

Thank you to Netgalley & Bloomsbury for the opportunity to read this Arc🫶🏻

Loved this so much, even more than the first one. Beautiful romance; watching them was so beautiful. Can’t wait to buy a physical copy

Wow what a beautiful story! Absolutely devoured this. Hockey player x ballerina, fake dating was so good. The slow burn was brilliant and sooo much tension between Elias and Sage!! They have both been through so much in their lives and it was wonderful to see how supportive they were of each other and their careers. An easy 5 star rating for me!!

For anyone looking for a fun romcom with the popular fake dating trope, Spiral is a great choice - especially if you have read its predecessor Collided as you get to meet some familiar friends along the way.

I enjoyed learning more about and getting to know our two main characters, Elias and Sage. You get hints of Eli struggling and being a bit closed off early on in the book, and immediately you want to know why this is. A bit of his opposite, we have Sage with an inner monologue that made me smile and giggle a lot of times, you can really feel her character as you read.

I had my issues with the book being unrealistic in regards to certain plot points and how the characters reacted to them, along with the writing progressing a bit too quickly at times for my liking, but I will say that the actual romance was very adorably written. I also won’t spoil it, but I did not like the epilogue. It did not feel like the events of it was something the characters would have been ready for or that their careers would have progressed in that way within the timeframe given. Please give me realistic epilogues that are also cute and will make me giggle, please and thank you.

Overall, Sprial is an enjoyable read if you are looking for a easy-read romance with an adorable love interest and a fun main character. I was really rooting for Eli and Sage at the end, especially after that slow-burn. Ideal for those who just want to escape from the outside world, like most of us, as long as you don’t take it too seriously because in reality we can't magically make renters insurance to appear out of nowhere and act like an apartment fire isn't that big of a deal for anyone else living in the building.

(For those who have read the book, please tell me you get that reference).

Focused solemnly on romance, I’d give it 4 stars, but overall as a whole I’d probably give it 3 stars.

This is a spicy, fake dating, sports romance following Elias and Sage. Sage is an aspiring ballerina and Elias is a hockey player for Toronto Thunder.
The sexual tension and spice in this book is * chef’s kiss and I loved every bit of it. The slow burn element of Elias and Sage’s relationship created the perfect amount of tension which made me want to keep reading to see if they would end up together.
All of the characters are well written and I found them very likeable. The character development and growth in the main characters and some of the side characters was really nice to read and helped shape the story. This book has a big found family element which is something I find wholesome to read. I really enjoyed how both characters addressed their struggles and supported each other through them bringing them closer together as well as their friends around them.

Definitely recommend this book and both of the Off the Ice series and I cannot wait to read more!

Fave quotes:

“But I want you to need me”
“I guess it takes the right woman to come along”. “And I’m the right woman?” “The perfect one” 🥺🫶🏼

Book out 28th January 2025 ~ ADD TO YOUR TBR

Thank you to NetGalley, Bloomsbury and Bal Khabra for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bal Khabra smashes it out of the park with Spiral, Book 2 in the Off the Ice series.

I adored Collide when I first read it, so I was super excited to pick up this ARC copy of Spiral and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

The writing style is wonderful, the likes i've not seen in a hockey romance series since Elle Kennedy's Off Campus series with witty banter, lovable characters and plot lines that make it difficult to stop reading!

Elias and Sage are emotional and often vulnerable at times, the slow burn was SLOW BURNING and they shared the most amazing chemistry together. Elias, the definition of 'acts of service is my love language' and Sage, despite being a people pleaser is so true to herself and her goals.

Filled with some of the best tropes like forced proximity, fake dating and a found family that you will fall in love with!

3.5 ⭐️

I enjoyed this book and found it to be fast-paced and easy to read.

Eli and Sage were likeable, emotional characters with depth, and their similarities convinced me they could make it for the long haul. While I did feel the pacing could be strange at times, and the 10-page time jumps in the epilogue were a bit jarring, overall, it was an enjoyable read, especially for fans of slow-burns. However, there was one sentence about a piercing that gave me such an intense "ick" moment that I wanted to bleach my eyeballs.

I did however, find it super super weird how he offered for her to move in with him the second time they met because she'd burnt down her house?? Like??? And faced no consequences for burning down said house (by accident)??

I want Sage's brother to have his own book

Tropes/Microtropes:

Fake Dating
Book 1 Character Cameos
Ballerina x Hockey player
Coach's Niece
Forced Prox??
Slow Burn

thankyou to netgalley and the bloomsbury for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.