This book was cute and spicy and I found it to be a very easy read, the characters are really easy to connect to and they just fit together really well

Meet Elias Westbrook - fresh-faced hockey rookie for the Toronto Thunder who's basically living every athlete's worst nightmare. Dude can't even grab coffee without paparazzi documenting his dating life, and don't even get me started on the pressure to score his first NHL goal. All he wants is to play hockey without everyone breathing down his neck.

Then there's Sage Beaumont, this super talented ballerina who's got her sights set on Aurora Ballet Theatre's lead role. The only problem? She's got zero social media game, which apparently matters way more than actual talent these days. When the chance to fake-date hockey's golden boy lands in her lap, she's like "why not?"

Of course, their whole "just pretend" arrangement goes up in flames pretty quick because hello, chemistry! But now they've got to figure out if this thing between them is worth all the drama or if they should just cut their losses.

Honestly though, this one was kind of a miss for me 😅 I just couldn't vibe with the characters, there was just this overwhelming inconsistencies when it comes to the characters. I hope it finds readers who mesh better with it.

I’ve come to really enjoy this spicy, hockey-centric, bookish world that Bal Khabra is building! I enjoyed this story even more than Collide, namely because the main characters Sage and Elias felt a lot more fleshed out and the chemistry between them was off the charts. Khabra did a great job building the slow burn of the romance; the momentum between the characters didn’t dip at all throughout the book which can happen in slow burns, this was the perfect balance of spice and angst.

The backstories of the characters outside of their relationship were super interesting and really added to the story, especially the ballet storyline with Sage. I understood the characters a lot more and why they behaved certain ways. I adored how confident Sage was and how she was the ‘alpha’ and the more forward one initially; I did feel like this began to shift slightly once the book got spicier, it would’ve been refreshing to see her take charge in those scenes; I’m hoping this is something Bal explores in later books, Amara is definitely the perfect candidate for this or maybe Kian’s future love interest. These side characters really make Khabra’s stories endearing; I love seeing old characters in the same world and theorising about who will be in the next book.

I’m thankful the possessiveness/jealousy was reduced in this book versus Collide. There’s something to be said about characters that are supposed to be incredibly secure but get insanely jealous and act on it. I think jealousy can be written well where its more internal but when it crosses into genuinely horrible behaviour, I do wonder why it’s so romanticized – just my personal opinion. Thankfully this story doesn’t have a lot of it and the scenes where it was present were brief.

A note on the representation, I love how we are getting more romance novels with brown girls/people of colour, growing up there were hardly any stories with brown girls as the lead, it’s important to see your ethnicity be represented in these stories, especially in the romance genre, when characters that look like you are desired. This book is a great first step, but I couldn’t help but feel the representation could’ve been more fleshed out; in this story, it’s mentioned that Sage is part Moroccan but nothing else pertaining to her heritage was mentioned. It would’ve added so much more to her character if her culture had been better explored, maybe through the food she eats, the way she does her makeup or what she wishes she could’ve experienced within her culture/the disconnect she felt with it as she wasn’t raised by her parents. I think it’s good we now have stories with some representation, but I think it’s important we push for more authentic representation too.

It is also mentioned that Sage’s brother is a type 1 diabetic (T1D), I was really happy to see this chronic condition represented in a book; however, I do feel like this depiction played into some stereotypes. Any time Sage’s brother was present or talked about in the story, there is some mention of ‘sugar-free’. I felt this added to the misconception that a T1D shouldn’t eat anything with sugar (which is false). Of course, some people living with T1D may choose to reduce their sugar intake day to day, but they can still eat sugary foods if insulin is taken. If a character is written to have a chronic illness, it’s important this is portrayed with a little more care.

Ultimately, I’m rooting for Khabra’s world here, she’s getting better with each book and its incredibly fun for a reader to have multiple books set in the same world with one massive bookish family. I hope she continues to do something different with each character’s story and strive to include more nuanced representation.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

I loved this
It was cute and fun, Bal Khabra's writing is so good... it's an easy digestible fun read that acts as a great palate cleanser.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

I'm obsessed! I loved this book so much! The tension and yearning was amazing and I adored the couple so much!

4.25 stars
Even though I've still to read Collide (it's currently staring at me from my bookshelf), I was really excited to pick this up. And it was a such a treat.
This isn't just your typical romance with little character development. Yes, there is chemistry between the two but there's also friendship and respect for one another, which drew me in that much more.
It's not necessarily instalove/lust, but it is quite close. However, it didn't bother me or not work in this instance.
I also loved that there wasn't a third act breakup, just for the sake of it, or ongoing miscommunication.
I can't wait to go back and read Collide and look forward to seeing what Bal Khabra does next.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun read! I really appreciated that the third act breakup came earlier in the book than usual, so the couple could work through issues together, more books need to do this!! The pacing in the first quarter was a bit rushed, but I still loved the book. Highly recommend

Aaahhhhhh I loved Eli and Sage, the chemistry, and the banter was perfect. Both characters had traumatic backgrounds and I liked how it played out on the page and how they supported each other. I also really enjoyed the dance content and added drama.
The epilogue was a great finish.
I personally really appreciated the mention of Sages Moroccan heritage.
I'm excited to go back and read Collide.

Bal has done it again with Spiral. What's not to love about a fake dating-to-lovers trope! Elias and Sage were brilliant together and I loved every minute of their interactions.

4.5 ⭐️

I loved the first book in the series, but this one has managed to surpass it! A quick, lively, and engaging read, with two wonderful protagonists, a sizzling romance, and serious topics handled with sensitivity!

This was so cute! I loved the relationship at the centre of the book and exploration of topics not really covered in the romance genre. Will look forward to book 3!

I loveeeee these type of romance novels. they are such a feel good while hitting serious topics. Bal Khabra is gonna be an auto buy for me, I can tell!

4.5 stars

Hockey star Elias Westbrook is drowning in media attention, while ballerina Sage Beaumont struggles to get noticed. When an opportunity arises for them to fake-date for mutual benefit, they strike a deal. But as their pretend romance starts feeling real, their carefully drawn lines blur.

Spiral by Bal Khabra was SO good! Last year, I read Collide after seeing all the hype on Italian Bookstagram, and while I really liked it, I think I loved Spiral even more. Bal Khabra writes golden-boy characters so well, and I’m completely obsessed! This book was the perfect mix of cute and fun—no unnecessary drama, no annoying miscommunication, just good vibes. A ballerina and a hockey player? Say less, I’m in! I can’t wait to read more in this series because there are so many characters I need to know more about!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)
A tense and emotionally raw debut that pulls you into the mind of a character on the edge. Bal Khabra explores mental health, family pressure, and identity in a narrative that spirals inward with intensity and honesty. The structure is bold and fragmented, mirroring the protagonist’s inner world, and the result is both unsettling and powerful. A brave and important read.

I enjoyed Collide and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed Spiral even more! This book really scratches that sports romance itch and I enjoyed the ballet element of it.

I read Collide by Bal Khabra the middle of last year and didn't think that I could love the characters more.. and then there was Spiral. I'm sorry Summer and Aiden.. you have been replaced at the top! I love Ellis and Sage with my whole entire heart, and being on their journey with them was so so special. Also anything that involves Fake Dating is always gonna be a 1000000 stars rating!!

I read a lot of hockey romance and this one hit the spot for a craving but wasn’t ’blow your socks off’ good. I liked the ballerina angle, it was a nice change from my usual read.

This was fine. As with Collide, it was a fun time but did nothing special. I liked the characters, the writing was fine. I'm not sure if I'll continue the series to be honest. These are good for palette cleansers but I don't LOVE them.

I loved this book so so much. First of Hockey x ballerina was a trope I didn't know i would love as much as I did. I love a fake dating trope and oh boy was this done good. I really related to sage and not letting anyone take care of her. While there is spice and I LOVE the spice the romance is what made this book so perfect. Also, I love any book that doesn't have a third act break up so this immediately got bonus points.