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.

I really did not like Collide so I was nervous about this book, but I loved it. This was a sports fake dating romance and it flowed really well. I also enjoyed the complexity of the main characters lives beyond the relationship.

Firstly, thank you to Net Galley for a copy of this arc.

It’s not often that the second book in a series tops the first but in my personal opinion, this one does.

Khabra wrote Elias, the male lead, perfectly. He was the total dream boy. The way he genuinely cared for Sage and made such an effort to make her feel safe and loved was absolutely my favourite part of this book. He was everything you could want in a partner and I’ll have such a soft spot him for a while.

I adored Sage as a character too, it’s always incredible to me when you’re reading a book and you feel like you know the characters personally and want to be their friends and you’re fully rooting for them in life. That’s a credit to Khabra’s writing.

There were a few icky scenes but I feel like with romance/smutty books you are bound to get that because you can’t please everyone. We all have different likes so we’ll bypass that because others will absolutely devour it.

Overall I absolutely loved this. I love a fake dating and found family trope. I can’t wait for you all the read it!

THIS BOOK!!! Usually I have a hard time with extra slow burn romances but this one was IT for me, the slow burn was burning… Especially mixed with the sizzling chemistry… phew, so hot!

I fell with Sage almost immediately, she’s unapologetically herself, she’s so string and relatable. I absolutely loved her personality, her sense of humor and her determination. Her character has so much depth and layers it’s impossible not to love her.

Elias is a big cinnamon roll, he’s so sweet, reliable and he cares so much about his family and friends. He’s just the softest human beinf ever and he’s one of the best male characters I read about in so long.

Their relationship is mainly based on how much they care for each other, their love is so unique and their banter is so fun. I really read this whole book with a smile on my face and I can’t recommend it enough!!! Also major points for the Summer & Aiden moments, I missed them lot!

𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 :
• fake dating
• opposites attract
• hockey player x ballerina
• forced proximity
• found family

𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 : ★★★★.5

Thank you Bal Khabra, Bloomsbury Publishing & NetGalley for an e-ARC copy.

I loved COLLIDE to I was super excited to be able to read this one. Elias and Sage were absolute perfection - I truly loved everything about their story and never wanted it to end.

I absolutely love this! Sage and Elias are amazingly build characters in a hot and delicious slow burn. A must-read if you’re into sports romance (and if you’re not this is sure a way to fall head over heels)!

Sage and Eli meet at an auction and soon find out they can help each other progress in their careers by fake dating. We follow them in a dual point of view. Sage is an aspiring principal ballet dancer and a caring older sister who likes to hide her troubles behind jokes and fake openness. Eli is a caring rookie hockey player in the NHL who has his own troubled past and tries to keep everyone at a distance out of guilt.

The romance in this book is on! A delicious slow burn that keeps getting hotter until you can’t stand it anymore. I love it! The open way these two communicate is refreshing and makes for a tiny but soon smoothed out 3rd act almost break-up. I was angsty though because I was afraid this would ruin the book for me. It did not!

The story flows, the writing is easy and either the author has affinity with these sports or did her research (thank you!). I could not put it down and kept thinking about it when doing other tasks. The side characters are interesting, fun and have their own storyline that adds so much depth to the book. And what I might love most is that this writer thought about closing off every aspect of the story. No lose threads! Greatly balanced!

Receiving this ARC was an honor! I am forever in debt! I can’t believe you all have to wait until January!

I want to thank the author Bal Khabra, the publisher Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was so lucky to receive this book as an Arc Reader from NetGalley. I loved the first book in this series which was Collided so the minute I knew I could request Spiral I knew I had to! There is the second installment in the Off The Ice series. This book follows Sage Beaumont and Eli Westbrook, Sage is trying to make is as a ballerina and Eli is a rookie on the Toronto Thunders. They both could mutually benefit from a fake dating relationship as Sage thinks she will get a big role if she has a larger following and Eli wants to fix his reputation caused by the media and so their love story begins. Eli Westbrook was raised so right and is one of the best written men I have ever seen. He is the king of acts of service. Sage is just the epitome of older sister always looking after other people and never themselves. If you love sports romance and fake dating then you will fall in love with this book. Rating is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2.5⭐️

A big thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

It was a good book. I did enjoy some elements but this put me in a bit of a slump. At times the pacing was off and there were certain details which were jumped over, that would have had more of an impact to the story. I feel that Elias and Sage’s relationship felt a bit rushed, and at times their actions didn’t really make sense. But I did enjoy how they come together at the end and Sage finally found a place to belong.

If you loved Collide, I promise that Spiral will not disappoint! Sage and Elias were a fantastic duo, as they fake-dated their way through the story. A beautiful found family trope, with humour, heart, and enough warmth to heat a small nation.

Spiral is the second in the Off The Ice series by Bal Khabra and and follows Elias Westbrook and Sage Beaumont. If you haven't read Collide which is the first book in this series, I would say you didn't need to as feel these books can be read as a standalone. I did however enjoy Collide so definitely go and read it! Ok back to the book! Spiral is a fake dating, he falls hard, with rules about no PDA, who even comes up with this as I eat it up with a very big spoon!

Sage is a Ballerina and working hard to be recognised for her talent and wanting to become the Swan Queen in one of the biggest theatre productions in Canada. She is not getting very far and suffering knockback after knockback and its starting t0 impact her confidence. Elias or Eli is the big gentle giant, he is the rookie of the NHL and seen as the womaniser of the team due to some social media getting out of hand and him being followed mercilessly by the media and really he is a homebody, quiet and kind.

A chance encounter with these two where they meet at a silent auction sets things in motion. They decide to try fake dating with a few rules for good measure. The interactions between the two are genuine, they both have some issues from their childhood that they work through together and apart. There was definitely tension and angst during this book, there was dare I say a little miscommunication between the two at times which got a little frustrating but you can see why.

Overall it was a really good sports romance book that I enjoyed, there was some spice (more towards the end) but it was a slow burn and the book focused more on the characters and their growth.

I absolutely LOVED this second book by Bal Khabra! After reading Collide I knew I had to get my hands on her second one. I love seeing diversity in these books. It’s so rare to see and as a woman of colour it means so much to see this representation. Such a beautiful story, touching on difficult topics but doke so beautifully. And of course the SPICEEEEE. 🥵🥵🥵 love love love!!

4 ⭐

“The girl is a star, and as much as I denied it then, I wanted to be the one she shone down on—the one she broke out of the sky for, and the one that caught her.”

If I need to be honest, I started this book without even knowing the main trope – it's a fake dating romance! – so I was pretty much going blindy into this one... and I’m so glad I did it!

In my opinion, Spiral has very different vibes from Collide, it even felt more mature to me. The setting is different: Elias and Aiden aren’t in college anymore, they’re currently living their first year as rookies, and the fmc (Sage) is introduced for the first time in this book, and she's a ballerina trying to get her dream job.

I enjoyed Spiral a lot, especially Sage’s background and storyline, and I fell in love with Sean 🥹 I really hope that we'll see him as the main character sooner or later 👀

Also, I was sooo happy to see all these cameos: if you miss Summer, Kian and Dylan you won’t be disappointed!

I can't wait to read the next books of the series.

🌟 4.5/5
🌶️ 3/5

Tropes:
✨ fake dating
✨ sports romance (NHL)
✨ roommates
✨ found family
✨ slow burn

Book 2 in the “Off the Ice” series by Bal Khabra did not disappoint in the slightest!!! It gave all the found family feels, with a strong FMC in Sage and a gentleman for the MMC in Eli.

Sage is a ballerina with one goal, get the principal role in Swan Lake. Nothing will stand in her way, but the fact she needs a social media following to even get an audition. In comes NHL rookie Eli who has yet to score a goal, something the tabloids won’t stop harping on about. After a meet cute where she’s bidding for a date with him at an auction to save him from a crazy fangirl stalker, he’s enamoured with her.

This book has characters with depth, both having their own childhood trauma they are working through.

I would have liked a bit more development to see the outcome of his biological father storyline.

I loved how there’s a focus on healthy bodies and discussions of the struggles ballerinas face with the pressure to maintain a specific weight/image.

But there were so many sweet touches like him buying her flowers every week to find her favourite type, him saving a memento from their first date, him baking sugar free treats for her diabetic brother. He is such a kind and caring man 😭

There’s cameos from the Dalton boys, Kian and Dylan. I really hope we get their stories. I just want more books in this series!!

Thank you to netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

All content within this book includes all races and as a white woman, it has opened my eyes and made me more thoughtful about changes we can make. This is not a light-hearted read but is an important read. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

I was very excited to read this book as I loved Collide, and I am a big fan of the fake dating and sport romance tropes, but I ended up a little bit disappointed...

I really enjoyed Collide, and I was excited to go back to the same world and group of friends, so I was a bit confused at first that it wasn't based in college anymore, but we still got some scenes with the Dalton team, which I loved! We had already met Elias, so I was excited to meet Sage. I enjoyed the start of the book, but their reasons for fake dating felt a little bit unrealistic, especially Sage's. I liked their banter and how they get to know each other, but I struggled a bit to get invested in the romance as I did not feel their emotional connection. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit enraged about the celibacy storyline, like seriously!!! I understand it, and it added a little bit of angst to the story, but for me, I think it would have made more sense and added more to the story if it had been introduced earlier on. I did enjoy the spice once it happened, and it helped to like the characters a bit more.

The pace felt very weird at times, and some things were solved or brushed off very quickly and easily, and I would have liked to see more development and depth. I did not understand why the drama with the ballet was starting after the 80% mark. I would have preferred to have it earlier on in the story, because it felt as if it was mostly focused on Elias side of the story, and once that was solved, then it was Sage's turn... I would have liked to see them navigate the highs and lows that happened to them at the same time. I liked Sage's relationship with her brother, and I could related to her worries as an older sister. I do wish their relationship with their uncle would have been more developed though.

The ending dragged on for a while, and there were at least 3 or 4 chapters that the book could have ended with, and yet, it kept going. Overall, I would have liked to see a more emotional connection between the characters, but it was a fun and easy read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

*Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in return for an honest review*

I love love LOVE the fake-dating trope, but when you add in sports romance, ballet and fantastically written chemistry between characters, I was in love!

I was a bit worried to read this as there was no way any couple could live up to Summer and Aiden but damnnnn Sage and Elias were so well matched that I was instantly hooked and rooting for them. I really enjoyed the strength of Sage’s character and the fact she was a ballerina that was focused on having a strong and healthy body rather than a thin one.

The reason I couldn’t give this 5 stars was because of the lack of development with the backstories. The history was there but it wasn’t properly explored and Aiden’s ‘dad’s’ faux pas was too convenient and then he just disappeared I guess? I just would have preferred to have their stories more developed

However, I have to admit that I am desperately awaiting more books from this universe now.

I was kind of underwhelmed by this book. I didn’t feel like there was a whole lot of plot apart from “I hope I get this ballet role”.

The concept that the ballet lead roles were being given to people with large social media followings was odd and not really a believable idea. It’s ballet not TV. And then she goes from barely scraping by to suddenly getting Odette/Odile in an audition where she’s supposedly so good they give her the spot then and there, because she “dances with such emotion.” Ok….. so that kind of negates the plotline that she “had to date a hockey player to get social media followers to get the lead role in the ballet”. I don’t know, it’s a bit of a mess.

The celibacy thing??? Not really sure what the point was. Of course it wouldn’t last to the end of the book. Felt like a waste of time.

The adoption of the girl at the end of the book was so random and underdeveloped. As well as the ex-boyfriend scenes. Added nothing to the book.

I can’t really think of much I liked in this book unfortunately. I thought it would be right up my street being a former ballet dancer and a hockey romance fan but it was just so flat and shallow.

Two characters that I absolutely adore.

The banter and chemistry was everything in this book. The FMC is one of my favourite voices that I've read this year. She knew herself and I loved her confidence.

Beautiful slow burn with delicious tension.

I am lapping up this series!

LOVED LOVED LOVED this book

We have fake dating, the one bed, slow burn 🔥

And it did not miss.

This book starts with Eli moving into the NHL alongside aiden doesn’t really go to plan as he’s in the media for all the women he is entertaining and not for goals being scored on the ice

S loved balllet and always hard particularly when life at home was hard. Her dream was to be the lead in sean lake but after audition after audition and rejection after rejection she is giving up on the hope

Until someone tells her that having a larger social media following will help her case

*Insert Eli the failing hockey player on her uncle team who is getting a lot of media attention right now*

The only rule to the fake dating pact - don’t fall in love

and i have to say i absolutely loved eli all the little things he did for like the sugar free cup cakes i can’t 🥹

and S is a strong FMM who brings laughter to ELI’s life

there are some more serious topics covered in this book so it’s not all light hearted but the friendship and these 2 do their best to find the light

i’d say the only thing for me was the ending was a little bit dragged out and i found i did start to lose interest a little bit once they did get together but other than that rate 4.5 🌟

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC and the opportunity to give my honest feedback.

Spiral by Bal Khabra is the second book in the Off The Ice series. It is a hockey x ballerina romance story that follows Elias Westbrook, newly drafted hockey player who is feeling the pressure from not scoring a single goal to his name yet and Sage Beaumont, who dreams to be Aurora Ballet Theatre but due to her social standing and lack of followers comapred to her peers, fears her dreams may not come true any time soon.

Following an auction where Elias is up for a date, Sage is asked by his teammate to place the winning bid. Aftter winning the date, they begin to talk and with Elias’ “womanizer” ways in the media and Sage’s lack of social media followers, they both come to a beneifical arrangement which will help Elias’ in the media while also helping Sage with her social media following. Soon enough, the lines between what is real and what isn’t begin to blur.

This book is such a cute and easy read. I feel it is a strong follow up and probably my favourite of the two books in the series so far. Elias and Sage both have their baggage and their vuneralbilites into why they fear about committing, but when they both begin to let the other in, you can see their worries melt away and their trust in one another strengthen. Their chemistry and banter is done very well and I just fell in love with the both of them. Just watching them naviage their fake relationship versus their real one is just chefs kiss honestly.

Honestly, I recommend this book if you are looking for sports romance, fake dating and friends to lovers.