Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The way I screamed when I was approved for this is slightly concerning but it was the most appropriate way to handle the situation. I absolutely loved this book! A hockey player and a ballerina fake dating with rules that include no PDA and not falling in love? Spectacular, give me 14 of them right now!

I don't even know where to start with what I loved about this but I will have to say as a someone who doesn't like slow burn this hit differently! The tension was thick and agonisingly good. Elias Westbrook is perfection in every form with a love for cooking and I love how chaotic Sage is. Together they are a brilliant balance. This is shown in the occasions where either of them are spiralling a little bit. They ground each other and managed to bring each other back from the brink. I also enjoyed that when either one of them were dealing with something they talked it out when they were ready. Healthy communication in relationships is something I appreciated seeing.

The one thing I would say I was looking for but didn't get is a big fall out. I would have loved the drama of the fake dating coming to light or a bit more from Eli's dad. I wanted to see how the two would have navigated through that. Especially when about 70% through the book it felt like it was just going through the motions little bit. It was nice but I wanted a big drama!

Overall I really enjoyed this and I'm so excited for people to read it next January!

3.5 stars

I had really high hopes for this book because the first book collide was amazing. This book however just didn’t do it for me.
Don’t get me wrong the book was still a cute romance but it just felt so different from the other book that I couldn’t connect fully.

Well I ate this up I absolutely loved it . Hockey romances it turns out are my thing throw in an extra sprinkle of a beautiful ballet dancer and I’m all yours. Loved this even more then i loved Collide!!

Just an absolute delight to read! It didn't use any of my brain power, and it certainly didn't change my life, but it was delightful and it made an afternoon pass by easily.

ballerina x hockey player!??? shut up!!!
i loved how vulnerable elias was and how he made sage open up slowly but surely!! they were so so soft and cute together that i really couldn’t put it down once i picked it up.


eli is the softest sweetest man ever, think ryan shay & west belmont that’s who he is giving!
sage is so strong and wanting to keep her distance in the beginning as she’s been burnt in the past, but he knocks her walls down with a sledgehammer and slides into her heart (and mine tbh)

loved this book & will definitely be reading more of bals work

i absolutely loved this !! i loved this a million times more than collide. this was so fun, emotional and beautiful all at once. this was so cute and wholesome i was smiling, laughing and crying the whole way through. i can’t wait to get the physical book and annotate it !!

“Like a ray of sunlight, Sage cuts through the dark clouds distorting my vision.”

“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make you believe you’re worth every bit of worry and care.”

ice hockey player x ballerina / fake dating / found family / SLOW burn

Bad Khabra knows how to do it!

She knows exactly what her reads want and hands it to them on a silver platter. I finished Spiral so quickly and will always go absolutely feral for a sports romance book.

Elias was such a lovable protagonist and I loved how he and Sage continued to build each other up throughout the story! The story was very singable and the humour and banter really made it for me. I loved the tender moments and found family elements, but also appreciated the hardship for both of the main characters. The slow burn was perfection and really built up the tension.

Towards the end, I did feel that the story was a little too long and found myself getting a little bored, but the primary plot of the story was really interesting.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and will definitely continue to read Bal’s books as they’re released

4.5 stars, rounded up! Bal Khabra truly redeemed herself with Spiral. While I didn’t enjoy Collide, I loved this one! Eli and Sage were perfection from start to finish.

The only reason for the half-star deduction is that around the 70% mark, it felt like the book dragged a bit and could have been shorter. The final 30% felt rushed in resolving some plot points, though Sage’s ballet arc was perfectly paced.

The tension and slow burn were incredible—so many near moments of explosion that left me craving more. Eli is the perfect man, and Sage is chaotic yet graceful. Overall, a fantastic read!

Thank you NetGalley for the E-Arc

This book was honestly such a cute and funny read and every chapter I was laughing at the funny moments and umming at the tender moments between the characters. I absolutely loved the found family aspect and how the hardships the characters went though made them into the strong characters they were at the end allowing each other in.
It was definitely the best slow burn in the best way and I was finding I couldn't put the book down always wanting to read more. I honestly fell so in love with both the main characters and honestly I identified with Sage's feelings of trying to people please everyone and make sure everyone around her is good before thinking about herself.
There are so many tender sweet moments in this book that honestly just have my heart. A massive thank you the Bloomsbury and NetGalley for allowing me to receive an ARC of this book for an honest review and I can't wait for it to come out as I will be picking my copy. My review and Instagram post will be posted closer to publication date

Spiral was a very cute book with the softest book boyfriend
Very bingeable, full of tender moments, humor, found family, hardship for both our main characters, a little bit of everything and an insanely good slow burn that I devoured and couldn’t stop thinking about it for DAYSSS
And throw some fake dating plus ballerina and hockey player into it ???? I ate it up
If you’re looking to add a book for your next year’s tbr then this is the perfect book for it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for this amazing book

I don’t care what you say, I loved every single bit of it! My romantic heart lapped this one up.

Eli, our broody ice hockey Rookie needs a new spin on his reputation. Sage is stuck in a rut of dead end ballet auditions and could use a bit of a help lifting her profile, sounds like a perfect match for a fake dating deal.

I don’t know what happened, or how it happened I fell hard for both of these MCs. Eli, oh Eli, you made us all fall in love you with you. I mean this is why women have such high standards. I already had words with my other half, he needs to be more Elias.
My love language is acts of service and this guy, THIS GUY, let’s say he speaks my language 😍

Sage’s constant need to take care of everything and the battle to keep all the plates spinning, the reluctance to accept help but somehow she let Eli in. Relatable on so many levels, and it’s not like she ever asked for the help but she needed and deserved it so bad.

I love a good hockey romance, but so many leave out the hockey and just a nod to the sport. Good to see both hockey and ballet got the page time deserved and although I’m not too familiar with the correct terms it felt researched and authentic and added a legitimacy to the story.

I was engaged the whole way through.

The tea ☕️

🏒 - hockey romance
🩰 - ballerina
🥸 - fake dating
🛌 - one bed
🔒 - close proximity
🔥 - slow burn
🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 - found family
🌶️ - 3/5 spice

- - HIGHLIGHTS - -


WHEN LIFE GIVES you lemons, it douses you in acidic juices that burn your skin too.


I’m sniffing Elias’s body wash. I’d pay good money to have it injected into my veins.


(He brought stick on rhinestones to her performance 🥹) -
“You told me that one time they came off before you even got onstage and how upset you were. I didn’t want that happening again.”


I can’t help the way my heart flutters when he presses a small kiss to my wrist or brushes my hair from my face like he hates that it obstructs his view.


The unsnappable string that tethers me to her


“Real. So fucking real.”


“I’m a people pleaser.” “Then let me be the one to please you.”


“Let’s go home,” she whispers into the crook of my neck. I nod, but she doesn’t know that I’m already there.

Let me just start by saying Hockey player x Ballerina romance? SIGN. ME. UP. This book had my interest just from that. And the tropes? Fake dating, no PDA and they’re not allowed to fall in love? Well I think we can all guess what happens 😜 I loved this read so much. I fell in love with Sages personality from the beginning - I’m a sucker for banter and sarcasm! It also had a hint of Grumpy vs Sunshine which Bal pulls off beautifully.
The Spice was chefs kiss 💋 perfect! A slight tease and then oh my you’ll need a cold shower after reading.
The only thing that didn’t quite hit for me was the HEA ending it just felt slightly rushed but other than that it left me feeling happy and satisfied (no pun intended). If you’ve read Collide by Bal Khabra you’ll definitely want to read this!

I am all for sports based romance and add in a little spice and I’m definitely going to want to read it. This was no exception, I had not read Collide by Bal Khabra previously and I do want to now.
This wasn’t the most memorable of books and that is probably just these particular types of characters. Eli is a new hockey recruit and struggling with being famous, getting negative attention/ bad press but is actually a good guy. Sage is happy to stay in the shadows and has had a hard life but will do anything for her family but is struggling to make it in her own career (ballet) or even life really.
These two come together….kind of fake date (is it really fake)!? Obviously we know the answer
But Eli was all about doing everything for Sage and she was all about being independent and then of course being a martyr….its just not what I love most in my romance characters so I think my 3 star rating is a personal preference rather than a reflection on what is a really good sports romance.

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley and provide my honest opinion

In this book we read from two perspectives, one perspective is the one of Elias Westbook, a newly drafted hockey player, who is facing the challenges of fame and media scrutiny. With getting more and more fans, and having too many expectations on his shoulders, he's struggling on the ice. There is a lot of pressure, so much pressure that he is struggling to make his first career goal. The tabloids are following his every move, including every woman he is seen with, but all Elias wants, it to escape the spotlight.
The other perspective we read from, is Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina with dreams of joining the Aurora Ballet Theatre, but sadly they are looking not for a ballerina with the most talent, but with the most online following, which leaves her at a disadvantage for securing the lead role. When the opportunity arrises to make her dreams come true by fake dating a popular hockey star, she takes her shot.
With fake-dating comes rules to keep up the "fake" appearance, but soon enough the rules are starting to get blurry. They both have to decide to take the leap together, or call it quits forever.

Overall this was cute read, which I'm going to stand by. It is one of the "lighter" romances out there, which makes it for a much easier read.
The one thing that I loved, and that can be a dislike for others, was the banter between our characters, and the way they are behaving. Sage can be seen as a bit "childish" with her interactions, maybe even more as a teenage boy of 13 years old who giggles at the word boobies and makes some "inappropriate" comments. And that is something you have to enjoy, because if you don't, please skip this one. This is a reoccurring theme, and I liked it and could laugh about it, but if you cannot, then this isn't the book for you.
The one thing that made me be like "why??" was the piercing thing, it just did not fit the whole book (note: I haven't read the first one, don't know if it had a theme there), but it just didn't fit the whole book. And felt more thrown in to hit some sort of "kink" thing in a book, it was just weird, and way too random.
Was the book spicy? Yes, I gave it two 🌶️ out of 5. Not super spicy, but enough that makes it fitting with this type of romance.

Overall just a cute romance, definitely one you should read if you enjoy character banter!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I liked Collide but this book beats it by a mile! The story, the characters, the found family…10/10!

I loved that this book really went into detail with hockey games and ballet performances. It helped you connect to the characters more.

The back story to each character is explored and it's interesting to see and understand them better. I liked Eli in the first book but this book just made you fully fall in love with him. Sage is such a badass character! She had a hard life and it’s shown by how she puts everyone else first, it’s lovely to see Eli take care of her.

I have not fallen in love with a MMC like this in a while! Elias is very thoughtful and it’s clear his love language is acts of service and gift giving. He remembers the small details which makes his and Sage’s love story epic! The characters had me giddy and kicking my feet. The sweet moments from Elias actually made me cry!

It is a slow burn book but because it’s dual POV there is longing for each other for a while. I love the fake dating trope and I’m so pleased I read this book as it has become one of my favourites. I would give this book a 3/5 for the spice rating.

I loved that Aiden and Summer are important characters in this book and that Kian and Dylan made an appearance. I also liked that the dares from Dalton played a part in this book!

I would definitely read this book again and I will be recommending to all my followers on my booktok. I'm so excited for this series to continue, you read each book about the 2 main characters but you fall in love with the side characters too, I hope their journeys continue, I NEED a Kian and Dylan book!

I haven't read book one in the series, or anything else by Bal Khabra so I wasn't sure what to expect but I loved this. I loved Elias and Sage and their dynamic with each other. Sage was so sweet and funny and I loved how patient and sincere Elias was with her.

The writing was good, the banter and tension were really well done. The pacing can felt a little off at times, but it all came together at the end.

It was a solid ice hockey x ballerina romance without a lot of the bad dialogue these books usually fall prey to, loveable characters and a tension-filled romance.

I love a sports romance and this was a great mix of ice hockey and ballet!

I enjoyed the relationship between Sage and Elias and I thought there were some interesting plot lines. I haven't read Collide so there was a little bit of backstory that I was missing but it didn't impact the read too much.

There were some bits of plot that weren't fleshed out enough for me like the uncle and the dance teacher and the alternate trying to ruin her performance but on the whole it was an easy straightforward read.

I read it on holiday over the course of a week and it was perfect for that!

Thank you, Bloomsbury for sending me this arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

After the preview at the end of Collide, I was very excited to read this book. I'm a huge fan of fake dating because it's such a fun rom-com trope and in this case, it totally made sense for the characters and the storyline.
I loved the dynamic and tension between Sage and Eli. Sage was a strong and funny character while Eli was serious and grumpy, but became very sweet once he started to open up. Every time I thought "This man can't get any better", Eli proved me wrong. I mean he bought her different flowers every week because he wanted her to have a favourite flower - come on!😍😭
Sage was a wonderful fmc. She went through so much in her past, but made the best out of her situation and never stopped fighting for her dreams. She had an amazing development and I loved that she learned to accept help from others and let them take care of her. As I wrote in my review of book 1, I'm glad the fmc was POC because we do need that representation!
What I enjoyed most about this book was the way Sage and Eli supported each other's dreams and helped each other during hard times. There was no unnecessary drama and 3rd act breakup. I enjoyed the epilogue a lot and liked that it wasn't the typical rom-com epilogue where the mcs get married or the fmc ends up pregnant. This epilogue was very cute and focused on found family – alright, no further spoilers.
I'm excited to read more of Bal Khabra's books in the future and really hope Kian gets his book in the future😉

3.5 / 5

Romance that’s full of whit that had me smiling. Just enough smut to keep the tension up.
All characters were relatable and endearing. The development in sage’s character was smooth as she transitioned into knowing who she is at her core and how to get there, whilst still achieving her goals.

The book touched on the first book of the series but in no way relied on the reader knowing the ins and outs of Collide.

The only note I’d mention is the need for the swan lake sabotage.

— 3 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️

"I've waited my whole life for someone to tell me I'm worth it. Worth choosing, worth staying, worth loving. To tell me my dreams are attainable, and I wouldn't be another fallen star with no way back."

📖 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 368 pages
👤 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Bal Khabra
🏢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: Bloomsbury Publishing
📅 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 28 January 2025

What you can expect:
— Contemporary Sports Romance
— First Person X Dual POV
— Fake Dating
— Hockey Player X Ballerina
— Forced Proximity
— Found Family
— Tension & Longing
— Slow Burn Romance
— Friends-To-Lovers
— Unfiltered FMC
— 'He Breaks His Rules For Her'

𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
Spiral is the second instalment in the Off the Ice series by author Bal Khabra which can be read as a standalone. This story was a breeze to read with its easy to digest pacing and tension filled character interactions. I can tell that Spiral was written was a lot of heart and intent which is consistent with the first instalment to the series, Collide, as we are reunited with Eli on his emotionally tumultuous journey towards love with the newly introduced Sage. I adore when a Romance book is easy to become enraptured with for a couple of hours without requiring too much critical thinking. There is no better feeling than cosying into your favourite reading spot with a hot drink and a blanket, and this book is the perfect story to get lost into. My only complaint about the pacing itself is how the outside factors that were a threat to the relationship being explored within this story were built up and alluded to be a genuine conflict... just for it to feel rushed and breezed over by the end. I would've loved to see these conflicts expanded upon and better explored as I feel this could have provided a great opportunity for character development and relationship exploration, but that's just a personal preference to my own taste and expectations.

𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭:
Spiral begins as our two main characters are faced with the harsh and difficult reality of their current life predicament. Sage is barely holding on as a struggling ballet dancer who desperately wants to be taken seriously for her skills and aspirations whilst struggling to make ends meets. Eli has achieved his lifelong dream and yet, Eli finds himself drowning as a highly publicised hockey rookie who has found himself faced with an inaccurate media presumption and the pressure that comes with being a public figure. I really enjoyed the use of a date auction being used to bring our two main characters together in an unconventional way and the role that Aiden played in bringing our couple together. Whilst the date itself was the typical awkward first encounter, I really felt like both character personalities shined through in this moment and provided me with a better understanding on what makes them tick. Fake Dating is a trope that can do no wrong in my opinion because I'm always excitedly waiting on the "does this seem fake to you" moment which leaves me squealing and feeling giddy. The plot of this story ensured our characters remained in close proximity for the majority of the book and I enjoyed the opportunity it provided to intimately know our characters and watch them better learn about each other.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
Sage was a beautifully raw and vulnerable character who wore her emotions on her sleeves like an open book. Her determination and resilience were admirable as she committed herself towards her ambition, refusing to accept anything less. Her quick wit provided a lot of humour throughout the dialogue which left me smiling and rooting for Sage to get the last word in. It broke my heart that despite this, Sage greatly struggles with confidence issues and feeling like she isn’t enough for the people in her life. As a caretaker at heart with absentee parents resulting in her shouldering more responsibility than she should have at her young age, Sage strives to put the needs of others well above her own at her own cost. All I wanted was to give that wonderful girl a pep talk to inspire confidence and and a long hug to show that it'll all be okay. Whilst being strong-headed and independent, there were moments of doubts seeded within Sage's mind during her interactions with Elias which left me feeling frustrated on her behalf. In my opinion, Sage deserved far more reassurance earlier in the story with less back and forth. The last thing she needed was the added stress and lack of confidence that came with being all in with a man who couldn't make up her mind, but overall I was really proud of Sage for being bold enough to stand by what she wanted and staying true to herself. Her loyalty is a great asset to her character, and overall I loved being able to follow this wonderful young woman from beginning to end.

Elias was a main character and love interest which in all honestly... really frustrated me. A lot of my strife with my story lays with him and it's truly such a shame. As a character himself I did like Eli and getting to know him as the story progressed, albeit his development felt very slow and late to reveal answers. I really wish his interaction with the female "super fan" had been taken more seriously by his peers at the beginning of the story. That woman's behaviour was outright harassment with its predatory and dangerous nature considering she was stalking him and tricking her way into his hotel bedroom. Whilst nothing outright 'happened' per say... I personally don't agree with it being swept under the rug as a result. I really felt for Eli as a result of this interaction and his trust issues in general are completely understandable. However this deeply affected his treatment towards Sage, and I just wish we'd been given an opportunity to see Elias attend therapy and work through everything he has endured in a healthy and productive way. What I will say is I adored and respected his consistency in being a supportive friend and partner for Sage when it was required. His constant support of her career and refusal to let her give up on her dreams was everything, and I adored watching him climb his way towards 'number one supporter' status. I wish Eli's history was something that wasn't introduced so late and therefore could've been further explored as I believe this would've helped me, as a reader, better understand and connect with his character. I don't fault Elias for the flaws that I took issue with throughout the story... and instead I wish we saw his support system provide him with the necessary tools to prioritise his own mental health before encouraging him into a relationship I don't believe he was in the right mindset for. Elias deserved less judgement and ridicule from his superior figures, and more support overall. Marcus should have been a mentor and constant support of his player, and yet he refused to believe in and recognise Eli’s potential from the beginning. This was such a sore spot for me because I couldn’t actually fathom was his issue was because Elias was his responsibility. If you have a player under your wing who is clearly struggling… you do the best that you can to get to the root of that issue? Provide a safe space and open line of communication, not ridicule and belittle him based on an assumption you know very little about? Eli deserved a far better support system than the very limited one that he seemed to have, and honestly it just made me feel so bad for him.

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
This is the key aspect that I believe cemented Spiral as "an enjoyable enough book that I liked but unfortunately didn't love" type of book. To summarise my thoughts early... I personally don't believe Elias and Sage were in the right place to pursue a serious romantic relationship. Both characters had a lot going on and I really wish this story had been a slow and steady friends to lovers tale which displayed our main characters seeking the necessary help for themselves during friendship, so that they could approach the prospect of their romantic development with maturity and assuredness. I enjoyed how openly Sage vocalised her desires despite how terrifying the prospect of rejection is, and how undeterred she was in the face of that rejection. I have nothing but respect for Eli's celibacy and his reasoning once that tragic tale was unveiled. However my main issue lies with how Eli himself approached this. I can understand wavering when you meet your perfect match and feeling emotional guilt over the idea of breaking your vow... however in my opinion Eli was wholly unfair with his actions towards Sage. He was very hot and cold in a way that I personally would've found inexcusable. Many of their interactions were pursued by Eli himself... just for him to push her away due to his celibacy. Poor Sage's confidence was practically on the floor every single time and I truly felt so bad for her. His mixed signals would be confusing for anybody and rather than just letting her go, Elias continued to initiate a hot and heavy kissing session and talk about just how much he wanted her. As a reader I myself felt like I was feeling emotional whiplash as a result, and as I've stated prior I honestly wish Eli had gotten therapy to address the root of his issues as opposed to essentially leading Sage on. Sage's confidence was close to non-existent and I actually found myself hoping and waiting for her to bravely walk away from their not-so-healthy dynamic. Whilst the ending was really sweet and I was relieved to see them happy in the end, the lack of build-up and healthy exploration left me unable to connect with their chemistry and root for them as a couple overall.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
Overall whilst I liked Spiral I unfortunately didn't love it. I adored Summer and Aiden in Collide and considered it one of my favourite romance reads in 2023, so I'm definitely gutted that I couldn't connect with Sage and Elias. I still adore Bal Khabra as an author and this serves as a reminder to me that you can love an author whilst unfortunately not connecting with all of their stories. I do believe many people will enjoy this book more than I have, and I am looking forward to reading future works by Khabra and hopefully connecting with those stories more.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.