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.

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.