I am so disappointed with this read, I almost dnf it. But I pulled through because I needed closure from it. While I enjoyed the found family trope in it, the writing was so poorly written that I didn't care for the characters much. Many spicy scenes were unncessary too, especially when they try to solve problems through sex - that was a huge no no for me. And I just didn't enjoy random scene jumps that left me confused. I debated rating this lower than 3 stars but that seems harsh so 3 stars it is.

Thank you netgalley for the e-arc, but I probably won't continue on with the series.

If you love college sports romance, grab this one too!

🏒 college sports romance
📱 read on kindle (arc)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

💭 thoughts:
I loved the dynamic between the MCs, and how Aiden just wouldn’t give up on her, no matter how much Summer kept trying to push him away 🥰
He really supported her and her goals, and kept putting her first.

I really enjoyed reading this, but a few things didn’t quite make sense, hence the dropping of a star. Summer says she doesn’t associate with hockey players, but seems to have existing close friendships with many of Aiden’s teammates. I didn’t study anything to do with research in university, but a lot of that didn’t quite seem to add up either.

I’m definitely intrigued to read future books, hoping more of the team get their own, and Summer’s friends as well!

tropes + topics:
🐈‍⬛ black cat + golden retriever
🏒 hockey player + psych student
🏫 college romance
🪝 casual to more
💙 he falls first + harder
❌ no 3rd act breakup
🫶🏼 found family
🇨🇦 Canadian author
💞 dual 1st person pov

✨ books with similar vibes:
♡ Icebreaker by Hannah Grace (college sports, “I would never date a hockey player” vibes)
♡ Stealing Home by Grace Reilly (college sports, black cat + golden retriever, casual to more)
♡ Tutoring the Player by Rebecca Jenshak (college sports, opposites attract, he falls first)

Thank you to Netgalley & Penguin Random House Canada for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

As someone who loves hockey romances, this was a really great read and I really liked the Canadian references throughout. Really excited for the next books in this series! I found this book to be similar to icebreaker (Similar exes, Donny and Summer's) and the deal (my favourite hockey romance, similar to Aidan and Summer's relationship). The book has a black cat (her) x golden retriever (him) trope but honestly it made me dislike Summer sooooo much. The timeline in this book was a bit confusing and found that some things dragged on and just didnt seem realistic? For example, student and professor romantic relationships not being dealt with immediately (also the fact they were making out in public)? No one stepping in for the Dean?

In general I really liked this book, but I have a few major complaints.

Firstly, I feel like I've already read this book. A few times. It's pretty formulaic and there is nothing that differentiates itself from other college sports romances. I was looking forward to a BIPOC female main character but her ethnicity was kind of glazed over. I appreciated that it wasn't her main defining trait or whole personality, however it would have been nice to have a few more touches. For example, the FMC and MMC talked about oiling her hair and then it never happened. I think that could have been a really great scene in the book that built intimacy between the characters.

The pacing was unfortunately very disjointed. Also there were too many plot points. I think the book would have been better if there was one focus, whether it be the FMC's relationship with her father, the grad school application, or hockey. It could have been simplified. Everything felt rushed to get to a conclusion because there was too much happening. This book could have been so much shorter. I was skimming through the last 10% because I was ready for it to be over.

I didn't really believe the love story. I don't love it when the entire relationship is based off of sexual attraction. It's difficult to believe that the characters fall in love when all the reader sees on the page is their sexual tension.

Finally, I really did not enjoy Summer. She's described as a black cat, however I felt like that was just an excuse for her to be mean. She's quite mean to the MMC, and honestly I just felt bad for him. I was waiting for him to stand up for himself or tell her to start treating him better but that never happened.

The saving grace for this book was the MMC and his group of friends/teammates. I love a good band of brothers, and this book delivered that.

Overall, I didn't hate it. It just had the potential to be so much better than it was.

3.25 stars.

This was an alright cute and fluffy hockey romance. It is very similar to Icebreaker. Their banter was good, but I thought it got a bit repetitive and boring in the last half. There wasn't a whole lot of plot going on besides the romance, which is fine... just could have been shorter for me haha.

Summer got a bit annoying by constantly being bitchy and hot / cold throughout the whole book. One second she's all for him then next she's telling him to see other people. I didn't really give AF about her character tbh. I did like Aiden though. He was just so caring and sweet, I enjoyed his POVs 100x more.

A very highly enjoyable hockey romance with great chemistry. It’s a pretty quick start and honestly I just found myself saying omg they’re so cute. A very sweet fluffy book and will be perfect for those looking for something light fun and cute.

I’m really trying not to like sports romance but books like this… with characters and chemistry so good… it’s so hard not to like—love, even. Even though this book isn’t set in Canada, this is a *true* Canadian book. I’ve read books before set in Canada or characters that are Canadian, but only a couple of them got it right. When I read “washroom” in this book, it was so satisfying. Weird to be excited about washrooms but it really is the little things, you know? Anyways, the first 20% of the book got me thinking, oh things are progressing fast, is the book almost over? But no! They’re just getting started! And I loved that. The character development was also so satisfying. I loved Summer and Aidan. They’re literally perfect for each other. This was a true romance novel. I was giggling, kicking my feet, twirling my hair. The epilogue was so sweet. I want more of them. I’m glad this is just first of a series.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was a little torn while reading this book. There were a lot of things that I found infinitely annoying, but there were still enough parts that made me stay invested that I wanted to see it through the end.
I have a read a lot of hockey romances in the past few years, and this one felt mainly too cliché for my taste. I really like the fmc, but the mmc got on my nerves from the beginning og the story.
While the book tries to present him as this smooth and sexy, NICE guy, he’s just incredibly pushy, forcing a friendship on a girl who doesn’t want it and this is where it went wrong for me. Instead of having the relationship grow naturally, he was always forcing closeness, feeling entitled to get really personal with her even though they barely knew each other.
This got better as the book progressed, but came back full force when he started doing macho sacrifices that appeared to be heroic, coming to her rescue again and again when she didn’t need him and didn’t ask him. What really annoyed me is that his behavior was PRAISED by the author through the heroine saying he was perfect because of those things.
The evil ex trope and the drama with the dad that all resolved to a perfect happy ending really pushed the artificial angst into something terribly cliché.
However, the friendship were amazing to read about, the banter between the guys and the hockey parts were fun and this is really what kept me invested because those secondary characters were hilarious sometimes.
All in all, if you’re not too bothered by toxic things disguised as swoon-worthy green flags and a healthy dose of cliché romance tropes, this book has a lot of qualities and was still a lot of fun in some parts. Add to that some really nice spicy scenes (although maybe too numerous for my taste) and this is still a book worth giving a try when you’re a fan of the genre.

This book was so cute and I’m excited to see how this story shakes out. There were a few moments where Summer’s ping-ponging feelings for Aiden felt a little repetitive, but was otherwise a fun hockey romance!

Charming and brilliant, “Collide” by Bal Khabra is equal parts spicy and sweet while shining above the rest. Khabra seamlessly weaves whip-smart banter, a captivating cast of characters, and laugh-out-loud humour into an endearing, timeless love story. Readers will cheer for the main characters from the first page, and think of them long after the end.

Meet Summer Preston: an honours student with ambitious graduate school plans. Meet Aiden Crawford: the captain of the college hockey team. Their worlds collide when an ultimatum from Summer’s professor thrusts her into an unexpected collision with Aiden. She’s caught between conflicting desires: fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a sport psychologist and staying as far away as possible from the god-awful sport of hockey. For Aiden, being the hockey team’s captain has its perks, but a reckless mistake by his team threatens their entire season. His coach nominates him as the subject of a research paper, and the last thing he wants is to work with Summer, who looks like she could wield his skates as a weapon.

Summer can’t stand Aiden’s blasé approach to life, and Aiden doesn’t understand her uptight, scheduled one. They’re off to a rocky start, provoking each other at every turn. Yet, defeat isn’t something either of them is willing to accept. As their connection deepens, their chemistry becomes hot enough to melt an ice rink. Khabra masterfully captures the tension between Summer and Aiden, making their journey from enemies to lovers utterly captivating.

The novel is light on plot, chronicling how these two slowly go from adversaries to soulmates without much friction. However, it’s the characters that steal the show. Summer’s flaws and Aiden’s charm make them endearing and relatable. Their banter is witty, and their emotional connection feels genuine. Khabra’s writing is easy to read, engaging, and sprinkled with humour. You’ll find yourself laughing out loud and rooting for this unlikely pair.

“Collide” is a welcome addition to the booming sub-genre of hockey romance. Whether you’re a sports fan or simply love a good love story, this book delivers. Prepare to be swept away by Aiden and Summer’s journey. It’s a collision that leaves a lasting impact.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a true, classic college hockey romance (and yes those are considered classics now lol). Bal Khabra was able to capture the magic that was the Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy but with a new and modern vibe to it. It was witty, funny, and sexy, but also so heartfelt. I cannot wait for the rest of the series because of how lovable this entire cast of characters are! One of the reasons I adore hockey romance is because of the side characters. They are always so entertaining and they add so much to the story, giving it a ‘found family’ vibe.

I really enjoyed Summer. I liked how truly grumpy she was compared to Aiden’s sunshine-y demeanor, especially in the beginning. This was a REAL ‘he falls first’ romance because Summer was so unaffected (at least she acted like she was) by Aiden until like 50% in which was so funny since he was completely obsessed with her and was so desperate for her attention lol. It was very much “Barbie has a great day every day, but Ken only has a great day if Barbie looks at him” vibes and I loved it. I find a lot of FMCs fold for the MMC so easily and Summer didn’t, Aiden really had to work for her. I will say that I did want to shake her a little bit for listening to Donny and her advisor so much. Aiden was right, she let them control her life and I just wanted her to stop giving them any attention and be confident in how good her work is! She was so stressed, and they were so toxic. I wanted her to yell at them a bit, y’know? For someone that’s a psychology major, Summer was surprisingly against therapy and wasn’t self-aware about her mental health, which I found strange.

Aiden was the perfect, sweet, cinnamon roll book bf! He had me gigglin’ n kickin’ my feet. He was so down bad for Summer—pretty much from the jump. I loved the little things he did to show Summer he loved her (like making her tea!). I think his love language has to be acts of service. I did find that he didn’t have as much depth as Summer. She had a lot of character growth and Aiden was pretty much the same throughout the book, besides being a reformed player, of course. I would’ve loved for Khabra to have explored his past a bit more maybe. But honestly, this is really a minor detail for me, I still loved him and he’s def going on my fav book bfs list!

TROPES:
- Hockey romance
- College romance
- Dislike to love
- He falls first/boy obsessed
- Reverse grumpy x sunshine
- Opposites attract (nerd/jock)
- Cinnamon roll MMC
- Forced proximity
- Lovable side characters

Thank you so much to Bal Khabra, Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the ARC! I cannot wait for more from this series. Congrats on the re-release!

This was a great book and cute story! I loved the dynamic Summer and Aiden had and how their love unravelled. Thank you for allowing me to read this ARC!

A decent new adult college hockey debut. The writing style wasn't my favourite, and honestly neither is new adult, which are both me issues, not book issues. It looks like things are being set up for the roommate, friends, and teammates to get books, and I'm willing to give those a try when they come out.

Amidst the backdrop of college life and the high-stakes world of collegiate sports, the author skillfully weaves themes of ambition, passion, and self-discovery. Readers will find themselves rooting for Summer and Aiden as they navigate the complexities of love and identity, ultimately realizing that sometimes, the most unexpected connections are the ones worth fighting for.

Collide is a heartwarming and engaging romance that will leave readers cheering for love to triumph over all obstacles with its irresistible blend of humor, drama, and sizzling chemistry.

4/5 stars

it was really long but i wasn’t necessarily bored… if you liked the deal/other college sport romance, you’d like this book. this fmc had a backbone (unlike most college romances) and is pretty confident and snarky (in a loveable funny way). i loved the banter she had with his best friends, it was so so cutise girly fun (but with hockey players). the banter these two had are unmatched, and he’s so caring and tentative, and actively tries to remember the little things about her (even though he claims to hate her).

when aidan crawford takes the fall for his teammates mistakes, he doesn't expect to be forced into a research project (or that he would have to beg to do it).
summer preston is a sport psychologist student and when her only option is to interview a hockey captain when she hates all hockey players, she is ready to drop it all.
so when aidan crawford shows up at her door begging for a chance, she has no choice but to make him work for it.

tropes:
- college hockey romance
- research partners
- hockey captain x sport psychologist student
- no third act breakup
- he falls first, and harder
- the banter >>
- black cat fmc x golden retriever (kinda) mmc
- enemies to lovers (mild)
- found family
- goofy teammates

*so so glad to see this book being traditionally published, so so proud and love seeing canadian authors achieve big things. this review has been altered to fit the traditionally published version, and is a complete honest review.

thank you random house canada for providing me with this ARC copy via netgalley 🩷

I’ll admit it. I got sucked in by a pretty cover & a snappy blurb.

Lighthearted hockey romance featuring a snarky Psychology student & overachieving jock. Summer is assigned to write a super important psychology paper on the hockey team. And wouldn’t you know it…Mr. Hockey Captain aka Aiden is set to be her research subject 🧪

Their relationship starts slow but progresses through all the usual stages of rom-com relationships kissing friends ~ fu*k buddies ~ dating until minor inconvenience ~back together 4ever 💞 and if you’re looking for a lighthearted rom com with great banter & a sprinkle of smuttiness THIS IS FOR YOU!

I have to say it fell a little short for me. The first 30% of the book are quite slow & I was just waiting for anything to happen. I’m was also so sick & tired of Summer’s “I’m afraid to feel” personality *insert eye roll* she was a bit annoying with her “ohh I have no feelings and I don’t get attached” ❌ nothing against the author this is just personally annoying.

Also Summer saying she has “traumatic past” with the sport of hockey 🥅 girrrrrl if you don’t!!

I thought Aiden was actually quite a cutie 🏒 but the constant miscommunication between him & Summer were not the vibe. At times he was just a dummy!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The perfect pick me up in between my heavy world building/politics novels that im currently reading. Only reason for the missing stars is because i felt i was reading Icebreaker all over again. Dont get me wrong this novel is it’s own storyline and characters (dont mind the enemies to lover troop and hockey house). Did i mention this book was draaaagging at the end, yes it could of been 100pg shorter.

Overall i would definitely reread this book in the future. The characters are hilarious, just don’t mind our annoying main character summer that can’t make up her mind.

I’m so conflicted here, I don’t know what to do with myself. I’ve seen this book all over, and have been so incredibly excited for it. Cover? Gorgeous. Blurb? Sign me up. Golden retriever hockey captain? SAY LESS. New adult romances are my jam, I don’t care what anyone says but throw hockey in there too and I’m contractually obligated to read it to keep my Canadian citizenship. Sorry, I don’t make the rules. Buuuuuut I have a few concerns. *wails*

Like why is Summer so unnecessarily adversarial all the time? I get it, grumpy sunshine, and makes for good banter. I’m down for that. But where is the reprieve?! Even after “admitting” to liking Aiden. I’m dying here! To me it felt like it was almost getting worst after 45/50%. It was a bit frustrating at times when I wanted to grab Summer’s shoulders and shake some sense into her.

Or getting jealous and throwing tantrums, but then telling Aiden to go sleep with other girls. Repeatedly. Like I get it, we have character flaws (I may or may not have a bit of a jealous streak) but how is the response to being jealous telling Aiden to go do the thing that would make it worse? That would cause a complete meltdown if him reading a text message in her presence was enough to cause a scene. I need it to make sense.

I think ultimately this is too long as well. Or at least not enough excitement to make it un-put-down-able. All in all I found this to be very anticlimactic both in terms of the relationship and the plot of the book. There is also a big difference between banter and being difficult. We started with fun banter. I was smiling. I was highlighting quotes. I was thinking “yeah, you tell him!” But then not only did it not stop, but felt like Summer doubled down which continued into… I don’t even know. A headache. Could have easily shaved off 50 pages, or used them for something else.

I know, I know, Summer is beauty, she is Grace, she is Miss United States, but I just needed more from her. When it gets to the point that everything from her mouth is:
1. An argument
2. About her application/paper
3. Telling Aiden they are nothing
We get it. Let’s move on.

All I can think about is Abby from Dance Moms, “you were good, I’m waiting for you to be great”. Cracks me up every time.

Granted Aiden wasn’t flawless either. I wasn’t thrilled with his martyr tendencies, and really wish he called Summer on her shit, but alas. The golden retriever vibe is fun. Plus his relationship with the teammates is always a good time to explore.

And now here it comes, but I can’t do this review without saying it. This feels … a lot … like an Icebreaker knock off. And I’m in no way saying that’s the case. But themes, scenarios, character traits, all down to the roles the secondary characters played………… I’m just saying. You can make your own conclusions, but I read Icebreaker and Collide about 3 weeks apart so it’s pretty fresh, and these similarities were popping up early on.

I swear though there is good in this as well! I’m always a sucker for found family, and I think college books can really hit the nail on the head there. The relationships the characters make with each other lend so well to the development of a series because as a reader you get invested with each of them. I for one cannot wait for a Kian book!

While I may have struggled a bit with some of the heroine’s bullheadedness, I did appreciate her growth near the end and can see how that would have made a huge impact on her.

This review makes the book sound like a mess but you know what? New adult/college age characters and yeah, things will be messy. That’s what makes them more relatable, and that’s what keeps us entertained. Even look at Cinderella, if she got her man immediately we all would have forgotten the story. It’s the messiness of fictional life (or making all the girls try on a shoe) that keeps us going.

So sure, I had a few issues with this one but hey, I liked it too. Not every book will be 5 stars and that’s okay. I’m intrigued by this world of characters so will be sure to check out future releases, and will definitely be keeping an eye on this author in the future to see what she comes up with!

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

Adorable sports romance novel! This was such a cute romance set in a university setting, I loved the banter between the main characters so much. Excited to see what's next!

I was so invested in these characters! I stayed up so late reading this book 3 nights in a row because I couldn't put it down. All of these characters were so likable, the chemistry and anticipation was best I've read in a long while. I've already recommended this to my book club because I know they'd all love it!