the warm and cozy feelings that i got while reading this was unmatched! i didn’t want this book to end and i’ll definitely be doing a reread. summer and aiden are soo cute together and i’m really looking forward to the next book in this series!!

A hockey romance with no third act breakup, written by Bal Khabra? I already knew I was gonna love this and I DID!!

After reading her debut A Code for Love I absolutely fell in love with her writing and was counting the days when she would release another book bc it was THAT good. So when I received an arc of this book I was 𝘦𝘤𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤🤍

Summer is a sports psychology student and Aiden is captain of the hockey team. After an incident, he has to help Summer with a project so he doesn’t get suspended from the game. These two didn’t get off to a good start but their relationship progressed as they spent more time together.

Summer and Aiden’s dynamic was very well written. I didn’t expect it to be a slow burn but shit it was burningg. This was also dual pov and the way he would talk about her and OBSESS over her gave me butterflies😩 I was 𝘥𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 for them to get together.

Aiden is the greenest green flag. He’s flirty, cocky & has zero filter. Some of the things he would say was so unexpected it made me blush🤭 Summer tried to deny her feelings but he would go out of his way to show that he cares and respects her, especially when she doubted herself. Him being her biggest supporter was so CUTE🥹

And the side characters? I freaking LOVED them. They were funny, entertaining and the way they would have Summer’s back when Aiden was being stupid, it made me smile🤍.

Is it too early to ask for Kian’s book? he’s so baby girl and idk, seems like the possessive type…👀 I know it’s gonna be fun watching him be down bad for a girl🤭

🌷thank you so much Bal & Berkley for sending me an arc!🤍 I enjoyed this so so much <3

Quotes I loved:

♡ “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵.”

♡ “𝘐 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦.” 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦.”

♡ “𝘚𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺. 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯.”

♡ “𝘈𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯’𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦…𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐’𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦.”

♡ “𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘦. “𝘖𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯.”

♡ “𝘈𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵.”

♡ “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳.”

♡ “𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦.”

Aiden being his flirty self:

♡ “Now that you mention it, I wouldn’t mind a tip.”
“𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧.”

♡ “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘶𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘧𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘦.”

♡ “You practice on a lot of girls?”
“𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The description I read of this one being Icebreaker x The Deal was just spot on.

This book was so much fun! I absolutely adored Aiden and Summer, both individually and together as a couple. Their banter felt fresh and fun, and their chemistry was really believable (and the spice was H.O.T.). While some parts of the plot were predictable, I didn't mind it at all. The book reminded me of some of the older Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen new adult hockey romances, which are some of my favorites. I do wish we had some more backstory on Aiden, and that we got to see more of the relationship between Summer and her father, but all in all this book was so enjoyable to read. I highly recommend!

This book was definitely fun and I really enjoyed the last 30% because the connection between Summer and Aiden was so beautiful that I couldn’t help but just love their relationship once they were finally together. The beginning felt both too fast and slow but honestly this book hits you with all the fields in the end. Aiden was just so caring and patient.
The micro trope of Aiden being obsessed with Summer hair and wanting to help her take care of it had me screaming.

If you like college sports romances with green flag MMC then definitely give this one a try because it’s so fun and cute.

another hockey romance I’ll never stop screaming about! Aiden is a cinnamon roll that needs to be protected at all costs. He was sweet, loyal, charming, funny, and so sexy. I loved Summer’s drive and passion to achieve all of her dreams, even if her stubbornness was a bit much sometimes. All said, I loved this book and I can wait for more from Bal!

Summer’s sports psychologist grad school application requires her to work with the captain of the college hockey team, Aiden Crawford. Easy enough, right? Except, Aiden’s reluctant to work with Summer, and Summer has a long-standing grudge against hockey players due to a tenuous relationship with her dad, Luke Preston — former NHL player, and current Boston (unsure if the Bruins exist in this universe) interim coach. Let’s start with what I enjoyed about Collide — Bal Khabra clearly took care to research some things about the NHL, and I did appreciate that the main character wasn’t white. Collide focuses more on the NCAA, and while there are a few things I raised my eyebrows at (specifically, Aiden’s post-college plans and his contract), I didn’t mind that terribly. What I did mind, however, was the lack of plot, bad pacing, lack of personality … you get it. Collide is what happens when an author tries to pack as many tropes as they can in one book — grumpy x sunshine, friends with benefits, found family, possessive → simp, wingmaning, he falls first and falls harder, among others — without any substance, stakes, or most importantly, chemistry. There’s nothing that really sets Collide apart from all the other college hockey romances out there (especially Off Campus and Icebreaker).

First off, thank you Berkley and NetGalley for an arc for my honest review.

I was really looking forward to this and really wanted to like it, but I ended up stop reading around 50% because there were too many ups and downs that it gave me extreme emotional whiplash. Each argument felt like breakups and the main plot line didn’t need to be stretched that long. For all that to be happening around the halfway point was too much for me personally.

In the realm of captivating sports romances, Collide by Bal Khabra stands out as a formidable contender, masterfully weaving together the captivating journey of two polar opposites thrown together by an unexpected twist of fate. With an engaging plot and well-crafted characters, this novel promises an enthralling read that leaves readers craving more. At the heart of the story lies Summer Preston, an ambitious and driven young woman pursuing her dream of becoming a sports psychologist. However, her carefully charted path collides with that of Aiden Crawford, the charismatic yet infuriating captain of the hockey team, whose reckless actions threaten to jeopardize the entire season. As punishment, Aiden is forced to participate in Summer's research project, setting the stage for a clash of personalities and a whirlwind of emotions. Summer, with her meticulous nature and unwavering focus on her goals, finds herself at odds with Aiden's carefree attitude and apparent disregard for the consequences of his actions. Their initial interactions are marked by bickering and mutual misunderstanding. Yet, as they delve deeper into the project, they begin to discover hidden depths beneath their carefully constructed facades. Aiden, beneath his bravado, harbors insecurities and a fear of not living up to the expectations placed upon him. Summer, too, struggles with her own anxieties and the pressure to conform to societal norms. As they reluctantly work together, their banter gradually transforms into something more profound, revealing a growing connection and undeniable chemistry. The author's skillful storytelling shines through in the vivid portrayal of the sporting world, capturing the exhilaration of the games and the intense camaraderie among teammates. The hockey matches are described with such fervor that readers can almost feel the energy of the crowd and the adrenaline coursing through the players' veins. Collide is not merely a sports romance; it delves into deeper themes of self-discovery, ambition, and the pursuit of one's dreams. Both Summer and Aiden embark on a journey of personal growth, learning to embrace their vulnerability and to fight for what truly matters to them. With its captivating characters, engaging plot, and exploration of universal themes, Collide is a surefire hit for fans of sports romances and contemporary fiction alike. Bal Khabra's writing is fresh and authentic, bringing to life a story that resonates with readers on a profound level. This novel is a testament to the power of love, resilience, and the transformative nature of human connection.

This book was eh for me. There were certain things that just didn't add up in this book, like how the characters were 20 turning 21 but also seniors ? Additionally the actions that were taken that caused the climax confused me a bit, like I feel like there were so many other routes to go about that realistically and so that was just a bit odd to me.
I liked the characters but I didn't really find anything special about them or this book in general😬 it just didn't really bring anything new or out there in the hockey romance genre

This book was so refreshing and such a good time! You can never go wrong with a college romance for me and winter is the perfect time for hockey. Both characters had a lot of stuff to work through but they really did work through it and got better for each other. Their banter was great and I loved both characters individually and together, as well as having hilarious side characters! The only thing that brought it down for me is that I wish some of the spice scenes would be switched for more emotional connection moments. I could feel both the emotional and physical connections but I'll always take more playful banter. Overall this was a book that always had me saying “one more chapter” and I loved the Canadian rep.

This was incredibly sweet and just the right level of spicy. I have fallen in love with hockey romance novels and this is a cut above the college hockey romances flooding the genre. Can't wait for the next one!!!

Probably a 3.5 ⭐️ It was great, but pretty drawn out. Chemistry between these two made it worth the read still, though. It definitely is a spicy, hockey romance.

I will definitely being read book 2 in this series. I hope it comes out sooner than later..

I received this book from the publisher & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

This is for somebody, maybe not for me. The writing felt a bit clunky and repetitive to me and the pacing wasn't great. I do know this is the exact book that some people are looking for and therefore is has it's place and I will be recommending this to those fans who devour this younger sort of basic sports romance.

There is really nothing better than a girl who hates hockey players and then begrudgingly falls in love with one! Summer and Aiden were SWEET!

The beginning was a little tough, Summer wanted nothing to do with Aiden and he kept not showing up for her the way he said he would. But of course once they figured it out, once she gave in a little and he stepped up (and then never looked back!!)!they were GOOD together. And they had good banter! And good chemistry! Even when she was still in her ‘hating him and his beautiful face’ phase.

I LOVED Summer! Her struggles with her dad were rough and i did like seeing them be able to finally talk about how she’s feeling. I also just love how hard she works and how determined she is. And of course falling for Aiden sort of gets in the way, but she doesn’t want to let it…but also she’s SO determined that she can do it all! With the help of Aiden who is always there to support her!

And of course Aiden is wonderful! There is nothing I love more than a man who knows what he wants and doesn’t give up! It’s exactly what Summer needed in a man! And he is SO SWEET. I loved that he was able to own up to his mistakes and work hard to make up for them.

I loved the bonus chapter SO MUCH. And I loved the preview for the next book! I can’t wait for more from Bal!!

Thanks to Berkeley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I loved how the author wrote a diverse main character, but I also think SO much more could have been done with Summer’s character / personality / background to dive more into her culture for it to be that much more meaningful. The plot was a tad predictable and it felt more insta-love-y than I was expecting coming from the premise, but I did still enjoy reading it and thought their relationship was cute! It rubbed me the wrong way that Summer got mad at him for being too gentleman-like.. like I get there needs to be relationship conflict for the plot but that just seems a bit much no? Poor Aiden his patience was really put through the wringer LOL. And even if they’re hockey players and even though it’s a joke, I do NOT WANT TO READ PERIOD / TAMPON JOKES IN MY CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE. EVER. Like that’s not funny and that’s so overdone, it immediately made me want to stop reading the book. Anyway, this is all to say this is a solid 3 star hockey romance (with lotssss of smut lol).

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley for an early review copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

a keep me up all night kind of read. I had so much fun reading this and couldn't put it down.

Aiden is book boyfriend goals and Summer is such a delight. I really enjoyed overall how this unfolded.

This book was exactly what I was looking for at the moment. It gave petty college gossip, hockey, and fun times.

Bal Khabra deserves every single praise for this. Freaking PERFECTION. 10/10. This was just so so good. I couldn’t get enough of it and wanted a thousand more pages of this.

"Collide" serves up a whirlwind of a college hockey romance, brimming with banter and heat, featuring a chosen family, a tumble-first dynamic, and an inverted grumpy x sunshine trope. Meet Aiden, who, taking one for the team, finds himself unwillingly partnered with Summer for her research project. Despite initial reluctance, sparks fly, revealing a connection beyond mere verbal jousting. Aiden's unwavering commitment to Summer faces hurdles due to her past hang-ups and the demands of the project. Nevertheless, Aiden persists, showing he's ready to go all-in.

This book is a scrumptious, feel-good romance with charm to spare. Aiden's sweetness and attentiveness shine, triumphing over the hurdles in their love story. Summer's stubborn streak adds a delightful twist, making their dynamic a joyride. While there's a slight deduction for external relationship drama, Aiden and Summer's eventual connection pays off handsomely. As a newbie to Bal Khabra's work, I'm already itching for more!

This book certainly lives up to its social media hype. It delivers on the promise of so much fun, sizzling and palpable chemistry, the best book boyfriend, likable side characters, and great execution that endears it to sports romance enthusiasts. The romance? Sizzling. The characters? Absolute delights. The plot? Just the right blend of mystery. Aiden and Summer became each other's pillars, navigating personal challenges in a positively uplifting manner.

The icing on the cake? "Collide" boasts a topsy-turvy grumpy x sunshine dynamic! Who doesn't love a male lead channeling golden retriever vibes while the female lead rocks the perpetual scowl? The banter is off the charts!

In a nutshell, "Collide" is a breezy, entertaining read with unexpectedly steamy moments. If you're yearning for a concoction of hockey, romance, and laughter, this book is your golden ticket!

A heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this entertaining book's digital reviewer copy in exchange of my honest thoughts.