Hockey romances are hit or miss for me, but this one was fun. Is it my new favorite book of all time? No, but it was cute. I thought the relationship was a realistic build-up of enemies to lovers which sometimes can be hard to pull off in a believable way. I thought the love story was done well in this one though. It was a fun read!

The book is a mix of Icebreaker and the Deal, with a slow burn and a insta-lovey trope. The characters, Summer and Aiden, have a complex relationship, with Summer being a hockey player who dislikes them and Aiden being a gentle and kind dog. Summer's father is constantly criticized for his abandonment of her, and Aiden's dismissiveness of Summer's feelings. Aiden is devoted to Summer, but his spineless nature makes him seem spineless.

The book could have used more editing, as the writing felt clunky, with inconsistencies in the story and characters' backstories. The pacing was inconsistent, and the project aspect was glossed over. Aiden's contribution to her research was never expanded on, and there was barely any hockey in the story.

Despite these criticisms, the book is enjoyable with its banter between Summer and Aiden and the absence of a third-act breakup. Although the story feels unoriginal and predictable, it is a cute and good debut novel filled with lighthearted and cute moments. The diversity of the characters is appreciated, but the author wishes for more of Summer's heritage to be explored.

In Collide by Bal Khabra, the clash of worlds unfolds between ambitious honors student Summer Preston and carefree hockey captain Aiden Crawford. Tasked with researching Aiden for her sports psychology program, Summer finds herself reluctantly drawn into a sport she despises, leading to humorous and heartfelt banter that challenges her perceptions of hockey and its players. As they navigate their differences, the story captures the tension between ambition and unexpected romance, showcasing Khabra's knack for character-driven storytelling. With witty dialogue and relatable challenges, this novel is a charming exploration of how love can emerge from the most unlikely circumstances.

It was a very cute book; I enjoyed it. The MMC was mature and didn't react in the typical toxic way for college romance books. I found it different and refreshing. The FMC's relationship with her ex was annoying, and although I understand it was like that to move the plot forward, I wish it had been done differently. In all, I enjoyed the read.

I somehow accidentally ended up on a sports romance kick - and even like specialized in hockey somehow. When I read a book, I tend to take notes so that way this part comes easier (writing the review) especially if I’m working through 4 books at once, it helps me keep them straight.

Going through those notes currently has be cackling:

“Aiden Crawford has me full swooning.”
“And that group chat with some of the hockey boys titled Sunny’s Angels. Crying.”
“No third act breakup!!!”

And if you’re a romance reader like me, you know third act breakups are very prominent in this genre - so the genuine happiness I had - just superb.

This follows Aiden and Summer. He’s captain of the hockey team. She needs a hockey player to study to write her psychology paper to get into a big program. He’s on probation after taking one for the team, she hates hockey players. So it starts a bit feisty. We get enemies to lovers (kinda???), and he falls first. He falls so hard, my ovaries were exploding.

This was shaping up to be a 4-5 star read, but I think the length and odd plot points at the end brought it down to a 3-3.5 star read. I just think this was too drawn out (a reoccurring issue in hockey romance for me), and I just thought some of the plot was ridiculous- especially because the villain was so outwardly evil.

I'm a sucker for hockey romance, but this one didn't hit like i wanted it to.
It was a very cute read. It was all romance and fluff, i think i was missing plot.
And it felt almost insta-love to me.

But it wasn't a bad book! It just didn't hit my expectations.

Thank you to @berkley and @netgalley for the eARC! I was drawn to this book initially by the cover (Leni Kaufman is the best and her covers are unmatched). While I felt that some parts dragged on and that the book could have been shorter overall, this was a fun book with spice, romance, and found family. I enjoyed both of our main characters and their internal struggles were compelling. I’m actually even more excited for book two after that teaser at the end. If you liked Ice Breaker you will absolutely love this.

I liked Collide overall. It’s a fun mix of opposites-attract romance with a sporty twist. Summer Preston is an honors student with big dreams of becoming a sports psychologist, but she’s not exactly a fan of hockey. Enter Aiden Crawford, the college hockey team’s captain, who’s all about the game and none too pleased to be the subject of Summer’s research project.

Their initial meeting is filled with tension and misunderstanding, with Summer’s disdain for hockey players clashing against Aiden’s laid-back attitude. But as they get to know each other, their bickering turns into banter and eventually heats up into something more.

The story is entertaining, with some great moments of chemistry between Summer and Aiden. The dynamic between their conflicting worlds is engaging, though some parts felt a bit predictable. Still, if you’re into sports romances with a good dose of witty dialogue and a slow-burn romance, this one’s worth checking out.

this was…. fine. nothing too bad but it also didn’t do much for me.

it just moved really slowly and didn’t have very compelling conflict. I feel like the two side plots- her relationship with her dad, and the application- were both actually quite interesting, but both got only surface level treatment because our two MCs were getting it on again or being all mopey about being FWBs. so the parts I enjoyed the most weren’t really the heart of the relationship or story, and both felt like they were resolved half-heartedly.

but, overall it was also pretty cute. and I liked the ending (though the epilogue was a bit meh)

Aiden is the captain of the college hockey team and Summer is the psych student tasked to help him out! I thought this was such a cute sports romance. Loved the touches of Indian culture. They felt very natural and not over exaggerated. Adored the group of friends that Aiden lives with. Loved how Summer’s relationship with her parents was portrayed.
Overall a fun, lightweight, breezy read! Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was cute and more new adult. I have learned that new adult isn't for me but def. can see how it would appeal to a younger audience. Again it was cute and steamy but just middle of the road for me.

Another hockey romance! I am currently gobbling this genre up. I love some Canadian rep and Bal Khabra really pulled that out. I really enjoyed following Aiden and Summer and watching their relationship develop. I love a slow burn/ will they-won't they and this really fit each trope. I'm also a huge fan of how the side characters were set up and hopefully we will get a whole bunch of books in this series (especially Amara and Tyler).

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

3.75/5 ⭐️

He’s the sunshine and she’s the grumpy one despite her name being Summer. Sign me up. I love when the trope is reversed, usually it’s the other way around.

Aiden’s such a golden retriever/cinnamon roll and I’m here for it. Always making sure Summer’s needs are just as important as his especially with her past. Loved their banter even when you could clearly see that they were falling in love.

I love how light hearted this read was and had me laughing like a school girl. The side characters had me laughing too especially Kian. Every time he spoke, I was giggling. And that epilogue was perfect. Loved it all around.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book so much!! I loved the banter, the chemistry, all the characters. It gave black cat x golden retriever energy and I absolutely loved it. The timeline of the relationship was kind of quick in the end, I prefer the angst and pining to build up a bit longer. Aiden also was the perfect guy which was amazing but almost to a fault? Overall I highly recommend.

This was a great New Adult romance. I liked both of the main characters and the romance was believable. I also thought the writing itself was really well done.

Highly recommend for fans of Briar U. This is the hockey romance we all enjoy. Some of the dialogue was cringy but I love a good “he falls first”.

Bal is a first-time author for me and I'm so excited for what's to come!! Collide was so refreshing to read and I cannot express how much it made me giddy just to see what would happen next!! And it was MUCH hotter than I expected *sweatingggg

I got to be honest with you. I really didn't like this book. I don't know why, but I just couldn't get into it as I usually do whenever I am reading a romance book. There is just something that I am not connecting with the couple or their relationship. Sorry, it wasn't for me.

I absolutely enjoyed this book! Summer and Aiden are really cute, I think this is a very nice romance read!!