3.75 stars

“That’s the thing about having your people. We’ll always be right where you left us. Still loving you, and still cheering you on.”

Spiral tells the story of Eli and Sage - both athletes ( hockey player and ballerina, duh) and both very interesting characters. I love me a good grumpy sunshine but this book was better because Eli isn't a grump, just a reserved and introverted guy who struggles with letting anyone in for good reasons. Sage is a ballet dancer struggling to get her dream audition while raising her 15 year old brother. She is on the surface a sunshine character, but the more you know her, the more you realise it's a very surface description.

The book takes us on a ride with these two as they struggle to let each other in where they haven't let anyone else before and it's a wholesome journey. The Dalton Crew appearances ( especially my girl Summer) were fun, emotional and everything in between. Sage and Eli's journey is also more emotional and of the heart for almost 70 percent of the book. The book makes it difficult to be put down because you get invested in the characters preety easily.

My only issue was that quite a few things were just told, and not shown and that left me dissatisfied because I wanted more. The character sketches are deep and raw but they aren't explored as much as I wanted to read. The last 10 percent feels very rushed as the book tries to wrap up multiple - and important - plot points. It is kind of a whiplash after the beauty of a slow burn.

Overall, it's definitely was a good pick for me to start the year. Thank you Berkeley and Netgalley for the ARC!

What a great start to my reading year. A rookie NHL hockey player trying to prove he's more on the ice (and off) than he has been lately and a ballerina who raised her younger brother and who is trying to prove she has the capabilities and the ability to be a principal dancer in state... If only she could get the chance!

Could Eli BE more perfect?! This guy had me swooning left and right. The way he is with Sage in every aspect is amazing. Sage, who always puts everyone before herself, deserves this man who takes care of her, cooks for her, holds her when she cries, etc.

The slow burn is a SLOW BURN with the rules they put in place for their fake dating scheme but oh so worth it. The tension crackles off the page during it.

I enjoyed this one much more than Collide actually! I felt like her first book was very similar to other books I've read in the sports romance world but Spiral redeemed Bal in my eyes! I am usually a sucker for a sports romance anyways soooooo there you have it!

You can tell she's written before and has upped her game!!! Keep the Off Ice Series coming PLEASE!

After reading Collide at the beginning of this year, I knew I needed Spiral in my hands ASAP! Sage and Elias' story was so cute. I LOVE a book with found family and this delivered. Additionally, the vulnerability between the characters and how their guards came down over time felt natural and well paced. I think my biggest critique of the book is the repetition. Some scenes felt overwritten for the sake of some plot points being drawn out longer. But! This was still such a cutesy hockey romance and I always recommend Bal Khabra for a hockey romance moment.

This book was simply wonderful. I loved the diversity and the world of hockey and ballet. The worlds colliding with Sage and the LI, Elias.

Sages character was so well thought out. Oh my god, my girl was going THROUGH it. I felt so bad for her through almost this entire novel. She was the type of person who carries everything on her own because she never wants to put it on anyone else and that just made me so SAD. She deserved so much better in her family, but I’m so glad she had Sean, her little brother.

Their familial relationship was so cute. You could tell Sean was more like her son than her little brother because of everything that happened in the past with her awful parents, but the line was also drawn sometimes to where she was clear that she wanted to be a big sister, not a mom. Sean was so hilarious to me. I hope we get to see him in next books or even him having his own book in the future.

Elias Westbrook, the man that you are. Also felt bad for him because of his past scandals and his biological father. Also his hockey career and all the pressure he had. For him to still be such a golden retriever and goofball was just everything.

Elias and Sage together were just chefs kiss. They just made sense. The fake dating was so funny, because almost immediately it was like “is this fake? It feels real.” And I loved that. Also the fact of the forced proximity!!!! The tension was tensioning. I screamed so much over this book. It was wonderful. I had a delightful time. I cried a lot as well which is an added bonus.

There were some parts of the book where I kind of felt like were unnecessary or just frustrating but I still enjoyed the book a lot so it rounds up to 5 stars in the end.

I have not read the first book of this series, but seeing the friend group interact with one another, I’m definitely putting it on my radar.

*3.25

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the free e-arc in exchange for a honest review.

I think this book was really sweet. Elias and Sage are a match that makes sense. They’re both extremely understanding and supportive of each other. Elias falling hard was exactly what I wanted to see but other than that nothing stands out.

The last 30% of the novel was so questionable. And the resolution to it was too fast paced for my liking. As for the fake dating deal, I feel like they should’ve stopped fake dating sooner in the book because this plot line quickly gets lost in the book and doesn’t make sense.

I love time-skip epilogues but this one jumps 3 yrs and we’re presented with material that I would expect in a 5 yr-10 yr epilogue.

This book is cute but it doesn’t have any stand out characteristics.

Spiral is a book I was looking forward to after reading ‘Collide’ and I’m happy to say I loved it even more than the first! Elias Westbrooke is everything and I adored Sage as well. This was fake dating/friends to lovers done so well. And y’all know I love a hockey romance!

Eli is in his rookie season of playing professional hockey, and though his assists are on point, he can’t score to save his life. He’s in his head because of all of the unfounded media coverage he’s getting. Sage is a struggling ballerina who is exponentially talented but can’t seem to get auditions for the big roles she dreams of because she doesn’t have the reputation/social media following that the big companies want nowadays.

These two meet at a hockey auction that Sage is dancing at and strike a deal. They can help each other with their respective problems by fake dating. Sigh. There is nothing better than seeing fake dating become real and seeing friendship grow into something more. I adored this book so much. I hope there is more to this series because the secondary characters were great as well. This was a win for me!

Its cute but I could not get into this one for some reason :/ dnf for me.
Thank you to the author for this arc.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

4.25 stars

This was such a huge improvement from Collide.

Right from the start, the two main characters are on the same page and communicate well. And with the exception of a couple smaller things, that stands throughout the book.

There were a couple times I felt like Eli was yanking her around a bit that seemed unfair, but he was also going through some tough stuff and so it was understandable that they were both having some hard times and were trying to figure out how to navigate everything.

This also didn't drag at all; the first book was just so long and the pacing was off, and that was not the case here. I don't know if it's just the storyline that I just enjoyed more, but I feel like I just witnessed the author improving her writing from one book to the next and that is exciting to see 🩷

<b>3.75 ⭐</b>

i really liked the first half , i loved how they were communicating and sharing there feelings with each other . it was so beautiful and i loved everything about it so much . i also related to our fmc , sage , a lot. i definitely love eli as well!! but the last 10% or so dragged for me or it would have been a 4 star 😞

<i> thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review</i>

Spiral by Bal Khabra offers an interesting premise, combining the worlds of professional hockey and ballet, but ultimately, it didn't quite meet my expectations. While I appreciated the idea of a fake-dating trope, the execution fell flat. The chemistry between Elias and Sage felt forced at times, with their connection lacking the depth I was hoping for.
The characters themselves didn't resonate with me, especially Elias. His struggles with fame and pressure seemed repetitive, and I found it hard to engage with his journey fully. Sage, on the other hand, had potential, but her storyline felt underdeveloped in comparison. The book's pacing also felt uneven, with certain moments dragging on while others rushed through pivotal plot points.
While the romance had its moments, the overall development of the relationship felt superficial. I wasn't fully invested in whether they would leap together. In the end, Spiral didn't quite deliver the emotional connection or depth I sought, and I left the book feeling more indifferent than anything else.

Thanks so much to @berkleypub @berkleyromance and @acebookspub for the free book! I can't believe this was possible but I may love this book more than I loved Bal Khabra's first book, Collide. (I really love Collide.) This story is about Sage and Eli/Elias. Sage is a ballerina from a difficult background trying to make her way in a field that doesn't want to give her a chance. Eli is an NHL rookie struggling to make his first goal and is dealing with the shock of media and bad publicity.

This was not a normal contemporary love story. Yes, there is fake dating but there is a twist to their relationship that leads to some earnest pining and the slowest burn ever. I really loved Sage. She was strong, sassy, quick-witted, and talented. She has to provide for her little brother but she doesn't give up on her dream of becoming a principal ballet dancer. It's not clear what her ancestry is but she is stated to be half-Morrocan and something else. The cover shows her as a person of color and I do wish there was a bit more discourse about it. She wants to be like the famous Misty Copeland, who I think inspired Sage's story quite a bit. Both came from difficult backgrounds and both had a lot of parental drama. They are both in an industry that still does "blackface" during productions. Ballet drama was lightly touched in the books but I would love to have had more meat to those scenes as these were just more moments to showcase her strength.

Eli is a professional hockey player with his own struggles but I do love him, his cooking skills, and his kind heart. He is a bit socially awkward in the beginning but I loved how he grew throughout the story. No notes for Eli, we need more of him.

Tropes include: Fake dating, found family, forced proximity, and ONE BED. All good things.

I had a great time reading this book and definitely wanted more. I am hearing the next book is about Dylan and that boy and his drama will be so juicy and I can't wait!

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I’ve really enjoyed both of the books in this series. I definitely liked the characters in book one a little bette but this was a fun sports romance and it hit all the high points needed for me to enjoy it!

Made it through 80% of the book. It started off really strong and I loved the characters but then it fell flat for me around 70%. Overall it was a decent book but didn't stand out too much compared to other similar stories

SPIRAL by Bal Khabra is the PERFECT hockey romance!!
Eli and Sage were the perfect couple - I loved how he provided for her, stood by her side, and supported her through out all of her hard work and frustration. Sage was hard working, and depended on no one, and it had me giggling and kicking my feet to see Eli care for her. It was everything I want a romance to be.
I especially loved the sports aspect of this - I don't read a lot of hockey romance because I feel like they all follow the same format, but I loved how Eli provided for Sage, and how Sage found family in his friends, and in her uncle.
Truly just so good.

I will give this a 4 star, maybe even 4.25.
The story is very addictive, I flew through it. At times I did feel like the romance happened too soon but at the same time I didn’t.
Elias is swoon worthy. He is the standard and I can’t wait for people to meet him. The way he treats Sage is so beautiful, he’s in tune to her needs even if she doesn’t vocalize them. He is so tender and I wish to find someone like him. Sage was giving eldest daughter at its highest capacity and as an eldest daughter myself, I understand how it feels to put yourself second to your siblings and try not to be a bother for the family.
The tension was great, so were the explicit scenes. The banter really made this book! I truly loved it.

4.5
I’m really happy that my first book from this author was a success.This was absolutely adorable! It's definitely one of my top reads this year! I adore Elias and Sage; they are truly perfect for each other! Elias demonstrated such a tender love for Sage, and it was wonderful to watch them open up to one another because they really deserve it! I also loved the fake dating aspect and their set rules… and the inevitable breaking of those rules! The tension and slow burn were executed so well that I couldn't put the book down! I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author!

“no, this is just elias & sage. unfiltered.”

a million forehead kisses and hugs to berkeley & bal khabra for the arc! genuinely so so grateful for the hub for underrepresented voices bc spiral is top of my most anticipated reads for 2025 and i nearly squealed when i got the arc !!

collide reigns supreme as one of my favorite hockey romance, but spiral, spiral! spiral!! spiral!!! all i can truly say is … wow! sage & elias!

sage is one of the most genuine, most kind hearted people that anytime her pov came i wanted to squeeze her and find a way to become her best friend! she is truly one of the strongest people ever written! and oh my god, elias! the definition of a lover boy that just needs the biggest hug ever! those two have the biggest heart and deserve all of the love they give to others!

(also aiden & summer … you two make me smile everytime i see your names)

this found family from dalton’s hockey team keeps growing for the better and i’m so excited for the future of this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for supplying me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I adored the first book in this series, Collide. It was unexpected from an author I hadn't heard for before. That made me really want to continue on to see the story lines of the other characters I met there. Sprial is the story of Elias Westbrook, who we met in book one, and Sage Beaumont, a newly introduced characters.
I will say, I went into this book with high expectations given how much I loved the first book. I wanted it to give me the same feel. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
Elias Westbrook, definitely a grump in this grumpy/sunshine book. He's had some trouble in his past and is paying for it, literally. Being the handsome young rookie on the Toronto Thunder team has has thrust him into the media spotlight. And the media has painted him in a playboy light, when he is nowhere near what they are trying to show the public. He doesn't want to open up for anyone. And he certainly doesn't want to be romantically involved with anyone. His focus is on his career and keeping his nose clean. He doesn't expect Sage Beumont, and he certainly doesn't expect how she makes him feel. However, the amount of tease with him was just annoying for me. He had this big secret he was holding back and I felt like he was stringing Sage along for much of the book. When the big reveal finally happens, I was not impressed. Plus, the actual reveal made no sense given what they had already done together. I don't want to spoil it so I'll just leave it at that.
Sage has one sole focus: get the lead role in the ballet company's showing of Swan Lake, She will do whatever she needs to make sure she can secure that role. Even if it means fake dating the man she won a date with at an auction. Social media will help her be noticed and recognized. Fake dating Eli will help with this. What she doesn't expect is to actually fall for the man. Having spent her life around hockey players, she's always kept her distance. But Elias offers her the support she needs to get her career on track. Sage is supposed to be a POC but I just don't see that worked in to where it made sense to even introduce that. If you're going to introduce this, there needs to be reasoning for it: showing socio/economic differences, showing how this may affect her ability to move forward in ballet, etc. We get a bit of the socio/economic but not enough. I felt like this part of the story fell short as the wealthy white hockey player swoops in to take care of her. It was way too superficial. I enjoyed Sage's relationship with her brother, but I just found it a little unrealistic, to be honest. How is she caring for him when she has the mess of her life? I understand he's at a boarding school but she's just not as involved as I feel like she would be if she were like his guardian.
I wasn't totally comfortable with the relationship between Sage and Eli. The potential was great. I loved the idea of them being forced together. But I wanted more of a slow burn with antics and banter and it just didn't hit for me. There was so much that could have been done to show them growing towards each other but it just felt forced to me. I needed to see their relationship grow more organically and it just didn't. I didn't feel invested in them ending up together. The slow burn was done well enough but not to the point that I felt the emotional connections I would have liked to between the characters.
I felt like the author didn't truly understand the ballet world. I feel like more research was needed to truly show what that world is like for Sage. It's just not realistic the way it's presented. And I'm confused as to why there needed to be a fake dating trope. Was it supposed to be because of Eli's background and he's vow? I don't really get why it was necessary expect to make another story line to follow that didn't really make sense for the plot line.
Overall, I was more disappointed than not with this installment of this series. I wanted to love it but there were just so many plot holes and things that didn't make any sense. I felt like I spent the entire book waiting for something to happen and it never really did. I will still pick up future books from Khabra, as I like her writing and think she has great potential as a romance author.

4.5 stars!!

This was so cute!! One of my favorite books I’ve read this year! I love Elias and Sage so much! They are really meant for each other! Elias showed Sage the most gentle love and I loved seeing them both let each other in because they deserve it so much! Elias is the definition of “if he wanted to, he would”! I also enjoyed the fake dating so much and their rules… and the inevitable breaking of the rules! The tension and slow burn were done so well they had me not wanting to put the book down! I can’t wait to read more from this author!