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!

Rating ~3.5

A solid, albeit predictable hockey romance.

This was a quick, easy read.

I did not like this installment quite as much as Collide. It wasn't bad by any means, but I didn't feel as invested in Eli and Sage as I did in Aiden and Summer. This surprised me because Eli is boyfriend material, sweet, thoughtful, and a great cook, and Sage's teasing, flirty nature, was more likable than Summer's sometimes black cat energy so I thought I'd fall in love with them. But alas.

That aside, I enjoyed the book and found Eli and Sage's romance sweet. I just wish there was a little something more.

Thank you so much to Netgally for providing me with a digital ARC of Spiral by Bal Khabra

This book was such an engaging read! It was able to get me out of a reading slump and also made it so I wanted to sit down and read a personal book on top of 150+ pages a night as a literature major!

The ballerina x hockey play aspect of this book was so enjoyable to read! I feel like there are not nearly enough duel athlete romance in the world so when we get to see both characters excelling at their goals in life it is such a refreshing experience!

I was also a huge fan of the depth that this romance was able to have. Both Elias and Sage have gone through so much in their lives before the story even starts and to watch them work through their problems together was so heart warming!

I think I can honestly say that I enjoyed this book more than its predecessor Collided which I also was a huge fan of!

If all do this does not convince you to pick this book up just know that the playlist at the start of the book has Matilda by Harry Styles and Everywhere, Everything by Noah Kahan and maybe that will!

I DNF’d this book pretty early in (20-ish % or so) because I just kind of find the entire set up….not unrealistic but just unnecessary? I don’t *really* know how accurate it is to be such a famous hockey player that major tabloids are writing front page headlines about you every week. But I don’t think it would be so prevalent to require a fake girlfriend situation. Khabra’s prose and character craft is not bad at all. I just didn’t enjoy the set-up for this one.

I really loved COLLIDE but this one might top it for me. I was obsessed with the love story here and Eli may be the most perfect book boyfriend to ever exist. 10/10 no notes.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫 / 🌶️🌶️

The way this put me back in a hockey romance mood should be studied!! The improvement from Collide to Spiral was so exciting to see.

I will say it had a slow start that had me first questioning if this would be the same old same old hockey romance but the twist?! It had me throwing my kindle and in shock. I loved it and was interested to see how it was going to play out. It. Did. Not. Disappoint.

If you love all things hockey romance, fluff, with complex characters then Spiral is for you!

Tropes:

🩰 ballerina x hockey player
🩰NHL Hockey Romance
🩰 Shy MMC x Strong FMC
🩰 Fluffy romance
🩰 fake dating
🩰 forced proximity
🩰 slow burn

Thank you to NetGalley and berkley publishing for an ARC!!

3.75 Stars

There’s nothing I love more than to escape into a new adult sports romance when I want to avoid the real world for a few hours. Spiral fits the bill and delivered what I was hoping. Both Sage and Eli are athletes from seemingly different backgrounds but have more in common than what it first looks like. When they agree to fake date, what starts out as a mutually beneficial agreement turns into more (and with their chemistry, they should have seen it coming). Equal parts humorous, heartfelt, and cute, I read this in one sitting and enjoyed every minute.

Spiral by Bal Khabra combines everything I love about fake-dating sports romances: sizzling chemistry, heartfelt moments, and a touch of humor. Elias, a rising hockey star with a reputation to salvage, and Sage, a driven ballerina aiming for her big break, come together in a perfectly staged (but oh-so-real) fake relationship. Their slow-burn romance is packed with tension, making every stolen glance and small gesture deeply satisfying.

Khabra weaves in themes of family, resilience, and ambition seamlessly, and the characters’ vulnerabilities make their connection even more compelling. Elias is the ultimate acts-of-service partner, and Sage’s strength and determination are inspiring. Their journey is equal parts emotional and swoon-worthy.

This is a must-read for anyone who loves sports romance with a lot of heart and just the right amount of drama. I can’t wait to see what’s next in the series! Many thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC, will definitely purchase for the library!

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overview:
Elias Westbrook is a struggling rookie in the NHL—after an amazing college career he’s realizing scoring goals in the majors is a lot harder than he thought it would be. Putting so much pressure on himself to live up to everyone’s expectations, he’s pleasantly surprised when he meets Sage—a struggling ballerina who’s trying to care for her brother, chase her dreams, and honestly just keep her life afloat. They find their careers can mutually benefit if they enter into a fake dating agreement. It’s a great plan until real feelings get involved…

My thoughts:
Bal Khabra does it again! I loveeeeed Elias and Sage’s growth and love. So much so that Elias might be one of my favorite book boyfriend of all time 🤭—he was so thoughtful and kind and always wanting Sage to feel wanted and taken care of.

Spiral was a good, spicy hockey romance like I was expecting—but also so much more. It had depth, covered serious topics, and of course had my favorite tropes of fake dating, one bed, found family, and he fell first. Not wanting to give too much away, all I can say is I highly recommend reading this when it comes out in January, you won’t be disappointed!

I received a complimentary copy of this book—opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing Group!

I could not get into this sadly. I had high hopes but it wasn’t hooking me. I feel like maybe I am in a slump and I would enjoy it at another time but for now it wasn’t hitting the spot.

I am glad that I read the first book in the series first before going into this one, I can be a standalone but character come into this book that were in the first one and I feel it's best to read them in order.
I really liked this book a lot better than the first book, it was really good and showed so much character development.
MAin characters: Sage and Elias; sage has a bad taste for hockey guys and Elisa is a rookie who the media has created so much drama for. Their relationship and adventure in love is so perfect, it shows family issues, personal issues and career issues. Lots of issues and drama but it was such a great book.
This book was a slow burn finding feelings kinda book. There was tons of chemistry and emotions and family issues played a huge part in this book. It was well written and put together great.
Elias is such a great book boyfriend, this book makes him shine and shows just how caring, sweet and protective he is.

I am waiting for the next book in this series.... It's such a great series and this author is fantastic.

WOW did this book live up to its expectations. I really don’t have much else to say aside from the fact that these characters are everything to me and i wish the epilogue was a thousand pages longer than it actually was. 🥲 but i had an amazing time binging this in one evening, and i cannot wait to read the next books in the series (author, please write a story for #kiandylan im dying here…i’ll even take a novella).

Thank you to netgalley for the ARC!

Spiral is the second book in the Off the Ice series by Bal Khabra, following the story of Elias Westbrook and Sage Beaumont. This heartfelt and charming romance showcases Khabra’s growth as a writer, with clear improvements in writing, editing, and plotlines compared to the first book.

Elias Westbrook is having a tough rookie season in the NHL. With the media labeling him a playboy and harassing any woman he’s seen with—not to mention his struggle to score his first career goal—his confidence is at an all-time low. Meanwhile, Sage Beaumont, niece of NHL coach Marcus Beaumont, faces her own challenges as a ballerina. After being turned down for a dream role in Swan Lake due to her lack of social media following, she’s left feeling defeated.
When Elias and Sage cross paths, they strike a mutually beneficial deal: they’ll fake date.

The story is heartwarming and undeniably cute. Elias and Sage’s connection feels genuine and deeply supportive—they bring out the best in each other. Their banter and emotional growth add a layer of authenticity that pulls readers in. Elias’s tenderness, in particular, is a standout. His patience and vulnerability made me appreciate Sage’s character even more, despite not being her biggest fan initially. Together, their dynamic is sweet, uplifting, and full of growth.

I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series!

Read This Book If…a hockey player x ballerina romance sounds amazing!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Spiral by Bal Khabra

Genre: hockey romance
Series: Off the Ice # 2
Spice Level: 3/5🌶, 1-2 explicit scenes
Setting: Toronto
POV: dual, 1st person, present tense
Tropes: fake dating, roommates, celibate, cinnamon roll hero

My Thoughts:
I really enjoy the vulnerability between these two! I was not expecting him to be the sweetest, softest guy to finally be the one to take care of the ultra-independent girl.

I found the writing to be a little clunky and there were quite a few different conflicts woven into the plot, so the ending felt a bit rushed to wrap everything up neatly.

Overall, I enjoyed this read but it isn’t my favorite hockey romance.

Memorable Quote: “Let’s go home,” she whispers into the crook of my neck. I nod, but she doesn’t know that I’m already there.

Thank you to the publisher for my advance copy!

4.5 stars! I did not expect to love this book so much. There are so many hockey romances out there, but this one really stood out and felt different to me.

Sage was super flirty and confident while Elias was more reserved. They are both athletes struggling to have successful careers and decide to fake date to be able to achieve their goals. I loved how Sage was always cracking jokes and saying inappropriate things. Eli is not the typical super rich, cocky pro athlete that sleeps around which was so refreshing. He reminded me of Ryan Shay (biggest compliment ever). The way he treated Sage and the things he said had me swooning. Their story and their conversations felt so real and relatable. This one is a major slow burn, and they build such a strong friendship before actually getting together. This is one of those book couples that you know would actually stay together forever.

It wasn't a 5 star for me because there were just a couple of small things that bugged me. Then at 70% in, I was like what could possibly happen after this for 30%. It definitely could have been shorter. I need to go back and read Collide now. Thank you to NetGalley & Berkley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5-4⭐️ So... I have a lot of thoughts.

Let me start by saying I liked this MUCH better than collide. These two were so cute and TRULY deserved each other. I loved the comfort and care they took with each other. Secondly, I realize that if you don't like a specific trope... you shouldn't read books with that trope! However, I had NO idea this book was a slow burn... and a major one at that. Which leads me to my next point...

This book is SUCH a tease... *I* was getting ready to spiral reading this book for the first 75% if I'm honest! Then after they finally got together everything was good and cute and beautiful everything happened so fast I just don't understand why it TOOK SO LONG! It got to a point where I honest to God didn't even care about the sex, please just admit you LIKE EACH OTHER!

Sage was soooooooo much more likeable than Summer. I had no issues with her and she didn't make me wanna pull my hair out and fight her. Elias was also very very sweet and thoughtful and such a good MMC. It's interesting to me the choice to switch the gender roles with this book and make Sage the assertive one and Elias the apprehensive one (to be together) however his reasoning behind being apprehensive was just SO DUMB to me. I'm sorry! That's just "MY OPINION." But kudos to Sage for being so patient with him, although its an easy thing to do when you have a man taking care of you the way Eli did!

Lastly... I KNOW Sage was supposed to be a POC. WHERE was the evidence of that? Like i truly had a huge question mark because just saying she has brown skin and curly hair is not telling the reader anything. And that's weird to me because it was clear in collide that Summer was a poc. So idk what happened there! But anyway...

sorry, I just had a lot of feelings.

as a former dancer myself, I was so excited to read this and the romance did not disappoint. Elias is such book-boyfriend material, and I felt such a connection with Sage in many ways related to feeling unworthy/not good enough. The characters are likable, there's nothing overly complicated, and the romance keeps you involved until the end. Elias was such a golden retriever and I love how much he cared about improving his image and being more than what people expected of him. Sage and her brother were a great representation of a realistic sibling relationship. The slow burn was done well and worth it once they both gave in!