Thank you Berkley for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

I know hockey romance has been trendy for a while, but when it’s done right, I will never get sick of it. I was intrigued by this book due to the fake dating trope and was treated to a delightfully sweet, steamy, fun romance between a professional hockey rookie and a ballerina. It was so fun and I look forward to going back and reading the first book in this series and continuing on with the next one!

Synopsis:

“Elias Westbrook, a newly drafted hockey player for the Toronto Thunder, is facing the challenges of fame and media scrutiny. With a growing fan base and too many expectations on his shoulders, he’s struggling to make his first career goal. The tabloids are reporting on his every move, including which woman he was last seen with, but all he wants to do is escape the spotlight.Enter from stage left Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina with dreams of joining the Aurora Ballet Theatre, but her lack of popularity online leaves her at a major disadvantage for securing the lead role. When Sage finds herself with the perfect opportunity to make her dreams come true by fake dating Elias, she takes her shot.Soon enough, the flimsy fake-dating rules they set in place fall away in the face of their sizzling connection. But before things spiral out of control, Sage and Elias will have to decide if they’re willing to take the leap together or if they'll call it quits.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Concept/Tropes—Fake dating! Hockey player/ballerina! It was so fun. Had the dishiness of a college hockey romance but a bit more adult themes. I really liked the emphasis on found family as well.

The Pacing—It was fun and quick and made me want to keep reading, always a win in this distraction filled timeline we’re living in.

The Charm—Elias was adorable and Sage was a firecracker. I loved their humor and banter together. They utterly charmed me.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

Some jumps in time—I feel like some chapters ended and I thought the storyline would continue, but we’d jump onto something else. A me problem!

Lost the Fake Dating Stakes—The stakes just weren’t there for the media finding out about their fake relationship or it impacting Sage’s ballet career. Felt like we lost the plot on that one a bit.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 3/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

Content Warnings:

blackmail, abandonment, child abuse (off page/past), fire, body shaming

Okay I was not expecting to like this as much as I did! I get skeptical with hockey romances because there’s just so many that they blur together, but this was really good!

Elias and Sage are a great couple. I like that they start out their fake dating arrangement as friends. They’re both open and honest with each other - unfiltered if you will, and it was so nice to see. They both had their own struggles and they were able to go through them together.

I thought it was super easy to read. The romance and tension was beautiful, the banter was fantastic, and the spice was spicy.

Tropes:
📖fake dating
📖forced proximity
📖tension
📖banter
📖found family
📖hockey x ballerina
📖spicy

I want to thank NetGalley and Bal Khabra for the ARC!

I enjoyed this so much more than the first book in the series. I think moving out of the college setting helped this book so much. The characters were sweet and I loved the communication between them! The start of it with the fake dating and instant attraction had me feeling unsure about the book, but once I was past the first bit I really got invested. The caretaking moments between the two of them were adorable, not just the actions they took but what they said to each other as well. The book really was about the little moments between them.

There were pieces of both the characters I found relatable and very likable once I got to know them more. They’re both uniquely their own characters.

🤭 fake dating
🫶🏻 caretaking
🏒 hockey
🩰 ballet
🤍 strangers to lovers
🌿 he gets a tattoo for her
👏🏻 no third act breakup

dual POV
4.5/5 stars ⭐️
2.5/5 spice level 🌶️

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆.”

Hello, it is I, letting you know that this book was so freaking amazing.
First off, yes the hockey x ballerina trope was perfect 💞. A hockey guy that needs the press to lay off his back and a ballerina that needs media exposure aaand obviously let's give it a round of applause for fake dating! 💏

“𝑰 𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈.” “𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰’𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏?” “𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆.”

I’ve read a ton of fake dating, and you know how it goes "is this real, or is this fake?" AND To be honest, the transition was done so well. You could fully see how the lines started to blur and how amazing Eli is at respecting the boundaries set at the beginning with Sage and how he REALLY tries not to break them... but you know what they say rules are meant to be broken , buahaha 😈.

“𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒔. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐,” 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒚. “𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕—”
“𝑺𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏.”
“𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕?”
“𝑺𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝑺𝒂𝒈𝒆,”
“𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒔.”

I also adored Sage. She is so relatable, having the world on her shoulders and never letting anyone else take care of her until Eli ❤️ She is so resilient and strong that watching her character development throughout the entire book was one of my favorite parts.

Lastly, let's talk about romance. Yes, there is spice, and it was amazing, but also the scenes embody how giving and receiving doesn't have to be transactional. I think that's important to illustrate because that part of it was what made the love scenes SO MUCH BETTER.

“𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆. 𝑼𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆.” 𝑰 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒍𝒚. “𝑫𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒄𝒌.”

tropes
💛 sports romance (and dance - ballerina)
💛 fake dating
💛 roommates
💛 forced proximity
💛no third act breakup

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for my honest review

fake dating is always going to pull me in. but that mixed with forced roommates due to circumstances and a slow burn with chemistry that was EVIDENT from their early interactions of fake dating had me locked in!!

The love between these two grew so beautifully from their fake dating that I could not get enough of their sweet moments OR their flirting moments. Elias was such a care taker that it made my heart melt. he just wanted to shoulder whatever Sage had going on and he did it in the smallest of ways to gain her trust at first. Sage was super relatable to me in the people pleaser department, I felt super seen with her character and I loved to see her growth alongside Elias during this book. Their chemistry was insane and the fact that it burnt as slow as it did had me on edge in the best way. The found family I this was UNMATCHED. I loved how quickly Sage fell into step with it all like she was always meant to be there.

It may have taken me a second to get into this book which is why it isn't a full five stars but once I did I loved these two so much. Excited to go back and see how Summer and Aiden came to be!

YES TO EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS.

Sage has trust issues from her parents, Elias has trust issues because of betrayals in his past, and through a series of silly but wonderful circumstances they meet, and they click. Elias is constantly in the media and being connected to a string of women, and Sage needs a bigger social media presence to get the attention of her dream ballet company. While Sage is the one that proposes a fake relationship, Eli is the one that accidentally blows it up into a big thing.

It's never fake. Like, they don't even try denying in their heads that they are super into the other person, even if they hold onto their reasons for not being a real relationship. While this has a cute cartoon cover, this book is deep. Both Sage and Eli have been through a lot, they come by those trust issues for legitimate reasons, and they both have priorities that they don't want to disrupt for the other. The amount of respect they have for each other is just amazing, and their commitment to each other's dreams is admirable.

I cried at the end to see these two not only get their dreams, but get each other, and figure out how to make both things exist. I enjoyed the first book in the series, but this was just something extra extra for me. You do not need to read Collide to enjoy Spiral, but you should anyway.

Spiral is everything correct with the sports romance genre. A fiery, independent ballerina and a dependable, strong hockey player is a recipe for readers to sink their teeths into and enjoy every bite.

After Elias Westbrook's life is unfairly picked apart by the media, he will do almost anything to get them off his back and out of his business. Luckily, Sage is here to save the day. Sage is a down-on-her-luck ballerina who needs a strong social media following, and fast, to land an audition with her dream dance company. Sage and Eli agree to fake date to help each other out, but it isn't long before they're really falling for each other despite their rules and the best intentions.

I was a little slow to start this one, but once I got into it, I was hooked. Honestly, I'd fall for Elias too - the man knows how to take care of people. Sage is so used to doing everything on her own, so she's STUNNED when Eli steps up; and boy does he take some big steps. Sage is hyper-independent, so obviously has a hard time accepting help, but he gives her no choice (in a cute way). I'm very glad there was no miscommunication nor any third act breakups - once they decided to be together for real, the conflict become something else. I'm really glad to have read this and would highly suggest it for people looking for New Adult hockey romances.

I think I had high hopes for this story since the FMC is BIPOC. The book wasn't awful, it just wasn't developed enough. The romance felt forced and I often asked myself 'Why do they like each other again?" throughout the story. The first couple spice scenes were also.... cringey. They felt like they were written in at the last minute. This book has great bones and has the potential to be great thanks to all the tropes: fake dating, one bed, dual POV, BIPOC FMC. BUT.... it needs to be more developed. This love story just wasn't on the mark for me. With that being said, I did finish the book so that means it was at least enjoyable enough to finish. The side characters were also hilarious and made the book move a lot faster.

I hate it when book covers are bright and cute and fun, while the stories aren’t. I’m not interested in reading books about people complaining about how terrible their lives are, as if they expect life to be easy. DNF.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

4⭐️

this book was so good!! I really loved that this one wasn’t in college settings. bc I have been wanting a NHL book and this delivered that for me.

the beginning of the book was so good, and I LOVE Eli and Sage. their relationship was so cute. I loved the fake dating in this.

the only reason why I gave this book a 4⭐️ is bc I felt like the book was being dragged in the last 30%. it really frustrated me how much Eli was indecisive about his relationship with Sage.

But in the end, this book was good, and I absolutely enjoyed it. and I can’t wait for Dylan’s story!! 🤩🤩🤩

Thank you so much Netgalley and Berkley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I've had a copy of this arc for a while and just never picked it up until recently and I honestly think that was my biggest mistake because I should've read this masterpiece sooner! I'm a sucker for sports romances and this book ticked off all the boxes. This was, in my opinion, slightly better than the first book in this series, Collide, and I immediately fell in love with both of the MCs. Eli is the textbook definition of a perfect book boyfriend and Sage had so much emotional depth. The things this man did when Sage wasn't 100%, like wiping off her makeup with micellar water when she was too drunk (immediate swoon). The only reason I didn't give this a full 5 stars is just because I felt like it could've been 50 pages shorter, but other than that, this was an amazing book with an incredible romance. I will definitely be continuing the series and can't wait to see more of all the characters.

"As long as I get to end up in your arms like this, it's worth it. You are worth it." <33

I LOVED IT!

I've read the first one and loved it as well. This one didn't disappoint either! Really excited for "Revolve" ! :D

First and foremost, I want to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sending me the ARC for Spiral by Bal Khabra.

This book has ended up becoming a 3/5 star read for me, and I am happy to say that I would recommend it.
Sage and Elias are a couple that emulate selfless love. There is beauty in their ability to show us that loving someone should be effortless, that there are people out there who want to help you shoulder the load you constantly carry not because they have to, but because they want to. Because they love you. That was my main takeaway from this story, to allow yourself to find a love that helps you heal yourself, and in-turn, love yourself more than you ever have before.

Sage's personality was strong, in the best way. I love finding FMCs who have a fire within them, while also having the ability to give us glimpses to their soft side throughout their journey. Elias was a special character, one that has shown us that we need to stop punishing ourselves for the actions of others, and that the love of a partner can be gentle and soft in a world of chaos. These characters have gone through hardships individually, ones that translated into them as a couple, and I enjoyed watching them heal one another every step of the way.

There were moments within this book where I felt certain moments, whether they be subplot points or one-liners of dialogue, that did not feel as though they fit in this story. It was as if they were added because it is a well-loved trope, rather than feeling true to the story at that point in time. There were a few lines from Elias that as a reader I love each time, but they felt disconnected and almost untrue to the story itself in those moments. It just felt like all of the favorite tropes we all have were mashed into one story, and for me it felt forced.

I think my favorite part of this entire book was the epilogue, which solidified the rating for me tenfold. The found family in this series is beautiful, one that will have me continuing this series as our author continues. It brought out emotion in me that I hadn't felt during the rest of the book, and it was a heartfelt, beautiful ending.

ELIAS WESTBROOK 🗣️🗣️🗣️ makes me wanna bark. 100/10
“I’m beginning to think Elias Westbrook could tell me to bark and I would.”

Diva Sage is an icon, a legend, and she is the moment. Bal Khabra can write A MAN. The acts of service in this was 🤌🏻 This book had me gigging and kicking my feet the entire time. I have zero complaints and want to shout about this from the rooftops.
Sweet Elias’s dirty mouth had me foaming at the mouth DADDY I LOVE HIM

elias needs the media off his back and the focus on his game. sage needs to increase her social media following so she can land a ballet audition for swan lake. after betting in an auction for a date with elias, the two of them hatch a plan to fake date to get what they want. but when she unexpectedly needs to move in with him and feelings start to develop, it’s starting to feel a whole lot less fake.

fake dating anddddd roommates with only one bed? delicious tension!! sage is unbelievably strong and so caring for not only elias but also her younger brother, sean. she literally faced so many hardships and always got back up and I loved her for that. and sweet, quiet, caring eli. I loved him so much!! seeing him and aiden’s friendship in this book was so special too (and summer!!)

Thank you berkley romance and netgalley for the gifted copies!

what to expect
⟢ fake dating
⟢ roommates
⟢ slow burn
⟢ hockey player x ballerina

This book had a fun 'subplot' to the overall hockey romance, with having two people from broken homes find their way to each other and figure out ways to trust and love without the barrier. I enjoyed how Sage and Eli worked together, though occasionally frustrating with them not remembering the 'rules' they set with fake dating. I do enjoy the fake dating trope, with a lot of fun side twists within this story. Overall, still a hockey romance that I enjoyed.

This book was extremely cute, I love the fake dating trope so much. I love that even though this was interconnected, I wasn't spoiled by anything. I love Elias.

hockey player x ballerina?

sign me right up.

I was hesitant going into this book because book 1 wasn't my cup of tea but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. the banter, the forced proximity and a mmc who is embarrassingly down bad for his girl... I ate it right up. these covers are absolutely gorgeous and I cannot wait to read more!

I’m such a sucker for fake dating turned friends turned lovers, so this was right up my alley. I enjoyed this one, but I think Collide still comes out on top for me!! Really enjoyed seeing more sides of Elias (doesn’t hurt that that’s one of my favorite names😍) and watching him grow throughout the book. I also appreciated the slow burn of it, though the spice didn’t capture me the way I was expecting it to. Some of Sage’s inner monologues were too close to home for me OOF, and I really appreciated the depth of her internal struggles with feeling worthy because she herself didn’t believe it (relatable😭).