Even though he has a contact to play hockey in the NHL, Matt is determined to finish college. Unfortunately, he's dealing with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD, and his tutors haven't been great at helping him learn and enforcing his accommodations. When Matt is passed off to a new tutor once again, Ro is his last chance to pass a class that he needs to graduate. Luckily for him, Ro is a very good tutor and also a very good person. Ro has secretly had a crush on Matt since freshman year, where they shared her first kiss before he unfortunately disappeared. Matt doesn't seem to remember the kiss, and Ro doesn't remember what she did while she was drunk right before he became her tutor, but each left a lasting impression on the party that could remember. Ro and Matt become closer, and they become fiercely protective of each other.

What is wrong with the adults in the universe? After the jerks in Unsteady, I should have expected infuriating side characters, but I don't know if I could have been prepared for Tyler, Carmen, or Matt's dad. Matt and Ro are both super sun-shiny with a lot going on under the surface, so it was interesting to see them start to see past that. Their romance was adorable, and while the book was angsty, there was ultimately a happy ending. I would highly recommend reading Unsteady first, and maybe even re-reading it before diving into this one because the timelines overlap so much.

I received an advanced copy of this book for review. This is my own opinion.

Some TWs will be below, because I think they should always be included, especially with this subject matter.

I have been sobbing for the past hour, or the finally 15% of this book. Actually, the whole thing left me feeling like I needed to cry, so prepare yourself. I think this is my first book of the year to go in the 2025 favorites collection.

We first met Ro and Matt in Unsteady, which is an absolute banger of a book and you should read it immediately if you haven’t already. Matt was Ro’s first kiss, but he doesn’t remember (for a lot of sad reasons) and she’s crushed on him since. Her ex is shitty and is Matt’s former tutor, and when she takes on the job, he’s instantly taken with her. A lot of flirting ensues, and we explore a lot of trauma. Despite being known as the school’s slut, Matt is an adorable overgrown golden retriever, and Ro is so sweet and innocent. They’ve both been so hurt, and they’re so careful with each other. I love them so much.

This series is one of my absolute favorites now. Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for the ARC! (PS I hope we get Toren’s book next 👀)

TWs:
Teacher/student physical relationship
Manipulative/narcissistic verbally abusive partner
Narcissistic parent
Death of a parent (mentioned)
Parental illness
Alcohol as coping mechanism
Sex as coping mechanism

My first ARC and the best one I could imagine! Sorry my picture is just a graphic, I couldn’t get it on my kindle, so I read on my phone!

5⭐️
2🌶️

Unloved by @peytoncorinneauthor

Unloved is the sequel to Unsteady

Matt Frederic is struggling to get by in his classes. He has dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD, and if he doesn’t improve his grades, he’s going to lose his eligibility to play hockey. He gets assigned a new tutor, Ro Shariff.

Ro has been crushing on Freddy since freshman year when they shared a kiss at a party and then never saw each other again. In the meantime, she’s been dating Tyler off and on for 2 years. When he leaves her 2.5 hours from home at a hockey game, Freddy helps her get home.

They are both experiencing grief in some way, and together, they help each other through. What happens when their feelings develop?

Ok, first, no spoilers, because we saw this in Unsteady. Tyler is the freaking WORST. I hate him with every fiber of my being. Truly terrible.

The banter? 10/10. The spice? Perfect. And the character development? Incredible.

Peyton never fails to make me cry. Her stories are just so relatable and I love her characters so much. The epilogue brought me the most joy and I hope we can have some bonus scenes of these 2, because I love them more than life itself.

Unloved is out February 4th and I hope you all love it as much as I did!

I really enjoyed the character insight and development throughout the story! The slow burn is well-earned and satisfying. I would recommend this to someone looking for a very emotional and heavier romance that really focuses on trauma. The characters have a lot of bruises that keep getting pressed in this book. I struggled a bit with the weight of it and how long the book is, but that's more on me than the book!

4.75 stars
Wow. I was truly in tears the last few chapters. This book is about so much more than finding love. It's about loss, grief, self love, and overcoming obstacles that we create in our own minds (and sometimes those are the hardest battles to fight).
This book is about learning to love yourself and putting yourself first. Once you learn to love yourself that's when true and healthy love follows. We accept the love we think we deserve. The way Matt and Rosalie were able to help each other heal is a journey I feel so lucky to have witnessed. This was such a beautiful story. Thank you so much Peyton for writing something so pure and beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books and Peyton Corinne for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I also received a physical ARC from a Goodreads giveaway.

Ro and Freddy. Their friendship was so sweet and tender. The way they SEE and understand each other so thoroughly as friends and are able to encourage each other to work through their insecurities is so special. That type of care is so precious, I love to see it in books.

I recommend reading Unsteady first as this story builds off of that book.

Similar to Unsteady, Unloved is a book with a lot of serious topics that were handled with respect.

Ro is so thoughtful, smart and relatable. She puts others first and easily empathizes with them. Unfortunately, she is in a toxic on again/off again relationship with a classmate/co-worker in her program and he has a massive impact on her confidence.

Freddy is a hockey star and known around campus for being popular with women, he leans into this stereotype. He comes across as a nice guy who sleeps around but isn’t disrespectful or a heartbreaker - as we learn more we realize there is more to him.

Ro and Freddy meet one night freshman year and it sticks with Ro who maintains a crush on him from afar. Fast forward to current day, Ro is assigned as Freddy’s tutor. Ro and Freddy are both physically attracted to each other and quickly develop a friendship that is important to them.

I enjoyed that this book was told during an overlapping timeline as the first book, I don’t believe I have read a series like that. I’m not sure if that was why or if it was just my attention span but I did feel the middle got a little slow. I loved that you picked up little crumbs from the first book and now that I know the writing style I started picking up some crumbs for future books (I predict Bennett and Paloma will be next but weirdly am looking forward to Tor as well).

Love that the epilogue was a 5yr jump (not 3 months later).

Tropes:
Friends to lovers
Slow burn
Nickname

Dual POV

Tiny potential spoiler….read on at your own risk….did he get the butterfly tattoo after the night in the pool? The hairclips/the tattoo were discussed frequently but the connection was never really made? Or did I miss it?!

I enjoyed this book! I read the first in the series and loved how they intertwined and we got to see glimpse of Sadie & Rhys relationship - I wish there was a bigger resolution with Tinley because what she did to Freddy was horrible and she deserved more trouble than she got in. The characters were well written and complimented each other and you could feel the angst and desperation to be loved for both of them. I’m so glad they got their happy ending!

2.75 🌟

While Unloved had some potential, I found myself struggling to connect with the story as a whole.

There were moments where the book shone, particularly with Ro’s character. She’s strong and layered, and Freddy is absolutely adorable. Both characters faced their own emotional struggles, and I loved how the book focused on their healing journeys.

It was heartwarming to see the representation of ADHD and Dyslexia as part of the narrative, providing visibility for readers who might see themselves in those experiences.

However, Tyler, Ro’s boyfriend, was a character I just couldn’t stand. His presence dominated much of the book, and his actions left me frustrated to the point of wanting to punch the air. His role ultimately detracted from my overall enjoyment.

While there were definitely cute and heartfelt moments, the book fell flat midway through, and I just couldn’t connect with it the way I had hoped.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮, 𝘼𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙖 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙚𝙮𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝘼𝙍𝘾.

If you loved Icebreakers by Hannah Grace and the sports romances from Sarah Adams... Get yourself a glass of water, cozy chair and Unloved by Peyton! You won't stop reading once you stop! Huge shoutout to Netgalley, Peyton and my favorite publishing team over at Atria Books for this eARC!

What to Expect:
⭐ Sports Romance (Hockey)
⭐ Friends To Lovers
⭐ Dual POV storylines
⭐ Some past/present storytelling
⭐ Protective Main Male Character

TW:
⭐ Narcissistic Controlling on/off ex boyfriend.
⭐ Neglectful verbally abusive parent
⭐ Grief + loss


My Thoughts:
If you like sports romances this is right up your alley. I will say this one felt VERY VERY similar to the story line of Icebreaker by Hannah Grace. The plot/storylines run VERY close to each other but there are some major differences. In this case she is a tutor for the hockey player, she instaloves him at an earlier part of the story, BUT he is the one to fall in love with her first.

This story as a whole has a plot...more than just a story of sex/romance and instalove. I love that main character Matty is a big cheerleader for Rosalie through the whole story. He is protecting her while also encouraging her. Something I really believe is essential in real healthy relationships.

Overall a slow burn, well written main characters and secondary characters, and the EPILOGUES!!!! No spoilers but DELIGHTFUL!!!

Synopsis:
Matt “Freddy” Fedderic is all smiles—at least on the surface. On the ice, he’s the star left winger for the Waterfell Wolves with a stellar reputation in bed and a potential future in the NHL. But in the classroom, he’s barely scraping by on a 2.0 GPA, retaking dropped classes and struggling with a rough mix of dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD. Freddy had plans to enter the NHL draft at eighteen, but then his estranged father added a “graduation” clause to his inheritance, and now, he needs help to pass Biology with a professor who’s already betrayed him before.

Ro Shariff is a hopeless romantic with terrible luck in love—and now, Freddy’s new tutor. She keeps telling herself that she’s very happy with her on again/off again boyfriend, but Ro is desperate for real affection. As her tutoring sessions with Freddy lead to friendship and late-night phone calls, an undeniable heat begins to simmer between them, which they’re both trying desperately to ignore.

Although they are too protective of their newfound friendship to cross that line, Ro can’t stop thinking about how Freddy was her first kiss her freshman year at Waterfell, a spine-tingling moment seared into Ro’s memory that Freddy doesn’t seem to remember, and Freddy is determined to protect Ro from his reputation at all costs. Meanwhile, Ro wants to prove to him that despite what others have led him to believe, he’s worth more than his body. But maybe, just maybe, together they can learn how easily the right person can love every part of you, even your flaws.

I think there is something so hauntingly beautiful in Peyton Corinne's writing of life's setbacks. The clocking of a teammate breathing a little harder dealing with unspoken anxiety, the yearning/need to rewire a brain after being broken down constantly, grief of a parent, etc. Matty ("Freddy") is MY SHAYLA. I connected with him on so much and just want to hold his hand constantly. The turmoil this man has been through just breaks your heart knowing how genuine and sensitive he is, but doesn't show.

Matty and Ro's friendship to then relationship is the embodiment of "to be seen is to be loved". I mean even when he interrupted Ro's introduction of him to her dad so her dad can refer to him by an easier name for her dad to say...UGH my heart. Unloved leaves you reeling afterwards, but in a good way. It is so emotional and heartbreaking, you can't help but root for the FMC and MMC during all aspects. I absolutely adore them together and individually. Also, just have to note the hatred I have for Tyler and Carmen. They make my blood BOIL.

I loved that this book correlates with Unsteady and we see more of an outsider's perspective on Sadie and Rhys. I have such a big soft spot for Bennett and I CANNOT wait for his book.

The book gives slow burn, friends-to-lovers, tutor/athlete, misunderstood MMC, and found family.

Highlights throughout the book:
"I think you'd be really easy to love."

I make a vow then to protect her, the pretty girl with butterflies in her messy curls, even if she'll never really be mine.

I think I'm in love with her--not even romantically, but on some soul level. I feel devoted to her.

In my dreams, I take care of you the way you take care of other people, and you're relaxed and calm. And before bed, you tell me how easy it is to love me. I'm starting to think I'd give up anything, even hockey, for that life with you.

"I think loving you would be the greatest thing of my life."

This beautiful, tender book has already set a very high bar for my 2025 reads. I devoured Peyton Corinne's first book Unsteady late last year and was so pleased to receive an ARC for Unloved. It had the swoony romantic moments that had me giggling and kicking my feet, but there was also such tenderness and care for the small moments. I am more than a decade older that Ro, yet I related to her so deeply I often wondered if Peyton Corinne had read my journals. I often see readers on social media wondering where all the yearning has gone and let me tell you my sweet Freddy YEARNS. I would consider this to be a slow burn, but the growth of each character both separately and together is so essential to the story. I will think about this book often and am looking forward to what Peyton Corinne releases next.

I knew i was going to love this when i read unsteady. I love this author and can't wait to read more of her work.

I really loved this book and flew through it. I knew this book was going to be 5 stars for me well before the ending. This book was just so achingly sweet in the best way possible. Ro and Matt were both total sweethearts and the way they viewed themselves after how they've been treated in the past completely broke my heart. I completely fell for both Ro and Matt and the way that they took care of each other's hearts and the way they were there for each other, understood each other and stuck up for each other.

If you like college or sports romances with emotional depth and great neurodiversity/disability rep, please read this. If you've ever been made to feel like you need to change yourself or are not good enough by someone who is supposed to care about you, then this book will definitely hit home.

This was my first book by Peyton Corinne and definitely won't be the last! I can't wait to read Unsteady to get Sadie and Rhys's story and am excited to read future books in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria books for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to Atria for letting me read this book early. All thoughts are my own!!

Unsteady and Unloved hit me in the gut in a way I was not expecting! I knew Unsteady was full of heavy topics, but it still managed to surprise me. Unloved is also really heavy, just in a different way. They’re both really great books, and I can’t wait to see where Peyton goes from here.

The voice notes for Freddy!! The way she cares so much for his success and advocates for him!! Ro is constantly standing up for Freddy and advocating for him when people treat him badly. She cares about him so much, and it’s SO SWEET.

The friendship they’re building before they get together OMG I LOVE FRIENDS TO LOVERS!! And The Slowwwww Burn!!! The best combination ever. I loved how well they knew each other and how deeply they cared about each other. Freddy was so gentle with Ro while she navigated the fallout of her toxic relationship with Tyler. I cried a few times. You could feel their love through the pages and in every interaction AND I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!

Archer and Elsie OMFG MY HEART!! I loved Rhys’ parents in Unsteady, but I was not prepared for the HEARTBREAK of reading about Archer and Elsie. I’m genuinely so sad for Archer. I loved his relationship with Freddy so much.

Freddy took Ro’s last name, and they named their baby after his mom?? I’m done!! I cried. I was a sobbing mess by that point.

Do wish that Tyler and the professor chick had some resolution though because I feel like those plot points just stopped? I understand the professor not really having a part anymore once Ro quit and Freddy dropped the class. But there was no way Tyler was done. That man is vile and the scum of the earth, and I wanted to see his downfall.

Similar to how I felt that Ro and Freddy disappeared towards the last third of Unsteady, I also feel like Bennett and Paloma disappeared. I know the set up is most likely for his book to be next, but if there’s going to be a third book to follow the SAME timeline we just went through twice I MIGHT LOSE IT!!

It also makes it harder to me to connect to them as side characters when they just aren’t there by the second half of the book. And because we don’t see them interact with the main characters, it makes it harder to believe they’re as close as they say they are. You’re telling me they live together and claim to be best friends, but barely talk to each other or hang out? I had a hard time with it. It feels like a missed opportunity.


Overall, I’m really excited for the next book from Peyton, and I will be waiting impatiently to find out what and who it’s about!

This book had some cute moments that I enjoyed, but overall, I couldn’t connect with it. I feel like the story focused on Tyler for far too long, and I was honestly so upset with how he treated Ro. Protect Ro at all costs, please! I wanted to love this book so much, but it just didn’t happen for me.

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the ARC

Thank you Atria Books & netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book reminds me of one of my all time favourite books, "the deal" with the whole tutor/hockey player vibe. It's what intrigued me the most and it did not disappoint!!! I really love Matt & Ro together 🥺 their relationship is so special. I love that they're always there for one another and they're able to open up and speak freely to one another, a total judgement free zone!! However, what stopped me from giving this book 5 stars are all the damn crying!!! I swear, there was crying in every chapter of this book. I understand that the characters were dealing with heavier topics, but the constant crying took away from the story because it was so repetitive!!! I also thought that the Tyler stuff took way too long to resolve! I was FED UP!!

I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a hockey romance! It was cute!

* this book deals with topics of grief and abuse - please check trigger warnings +

Unloved: ★★★★☆ (4)

Pub date: Feb 4, 2025!

Tropes:
- hockey romance
- tutor x student
- slow burn
- school playboy

When I finished Unsteady I ran to Netgalley to request the ARC for unloved, Which I then immediately devoured. hockey romances are definitely the most popular romance books out there but the difference between this series and other series I’ve read is the amount of emotion baggage that is explored. All of the Corine’s characters carry such traumatic backgrounds and she does a great job of mining those relationships. Matt and Ro go to characters who are struggling in their own lives together. They’re perfect match. The other is missing. Theirs is a romance based friendship and personal growth. I totally recommend this romance series, and hopefully there are more books down the road!

Thank you #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had Unsteady on my radar because of BookTok, but wasn’t really interested in reading it. When I got approved for the ARC of Unloved, I knew the time had come.

I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Unsteady. The unexpected emotional storylines, addictive romance, tasteful spice, banter, pacing… all of it sucked me in and made me not want to put it down.

I went into Unloved hoping for all of that again, and it exceeded my expectations. I fell in love with Matt in the way Ro did, and adored how much their friendship/love blossomed over the course of the book. One hell of a slow burn with a huge payoff! Sometimes it was frustrating because I wanted them to be officially together before the 75% mark, but their relationship and respective characters were so complex that it needed to be fleshed out in the way it was. There are so many beautifully tragic layers to Matt and Ro that needed to be exposed before they could love each other fully. The detail was wonderful and not too dense. I want to protect Matt and Ro and make sure nothing ever hurts them ever again.

I can only hope to one day find the love that Matt and Ro have.

Oh, and it took too long for Tyler to get what was coming to him!

Thank you Simon & Schuster for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.


Unloved? More like LOVED this book.

Interconnected standalone hockey romance novels are my jam. I’ve read them all. When I had the opportunity to start a new hockey romance series, I was expecting the same quick and light reads. This? This one got me emotional.

Although this is a hockey romance, I enjoyed that the plot found itself focusing more on the growth of the characters, rather than the sport. There is some content that might be sensitive to some readers, but I personally really appreciated the representation of hyper-sexuality as a reaction to abuse. Also, the way it showed power dynamic abuse as a legit form of harm was so important—it’s something that doesn’t get enough attention.

Based off of dialogue from other characters, I can guess whose story is going to be next and I can’t wait!

Ro Shariff isn’t prepared for her on again/ off again boyfriend Tyler to volunteer her to tutor campus hockey star and playboy Matt “Freddy” Fredderic. She has always had a crush on him and they shared an instant connection at a party their freshman year. Ro isn’t sure Freddy remembers it, yet she is a professional. Ro will do anything to help him pass biology and graduate. Freddy is grateful to have Ro because the other tutors have always been disrespectful towards his struggles with dyslexia, dyscalculia and ADHD. As their partnership only grows, the happy go lucky duo start to notice how unloved they truly feel. They both might break, yet will Ro and Freddy be ready to help each other pick up the pieces?

I read this book in 24 hours. Ro & Freddy are two of the kindest souls that wear their hearts on their sleeves. I NEEDED to know if they would be ok! Too many people have taken advantage of them and the reader witnesses the deep emotions and secrets that they carry. You will cry, laugh, and seriously want to punch a couple of characters in this novel. Pick up your copy of Unloved on February 4, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this eARC.