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I really enjoyed this book — it was definitely the most *serious* hockey romance I've read so far. While I absolutely love Icebreaker by Hannah Grace and Collide by Bal Khabra, this one just read differently. Unlike those more lighthearted, humorous stories, this book takes a much deeper, more emotional approach. It doesn’t rely on humor to carry the narrative; instead, it delves into heavy themes like grief and trauma, exploring what it looks like to fall in love while navigating some of life’s toughest seasons. The author really succeeded in portraying this journey with depth and emotional authenticity.

The story itself is slow-paced and character-driven, which made it a bit of a challenge to get into at first, but it was definitely worth the time. The growth of the characters and the gradual development of the romance were so well done. It wasn’t a quick, dramatic buildup — it felt real and earned, which made the payoff at the end even more satisfying.

That said, my only issue with the book was how awful Matt’s dad and Ro’s ex, Tyler, are. They were almost comically bad — like, over-the-top awful — and it became frustrating to see them get away with so much for so long. The narrative really dragged its feet in dealing with them, and it would’ve been more satisfying if they were confronted or handled earlier in the story. The way they were allowed to remain in the characters' lives for as long as they did made it feel like the story was almost stalling at times.

Overall, this was a moving and beautifully written romance that tackles heavier, more complex themes. Once it hits the shelves, I definitely recommend checking it out — especially for readers looking for a more serious, slow-burn romance that digs deep into emotional growth.

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This book follows Ro & Freddy; Freddy is an NHL-bound hockey player & Ro is his tutor. As they spend more time together, they realize the attraction they have for each other.

This was so cute! All of the characters were so lovable (except Tyler he can go away) & I loved the buildup between the two main characters. It is a slow burn as they don’t actually get together until about 70% through, & this is an example of a slow burn where I actually really enjoyed the buildup.

I do think this book was a little long for a romance but everything that was included added to the story. I will have to go back & read Sadie & Rhys’s story too since I enjoyed this one so much. I really hope we get books about Bennett & Holden too!

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC.

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So, I realize this says #2 in a series, but it can totally be read as a standalone novel. It takes nothing away from Freddy and Ro's story at all. Hockey romance is a huge thing right now; this one is well done. It also has some added components with ADHD/anxiety and oldest daughter/only child vibes as Ro copes with all the expectations put on her! She is to be Freddy's tutor, but she has had a long-time crush on him. Her boyfriend is a complete tool. TW: verbal and emotional abuse from him towards Ro. Freddy is her knight in shining armor, and Ro helps Freddy realize there is so much more to him than what people perceive. Spicy but sweet romance with a happily ever after ending.

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8% in I was already hooked (I was hooked at the first page)

11% I was crying

This book is just CHEFS KISS! So beautiful and moving. As much as I wanted to scream at them both. I was so awed to see them find each other. Exactly what they needed.

The people pleasing tendencies of Ro

The self-doubt of Freddy

As a teacher every time I see a character with a learning disability and the education system being held accountable (reminds me it’s fiction) my heart sings.

The angst in the book literally caused my chest to hurt.

It’s the tutor and athlete story you need, with friends to lover, and hurt and comfort all combined into a beautiful story about being enough through grief, the past, and our inner demons.

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I have to start this by saying these books mean the world to me. I never thought I’d feel the og off campus vibes again but this series has blown that out of the water so far.
Peyton makes you fall hard for each character she introduces you to. I’ve loved Rhys and Sadie obviously but it’s something about Ro and Matty that just melt me.
They both have a past of deep hurt and self consciousness. That I relate to like no other. They come together and help each other time and time again without even realizing it.
💚💚
This is the most perfect friends to lovers I’ve read in a while. Such a pure start to such a beautiful relationship😭🥹
🦋🦋
Matthew Frederic is this goofy hockey star who’s known to be a ladies’ man. But behind that wall he’s built up, he’s a deeply hurt and confused boy. But when he meets Rosalie, his whole world changes. She doesn’t pick apart his flaws, she helps him through them.
Rosalie Shariff is an incredibly smart girl known to make her way through school with a breeze. Shes placed as Freddy’s tutor to help him pass classes to graduate. What she never saw coming was how deep the sessions would go. And how much healing would happen.🫶🏼🥹
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The epilogues??!?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME😭🥹
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Thank you for this ARC, truly. I’ve been excited for this ever since the title was announced.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I thank NetGalley for offering me the e-ARC of this title.

At first, I was caught off guard because this book takes place WHILE unsteady does, rather than continuing from where it left off but with a different couple like most interconnected stand-alones do. But this book ate! I read it nearly in one sitting and was thoroughly entertained. I really loved the dynamic between them. I read this a couple days ago and already forgot details but I enjoyed it. 3.5 stars!

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What else can I say other than Peyton has done it again!! Unsteady was one of my top books of 2023 and I have been patiently counting down the days until I could get my hands on the next book in the Undone series. And Unloved did NOT disappoint, I am so incredibly in love with Freddy's character, he is my golden boy, and now one of my favorite book boyfriends.

Unloved is Freddy and Ro's story. Ro is a hopeless romantic, someone struggling to find peaceful and gentle love. Freddy is a hockey star and golden boy on campus, who is struggling with his learning difficulties and having trouble doing well in his classes. Ro gets assigned to tutor Freddy and the two instantly form a connection (that maybe they previously had)? It is so clear from the beginning of the book how obsessed Freddy is with Ro, but both of them have their own baggage to unpack and are tentative about starting any sort of relationship,

This book is a SLOWWW burn (just how I like it) and I ate up every second of it. My favorite part of the story was seeing Freddy really become more confident in himself with help from Ro. Freddy really struggled with self esteem issues, feeling abandoned, not loved, and not enough to be with anyone. I LOVED the representation of his learning difficulties, especially with how he struggled with dyslexia, it was great to see that rep with a male character. I also adored Ro's character, she was such a quirky, fierce, wonderful human being who really came into herself and became more confident as Freddy gave her the attention and love she deserved. Above all I loved the friendship that Freddy and Ro built, always showing up for each other and pushing each other to improve and grow themselves. I just wanted to tuck Freddy in a protective hug forever.

Peyton, thank you for being such a talented writer and always make me cry/tugging on my heartstrings with every book you write. Thank you to Atria for the free book!!

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I loved the glimpses we got of Freddy and Ro in the first book and was excited to dive into their story. From she fell hard to strangers to friends to even more it was so fun to watch their relationship develop and how well they had each other's backs fighting the skeletons in each of their closest. Ro, the hopeless romantic and Freddy, the stereotypical playboy (or is he?), are so protective of their friendship and it truly was the sweetest. This story runs parallel to the first so they definitely need to be read together/in order.

One thing you note, and I'll keep this vague for the sake of spoilers, but similar to the first book, there was a lot of heavy stuff that I felt was left a bit unresolved. I think with some of the plot lines in this book (his father, her ex, their teacher) there should have been a lot more closure and maybe even some consequences but the characters moved on way too quickly. While there was enough outside conflict that a 3rd act break wasn't needed and the HEA was beyond perfect for them, I needed things a bit more buttoned up at the end.

All that to say, I did really enjoy this, it was a fairly well paced almost one sitting read and I really hope we see the series continue!!!! I'm quite invested in seeing Bennet get an HEA (and also, with the glimpsed of another sidd of him in both books so far, maybe even toren???)

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my review!

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I really enjoyed Unloved. This is the second book in the series and felt similar in depth and storytelling like Unsteady. I enjoyed the characters and their own individual storylines. The transformation Ro and Freddy went through was believable and hasn’t rooting for them. The relationship was for sure slow burn but had me along for the ride.

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

Rating: 4.25/5

- college romance
- hockey romance
- she's his tutor
- neurodiverse mmc
- slow burn
- 🌶️🌶️/5
- dual pov

Freddy (or Matt 🥹) needs a tutor to graduate; enter Ro. She understands his needs (he has dyslexia, ADHD, and dyscalculia) and stands up for him. The pair form an unexpected bond and start as friends (Ro is in a relationship initially) before slowly becoming more.

Matt has been THROUGH it. He has a lot of baggage for a college kid and believes his self-worth is attached to his body. That no one wants him for him and not just s-x. But Ro shows him he's worth so much more, and vice versa, as Ro's only boyfriend makes her feel guilty for her feelings and desires.

Their romance is beautiful: soft, tender, and heartfelt. They show each other how easy the other is to love, flaws and all. "I think falling in love with you is the easiest thing I've ever done."

Their relationship is built on honest communication and vulnerability. While it's a slow burn, there's heightened tension and chemistry before the perfect amount of spice.

Fans of Unsteady will love that this follows the same timeline, so you see a lot of Rhys and Sadie.

The main reason this isn't a full five stars for me is because Ro's ex is a part of the story for too long. I understand that college romances have drama, but his constant disrespect grated on me personally.

Nevertheless, I'd still highly recommend reading Unloved.

Thank you, Atria Books, for the early copy.

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Review also posted on IG

UNLOVED 🦋🤍✨ by @peytoncorinneauthor was so cute guys!
This is the second book in the Undone series that is releasing on February 4th
• Thank you to @netgalley &
@atriabooks for approving me to read this e-arc!

When I say I needed to read this book, I mean idk how I could have went so long without it in my life. I know it’s just coming out (February 4th) but the way that Peyton Connie plays with words and gives a relatable story. I absolutely loved it from the very beginning. I couldn’t put it down. Not to mention very giddy and kicking my feet every so often 💛😌.

Ro x Freddy (Matty)

I’ve never wanted two people to fall in love so much before in my life 😩. It’s interesting how people could get so lost in their own intrusive thoughts and perceive them as true.. that they can’t recognize that the other person could be doing the same thing and neither of them are correct. I feel like Peyton displayed this and mental health so beautifully. Not to mention the POC representation A++++. The issue is that when you are dealing with complex issues the simple answer isn’t always the easiest. So instead of characters just talking it out, it’s impossible for them to. Which is a little frustrating.

Tyler, I have never strongly disliked a fictional character so very much. There is a cold place for him.. I wanted to punch him more than once and I’m not a violent person 🥲 but the way Matty handled you, I am very pleased. Overall, a very good read.


Mental Health
POC representation
Learning Disabilities
Grief
Manipulation and emotional abuse (not by MCs)
Slow Burn Romance
Hockey Romance
Woman in STEM representation
Reformed Rake Story

Rating: 5⭐️ 2 🌶️

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✨ARC REVIEW✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

🏒hockey player x tutor
🏒friends to lovers
🏒slow burn
🏒mental health rep
🏒learning disability rep

Ughhh this book wrecked me in the best of ways. I was not prepared for the emotional rollercoaster ride but I loved every minute of Matty and Ro’s story.

It’s a true friends to lovers so it’s a S L O W burn. I think it’s necessary though. We really get to dive deep into Matty’s learning disability and how he compensates for all he’s been through by being labeled the “school slut” and fun time. And about Ro and her family history, feelings of not being enough in school and relationships and the constant emotional abuse from her ex. It’s a lot of trauma between the two main characters but it’s handled well.

I don’t think I’ve rooted for a couple as much as I did Matty and Ro. I loved getting to see the true absolute love form between them as they let their friendship blossom and opened up more.

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arc for honest review!

peyton corinne will probably be one of my favorite author’s because she’s has gotten 2 four stars with the two books she’s written and i’m kinda of a harsh rater! i loved ro and matty so much! the start of their friendship to slowly falling in love was everything especially with the slowburn 😭😭 i loved it! it was such a good book and i recommend! i missed reading hockey romances it just takes back to 2020 for some reason 😭

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The moment of this book i enjoyed the most was when they were an actual couple with that being said i wish we got to see that more and it wasn’t as much as a slow burn. I feel like the book could have been shortened a bit and could have let some stuff out. Overall very grateful for getting an arc for this book!!

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I absolutely adored the first book so I had high hopes coming into this book, and man was I not dissapointed. We had little snippets of Freddy and Ro in the first book and this book while repeating the timeline gave us insight as to what was going on for them during these memorable scenes which I absolutely loved. I didn’t think I could love anyone more than Sadie and Rhys but Freddy and Ro are so close.

We meet Freddy when he has essentially lost hope in graduating. His learning disabilities have impacted his classes a lot and the tutors he has used in the past are just mean. We interact with Freddy while he is still grieving his mom, messed up from a bad relationship, and kind of just floating through life. He has a heart of gold and I adored getting to watch him heal in so many ways throughout this book.

Ro is the sweetest person. Honestly I felt like I could relate to her personality in so many ways which made this even more special to me. She is wicked smart and has big goals in her life. When meet her, her only real friend is Sadie. She is lonely and her only other company is her asshole on again/off again boyfriend Tyler (it’s on sight) and his friends. I loved seeing her confidence grow and heal from that toxic relationship.

The romance in this book is great, I absolutely adore Freddy and Ro, but my favorite thing about these stories that PC writes is the complex side plots. I feel like this story just showcased so many hard topics and really healed these characters which I just loved reading about. The only thing that would have made this book better is if the bad characters had it worse. I am so glad our main characters got closure, but personally I wish the others got it worse. Other than that great book. Chefs kiss.

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Thank you to Peyton, Atria Books, and Netgalley for the ARC of Unloved!

Tropes:
- [ ] college romance
- [ ] tutor x athlete
- [ ] nathan scott and haley james vibes
- [ ] refomed playboy
- [ ] friends to lovers
- [ ] slow burn


This book was so good! First off, the playlist for the book was amazing so I already had a feeling from that alone that it was going to be a good one and it did not disappoint! It was beautifully written and had a great depth to the characters alongside their love story. The way the Peyton was able to have grief and love so beautifully coexist was such a remarkable part of the book. Freddy and Ro were such lovable characters and were relatable.

Freddy (our MMC) is charismatic, fiercely loyal and funny. There were multiple times throughout reading that I found myself laughing at jokes he would make or cheering him on when he would defend Ro or his friends. I was only 10% into the book and was down BAD for Freddy if that tells you anything about his haha. He was an instant book boyfriend just from seeing how kind he was to Ro early in the story and how fun loving he was with his friends. Also, he calls her Princess and it was just the sweetest thing. He definitely made the book boyfriend list!

Ro (our FMC) is bubbly, creative, and kind hearted. I really related to Ro’s feelings of homesickness while in school, having experienced my fair share of that feeling in college. I loved seeing her build a friendship with Freddy and advocate for him as his tutor. I also loved seeing Ro’s confidence grow throughout the book!

Seeing all of my fav characters from Unsteady made me so happy. I loved all the little cameos from Sadie and Rhys as well as other members of the hockey team. I also loved trying to find the connections in the timeline between Unloved and Unsteady. I could read any book in this universe and am really hoping that the other hockey boys that have been introduced get books (I’m looking at you Bennett Reiner).

Overall, this book was amazing and I could scream from rooftops how much I love it. I can’t wait to see what else is to come from Peyton, but in the meantime I will be obsessing over this book!

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After reading unsteady I was so excited to jump into Matty and Ro’s story. It exceeded every expectation I had of them. We got glimpses of Ro’s relationship in the previous book but in this book you see how strong she truly becomes. She breaks through self doubt and being shamed to the point of becoming small and quiet to come back into her own, which is partially thanks to Matt. Matt has his own demons he works though in the book but seeing how selfless he is when it comes to Rosalie to help her get her confidence back. That’s the true act of love. On the inverse, Ro heals him. She helps him see that he has a community and he’s not on an island while working through his grief.

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OBSESSED!! I am such a sucker for a hockey romance, and Unloved by Peyton Corinne definitely delivered. Self proclaimed campus playboy, Matt Fredderic (affectionately nicknamed ‘Freddy’ by his teammates), finds himself at the start of the school year getting to know his attractive, yet reserved new tutor Ro Shariff. However, what he doesn’t remember is that he and Ro had met before during her freshman year and that he was Ro’s first kiss. Now, several years later Freddy is working through his own insecurities and Ro finds herself in an on again off again unsatisfying relationship. As the semester goes on, they both learn the invaluable lesson of the healing power that love holds.

Unloved held just the right amount of emotion, heartache and spice to keep me sucked in until the last page!

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UNLOVED > UNSTEADY

Peyton Corinne said I’m going to give my characters emotional depth and a slowburn friends to lovers arc and I cried.

I didn’t expect much going into this book because I wasn’t the biggest fan of UNSTEADY but wow I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved this.

Freddy and Ro were so flawed and complex and the emotions that they pulled from me was unreal.

Ro, my emotional tenderhearted people pleaser, was so different from Sadie in UNSTEADY and easy to connect with. She was lowkey a pushover and I wanted to shake the fuck outta her but she is also the most loyal friend with the sweetest heart and I wanted to give her the biggest hug.

Matty (aka Freddy), my people pleasing loverboy needs to be protected at all costs. The way he was treated by Tyler and other characters was enraging and I loved that he found a supporter and friend in Ro when he desperately needed one.

Seeing Ro and Matty grow throughout the book was so satisfying and heartwarming. This is definitely a slowburn, but as a slowburn slut I ate it up.

I truly cannot wait to read more of Corinne Peyton in the future! I don’t know who is next up in this series but best believe I will be seated.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

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First off, I love how this is written in the same timeline as the first book, but focusing on two different characters.

Ro (Rosalie) is such a gentle, kind, and empathetic FMC. I felt so many emotions for her throughout the book, I found myself wanting to stand up for her in certain moments or just give her a hug. The MMC (Matty/Freddy) was so incredibly patient with her. Ro was right, he was easy to love throughout this story. The slow burn was burning!! The ending... the epilogue, perfection.

If you are looking for a hockey romance that has themes of love and grief. That focuses more on the story and character development rather than spice every chapter, I would absolutely recommend this.

💚Tropes:
-Friends to Lovers 🦋
-Tutor x Athlete (Hockey)🦋
-Found Family🦋
-Mental Health & Learning Differences Rep🦋
-Dual POV🦋

Thank you NetGalley!

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