This was a humorous, medium-paced, and moving story! Not only are you rooting for Ro and Freddy to get together, but for each of them to individually grow and find inner contentment.

I loved this book. I was able to read it immediately after the first and this sequel was a beautiful continuation of all the characters I have come to know and love! With extreme ups and downs the story really leans into the grounded friendship of Freddy and Ro and that foundation speaks volumes as they help each other grow. I can’t wait for the next book!!

Unloved by Peyton Corinne 🦋

Peyton's books are ones that should be easy to write a review for because I love them so much, however all I can think to say is repeatedly I love the characters, I love the universe, I love the writing. This book is very character driven with some heavier topics that are handled with care.

Freddy is one of the stars of the hockey team who is known for his smiles and great reputation in bed. Ro is who I affectionately call a soft girl, a hopeless romantic and someone who fiercely cares for those close to her yet is stuck in a terrible on again / off again relationship. Freddy and Ro had met once at a college party their freshman year, even shared a kiss, but Freddy doesn't remember that while Ro hasn't been able to forget. They hadn't seen each other much since, until Ro is assigned to be Freddy's tutor. Through that a close friendship forms, something neither of them have had before. Both have had past experiences leading them to think that there's no way that someone could love them exactly as they are. The friendship between Freddy and Ro is something they both treasure and helps them both realize that they can be themselves and that they are easy to love with the right person. They both don't want to ruin what they have as friends but it becomes too hard to resist not taking that next step.

I decided to do a reread of Unsteady before reading this and am so glad I did. This is a standalone but it overlaps timeline with Unsteady and I found it fun to read moments I saw across both books with more context. There's so much I'd like to talk about for Freddy and Ro's story but I really don't want to spoil anything. So many little moments between them creates a delicious slow burn. There's the obvious physical attraction between them but the time is taken for them both to get to know each other before anything happens in that sense.

Here's a few out of context things -- thigh tattoo, nickname, bookstore dates, shoelaces, butterfly clips, ribbons, lingering glances, music (+ so much more).

🏒 hockey
😊 friends to lovers
👑 nickname
❤️‍🔥 slow burn
🦋 thigh tattoo
👏🏼 no third act breakup

dual POV
5/5 stars ⭐️
2/5 spice level 🌶️

I picked up Unsteady by Peyton Corinne last summer, randomly at the bookstore, and was really surprised by how layered the story was! It stuck with me, and when I saw the series was continuing with Unloved, I was thrilled. This book was impossible to put down!

The second book in the series follows Matty (Freddy,) the most popular boy on the hockey team, and Ro, his tutor.
These characters are so well-developed—their insecurities and traumas are portrayed with such respect and nuance that it feels like we’re really immersed in their worlds. Watching these two characters build a foundation of friendship, which leads to healing and a heartwarming, protective, and beautiful love story, was truly a treasure.

The pacing of the love story is absolute perfection. It's believable because we get to spend time with these characters and get to know them so intimately. The story isn't just about falling in love; it's about healing, standing up for yourself, believing in yourself, and how love can inspire you to nourish the parts of yourself that others have tried to tear down.

Peyton Corinne has solidified herself as an auto-buy author for me with this one!

Omg.... omg. I just want to keep these two safe somewhere. I love them so much. I love their friendship, their growth, their vulnerability.
I genuinely hope we get Bennett and Kane's stories because I cannot get enough of Peyton Corinne's writing!

Thank you Atria books and Netgalley for the Arc!

I knew when I was getting into this book it would be more than just a simple romance that I would forget about days later. The themes are much deeper than that and it will leave a lasting impression on me.

I really enjoyed these characters because they are so human. They have insecurities and fears and grief and trauma. Even if their specific situations aren’t relatable to me, the humanness of it all is so relatable.

I loved how perfect they were for each other. They fit like a perfect puzzle.

“It would be so easy to love you”

I loved this book so much and everything Peyton Corinne writes.

Ughhh, this pooled at the heart strings. Both main characters had trauma to work through and realize their self worth. The developed a friendship that they truly didn’t realize they had fallen in love with each other.

It was a bit of a slower read than book one. I believe main point to the plot what timing and this one didn’t feel rushed but felt slower. However that worked for the story. The breakdowns they had really showed mental health and how much people can suffer based off words.

I was bawling in the last few chapters. Just a feel good story that really turned around for both characters. Really beautiful!

The side characters stood out more. I’m ready for Holden, Bennett, and Kane story. Idk who’s next but I’m eager to see where the series leads.

5 stars for this slow burn friends to lovers romance. I loved Unsteady, one of my top reads of 2024 and getting back into the Waterfell University world.

This story captivated me from the start and I read it in one sitting.

Ro and Freddy have one “forgettable” night freshman year that stays on the back of Ro’s mind as she goes through college. Fast forward to senior year, Ro’s in an on again off again toxic relationship when she gets assigned to be Freddy’s tutor. Freddy has struggled in silence since that first kiss four years ago until he feels seen by a certain tutor.

From a tutor/student relationship to friends to lovers this book pulls at all your heart strings.

The wait is over! The highly anticipated follow-up to Unsteady is here, and it’s packed with heartfelt romance, emotional depth, and characters you’ll fall in love with.

🏒 Meet Freddy & Ro:
• Freddy: A star left winger for the Waterfell Wolves with a reputation for being a player (on and off the ice). Behind his dazzling smile is a man struggling with dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, and a rough academic journey. With his NHL future tied to graduation, he’s desperate to pass biology.
• Ro: A hopeless romantic with a history of heartbreak, now Freddy’s reluctant tutor. Stuck in an on-again/off-again relationship, she’s yearning for genuine affection.

🌟 What to Expect:
• Second Chances: Freddy and Ro share a tangled history—first kisses, drunken confessions, and moments neither can forget.
• Slow-Burn Chemistry: Late-night phone calls, stolen glances, and undeniable pining bring their connection to life.
• Healing Love: Freddy is determined to prove Ro’s worth beyond her heartbreak, while she shows him that he’s more than his struggles and reputation.
• Themes of Self-Worth & Acceptance: A story that highlights the power of love in helping us see our true value.

📖 Why You’ll Love It:
• Emotional depth and raw, relatable struggles.
• A perfect mix of sports romance and heartfelt tenderness.
• Freddy and Ro’s dynamic will keep you rooting for them until the very last page.
• Peyton Corinne delivers a swoon-worthy love story with characters who feel like they could step right off the page.

💬 Do you believe in love that heals? Share your thoughts below!

🏒❤️ #Unloved #PeytonCorinne #SportsRomance #SlowBurn #EmotionalRead #WaterfellWolves #TikTokBooks #SecondChances #WorthOfLove #RomanceReads #BookishCommunity

Absolutely loved this!! Ro and Matty changed my mind about friends to lovers, I love them so much. This book was way more emotional than I expected but I am not upset about it! Can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy!!

Tropes:
- friends to lovers
- she's his tutor
- slow burn
- he falls first


thank you netgalley and atria books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

✒️📖ARC REVIEW📖🖋️

This book was a solid 3…didn’t love it or hate it. There were quite a few great things about this book, but there were some issues.

The great things were the way Corinne made you feel the grief and healing of the characters. Laid on a bit thick at times, but it wove into the plot line well. The love story was very sweet. Both characters come off as people pleasers, so they work well together and heal each other in a sense. The friendships were great for the most part in this book. The school aspect of it seemed pretty realistic -for reference I did several years of research at a top Engineering school and had plenty of friend who did more science based studies. It can be pretty cut throat…especially at conferences and applying to grad schools.

That being said, the two big things that knocked it down two stars for me were: 1) even with all the healing for Ro she never fully went through with telling the dean about the conduct of her teammates and professor -that does not fly in the real world (usually) - to be clear the lack of accommodations with sent in proof would not either-, and 2) this book was pretty long for what it was and for Ro to not get that fully realized finality makes it too long. I would have forgiven the length of that were the case, but this book got very hard to pick up around 60%.

The playlist was a nice touch since music was woven in throughout the book. I guess the songs made sense but I haven’t listened to or heard about 90% of them.

My guess is that Bennet’s book will be next as he was spotlight a few times in this one. Maybe Kane gets one after…that would be interesting. I wanna know how he ended up at Waterfall and why it was “his only option.”

I was provided a free advanced reader copy courtesy of Atria Books and Peyton Corinne via NetGalley. I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

#arc #advancedreadercopy #NetGalley #unloved #PeytonCorinne #AtriaBooks

While Unloved features some classic tropes in the sports romance genre (tutor x athlete, friends to lovers), it is written with such depth that is often missing for me in sports romances, so I really enjoyed it! After previous tutors give up on Freddy, he gets paired with Ro, who is determined to help him find the studying methods that work best with his dyslexia, adhd, and dyscalculia. Over their tutoring sessions, a friendship begins to form and starts to grow into something more. I was really impressed by this book! Ro and Freddy are both such well-developed characters that is easy to connect with them. The story navigates grief and trauma, self-confidence, and self-acceptance. I particularly appreciated Freddy’s vulnerability and willingness to discuss his emotions. Corinne successfully balances these heavier emotions with light banter. I hadn’t read Unsteady, the first book in this series, so I’m looking forward to going back and reading it! Overall, this was a great read, but I would have liked more closure on the situation with Carmen. Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely loved this!!!!

The characters Peyton writes are so layered and complex! Matt and Ro stole my heart just like Sadie and Rhys did!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria publishing for the ARC!!

matt freddric is everything. i will hear no criticism about him.

i ACTUALLY was giggling and kicking my feet. i will read everything that peyton corinne writes.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Another great book by Peyton Corinne. I remember reading unsteady and loving the raw emotion that the book portrayed, so I was excited to be able to read an ARC of Unloved! It did not disappoint. I felt my heart squeeze throughout the journeys of both Ro and Freddy. The perfect mix of sweet and spice.

Probably the best book I have ever read. I love all the characters and just everything. You need to read this book!

I absolutely loved Unsteady so was really looking forward to this sequel. This book was so emotional. There was lots of trauma to heal from, so I loved that they started as friends and their relationship developed so wholesomely.

Matty is the most adoring golden retriever boyfriend, and I loved how gentle and kind Ro is.

I did feel like the back and forth between Ro and her ex boyfriend went on for too long. I wanted her to stand up for herself sooner and kick him to the curb. Slow burn to the max waiting for Matty and Ro to finally spit out how they felt about each other haha.

Overall, really enjoyed how much depth there was to this romance and all the growth we got to see from both characters.

*thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

thank you atria & netgalley for the early copy

oh wow 🥺
grief is such a… hard thing and it’s hard when you don’t know how to deal it with. and that’s why you need people around you to help you.
all these characters- the found family they have made are such so beautiful to see/read.
i love how we could see all characters being themselves and some stories being developing through their story.
i really loved matt and ro they are such a good soul and want to hug them forever 🥺

i read this while i am depressed and i thing it helped me to feel something… thank you

Just pure excellence. Freddy is just a man who is in desperate need of love. He's been taken advantage of by so many people and he just needs Ro. Ro is in a horrible relationship and doesn't know how to get out of it. It takes a while but it helps that she has Matt showing her what real love is. He has never been in a real relationship before and he has so many insecurities but Ro is amazing at helping calm them and being just what he needs. The fact that he took her to a bodice ripper book shop is crazy and I'm obsessed.

I received an arc through netgalley.

When I got approved for this ARC, I was so excited!!! I enjoyed Unsteady by Peyton so much that I dropped everything and started this immediately!💚

5⭐️’s for this sports romance lover!📖

Ro, seriously one of the sweetest and most selfless characters I’ve stumbled upon, is genuinely kind without expecting anything in return. She will be your go-to empath girl TRUST ME! Ro reminded me a bit of myself because I am empath and always wanting the best for others. Her thing for ribbons? I LOVED🎀.

Then there’s Matt, the first guy I’ve read who truly lets us see his vulnerability, and it’s refreshing. Matt’s grief hit home for me, especially with his mom reminding me of my dad and all the pride he’d have in my achievements. He’s just so nice, relatable, and honestly his butterfly tattoo 🤭. SWEET, KIND, AND HANDSOME IM ALL IN! His unwavering support for Ro throughout the entire book was heart-melting.

Their journey from being just friends to falling in love was beautifully done. It felt real and so healing to witness. The way Peyton wrote both characters with such depth and vulnerability added layers to their story was perfection.

February 4th is the PUB Date⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡ ( can’t wait to pick up my copy🥰)

Tropes🎀🏒:
- Friends to Lovers
- Slow Burn
- High tension
- Secret Pining
- Dual POV
- Hockey Romance
- Tutor/Athlete

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!☺️