I absolutely adored this story! The characters felt so genuine and relatable, written in a way that resonated with real life rather than veering into melodrama. The challenges they faced were refreshingly authentic, making their experiences all the more impactful. Unlike many other narratives tackling mental health, I found myself surprised less often here, which really allowed the focus to remain on the characters’ journeys.

The romance was simply delightful! It's a common pitfall for college-aged characters to come across as overly immature in fiction, but this story sidestepped that cliché beautifully. Sure, college can be a wild ride, and immaturity is part of the experience, but the portrayal here felt refreshingly true to life. Matty was such a stand-up guy, and Ro? What a sweetheart! They’ve definitely earned a coveted spot on my list of favorite couples.

I haven’t yet read Sadie and Rhys’s story, but witnessing their romance through Ro's perspective was a treat. Overall, this book was a delightful mix of fun and heartfelt moments, expertly touching on themes of self-worth and finding those who truly deserve you. It was a wonderful journey that left me feeling inspired!

thank you to netgalley and atria books for this arc in exchange for an honest review :)

3.5 ⭐

this was a cute read.

i really enjoyed reading about ro and freddy's friendship, how they started to trust each other and found themselves developing feelings for each other.

i liked reading about how freddy dealt with his grief, because it made him feel real and i saw myself reflected in a lot of thoughts that he had.

ro was one of the sweetest characters that i've read, i just wanted to give her a hug and tell her everything was going to be okay.

SPOILER: i liked seeing how she ended up doing the things that she wanted to accomplish since the beginning.

what i didn't like was that we didn't get to see much of their relationship as a couple, and we saw too much of tyler and ro's previous relationship.

there where a lot of things that were lacking of information that maybe some people may not care but i do and i think that's why i ended up giving this book 3.5 stars.

Could not put this one down!! Freddy and Ro were the most beautiful friends to lovers story!! These two were both going through so much and had so much turmoil from past relationships to work through to see themselves the way the other did. But they were always there for each other along the way. Peyton also ties in the characters from the series so well. I am literally foaming at the mouth to read Bennet and Toren’s stories 😭😭 when this series is over I’m gonna need a good cry

Tropes:
Tutor x student
Friends to lovers
Slow burn
Hockey college romance

2.5 rounded up to 3 ⭐️

I loved the first book but I personally don’t think this book was for me.

It was about 100 pages too long and I felt that so much plot of the book was wasted on a conflict with another character that didn’t need to take up half of the book.

as someone who genuinely enjoyed 'unsteady,' i was really looking forward to this book and the chance to revisit rhys and sadie. but wow, i didn't expect to love this book even more. matt and ro are such interesting complex characters, and i love the way corinne explores themes of self love, self worth, and romantic love through them. 'unloved' as a title fits this book so well. both ro and matty have had complicated relationships that destroyed their sense of what love is, and in many ways quite similarly feel they are difficult to love as a result of it. meeting each other, being vulnerable with each other, allow them to see through each other and help unpack the false narratives they've been fed and realize those people hurt and took advantage of them. they work together to help each other see this truth, and only then do they begin to heal. i also love that the journey isn't linear. it's an uphill struggle to constantly unlearn toxic thoughts, especially when they've been part of your lives for years, but both characters are so patient with each other and it's inspiring and heartwarming to see. the realistic portrayal of the struggles associated with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and adhd, and how some schools and tutors don't properly accommodate students who suffer from those disorders and also use their diagnoses to berate and mock them was also one of my favorite things about this book. i haven't read many novels that explore these topics, especially in a sports romance, so this was very cool to see and so incredibly well done.

this book was gripping with emotion, and matty and rosalie's happy ending was hard earned. both character arcs so well done and intwine easily, and though i could guess the secrets matt was hiding long before they were revealed, i thought the build was excellently done. one of my issues with unsteady was it didn't fully feel whole, but this book does (not just for matty and ro, but also rhys and sadie) and the conclusion is beyond satisfying. peyton corinne only seems to get better. i'm excited to see whatever she writes next.

a major spoiler:
my one real issue with 'unloved' is there is a professor who essentially gets away with taking advantage of her students and carrying on inappropriate relationships with them. i know it wouldn't make sense for the character involved to be caught in trying to expose this professor (it would be a long and public drawn out battle that would take over their lives and make them relive some of the worst moments), but i still hate the fact that she received no consequences and essentially got to continue manipulating students vulnerable to her advances. would have loved to see even the slightest hint of justice even though i can't see the character in question wanting to pursue it. there was a moment where ro was writing an email to the dean at the end that i thought hinted at her maybe exposing this professor but that email could have also been about her dropping out of her program, and we never really find out what it actually was about, even if i can make an educated guess.

this aside, i genuinely enjoyed this book and am honored for the opportunity to read it early.

Compliments to the chef!!! This book is a beautiful story about love and grief. I laughed and cried and hugged my kindle afterwards because what a story. This is my first Peyton Corinne book and it won’t be my last. I will definitely go back and read Unsteady. This has then tutor trope Rosalie is a tutoring Freddy a hockey player she had her first kissed with. I love her journey of becoming more confident and standing up for herself and with Freddy his journey is incredible learning that he is loveable and has a family. These two are so perfect for each other.

Thank you Atria and NetGalley for this arc

I was not prepared for the emotional turmoil. My heart hurts for Matt but seeing him to his full potential warms me. I loved this story. I love Matt and Rosalie together. I love how protective they are together.

3.75-4 star Friends to Lovers
Dual POV
Student & Tutor
College/Sports/Hockey romance
Interconnected standalone

Matt Fredderic (Freddy) is a playboy with learning disabilities. Rosalie (Ro) is his last chance tutor. They became friends as she was in a terrible relationship. Tyler was the worst!
I enjoyed Ro and Freddy’s relationship. Loved that there was no 3rd act breakup!

Unloved by Peyton Corine 💚🏒 arc review 🏒💚

I've never felt so connected with a book or its characters. I very rarely give out five stars to a book. However, the book EARNED EVERY STAR!!

This book explores grief, self-loathing, heartbreak, self-doubt, insecurity, healing, understanding, and acceptance while allowing readers to fully understand the characters, which makes them extremely easy to relate to.

The relationship between Ro and Freddy is nothing short of beautiful and all-consuming. Their contrasting/similar feelings about themselves, along with their struggles, are honestly eye-opening to read. Peyton Corine highlights the mental health of both characters (yes, both Ro *the FMC* and Freddy *the MMC*), which is why I love this book.

For Ro, it's re-learning herself in every way after her emotionally/mentally abusive relationship. For Freddy, it's a journey of understanding self-worth, which is brought on by a lifetime of emotional and mental abuse. This story highlights the highs while building on the lows. The author doesn't shy away from the hard topics, allowing readers to know and understand the characters.

My favorite scene in this whole book was Ro advocating for Freddy when it comes to his accommodations in school due to his ADHD, Dyslexia, and Dyscalculia. *I'm sorry for the sappy part in this review* It hit me personally reading that scene in this book; though I don't have any neurodivergence, I do have two siblings, both with autism (one high functioning and the other low-functioning) they also both have ADHD, and OCD. I've lived in this community my entire life due to my siblings and witnessed different injustices within the school systems for disregarding accommodations and how individuals are talked to. I've watched, fought, and advocated for so many of my sibling's friends and my sibling to be properly accommodated due to their disability. So watching Ro not only fight but also reassure Freddy that he is, in fact, not an idiot and thrives when properly accommodated, which is what the school was legally required to do, just hit me so close to home that it practically brought me tears. I am so overjoyed that this scene in this book shines a light on the struggles many go through with this very same thing.

I loved how their relationship started from the ground up. They learned from each other; they found ways to prove that they were worthy of each other's trust and love. Throughout most of the story, it wasn't even about a romantic relationship. They put such a high value on their original FRIENDSHIP; it was a factor highlighted so much in this book, which I adored. It wasn't an instant love story. It was a story that happened organically, step by step, trial and error which overall was so magical to read. (definitely pulls the heartstrings in all the best ways)

I've never been more honored to receive this arc copy, and I'm so excited and ready to have this book on my shelf next month!

The relationship between the characters was beautiful and so gentle, which is something I loved in the first book as well, although the pace and development of their feelings and affection sometimes was a bit too unrealistic it is not something that affect the rating since it is fiction, and frankly, it’s sad that it requieres so much suspension of disbelief; I wish people were like Matt and Ro in real life. Their softness was touching and I just wanted them to express themselves without fear and without letting their insecurities get in the way. My issues are also similar with those I had with the first book. The “bad guys” like the ex-boyfriend and his friends are cartoonishly evil, and in the end there was no justice for the way they treated Matt for his learning differences, or for their professor’s actions. At least reporting her officially would have been the right move in my opinion. The way this “villains” so to speak, are dealt with was anticlimactic, including his dad, they are this big issue throughout the whole book and then things get solved almost too easily. Something that frustrated me at times was that it seemed sometimes like they couldn’t catch a break, but it wasn’t as convoluted as with Unsteady where everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. The issues between Matt and his friends were introduced in maybe his first chapter and then barely discussed again until the third act, and again, ended up being a nonissue. Although it served as another way to show Matt’s feelings of inadequacy, some things should have either been fleshed out more or simply left out of the story altogether, like the single mention of his high school teacher is something problematic and serious that was never discussed. The same thing occurred with Ro and Sadie’s friendship, where we know how Ro insecure sometimes feels in regards to their relationship and it seems like an additional conflict but then it’s hardly addressed. Some characters that were introduced seemed either irrelevant or redundant, like Mark, Mitch, Brandon, Walker… although maybe they will be part of the larger narrative of the series. The epilogue was not bad but a bit cliché, would have love to see something more distinctive or unique to the couple, and maybe seeing their college graduation, which was so significant to Matt, and seeing both his and Ro’s careers flourishing, especially her research after graduation that was also an important part of her character arc.

Ro being a very sweet and smart girl, has a bad track with her current (ex) boyfriend. As a tutor she gets paired with Matt (aka Freddie) a super star hockey player. Not only with his past involving betrayal from the current biology professor he has, he may be battling feelings as well. Ro however doesn't want to ruin their friendship and cross any lines, as she is navigating her relationship and maybe a kiss shared between her and Freddie freshman year.

This was an adorable romance read, the plot felt natural and not rushed, entertaining keeping me flipping the pages as fast as I could. I loved reading about characters who were dealing with way less than idea personal issues. This book felt like real life. I was living in with these characters and was able to understand the trauma and grief as if it were happening right in-front of me. Ro had some phenomenal character building, really showcasing her ability to overcome a lot of these issues. I loved the amount of communication between the two main characters. (even if there was miscommunication it was realistic and natural). This book felt extremely natural and I loved that.

I will touch on the spice because I LOVED IT. Sometimes it can feel forced or like too much. This story had the perfect balance. I am going to say it again but it flowed and... Felt natural. I do not know how else to describe it, but the realistic feel made this book so much better than I would have ever guessed. My only critique on this story would be the flashbacks. I had a hard time deciphering when we were in a flashback or when I was reading a current event.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️.5
Quote: "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"

Thank you to Peyton Corinne, NetGalley and Atria books for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this beautiful story! I am glad I was able to love Ro and Matt's story!

I identify a lot with Ro: her desire for new experiences in university but not knowing how to achieve that goal and her feeling of loneliness because of busy friends. It makes her a realistic character. Her loyalty is admirable and it’s clear that she loves with her whole heart. Freddy is an instant green card for me. I mean he has such a playboy reputation, but the fact that he is instantly a better person towards Ro than Tyler is a win in my book. He doesn’t let his reputation turn him into a jerk and he allows himself to feel raw and genuine emotions with Ro. It was also nice to see dyslexia representation because I have it too and I connected with him in that way. I loved that we got moments with Liam and Oliver because they are so adorable. I didn’t know if I would like this book to take place at the same time as Unsteady, but I don’t mind it. I think it’s because Unsteady doesn’t really go in too deep in the overlapping parts and Unloved doesn’t repeat what was already shown in Unsteady.

I have not read a single word of any other book since I finished unloved and I truly feel ruined for all other books. I've been sitting here for DAYS crying and staring at the wall because I'll never love anything the way I love Freddy and Ro. I'm trying to put words into an actual review but I'm too sick to my stomach to form cohesive thoughts rn. This is a MUST READ. you will feel violently exposed and beautifully seen and cradled and taken care of. I love them I love them I love them I love them

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 (rounded to 5)
If yall are looking for a sweet, tender, and hopeful hockey romance with two characters that are absolutely perfect for each other, this is the book for you. This is “to be loved is to be seen” in such a precious way. This is the second installment from Peyton Corrinne in her Undone series following Ro, a hopeless romantic brainiac tutor who has been walked over by coworkers and her on-again off-again boyfriend, and Freddy, an all-star hockey player who struggles in his classes and has a certain reputation on campus. The slow burn was sloooooow burning but soooo worth it here! Freddy and Ro are so lovely to each other and I love how deep Corrinne makes her stories while balancing the classic fun of sports romances. She also has a bangin’ skill of creating playlists for her books! I loved following Ro and Freddy as they went from student/tutor, to friends, to lovers, and the whole story pulls on your heartstrings. I would also say that reading Unsteady first is necessary just because the characters, events, and relationships will make a lot more sense with that background. I love how relatable Ro is, and Freddy was such a dream, I want to hug them both and then also punch a couple other characters in the face. Unloved releases February 4th, and I’m already excited to see whose story we will get next (fingers crossed for Bennett)!!!💚🏒🎀

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC of this enjoyable book!

Matt “Freddy” Fedderic and Ro Shariff make for an incredibly sweet and endearing couple, and their journey from friendship to something deeper was truly heartwarming. I loved how their relationship showcased mutual support and highlighted the best in each other. Freddy’s struggles with learning disabilities added a compelling layer to his character, and Ro’s compassion and determination to help him were both admirable and inspiring.

One of the book’s strongest elements was its thoughtful exploration of emotional abuse, trauma, and grief. These themes were handled with care and depth, creating powerful, emotionally resonant moments that added richness to the story. The way the characters’ experiences with pain and resilience were portrayed felt authentic and impactful, making their personal growth all the more satisfying to witness.

That said, I approached this book without having read the first in the series, under the impression that it would stand on its own as an “interconnected standalone.” Unfortunately, I found myself struggling to keep up with the story, as it dives into an established world with minimal context or reintroduction. This lack of groundwork left me feeling disconnected from certain characters and plotlines, making it difficult to fully engage with the narrative.
(Eventually, I plan to go back and read the first book, followed by a reread of this one, which I hope will clarify much of what I initially found confusing during my first read.)

Another area that left me wanting more was the resolution. Some characters who behaved despicably throughout the story seemed to face little to no consequences for their actions. This lack of accountability felt at odds with the emotional weight of the conflicts and diminished the overall impact of the conclusion.

While the romance between Freddy and Ro was a standout element, the book’s sensitive handling of difficult themes was equally commendable. However, its reliance on prior knowledge of the series and the unsatisfying resolution of key storylines ultimately detracted from my overall experience. Fans of the series will likely enjoy this installment more, but I would strongly recommend starting with the first book to fully appreciate the world and its characters!

Unloved is currently available for preorder at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Target, Books-a-Million, and other major retailers! It will be released in stores on February 4, 2025!

⋆˙⟡♡🏒 “𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓲𝓽’𝓼 𝓮𝓷𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓱𝓮𝓻, 𝓽𝓸, 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭, 𝓲𝓯 𝓼𝓱𝓮’𝓵𝓵 𝓵𝓮𝓽 𝓶𝓮. 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.” ⋆˙⟡♡🏒

Tropes:
🏒 Tutor x Student (Naley fans, this is for you)
🏒 Sunshine x Sunshine
🏒 Golden Retriever x Orange Cat
🏒 Helping Each Other Through Trauma
🏒 Fake Dating

What I Liked:
🏒 Ro’s steadfast protectiveness of Freddy and her care and easy accommodation of his disabilities. It was amazing seeing someone stand up for him when all he’s known for the better part of his life is the opposite.
🏒 On the adverse, Freddy’s protectiveness and love for Ro. He always made sure she knew she was loved for exactly who she is and never judging her for her interests made their romance feel so much more tender and real.
🏒 The romance in itself, it just developed so naturally and like I stated above, felt so real
🏒 I loved seeing Ro’s perspective on Sadie’s situation! Since this took place at the same time as Unsteady, we got to see the same events but from the other side of things

Final Thoughts:
🏒 This was such a tender and deeply emotional book, just as Unsteady was. But these two felt so relatable to me. I loved seeing them fall in love, and how accepting they both were of each others’ quirks and needs. Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the advanced copy and the opportunity to review it early!

infinity stars!!!!

- found family
- SLOW BURNNNN
- adhd + dyslexia + dyscalculia rep
- angsty yearning
- tutor x hockey player
- people pleasers in the most sad and loving way
- the entire book is so noah kahan coded
- he has a butterfly thigh tattoo 🧎‍♀️

i am just so irrevocably in love with unloved!!!! I can’t even comprehend how perfect this book is. there was not a single chapter that didn’t have my shaking with emotion. it was an immediate five star from the very first page. the entire premise of the story is just so captivating, and the emotionally beautiful execution made it one of my favourite books i’ve read.

this book is a combination of all of my favourite tropes and they were all done so flawlessly. and of course peyton deserves a round of applause for writing the two most loveable and relatable characters ever!! matty and ro are so incredibly perfect for each other and both have so much depth that it feels like i know them personally.

rosalie!!!! my fav academic advocate and hopeless romantic. she’s so kind and understanding, and just so relatable. knowing that she has matty there to love her properly brings me so much peace and the same applies for matty having ro. the way she defends freddy when no one else has is so precious ☹️☹️ and i just have to say: “you’re gonna go far” is ro's song!!!!

oh the man that is matt fredderic!!!! my absolute favourite soft lover boy. he’s so sweet and just knows ro so well and picks up on the things she likes instantly (*ahem* her chai) and i am the absolute biggest fan of his chain!! i have so much love for him and he deserves the absolute world. freddy and ro truly bring out the best in each other and make each other stronger!! they’re just so sweet and their story will forever be engrained in my mind.

the way i’m so obsessed and attached to each and every one of these characters is crazy. obviously freddy and ro are the stars of the show, but i screamed and giggled at every scene with sadie and rhys. and don’t even get me started on bennett and toren!!!! they both intrigue me so much i can’t even decide whose book i need more.

peyton is the absolute QUEENNNN of angst and making playlists!!!! every song that was mentioned in the book fit the specific scene so incredibly well (especially “forever” by noah kahan being in the epilogue)

soooo excited for unloved to be out in the world so that it can be loved by everyone. and best believe i will be creating a shrine for it on my shelf.

3.5/5 ⭐️
Hear me out – I think this is a great story. I loved Ro and Matt from the first page; I wanted to hug them and tell them everything will be alright. This series has so much potential. The writer tackles painful (and in some circles taboo) topics in such a tactful way; this was definitely the highlight of the story for me.

That said, there are areas that need improvement. I was introduced to this story with the description of it being “an interconnected standalone,” and without thinking too much about it, I jumped into the second installment without reading the first. However, I eventually went back and read the first book before writing this review.

What I struggled with was feeling lost while reading Unloved. Some parts from the previous book were reintroduced with enough detail to give me a sense of understanding; others were overlooked or rushed in their explanation. For instance, Matt meets the brother of the FMC from the previous book at one point in Unloved, but their names are mentioned BY HIM in earlier chapters without any proper introduction or context. This is just one example, but there are quite a few similar moments in this book.

I’m also sad to say that the relationship between Freddy, Rhys, and Ben wasn’t developed enough. From Freddy’s POV, we understand how much he values these relationships – how unappreciated he feels and how much heart he pours into them. Yet, their story felt rushed and left me wanting so much more.

The second book often felt like a story about the characters from Unsteady. I believe the intention was to offer some Easter eggs, but in my opinion, this wasn’t executed successfully. Additionally, I feel that this installment did Sadie a disservice. She’s portrayed as an unlikable character who doesn’t seem to care about Ro (or at least not enough). This contradicts her POV in the first book, where her love and care for that friendship were so evident.

One final note: music seemed like an important element in Unloved. While it made sense for the characters in the first book, its significance in this one felt unnecessary and underexplained.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with these characters and am eagerly awaiting the next installment (hopefully about Ben). I hope the areas that made me lower my rating will be addressed, with the author honing her craft further. Fingers crossed for that, for sure!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ugh, this book is bad with missing information and flat characters. It’s disjointed, confusing, repetitive, too long and unrealistic. I’ve also read the same basic version of this story half a dozen times before. I will say, though, that the author’s depictions of emotional abuse and its effects are SPOT ON. (Book needs a trigger warning for it.) I also appreciated the author’s attention to learning disabilities.

To be fair, I didn’t read the first book, but for books like this, that really shouldn’t matter. It seems like they’re on the same timeline and should be read in tandem? I don’t know.

I didn’t like this book because of how disjointed it was, but I made myself finish it. Along with crippling grief, there’s too much anxiety and turmoil crammed into the pages for me to not get the satisfaction of a happy ending.

4.5/5 stars! I received an ARC of this book from netgalley, and I am so happy I decided to give Peyton Corinne and this series another chance after not fully loving Unsteady. If you were like me, I promise this book is worth the read!

I adored everything about Ro and Freddy both individually as characters and in their relationship together. The story was truly a character study into each person and I appreciated how Peyton explored each person's problems and insecurities and how the two really helped each other grow. I saw some of myself in both Ro and Freddy and reading this book really touched me. It was especially emotional for me to see Freddy come to understand that he was so much more than just his body and other's perceptions of him.

I did take off half a star because I was frustrated with the pacing slightly and upset that more didn't happen to hold that professor accountable! No spoilers, but I wanted more justice for Freddy with everything that happened.

Overall, I loved this book and will happily continue reading this series and probably everything Peyton Corinne writes. If you haven't read Unsteady yet, do it now before Unloved comes out on February 4th!