I couldn't put the book down!! I read it primarily in one day and got up early to finish! I like Matty and Rosalie's relationship, and while it was very steamy, important themes were discussed. I don't think I've ever loathed a character as much as Tyler and Matt's father. THE WORST! But it was a hallmark of strong writing that I disliked them so much while simultaneously rooting for Matty and Ro.

Did I just read a hockey romance?
Yes, I did — and I loved it! Unloved is the heartfelt love story of Rosalie Sharift and Matt Frederic, two people-pleasers who have long been the objects of abuse in different facets of their lives. They're both a little messed up, a little vulnerable, and feel a little unlovable.
So, basically, they're perfect for each other.
Peyton Corinne shines at crafting angsty and beautifully complex characters. It's impossible not to fall in love with her characters and their stories.
Ro and Freddy are simply precious. Their love feels raw, genuine, and most importantly, healing. The way they understand each other and help one another heal - just by showing up with love and support — is deeply emotional. It's more than just a romance; it's a story about healing and finding hope in one another. Seeing what both characters have endured and knowing they finally get their well-deserved happily ever after is so worth it.
I would categorize this novel as a slow burn romance with a friends-to-lovers trope, sprinkled with a tutor x athlete dynamic. Beyond the romance, it offers thoughtful representation of mental health and learning differences, adding even more depth to the narrative.
Despite their age, both Ro and Freddy show remarkable emotional maturity and development. Their journey is tender, moving, and unforgettable.
Unloved was a fabulous romance read with some added depth and mental health representation! It's a story about love, healing, and the power of showing up for someone - and yourself.

I haven’t been able to talk or write about Unloved by Peyton Corinne since I finished reading it in February -not because it was bad ,it was the opposite.  I was very moved and couldn’t explain why which was frustrating. I still don’t, but this review is all I’ve got right now.

Like Freddy and Ro, I too am a lonely, insecure university student who feels incapable of forming genuine connections. I feel hard to love, okay? It's melodramatic and embarrassing, but whatever. I cried with and for the characters until my head ached. Corinne was a pastor delivering an impassioned sermon to the church, and I, an obedient congregant, ululated in response and let the spirit manifest like the Lord herself possessed me.

All that is to say: it hurt really bad. Would do again. One of my favorite books of the year.

After reading Unsteady, I was excited but unsure of what to expect from Unloved. The reception to Corinne’s debut was mixed, but for once, I was in the positive-leaning camp! Even though I agreed some of the criticisms : like some character features (eg. height) being overstated , the relationship progression feeling out of pace with how much the characters knew of each other at the start as well as some beats requiring some fine-tuning, I still enjoyed the core of the story. I don’t know what it says about me, but I love books that aren’t afraid to linger in melancholy without being exploitative.

As the title suggests , book discussed how past and present circumstances and people can devalue and distort your sense of self. Ro and Freddy are in close proximity to their respective abusers (who regularly interject their parasitic selves into the story 🙄) while trying to balance an academic and social life.

Like Unsteady, Unloved explored the raw inecurities of her characters which was heartbreaking but Corinne’s writing thrives in placing those feelings under a harsh spotlight, center stage. On paper, it seemed tonally lighter than Unsteady (friends to lovers, tutor x athlete),when in reality, this felt wayyyy heavier.

After skimming reviews, I do agree with some critiques about the length and pacing but it wasn’t a dealbreaker . However, I strongly disagree with how some reviewers called Ro a doormat instead of a victim of emotional abuse (abuse that would've escalated to physical). Frankly, it’s insulting to imply  that her percievd lack of trauma -having a stable, loving two-parent household- and timid demeanour (while being berated mind you)  makes her  weak . It's stupid  . Boooo tomato , tomato throwing tomatoes.

Anyway *Clears throat*

I can see why this book  may not work everyone but it certainly did for me. I admire Freddy and Ro for their strength and adore their beautifully gentle love. This was a great addition to the Undone series and my personal favourite so far. They are near and dear to my heart.

Big, big thanks to Atria for the ARC!

Can I just first off I loved this book! I love it in an entirely different way than I love Unsteady. The amount of real issues people face when they do not feel worthy or quote “unloved” is highly depicted between Ro and Freddy. I was frustrated, sad, and happy throughout the book. The pages kept turning and you no idea what was going to happen. She did seem to leave Easter eggs for book 3 but I am not sure about the title. Looking forward to what she writes next!

Such a beautiful and incredible slow-burn of a read; it was beautiful with heartwarming love and kindness. The strength that Ro showed was next level - and Matty? He was so amazing. I really loved this love and their story together.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

What a beautiful and refreshing read full of love and laughter and healing. Once I started this book I could not put it down. Peyton Corrine has a beautiful ability to create complex characters that you cannot help falling in love with, and even more impressively, characters that you can't help but absolutely hate such as Tyler.

I'm always really grateful for authors who are able to take such dark and fragile topics and treat them with the respect and kindness they deserve while also giving the readers, and the characters, much needed hope.

I absolutely recommend this book for fans of hockey romances, friends to lovers, and anyone who wants a great story about love, hope, and healing.

i really liked this one! really refreshing story. good plot. extremely likeable characters! i love this author's writing and this one was no different. would recommend.

I couldn't put this book down!! I read it mostly in one day, and woke up early to finish it! I loved the relationship between Matty and Rosalie and though it was definitely spicy, there were also serious topics that were addressed. I'm not sure I've ever hated characters more than I hated Tyler and Matt's father. THE WORST! But a sign of compelling writing that I hated them so much, and was also rooting hard for Matty and Ro.

Unloved by Peyton Corinne is, quite simply, one of the best books I've read in a very long time. I rarely give a five star rating, but give this book an enthusiastic five stars without hesitation. To categorize it as simply another hockey romance would be to overlook the deeply emotional components of this novel. Rarely have I read a book in any genre that captured the inner lives of two different characters so viscerally. Rosalie ("Ro") Sharrif is a homesick college senior who tutors on campus and is an emotionally abusive relationship. The gaslighting and manipulation she has experienced for the past several years finally comes to a head and she decides to break up with her on-again, off-again boyfriend for good.

Matt "Freddy" Fredderic is the campus playboy and hockey star who is barely passing his classes due to multiple learning differences (ADHD, dyscalculia, and dyslexia). He has been informed he will be getting yet another new tutor, and dreads meeting them, until he discovers it is the sweet, lanky girl he met at a party and quite literally jumped into the deep end with. There is chemistry between them right from the start, but both Ro and Freddy have their own deep insecurities and vow to be just friends to each other. As their tutoring relationship turns into a true friendship, each of them has to decide whether to take a chance and trust someone with not only their darkest secrets, but their fragile heart as well.

Content warnings: this book deals explicitly with verbal and emotional abuse by a romantic partner as well as by a parent; with grief from the loss of a parent; with highly unethical sexual power imbalances; feelings of shame; and feelings of very low self-worth. There is some very heavy content here, including substance use/abuse, but it is handled very realistically and sensitively. The Happily Ever After is totally worth the difficult journey, so long as none of the above are too much of a trigger for the reader.

This is the second in Peyton Corinne's The Undone series, and I will be going back to read the first book, Unsteady, as soon as possible. There are so many wonderfully written characters in this book that I can't wait to revisit! I hope there will be more books to come by this amazing writer!

Many thanks to the author, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this unforgettable book.

I enjoyed this book and found it to be a refreshing read. I will be rereading once i secure a copy of the first book.

This book was insanely good! I loved every minute of it! Peyton has a raw talent of being able to write a balance of spicy romance and difficult topics. I highly recommend checking this one out!

Absolutely loved this. The characters were well developed and felt fully fleshed out. I appreciated that the romantic build was slow. There was attraction from the start, without feeling like "insta-love." The author really took the time to develop the friendship and respect between the characters before moving into the romantic aspect. This would be a wonderful pick for a reader who likes a somewhat slower burn.

I loved Ro and Freddy so much!! This book was tough to read because both characters were dealing with hard stuff and I just wanted to hug them. They were both lonely and their friendship was beautiful to watch develop. Ro was the first person at his university to really give him a chance and understand how smart he is. Freddy showed Ro how she deserved to be treated (she was so surprised when he remembered her favourite drink!!) I also love how much Freddy loved when Ro called him Matty. These two were just perfect together and I was rooting for him so hard. This book happens at the same time as Unsteady so I recommend reading that one first because there’s a lot of overlapping plot. This was so great and I cannot wait to see whose story is next! (Reiner?? Also hoping for Kane to get a book!)


TWs: grief (loss of a parent), emotional abuse, abuse of power in a sexual relationship

4⭐, 2🌶️

I really enjoyed this book! It was a slow burn, friends to lovers romance but Matty and Ro won me over so fast. I loved how their friendship led to the both of them standing up for themselves (what I would give to punch Ro's ex and Matty's dad in the throat).

I wish we got more of them actually together (probably my standard qualm with slow burns - I want more love and romance!)

💚College Romance
💛Tutor / STEM FMC
🏒Hockey MMC
💛Friends to Lovers
💚Slow Burn Romance

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book had me crying so much it's actually crazy. Like the emotional turmoil this book puts you through is like nothing else. The connection these characters share. The love they have for each other. The support they give to one another. Literally perfection. Yes you'll be squealing and kicking your feet and blushing like crazy, but this book hits every motion without a doubt.
The way these two fall in love with each other and show up time and time again is heart melting. It wasn't just tutoring and small communication, it's the love and attraction they have. The way they trust each other and share pieces of themselves. It's the way they know they're right for each other and fight for it.
I wasn't expecting this book to hit every one of emotions and leave me in hot devastating tears running down my cheeks. But to be real, I wouldn't have it any other way.

OKAYYYYYYY I can’t believe I waited so long to read this one. I know exactly what my hesitation was. I was a bit underwhelmed by Unsteady when I read it at the beginning of the year and after hearing tons of praise for it, I was so hesitant to jump into book 2.

Friends to lovers is 100% one of my top favorite tropes and Peyton Corinne did such a wonderful job at bringing that trope to life through Matty and Ro. I loved their friendship and how it slowly morphed into something more (but while also featuring lots of pining at the same time????) This is a very character-driven story, which is my bread and butter. I’m fine if a book has a lackluster plot as long as we have complex characters who make me want to care about them.

Peyton Corinne truly excels in creating these horrible, nasty, insecure men. Both main characters must face a man of this caliber during their journey. I loved seeing them both overcome these men and grow into themselves with the help of each other.

I loved everything about this book and I wasn’t expecting to. The only thing I didn’t like was the other stories going on at the same time. It wasn’t so distracting that I wanted to deduct a star, but I do with these stories were going on at different times. I didn’t realize these different stories were going on at the same time during Unsteady, but during Unloved and I didn’t really like it. I’m assuming there will be a third book since Bennett obviously had a storyline of his own going on.

Other than that small bit, I absolutely loved Ro and Matty. I can’t wait to read book 3 from Peyton Corinne.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

absolutely and painfully beautiful! for Peyton's second book, it is SO so SO incredibly perfect! this book breaks your heart and puts it back together in such a perfect way. truly addicted with Peyton's writing!

I really enjoyed this book! There was so much tension between the characters. I loved how complex and well built each character was. I can't wait to read more of Peyton Corinne.

MY HEART. ❤️💔 I am UNWELL. 😭 Pretty sure I’ll have a massive book hangover for a while. 📚💀

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for an ARC of Unloved in exchange for an honest review.

"I think you’d be really easy to love." 💔

Some stories don’t just pull you in—they wrap around your heart and refuse to let go. Unloved does exactly that. It aches in the best way.

Ro has spent her life chasing a love that always feels just out of reach—the kind she reads about in books. 📖 Between classes, tutoring, and tiptoeing around a relationship that drains her, she barely has time to breathe, let alone get distracted. But then there’s Matt (or Freddy?)—the hockey player with a cocky grin and a reputation for never getting attached. 🏒 To the world, he’s all effortless charm and easy confidence. But beneath that? A boy who’s spent years hiding his struggles with ADHD, convinced he’s only as good as what he can do for others.

Their connection starts in the quiet moments—stolen glances over textbooks, teasing remarks that linger a little too long. What begins as a simple tutor-student arrangement slowly shifts into something unspoken, undeniable. A friendship that turns into a lifeline. A slow burn that simmers until it explodes. 🔥

But what makes this story unforgettable isn’t just the tension or the stolen kisses—it’s the way they see each other when no one else does. Ro, terrified she’s unlovable. Matt, convinced he’s never been enough. Their thoughts—raw, unfiltered—bleed onto the page. It’s messy, emotional, and achingly real.

And when the walls come crashing down? When the words they’ve been too afraid to say finally spill out? It’s everything.

This isn’t just another hockey romance. It’s more. It’s the perfect balance of angst, laughter, and chemistry so intense it burns. It’s a love story for the ones who’ve ever felt out of place, too much, or never enough. A story that reminds you—love, the real kind, doesn’t demand perfection. It simply is. ❤️

Tropes & Vibes:
💚 College romance
💚 Tutor x athlete
💚 Friends to lovers
💚 Fake dating-ish
💚 Slow burn
💚 Protective MMC
💚 ADHD & learning differences rep

This one stays with you. ✨💖😭

Such a cute story. I loved the emotional aspect of these characters and their depth. Their friendship, and honestly the whole friend group was done so so well. I don’t mind slow burns but I didn’t love that so much of the book focused on a previous relationship causing the main characters relationship to not even begin until 70% in. Otherwise I would highly recommend this book!