Series: Off the Ice

#BookReview Spiral by Bal Khabra @authorbalkhabra @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #BalKhabra #Spiral #OffTheIceSeries #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads

#BookReview Spiral by Bal Khabra @authorbalkhabra @BerkleyRomance @PenguinRandomCA #BalKhabra #Spiral #OffTheIceSeries #Berkley #BerkleyPartner #PenguinReads Title: Spiral

Author: Bal Khabra

Series: Off the Ice #2

Published by: Berkley on Jan. 28, 2025

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback

Source: Berkley Publishing, Penguin Random House Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

He’s on edge while she’s en pointe in this fake-dating sports romance from the author of the smash hit Collide.

Elias Westbrook, a newly drafted hockey player for the Toronto Thunder, is facing the challenges of fame and media scrutiny. With a growing fan base and too many expectations on his shoulders, he’s struggling to make his first career goal. The tabloids are reporting on his every move, including which woman he was last seen with, but all he wants to do is escape the spotlight.

Enter from stage left Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina with dreams of joining the Aurora Ballet Theatre, but her lack of popularity online leaves her at a major disadvantage for securing the lead role. When Sage finds herself with the perfect opportunity to make her dreams come true by fake dating Elias, she takes her shot.

Soon enough, the flimsy fake-dating rules they set in place fall away in the face of their sizzling connection. But before things spiral out of control, Sage and Elias will have to decide if they’re willing to take the leap together or if they’ll call it quits.


Review:

Amusing, seductive, and sassy!

Spiral is a sweet, playful rom-com featuring the considerate, hunky Elias whose life is in turmoil due to the media’s relentless fascination with him and the ongoing stress of a looming trade if he can’t ever get that elusive first goal and the independent, selfless Sage who is struggling to get that one audition which would finally allow her to live beyond pay cheque to pay cheque.

The writing is light and sultry. The characters, including the supporting characters, are charming, flawed and fun. And the plot is an enchanting, tender tale filled with smouldering chemistry, sizzling tension, heartfelt emotion, witty banter, friendship, support, understanding, compromise, communication, delicious romance, and hockey.

Overall, Spiral is an alluring, sensitive, passionate addition to the Off the Ice series by Khabra that had characters I couldn’t help but root for and a happy-ever-after ending that left me once again eager for more. 

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

             

 

 

 

Thank you to Berkley Romance and Penguin Random House Canada for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Bal Khabra

Bal Khabra is a Canadian writer and book lover. Before she decided to jump into the romance pool, she spent her time gushing about books on social media. When inspiration strikes, she is found filling her notes app with ideas for romance novels. She loves reading about love, watching movies about love, and now, writing about it herself. There really isn’t much else that gets her heart fluttering the way HEAs do. She fell in love with writing and hopes to continue living out her romance author dreams.

#BookReview Collide by Bal Khabra @authorbalkhabra @PenguinRandomCA #BalKhabra #Collide #OffTheIceSeries #PenguinReads

#BookReview Collide by Bal Khabra @authorbalkhabra @PenguinRandomCA #BalKhabra #Collide #OffTheIceSeries #PenguinReads Title: Collide

Author: Bal Khabra

Series: Off the Ice #1

Published by: Berkley on May 14, 2024

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 416

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Penguin Random House Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

An ultimatum from her professor thrusts Summer Preston into an unexpected collision with hockey captain Aiden Crawford. She’s caught in a delicate balance between fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a sport psychologist and veering far away from this god-awful sport.

For Aiden Crawford, being the captain of the college hockey team has its perks, except when a reckless mistake by his team threatens to jeopardize their entire season. Consequently, his coach nominates him as the subject of a research paper. It’s the last thing he wants to do, especially since the girl leading the project looks like she could wield his skates as a weapon.

Summer can’t stand his blasé approach to life, and Aiden doesn’t understand her uptight, scheduled one. They are off to a rocky start, and provoking each other is what they do best, but defeat isn’t something either of them is willing to accept.


Review:

Sporty, sexy, and satisfying!

Collide is a passionate, sweet tale featuring the intelligent, feisty Summer who is more than happy to use a hockey player as a subject for her research paper but is more than confident that she would never date one, and the responsible, hunky Aidan who will do whatever it takes to get his team to the playoffs even if it means working off their escapades by helping out a girl that drives him absolutely crazy but is infuriatingly pretty.

The writing is light and crisp. The characters are charismatic, kind, and fun-loving. And the plot is the perfect blend of drama, emotion, humour, heat, witty banter, chemistry, friendship, family, romance, and hockey.

Overall, I found Collide to be a charming, steamy, entertaining start to this new Off the Ice series by Khabra that, as a true fan of the sports romance genre, has left me excited and definitely eager for more.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

             

 

 

 

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Bal Khabra

Bal Khabra is a Canadian writer and book lover. Before she decided to jump into the romance pool, she spent her time gushing about books on social media. When inspiration strikes, she is found filling her notes app with ideas for romance novels. She loves reading about love, watching movies about love, and now, writing about it herself. There really isn’t much else that gets her heart fluttering the way HEAs do. She fell in love with writing and hopes to continue living out her romance author dreams.