4.25 stars arc review. This was a really interesting take on a hockey romance I expected it to be more hockey based but was pleasantly surprised that Bal took a different route. I loved seeing the figure skating aspect and the dynamic between Dylan and Sierra with how their two sports differed but also linked them.

Dylan omg I thought Bal couldn’t write another top tier book boyfriend but I was wrong this man “If I can’t follow you into your head, I’m going to follow you everywhere else,”. He was so gentle and understanding towards Sierra and I love that he was there to help her not control her. Sierra was such a strong character as well even with her insecurities it was nice seeing her be more comfortable with herself and skating.

Really hope we get more books for this series as it’s ones of my favourite hockey romances.

After reading and loving the previous books in the series I was very excited to read this. Bal’s books all focus on the growth of the females main character with the help of the male characters and this book is no different. Dylan is hockey player and lives is the same hockey has as Eli and Aidan. Both Aidan and Eli play in the NHL and Aidan passed on his captaincy to Dylan. Dylan’s captaincy is at risk. Sierra is a figure skater who’s just coming back from injury. Her partner has abandoned her to skate with someone else . Both characters are working through their trauma.
I loved following the grow of the character and thier individual hurdles. There is definitely enough spice and story to keep you gripped.
Highly recommend reading the series.
Thank you to the publisher and net galley for allowing me to read this.

4.5 stars

The story follows Dylan (a reformed hockey playboy) and Sierra (a figure skater recovering from an accident) who make an unlikely but compelling pair in this heartfelt sports romance. Their chemistry was electric from the start and both characters grow beautifully with Dylan helping Sierra regain her confidence and Sierra helping Dylan overcome his past reputation.

Also props as it was so nice to see them actually support each other through hard times without the usual third act breakup!

I absolutely love this series and having all the characters feature throughout is my favourite part! Shoutout to Kian and here’s hoping his story comes soon.

Perfect for sports romance fans (figure skater x hockey player), he falls first, reformed playboy and reverse grumpy x sunshine tropes.

And Bal does it again, giving me dreams of a guy who will never exist.

Dylan’ and Sierra, where do I start? What a pair of beautiful characters that fit together so well. I just adored the pair of them together. Two broken people to watch want to heal themselves, but end up doing it for each other.

They both come to the table with their own hang ups and insecurities and it was honestly so rewarding to see how Dylan helped Sierra get her confidence back and Sierra prove to Dylan that he is more than just the drunk playboy that no one stays for.

There were times where I wanted to shake Sierra and make her realise the man she had in front of her way everything and her to bring her guards down. That is my own niggle about the whole thing.

Also, can we give Kian a big shoutout. What a great supporting character. It was also lovely to catch up with the rest of the guys and see Summer and Aiden again.

I’m going to eat the next instalment UP.

Books have always been my “happy place.” For as long as I can remember, I have been a fan of traditional romance. Lately, I also become a huge fan of “sports romance,” so I was glad to get a chance to read this. I have to admit that I was very nervous reading a book from an existing series. Thankfully, I was able to read this as a standalone.

Both of the main characters are really well written, and based on the back stories, the storyline made sense. This was definitely one of those books where I wanted both of the main characters to “win,” but I didn’t necessarily see a path for that to happen. This is a slight spoiler, but I’m glad it happened just the way that it did.

I really enjoyed the side characters in this book as well. I am tempted to read the previous books in the series. Also, this book has a really satisfying epilogue.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Tropes:
▪ Figure Skater x Hockey Player
▪ Reformed Playboy
▪ He Falls First
▪ Black Cat x Golden Retriever
▪  Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
▪ Mental Health Rep

▪ Check Trigger Warnings ▪

I couldn't put this book down! This is my favourite of the series for sure, I absolutely loved it! The pace and tension of this book is perfect for the couple.

After an accident on the ice Sierra is ready to get back into figure skating but needs a new partner, except everyone already has a partner. Dylan finds himself in some trouble and is no longer allowed to play hockey, unless he cleans up his act, one condition is to become Sierra's partner, except Sierra doesn't want him.

I loved these two together, I can't even explain. The development of both characters, separately and together was so good to read and I genuinely loved everything about this book. 100% recommend!

maybe my expectations were too high after enjoying Spiral so much, but Revolve was disappointing for me (and I'm sad about it because I loved the premise of this book so much) :(

Dylan and Sierra did have great chemistry from the beginning, but their relationship progressed too quickly for me to enjoy the tension between them, and many of their conversations sounded bizarre for characters who had only just met. While they both had interesting individual journeys and struggles over the course of the book, it often felt like one was dropped in favour of the other (e.g. Dylan's family issues being presented at the beginning and then forgotten about until almost the end of the book, and Sierra's struggles with returning to skating almost vanishing once they started practicing together). I would rather some of the side plots had been removed entirely for the story to focus on their ice skating, as this weirdly became less of a focus as the book went on, and it would have felt realistic to see some more struggles as they learn to skate together, particularly with Dylan having taken such a long break from figure skating.

I did enjoy the fact that there was no third act breakup and Dylan and Sierra supported each other throughout, which is refreshing to see in this kind of romance book, and I enjoyed their chemistry at the beginning, but the odd pacing/focus of the book and lack of on-page relationship development made their relationship fall flat for me.



Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the arc!

Bal Khabra is my favourite sports romance author!
This series follows Daltons hockey players and I’ve loved meeting each and every one of them.
This was Dylan’s story, he meets Sierra who is an Olympian figure skater, without giving away too much their banter and emotional baggage makes for a more in depth romance then you’d expect.
There’s a decent level of spice that I feel adds to the romantic connection.
I will read anything this author writes!

Ohhh...Sierra and Dylan were fab.
Upon meeting Dylan, the red flags were instantaneous...but I've never been so happy to see a character do a full 180 flip. From the minute he begins skating with Sierra, he is more emotionally open, more aware of trust and consent, and constantly does right by his partner.

Sierra was a great character - her comeback following her accident was really well managed, I think, with Khabra highlighting the emotional journey Sierra had to do, as well as the physical. Her mental health and self image were as damaged as her body, and she really needed Dylan's stability to help her work through it.
It was a true case of making each other better through love - both characters showed growth and trust.

With all that in mind, though, I disliked the ending - and there are spoilers for the final act of the book below.
***

Don't take risks without discussing it with your partner!

It didn't feel true to Dylan's protective nature, to have him take risks with Sierra's safety, by completing their routine without making her aware of his injury. Particularly when they reached the manoeuvre that caused her injury last time, I was holding my breath and praying they wouldn't get hurt. While I'm sure this moment of heart-stopping drama was what the author was hoping for, it felt a little bit dismissive of the journey the characters had been through in finding a level of trust, and slightly undermined the protectiveness that Dylan had previously been showing.
It didn't hugely detract from my enjoyment of the book overall, but it did damage Dylan a little in my eyes, due to the risk her took with Sierra's safety. It should have been a discussion and a mutual decision to compete. This would have made it more satisfying - their trust and devotion to each other could have brought them the win.

Thanks to Bloomsbury, Net Galley and Khabra for the chance to read and review ahead of release - a pleasure, and a privilege, to do so.

I wanted to like this, and parts of it, I definitely did, but honestly the hero just ruined a lot of my enjoyment for the book :/

He just felt like a bit of a sex-pest and it annoyed me more than usual since I ADORED Sierra, while the plot was really interesting and had a lot of potential. But whenever I found myself overlooking something he said / did and began enjoying the story again, he just said / did something weird again about sex / his obsession with sex. It was just too much for me and I honestly wanted to dnf a few times but my love for Sierra made me power through.

I was invited to read an advanced copy and review this book by the publisher. I haven’t read anything else by the author, so I was jumping into #3 with no history of the series. It didn’t seem to matter that I hadn’t read the other books.

TBH it’s just like every other jockey romance I’ve read. Cocky hockey dude becomes monogamous for the FMC. Shows her he’s not the party guy everyone thinks he is. It seemed longer than it needed to be, but it was fine.

It was way too spicy for my liking. 2 stars for being a fine read.

Bal Khabra brings tension, chemistry, and a heavy dose of angst to Revolve. The central relationship is intense and undeniably magnetic. Readers who enjoy emotionally charged romance with a darker, more urban tone will likely be drawn right in.

While it didn’t fully hit the emotional depth I’d hoped for, there’s no denying the addictive quality of Khabra’s writing. Fast-paced and filled with longing, it’s a solid pick for romance readers who like their love stories complicated and intense.

~ SPOILER FREE ARC REVIEW ~

“Don’t do this,” he whispers, the warmth of his breath stirring the stillness between us. “Don’t go where I can’t follow.”

Dylan Donovan the MAN THAT YOU ARE.

There are no words to describe how happy I was to be asked if I wanted to receive an ARC of this book. After reading Collide on release I was lucky enough to be blessed with an ARC of Spiral last year and Bal Khabra is easily cementing herself as one of my top go-to sports romance authors and her books seem to be getting better and better each time.

This is an interconnected standalone set in the world of Dalton University and orbiting, once again, around a member of our favourite Uni hockey team. We had Aiden, we had Eli, and now we have Dylan. And what a treat he is. Dylan is a 6ft 4 hockey god and newly crowned the captain of the hockey team. He has the girls, he has the lifestyle, he has the future as a member of the NHL. Until he doesn’t. Poor life choices leave him in a pickle and without the thing that means the most to him, hockey.

Sierra is an Olympic medal winning figure skater who is recovering from a life altering injury following an accident during a pairs routine when Dylan glides into her life, literally and figuratively. The pair have to work together to overcome some complex emotional trauma (on both sides) and become top level skating partners.

Dylan wants back on the hockey team, Sierra wants to win. What can go wrong?

This book was full of toe curling moments and Dylan is hot hot hot and I loved the dynamic between him and Sierra.

Dylan, although struggling with his own issues, is a refreshing and emotionally complex character. As a connoisseur of hockey-romance-smut this is something that is very often lacking in the MMC and something that Khabra has done very well. I was rooting for both characters all the way through and honestly I fell in love with them both over and over again.

This book was easily on par with some of the big names in the genre, and could give Elle Kennedy a run for her money. I will continue to eat up anything that Bal Khabra writes and pray to the stars this series continues with the rest of the roster.

There is spice, however I didn’t find it overwhelming or vulgar and it didn’t detract from the plot.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC of this book! I spent the first half of my week diving into book 1 and 2 of this series before I started this one, and I just love Bal Khabra's writing so much! If you are sports romance fan at all, you will absolutely eat up the entire series, but this one in particular might be my favorite of the 3!
Revolve is a hockey romance that follows Dylan. a college hockey player, who gets kicked off of his hockey team. While he is unable to play hockey he ends up partnering up with Sierra, an Olympic figure skater, who has spent the last year recovering from an extreme injury that hurt her physically and mentally. Their pairing is unexpected and they find themselves surprised by the bond they build despite their differences. Dylan and Sierra are such an unexpected pairing and I loved reading their love story. This book was the perfect escape from everyday life and the characters still had a good amount of depth to make it interesting. This one also had some good mental health representation as well. Romance lovers should absolutely pick this one up! Five stars from me and a new favorite author, too!

A wonderful take on the hockey star and ice princess! Loved the tension of the plot, loved the dynamic of the team and all the boys who will eventually get their own story. Will buy anything Bal Khabra writes!

revolve ―୨୧⋆ ˚ Revolve was such a whirlwind of chaos, and self-discovery. I really admired the rawness threaded through the story. The dedication and determination shown by both Sierra and Dylan was so interesting to read about. the slowish-burn of the romance tied this all together for me !

plot ―୨୧⋆ ˚ I really liked the setup for this—it felt like a sports romance with more emotional depth than I expected. the idea of two people who’ve both fallen off their paths trying to climb their way back, on ice of all places?? so good. the pacing was solid overall, and some scenes genuinely had me holding my breath, especially when sierra stepped back onto the rink timr and time again. but I will say there were a few moments where things moved a bit too fast or felt slightly underdeveloped—I wanted more from the emotional stakes, especially with her trauma. but still, the vibes were immaculate, and the tension between them had me hooked.

sierra + dylan ―୨୧⋆ ˚ these two?? they were so infuriating but in the best way. the banter was elite, and dylan’s whole cocky-but-secretly-soft thing had me melting. their chemistry lit up the page, and the way he pushed her without coddling?? LOVED that. they’re both so flawed and stubborn, and while that made for some frustrating moments, it also felt real. their growth—especially sierra learning to trust herself again—was probably my fave part.

overall, this book had grit and glitter. the romance was fiery, the skating scenes were cinematic, and there was just enough angst to keep me turning pages. while a few plot points felt slightly rushed or glossed over, the heart of the story still landed. the comeback arc, the found-tension-turned-trust, the healing under pressure—it all made for such a compelling read.

I read an ARC of this and while I did enjoy it, it also felt like there was slightly too much drama crammed in, mostly towards the end. Basically, there was a lot of added drama and it felt like it was either not necessary to never fully wrapped up because of other things.

I will say this is kind of what I wanted Icebreaker to be. It’s really well done, very cute and fun. I love Dylan and Sierra. I enjoyed them getting together and the journey of the relationship. Her panic attacks and him helping her through it was adorable. I loved the side characters and the set ups for other relationships, Im very excited for those. I think there was a lot more positives than negatives but the over done drama stood out because the ones I was interested in kinda got lost or ended up feeling rushed.

I know this is technically book three, but I’ve been meaning to try out this series and this author so I decided to request this regardless.
In this story we follow Sierra who following a serious injury is trying to get back to her Olympic figure skating career. Dylan a hockey player who got recently kicked out of his team gets pushed to become Sierra’s ice partner. However these two don’t seem to be seeing eye to eye, so will they overcome their differences to make it work?
I overall like the story, however the first half was a struggle to get through due to the MCs, especially Dylan, being unbearable. I did enjoy both of their growth individually and with each other later one though. I was not totally sold on their relationship because it was only physical at first in my opinion and I’m not a big fan of that, however I liked how it was developed in the second half of the book.
This was way more spicy than I thought it was going to be, so if you’re not into that this will not be the book for you.
I did enjoy the author’s writing though and I enjoyed the other couples in this so I’ll definitely check out the rest of the books.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely devoured this.

I LOVE THEM. Probably my favourite in the series so far.

Chemistry and tension was off the scale 🔥🔥🔥

One of my favourite romance authors.

I have no notes. I really loved this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC.

This was so fun! I flew through this is one sitting!
The banter ✔️
The chemistry ✔️
The tenderness ✔️

This was so enjoyable, the relationship and tenderness between Dylan and Sierra was so sweet. You really get to see the couple grow and bond together. Also who can say no to a 6'4 hockey player who is obsessed with his girl. Adorable and fun.

Anyone who loves a hockey romance with romance and spice - this is for you!