Off the Ice: Book 2
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
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.
Author Bal Khabra’s second book in her Off the Ice series, Spiral, kept my interest from the first page to the last. I look forward to reading the first book, Collide, and others.
Sage and Eli are the romantic leads in this story, and the author tells their story in alternating chapters. Sage and Eli come from different walks of life and live very different lives when their paths unexpectedly cross.
Eli is a rookie hockey pro trying to make his mark. Sage is a ballerina hoping to make it professionally in a major production. She gets rejection letters galore, and he’s pushing for his first goal. Watching them support each other while fake dating was sometimes heartbreaking and other times exhilarating. Several emotions are displayed, and supportive friends and family surround them.
The book has a good flow, with multiple stories told. There are some unexpected moments, with one step forward and many more back. There is a lot of romance even when the two leads are in a fake relationship. There is closure with the epilogue that takes place three years later, but the details of the happily ever after are missing for me.
Spiral is a wonderful story for hockey fans and those who enjoy ballet. With vivid descriptions, I felt like I was there.
Bal Khabra is a Canadian writer and booklover. 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.
