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emilycait's reviews
1355 reviews
Collide by Bal Khabra
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.5
I am on a big hockey romance kick right now, so this sounded up my alley. Especially because our protagonists are in uni and I love a college campus story.
Strengths:
- love the friendly banter/bickering between Summer and Aiden
- love that Summer isn't willing to sacrifice her academic pursuits for a romantic relationship
- love the built in cast of characters with the hockey team house
- college setting is my catnip
Weaknesses:
- this feels like this was written in fanfiction-esque installments; named characters come up randomly and are introduced as if we should know them (like Tyler? He shows up named for a study session, like we should know who he is), or Summer suddenly reveals that her childhood hockey player friend uses the nickname "Sparkles" for her because they watched My Little Pony as children (and then that never comes up again); additionally there were awkward transitions between chapters that felt like there had been a passage of time for the writer (and made for a strange experience as a reader); all of this is fine while reading Wattpad or fanfiction installments, but not so much in a traditionally published story
- because of the fanfiction feel, I wasn't sure if Khabra was dropping bread crumbs for a future book in the series (like the basement dweller who is weirdly cagey and won't switch rooms with Aiden and Summer so that no one else has to listen to their enthusiastic bedroom fun times) or if it was a funny bit that was meant to be developed into something and then forgotten
Opportunities:
- obvious series potential with the hockey house fellas and there are quite a few who we meet who I wouldn't mind spending more time with
- give me the basement dweller! what is he hiding?!
Threats:
- there is not much to distinguish this from any other middle of the road hockey romance; the writing is young and has potential, but so does everyone else jumping on the hockey romance train
- it offers nothing to make it stand out like Pucking Around with the polyamory and the penis ribbed for her pleasure with a million piercings; I'm going to remember Emily Rath is responsible for that reading experience for years to come
- a few months from now I won't remember if this was Hannah Grace or Elle Kennedy or Becka Mack or someone else entirely
Overall, I am grateful for having the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Collide. I am not opposed to checking out the next book that Bal Khabra writes.
Strengths:
- love the friendly banter/bickering between Summer and Aiden
- love that Summer isn't willing to sacrifice her academic pursuits for a romantic relationship
- love the built in cast of characters with the hockey team house
- college setting is my catnip
Weaknesses:
- this feels like this was written in fanfiction-esque installments; named characters come up randomly and are introduced as if we should know them (like Tyler? He shows up named for a study session, like we should know who he is), or Summer suddenly reveals that her childhood hockey player friend uses the nickname "Sparkles" for her because they watched My Little Pony as children (and then that never comes up again); additionally there were awkward transitions between chapters that felt like there had been a passage of time for the writer (and made for a strange experience as a reader); all of this is fine while reading Wattpad or fanfiction installments, but not so much in a traditionally published story
- because of the fanfiction feel, I wasn't sure if Khabra was dropping bread crumbs for a future book in the series (like the basement dweller who is weirdly cagey and won't switch rooms with Aiden and Summer so that no one else has to listen to their enthusiastic bedroom fun times) or if it was a funny bit that was meant to be developed into something and then forgotten
Opportunities:
- obvious series potential with the hockey house fellas and there are quite a few who we meet who I wouldn't mind spending more time with
- give me the basement dweller! what is he hiding?!
Threats:
- there is not much to distinguish this from any other middle of the road hockey romance; the writing is young and has potential, but so does everyone else jumping on the hockey romance train
- it offers nothing to make it stand out like Pucking Around with the polyamory and the penis ribbed for her pleasure with a million piercings; I'm going to remember Emily Rath is responsible for that reading experience for years to come
- a few months from now I won't remember if this was Hannah Grace or Elle Kennedy or Becka Mack or someone else entirely
Overall, I am grateful for having the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Collide. I am not opposed to checking out the next book that Bal Khabra writes.