Reviews - Spirale | The StoryGraph

2.32k reviews for:

Spirale

Bal Khabra

3.81 AVERAGE

specificholiday's review against another edition

3.75

emotional fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

iremiabdul's review against another edition

5.0

funny inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Bal Khabra is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance authors, and Spiral reminded me exactly why. Eli is the definition of a gentleman, thoughtful, supportive, and so perfectly matched with Sage. From sending her flowers to helping with her burdens, cooking for her, and cheering on her dreams, he was everything she needed.

I also loved how Sage poured just as much back into Eli, from making sure he joined her self-care days to championing his goals. Their mutual support, Sage’s wonderfully unfiltered mouth, and their undeniable chemistry made this romance feel so authentic. The balance between plot and romance was spot on, and I loved every moment.

beccasbookbliss's review against another edition

2.0

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I’m not really sure how to sum up my feelings about this book other than… meh 🤷‍♀️ It was fine, but nothing that really stood out to me. I think the fake dating angle could’ve played a much bigger role in the story. The whole premise was that he needed a relationship to tone down the media labeling him as a playboy, and she needed a social media boost to catch the attention of ballet studios. But in practice, they barely did any “fake dating” activities to make those goals believable. A couple of social media posts and showing up at each other’s games or performances seemed to be enough—and that felt underwhelming.

On top of that, there was a lot of buildup around potential plotlines that went nowhere. Sage’s parents being drug addicts and Eli having a biological dad who blackmailed him for years? Those details were dropped in but barely impacted the story. It honestly felt like a wasted opportunity to add more depth and tension🤔

Some of the character details also gave me an… icky feeling. A few descriptions leaned a little too heavily into stereotypes, and I couldn’t help but think ”was that really necessary?🤨”

Overall, it worked more as a palette cleanser while I waited for my next read to arrive—which is probably the only reason I powered through it in two days 😅

gottabekd's review against another edition

5.0

i ate this up!!!! i started at 10% on day one and then finished the last 90% in 2 sittings on the same day. i loved the story & the backgrounds of both characters.

this also wasn’t a slow burn !!! there was real romance at 40% which is uncalled for and it kept up throughout the whole book.

i love supporting Canadian authors and will certainly be reading her other books. ugh so great. 5/5

inesvdamaso's review against another edition

5.0

MUITO FOFO, li num dia basicamente, o Elias é mesmo muito fofo, as vezes o vow dele irritou me um bocado porque ele estava SEMPRE teasing her e depois parava assim porque se lembrava. A Sage, foi mesmo bom vê-la dar-se valor no fim. No entanto, achei o epilogo um bocado confuso e apressado(?), porém achei o final perfeito para a casa e abre o loop para começar os de uma segunda geração maybe?
A discussão deles foi um bocado tola, se fosse a Sage demorava mais tempo a perdoa-lo, mas i get it, ele é muito bonito e têm um piercing