Scan barcode
A review by cozycritiques
Collide by Bal Khabra
lighthearted
medium-paced
“Finding the balance depends on figuring out the things I consider priorities. She has quickly become one of mine, and that isn't changing anytime soon.”
- Collide
Tropes: Sports Romance (Hockey), College Romance, Forced Proximity, Friends with Benefits to Lovers, Grumpy/Sunshine, No Third Act Break-Up
Representation: BIPOC (South Asian)
Spice Scale: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
CW: Parental Abandonment, Minor Injury, Death of a Parent, Grief
Collide is the diverse hockey romance that I’ve been craving. Now, I get that hockey is a predominantly white sport. However, non-white hockey players and fans exist, so they deserve to be represented in romance. Summer is South Asian, and although it wasn’t the book’s primary focus, I loved seeing how her culture was woven into her life. More importantly, I loved seeing Aiden try to understand her culture, even in small ways, like learning to make a perfect cup of chai. Like Summer, the thought of two hockey players hovering over a stove to make the perfect chai made me smile.
So many of the hockey romances I’ve read in the past were focused more on smut than anything else—which is great when that’s the mood I’m in. And while Collide did have some fantastic spicy scenes, it was more than that. I loved Summer and Aiden’s relationship. It was sweet, tender, and witty. There was no third act break up, which I loved. It also followed a more non-standard structure, focusing more on romance, fluff, and character growth than a traditional plot.
Collide was a refreshing read. I loved the whole cast of characters, and I’m looking forward to the following books in this series to get to know them better.
- Collide
Tropes: Sports Romance (Hockey), College Romance, Forced Proximity, Friends with Benefits to Lovers, Grumpy/Sunshine, No Third Act Break-Up
Representation: BIPOC (South Asian)
Spice Scale: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
CW: Parental Abandonment, Minor Injury, Death of a Parent, Grief
Collide is the diverse hockey romance that I’ve been craving. Now, I get that hockey is a predominantly white sport. However, non-white hockey players and fans exist, so they deserve to be represented in romance. Summer is South Asian, and although it wasn’t the book’s primary focus, I loved seeing how her culture was woven into her life. More importantly, I loved seeing Aiden try to understand her culture, even in small ways, like learning to make a perfect cup of chai. Like Summer, the thought of two hockey players hovering over a stove to make the perfect chai made me smile.
So many of the hockey romances I’ve read in the past were focused more on smut than anything else—which is great when that’s the mood I’m in. And while Collide did have some fantastic spicy scenes, it was more than that. I loved Summer and Aiden’s relationship. It was sweet, tender, and witty. There was no third act break up, which I loved. It also followed a more non-standard structure, focusing more on romance, fluff, and character growth than a traditional plot.
Collide was a refreshing read. I loved the whole cast of characters, and I’m looking forward to the following books in this series to get to know them better.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death of parent