REVIEW: Embrace by Bal Khabra

Embrace by Bal Khabra: Kian Ishida has spent college enjoying hockey, parties, and everything that comes with being a star athlete. But with the NHL within reach, he discovers that he still needs a few credits to graduate. Joining a study group seems like a simple solution—until he meets Scarlett Kilner and eventually discovers that she’s the daughter of his hockey coach.

EMBRACE by Bal Khabra brings us back to Dalton University for a college hockey romance filled with forbidden attraction, study sessions, second chances, and a relationship that could cost Kian the future he’s spent his entire life chasing.

Scarlett was smart, determined, and tired of being defined by things she regrets. I loved watching her work toward proving to herself—and everyone else—that she isn’t the same person she was before. Her relationship with her father also adds another layer because being with Kian isn’t just about breaking a rule; it could affect the reputation she’s worked hard to rebuild. Kian starts out as the carefree hockey player who seems to have everything going for him, but there’s more behind that image. His NHL future matters enormously to him, especially because of what it represents for his family and his relationship with his dad. I liked watching him take his responsibilities more seriously as the stakes around Scarlett and his future became harder to ignore.

The chemistry between Kian and Scarlett was flirty, playful, and full of that off-limits tension that makes a hockey romance so much fun. Their study sessions give them plenty of time together, and I loved watching the attraction sneak up on them through stolen looks, lingering touches, and all the moments where they know they probably shouldn’t be taking things any further.

I enjoyed reading EMBRACE, the college hockey setting, forbidden romance, and all that off-limits tension kept me turning the pages and I was completely invested in Kian and Scarlett by the end.

Tropes & Vibes
🏒 College hockey
👨‍👧 Coach’s daughter
🚫 Forbidden romance
📚 Study partners
🔥 Off-limits relationship
💕 College romance
😍 Hockey player hero
🏆 NHL-bound hero

Book Info:

Publication: August 4, 2026 | Berkley | Off the Ice #2

Kian Ishida is all about parties, hockey, and living in the moment. But when he realizes he’s headed to the NHL without his degree, his late dad’s one wish for him, he’s determined to make up those last few credits. Desperate for help, he joins a study group led by none other than Scarlett Kilner. She’s as gorgeous as she is smart. Too bad he doesn’t know yet that she’s his coach’s daughter.

After making a reputation for herself, all Scarlett wants for her senior year is to prove she’s more than her mistakes and graduate without tarnishing her well-respected father’s name. But when Kian Ishida, one of her dad’s star hockey players, joins her study group, things get complicated.

As Scarlett helps Kian, their study sessions turn into something more—stolen glances, lingering touches, and a connection neither of them expected. Kian has to decide what’s more important: the dream he’s worked for his whole life or the girl he never saw coming.