REVIEW: Unbound by Peyton Corinne

In Unbound by Peyton Corinne, Waterfell University student Paloma Blake had never been in love until she met Bennett Reiner on campus. The gigantic hockey goalie might seem intimidating on the ice, but he’s been her savior and the most solid presence in Paloma’s life so far. That’s why their romance took her by surprise. She doesn’t have much trust in, well, anyone. Just herself. A lesson she’s learned the hard way over time. But Bennett is just too good to be true–and most certainly too good for the likes of her. Paloma is used to people only seeing her curves and blond hair, not seeing her goals, dreams, and the hurt she hides so deeply inside herself. Bennett notices right away. Maybe that’s why she runs when things get serious their freshman year. But it’s her love and affection for the gorgeous, kind goalie that brings her back to him time and again, hoping that this might be the time they finally get it right.

Bennett is used to being the odd man out in any given situation. Being neurodivergent, he has his routines, therapy, and the support of his family and close friends to help bolster him when things become too much. But from his first moments being near Paloma, Bennett finds a sense of calm and peace nothing else has ever come close to. And the more he gets to know her, the more he’s convinced he’s in love. Things still get complicated between them, even with the best of intentions. When they part ways–Bennett is unsure why exactly–he can’t help but carry a special place in his heart for Paloma, no matter if they see each other around campus or stay apart for months. Then it happens. They are able to finally get a second chance. But will Bennett be able to convey his true feelings to Paloma in a way she’ll understand? If so, he has to believe that it will be the start of a beautiful future together.

College-age romance and angst go perfectly hand-in-hand together. And author Peyton Corinne’s third installment in The Undone series, UNBOUND, capitalized on that emotional turmoil and ran with it. Told from dual POVs alternating between Past and Present, hockey goalie Bennett and sports management major Paloma shared the highest of highs and lowest of lows on their powerful journey to a HEA beginning their freshman year. The complex issues they both faced threatened to break them. Between Bennett being neurodivergent and Paloma’s self-destructive behavior due to past trauma, this was an intense reunion romance that captured (and broke) my heart from the first page.

I must admit that Bennett wrapped me right around his finger immediately. The way he protected and cared for his loved ones so deeply reminded me of Katy Evans’ character Remy from her Real series. And it wasn’t just that both heroes were neurodivergent and had found ways of coping successfully with their diagnoses. Bennett was also such a thoughtful, kind guy. The type of person Paloma desperately needed in her corner in life. I thought they made a very solid, balanced couple–when they communicated. When they kept things from each other, that’s when things fell apart. Quickly. But Corinne made sure that even though Bennett and Paloma’s relationship was fraught with personal issues and past trauma, there was always an undercurrent of tenderness and genuine affection between them to smooth over the hurt.

TROPES & VIBES:

🛡️ Protective, all-in hero
🧩 Neurodivergent rep
🤍 Hurt/comfort healing
💞 Reunion romance
❤️‍🔥 Angsty slow burn
🌤️ Opposites in energy
⚡ Emotional angst
🌊 Trauma and self-protection

CW: View Spoiler »Self-destructive behavior, anxiety, OCD, person with autism, sexual abuse (historical), substance abuse (historical), child neglect (historical) « Hide Spoiler

Paloma was a bit more difficult to understand. And therefore, a little tougher to cheer on, particularly when it felt like she was using Bennett at times. But as her story played out and we learned about her harrowing past, it became apparent why she hid behind a party girl persona and why she denied herself the things and people she loved. Paloma had been through more in her twenty-one years than most people in their entire lifetime. So, to see her find the help she needed and to have Bennett and his loved ones on her side was one of the most heartwarming parts of this emotional story–and something I think readers will cherish.

QOTD: When you’re having a bad day (or week!), do you have any methods of coping: cooking, reading, swimming, writing, being in nature, etc.?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: April 7th, 2026 | Atria Books | The Undone #3

A new “angsty, sexy, emotional” (Farrah Rochon, New York Times bestselling author) lyrical romance by Peyton Corinne that follows a college couple through first love, heartbreak, and the struggle to come together again.

Paloma Blake is, at best, antagonistic. But beneath the hairspray, attitude, and promiscuity is a scared girl whose trauma runs deep. Still, the walls she’s built are strong, ensuring everyone only sees Paloma’s sexy façade. Everyone except for Bennett.

Bennett Reiner, the carefully controlled, neurodivergent goalie, has his routines and sticks to them, which helps him keep a hold on his OCD compulsions and the crippling anxiety that comes with them. The quiet and meticulous Bennett sees everything, especially the girl beneath Paloma’s ever-present masks. And he always has.

Unbeknownst to their friends, Bennett and Paloma were each other’s first real love, which ended in crippling heartbreak. Bennett still doesn’t know what happened, and Paloma is determined to stay away from the comfort she used to find only in his arms. For years, Bennett has remained her protective shadow, coming to Paloma’s rescue whenever she asked, keeping her as close and safe as she’ll let him. But, like a tumultuous sea to a constant shore, Bennett and Paloma find each other once more.

Alternating between scenes from their past and present, Unbound contrasts the tentative tension and passionate beginnings of first love with the devastating loneliness and deep yearning of having that love ripped away from you without truly knowing why. As Bennett discovers the truth about Paloma’s past, the threads to his careful control start to come unbound, and both begin to realize that letting go of everything else might be worth it, if it means they both get the real love they once shared again.