Spiral by Bal Khabra Summary: A Sizzling Hockey Romance
TL;DR: Two Careers, One Unexpected Connection
Professional hockey and elite ballet rarely share the same stage.
In Spiral, Bal Khabra brings these two high-pressure worlds together through a fake relationship that quickly becomes more.
The story follows Elias Westbrook, an NHL rookie struggling under a false public image, and Sage Beaumont, a ballerina fighting for her dream while hiding her financial reality.
What starts as a publicity fix turns into a deep connection neither expected.
The story balances professional pressure with personal healing, set against the backdrop of Toronto’s sports and arts scenes.
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Who Should Read Spiral?
This book appeals to readers of contemporary sports romance who enjoy emotional depth alongside romantic tension.
Fans of hockey romance will appreciate the authentic athletic setting, while readers who enjoy ballet or artistic career storylines will connect with Sage’s journey.
The story features a slow-burn relationship with forced proximity and fake dating elements. It is suited for readers who prefer character-driven romance where both protagonists have substantial personal growth arcs.
The dual point-of-view structure provides insight into both perspectives.
Readers who enjoy stories about healing from past trauma, found family, and professional pressure will find these elements central to the narrative. The tone balances playful banter with raw vulnerability.
Spiral Summary: From Strangers to Something Real
SPOILERS AHEAD
The story begins with Elias Westbrook dealing with a stalker fan and a media narrative that paints him as something he is not.
His best friend, Aiden Crawford, recruits Sage Beaumont to outbid the stalker at a charity auction. Sage does it as a favor, expecting nothing in return.
Their first real date happens after Sage confronts Elias for giving her a decoy number. The evening at a revolving restaurant reveals their shared aversion to alcohol and their similar need for privacy.
When a tabloid photo of them goes viral, Sage proposes a fake relationship to help her gain social media followers for her ballet career.
Elias initially refuses but changes his mind during a press conference. A reporter brings up Sage’s family history, and Elias’s protective instincts override his caution.
He announces on live television that Sage is his girlfriend. This moment shifts their arrangement from a private agreement to a public performance.
Their rules—no falling in love, no PDA, no other people—start to crack almost immediately. When Sage’s apartment burns down, Elias insists she move in with him and Aiden.
This forced proximity accelerates their emotional intimacy. Elias secretly pays Sean’s medical bills, and Sage becomes his anchor during stress-induced nightmares.
Bal Khabra uses these quiet domestic moments to show how two guarded people learn to rely on each other.
The relationship deepens through cooking meals together, late-night conversations, and small acts of care. External pressures keep mounting: Elias faces a trade threat, and Sage competes for the Swan Queen role at Nova Ballet Theatre.
The turning point comes when Sage confesses her love, and Elias freezes. He retreats, terrified of holding her back.
Advice from Aiden and Marcus Smith-Beaumont pushes him to reconsider. After a heartbreaking loss in game six of the Stanley Cup Finals, Elias finds Sage waiting in the corridor.
He finally admits his feelings, telling her their relationship is “real, so fucking real.”
The epilogue jumps three years ahead. Sage has bought a ballet studio and transitioned to teaching.
She and Elias have adopted Nina, a young girl from her class.
Sean graduates from York Prep and heads to Dalton University on a hockey scholarship. The chosen family they built together remains intact.
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Summary by Chapter
SPOILERS INCLUDED
The book contains 45 chapters plus an epilogue, alternating between Elias and Sage’s points of view. Each chapter advances both the romantic arc and the individual professional journeys.
Chapter 1: Elias
Elias finds a stalker named Lana in his Dallas hotel room and flees in a towel.
The media narrative about his playboy lifestyle frustrates him deeply. Coach Kilner warns him to improve his game and keep his rooms empty. Elias escapes the fundraiser venue for fresh air.
Chapter 2: Sage
Sage fails to get an audition in Huntsville and accepts a gig dancing at a team fundraiser. She sees Elias being ambushed by Lana outside the venue. Aiden asks her to outbid Lana at the date auction, and she wins with five thousand dollars.
Chapter 3: Elias
Elias is shocked to learn Sage is Marcus Smith-Beaumont’s niece. They exchange numbers on the terrace. He reflects on the monthly money wire to his biological father and his parents’ support.
Chapter 4: Sage
Sage calls Elias but gets his agent, Mason, who dismisses her. She sneaks into the locker room to confront Elias. He apologizes for the wrong number and gives her his real one.
Chapter 5: Elias
Elias rents out a revolving restaurant for their date. Sage reveals her childhood trauma, and they bond over shared decisions not to drink. He carries her on his back after her feet hurt and drives her to Lake Ontario.
Chapter 6: Sage
They walk into the freezing lake water and share a quiet conversation about escaping pressure. Elias teaches her to skip rocks, and they fall into the water together. He drives her home, and she wants a kiss that never comes.
Chapter 7: Elias
Elias finds a tabloid photo labeling Sage as his girlfriend. He meets her at the university and watches her teach. Sage jokingly suggests fake dating, but Elias refuses and walks away.
Chapter 8: Sage
Sage attends a barbecue at York Prep, where her ex-boyfriend Owen Hart reveals he joined the Thunder. Sean lies that Sage is dating Elias to make Owen jealous. Sage confesses the date details to Sean.
Chapter 9: Elias
GM Marcus gives Elias an ultimatum: improve or face a trade to Russia. At a press conference, a reporter brings up Sage’s parents’ drug charges. Elias declares live that Sage is his girlfriend.
Chapter 10: Sage
Sage’s follower count jumps by six thousand. She watches Elias’s interview and feels conflicted. She matches with a guy named Derek on a dating app.
Chapter 11: Elias
Elias drives to Sage’s apartment to talk and learns she is meeting another man. He parks and follows her into the bar.
Chapter 12: Sage
Sage’s date with Derek fails, and Elias interrupts, announcing she is his girlfriend. Outside, Elias agrees to fake dating, and they establish a no-falling-in-love rule.
Chapter 13: Elias
Elias notices his nightmares have stopped. He brings tacos to Sage’s apartment, and they write down their fake-dating rules. They agree to attend a pre-playoffs dinner.
Chapter 14: Sage
Sage’s apartment burns down due to an unattended candle. Elias arrives and insists she stay at his place. She tries to hide behind jokes, but Elias packs her things.
Chapter 15: Elias
Sage meets Summer and shares Elias’s bed for comfort after his nightmare. Elias assists Aiden’s game-winning goal in Tampa but still feels the scoring pressure.
Chapter 16: Elias
Sage encourages Elias to celebrate the win with his team. He posts a picture of Sage on social media, feeling more connected to her.
Chapter 17: Sage
Elias surprises Sage with flowers and kisses her forehead before her performance. After the show, they share a passionate kiss backstage that is filmed.
Chapter 18: Sage
Sage receives a rejection from the National Ballet. Elias bakes her muffins and comforts her. She meets his college friends, and they watch a horror movie together.
Chapter 19: Elias
At the playoffs kickoff party, Elias and Sage slow dance and share an intimate moment in a storage room. He pulls back, explaining he is celibate.
Chapter 20: Sage
Sage gets drunk after learning about Elias’s celibacy. She dances with Dylan, sparking Elias’s jealousy. Summer notes how relaxed Elias is with Sage.
Chapter 21: Elias
Elias finds Sage drunk and helps her. She admits she has never had an orgasm with a man. He restrains himself because she is drunk and gently removes her makeup.
Chapter 22: Sage / Elias
Sage discovers Elias paid Sean’s medical bills. She confronts him, but he explains she needs to let people help. His mother calls, and Elias slips by calling Sage “baby.”
Chapter 23: Sage
Sage chats with Jane Westbrook and learns Sean will miss her birthday. She cries in the bathroom, and Elias comforts her, sharing his adoption story and hatred for his full name.
Chapter 24: Sage
Elias surprises Sage with a drive-in movie birthday celebration. He bakes her a cake, and they cuddle in the truck bed.
Chapter 25: Elias
Elias reveals his blackmail history to Sage. At age eighteen, his biological father set him up with incriminating photos. Sage urges him to let her carry the burden.
Chapter 26: Elias
Elias learns Owen Hart is Sage’s ex. Marcus warns Elias that he is not good enough for Sage and will ruin his career if he hurts her.
Chapter 27: Sage
Elias scores his first NHL goal and a hat trick. Sage hugs him afterward and is recognized by a young fan for her ballet performance.
Chapter 28: Sage
Owen corners Sage at the celebration party. Elias intervenes, and their argument turns passionate. Sage reaches orgasm on his thigh, and Elias tells her never to call herself difficult.
Chapter 29: Elias
Elias struggles with desire for Sage. He insists on buying her a dress for a team event. Sage shares her middle name, Hakima, which means “wise.”
Chapter 30: Sage
Sage receives an invitation to audition for Swan Lake. At Coach Wilson’s dinner, a drunk Owen makes comments, and Elias threatens him. Their tension explodes into a kiss, but Elias stops himself.
Chapter 31: Sage
Elias corners Sage in the kitchen and admits he masturbated to thoughts of her. She watches his playoff game and is terrified when he takes brutal hits.
Chapter 32: Elias
Elias returns to Toronto with bruised ribs. Sage draws him a bath, and they share an intimate moment where he makes her climax twice. She agrees to stay permanently.
Chapter 33: Elias
Elias bakes and recovers. He and Sage share a cozy evening with face masks. She falls asleep in his lap.
Chapter 34: Sage
Sage wins the Swan Queen role. She tearfully calls Elias and slips “I love you,” but he freezes. That night, she confesses her love, leaving him silent.
Chapter 35: Elias
Elias retreats to Socket’s couch. Aiden and Marcus urge him to tell Sage his feelings. He realizes he needs to act before the biggest game of his career.
Chapter 36: Elias
The Thunder lose game six. Sage waits in the corridor, and Elias finally confesses his love. They declare their relationship real and unfiltered.
Chapter 37: Sage
Elias and Sage make love for the first time. She reveals she is on birth control, and Elias sheds his celibacy vow.
Chapter 38: Elias
Elias describes their lovemaking as worth the wait. He officially asks Sage to be his girlfriend.
Chapter 39: Sage
Sean visits, and Elias bakes sugar-free cupcakes. Sage encourages Elias to stop paying his father. They celebrate at the CN Tower restaurant.
Chapter 40: Sage / Elias
Sage starts rehearsals at NBT. Elias makes a final payment to his biological father and gets a sage plant tattoo for Sage.
Chapter 41: Elias
Elias and Sage visit his parents in Connecticut. His mother expresses regret for doubting him. They make love in his childhood room.
Chapter 42: Sage
During rehearsal, Adam drops Sage. She realizes her ankle is only bruised, and Ashley looks frustrated that Sage can still perform.
Chapter 43: Elias
Elias’s biological father appears on live TV to smear his name but collapses on stage. Elias feels relief and support from Aiden and Sage.
Chapter 44: Sage
On opening night, Sage overhears Ashley’s sabotage scheme. She confronts Adam, who apologizes. The show ends with a standing ovation.
Chapter 45: Elias
Elias blindfolds Sage and drives her to a campfire celebration with friends and family. They agree to new rules with no expiration date.
Epilogue: Sage
Three years later, Sage has bought the ballet studio and adopted Nina with Elias. Sean graduates and heads to Dalton on a hockey scholarship. The family celebrates their belonging.
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Characters In This Book
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Elias “Eli” Westbrook | Rookie defenseman for the Toronto Thunder NHL team who enters a fake relationship with Sage. |
| Sage “Hakima” Beaumont | A ballerina and legal guardian of her younger brother who agrees to fake date Elias for career and personal reasons. |
| Aiden Crawford | Elias’s best friend and teammate who recruits Sage to help Elias at the auction. |
| Summer Preston | Aiden’s girlfriend who becomes a close friend and confidante to Sage. |
| Sean Beaumont | Sage’s fifteen-year-old brother with type 1 diabetes who is protected by Sage. |
| Marcus Smith-Beaumont | Sage’s uncle and the General Manager of the Toronto Thunder. |
| Aubrey Zimmerman | The artistic director of Nova Ballet Theatre who selects Sage as the Swan Queen. |
| Elias Johnson | Elias’s biological father who blackmails him with deceptive photographs. |
| Owen Hart | Sage’s controlling ex-boyfriend who gets traded to the Thunder. |
| Lana | An obsessive stalker fan of Elias who bids on him at the auction. |
| Mason | Elias’s sports agent who manages his public relations. |
| Kian Ishida | A close friend of Elias and Aiden who befriends Sage. |
| Dylan Donovan | Another college friend of Elias and Aiden who plays as a left-winger. |
| Nina Beaumont-Westbrook | A young girl from Sage’s ballet class whom Sage and Elias eventually adopt. |
| Madame Amy Laurent | Sage’s former ballet teacher who marries Marcus. |
| Adam Culver | Senior ballet dancer at NBT who plays Prince Siegfried and struggles with lifts. |
| Ashley | Sage’s competitive alternate dancer who attempts to sabotage her. |
| Jason Levy | Senior ballet dancer at NBT who plays Rothbart and supports Sage. |
| Jane and Ian Westbrook | Elias’s adoptive parents who offer him unconditional support. |
| Josh Sutherland | Sean’s best friend at York Prep boarding school. |
| Coach Wilson | The head coach of the Toronto Thunder NHL team. |
| Coach Kilner | Elias and Aiden’s former college hockey coach at Dalton University. |
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Books Similar to Spiral
Collide by Bal Khabra
The first book in the Off the Ice series follows Summer and Aiden’s romance at Dalton University, introducing the friend group featured in Spiral.
The Deal by Elle Kennedy
A college sports romance with a fake-dating arrangement between a student and a hockey player, dealing with past trauma and emotional healing.
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
Features a figure skater and hockey captain in a forced proximity situation with dual POV and a protective friend group.
Mile High by Liz Tomforde
A professional athlete and a hardworking heroine navigate media pressure, financial burdens, and mutual support.
Story Snapshot
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Genre & Subgenre | Contemporary Sports Romance, New Adult Fiction, Hockey Romance |
| Core Narrative Tropes | Fake Dating, Forced Proximity, Grumpy x Sunshine, Protective Hero, Class Disparity, Only One Bed, Healing from Trauma |
| Tone & Atmosphere | Cozy domestic moments with passionate private scenes, contrasted with high-stakes athletic pressure and emotional pain from abandonment |
| Primary Conflict | Both characters must overcome their defense mechanisms—Elias his paranoia of exploitation and Sage her habit of carrying burdens alone—while facing external professional pressures |
| Pacing Style | Steady slow-burn progression punctuated by high-tension external events that force growth |
| ISBN | 978-0593818282 (ISBN-10: 0593818288) |
| Pages | 368 pages |
| Publisher | Berkley, published January 28, 2025 |
| Author Background | Bal Khabra is a Canadian author known for contemporary romance novels featuring athletic settings and emotional depth |
