Embrace, Bal Khabra (Review by Lindsey Dennis)
Rating: 4.0/5 Stars
From the moment I saw the playlist Bal Khabra curated to match this book’s tone, I knew I was in for a great reading experience. I’ve read all the previous interconnected romances in this series, so stepping into Kian’s story already felt familiar — I’d met him through his friends, and I was excited to finally see him take center stage. He quickly became one of my favorite romance heroes, thanks to the way he treated Scarlett, his friends, and his family. The hockey team’s found-family dynamic added warmth and personality to the story, and both the coach’s daughter and tutor tropes were executed in ways I genuinely enjoyed.
Kian and Scarlett made sense together, and their romance unfolded in a way that felt natural and easy to root for. Some of the family drama and side plotlines landed a bit flat for me, especially toward the end where they felt rushed, but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. If anything, I just wanted more time with Kian’s personal arc and a deeper look at the resolutions.
Overall, Embrace delivered lovable main characters, a strong found-family element, and a satisfying conclusion, earning a solid four-star rating from me. There were moments when the writing felt choppy — enough that I occasionally flipped back to make sure I hadn’t missed a page. The unnecessary secret-keeping also contributed to my rating. Still, I really enjoyed Bal Khabra’s writing and will absolutely be picking up more of her work in the future.