Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 496 pages
Author: Peyton Corinne
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: June 9th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

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.

WELL I’M STILL HERE.

I kind of can’t believe I’m still reading this series?? Maybe because I really love a redemption arc so I am super excited for the audiobook of book four to come out. Maybe because I miss hockey season and it’s unbearably hot right now?? IDK. But alas, book three has been completed.

I do genuinely like the core of these stories and the characters. This one was no different. I liked Bennett the most. He was endearing and loving and had some very relatable moments to someone who also has OCD and anxiety. Paloma on the other hand, kind of bugged me? I don’t love the “you don’t deserve me so I’m going to break up with you” kind of thing. Let Bennett make that decision. The flashback chapters were honestly fine though and I did like what they added to the story.

Now once again, the spice becomes so out of pocket it becomes annoying to flip past it on the audiobook. It constantly rivals spice > plot. Still love the all things hockey. Love the friendships.

Overall audience notes:

• NA Sports romance
• Language: strong
• Romance: gahlee I gave up counting
• Violence: moderate+
• Content warnings: panic attacks, adult/minor relationship, grooming, sexual assault, child abuse, parental abandonment, drug/alcohol use

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