If you’re looking for a light-hearted, laugh-out-loud, feel-good time that hockey romances are known for, this book is NOT for you. If you’re prepared to curl up with a box of Kleenex, feel free to proceed. Unloved DESTROYED me. I can’t even count how many times I had to rub my chest to ease the ache in my heart. This book spoke to so many people. If you’ve experienced the loss of a parent, it speaks to you. If you’ve lost the love of your life, it speaks to you. Dated a narcissist? Got you covered. Struggled with lack of self-worth, endured conditional love, or experienced verbal and emotional abuse? This book sees you. Unloved targets that vulnerable part in all of us that just wants to feel safe, seen, supported, and acknowledged.

All Rosalie wants is to make friends and fit in – something life seems determined to make difficult at every turn. Far from home and incredibly homesick, Ro tries her best, even going so far as to attend a party in an effort to befriend her standoffish, grumpy roommate, Sadie. Determined to become whoever she wants to be, she quickly realizes how impossible that feels when, minutes after arriving, her roommate ditches her, leaving her alone yet again. That is until the most gorgeous man she’s ever seen catches her eye from across the room. Even more terrifying? He approaches her. A smile, a kiss, and a seemingly impossible connection later, Ro feels like her luck is finally turning around – until Freddy vanishes.

Four years later, still crushing on the hockey star and now in an on-again, off-again relationship with her boyfriend of two years, Tyler, Ro finds herself in a situation she never imagined: she’s Matthew Frederick’s newest tutor. Convinced she can keep things professional despite how her body reacts every time he’s in the room, Ro quickly realizes she’s no match for the force that is Freddy. Lines blur, and despite her best efforts, a friendship begins to form as she learns more about the infamous man on campus with one heck of a reputation.

Matthew “Freddy” Frederick has long accepted his reputation as the good-time guy – or the campus “slut,” depending on who you ask. Struggling with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD, school has never come easy to him, but hockey? That’s where he shines. Unfortunately, to stay on the team, he has to pass his classes – a task that has him burning through tutors like water. When he learns he’s been passed off to yet another tutor, he dreads the inevitable failure. That is, until he discovers it’s the same gorgeous woman he met at a party the night before.

The problem? She has no recollection of their night together – her confessions, their connection, and the words she uttered that turned his entire life upside down. Freddy, however, can’t forget. He longs to relive that night, but instead, he settles for teasing her, enjoying the way he can provoke a rise out of her. Determined to tear down the professional wall she’s built, brick by brick, Freddy begins to form a connection with the one person who truly sees him, gets him, and understands him. Ro may be the first person to make him feel less alone – and if he treads carefully, maybe even a little loved.

I’ll warn you – while I thoroughly enjoyed Unloved, I felt like I’m missed something since I haven’t read Unsteady, the first book in the series. If it weren’t for the fact that this is an ARC due before the release date, I’d pause to read Unsteady before continuing. While Peyton tries her best to fill in missing pieces, the two books are deeply intertwined. I plan to go back, and I suspect there will be plenty of “AHA!” moments when I do. The only reason this book works on its own is because both you and Freddy feel like a third wheel, painfully aware that you’re missing something everyone else knows. The whispers, the side glances – it’s frustrating as a reader (again, if you haven’t read the first book), but this shared confusion connects you to Freddy because you empathize with his struggles. 

Personally, I’m a fan of light-hearted contemporary romances – more chuckles than tears. For that reason, Unloved felt very heavy for me. While there are occasional light moments, most of it feels like aerial yoga with your heartstrings. Truth be told, it had me emotionally drained before I was even a quarter of the way through! Ro and Freddy are the embodiment of our worst fears. You just want to reach through the pages, take them by the hand, and pull them to safety. Hold them. Reassure them. Protect them. And while doing so, beat the ever-living tar out of Tyler Donaldson! This guy puts every villain to shame. Even Darth Vader would say, “That guy is a bit harsh!”

Even with the emotional toll, there was so much to love about this book and plenty of subtle hints to suggest that Bennett and Paloma’s story might be next. What I loved most, though, is how Peyton makes the hockey players human. In most hockey romances, the players are gods living the high life. Here, every single one of them has their own struggles and demons. Kane has his secrets. Bennett has his. And if you’ve read the first book, you’re already aware of what happened to Rhys. These vulnerabilities make them people we can care about – people we want to see succeed and achieve the happily-ever-afters they deserve.

The structure of the book is brilliant. Peyton carefully crafts a journey where one character has to complete their growth before they can be there for the other. At the beginning, while we’re made aware of Matt’s struggles, the focus remains on Ro – her homesickness, loneliness, and need to feel loved and accepted. These qualities make her the perfect target for her narcissistic boyfriend, Tyler. Peyton masterfully portrays how dangerous it can be to choose being with someone over being alone and how the wrong person can weaponize love – twisting it into something conditional and toxic. 

The rebuilding of Ro – piece by piece – as she confronts what Tyler stole is beautifully handled. From her first kiss to her dreams and studies, Tyler trampled on everything that was hers, justifying it with conditional love. Slowly, we watch her recognize what true love and care look like. She learns what it means to matter to someone. 

We also witness how true friendship and love can build an impenetrable shield. We see Ro grow stronger and more confident with Matt at her back. Like a flower in high winds, he shields her from what could tear her down, and in his warmth, she flourishes.

But broken can’t fix broken. While Ro rises, we witness Matt fall. That’s when the book shifts. Ro steps into the role of protector, reflecting the kindness Matt showed her back onto him. She helps him see who he truly is – showing him how those who love him see him, drowning out the negative voices in his head. Ro and Matt’s struggles mirror each other. Both have bullies – whether direct or passive – and each has someone who loves them but is kept at bay out of fear or misguided protection.

One detail I loved: Ro and Matt came into each other’s lives during their darkest moments. They shared their first kiss the night he lost his mother. They reconnected when Tyler dumped her, suggesting they be “casual.” Both nights, one party was too consumed by their pain to remember—but those moments still shaped them both in profound ways.

I loved how Peyton balanced the “innocently spicy” moments. The chemistry between Ro and Matt is scorching, but these moments were about more than connection. For Ro, intimacy was about reclaiming the parts of herself that Tyler shamed and twisted.

There are no words to adequately describe the second-to-last chapter. The only thing that could’ve made it more satisfying is closure on Tyler, Carmen, and Matt’s dad. While it’s clear that moving on from them was the ultimate comeuppance, I personally wanted something bad to happen to them. Wrong? Probably. But I challenge you to feel differently when you finish reading.

As Peyton said in her acknowledgments, this book is about love and grief, and she shows, over and over, how deeply the two are intertwined. The harder we love, the more we grieve. But those same memories, those cherished moments, are also what carry us through.

To answer the unasked questions: Was this book too heavy for me? Yes. Did it gut me from the inside out? Absolutely. Will I go back and read book one? Already bought it. This book will make you feel – hurt, tear up, and fume. It pokes at your memory and heart, reviving long-buried emotions. It’s a reminder of how far you’ve come and a celebration of the strength it takes to keep going. For those still in the midst of their struggles, it might serve as a motivator to take that first step toward freedom, healing, or perspective. No matter where you are in life, this book will whisper something sacred to you by the time you read the last line.