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Coastal University #2
Fault Line
KAIA Karras has always excelled in the classroom. She’s a born and bred overachiever, chronic over thinker, and full time seeker of academic validation. But being top of the class doesn’t happen without making sacrifices. So when it comes to relationships, she’s only looking for something casual and transactional. A way to shut off her brain for a little while, and finally get some much needed sleep.
That is, until she spends just one night with Holden Becker, a talented hockey player with a sharp wit and a secret soft spot for her.
HOLDEN Becker plays by his own rules, both on and off the ice. He's used to getting what he wants, whether it's the attention of his coach or the admiration of his teammates. But when he and Kaia both secure top marks for their research proposals, they're forced to share an academic advisor.
Their rivalry quickly turns to passion, and they find themselves in a precarious situation: hooking up behind closed doors, all while trying to keep their relationship strictly casual.
Three years of rivalry. Just one night to cut the tension. When the ground beneath them begins to shake, will they hold on or let go?
That is, until she spends just one night with Holden Becker, a talented hockey player with a sharp wit and a secret soft spot for her.
HOLDEN Becker plays by his own rules, both on and off the ice. He's used to getting what he wants, whether it's the attention of his coach or the admiration of his teammates. But when he and Kaia both secure top marks for their research proposals, they're forced to share an academic advisor.
Their rivalry quickly turns to passion, and they find themselves in a precarious situation: hooking up behind closed doors, all while trying to keep their relationship strictly casual.
Three years of rivalry. Just one night to cut the tension. When the ground beneath them begins to shake, will they hold on or let go?
338 pages, Paperback
First published June 13, 2023
697 people are currently reading
21049 people want to read
About the author
Ki Stephens
12 books1,371 followersKi Stephens is a romance enthusiast who finds comfort in the happily-ever-after . . . with just a little bit of angst along the way. She has a special interest in works that include neurodivergent characters like herself. When she’s not daydreaming about books, Ki enjoys working with kids, creating art in her backyard studio, and spending loads of time with her baby girl, her husband, and their three pets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,053 reviews
October 6, 2024
જ⁀➴ 3.5 ✰
Took me 9 months but I finally finished this book🫡 I actually started this back in January and stoped reading it around 38% because I didn’t like the fmc neither the rivals with benefit trope.
I really want to read the third one in the series without skipping this one which is why I decided to continue reading it.
Surprisingly I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I could, and didn’t even notice how fast I read the rest. It is a fast paced and an easy read, really cute and it explores topics of addiction and mental health issues. But being honest the 3 stars is only because of the mmc, Holden.
➳ characters
˚₊ · »-♡→ Kaia
She is someone who thrives in academic validation which makes her also a perfectionist and competitive.
I wasn’t a fan of her✋🏻 I mean I had to stop reading it at first because of her actions, I don’t really understand why she hated Holden so much😭 and I get where she’s coming from after learning about her struggles but I couldn’t ignore the fact that she was basically using Holden for her benefits (sex). She annoyed me a lot with her attitude. She was so rude to my love Holden just because he was smarter😐 also I DESPISE how she blocked him out when he needed her the most.
I don’t deal well with characters that have commitment issues and don’t try to get better and then blame the partner when something goes wrong.
˚₊ · »-♡→ Holden
My baby, I love him, one of the sweetest mmc I’ve read, I want him for myself🤭 he was so patient, caring and just incredible. I wished he had a better fmc, because he gave everything for Kaia and she treated him so mean most parts of the book, that I actually felt bad for him😣 but I guess that’s the point of the book🤷🏻♀️He is also obsessed with Kaia, truly obsessed.
˚₊ · »-♡→ Holden & Kaia
Even though their relationship was one sided most of the book, they work together somehow. Something that I adored was how they communicated and trusted the other after they finally opened up with each other (at 88% lol) better late than never.
➳ side character
୨ৎElio: he is Kaia best friend and the main character of the next book in the series. I KNOWWW that I’m going to love him in his book, I really liked his friendship with Kaia and how they were there for each other after struggling together with the same situation.
🎧ྀི Holden & Stacey mini playlistᰔ
⤷ block me out ⟡ gracie abrams
⤷ love me back ⟡ bebe stockwell
⤷ glue myself shut ⟡ noah kahan
⤷ waves ⟡ dean lewis
💌 tropes:
ꨄ︎ academic rivals to lovers (not really)
ꨄ︎ hockey player
ꨄ︎ black cat x golden retriever
ꨄ︎ “let’s get each other out of our system”
ꨄ︎ mental health rep
ꨄ︎ he takes care of her when sick🥹
quotes
“We’ve reached a level of comfort where silence is louder than words.”
“Kaia, you don’t have to hide anything from me. We all have our struggles, our insecurities. It doesn’t make me think of you any differently, make me want you any less.”
“I really, really like you. Do you know that? And all I fucking want is to be there for you. Your person—the one you come to when you’re in need, the one you call in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep.”
⋆𐙚₊˚⊹“But now, being with him feels like the most natural thing in the world. He’s become my safe haven, my lighthouse in the storm”⋆𐙚₊˚⊹
Took me 9 months but I finally finished this book🫡 I actually started this back in January and stoped reading it around 38% because I didn’t like the fmc neither the rivals with benefit trope.
I really want to read the third one in the series without skipping this one which is why I decided to continue reading it.
Surprisingly I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I could, and didn’t even notice how fast I read the rest. It is a fast paced and an easy read, really cute and it explores topics of addiction and mental health issues. But being honest the 3 stars is only because of the mmc, Holden.
➳ characters
˚₊ · »-♡→ Kaia
She is someone who thrives in academic validation which makes her also a perfectionist and competitive.
I wasn’t a fan of her✋🏻 I mean I had to stop reading it at first because of her actions, I don’t really understand why she hated Holden so much😭 and I get where she’s coming from after learning about her struggles but I couldn’t ignore the fact that she was basically using Holden for her benefits (sex). She annoyed me a lot with her attitude. She was so rude to my love Holden just because he was smarter😐 also I DESPISE how she blocked him out when he needed her the most.
I don’t deal well with characters that have commitment issues and don’t try to get better and then blame the partner when something goes wrong.
˚₊ · »-♡→ Holden
My baby, I love him, one of the sweetest mmc I’ve read, I want him for myself🤭 he was so patient, caring and just incredible. I wished he had a better fmc, because he gave everything for Kaia and she treated him so mean most parts of the book, that I actually felt bad for him😣 but I guess that’s the point of the book🤷🏻♀️He is also obsessed with Kaia, truly obsessed.
˚₊ · »-♡→ Holden & Kaia
Even though their relationship was one sided most of the book, they work together somehow. Something that I adored was how they communicated and trusted the other after they finally opened up with each other (at 88% lol) better late than never.
➳ side character
୨ৎElio: he is Kaia best friend and the main character of the next book in the series. I KNOWWW that I’m going to love him in his book, I really liked his friendship with Kaia and how they were there for each other after struggling together with the same situation.
🎧ྀི Holden & Stacey mini playlistᰔ
⤷ block me out ⟡ gracie abrams
⤷ love me back ⟡ bebe stockwell
⤷ glue myself shut ⟡ noah kahan
⤷ waves ⟡ dean lewis
💌 tropes:
ꨄ︎ academic rivals to lovers (not really)
ꨄ︎ hockey player
ꨄ︎ black cat x golden retriever
ꨄ︎ “let’s get each other out of our system”
ꨄ︎ mental health rep
ꨄ︎ he takes care of her when sick🥹
quotes
“We’ve reached a level of comfort where silence is louder than words.”
“Kaia, you don’t have to hide anything from me. We all have our struggles, our insecurities. It doesn’t make me think of you any differently, make me want you any less.”
“I really, really like you. Do you know that? And all I fucking want is to be there for you. Your person—the one you come to when you’re in need, the one you call in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep.”
May 23, 2023
Apparently therapy doesn't exist in this universe.
Want to read
April 13, 2023COLLEGE ACADEMIC RIVALS TO LOVERS???? THIS WILL BE MY JOKER.
May 13, 2023
Thank you Ki for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review <3
Let me preface that this combined my 2 favourite tropes: ice hockey romance, and academic rivals.
And on top of that, it has amazing neurospicy rep, and after reading Spring Tides I had my full trust in Ki for pulling that off. And she came through!
I love how healthy the communication was, Holden took his time making sure that Kaia was comfortable, but knew when to push.
Kaia on the other hand was dealing with a lot of stress and really needed that comfort to know she was worthy.
The only downside to this story is that Kaia’s mental health and anxiety felt incredibly on the forefront which almost left no room for Holden to shine. It became repetitive real fast, and it feels like she was stringing him along only as an afterthought almost.
Also some plot points could’ve been explained a bit more, I still don’t really get why Liz was acting like that? And what happened with Elio?
Anyways, if you’re looking for a fast read that has great banter, and the most lovable book boyfriend ever with amazing neurodivergent rep, you should totally pick this up!
Let me preface that this combined my 2 favourite tropes: ice hockey romance, and academic rivals.
And on top of that, it has amazing neurospicy rep, and after reading Spring Tides I had my full trust in Ki for pulling that off. And she came through!
I love how healthy the communication was, Holden took his time making sure that Kaia was comfortable, but knew when to push.
Kaia on the other hand was dealing with a lot of stress and really needed that comfort to know she was worthy.
The only downside to this story is that Kaia’s mental health and anxiety felt incredibly on the forefront which almost left no room for Holden to shine. It became repetitive real fast, and it feels like she was stringing him along only as an afterthought almost.
Also some plot points could’ve been explained a bit more, I still don’t really get why Liz was acting like that? And what happened with Elio?
Anyways, if you’re looking for a fast read that has great banter, and the most lovable book boyfriend ever with amazing neurodivergent rep, you should totally pick this up!
November 21, 2023
tbh i don’t really have much to say besides that it was short and cute. it gave what it needed to give and i am forever grateful for that 🧘🏽♀️
i never knew how much i would genuinely enjoy academic rivals to lovers, it was not slow burn sadly 🥲 but it was still cute + a mix of hockey romance (which will forever be fav sports romance sport)
kaia was soooo relatable because i too sadly struggle from thriving off of academic validation and i genuinely felt like this book knew me bc i too deal w insane insomnia when i overly stress over schoolwork and my future 😔 do i handle it the same way as her? aka through fucking absolutely not 🤺 but hey to each their own i guess 😴
and like with many stories we hear of these super smart characters and then the entire story there’s no hint of school work or even class attendance but these mc’s was consistent, it felt actually relatable.
not sure if this is a spoiler but :
honestly i was expecting a third-act breakup from the beginning it was so practically predictable and guess what…..THERE WAS NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP🥹🥹🥹🥹 they communicated 😍😍😍
this one is an actual spoiler so skip if you don’t want it:
but FINALLY AN EPILOGUE WHERE THEY ARENT MARRIED AND HAVE KIDS. the way that ever college romance ends up with that like yes yay for them but idgaf!!!! ms girl did not become a trophy wife (nothing wrong with that) and stayed being a scholar, we stan women in stem 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
i never knew how much i would genuinely enjoy academic rivals to lovers, it was not slow burn sadly 🥲 but it was still cute + a mix of hockey romance (which will forever be fav sports romance sport)
kaia was soooo relatable because i too sadly struggle from thriving off of academic validation and i genuinely felt like this book knew me bc i too deal w insane insomnia when i overly stress over schoolwork and my future 😔 do i handle it the same way as her?
and like with many stories we hear of these super smart characters and then the entire story there’s no hint of school work or even class attendance but these mc’s was consistent, it felt actually relatable.
not sure if this is a spoiler but :
honestly i was expecting a third-act breakup from the beginning it was so practically predictable and guess what…..THERE WAS NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP🥹🥹🥹🥹 they communicated 😍😍😍
this one is an actual spoiler so skip if you don’t want it:
but FINALLY AN EPILOGUE WHERE THEY ARENT MARRIED AND HAVE KIDS. the way that ever college romance ends up with that like yes yay for them but idgaf!!!! ms girl did not become a trophy wife (nothing wrong with that) and stayed being a scholar, we stan women in stem 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
May 18, 2023
the whole rivals to lovers thing didn’t hit the way i thought it would
June 2, 2023
Fmc was annoying and unlikeable af
September 11, 2023
i really liked this one!
June 2, 2023
well, this was the kind of book i will be having trouble remembering in a few days.
May 27, 2023
once again, ki proved shes my favourite author!!
i was lucky enough to receive an early copy at the beginning of april and i have no stopped thinking about it since, easily made its way to my top fave books ever.
for starters, the academic rivals to lovers was academic rival to lovering to the max !! their banter was top tier i could listen to them verbal spar all day every day for the rest of my life !!! they are academic rivals who have to share the same dissertation supervisor… perfect perfect perfect
kaia, my bby, i loved her !! ki’s characters always hit so close to home and kaia was no different. i saw a lot of myself in kaia and i just want to give her a big hug
HOLDEN HOLDEN HOLDEN, dare i say i love him more than luca? i think i do. THIS MAN oh my days he is insane, like phenomenal, his humour, the way he caries himself, HIS APPEARANCE i pictured him to be the hottest book bf ever ever ever
i beg beg beg you pick this series up if you havent already!! the lucaharper cameos in this one>>
tropes:
academic rivals to lovers
costal town
hockey player
black cat x golden retriever
“one night to get you out of my system”
i was lucky enough to receive an early copy at the beginning of april and i have no stopped thinking about it since, easily made its way to my top fave books ever.
for starters, the academic rivals to lovers was academic rival to lovering to the max !! their banter was top tier i could listen to them verbal spar all day every day for the rest of my life !!! they are academic rivals who have to share the same dissertation supervisor… perfect perfect perfect
kaia, my bby, i loved her !! ki’s characters always hit so close to home and kaia was no different. i saw a lot of myself in kaia and i just want to give her a big hug
HOLDEN HOLDEN HOLDEN, dare i say i love him more than luca? i think i do. THIS MAN oh my days he is insane, like phenomenal, his humour, the way he caries himself, HIS APPEARANCE i pictured him to be the hottest book bf ever ever ever
i beg beg beg you pick this series up if you havent already!! the lucaharper cameos in this one>>
tropes:
academic rivals to lovers
costal town
hockey player
black cat x golden retriever
“one night to get you out of my system”
Want to read
March 15, 2023Screamingggg can’t wait for this!! The tropes?! Smash every single one 🤭💗
June 21, 2023
dnf at 78%
the fmc was actually so annoying and so rude for absolutely no reason. i wanted to punch her in the face to knock some sense in her. like im genuinely shocked how the guy still managed to be sweet to her after seeing her personality. she was so whiny just because he was smarter than her and she just blamed it on how he looked which pissed me off sm.
i was in a reading slump but this put me into a bigger one. idk why i didn't stop after the first 20 pages. i thought it was going to get better but i was SO wrong it's laughable. if i had the physical version of this book i would rip apart the pages. anyways don't read this book.
also no offense to the writer but i absolutely hated this book and im definitely not going to read any other books from this author.
the fmc was actually so annoying and so rude for absolutely no reason. i wanted to punch her in the face to knock some sense in her. like im genuinely shocked how the guy still managed to be sweet to her after seeing her personality. she was so whiny just because he was smarter than her and she just blamed it on how he looked which pissed me off sm.
i was in a reading slump but this put me into a bigger one. idk why i didn't stop after the first 20 pages. i thought it was going to get better but i was SO wrong it's laughable. if i had the physical version of this book i would rip apart the pages. anyways don't read this book.
also no offense to the writer but i absolutely hated this book and im definitely not going to read any other books from this author.
May 27, 2023
hm i dont know how to feel about this. glad it’s over
May 12, 2023
4.5 stars.
This book took academic rivals to another level.
First of all, thank you Ki Stephens for kindly providing me the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to read HoldenKaia and they didn't disappoint!
Fault Line is about Kaia Karras, smartest girl in class, always grumpy, is a biomedical engineering student, and her rival Holden Beck, who's a golden retriever guy, plays hockey, loves to piss her off and secretly likes her for years but thought she had a boyfriend.
Kaia has a problem: she needs to get laid in order for her to be able to sleep properly, and organize her brain to study. And now enters Holden Beck, he's totally against her hooking up with one of his teammates or any other guy, so they make this deal that it's just sex and changes nothing. They're bickering 24/7, competing with each other all the time but their chemistry is undeniable and they can't stay away from it.
Kaia and Holden have to work in a research together, they both have too much pressure to be great students from their families and themselves. So.. while reading their book I could relate so much to some thoughts of this characters, as a uni student myself I know how hard it can be to make your brain rest, to not feel like a failure, to make things work even in the worst days, and Kaia is so relatable because she thinks she's too much trouble for a guy, and deep down that she's unworthy of love. If you know me, I'm the number 1 stan of grumpy girls who are secretly soft, so she's my new best girl.
The romance was so well-built, there's bickering, chemistry, soft scenes and the steamy ones are SO great. HoldenKaia had an amazing development as a couple and it wasn't rushed at all, I think I like them even more than HarperLuca.
I also loved the side characters, I think RaiRai and Lizzie have potential and I WOULD LOVE to read a book about Elio, he deserves a chance to prove he got better from his point of view.
Ki Stephens KNOWS how to write the cutest ships, university drama (I have lots going on rn), good friendships and sports romance. I absolutely recommend this if you like cliche romance, grumpy girl and sunshine boy, sports romance and a book to warm your heart.
This book took academic rivals to another level.
First of all, thank you Ki Stephens for kindly providing me the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited to read HoldenKaia and they didn't disappoint!
Fault Line is about Kaia Karras, smartest girl in class, always grumpy, is a biomedical engineering student, and her rival Holden Beck, who's a golden retriever guy, plays hockey, loves to piss her off and secretly likes her for years but thought she had a boyfriend.
Kaia has a problem: she needs to get laid in order for her to be able to sleep properly, and organize her brain to study. And now enters Holden Beck, he's totally against her hooking up with one of his teammates or any other guy, so they make this deal that it's just sex and changes nothing. They're bickering 24/7, competing with each other all the time but their chemistry is undeniable and they can't stay away from it.
Kaia and Holden have to work in a research together, they both have too much pressure to be great students from their families and themselves. So.. while reading their book I could relate so much to some thoughts of this characters, as a uni student myself I know how hard it can be to make your brain rest, to not feel like a failure, to make things work even in the worst days, and Kaia is so relatable because she thinks she's too much trouble for a guy, and deep down that she's unworthy of love. If you know me, I'm the number 1 stan of grumpy girls who are secretly soft, so she's my new best girl.
The romance was so well-built, there's bickering, chemistry, soft scenes and the steamy ones are SO great. HoldenKaia had an amazing development as a couple and it wasn't rushed at all, I think I like them even more than HarperLuca.
I also loved the side characters, I think RaiRai and Lizzie have potential and I WOULD LOVE to read a book about Elio, he deserves a chance to prove he got better from his point of view.
Ki Stephens KNOWS how to write the cutest ships, university drama (I have lots going on rn), good friendships and sports romance. I absolutely recommend this if you like cliche romance, grumpy girl and sunshine boy, sports romance and a book to warm your heart.
June 7, 2024
4/5 ⭐️
Академічні суперники? Так, це мені треба!
Історія, яка чудово показує, що від ненависті до кохання дуже маленький крок :)
Холден - чоловік, який дуже розумно оцінює ситуацію. Він розуміє потреби Кайї та робить уже в її інтересах.
Кайя - боєць, така в мене асоціація. При цьому вона робить усе за для своїх цілей, навіть в шкоду собі. Мені багато разів хотілося її обійняти. Але, терапія існує, там паче вона знає методи, які їй допомагають
Мені сподобалось їх особисте місце, маяк. Бо головні герої стали один для одного прихистком, підтримкою, мотивацією та місцем спокою.
Книга зі здоровою комунікацією (майже завжди) між героями, чудовими жартами та цікавими героями.
Академічні суперники? Так, це мені треба!
Історія, яка чудово показує, що від ненависті до кохання дуже маленький крок :)
Холден - чоловік, який дуже розумно оцінює ситуацію. Він розуміє потреби Кайї та робить уже в її інтересах.
Кайя - боєць, така в мене асоціація. При цьому вона робить усе за для своїх цілей, навіть в шкоду собі. Мені багато разів хотілося її обійняти. Але, терапія існує, там паче вона знає методи, які їй допомагають
Мені сподобалось їх особисте місце, маяк. Бо головні герої стали один для одного прихистком, підтримкою, мотивацією та місцем спокою.
Книга зі здоровою комунікацією (майже завжди) між героями, чудовими жартами та цікавими героями.
February 14, 2024
ATTENTION EVERYONE I JUST FOUND A NEW FAVORITE BOOK EVER 😭
If anyone asks me what my favorite tropes of all time are, I will say rivals to lovers and black cat x golden retriever (or any other synonymous wording) every time hands down without fail. So the fact that this book had BOTH?! Yeah, I already knew I was going to love it! But I loved it even more as I kept reading.
I cannot even begin to express how much I related to Kaia — there were literally moments where I cried because some of the things she would say hit a little too deep 😅 But I adored her so much and found an undeniable level of comfort through her character. And Holden was just absolutely perfect and even more perfect for Kaia. I really adored the way he was so caring and patient with her, it brought tears to my eyes! Truly a new book husband 🤧
I already want to read this book all over again. The chemistry, banter, and intimacy between Kaia & Holden was just unmatched, and I will carry a piece of them with me always. And I loved being back in Coastal U again! Ki never fails to deliver with a heartwarming love story that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I’m so excited for the next 💗
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
10/5! black cat x golden retriever + rivals to lovers truly never fail me I LOVED THIS 😭
If anyone asks me what my favorite tropes of all time are, I will say rivals to lovers and black cat x golden retriever (or any other synonymous wording) every time hands down without fail. So the fact that this book had BOTH?! Yeah, I already knew I was going to love it! But I loved it even more as I kept reading.
I cannot even begin to express how much I related to Kaia — there were literally moments where I cried because some of the things she would say hit a little too deep 😅 But I adored her so much and found an undeniable level of comfort through her character. And Holden was just absolutely perfect and even more perfect for Kaia. I really adored the way he was so caring and patient with her, it brought tears to my eyes! Truly a new book husband 🤧
I already want to read this book all over again. The chemistry, banter, and intimacy between Kaia & Holden was just unmatched, and I will carry a piece of them with me always. And I loved being back in Coastal U again! Ki never fails to deliver with a heartwarming love story that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I’m so excited for the next 💗
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
10/5! black cat x golden retriever + rivals to lovers truly never fail me I LOVED THIS 😭
Read
May 19, 2023dnf
June 16, 2023
The beginning was very promising but somewhere in like 60% of the book I lost all interest in the characters and what was happening and it just got soooo boring. like this is a hockey romance and I would normally eat this up but it wasn’t doing it for me 🤷♀️
2.75/5 stars
2.75/5 stars
February 20, 2024
╰┈➤ 3.5 stars
May 15, 2024
Яка мила історія 😻
May 16, 2023
3.5 Stars!
I really enjoy reading this series and had high hopes for this second book. I defiantly enjoyed it and will continue with the series but I didn't feel like i got everything I wanted from it.
I felt like I really struggled with Kaia, I just wasn't really a fan of her and her hot and cold was just not resonating with me. I loved Holden but I also feel like I needed him to stand up for himself more. it just felt to fluffy and the way they were I just wanted more depth between them.
I still really liked the book and will continue with it.
I really enjoy reading this series and had high hopes for this second book. I defiantly enjoyed it and will continue with the series but I didn't feel like i got everything I wanted from it.
I felt like I really struggled with Kaia, I just wasn't really a fan of her and her hot and cold was just not resonating with me. I loved Holden but I also feel like I needed him to stand up for himself more. it just felt to fluffy and the way they were I just wanted more depth between them.
I still really liked the book and will continue with it.
September 6, 2023
2.5
are you for fucking real? 😑 i had to go and buy myself flowers as an apology for having to deal with kaia and a congratulations for finishing it.
HOLDEN. DESERVED. BETTER. he gave everything, he gave her a save space, he was at her BECK AND CALL when she needed him, he gave her space when she was dealing with what she was dealing with and HE WAS THERE FOR HER. what did she give? nothing. 💀didn’t come to thanksgiving dinner that he invited her to. didn’t come to his hockey game to support him especially because his dad was there DESPITE him ACTUALLY ASKING her to come and support him. didn’t even pick up the phone when he NEEDED her and she was the first and ONLY person he wanted to be with and talk to. 😭 she literally gave nothing and felt a ‘little bit of guilt’. so you fucking should kaia. you’ve done fuck all to support him or hell, even contribute to the relationship and you feel a ‘bit guilty’ 🙄 boo fucking hoo.
ALSO?? ACADEMIC RIVALS??? for like 10% of the book 😭 and it wasn’t even particularly rival-ly. she was just mean and just made him feel bad because he didn’t need to try as hard. speaking of academics - THE WAY SHE KEPT BLOWING EVERYTHING OFF FOR THOSE BLOODY APPLICATIONS. LIKE GIRL? 💀 DEADASS STFU AND GO FUCK UR HANDSOME BOYFRIEND NVM APPLICATIONS. christ.
my final fucking straw was her pathetic attempt at an apology. i don’t know who’s more stupid, her for thinking that she’s what he deserves or him for being so willing to forgive 😭🥲 man just straight up grinned to see her after taking a week of space. holden love, let her grovel. god knows she has to do a lot of it.
the elio plot/thing was underdeveloped, really thought something would happen there, maybe even with Luca too but nope. and her sister too. maybe even his father too? nope. unsure really what the plot was here.
maybe im just in a foul fucking mood or maybe i have a valid point but mfc’s need to do more than the BARE minimum to get EVERYTHING from the guy.
really wanted to love this but it made so mad i was frustrating screaming
are you for fucking real? 😑 i had to go and buy myself flowers as an apology for having to deal with kaia and a congratulations for finishing it.
HOLDEN. DESERVED. BETTER. he gave everything, he gave her a save space, he was at her BECK AND CALL when she needed him, he gave her space when she was dealing with what she was dealing with and HE WAS THERE FOR HER. what did she give? nothing. 💀didn’t come to thanksgiving dinner that he invited her to. didn’t come to his hockey game to support him especially because his dad was there DESPITE him ACTUALLY ASKING her to come and support him. didn’t even pick up the phone when he NEEDED her and she was the first and ONLY person he wanted to be with and talk to. 😭 she literally gave nothing and felt a ‘little bit of guilt’. so you fucking should kaia. you’ve done fuck all to support him or hell, even contribute to the relationship and you feel a ‘bit guilty’ 🙄 boo fucking hoo.
ALSO?? ACADEMIC RIVALS??? for like 10% of the book 😭 and it wasn’t even particularly rival-ly. she was just mean and just made him feel bad because he didn’t need to try as hard. speaking of academics - THE WAY SHE KEPT BLOWING EVERYTHING OFF FOR THOSE BLOODY APPLICATIONS. LIKE GIRL? 💀 DEADASS STFU AND GO FUCK UR HANDSOME BOYFRIEND NVM APPLICATIONS. christ.
my final fucking straw was her pathetic attempt at an apology. i don’t know who’s more stupid, her for thinking that she’s what he deserves or him for being so willing to forgive 😭🥲 man just straight up grinned to see her after taking a week of space. holden love, let her grovel. god knows she has to do a lot of it.
the elio plot/thing was underdeveloped, really thought something would happen there, maybe even with Luca too but nope. and her sister too. maybe even his father too? nope. unsure really what the plot was here.
maybe im just in a foul fucking mood or maybe i have a valid point but mfc’s need to do more than the BARE minimum to get EVERYTHING from the guy.
really wanted to love this but it made so mad i was frustrating screaming
June 1, 2023
holy shit this was such a breezy read. i was so into the book and the easy fun relationship the characters had.
it was easily a five star read with an easy writing style, an engaging plot and great chemistry between the main characters.
the characters actually had a good healthy relationship with each other. they communicated and tried to find a solution for their relationship to work. the mmc wasn't a childish brat, in fact he was quite mature and a very very sweet mmc.
the fmc has past issues that she deals with and also current ones that she regularly faces. this causes trouble in the relationship but the way they both handled it was quite realistic and the writing made it easy to read through
it was easily a five star read with an easy writing style, an engaging plot and great chemistry between the main characters.
the characters actually had a good healthy relationship with each other. they communicated and tried to find a solution for their relationship to work. the mmc wasn't a childish brat, in fact he was quite mature and a very very sweet mmc.
the fmc has past issues that she deals with and also current ones that she regularly faces. this causes trouble in the relationship but the way they both handled it was quite realistic and the writing made it easy to read through
July 23, 2023
DNF
could a character be more unbearable than Kaia? to be this self absorbed, argumentative, combative and hostile, and THEN blame the anxiety for simply being a selfish person? yeah, idk what Holden saw in her but he deserved someone better. she treated him the same way his father did.
could a character be more unbearable than Kaia? to be this self absorbed, argumentative, combative and hostile, and THEN blame the anxiety for simply being a selfish person? yeah, idk what Holden saw in her but he deserved someone better. she treated him the same way his father did.
October 24, 2023
kaia is a regulus black kinnie and holden is a james potter variant. they’re practically made for each other. as a die-hard marauders fan and an even bigger jegulus enthusiast... that’s all i liked about this book. their dynamic. kept making me smile. 💘🌸💖 THE SILLIES 💘🌸💖 THEY WERE SO CUTE.
November 28, 2023
black cat girlies <333 THIS WAS SO CUTE🥺 might just be one of the best rivals to lovers I’ve ever read. I loved it so much. pls check tws!!
January 7, 2024
3.75 ⭐️ rounded up for goodreads rating bc they still don’t have half stars and 3 felt too low. a super quick and cute read!
January 23, 2024
i love being a kaia karras stan account
May 14, 2023
Reread #1:
God I love them so much. So much I reread it within 2 weeks of the first time. I will be reading anything and everything Ki writes. She’s fully cemented herself as one of my favorite authors.
Initial review:
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy. This honest review was based off my experience reading this eARC, which in no way biased me. All opinions are my own.
Now that we have that out of the way, now let me scream about it. Because I need to.
Ok so if you’re reading this after Spring Tide, which is not necessary, but I’d recommend it because it’s amazing, and Fault Line takes place right after Spring Tide’s Epilogue.
So to orient you we got Spring Tide’s MMC Luca’s brother, Elio’s best friend, Kaia, she is our FMC; who just also happens to be Luca’s Ex-Girlfriend’s, Sofia’s younger sister.
Now our MMC, Holden. He is the Captain of the Coastal University Hockey team. The very same team Spring Tide’s FMC Harper is currently the athletic trainer for.
Now here comes the angst, are you ready? Both Kaia and Holden are in the same Major, the Biomedical Engineering major at Coastal U. That’s not the angst, this is, get this they are TIED for the top spot of their graduating glass. But wait there’s more, both of their final projects are along similar areas of research. BUT WAIT THERES MORE. THEY ARE BOTH COMPETING TO FOR THE SAME ADVISOR FOR THEIR PROJECTS.
Oh and add the type of bickering that has accounted for about 3 years of foreplay, finally exploding 👀
Are you convinced yet? No? Ok I’ll keep going. Let’s list some elements/tropes:
Academic Rivals
Forced proximity
Small College Town
He Falls First and the Hardest
Grumpy girl x Sunshine boy
Golden retriever boy x black cat girl (you know the vibe)
Frienemies to Friends with Benefits to Lovers
Bickering is a love language
“Love at first sight but you’re an idiot and accidentally say something stupid and now you’re stuck in the ‘Holden is a dick’ zone”
Hurt-sick/comfort
Friendly cockblocking
One night stand-that leads to more
He’s for sure in love with her, and she just thinks she hates him.
We’ve got some addiction recovery/sobriety mentions here both from the FMC herself and a side character. Kaia is also a form of neurodivergent, she has a form of compulsions that make her pick at her hair.
This book had me smiling, giggling, kicking my feet from chapter 1. I loved Kaia and Holden’s dynamic and their bickering made me laugh so hard.
Yes, I absolutely adored Spring Tide so this was a pretty big anticipated release for me, and boy it did not disappoint. The bar was already so high with Spring Tide, but Fault Line managed to meet ST at its level. I love both of these books for very different reasons and both of them are five star reads for me.
Ki manages to write some very realistic and relatable characters. There were moments in either of their monologues I was like “oh my god. Too close to home it seems”.
The pacing of this was done just right. The swapping of the POVs happened at the perfect time where you didn’t get tired of one pov before it swapped it was very natural flowing.
So naturally flowing that I struggled to put it down. I basically read it in 2 sittings because sleep is a thing but I was able to get 60%+ in in a breeze.
The conflict in this one was also very realistic and while there’s no official “classic romance novel 3rd act breakup” it does have something like it. I appreciated that they both took time to reflect instead of immediately hashing things out and either not learning from this incident, or making everything so much worse
Anyway, to conclude this is amazing and I loved it. I want to immediately reread already.
God I love them so much. So much I reread it within 2 weeks of the first time. I will be reading anything and everything Ki writes. She’s fully cemented herself as one of my favorite authors.
Initial review:
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy. This honest review was based off my experience reading this eARC, which in no way biased me. All opinions are my own.
Now that we have that out of the way, now let me scream about it. Because I need to.
Ok so if you’re reading this after Spring Tide, which is not necessary, but I’d recommend it because it’s amazing, and Fault Line takes place right after Spring Tide’s Epilogue.
So to orient you we got Spring Tide’s MMC Luca’s brother, Elio’s best friend, Kaia, she is our FMC; who just also happens to be Luca’s Ex-Girlfriend’s, Sofia’s younger sister.
Now our MMC, Holden. He is the Captain of the Coastal University Hockey team. The very same team Spring Tide’s FMC Harper is currently the athletic trainer for.
Now here comes the angst, are you ready? Both Kaia and Holden are in the same Major, the Biomedical Engineering major at Coastal U. That’s not the angst, this is, get this they are TIED for the top spot of their graduating glass. But wait there’s more, both of their final projects are along similar areas of research. BUT WAIT THERES MORE. THEY ARE BOTH COMPETING TO FOR THE SAME ADVISOR FOR THEIR PROJECTS.
Oh and add the type of bickering that has accounted for about 3 years of foreplay, finally exploding 👀
Are you convinced yet? No? Ok I’ll keep going. Let’s list some elements/tropes:
Academic Rivals
Forced proximity
Small College Town
He Falls First and the Hardest
Grumpy girl x Sunshine boy
Golden retriever boy x black cat girl (you know the vibe)
Frienemies to Friends with Benefits to Lovers
Bickering is a love language
“Love at first sight but you’re an idiot and accidentally say something stupid and now you’re stuck in the ‘Holden is a dick’ zone”
Hurt-sick/comfort
Friendly cockblocking
One night stand-that leads to more
He’s for sure in love with her, and she just thinks she hates him.
We’ve got some addiction recovery/sobriety mentions here both from the FMC herself and a side character. Kaia is also a form of neurodivergent, she has a form of compulsions that make her pick at her hair.
This book had me smiling, giggling, kicking my feet from chapter 1. I loved Kaia and Holden’s dynamic and their bickering made me laugh so hard.
Yes, I absolutely adored Spring Tide so this was a pretty big anticipated release for me, and boy it did not disappoint. The bar was already so high with Spring Tide, but Fault Line managed to meet ST at its level. I love both of these books for very different reasons and both of them are five star reads for me.
Ki manages to write some very realistic and relatable characters. There were moments in either of their monologues I was like “oh my god. Too close to home it seems”.
The pacing of this was done just right. The swapping of the POVs happened at the perfect time where you didn’t get tired of one pov before it swapped it was very natural flowing.
So naturally flowing that I struggled to put it down. I basically read it in 2 sittings because sleep is a thing but I was able to get 60%+ in in a breeze.
The conflict in this one was also very realistic and while there’s no official “classic romance novel 3rd act breakup” it does have something like it. I appreciated that they both took time to reflect instead of immediately hashing things out and either not learning from this incident, or making everything so much worse
Anyway, to conclude this is amazing and I loved it. I want to immediately reread already.
October 30, 2023
tropes:
📚grumpy boy x sunshine girl
📚academic rivals to lovers
📚jugador de hockey
📚representación de ansiedad
💌hablemos de la historia;
desde el comienzo la premisa de esta historia me enganchó. qué más le puedo pedir a un libro que un academic rivals to lovers y donde él sea quien se enamora primera. QUÉ MÁS? exacto, nada, así es perfecto.
una vez más, la pluma de la autora es ligera que mientras lees no sientes las páginas pasar, jamás se hace tedioso y los personajes hablan y de defienden por sí solos.
todo me gustó, desde cómo ambos tienen una riña constante en donde buscan meterse bajo la piel del otro, a donde poco a poco la dinámica de la relación de ambos va cambiando y dando un giro donde la confianza y el amor va floreciendo.
incluso el episodio de ansiedad de Kaia estuvo tan bien definido que tuve problemas al leerlos, la realidad de lo que sufrimos las personas con ansiedad académica estuvo tan bien representada en un personaje que expresaba todo aquello que sentimos.
💌hablemos de los personajes;
kaia es esa chica que busca y necesita la validación académica para probarse su valía como persona, que siente que una mala nota puede arruinar su vida y que está bien comprometer tu salud mental para obtener lo mejor (que obviamente no es así), pero como alguien que sabe lo que es llorar y estresarse hasta el punto de dejar de comer por estos motivos, el personaje de kaia me pareció demasiado bien escrito. sus inseguridades y miedos que muchas personas pueden no entender o minimizar estuvieron expuestos durante todo el libro para conectar con su personaje. me alegró cuando logró romper el círculo tóxico en el que ella misma se encasilló.
holden es el hombre perfecto. amé todo lo relacionado a él. y es la clase de novio que todas las chicas queremos. jamás juzgó o minimizó los problemas de kaia, al contrario, siempre estuvo para ella, ayudándola en sus mental down, tranquilizándolas y recordándole lo capaz que es todo momento. lo quiero mucho <3
💌 hablemos de si lo recomiendo;
SÍ, esta serie se ha convertido en algo adictivo de leer. los libros son rápidos, las historias son entretenidas, pero los personajes sobre todo son verdaderos.
📚grumpy boy x sunshine girl
📚academic rivals to lovers
📚jugador de hockey
📚representación de ansiedad
💌hablemos de la historia;
desde el comienzo la premisa de esta historia me enganchó. qué más le puedo pedir a un libro que un academic rivals to lovers y donde él sea quien se enamora primera. QUÉ MÁS? exacto, nada, así es perfecto.
una vez más, la pluma de la autora es ligera que mientras lees no sientes las páginas pasar, jamás se hace tedioso y los personajes hablan y de defienden por sí solos.
todo me gustó, desde cómo ambos tienen una riña constante en donde buscan meterse bajo la piel del otro, a donde poco a poco la dinámica de la relación de ambos va cambiando y dando un giro donde la confianza y el amor va floreciendo.
incluso el episodio de ansiedad de Kaia estuvo tan bien definido que tuve problemas al leerlos, la realidad de lo que sufrimos las personas con ansiedad académica estuvo tan bien representada en un personaje que expresaba todo aquello que sentimos.
💌hablemos de los personajes;
kaia es esa chica que busca y necesita la validación académica para probarse su valía como persona, que siente que una mala nota puede arruinar su vida y que está bien comprometer tu salud mental para obtener lo mejor (que obviamente no es así), pero como alguien que sabe lo que es llorar y estresarse hasta el punto de dejar de comer por estos motivos, el personaje de kaia me pareció demasiado bien escrito. sus inseguridades y miedos que muchas personas pueden no entender o minimizar estuvieron expuestos durante todo el libro para conectar con su personaje. me alegró cuando logró romper el círculo tóxico en el que ella misma se encasilló.
holden es el hombre perfecto. amé todo lo relacionado a él. y es la clase de novio que todas las chicas queremos. jamás juzgó o minimizó los problemas de kaia, al contrario, siempre estuvo para ella, ayudándola en sus mental down, tranquilizándolas y recordándole lo capaz que es todo momento. lo quiero mucho <3
💌 hablemos de si lo recomiendo;
SÍ, esta serie se ha convertido en algo adictivo de leer. los libros son rápidos, las historias son entretenidas, pero los personajes sobre todo son verdaderos.
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