Better Left Unsaid

by Princess Berry

Genres: Sports, Sports Romance

475 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 12, 2024

Reviews

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review

4.5 Stars

What a great debut novel from Princess Berry! I loved the story and the relationship between Luna and Nick. Their banter was so fun and witty. Luna is such a firecracker. I really enjoyed her journey after the loss of her sister. Nick was a pillar of strength and support for Luna - what a perfect book boyfriend! The book was fast paced, super engaging and had just enough spice. Can't wait for the next book in the series! Congratulations Princess Berry on an awesome debut!

Tropes:
- Ballet x Hockey Romance
- Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
- Brother's Friend
- Enemies to Lovers
- Dual POV

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book started off with me already nervously asking “what is going on”. And there is it, every parent’s nightmare, my heart aches. The relationship that Luna describes her and her sister, Cassie, having reminds me of me and my sister. So when I say my heart is hurting for Luna it’s because I can only imagine what she is feeling. I am so glad we were able to watch a cute love story unfold with Luna and Nick. They are absolutely adorable, a typical hate type relationship at the beginning. I do feel sad with how things ended up with Luna and her twin brother, Dean. But let’s talk about that cliff hanger!! Wow! I am really rooting for happiness for them all. I hope there will be a book two because I’m not ready to say bye to these characters yet! I love absolutely everything about this book!

[Rae Vidal · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

The beginning was pretty sad, but it’s a buildup for who our FMC, Luna, becomes as a person. Luna is a ballet dancer working her butt off to become a principal ballerina. She meets Nick and it’s hate at first sight!

Honestly the banter between these two was hilarious and I kept looking forward to their next interaction! The way Nick helped Luna through the first panic attack made my heart flutter. Even though he didn’t really care for her at that time, he still did everything he could to help her through it.

I loved reading an FMC that struggles with anxiety and panic attacks because I can heavily relate to it since I personally struggle from the same. It can be extremely hard and debilitating trying to get yourself out of a panic attack because all you can focus on is your lack of oxygen and breathing. Nick being able to help calm her down and elevate her breathing made me love him even more.

I do not like Dean at all!!!! I’m glad Gia was able to admit she was wrong and was trying to extend an olive branch to Luna near the end, and I’m glad Luna finally set some boundaries with them.

There was a very heavy use of the terms “first of all, second of all / firstly, secondly” which got very very redundant which is why I rated 4.5. But overall I LOVED this book!

The ending does end on a cliff, but it’s a cliff for Gia. I think book two will be about Gia and Dean. I’m so excited for when it’ll be released!

[Jurnee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

Overall solid debut with a really cute love story and amazing mmc my only complaint is with the fmc and side characters they felt really unlikable the majority of the story for me with just too much immaturity which usually doesn’t bother me tbh I think this story would have severed better as a highschool teenage romance I would have been more forgiving with the characters and choices they made
The fmc character did eventually grow me and the romance was honestly just very adorable with such good chemistry that it helped me push through a lot of the side character plot drama

[Neeq · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can’t say i love it but can’t say i hate it either. I enjoyed the fast pace but i don’t thoroughly thrilled about the constant push and pull. Idk if it’s just me but there seems to be a bit of toxicity and unhealthiness in there somewhere, but i don’t dislike the characters, not at all!

Overall, i enjoyed the story. I managed to finish it so that’s saying something. I’d give a 3.5 for this.

[jensbooknookclub · Rating 5 out of 5]

First thought: Binge Worthy! Who doesn’t love an enemies to lovers story. But wait! Throw in layers of hockey, ballet, family and mental health and you have yourself a 5⭐️ read you will not put down.

Luna lost everything when her sister was killed in an accident, her world shattered. She picked up the pieces the only way she knew how by throwing herself into Ballet. It use to be the dream they shared to one day dance in a company together, since that dream can’t happen anymore for her sister. Luna will do everything to make sure it happens in her honor. Even if it costs her everything.

Nick is the captain of his college hockey team, it’s his senior year and his dream is to play professional one day. His focus is hockey and his mom, he doesn’t have time for anything outside of that and he doesn’t want the distraction. Yah he likes sex with girls but it’s nothing more and he never wants it to be. No one needs to be let in to know the real him.

Nick and Luna cross paths and it’s instant hate!

Nick sees Luna as a selfish ballet princess, and Luna sees Nick as the local hockey manslut. But because Luna’s twin brother plays on the hockey team with Nick she is forced into his company. At one of his games Nick stumbles across Luna having a panic attack and helps her through it, a strange bond forms. It’s a mix of hate but also need/friendship, and understanding.

No spoilers but this story twist and turns and these two go through it all, read this amazing debut novel to see if they make it out the other side.

Potential Triggers: Mental Health Issues, Death of Sibling, Death of Parent

Tropes you’ll find:

Enemies to Lovers
He Falls First
Hockey Captain MMC
Ballet Dancer FMC
Mental Health
Death of a Loved One
Your Mine/ I’m Yours
Dual POV
Spicy 🌶️

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has been a hard book to read, I've hated Luna, the main character, since the start, and although I was hoping she would mature and change, she didn't.

I agreed with most of what the "bad" guys in the story had to say about her. I don't like how they behaved either, but they weren't wrong in their opinions about her.

All I could see in this book were toxic relationships, even Luna and Nick started like that, It evolved and got better, but the rest of them were still toxic. The problem itself was that, as Luna didn't learn anything in the process, she didn't allow to improve them.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

eARC review. This was a wonderful debut novel and I am so glad I got to be an ARC reader for it. The relationship between Luna and Nick was amazing and their banter and enemies to lovers vibe immediately hooked me into the story. It was a shame what happened between Luna and her brother, but I am eager to see if more of that gets explored in the next book. If you like sports romance, hockey x ballet dancer, enemies to lovers, and reverse grumpy x sunshine I would highly recommend this book.

[Parnika · Rating 5 out of 5]

i beta read this book, and i can 100% guarantee that it was a stunning book, from the characters to the setting to the plot, it was great. Princess’ work on this novel was impeccable, just be reading the first few pages I could tell that she worked so hard on this. I would 100% guarantee this book, it is probably one of the best hockey/sport romances I’ve ever read.

[Zee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this not expecting a lot but mann, this book really blew me away.
I felt all of Luna's emotions so deeply. I was so happy she had Nick to lean after discovering that everyone around her were assholes.

Mild spoiler below




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The cliffhanger didn't really do much for since I didn't give a shit about Dean OR Gia 🤷. They can kick rocks!

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luna Beitar & Nick Beckett: You jump right in this story with a soul crushing heartbreak. To work her way through the pain, Luna decides to go for Cassie’s dream and become a principal ballerina for the both of them. Nick is the captain of the BSU hockey team, and he has been working with Dean, Luna’s twin brother, to hopefully replace him as captain when he graduates. Cassie and Nick don’t seem to get along from the beginning and their banter is quite funny. When Luna’s anxiety starts acting up again and she is having panic attacks, Nick is there to help her through it.
It’s ends on a cliffhanger with Gia and Dean’s story. I am excited to read more from Princess Berry & the BSU series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Crystal Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good start to a book series. I loved the mental health representation in the book. Nick and Luna’s relationship growth was pretty great for me as well. I loved the slow build up to them being together. Nick’s support for Luna made it a great read for me. The ending has me waiting for the next book in the series.

[kate sagel · Rating 5 out of 5]

i beta-read this book, and it was such a fun experience. both characters had great personalities and the banter was *chefs kiss*

[Maryanna Stellakos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED IT!!!!! Nick is always there for Luna, showing her what really means to be loved the right way! And she does the same for him! One of my favorite reads!

[Sara Cayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good I loved it

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Better Left Unsaid” was an emotionally gripping read with a powerful storyline that kept me hooked from chapter one. Princess Berry did a great job developing complex characters with raw, relatable emotions, especially when it came to love, betrayal, and healing. The drama felt real without being overdone, and I appreciated the honesty/raw emotions in the writing. There were a few moments where the pacing slowed down (for me personally), and some of the situations felt a bit repetitive, which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5—but overall, it was a strong and memorable story.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

✔️Hockey Romance.
✔️Brothers Teammate.
✔️Enemies to Lovers.

Better Left Unsaid was the debut novel for Princess Berry and I loved it. Firstly, the prologue broke my heart, and the book had me on an emotional rollercoaster. I felt so much sadness for Luna, it seemed like everyone was against her. She was a sweet character, always trying to do what was best for everyone else, and never allowed herself to be happy or set boundaries with her family or best friend. Once Nick finally proved to her she deserved to have what she wanted and took it - everyone was like how dare she. I loved Nick, they kind of started out as enemies, but he was always the only one there for her. I also loved how he was 100% about making decisions together about their future. I’d love to see an epilogue from them. And I think with the ending there is potential for a book from Dean and Gia, but to be honest I hate Dean. LOL. Anyway, this was a super cute story, not over the top when it came to spice but I love their future together and recommend giving this new author a try.

[…Welcome to My World &#x1f30e.. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This book took me on an emotional roller coaster. My feelings and emotions were all over the place! At first I was hesitant to read it but I’m happy I did. At first I couldn’t stand Luna. She was always going off on everyone including Nick, when they were only trying to help her. Nick was the best. He was so sweet and he really cared about Luna. I liked that as the story progressed we see Luna get off her high horse and really be vulnerable with Nick.

I received an ARC copy and I’m voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[imtheproblemitsme · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got the chance to beta read this book and I'm so happy I took that opportunity because I loved reading this book! Each and every character in this book stood out to me and left me wanting more of them! The main leads - Nick and Luna, they are perfect. Luna is everything I aspire to be! I appreciate Princess for writing such a strong and driven fmc. And we love Nick for being a confident, secure and loving man! I genuinely can't wait to reread this ♥

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better Left Unsaid by Princess Berry is a good, and enjoyable hockey grumpy sunshine enemies to lovers romance read. The story has a great entertaining world building story line. The characters are great, banter, and they have great chemistry. This story is a very entertaining read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe I’m biased cause the author has quickly become one of dearest friends, but OMG! This book was wonderful! I couldn’t put it down. An enemies to lovers story that shows that family doesn’t always have your back. I’m so proud of Princess as an author. She is truly talented.

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute story about a ballerina and hockey player. Luna is a ballerina who lost her sister when she was younger and is doing everything in her power to make her sisters dream come true like getting a principle role. Nick is a college hockey player who dreams of being in the NHL and is also secretly dealing with his mom being sick. Nick and Luna do not get along at first, they hate each other but after an incident happens and Luna needs help it’s nick who helps her through it.

there was some stuff in the story that could have been cut out like Nick being shocked that Luna has a white father.

Tropes:
Interracial romance
College
Mental health

[Princess Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

For Luna, family meant the world to her, but apparently she didn't mean the world to them.

Luna Beitar only wants one thing in life, and that’s to become a prima ballerina. Nothing else matters. Luna lost her best friend and older sister, Cassie, when she was fourteen. Now is her chance to make Cassie’s dream a reality. Things are finally falling into place when Luna receives the opportunity of a lifetime. A principal role in the winter showcase for her dance studio. Everyone who’s anyone will be there, which means she could land a contract with a dance company.

Just when Luna thinks the finish line is in sight, her anxiety comes knocking. She’s starting to have panic attacks again. Something no one knows about. No one except the infamous hockey captain of Boston State University, Nick Beckett.

Nick and Luna don’t really get along. Actually, not at all. But what is Nick supposed to do when he seems to be the only person talking to Luna?

People are keeping things from her. When she finds out what it is, will Luna succumb to the heartache, or will she turn to the one person she loathes for comfort?