Bal Khabra is a Canadian writer and booklover. Before she decided to jump into the romance pool, she spent her time gushing about books on social media. When inspiration strikes, she is found filling her Notes app with ideas for romance novels. She loves reading about love, watching movies about love, and now, writing about it herself. There really isn’t much else that gets her heart fluttering the way HEAs do. She fell in love with writing and hopes to continue living out her romance author dreams.

On the page, Bal blends all the favorites: sports, witty banter, diversity, and unabashed fluff. If that sounds like your cup of chai, pull up a chair—there are plenty of stories to share. Her latest novel, Revolve, releases October 14.

Revolve

Tell us about Revolve. What sparked this idea?

I’ve always wanted to write a romance between a hockey player and a figure skater. To me, it feels like it’s meant to be. Some sort of invisible string that I had to follow. And of course, what’s a sports romance without enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and plenty of banter to keep things interesting?

I recently started figure skating again, and the second I stepped on the ice it was like muscle memory and nostalgia hit all at once. That feeling made me want to write a heroine who loves the ice as much as her hero does. With Revolve, I decided to switch things up. Instead of her entering his world, he’s pushed into hers. Watching a hockey player try to figure skate is equal parts hilarious and swoony, especially once you realize he’s annoyingly good at just about everything. But my favorite part is that both are so similar that they go head-to-head on just about everything. The two of them have to figure out how to share the ice, balance their differences, and keep from letting pride get in the way. The setting might be brutal at times, but it’s also just as intimate.

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What made you choose to combine two sports for this novel?

With sports, there’s really no one who understands the determination and sacrifice it takes to compete quite like another athlete. That’s part of what makes pairing two athletes from different worlds so much fun to write. In Spiral, it was a ballerina and a hockey player. With Revolve, it’s a figure skater and a hockey player—two sports that may look completely different on the surface, but share the same grit, intensity, and endless hours of training.

Figure skating and hockey both demand precision, endurance, and a deep love for the ice, yet the way each athlete expresses that is so different. Bringing those worlds together lets me explore not just the obvious clash of personalities, but also the little intricate details that intertwine them. The balance, the strength, the artistry, even the pressure of competition—it all overlaps in unexpected ways. That’s where the story really comes alive. When two people who think they’ve mastered their own sport are forced to step into each other’s worlds, they end up learning lessons they never expected. It challenges them, frustrates them, and ultimately drives them to an arc they wouldn’t have reached without that new perspective.

What drew you to sports romance? What are some of your favorite setups that this trope provides?

I’ve always loved hockey, so writing sports romance felt like the most natural route for me. One of my favorite things about the genre is how it gives the characters a life and focus outside of just school or relationships. These athletes have spent their entire lives chasing excellence in their sport, which makes it even more compelling when love shakes their priorities. Suddenly, they’re faced with the question of how much they’re willing to risk for someone who matters just as much, if not more, than the dream they’ve been chasing forever.

What’s something you want readers to know about each of your Revolve main characters?

For Dylan, readers will quickly notice how flirty and laid back he seems. On the surface, he’s the life of the party, the one who’d rather chase a good time than sit with responsibility. He hides behind charm and a smile, always ready with a joke or a distraction, because it’s easier to keep things light than to dig too deep. But as the story unfolds, I want readers to see he’s vulnerable in ways he doesn’t often show.

He carries his own weight quietly, never wanting to burden anyone with his problems. Half the time he doesn’t want to acknowledge them himself. Yet when it comes to someone else’s pain, there is no hesitation. He’ll open himself up completely, offering his whole heart if it means being there for them. That’s the contradiction at the center of Dylan—someone who runs from his own struggles but will stand firm for someone else’s. Deep down, he’s always just wanted to be chosen. It’s through his journey in this book, and the series, that we see him move closer to that truth: that what he’s been chasing all along isn’t the next party, but the feeling of belonging.
For Sierra, first impressions make her seem sharp, rough around the edges, and even a little closed off. There’s an anxious energy to her, the kind that comes from always carrying the weight of expectation. To the outside world, she looks like someone who only cares about skating and pushes everything else aside. But as her story unfolds, we start to see the truth behind that exterior.

Sierra craves connection just as much as she craves victory. Her drive to be the best isn’t only about medals or recognition, it’s about proving something to herself, filling a void she doesn’t quite know how to name. In many ways, she and Dylan mirror each other, reflecting the same fears and desires in different forms—two people desperate to be chosen, desperate to belong, and yet terrified of what it might cost to admit that need. Sierra has spent years building walls of discipline and focus, convinced that letting them down would mean jeopardizing her shot at success. To her, peeling back the layers has always felt like weakness, like losing her edge. But through her journey, she begins to realize that what she’s been chasing all along isn’t just the win. It’s the freedom she used to feel on the ice before competition consumed her. That’s what I hope readers pull from Sierra’s arc: reclaiming that freedom, finding connection in the places she least expects it, and learning that love and vulnerability don’t take away from her strength.

Revolve builds on themes you explored in Collide, like redemption, mental health, and second chances. How do you approach writing characters who are healing while also falling in love?

To me, healing and falling in love are synonymous. Both require peeling back the layers you’ve hidden, the parts of yourself buried under years of fear. When those pieces finally surface, you emerge brighter, more open, and more vulnerable to love and connection. For Dylan and Sierra, that’s what draws them together. As they stumble through their own growth, they also become each other’s guides. Sometimes healing is having someone beside you who reflects your strength back to you when you can’t see it. So much of who we are, we think we’ve managed to tuck away from the world. But all it takes is one person tugging on that loose thread to unravel everything. And when it does, you realize those parts were very poorly managed and just waiting to be acknowledged, and seen by someone who doesn’t just accept them, but loves you more because of them. And that’s what these characters help each other see.

What are some of your favorite sports romance reads?

The Risk by Elle Kennedy, and a new favorite Gloves Off by Stephanie Archer.

What are you currently reading?

People Watching by Hannah Bonam-Young

What are you currently watching?

The Summer I Turned Pretty! Patiently waiting for a new episode every week.

What are you currently listening to? (podcast, audiobooks, music)

Currently listening to the Revolve audiobook, and I’m obsessed. My music is all over the place but right now it’s a lot of The Red Clay Strays.

What are you working on next?

Book 4! Another hockey romance and the final one in the Off the Ice series. I’m having so much fun with this one, and I’m so excited to reveal who it’s about.