Off-Side

Hillview University Titans #2

by Mia Kun

She lost her career to an injury. 

He's fighting to reclaim his. 

Falling for each other breaks every rule.

Rosalie
I lost my dream of becoming a professional ballerina at seventeen. Ever since, I've been trying to pick up the shattered pieces of my life and build something new.
The last complication I need is Derek. My brother’s teammate, the star striker everyone loves to talk about, and the one man Aaron has made very clear is off-limits.
But when Derek suffers a devastating injury that threatens his career, I can’t stop myself from stepping in. At first it’s just company and cupcakes. Then it becomes private Pilates sessions, late-night phone calls, and quiet moments where he lets me see the pieces he hides from everyone else.
Two broken athletes. Two shattered dreams. One connection neither of us expected.
And somewhere between the stretches, the teasing, the soft confessions, I fall for him.
I know I shouldn’t want my brother’s teammate.
But Derek sees me in a way no one else ever has and makes me believe that losing ballet wasn’t the end of my story.
It was just the beginning of ours.


A forbidden sports romance full of slow-burn tension, secret chemistry, emotional healing, and two athletes fighting for their second chance on and off the field. Perfect for fans of closed-door tenderness, open-door longing, and brother’s-teammate chaos.

374 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 4, 2026

About the author

Mia is a New Adult and Sports Romance Author.
She grew up in Budapest, Hungary, but she is currently living in London.
She's been dancing since she was six and that's why ballet is heavily featured in her books. If she is not writing she loves to spend time with her friends and dog, and reading.

Let's connect:

Instagram
instagram.com/miakunauthor

Facebook
facebook.com/miakunauthor

BookBub
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/mia-kun

Newsletter
https://miakun.substack.com

Reviews

[Kaity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rosie and Dex are so perfect together. I loved how their connection stemmed from their mutual loss/injury and it just grew from there. It was beautiful. It was pure. It was everything.

And the spice… wow. There is something to be said about emotional connections with a slow burn that create the best kind of spice.

Thank you Mia for an advanced copy.

[Nadine Sturgill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two injured athletes, supporting each other and SPARKS FLY!

5🌟 3🌶
Thank you to the author, Mia Kun, and LiteraryInspired for this beauty of a book! Brother's best friend and secret dating....... sign me up! In a way this is a trauma bond scenario too, but it does not discount that true feelings and relationships can come out of them. I love Rosalie and her determination to help Derek, while she is still healing herself. The struggles withe team dynamics, the PTSD, and feelings were felt all too well. Loved the Playlist aspect, reminds me of myself in a way. Absolutely loved this book!

[Laura Fabian · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC kindly provided for the author in exchange for an honest review

The wait for Derek & Rosalie was long, BUT it was totally worth it! Mia Kun gave me so much more than I expected from this book: complex characters with interesting and heartbreaking stories, a love story that made me love them from the prologue and fall more and more in love with their love throughout the book. I also really enjoyed returning to this series, reading about Max & Ivy, and the rest of the characters.

I think Rosalie is going to become my favorite heroine of this author. I absolutely LOVED reading her do something we usually only see in male characters: keeping her pain hidden from everyone around her, wandering lost through life and not knowing who she is since losing ballet, it obviously broke my heart, but I also really liked it because it made her growth throughout the story much more evident. Plus, her personality was very sweet and strong, I love that she loves love and doesn't lose hope of finding it despite how complicated her life is. I also really enjoyed getting to know her relationship with Aaron/b>, how much Rose hates that he tries to overprotect her, and how she doesn't want to disappoint or hurt him when she starts her relationship with Derek.

Derek is a character I didn't expect to love so much. He has a playboy reputation that ended when he got injured, but deep down he's a sweet, adorable guy who isn't afraid to show his feelings and who falls head over heels for Rosalie, even though it puts his friendship with Aaron and his place on the team at risk. I also loved reading about Derek being so complex, just as lost in his own life as Rosie, and unsure of how to reclaim his place among the Titans. I loved that Mia showed us not only her physical recovery but also the emotional and psychological challenges after the injury.

Off-Side made me love this couple from the prologue because I really appreciated the author showing me why the feelings between Rosalie & Derek began and how their bond was born. From that moment, I could see that these two truly trust each other, allow themselves to be vulnerable, and see something in each other's personalities that no one else does. I also loved reading about them going through rough patches in their relationship, but always willing to fight for their love and taking responsibility for the consequences their secret relationship has on their relationships with Aaron.

🩰Rosalie: 5/5
⚽Derek: 5/5
🩰Plot: 5/5
⚽Love story: 5/5
🩰Secondary characters: 5/5
⚽Universe: 5/5
🩰Cover: 5/5
🥵: 2.5/5

ARC amablemente proporcionada por la autora a cambio de una reseña honesta

La espera por Derek & Rosalie fue larga, PERO valió totalmente la pena! Mia Kun me dio mucho más de lo que esperaba de éste libro: personajes complejos, con historias interesantes y desgarradoras, una historia de amor que me hizo amarlos desde el prologo y enamorarme cada vez más de su amor a lo largo del libro. También me gustó mucho volver a esta serie, leer a Max & Ivy, y al resto de los personajes en esta serie.

Creo que Rosalie se va a convertir en mi heroína favorita de esta autora. AMÉ con locura leerla hacer algo que, normalmente, solo vemos en los personajes masculinos: guardar su dolor de todos a su alrededor, caminar perdida por la vida y no sabiendo quien es desde que perdió el ballet, me rompió el corazón obviamente, pero también me gustó mucho porque eso hizo su crecimiento a lo largo de la historia mucho más evidente. Además, su personalidad es muy dulce y fuerte, amo que amé el amor y no pierda la esperanza de encontrarlo a pesar de lo complicada que es su vida, también disfruté mucho conociendo su relación con Aaron, lo mucho que Rose odia que el intente sobreprotegerla y como ella no quiere decepcionarlo ni lastimarlo cuando empieza su relación con Derek.

Derek es un personaje que no esperaba amar tanto, tiene una reputación de mujeriego que terminó cuando se lesionó, pero no tan en el fondo es un chico dulce, tierno, que no tiene miedo a demostrar lo que siente y que se enamora perdidamente de Rosalie a pesar de que eso pone en riego su amistad con Aaron y su lugar en el equipo. También me encantó leer a un Derek tan complejo igual de perdido en su propia vida que Rosie y sin saber qué hacer para recuperar su lugar en los Titanes, me encantó que Mia nos mostrara no solo su recuperación física, si no también los desafíos emocionales y psicológicos que su lesión le dejó.

Off-Side hizo amar a esta pareja desde el prologo porque me gustó mucho que la autora me mostrara porque empezaron los sentimientos entre Rosalie & Derek y como nació su vinculo porque desde ese momento pude ver que estos dos realmente confían en el otro, se permiten ser vulnerables y ven algo en sus personalidades que nadie más ve. También me encantó leerlos pasar baches en su relación, pero siempre dispuestos a luchar por su amor haciéndose responsables de las consecuencias que su relación secreta tiene para la relación de ambos con Aaron.

🩰Rosalie: 5/5
⚽Derek: 5/5
🩰Trama: 5/5
⚽Historia de amor: 5/5
🩰Personajes secundarios: 5/5
⚽Universo: 5/5
🩰Portadas: 5/5
🥵: 2.5/5

[Brita Mackay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosalie lost her career to an injury. 

Derek 's fighting to reclaim his. 

Falling for each other breaks every rule.

Rosalie lost her dream of becoming a professional ballerina at seventeen. Ever since, she’s been trying to pick up the shattered pieces of her life and build something new.

The last complication Rosalie needs is Derek. Her brother’s teammate, the star striker everyone loves to talk about, and the one-man Aaron has made very clear is off-limits.

But when Derek suffers a devastating injury that threatens his career, Rosalie can’t stop herself from stepping in. At first, it’s just company and cupcakes. Then it becomes private Pilates sessions, late-night phone calls, and quiet moments where he lets her see the pieces he hides from everyone else.

Two broken athletes. Two shattered dreams. One connection neither of them expected.

And somewhere between the stretches, the teasing, the soft confessions, Rosalie falls for him.

She knows she shouldn’t want her brother’s teammate.

But Derek sees her in a way no one else ever has and makes her believe that losing ballet wasn’t the end of Rosalies story.

It was just the beginning of theirs.

A forbidden sports romance full of slow-burn tension, secret chemistry, emotional healing, and two athletes fighting for their second chance on and off the field. Perfect for fans of closed-door tenderness, open-door longing, and brother’s-teammate chaos.

YOU'RE MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS!!! Please read and pay close attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book. There is some content and scenes in this book that are not suitable for all readers and could be triggering for others. Always remember that your mental health comes first at all times.

Tropes: College romance, Soccer x Dancer, Brother’s Friend, Teammate’s, Younger Sister, Friends-to-lovers, Emotional Healing, Mental Health Rep (PTSD), Secret Relationship, Forbidden Relationship, Off-limits, Redeemed player, Sports romance, Ballerina x Soccer Player, He teaches her how to Flirt,
He Falls First, Rain Kiss, Hidden Love Notes (in playlists), Slow-Burn Tension, Secret Chemistry, Second Chances, Closed-Door Tenderness, Open-Door Longing, Forced Proximity, Contemporary, College, New Adult.

Off-Side is the 2nd book in the Hillview University Titans Series by Mia Kun.

Off-Side is this enchanting and delightful slow-burn story that Mia has masterfully written that draws you into its depths and manages to simply enthrall you. This story follows Rosalie and Derek and thanks to the bird’s eye view that Mia has given us, we are able to really get to know Rosalie and Derek better than we might have other wise. Mia has written each of the chapters with beautiful structure and they each flow smoothly. And I simply fell in love with Mia’s writing style. It has a beautiful fluidity to it and this helps to make the story a perfect quick read.

Rosalie had spent her life dreaming and training to become a professional ballet dancer. But her dreams came crashing down around her after a hip injury ended those dreams.

Derek is a soccer player who plays on the same team as Rosalie’s brother, in fact Derek is a friend of Rosalie’s brother Aaron. Derek is forced to take a break from his career after a knee injury sidelines him.

Both Derek and Rosalie go through their rehabilitation together, and they start to grow closer and slowly they both begin to realize that there’s something special growing between them. Together, Derek and Rosalie go through the ups and downs, the wins and losses of their respective rehabilitations, and all the while they begin to rediscover who they are outside soccer and ballet. There’s just one single problem with their growing bond and attraction. Derek is Aaron’s best friend, Rosalie’s older brother.

This was the first book by Mia Kun that I have ever had the opportunity to read and I found her writing to be beautiful, and this book was stunningly written and it reminds you that it’s important to have friends and you can’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I also really like the way that Derek was open to not only his physical rehabilitation he was also open to talk therapy as well, and he watched as well as reading.

I found that the evolution of Rosalie and Derek was just stunning. The injuries, the stress of them, those are realities that are realities that anyone can face in their day-to-day life not only for those who play sports. And it’s so important to talk to someone about the injuries and everything that comes with the injury.

I can honestly say that I enjoyed this story. There’s a beauty in all the events that played out and Mia layered the emotions making them feel so realistic and you can feel what the characters feel.

I can honestly say that I recommend this story to anyone who loves a great slow-burn that has been well written.

My favorite quote from Off-Side is:

"And someone very special taught me that it's okay to be scared. It's okay to struggle. It's okay to not be perfect. As long as you keep showing up, keep trying, keep fighting."

[Lectures_de_Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the story of Rosalie, whose dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer crashed after a hip injury, and Derek, who was forced to take a break from soccer after a knee injury. During their respective rehabilitations, they grow closer and realize that there is something special between them. Together, they go through the ups and downs, victories and losses and start to rediscover who they are, with and without sports. The problem? Derek is Aaron's best friend, Rosalie's older brother.

It's a beautifully written story that shows the importance of having friends and not being afraid to ask for help. I also liked Dex's openness towards physical and mental therapy and watching (well, reading) the evolution of the two main characters. Injuries and stress are realities that are truly present in the world of sports, and it's important to talk about everything that comes with them.

"And someone very special taught me that it's okay to be scared. It's okay to struggle. It's okay to not be perfect. As long as you keep showing up, keep trying, keep fighting."

C'est l'histoire de Rosalie, qui a vu son rêve de devenir ballerine professionnelle s'envoler à la suite d'une blessure à la hanche, et de Derek, qui a dû prendre une pause du soccer à cause d'une blessure au genou. Ils se rapprochent au cours de leur réhabilitation et se rendent rapidement compte qu'il y a quelque chose de spécial entre eux. Ensemble, ils traversent les hauts et les bas, les victoires et les défaites et apprennent à se redécouvrir. Le problème? Derek est le meilleur ami de Aaron, le grand frère de Rosalie.

Une belle histoire qui démontre l'importance d'être bien entouré et de ne pas avoir peur de demander de l'aide. J'ai bien aimé l'ouverture de Dex vis-à-vis des thérapies physiques et mentales et de voir à travers les pages la grande évolution des deux personnages principaux. Les blessures et le stress sont des réalités très présentes dans le monde du sport et il est important de parler de tout ce que cela peut engendrer!

[Michaela Ruff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Off-side from Mia Kun is a slow burn sports romance.

She lost her career to an injury. 

He's fighting to reclaim his. 

Falling for each other breaks every rule.

Rosalie
I lost my dream of becoming a professional ballerina at seventeen. Ever since, I've been trying to pick up the shattered pieces of my life and build something new.
The last complication I need is Derek. My brother’s teammate, the star striker everyone loves to talk about, and the one man Aaron has made very clear is off-limits.
But when Derek suffers a devastating injury that threatens his career, I can’t stop myself from stepping in. At first it’s just company and cupcakes. Then it becomes private Pilates sessions, late-night phone calls, and quiet moments where he lets me see the pieces he hides from everyone else.
Two broken athletes. Two shattered dreams. One connection neither of us expected.
And somewhere between the stretches, the teasing, the soft confessions, I fall for him.
I know I shouldn’t want my brother’s teammate.
But Derek sees me in a way no one else ever has and makes me believe that losing ballet wasn’t the end of my story.
It was just the beginning of ours.

The author draws you into this delightful slow-burn story between Rosalie and Derek. Thanks to the bird's-eye view, you get to know both characters really well. The chapters are well-structured and flow smoothly. Mia's writing style is fluid, making the story a quick read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The beauty is that the events and emotions are described so realistically. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys slow-burn reading.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Derek and Rosalie

Tropes:
* College romance
* Soccer x dancer
* Brother’s friend
* Teammate’s younger sister
* Friends to lovers
* Emotional healing
* Mental health rep (PTSD)
* Secret relationship
* Forbidden
* Off-limits
* Redeemed player

This was an enjoyable read, but it missed at times.
You can feel the tension… They have chemistry, but at times it disappears

He’s crude, a player, a ‘love em and leave em’ type who has managed to work his way through most of the college.
She’s an injured dancer, her dreams cruelly cut down by a brutal injury, and trying to find her way to a new dream.

When he gets injured, they develop a friendship and when she’s working with him to rehabilitate the injury, it develops to something more.

Unfortunately, she has a protective and OTT big brother, which was a cue for a secret relationship.
There was plenty of push-pull, and they were sweet together, but it almost felt a little too drawn out.
And then the conflict with her brother. I really disliked his actions - especially blaming her for Dex’s anxiety, and icing him out. He’s a horrible friend and a worse brother… he came good at the end, but the damage was done with his actions throughout.

One thing that was really cute, though was the playlists for the changes in their relationship….

[Cathy Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars

This story was a beautiful story of forgiveness, not with each other but with bodies betraying them and dealing with loss of a future both saw for themselves.

Derek (Dex) and Rosie each had trauma that was physical and mental and learning to deal with the person they were now compared to who they were. The developed a friendship from this loss and experience and that lead to a deep friendship and then a relationship that neither really saw coming.

Rosie is Aaron's younger sister and Aaron is Derek's best friend so there was that aspect of the relationship to figure out as well. There is the drama of best friend's little sister but there is such genuine love and respect from them all that while there is some freezing out for a time frame it doesn't last too long.

I just really enjoyed this story and felt the growth these two made as individuals and with each other. There was trauma healing and learning to accept themselves for who they are following the injuries.

It is great found family and growth that we see in the friends and I can't wait to get more form this group and learn more about them and how they all grow.

I did receive and ARC and was truly blessed for chance.

[Brandys_bookography · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐'s

Tropes:
Teammate's little sister
Soccer Player/Dancer
Friends to lovers
College romance
Secret relationship

The romance in this story was so confusing, one minute you can feel the tension and chemistry and the next moment it's as if that never existed. Rosalie's brother is a terrible person and treats her horribly. He blames her for everything.

Rosalie is facing the prospect of her dancing dream evaporating because of a really serious injury. When Derek gets hurt playing, she ends up working with him to rehab his injury. This working together develops into more which they have to hide from her crazy and cruel brother.

Both Derek and Rosalie work through their personal issues including their anxieties and fears. This is where you see the growth in the characters. He was really sweet to see them develop trust and knowing that they can rely on each other when they face something difficult.

Rosalie's brother seems to change by the end of the book, but me personally I could not accept or trust that change because he was such an awful person.

[Marci Crawford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story and could definitely see the potential in it. The premise was engaging, and there were several moments that really worked for me. At times, I did feel a bit distracted by what seemed like timeline inconsistencies or areas where the plot could have been expanded on. The writing itself was solid, but I think it could benefit from some tightening, as a few of the internal thoughts and conversations felt repetitive and might have been streamlined to strengthen the overall pacing.

One of my favorite aspects was the character growth. I appreciated watching these two characters navigate their anxieties and fears and learn how to lean on each other during difficult moments. Seeing them work through their struggles and come out on the other side together conveyed a very positive and hopeful message.

Thank you to the author for sharing this story and for providing an ARC.

[Mags · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3 stars

I really wanted to like this story more. I think that the healing together trope was executed very well, the emotions were there and the bond the main characters shared in this aspect was almost palpable.
But I'm not fully sold on the romance part, the chemistry and tension was very uneven and not so convincing. Also, I'm not a fan of how the "brother's teammate" trope was done - I really didn't like Rosie's brother and his actions. He wasn't a caring and protective older brother, he was rude and immature, and selfish.

Another note - I'm fairly sure this book reads better as a part of the series. I hadn't read the first book and I was lost at times with all the side characters, teammates and so on. So bear that in mind, if you want to reach for it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow Burn College Romance
Dex and Rosalie’s story covers a lot of tropes. It is a secret forbidden sports romance where two friends become lovers as they support each other through their individual emotional and physical trauma. Once Dex recovers physically he still needs to work through his PTSD and anxiety. Whereas Rosalie who will never dance professionally again is so caught up in her injury, her identity crisis and trying to figure out who she is without dance that she has left all her friends behind except for Dex who needs her. As they each try to reinvent themselves and finally start the emotional and mental healing they have both been avoiding they grows so much in character. A lot of life lessons in this story.
I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.

[Zaylor Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

🏟️ Sports romance
🩰 Ballerina x soccer player
💔 Teammate’s little sister
🚫 Forbidden romance
✨ He teaches her how to flirt
🤫 Secret relationship
❤️ He falls first
🌧️ Rain kiss
🎶 Hidden love notes (in playlists)

A forbidden sports romance full of slow-burn tension, secret chemistry, emotional healing, and two athletes fighting for their second chance—on and off the field. Perfect for fans of closed-door tenderness, open-door longing, and brother’s-teammate chaos.


Loved the slow burn romance and the healing story throughout the book. Definitely an inspiration to apply in life. And those playlists….. adding those to my own playlist cause they are perfect!

#LiteraryInspiredARCs #ARCReaders #SportsRomance #CollegeRomance #RomanceBookstagram #BookCommunity

[Jessica White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished my ARC of Off-Side and I can confidently say this one is made for slow-burn lovers.

If you enjoy sports romance with emotional depth, quiet tension, and characters who are healing just as much as they’re falling in love, this book checks every box. It’s soft, restrained, and deeply romantic without rushing the payoff.

Thank you @literaryinspired for organising the ARC team and congrats to @miakunauthor on release day.

Perfect for readers who love:
🏟️ Sports romance
🩰 Ballerina x soccer player
🚫 Forbidden romance
❤️ He falls first
🎶 Emotional, playlist-worthy vibes

Available now on KU.

#LiteraryInspiredARCs #SlowBurnRomance #SportsRomanceReads #ARCReview #KindleUnlimited

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this story and I really enjoyed it. The concept of the story I loved and there were some really good elements but I felt like there was a disconnect in the story at times which pulled me out of the read, I felt this particularly towards the end, however it was still a book I'd recommend to anyone because it had a cute storyline and had some very meaningful bits.

Also the Playlist between the characters was just so cute definitely a highlight for me.

[Edna Strange · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book and couldn’t put it down. The storyline is strong and the characters likeable - there were times when I laughed and times when I cried. It was also refreshing to read a book where every other word didn’t begin with the letter “F”! My only criticism is that the book could do with a good edit to correct wrong grammar, wrong spelling and the odd missing word here and there. I was fortunate enough to have received an ARC of the book and this is my honest review.

[Kiera Bloomfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m usually a dark romance reader but this was a breath of fresh air!

Sports can be brutal and reading a love story that wasn’t afraid to hone in on some of the tough realities that come with injuries was incredible.

The characters are loveable, I devoured this book and it moves at a good pace, the sweet moments had me feeling all gooey inside.

Definitely recommend for a nice, easy, light read!

[Rachel Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sports romance, forbidden relationship, brother's teammate, college setting, and more.
Overall, it was a very captivating and enjoyable read.
It was filled with so many different emotions, some drama, humor, and a great slow burn romance.
The connection that Derek and Rosalie form is perfect. I loved them both!

[Amanda Milne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every second of this wonderful book! it is about Rosalie and Dex who are both recovering from bad injuries. They start off as friends and develop into something more or do they? Mia has a fantastic way of writing where you can really feel the emotions of the characters. This is my first book by Mia and I loved it. I will be reading all of her books now!!

[Debra Soehner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Derek and Rosalie meet through her brother who is a teammate of Derek's Tragic losses occurred to both of them as her dream as a ballerina is crushed due to a hip injury and he, a soccer player; has an ACL injury. These 2 fall into forbidden lover due to her brother and her being younger, Derek is a bit of a player. Great novel.

[Cindy Lokken Kator · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of 2 people overcoming devastating injuries. Derek and Rosalie build a relationship as they both work on their new realities. They find themselves sneaking around as Derek is best friends with Rosalie's brother. There are ups and downs but they persevere and in the end, they have both grown tremendously - loved the ending!

[K Webz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book, the chemistry fell a little short for me and was all over the place. One minute it was there, then the next it was gone.

I did like the friendship that Rosalie and Derek form as they recover from their injuries. It helped with the growth of these characters.

[Tiffany Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it was a nice change in pace. Rosalie and Derek are injured and have to overcome trauma while supporting each other. She's off-limits because he's is friends with her brother. I love how their relationship evolved.

[Ashley Millis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just mediocre for me. There were some things I liked - slow burn elements. Some things I didn’t care for - slut shaming and the bro code. The concept for the book had potential, but the execution fell flat for me. I almost DNF’d multiple times, but I truly hate having to do that.

[Georgia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was genuinely excited to receive an ARC of this after reading the plot — two injured athletes, quiet moments, shared routines. It had so much potential.

But the amount of slut‑shaming from the very beginning is hard to overlook. On top of that, the whole bro code secrecy surrounding the relationship feels dated and exhausting, pulling me out of the story rather than drawing me in.