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paperbacksandsnacks's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book made me believe in soulmates. I laughed and I cried. Two people who by anyone’s usual expectations would not go together but were suited so perfectly. I honestly don’t know anything about hockey but I love a hockey romance. This one is one of the best I’ve read!
A lot of big issues discussed, loss of a sibling and anxiety but all handled really well. I liked that Rhode kept saying “I belong to her” no toxic possessive men here. Although deffo a jealous one 😂Also, I find in sports romances there’s always such a focus on how much the player makes but it literally was not even mentioned. No lavish living conditions discussed, when he went to her home there was nothing about them coming from different economic standing. Which was all super refreshing.
This book was about love, friendships and family. Love not just between partners but siblings and friends. Micah Cruz is such a great character in this. Nina’s sister Gwen too. I hope that we get to see more of them in the series going forward and that they get their happy endings too. Nina and Rhode found each other and helped each other and realised that they were the calm to each others storms. A beautiful book, and also funny!
A lot of big issues discussed, loss of a sibling and anxiety but all handled really well. I liked that Rhode kept saying “I belong to her” no toxic possessive men here. Although deffo a jealous one 😂Also, I find in sports romances there’s always such a focus on how much the player makes but it literally was not even mentioned. No lavish living conditions discussed, when he went to her home there was nothing about them coming from different economic standing. Which was all super refreshing.
This book was about love, friendships and family. Love not just between partners but siblings and friends. Micah Cruz is such a great character in this. Nina’s sister Gwen too. I hope that we get to see more of them in the series going forward and that they get their happy endings too. Nina and Rhode found each other and helped each other and realised that they were the calm to each others storms. A beautiful book, and also funny!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Child death
booked_deafkailyn's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Icebound is an age gap, hockey romance and the author’s debut. It’s the first in a series of interconnected standalones and had me cheesing the entire time.
Nina and Rhode, on paper, are very different people. He’s a veteran NHL player, and she’s a university senior art student. How these two meet is funny, sweet and unconventional, but also perfect for their personalities. Both struggle with having an idea of what their life should be like, but what happens when love sneaks up on them?
Nina and Rhode’s relationship was refreshing. They were upfront about where they were in life, but acknowledged that they wanted friendship….and couldn’t resist the chemistry that sparkled between them. Nina’s journey with anxiety is 100% relatable, and Rhode’s pressure to prove himself is a place we’ve all been. Despite all that, the most romantic thing was watching these two continuously grow up for each other, no matter the circumstance. They were each other’s person, and their actions showed it.
They were so supportive of each other as teammates and a found family, and I can’t wait for Cruz and Patty’s books rest of series!! I seriously cannot recommend this book enough!!!
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, and Infertility
gabs_parr's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Icebound was laugh-out-loud funny, medium-to-fast paced and fun while also capturing all of the feels in a feet kicking slow burn romance. Nina and Rhode shared a great story with SUCH a relatable and honest relationship roadblock that has everything and nothing to do with their age gap. Couples of all age differences have had these same difficult conversations and had to make the same decisions about their futures, either together or separately. I really admired he way it was handled with maturity and compassion, without flippancy or dramatics. Nina’s confidence by the way… love that for her. I think I said both “Get it, girl” and “Good for her” out loud at separate points 😂
Not to mention the true heart of the story: The Puck Buddies. The true reason I love hockey romcoms is for the green flag energy that is the brotherly, affectionate, protective, and fun love that is shared between the hockey team in any given series. These male friendships are the foundation on which hockey romcoms are built in my opinion. And Icebound is a masterclass in how to do teammates/ side characters well. Each man was so well defined from the others, with clear personalities, motivations, and contributions to the group and storyline. There were also small hints dropped for each character to prompt us to care about each boy’s book when their time comes. I DON’T EVEN WANT TO TALK ABOUT CHAPTER 32, MEREDITH. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID, YOUNG LADY 😩😭
I also want to quickly give an honorable mention to my LOVE for the familial relationships in this book. Both Nina’s and Rhode’s. They were complicated, messy, awkward, and difficult. But they were tender, and delicate, too. Beautifully crafted.
I highlighted THIRTY-FOUR quotes in this book!
Here’s a favorite talking about the nature and importance of siblinghood: “What I mean is that you were there the day I was born, and when our parents are gone, you’ll still be here. Our parents don’t get the end, and our partners won’t get the beginning, but you get it all. You’re my infinity.” 🥹 Made me want to cry and call my baby sister at 10:30 at night lol
And a favorite about romantic love: “The idea of fate bringing two strangers together is a pretty one, but love is stronger when it’s a choice.” UGH 🔪 meet ❤️, I mean COME ON! 🥹
Meredith Trapp’s Icebound is going to be a hit for fans of Meghan Quinn, Emily Henry, Julie Soto, and Stephanie Archer. Can’t wait for Patty Daddy’s story in book 2 😉🥰
Not to mention the true heart of the story: The Puck Buddies. The true reason I love hockey romcoms is for the green flag energy that is the brotherly, affectionate, protective, and fun love that is shared between the hockey team in any given series. These male friendships are the foundation on which hockey romcoms are built in my opinion. And Icebound is a masterclass in how to do teammates/ side characters well. Each man was so well defined from the others, with clear personalities, motivations, and contributions to the group and storyline. There were also small hints dropped for each character to prompt us to care about each boy’s book when their time comes. I DON’T EVEN WANT TO TALK ABOUT CHAPTER 32, MEREDITH. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID, YOUNG LADY 😩😭
I also want to quickly give an honorable mention to my LOVE for the familial relationships in this book. Both Nina’s and Rhode’s. They were complicated, messy, awkward, and difficult. But they were tender, and delicate, too. Beautifully crafted.
I highlighted THIRTY-FOUR quotes in this book!
Here’s a favorite talking about the nature and importance of siblinghood: “What I mean is that you were there the day I was born, and when our parents are gone, you’ll still be here. Our parents don’t get the end, and our partners won’t get the beginning, but you get it all. You’re my infinity.” 🥹 Made me want to cry and call my baby sister at 10:30 at night lol
And a favorite about romantic love: “The idea of fate bringing two strangers together is a pretty one, but love is stronger when it’s a choice.” UGH 🔪 meet ❤️, I mean COME ON! 🥹
Meredith Trapp’s Icebound is going to be a hit for fans of Meghan Quinn, Emily Henry, Julie Soto, and Stephanie Archer. Can’t wait for Patty Daddy’s story in book 2 😉🥰
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death of parent, Infertility, Alcohol, and Child death
tguccione's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity, Child death, Car accident, and Infertility
kimberlyyyreads's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a good read, I enjoyed the MC's and thought that the side characters were pretty great (Micah and Patty LOL.)
I liked the dynamic between the main couple towards the beginning and middle but... as soon as we hit past the halfway mark the book started to lose me. I didn't really like the whole "we can't be together cause we're in different life stages thing" it was nearly brought up every single chapter which annoyed me cause WE GET IT Y'ALL HAVE AN AGE GAP.
Don't get me wrong the conflict was realistic but bringing it up every 5 secs killed the vibe for me.
Another thing I want to point out is what happened with the fake-dating plot? I swear, it started out with that and suddenly it vanished without a good explanation???
Oh! and the whole sister thing kinda gave me the ick tbh, I've never been a fan of the whole "jealous sister" trope so reading it on here was tough.
*Sighs
The book did have it's good moments, I think I'm interested enough to potentially read the other upcoming books in this series, cause Patty and Micah were great!
And the anxiety rep in this was really well written which I truly appreciated.
Overall it wasn't too bad of a book, like I said I enjoyed the first half, I just think that if some of the plot points were changed this could have been a better book.
I liked the dynamic between the main couple towards the beginning and middle but... as soon as we hit past the halfway mark the book started to lose me. I didn't really like the whole "we can't be together cause we're in different life stages thing" it was nearly brought up every single chapter which annoyed me cause WE GET IT Y'ALL HAVE AN AGE GAP.
Don't get me wrong the conflict was realistic but bringing it up every 5 secs killed the vibe for me.
Another thing I want to point out is what happened with the fake-dating plot? I swear, it started out with that and suddenly it vanished without a good explanation???
Oh! and the whole sister thing kinda gave me the ick tbh, I've never been a fan of the whole "jealous sister" trope so reading it on here was tough.
*Sighs
The book did have it's good moments, I think I'm interested enough to potentially read the other upcoming books in this series, cause Patty and Micah were great!
And the anxiety rep in this was really well written which I truly appreciated.
Overall it wasn't too bad of a book, like I said I enjoyed the first half, I just think that if some of the plot points were changed this could have been a better book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
ambercunningham's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This book has one of the best, most realistic anxiety reps in a character I’ve read. Nina’s struggles made me feel so seen. Their banter, support, and communication skills were beautiful and made the push and pull of their journey so REAL and ANGSTY ugh this was such a beautifully done age gap romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child death and Infertility
Minor: Abandonment and Alcohol
dianaschmidty's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I loved this book so much! I was sucked in from the moment I started reading. It’s so impressive that this is Meredith Trapp’s debut because the character building and depth made the book feel like it was a part of an established series of characters I already knew and loved! This is part of the reason why I am so incredibly excited for when Cruz and Patty get books (and I have lots of theories)!
I loved Rhode and Nina! I liked them individually, but as a team, they were so adorable and romantic! They had amazing chemistry! THAT SCENE IN THE OFFICE WAS JUST 🔥! I also loved the way they supported each other, even if that made them think that they couldn’t be compatible.
Rhode and Nina’s backstories were both unique and interesting. First, I feel like I bonded to Nina because I just felt so bad for her with her situation with her sister. I also think that Meredith Trapp demonstrated anxiety very well through Nina’s struggles. Rhode’s backstory was interesting too because while having an absentee father is pretty common, having a father who left and came back is something I have never read before but is also really realistic of many families. I really like how both Rhode and Nina had storylines dealing with the struggles of forgiveness and they helped each other grow!
As I mentioned before, I’m also really invested in the futures of their friends and family. I also have some ships in mind for future books that I hope to read!
There were a few awkward moments in the writing where things felt weirdly explained, but beyond that, I loved this book!
Thank you so much to Meredith Trapp and Love Notes PR for providing me access to this book!
I loved Rhode and Nina! I liked them individually, but as a team, they were so adorable and romantic! They had amazing chemistry! THAT SCENE IN THE OFFICE WAS JUST 🔥! I also loved the way they supported each other, even if that made them think that they couldn’t be compatible.
Rhode and Nina’s backstories were both unique and interesting. First, I feel like I bonded to Nina because I just felt so bad for her with her situation with her sister. I also think that Meredith Trapp demonstrated anxiety very well through Nina’s struggles. Rhode’s backstory was interesting too because while having an absentee father is pretty common, having a father who left and came back is something I have never read before but is also really realistic of many families. I really like how both Rhode and Nina had storylines dealing with the struggles of forgiveness and they helped each other grow!
As I mentioned before, I’m also really invested in the futures of their friends and family. I also have some ships in mind for future books that I hope to read!
There were a few awkward moments in the writing where things felt weirdly explained, but beyond that, I loved this book!
Thank you so much to Meredith Trapp and Love Notes PR for providing me access to this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Gaslighting and Toxic relationship
emilygibbs's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death
heartsandthrillerreads's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
After waiting to see what Meredith has been working on, I'm so happy to say this is such a good book. For a debut novel, it was so well written. The pacing, the banter, there aren't too many characters to track. This was so well edited and structured.
For the nitty gritty, Rhode and Nina are so loveable. Rhode is a man who knows what he wants and is unashamed of who he is and what he loves. He may be a hockey player, but he's a cat daddy who dreams of marriage and kids and stability. Nina is a sweet college student with a creative mind, no nonsense, and a great representation of what anxiety feels like.
All of that being said, the big blocker for Rhode is that he's older than Nina. He constantly makes assumptions about her and keeps saying he's too old for her. For someone who seemed so enthralled with her, he could easily keep telling himself she's too young and ignore her. He worried far too much about what others thought, especially since she's 22, not 18. However, I do love that he doesn't play into the daddy kink. He wants Nina to be an equal. Theres a time and a place for that, and this suited them far more than him playing into that.
This is something special. I've read a lot of indie authors first novels and they don't always hit just right. This being the launching point is honestly incredible and makes me so excited for future releases.
For the nitty gritty, Rhode and Nina are so loveable. Rhode is a man who knows what he wants and is unashamed of who he is and what he loves. He may be a hockey player, but he's a cat daddy who dreams of marriage and kids and stability. Nina is a sweet college student with a creative mind, no nonsense, and a great representation of what anxiety feels like.
All of that being said, the big blocker for Rhode is that he's older than Nina. He constantly makes assumptions about her and keeps saying he's too old for her. For someone who seemed so enthralled with her, he could easily keep telling himself she's too young and ignore her. He worried far too much about what others thought, especially since she's 22, not 18. However, I do love that he doesn't play into the daddy kink. He wants Nina to be an equal. Theres a time and a place for that, and this suited them far more than him playing into that.
This is something special. I've read a lot of indie authors first novels and they don't always hit just right. This being the launching point is honestly incredible and makes me so excited for future releases.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Child death and Infidelity
rora_11's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: February 20 2024
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:
Meredith’s writing is captivating and her steamy scenes will have you fanning yourself, also Rhode and Nina’s struggles and vulnerabilities make them relatable and their love story all more meaningful.
The banter between Rhode and Nina is witty and entertaining, providing a balance to the more intense moments in the book. The supporting characters, especially Rhode’s teammates, add another layer to the story.
One of the standout aspects of this book is Trapp’s ability to tackle serious issues such as anxiety and panic attacks in a sensitive and realistic way. Nina’s struggles are portrayed with empathy and understanding, making her character even more endearing.
This book is a rollercoaster of emotions, from steamy romance to heartwarming moments, and even some intense revelations. Meredith’s writing is captivating and it’s easy to get lost in the story. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for the rest of the boundless players.
The banter between Rhode and Nina is witty and entertaining, providing a balance to the more intense moments in the book. The supporting characters, especially Rhode’s teammates, add another layer to the story.
One of the standout aspects of this book is Trapp’s ability to tackle serious issues such as anxiety and panic attacks in a sensitive and realistic way. Nina’s struggles are portrayed with empathy and understanding, making her character even more endearing.
This book is a rollercoaster of emotions, from steamy romance to heartwarming moments, and even some intense revelations. Meredith’s writing is captivating and it’s easy to get lost in the story. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for the rest of the boundless players.
𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦: Age gap, hockey Romance, fake Dating, friends to lovers, college student fmc, opposite attract
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders