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headcanonheadcase's review
3.0
2.5 rounded up to 3. I so wanted to like this book but it fell short.
After a tragic accident, Nick is left homeless. He has a roof over his head, but he's never felt more alone. Meanwhile, Alyssa wants to create the perfect home for her clients because she knows what it feels like to not have one. When Nick hires Alyssa to decorate his apartment to prove to his Coach that he's fine, they initially butt heads but soon come to find they want the same things.
While this book wasn't for me, it might be for you. Here are some reasons why you might consider picking it up.
-Mental Heath/Therapy Positive
-Deep Emotions/Discussions of Trauma and Grief
-Found Family
Unfortunately, it did not work for me because of the miscommunication. The way the trope was used hurt so much that it undermined the romance for me and left me feeling like Nick and Alyssa would have been better off as friends.
After a tragic accident, Nick is left homeless. He has a roof over his head, but he's never felt more alone. Meanwhile, Alyssa wants to create the perfect home for her clients because she knows what it feels like to not have one. When Nick hires Alyssa to decorate his apartment to prove to his Coach that he's fine, they initially butt heads but soon come to find they want the same things.
While this book wasn't for me, it might be for you. Here are some reasons why you might consider picking it up.
-Mental Heath/Therapy Positive
-Deep Emotions/Discussions of Trauma and Grief
-Found Family
Unfortunately, it did not work for me because of the miscommunication. The way the trope was used hurt so much that it undermined the romance for me and left me feeling like Nick and Alyssa would have been better off as friends.
millhousethecat's review
emotional
funny
sad
fast-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
3.5
Here’s a sweet sports romance about an interior design hopeful and a professional hockey player making a comeback that deals with mental health, homelessness, and the search for belonging - along with a little romance.
This isn’t like The Prospects (against which all sports’ romances are gaged for me now, as it is top tier) in that the actual ice hockey plays a minor part in the story; however, the hockey players are integral in the plot.
There’s sexual tension and definite spice, though it relies on miscommunication to keep the leads apart or at odds, based mostly on issues surrounding self esteem.
Nick is a dream awash in his anguish after losing people so important to him. Alyssa is sweet while lacking sophistication, with a scrappy determination that pulls you in.
I enjoyed this one and if you’re into romance set in the sports’ arena, you should check it out!
——
Nick Sorensen was the sole survivor in a terrible plane crash. After losing his best friends, the core of the young upstart’s professional hockey team, Nick faced months of rehab, relocation, and a new team. Situated in Detroit, he’s ready to get back on the ice. But mentally, living a monk’s existence. Nick needs to work on his mental health.
First step is to fill an empty apartment with personality. Coach’s orders.
Enter Alyssa Compton. She’s an up and coming interior designer working for the world’s worst boss. Hired to rehab his space, Nick and Alyssa hit it off, though he’s resistant and stubborn with every idea she throws at him.
But she can’t give up. Alyssa sees this high profile client as a stepping stone to escaping a stifling boss and starting her own shop.
After a difficult situation that threatens to upend Alyssa’s career, Nick steps up for her in a big way. Could this lead to more than just professional success?
Thanks to @netgalley and @dreamscapemedia for the audiobook ARC. This one comes out June18, 2024.
rahanahava's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars
This book is such a curveball. I go in blind when reading and was expecting some light romcom hockey romance (which it was), but there is SO MUCH MORE to this book. Mental health rep, survivor's guilt, figuring out where you belong, shame/guilt of the past, and a heartbreaking MMC who you just can't help but root for and want to hug all the broken pieces back together.
The spice wasn't all that spicy, but the plot and characters and banter more than made up for it. This book really, really took me by surprise with how heavy it was while still remaining light. I absolutely will keep reading Katie (and hope that this turns into a series because there's more guys on the team that I'm curious about, but not sure if it would work well as a series due to the heaviness of the topics in this one and I'd hate to see this book be turned into a cotton candy, light and fluffy series when it's so much more than that).
I was lucky enough to be able to go between the book and the audio. Scarlett Everdeen and Nick Mondelli did a wonderful job. Scarlett was perfect for Nick. I do have to admit that his voice was a little odd during the spicy scenes. It was almost flat, but during the rest of the book he was perfect. Scarlett as Alyssa was phenomenal. She got the quirkiness of Alyssa and the snark in her voice.
Thank you, NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Dreamscape Media for the ARC/ALC.
This book is such a curveball. I go in blind when reading and was expecting some light romcom hockey romance (which it was), but there is SO MUCH MORE to this book. Mental health rep, survivor's guilt, figuring out where you belong, shame/guilt of the past, and a heartbreaking MMC who you just can't help but root for and want to hug all the broken pieces back together.
The spice wasn't all that spicy, but the plot and characters and banter more than made up for it. This book really, really took me by surprise with how heavy it was while still remaining light. I absolutely will keep reading Katie (and hope that this turns into a series because there's more guys on the team that I'm curious about, but not sure if it would work well as a series due to the heaviness of the topics in this one and I'd hate to see this book be turned into a cotton candy, light and fluffy series when it's so much more than that).
I was lucky enough to be able to go between the book and the audio. Scarlett Everdeen and Nick Mondelli did a wonderful job. Scarlett was perfect for Nick. I do have to admit that his voice was a little odd during the spicy scenes. It was almost flat, but during the rest of the book he was perfect. Scarlett as Alyssa was phenomenal. She got the quirkiness of Alyssa and the snark in her voice.
Thank you, NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Dreamscape Media for the ARC/ALC.
littlemissbookworm's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
lululovesbooks77's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Do you like cheesy and corny rom coms? I think this one definitely fit the bill!! 😂 It was also the perfect amount. Not too much cheese, but enough to make this a really enjoyable listen for me! The narrators were also fantastic and made this audiobook a pleasant one for me!
The only thing that was annoying was the miscommunication troupe. It was so obviously that Nick and Alyssa needed to just TALK to each other! 😂😅 But I get it, because honestly miscommunication or misunderstandings are more reality than fiction right?!?
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸…
🏒Sports Romance
🏒Grief & mental health
🏒Rich vs Poor
🏒Cinnamon Roll MMC
🏒Miscommunication
🏒Found Family
I received an advance listening copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
brin3543's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
Thank you Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. Nick & Alyssa have great chemistry and a fun time together. Neither character had amazing character development over the novel but it was a fun read if you are in the mood for a romance
booklionqueen's review against another edition
3.5
3.5 out of 5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for this audiobook in exchange of an honest review.
I did really enjoy this book! I found that I was able to easily connect to the characters and they made me feel emotions and care about them when I was less than 20% into the audiobook. However, I do think this may be miscategorized as a romantic comedy. There wee many heavy hitting, serious themes in this book. Characters were overcoming trauma, PTSD and grief to name a few. There were some funny parts in the book but not enough to warrant it to be marketed as a rom com.
However, I loved the fact that he was a hockey player and she was an interior designer. I thought they had good chemistry and it didn’t feel forced. Miscommunication became an issue later on into the book but it is handled well once it finally is handled.
I believe that the narrators definitely brought heart to this story and helped bring it alive. I would listen to these narrators again.
I found myself caring about Nick Sorensen and Alyssa as I learned about their pasts and how they would continue on now.
Closed Door Modifications: Ch18,20,38
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape media for this audiobook in exchange of an honest review.
I did really enjoy this book! I found that I was able to easily connect to the characters and they made me feel emotions and care about them when I was less than 20% into the audiobook. However, I do think this may be miscategorized as a romantic comedy. There wee many heavy hitting, serious themes in this book. Characters were overcoming trauma, PTSD and grief to name a few. There were some funny parts in the book but not enough to warrant it to be marketed as a rom com.
However, I loved the fact that he was a hockey player and she was an interior designer. I thought they had good chemistry and it didn’t feel forced. Miscommunication became an issue later on into the book but it is handled well once it finally is handled.
I believe that the narrators definitely brought heart to this story and helped bring it alive. I would listen to these narrators again.
I found myself caring about Nick Sorensen and Alyssa as I learned about their pasts and how they would continue on now.
Closed Door Modifications: Ch18,20,38
bookishlychar's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book focuses on both main characters coming from backgrounds that have their fair share of obstacles. We didn’t get to see either character overcome those obstacles, we rather were told the obstacles they overcame.
Nick experienced a recent tragedy and overcame physical injuries to make his way back to the NHL. It was obvious that he was still experiencing the psychological impacts of the plane crash he was in, but I didn’t think there was as much impactful emotion as there could have been in this story. We also know that Alyssa had a hard childhood, with a lot of poverty. There wasn’t a good exploration into how it continues to impact her in her life and work. My heart broke for these characters, but I feel like I could have felt more if we delved more into the story.
I liked Nick and Alyssa together, but both of them struggled with communication so much. If they talked to each other, rather than skirting the issues, a lot of the problems they experienced could have been prevented. I did enjoy the found family aspect of the hockey family in Detroit and liked the few scenes we got with them.
Overall, I think this book wasn’t for me. If I am reading a book with tragic backstories, I want that to tear me up inside and I just didn’t get that from this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.
shaysshelf's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved this story and where it was going!
Alyssa is an interior decorator working towards gaining experience before opening her own business. Her passion for turning houses into homes clearly stems from her personal experience of homelessness as a child. She finds herself determined to create a space for a professional hockey player who is struggling to accept any sort of feelings beyond numbness after being the sole survivor of a place crash where all of his closest friends died, while also navigating overcoming his injuries and starting with a new team after being traded.
Nick is struggling with survivors guilt and likely some PTSD. But when Alyssa brings the hockey player/artist to the art museum to find his inspiration and joy again, he finds that he's learning to move forward whether he wants to or not.
We find both Nick and Alyssa trying to push one another until they both seemingly push too far. There is some true miscommunication - which I know many people don't love, but in this it works (at least for me). Once they sort out the communication blunder, they're such a great couple.
Sometimes when the end result of a book is the characters finally getting together officially, it feels like the book is unfinished to me. That was the case with Hearts on Thin Ice. These characters were loveable and I felt deeply impacted by each of their traumas, but it felt like their love story was only getting started and it left me wanting more. I also think their chemistry could be built on. It was there, but it felt like it was still developing and could have used more.
The narration by Scarlett Everdeen and Nick Mondelli was seamless. They both did a wonderful job embodying the characters and portraying even their deeper and more difficult emotions in a believable way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.
Alyssa is an interior decorator working towards gaining experience before opening her own business. Her passion for turning houses into homes clearly stems from her personal experience of homelessness as a child. She finds herself determined to create a space for a professional hockey player who is struggling to accept any sort of feelings beyond numbness after being the sole survivor of a place crash where all of his closest friends died, while also navigating overcoming his injuries and starting with a new team after being traded.
Nick is struggling with survivors guilt and likely some PTSD. But when Alyssa brings the hockey player/artist to the art museum to find his inspiration and joy again, he finds that he's learning to move forward whether he wants to or not.
We find both Nick and Alyssa trying to push one another until they both seemingly push too far. There is some true miscommunication - which I know many people don't love, but in this it works (at least for me). Once they sort out the communication blunder, they're such a great couple.
Sometimes when the end result of a book is the characters finally getting together officially, it feels like the book is unfinished to me. That was the case with Hearts on Thin Ice. These characters were loveable and I felt deeply impacted by each of their traumas, but it felt like their love story was only getting started and it left me wanting more. I also think their chemistry could be built on. It was there, but it felt like it was still developing and could have used more.
The narration by Scarlett Everdeen and Nick Mondelli was seamless. They both did a wonderful job embodying the characters and portraying even their deeper and more difficult emotions in a believable way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.
jbsoutiere's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5