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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
sad
I will never read Thrown Off The Ice again. Ever. I knew this story would never have a happy ending and would break me irrevocably, and I went into it anyway. More fool me. I am devastated. I cried for the last two chapters, and I don’t think I’ve ever been as emotionally distraught over a book as I have Thrown Off The Ice. At the end of a fifteen-year relationship, one in which a beautifully soft boy falls in love with a grumpy older man, a man who never, not once, told the boy he loved him, which is something I cannot forgive. Yes, you could see it; everyone who looked could, but didn’t that boy deserve to hear it?
I cannot fathom the anguish it would cause to watch the love of your life fade away right in front of your eyes. Deteriorating and just waiting for the day he either dies or forgets you. But within the pages of Thrown Off The Ice, you can feel it. Liam deserved so much more, and so did Mike; I wish he would have been brave enough to take it.
Thrown Off The Ice was not an easy book to read, it is emotionally devastating and soul-destroying, and I can help but love it.
I cannot fathom the anguish it would cause to watch the love of your life fade away right in front of your eyes. Deteriorating and just waiting for the day he either dies or forgets you. But within the pages of Thrown Off The Ice, you can feel it. Liam deserved so much more, and so did Mike; I wish he would have been brave enough to take it.
Thrown Off The Ice was not an easy book to read, it is emotionally devastating and soul-destroying, and I can help but love it.
Even after knowing and preparing for this to be a romance without an HEA, I am gutted. This one made me ugly-cry. The writing is a little hard to get into at first. It took me about three chapters, but then I was all in. My only complaint is that I would have loved more POV from Liam, however I understand why the author wrote it the way she did. Highly recommend as long as you are prepared.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was really fucking sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness
My heart is absolutely broken and I can honestly say that I loved every minute of this book.
Mike Brouwer is an NHL enforcer nearing the end of his career. He’s the ultimate grump, keeping people at arm’s length, playing hockey, starting and taking fights on the ice and living a pretty solitary life off of it. That is until Liam Fitzgerald, a hotshot rookie, gets called up to join his team and follows Mike around like his shadow. He’s young, a little bratty and doesn’t take no for an answer, latching on to Mike and working his way into his life over and over again. They’re opposites in so many ways but truly understand each other in a way that no one else does and are inexplicably drawn to each other even when they’re separated.
This is most definitely a love story, not a romance in the traditional sense of the word - things are difficult for these two more often than not, some of it their own making and some of it because of their circumstances, and the ending definitely isn’t typical for a romance. But this book does an incredible job of drawing you into the story and getting invested in Mike and Liam. Their relationship is complicated by them being teammates, Mike’s illness, Liam’s successful career and Mike’s insistence on keeping some distance between them. Even when they’re together, Mike tries to push Liam away so that he can save him a world of hurt and so that Mike can suffer in solitude. But Liam’s persistent and insistent on being there for Mike even when things get hard.
The last couple chapters were difficult to read through my tears - I knew what was coming and the feeling of anticipation was killing me, ultimately resulting in me losing it as the end got closer and closer. Liam’s unconditional love for Mike was beautiful and made me love him even more and Mike’s struggles with dealing with his declining health and continuing to make Liam happy (even though he’s still incredibly grumpy) absolutely broke my heart. Their love for each other was beautiful in a way I never expected and will stick with me for a long, long time.
I cannot recommend this book enough but will say it’s a little painful to read. It’s so, so worth it even with how it ends because these two sweet and opposite men share a special kind of love that you can’t find anywhere else.
Mike Brouwer is an NHL enforcer nearing the end of his career. He’s the ultimate grump, keeping people at arm’s length, playing hockey, starting and taking fights on the ice and living a pretty solitary life off of it. That is until Liam Fitzgerald, a hotshot rookie, gets called up to join his team and follows Mike around like his shadow. He’s young, a little bratty and doesn’t take no for an answer, latching on to Mike and working his way into his life over and over again. They’re opposites in so many ways but truly understand each other in a way that no one else does and are inexplicably drawn to each other even when they’re separated.
This is most definitely a love story, not a romance in the traditional sense of the word - things are difficult for these two more often than not, some of it their own making and some of it because of their circumstances, and the ending definitely isn’t typical for a romance. But this book does an incredible job of drawing you into the story and getting invested in Mike and Liam. Their relationship is complicated by them being teammates, Mike’s illness, Liam’s successful career and Mike’s insistence on keeping some distance between them. Even when they’re together, Mike tries to push Liam away so that he can save him a world of hurt and so that Mike can suffer in solitude. But Liam’s persistent and insistent on being there for Mike even when things get hard.
The last couple chapters were difficult to read through my tears - I knew what was coming and the feeling of anticipation was killing me, ultimately resulting in me losing it as the end got closer and closer. Liam’s unconditional love for Mike was beautiful and made me love him even more and Mike’s struggles with dealing with his declining health and continuing to make Liam happy (even though he’s still incredibly grumpy) absolutely broke my heart. Their love for each other was beautiful in a way I never expected and will stick with me for a long, long time.
I cannot recommend this book enough but will say it’s a little painful to read. It’s so, so worth it even with how it ends because these two sweet and opposite men share a special kind of love that you can’t find anywhere else.
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Maybe more like a 4.75, but that's just splitting hairs.
This isn't really a traditional romance, but coming from the perspective of a romance reader, that really doesn't matter. This book does it all just as well as trad romance, and it does some of it even better.
The story itself reads like really good fanfic, and that's mostly a point in its favor. Sometimes, the choppy composition is a little repetitive, and that's literally the only negative I can give this book.
If you're thinking about reading this one, do it. And try to go in blind. It's worth it.
This isn't really a traditional romance, but coming from the perspective of a romance reader, that really doesn't matter. This book does it all just as well as trad romance, and it does some of it even better.
The story itself reads like really good fanfic, and that's mostly a point in its favor. Sometimes, the choppy composition is a little repetitive, and that's literally the only negative I can give this book.
If you're thinking about reading this one, do it. And try to go in blind. It's worth it.
sad
Hmmmm yep I cried. This one was confusing tbh, bc Mike can be a difficult character to care about, even with the whole book being in his POV. He and Liam are the epitome of the sunshine and grumpy couple trope, I love it.
That fucking epilogue had me in tears I hate everything. Anyway, this is definitely one that will stay with me for a while. Jesus.
That fucking epilogue had me in tears I hate everything. Anyway, this is definitely one that will stay with me for a while. Jesus.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
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:
Yes