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abidavisf's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I was prepared to fall head over heels in love with Icebreaker and it did capture my attention, but I found myself feeling like, for such a long book, a lot of scenes were rushed.
I’d heard a lot about Icebreaker: that it’s spicy (I would say it’s spice adjacent), that’s its emotional (I would say it could have been had the more serious scenes been broken down more), and that it’s addictive (I have been thinking about it a lot but more in a ‘why did it play out like that?’ kind of way).
Icebreaker is an easy read if that is what you are looking for. It touches on some really important and hard topics and handles them well. It also has a diverse cast of characters which is refreshing. I would say, however, that it lacks depth and you may find yourself wanting to know more than you are being given.
I’m definitely interested to read Wildfire so stay tuned for my thoughts on that. I’ve heard it’s a lot more thorough.
I’d heard a lot about Icebreaker: that it’s spicy (I would say it’s spice adjacent), that’s its emotional (I would say it could have been had the more serious scenes been broken down more), and that it’s addictive (I have been thinking about it a lot but more in a ‘why did it play out like that?’ kind of way).
Icebreaker is an easy read if that is what you are looking for. It touches on some really important and hard topics and handles them well. It also has a diverse cast of characters which is refreshing. I would say, however, that it lacks depth and you may find yourself wanting to know more than you are being given.
I’m definitely interested to read Wildfire so stay tuned for my thoughts on that. I’ve heard it’s a lot more thorough.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Violence, Abandonment, Body shaming, Cursing, Death of parent, Vomit, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, and Sexism
amegis17's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Eating disorder
Minor: Death of parent
hart_ley's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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
4.0
“We’re still individuals, but we’re individuals together, and I never knew relationships could be like this.”
“I love a woman who enjoys reading.”
God, what a good time !! This was my first dive back into romance after a long genre-slump last February, & this really scratched an itch. I’ve never been one for forced proximity, but this concept, with the teams being forced to share a space & not the individuals MCs, was drastically relatable. Nate Hawkins - written by a woman, for the girlies out there, I salute you. Anastasia Allen - sweet girl, I get it. I too am an overly anxious perfectionist who has high goals & is working on communicating better.
It’s so nice to read a romance with such SMART characters. & especially with the MMC & FMC duel-POVs, we got to see so much more in-depth into their though processes of why they felt a certain way & how they chose to react. Even when that reaction was idiotic, foot-in-the-mouth, we got to see reasoning & regret & characters holding strong to their opinions. Also with smart characters come smart VILLAINS. & manipulation! & things that elevate a romance to something juicy you just get to take a massive bite out of!
My biggest gripe came from the fact that it was a little too long. There were moments where I found myself thinking everything either could have been split into 2 books, or that there were chunks that could’ve been removed entirely & the plot wouldn’t have changed at all. BUT even with all the twists it may or may not have needed, it had me blushing & kicking my feet & gasping & putting the book down to recover until the very end!
Long story short, TL:DR, this was such a fun read & I cannot wait to read Wildfire & Daydream & whatever other Maple Hills fun gets put into the world !
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent
tadhgdoran08's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Abandonment
misshelenjune's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy
anjasfairylights's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
3.75
Okay so I liked quite a lot about this book, especially all about friendship and platonic love, but damn it was so toxic sometimes? I get that toxic relationships shouldn‘t be overlooked in all our smut-loving delight but phew, you can‘t fix it all with some half-hearted therapy scenes and lots of sex.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Death, Vomit, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Pregnancy and Death of parent
questionablereads's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
4.25
Icebreaker is a sweet and spicy contemporary romance that follows a figure skater "not looking for anything serious" and a Labrador retriever of a hockey player who is hysterical, gentle, and a tragically fictional man that I absolutely loved. While at times the banter between characters seemed a little too grown for student athletes/college kids, it didn't take me out of the story. I liked how our FMC approached things through the lens of her years in therapy, and I was a sucker for all the spicy scenes. I will be containing with the series. I want a Henry book so bad!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Sexual harassment and Death of parent
teniamonet's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
Such a good listening experience, that I just didn’t want to stop listening to. The dynamics between the characters worked well and I feel like each person had a strong personality. (I don’t know if Hannah would ever write a third book and make it about Henry, but I would buy it in a heartbeat). Also shoutout for some disability representation!
Hannah Grace was definitely trying to fit this into the enemies to lovers trope and I saw the vision but no.
Page 112 🫠 yeah
Page 139-140 🫠🫠 yeah
That moment in chapter 42 actually made me cackle out loud because I literally listened to a majority of this book in public.
Nate: You’re reading porn in public? You’re disgraceful
Anastasia: it’s not porn, it’s a romance book that happens to have a little bit of sex in it
NORMALLY I HATE WHEN BOOKS END IN PREGNANCY BUT THIS WAS SO CUTE!!! Definitely not sure how practical throwing up one oral contraceptive can result in pregnancy when you’re supposed to take one pill everyday but whatever.
My first ever hockey romance and now I’m hooked.
Spice Level: *reserved for the romance genre or books with an appropriate substantial romance subplot* this rating is meant to categorize the level of spice not how much i enjoyed it. this is a completely subjective thing.
3 spice (🌶🌶🌶) = solid love scene, around two - four scenes in a standard length book, the use of vulgar terms to explain *parts*. the desire goes hand in hand with the love and romance between the characters
Hannah Grace was definitely trying to fit this into the enemies to lovers trope and I saw the vision but no.
Page 112 🫠 yeah
Page 139-140 🫠🫠 yeah
That moment in chapter 42 actually made me cackle out loud because I literally listened to a majority of this book in public.
Anastasia: it’s not porn, it’s a romance book that happens to have a little bit of sex in it
My first ever hockey romance and now I’m hooked.
Spice Level: *reserved for the romance genre or books with an appropriate substantial romance subplot* this rating is meant to categorize the level of spice not how much i enjoyed it. this is a completely subjective thing.
3 spice (🌶🌶🌶) = solid love scene, around two - four scenes in a standard length book, the use of vulgar terms to explain *parts*. the desire goes hand in hand with the love and romance between the characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Death of parent and Eating disorder
readingwithcas's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
Drama. Romance. Betrayal. Comedy. This book has it all!
Icebreaker is the perfect smutty introduction to Sports Romance. I do not have an athletic bone in my body but Hannah Grace had me invested in every part of this story, including the competitions and practices.
One thing I absolutely adored about Icebreaker is how real the characters feel. They are not just college students, or athletes, or in love, but a beautiful, messy mix of their experiences rolled into a person I could easily meet at a college campus. Serious topics that affect so many people in real life were addressed in a way that didn’t feel forced or harmful. The importance of therapy in different scenarios was also shown in such a simple way without ruining immersion.
This story is an absolute masterpiece that I regret not reading sooner. I recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading as serious subjects such as eating disorders, toxic relationships, and near-death experiences are featured.
I cannot wait to dive into the next book in the Maple Hills series!
Icebreaker is the perfect smutty introduction to Sports Romance. I do not have an athletic bone in my body but Hannah Grace had me invested in every part of this story, including the competitions and practices.
One thing I absolutely adored about Icebreaker is how real the characters feel. They are not just college students, or athletes, or in love, but a beautiful, messy mix of their experiences rolled into a person I could easily meet at a college campus. Serious topics that affect so many people in real life were addressed in a way that didn’t feel forced or harmful. The importance of therapy in different scenarios was also shown in such a simple way without ruining immersion.
This story is an absolute masterpiece that I regret not reading sooner. I recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading as serious subjects such as eating disorders, toxic relationships, and near-death experiences are featured.
I cannot wait to dive into the next book in the Maple Hills series!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Eating disorder
arabellaokelly's review against another edition
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.25
I really enjoy how much emphasis is put on consent throughout this book, which is often lacking in other spicy romance novels.
Content Warnings
Minor: Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Vomit, and Eating disorder