Reviews with content warning for Death - Icebreaker

Overall, an enjoyable read with lovable characters. Really appreciated the couple at the heart of the story communicated well and there was no miscommunication trope between them. I also appreciated how well their friend group communicated and expressed themselves. However, sometimes the pacing of the book felt a bit off and I wished certain elements of the plot were a bit more developed. I was kind of torn between rating this book anywhere between 3.5-4.25 stars - different moments of the book felt stronger than others. All being said, again, it was enjoyable, I liked spending time with the main characters, and I wanted to see where the overall story went. I’ll read more in this series!

Content Warnings

gracescanlon's review against another edition

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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

4.25

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fanboyriot's review

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challenging fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

If I’m being honest I didn’t care for this book that much. All the mentions of sex felt way too much like immature middle schoolers who just learned what sex was. The smut itself was okay, it read like something on Wattpad (derogatory). Plus the pregnancy trope ruined it for me.

Aaron got away with way too much. I don’t care what little drama with him was for the plot, he should have been put in his place; and even the ending for him wasn’t that good, he gets a transfer? That’s all?! He was so controlling, disgusting, and so creepy.

The other thing that bothered me was how lightly the eating disorder of the FMC was mentioned. She constantly struggled with food and it’s just lightly glossed over? Huh? How are you so pro therapy but continue to ignore most of your problems.

I really liked Nate and his friends, while getting flowers for his girlfriend he also got his friend some because he hadn’t ever gotten any before was such a wholesome moment. Nate’s character in general was really enjoyable.

Read For

✓ Therapy

✓ Insta-Love

✓ College Setting

✓ Sports Romance

✓ Hockey x Figure Skater

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Sad Level: 💧💧

Plot: 1/10

Pace: 6/10

Ending: 0/10

Characters: 5/10

Enjoyability: 5/10

Writing Style: 2/10

Would I Recommend? No

Favorite Character: Nate Hawkins

Favorite Quote: ❝ It's normal to understand something logically but emotionally feel something different. ❞

POV: Duel, First Person

Pages: 433 (13 hours)

Format: Audiobook (Libby)

Language: English

Release Date: 22, November 2022

Rep/Extras: Mentions of pansexual side character

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lauramotta's review against another edition

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

0.25

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arakneiafallenstar's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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jeanettesreadingcorner's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted slow-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

What I liked:

Once I read past 200 or so pages, it’s like the author found the plot and the story actually began. I started to enjoy the characters the romance, and everything else more. Nate and Anastasia are really cute. I enjoyed how they supported each other and their character growth, together and as individuals. The hockey team guys are funny and sweet too. I loved their found family dynamics.

- Nate punching Aaron was really satisfying.

I’m curious to read Wildfire to see how it compares to this one and I liked the characters enough to continue reading in the Maple Hills book world.
The ending was astronomically better than the beginning of the book. Overall, I eventually liked Icebreaker and I could see why it’s popular. There are some aspects that bothered me about it though…

What I disliked:
- Aaron The Asshole sucks and I hate him, especially the way he treated Anastasia.

the beginning is a mess. There’s no direction or storyline. The characters are just partying and having sex, talking about sex, or insinuating it. I don’t mind sex scenes and they don’t bother me. However, they don’t need to be so frequent and in every moment the main characters are together. It was just too much in one book. That’s something that I don’t like about adult romance books.
British phrases in a book set in the USA and the characters are American? So weird. I guess it could be the quirky thing that the author writes but it seemed so odd and out of place to me.
The book is written in dual pov, which I usually prefer and love, but it did feel repetitive at times in this one.

Content Warnings

uranaishi's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective tense 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? It's complicated

3.5

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