Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Icebreaker

Nate is like the perfect book boyfriend. The way he supported Anastasia through everything, and their whole relationship 🥺 I loved that there was no third act break up and no miscommunication trope. This book was everything I didn't know I needed in a romance novel.

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taylorp98's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

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sou_readings's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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sinaprst's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

1.0

honestly, just go read something on wattpad instead of spending money on this mess

things i liked:
- representation of positive therapy experiences
- healthy communication between the main characters
- one side character is in a wheelchair and the book does not make a big deal out of this
- the spice (mostly) didn`t cause me to throw up

things i disliked:
- there was literally no plot and half of the stuff that does happen coud have been left out, there is literally no reason for this to be OVER 400 PAGES LONG
- all side characters felt like cardbord cutouts, they all had like one personality trait and no depth at all
- same goes for the antagonist, who is just shitty for the sake of causing conflict in the main couples' relationship
- also, there are way to many side characters in the first place, most of them get introduced with a bunch of info dumped all over the place, do something that furthers Stassie and Nate`s relationship and then never show up again, it`s confusing, why even introduce them at all????????????????????? maybe, if we had like half the amount of characters, they could have an actual personality and depth instead of just being plot devices
- Anastasia`s nickname: "Stassie"
- they play Never Have I Ever, eventhough they are over the age of 14
- Stassie and Nate do "the no-pants dance", as Nate would say, while he is dressed up as Gru from Despicable Me
- they go to third base in an Uber, with all of their friends present in the front seats
- the hockeyplayers` group chat is called "PUCKBUNNIES"
- Stassies petname for Nate is "bub"
- the epilogue

in which Nate gets Stassie accidentally pregnant at the age of like 23, eventhough the book discussed previously how Stassie never wants to get pregant but instead adopt AFTER a successful ice skating career

now, just for fun, some of quotes that that made me want to either cringe or throw up:

Nate keeps sliding [the pucks] in so easily, just like he did with your kitty cat. (p. 97)

Let him puck your mouth, Stassie (p. 97)

Is this what being dicknotized feels like? (p. 146)

That shit is making my vagina scream and I`m not sure she`s ready for the consequences of being a horny little slut... again. (p. 149)

Even my ovaries are screaming (p. 166)

I think he was concentrating on not accidentally poking me with his penis. (p. 204)

suddenly it`s Niagara Falls between my legs. (p. 205)

"If I say it`s a hockey stick, will you play with it?" (p. 205)

"Wanna do the no-pants dance with me?" (p. 244)

"[...] my balls are super toasty." (p. 300)

My nipples pebble under the heat of his glare. (p. 397)

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mels_reading_log's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

This is the epitome of enemies to lovers!! I’m not just obsessed with her relationship with Nate, but with all the guys. I love the family they find together. This book is so sexy and sweet and just so good!! I definitely see why it’s everyone’s favorite hockey romance.

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em_catherine's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I LOVED the side characters in this book. Especially the hockey team. The only thing that made me want to keep reading was those characters. The main character was unlikeable, and how she blatantly ignored all concerns from everyone around her about her abusive partnership drove me nuts. She constantly claimed to be self aware but never actually acted accordingly. I loved the love interest, but he definitely settled. It also wasn't really an enemies to lovers because they got together so quickly. Also WHY did she need to nearly drown. It didn’t feel relevant for needed in the story whatsoever

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colorcrystals's review

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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? Yes

3.75

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amelianotthepilot's review against another edition

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3.0

It wasn't bad but it wasn't good and I certainly don't understand the hype. I also think this author has never seen hockey before.

It follows Anastasia, a partner figure skater headed to the Olympics, and Nate, the captain of the hockey team headed for the NLS. They of course are enemies to lovers forced to use the same icerink after the hockey teams' rink is destroyed by vandals. I didn't love how Anastasia was that classic female trope who is an uptight, A-type, rule-following girl who is 'fixed' by her chill, go-with-the-flow boyfriend. Anastasia deals with an eating disorder, an overbearing controlling skating partner, and commitment issues all while trying to make it to the Olympics.

I would gladly completely rip out the 2 years later epilogue it gave me such ick.

My main critique comes with the first two chapters that intro our main characters. The main male's chapter starts with him waking up next to a naked woman, having blacked out. It never addresses this as rape and largely ignores men being taken advantage of but does highlight that being drunk=no consent.

Tropes: reader girl/jock boy, dainty itty bitty tiny girl/massive man, man fixes the girl, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, falling in an ice cold lake

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