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beckyrendon's review
3.0
Part of the dynamic duo, the other brother...
Chris got his happy in book one, now its Nick's turn. Ice Hard is Nighthawk hockey's second story but first play for the cup!
It's better to read them in order to appreciate timelines and characters more. Nick never thought he wanted a happily ever after until he sees his best friend enjoying his. Seems like something is in the air when he meets his future. Self doubt and insecurities are all that's keeping him from his forever, he just needs to convince her of that!
Chris got his happy in book one, now its Nick's turn. Ice Hard is Nighthawk hockey's second story but first play for the cup!
It's better to read them in order to appreciate timelines and characters more. Nick never thought he wanted a happily ever after until he sees his best friend enjoying his. Seems like something is in the air when he meets his future. Self doubt and insecurities are all that's keeping him from his forever, he just needs to convince her of that!
mycatismybookmark's review
2.0
I get tunnel vision when I see "Hockey Romance" in a book blurb and sometimes I'm left underwhelmed. Ice Hard hooked me with the opening chapters, but let me down quickly.
Nick and Cami's story had a lot of promise but there was just too much descriptive dialogue of nonessential elements and characters that left so little room for dialogue between Nick and Cami that would have helped build their story: connection, emotions, feelings . . . There was a relationship that I had no emotional connection to because it was never formed with words on the pages - I felt like significant parts of the story were left out.
Nick and Cami are out on their "first official date" when they have this conversation, but these texts and late-night phone calls are never written. If I don't have crucial relationship building moments/dialogue, then as a reader I don't get Nick and Cami's connection - I don't see it, so I don't feel it. And if I don't feel it then I don't connect with the story.
I don't know if I'll continue with the New York Nighthawks series, which is disappointing because I really like the characters (the potential for a Thor story is one I'd like the read) and the essence of the stories but they just don't contain the dialogue, sense of time, and essential engaging elements that emotionally connect me to the characters.
1.5 stars
My review of Ice Hot, Chris and Serena's story:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2737113966
Nick and Cami's story had a lot of promise but there was just too much descriptive dialogue of nonessential elements and characters that left so little room for dialogue between Nick and Cami that would have helped build their story: connection, emotions, feelings . . . There was a relationship that I had no emotional connection to because it was never formed with words on the pages - I felt like significant parts of the story were left out.
Spoiler
For example:"Why don I feel like we've known each other far longer than our dating calendar would infer?"
Tugging me even closer, she confides in a hoarse whisper. "I've wondered the same thing. It comes down to our texts, and late-night calls. We took time to get to know each other instead of immediately giving in to our primal desires."
Nick and Cami are out on their "first official date" when they have this conversation, but these texts and late-night phone calls are never written. If I don't have crucial relationship building moments/dialogue, then as a reader I don't get Nick and Cami's connection - I don't see it, so I don't feel it. And if I don't feel it then I don't connect with the story.
I don't know if I'll continue with the New York Nighthawks series, which is disappointing because I really like the characters (the potential for a Thor story is one I'd like the read) and the essence of the stories but they just don't contain the dialogue, sense of time, and essential engaging elements that emotionally connect me to the characters.
1.5 stars
My review of Ice Hot, Chris and Serena's story:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2737113966
kymreads's review
4.0
Nick is such a refreshing male leading character - a professional league hockey player who is smart, kind, honest, sincere, not a player...really a perfect guy!
Camille begins as the stereotypical “I don’t date (fill-in-the-blank sport) professional athletes because I’ve been hurt by one in a relationship before” type of character. But as the story progresses, we see that Cali has been effected by many more issues than that. There’s a lot of challenges for her: family issues, career decisions and a past she is still dealing with. (Avoiding spoilers here!).
And yet through it all, there’s Nick. Strong, dependable, and genuinely unwavering.
A great story - very touching!
Thank you NetGalley and Loveswept for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Camille begins as the stereotypical “I don’t date (fill-in-the-blank sport) professional athletes because I’ve been hurt by one in a relationship before” type of character. But as the story progresses, we see that Cali has been effected by many more issues than that. There’s a lot of challenges for her: family issues, career decisions and a past she is still dealing with. (Avoiding spoilers here!).
And yet through it all, there’s Nick. Strong, dependable, and genuinely unwavering.
A great story - very touching!
Thank you NetGalley and Loveswept for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
readwithrach's review
5.0
Ice Hard is the second book in Tracy Goodwin's New York Nighthawks series. I loved the first book in the series but loved this one even more!
Nick, a pro hockey player, and Cami, a restaurant owner, were perfect together. I found it refreshing that Nick was the one wanting to settle down and Cami was really only looking for one night. Nick was sexy, sweet, cocky, and dorky all wrapped into one and I loved that he was himself around Cami. Cami was very guarded but eventually let her walls down for Nick and accepted that he was not at all the playboy hockey player she thought he was.
I definitely recommend this one! I can't wait for the next book in the series.
Nick, a pro hockey player, and Cami, a restaurant owner, were perfect together. I found it refreshing that Nick was the one wanting to settle down and Cami was really only looking for one night. Nick was sexy, sweet, cocky, and dorky all wrapped into one and I loved that he was himself around Cami. Cami was very guarded but eventually let her walls down for Nick and accepted that he was not at all the playboy hockey player she thought he was.
I definitely recommend this one! I can't wait for the next book in the series.
barbistull's review
4.0
This is the second book in the Nighthawks series. If you haven't read the first one, go back and start there. You will understand a bit more about secondary characters and situations that way.
Nick is the enforcer for the newly created New York Nighthawks expansion team. While otherwise happy with his life, watching his best friend, Chris, find his soulmate has left Nick wanting something more than the regular puck bunnies. While at Chris's bachelor party, Nick meets Camille and is instantly attracted and intrigued. They have a lot of great banter, there isn't much relationship progression shown in the story. I think there could have been more information to help smooth out the edges, including the relationship with Cami's family.
Overall, I thought this story was cute. It was definitely instalove, which I'm not a huge fan of, but it kept me engaged. I can't wait to read Thor's story.
4 out of 5 stars.
Nick is the enforcer for the newly created New York Nighthawks expansion team. While otherwise happy with his life, watching his best friend, Chris, find his soulmate has left Nick wanting something more than the regular puck bunnies. While at Chris's bachelor party, Nick meets Camille and is instantly attracted and intrigued. They have a lot of great banter, there isn't much relationship progression shown in the story. I think there could have been more information to help smooth out the edges, including the relationship with Cami's family.
Overall, I thought this story was cute. It was definitely instalove, which I'm not a huge fan of, but it kept me engaged. I can't wait to read Thor's story.
4 out of 5 stars.
mommasaystoread's review
3.0
This couple was great together, and it was easy to get behind this romance. Until it wasn't. The story was maybe a little drawn out in the middle, but that wasn't a dealbreaker for me, especially since I liked the couple. Then things started going downhill. The family drama in the last third or so of the book just didn't feel necessary. Cami had enough issues to work through, and the whole scene with her family felt like drama for the sake of drama. That's the point when the relationship started going downhill. Cami lost something, at least for me. The relationship angst comes from Cami's decisions, and since I'm trying not to give spoilers, I'll just say that her explanation to Nick was probably one of my least favorites in romance. The result was that I spent the rest of the book, which should've been all about the making up and happy ever after, just wishing Nick would walk away. In the end, what started as an engaging romance wound up being just an okay read for me.
bookaddictreviews's review
5.0
Tracy Goodwin is a new to me author and I can say after reading Ice Hard, I am definitely going back and reading some more! I saw a Hockey romance and I jumped right on it. I can’t get enough for them and I am such a sucker for them.
Ice Hard is the second book in the Nighthawks series, but can be read as a standalone. I didn’t read the first one, but still felt like I knew what was going on in the story, but I feel like it would have helped with some of the things mentioned throughout the story.
Nick is a hockey bad boy, he is like a human google. He studies everything and that includes his opponents. He knows how to win. He isn’t called the Dominator for nothing. Cami works in her family restaurant and catches Nick’s attention, only she doesn’t date hockey players. Nick is determined to get her to change her mind and take a chance with him, but will Cami be able to overcome her past for a future with Nick?
I LOVED this book so much. Every single character in this story was fantastic, even though I truly wanted to slap most of Cami’s family (trust me, you will understand once you’ve read it). Nick and Chris’s relationship and friendship is hands down my favorite. Those guys have so much love for each other and are truly like brothers. I love Nick, but Cami. That woman. She is completely amazing and despite the pain of her past is there for her family and just completely awesome.
If you love hockey romances this is one I would definitely recommend. It’s got loads of hockey shenanigans, romance, steamy and it is emotional. I loved every single moment.
Ice Hard is the second book in the Nighthawks series, but can be read as a standalone. I didn’t read the first one, but still felt like I knew what was going on in the story, but I feel like it would have helped with some of the things mentioned throughout the story.
Nick is a hockey bad boy, he is like a human google. He studies everything and that includes his opponents. He knows how to win. He isn’t called the Dominator for nothing. Cami works in her family restaurant and catches Nick’s attention, only she doesn’t date hockey players. Nick is determined to get her to change her mind and take a chance with him, but will Cami be able to overcome her past for a future with Nick?
I LOVED this book so much. Every single character in this story was fantastic, even though I truly wanted to slap most of Cami’s family (trust me, you will understand once you’ve read it). Nick and Chris’s relationship and friendship is hands down my favorite. Those guys have so much love for each other and are truly like brothers. I love Nick, but Cami. That woman. She is completely amazing and despite the pain of her past is there for her family and just completely awesome.
If you love hockey romances this is one I would definitely recommend. It’s got loads of hockey shenanigans, romance, steamy and it is emotional. I loved every single moment.
romancereadingreactions's review
2.0
Content warnings: Infertility (fibroids) and miscarriage (not on page)
I really wish there had been a content warning at the start of this book because I likely would have waited to pick it up. While I'm really glad there wasn't a magic baby at the end, reading the lines "I'm broken and can't be fixed" and "The barren daughter" were really hard.
The potential for this story was definitely there! I loved that Nick was "normal" and not what we typically see from hockey heroes. But I think the part that bothered me the most about this one was the fact it was in first person and there was so much introspection. Just pages and pages of repeated thoughts. This especially bothered me in Cami's POV when there were lots of comments about her mysterious past and things that can't be spoken of, but she was the one thinking it? I know this is nitpicky, but when you're thinking to yourself in real life, you don't hind things from your internal narrative, you know? It really took me out of the story.
I think between the writing style and the surprise infertility storyline, I'm unlikely to pick up other books by this author, but I do hope other readers enjoy it!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the author and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book and I'm sorry for the delay in my reading/reviewing; it's been a bit of a year!
I really wish there had been a content warning at the start of this book because I likely would have waited to pick it up. While I'm really glad there wasn't a magic baby at the end, reading the lines "I'm broken and can't be fixed" and "The barren daughter" were really hard.
The potential for this story was definitely there! I loved that Nick was "normal" and not what we typically see from hockey heroes. But I think the part that bothered me the most about this one was the fact it was in first person and there was so much introspection. Just pages and pages of repeated thoughts. This especially bothered me in Cami's POV when there were lots of comments about her mysterious past and things that can't be spoken of, but she was the one thinking it? I know this is nitpicky, but when you're thinking to yourself in real life, you don't hind things from your internal narrative, you know? It really took me out of the story.
I think between the writing style and the surprise infertility storyline, I'm unlikely to pick up other books by this author, but I do hope other readers enjoy it!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided to me through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the author and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book and I'm sorry for the delay in my reading/reviewing; it's been a bit of a year!
ley2003grad's review
3.0
I voluntarily received a copy of this book for an honest review!
Happy ending, slow middle.
I honestly have to say I was impressed with the pick up at the end! At times I had to put this book down and move on! It took me longer to read then I like. There was a rivalry that was pointless, but a revenge that was best served ice cold. The bitter family drama that worked itself out.
Sweet memories and happily pleasurable endings is all we could ask for!
Happy ending, slow middle.
I honestly have to say I was impressed with the pick up at the end! At times I had to put this book down and move on! It took me longer to read then I like. There was a rivalry that was pointless, but a revenge that was best served ice cold. The bitter family drama that worked itself out.
Sweet memories and happily pleasurable endings is all we could ask for!
bowlergirl81's review
4.0
As a professional hockey player, Nick has never had a problem having one-night stands. But after seeing his best friend and teammate settle down and get engaged, Nick starts to think he might want something more too. He meets Cami and thinks he might like to try and have more with her, but there's a catch. Cami won't date hockey players. Nick convinces her to go to his best friends wedding with him, but will he be able to convince her to see him after that?
This is the first book I've read by Tracy Goodwin but I'll definitely be reading more. I really enjoyed the characters and even the side characters were so well written that I got mad on Cami's behalf while reading the book. #IceHard #NetGalley
This is the first book I've read by Tracy Goodwin but I'll definitely be reading more. I really enjoyed the characters and even the side characters were so well written that I got mad on Cami's behalf while reading the book. #IceHard #NetGalley