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emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Minor: Vomit
funny
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Medical content
Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Classism
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ironically for a romance, my favourite aspects of this book were not the love story between the main characters.
It might be a silly thing to like, but I found it refreshing that, in the beginning, Stassi has a “friends with benefits” relationship that is actually well communicated, satisfying to both parties,and eventually ends in a regular friendship , with no mismatched expectations on anyone’s part, which already indicates that she is (usually) good at communicating her expectations, needs, and boundaries. I actually wish Ryan had played more of a role as a friend later on, but he just kind of disappears from the story.
I really appreciate the book’s depiction of an abusive relationship that is neither romantic, nor a parent-child-relationship, not because the latter two don’t exist (They’re obviously very common), but because I think it’s important to show that other dynamics can be abusive too . The conflict about Stassi needing Aaron as a skating partner also made for a great third act drama between her and Nate where both character’s positions are very understandable as Nate’s opposition to Stassi’s plans is rooted in how deeply he cares for her. I actually wish Stassi had reported Aaron for sexual assault for that final kiss, like in the Luis Rubiales case. It felt like he got off lightly.
I also liked that Stassi is in therapy, that it is portrayed in a realistic way, and that she references what she learned there and how it helped her several times, including by communicating her needs and worries openly with Nate, without the book acting like it solved all of her problems forever.
As for the more romance-typical things, I am an absolute sucker for the found family trope, so the waythe hockey team basically adopts Lola and Stassi, and the way Stassi’s parents accept Nate as their own just warmed my heart (especially when her dad tells him how proud he is of his hockey career which his own dad never did 🥺 ). I enjoyed many of the side characters, and I’m excited to read Ross’s and Henry’s stories in their own books.
I like that the book is generally sex-positive, with open discussions of consent and protection, neither of the main characters freaking out about the other person’s previous sexual experiences, and both of them recognising both their own and the other’s sexual attraction relatively early on. I don’t think there’s too much sex in this book, or that sex is the only thing that connects the characters, as some reviewers seem to think, but it’s definitely something readers should be aware of going in because it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
I will say though, Icebreaker made me realise that praise kinks* and possessive language like“This pu**y is mine” are a turn-off for me, at least in m/f couples that already show some rather… traditional dynamics like the boyfriend being possessive outside of sex too. (*I’m sorry, but “good girl” sounds like someone’s talking to a dog.)
Speaking of possessiveness, I was honestly not always a huge fan of Nate. He doesn’t outright cross lines as some truly problematic romance protagonists do, but I didn’t like that, even before he realises Stassi likes him, he already likes the challenge of pursuing her when she avoids him. (And even if he was sure that she found him physically attractive, doesn’t mean she wants to be chased.) Of course, this later becomes a deliberate dynamic between them that she enjoys and encourages, so it’s hard to argue why it didn’t sit right with me, but I feel like the author is blurring the lines between mutual kink and potentially uncomfortable behaviour here.
Given the importance the author clearly places on therapy, I wish Nate had also considered giving it a try at some point, be it to talk about his dad, or to work on his possessiveness and control issues. There are several instances, up to the very end, where Stassi calls out his behaviour towards her as disrespectful, but she seems to forgive him many things because she knows he hasn’t been in therapy for years as she has, so he doesn’t always have the tools to express his feelings the way she does. That doesn't mean that he can’t learn that though! It doesn’t help that the plot usually proves him right.Yes, Aaron is still abusive towards Stassi, so Nate is right to not like her continuing to work with him, but that doesn’t mean that the way he goes about it is great. It can be hard for people on the outside of an abusive relationship to understand why the abused partner doesn’t just leave, but that doesn’t make the abused party naive, stupid, or in need of someone else making decisions for them, and I think the book could’ve done better at making this clear.
Lastly, I’m generally not a fan of the “surprise baby” trope, but in this case especially I thought it was a shame the author went with it when Stassi had previously said very clearly that she wanted to adopt rather than having biological kids. Of course surprise pregnancies happen — though I find it odd that Stassi, who has been both taking the pill and vomiting before competitions for years, wouldn’t be aware of the possible interferences —, but as an authorial choice, I didn’t love it, especially when Stassi is still so young and the beginning of the book claims it’s hard, if not impossible, for figure skaters to go back to their careers after a pregnancy.
It might be a silly thing to like, but I found it refreshing that, in the beginning, Stassi has a “friends with benefits” relationship that is actually well communicated, satisfying to both parties,
I also liked that Stassi is in therapy, that it is portrayed in a realistic way, and that she references what she learned there and how it helped her several times, including by communicating her needs and worries openly with Nate, without the book acting like it solved all of her problems forever.
As for the more romance-typical things, I am an absolute sucker for the found family trope, so the way
I like that the book is generally sex-positive, with open discussions of consent and protection, neither of the main characters freaking out about the other person’s previous sexual experiences, and both of them recognising both their own and the other’s sexual attraction relatively early on. I don’t think there’s too much sex in this book, or that sex is the only thing that connects the characters, as some reviewers seem to think, but it’s definitely something readers should be aware of going in because it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
I will say though, Icebreaker made me realise that praise kinks* and possessive language like
Speaking of possessiveness, I was honestly not always a huge fan of Nate. He doesn’t outright cross lines as some truly problematic romance protagonists do, but I didn’t like that, even before he realises Stassi likes him, he already likes the challenge of pursuing her when she avoids him. (And even if he was sure that she found him physically attractive, doesn’t mean she wants to be chased.) Of course, this later becomes a deliberate dynamic between them that she enjoys and encourages, so it’s hard to argue why it didn’t sit right with me, but I feel like the author is blurring the lines between mutual kink and potentially uncomfortable behaviour here.
Given the importance the author clearly places on therapy, I wish Nate had also considered giving it a try at some point, be it to talk about his dad, or to work on his possessiveness and control issues. There are several instances, up to the very end, where Stassi calls out his behaviour towards her as disrespectful, but she seems to forgive him many things because she knows he hasn’t been in therapy for years as she has, so he doesn’t always have the tools to express his feelings the way she does. That doesn't mean that he can’t learn that though! It doesn’t help that the plot usually proves him right.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Terminal illness, Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’ll be the first to admit this was much spicier than I prefer. (The Uber was 1000% unnecessary). But I did enjoy the story and the hilarity of the hockey house shenanigans.
While I am a fan of Nate, my affinity for Anastasia waned in the last 10-ish chapters. I hated her behavior and the superiority complex because she’d been to therapy so clearly she knew what she was doing. That felt gross. Especially considering the way Nate was written in those same chapters for no reason other than “plot”.
Still an enjoyable read if you don’t think about any of it too hard.
While I am a fan of Nate, my affinity for Anastasia waned in the last 10-ish chapters. I hated her behavior and the superiority complex because she’d been to therapy so clearly she knew what she was doing. That felt gross. Especially considering the way Nate was written in those same chapters for no reason other than “plot”.
Still an enjoyable read if you don’t think about any of it too hard.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Alcohol
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
I was about to be generous and give it a 2.5 but WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ENDING???? She said she didn’t want to be pregnant and that she wanted to adopt someday . I suspect the author has a breeding kink or something because seriously, it made no sense for that to happen 2 years later. Guess her degree in business meant nothing and it’s just so easy to transfer teams to exactly where you want to be in the NHL, lol. Okay, now that my thoughts on that are out of the way, this is probably the most poorly written book I have ever read. Seriously. I’ve always found fanfic/wattpad type writing cringe and this read exactly like a middle schooler’s first wattpad drop. I am shocked that anybody is giving this a high rating. It is about 200 pages longer than it needed to be with a cast of about 10 too many characters who each have 3 nicknames and lack depth and context yet still make little comments throughout the book that are just so CRINGE. I know you know what I’m talking about. I’m starting to think the author is anonymous because she’s secretly 14. On a positive note, once you get past all of the aforementioned issues with the book, it’s a decent little bit of escapism because you literally cannot believe what you’re reading. This book made me feel like I need to go back to my previously lower-rated books and give them a boost because I found a new low.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I enjoyed this book, it was a fun read. However, it all felt a little too perfect most of the time, and because of that I never got any of the romance butterflies I do in other romance books.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Minor: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Violence, Pregnancy
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Pregnancy
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Abandonment
funny
lighthearted
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:
Yes
This book was sorta like a quick beach read for the winter. It was a good read to get into Boston. I didn’t like the Aaron drama or the feeling that he was manipulating her. I get that it was for the plot but there should be a trigger warning for eating disorders and emotionally abusive skating partners.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse