A review by jennyreads_2022
Center Ice by Julia Connors

lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

I love the secret baby/child trope. And this one was so well done. Drew was so open and honest about his feelings with Audrey. They both had their reasons for being upset about the events that lead to Audrey being a single mom to Graham but I thought they handled it very maturely. As their relationship grew, they complimented each other extremely well. 

Drew came back to Boston to help his mom and to rehab his hockey career. What he found in Boston was something he didn’t know he’d left behind. For the first half of the book he really struggled with his priorities and responsibilities, and it was refreshing to see a MMC be so honest about it. Once he decided he was all in with Audrey, he was all in and he found ways to prioritize her without slacking on the other responsibilities in his life. 

It took me awhile to warm up to Audrey. I felt like she held a lot back when Drew was trying to step up. It took her friends pointing out how unfair she was being for her to really realize that she was compromising her own happiness by holding on to misconceptions and fears. 

Overall I liked this book. It was fairly lighthearted and entertaining. I liked seeing Drew develop a relationship with Graham. I liked the way his relationship with Audrey blossomed. It’s definitely a series I will continue to read as I found the secondary characters to be very interesting.