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A review by magnafeana
Heart on Ice by Calliope Stewart
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
What’s on the tin is on the tin, and I’m all right with that!
“Heart on Ice” is an omegaverse sports novel featuring Ciara, an alpha FMC with a chip on her shoulder. After perusing a slightly unhealthy relationship with alpha Leith (MMC1), Ciara being blocked from her life is aiding her in moving on from him and moving in to her own hurt and trauma, not just from her abused history but from a father-figure’s own anger towards her. Four years later, and Ciara encounters the going-blind skater Artem “Artie”, a male omega, the asshole alpha and sports announcer Enzo, Leith in their pack, and free agent alpha Jae-Sun “Wiz”, a hockey player. When Ciara is forced to navigate these new relationships and opportunities, she does what she does best: run. But when two emotional bombs hit her, it’s time for Ciara to stand still.
POSITIVES
**CIARA***
A female alpha who isn’t burly and surly - yaaaaas! I truly enjoyed Ciara as a lady alpha.
I enjoyed Ciara so much! I think the people who read this and weren’t on her side may not have a deeper appreciation for Ciara and her relationship with her trauma. I truly did not feel like her decisions to run were “shake” worthy.
Admittedly, I didn’t like Ciara’s characterization in book one and skimmed her in book two. She gave “Romance Book Bestie” syndrome constantly, so having her in her own book was nice to actually see a personality.
Now, I don’t like Brynn’s personality. But negatives later.
**WIZ**
I love him. No notes. He consistently had Ciara’s back and brought the “comfort” into hurt/comfort.
**THEME OF FORGIVENESS**
I did enjoy that Ciara did not immediately forgive Finneas, her abusive father.
**ARTIE**
I enjoyed him as a male omega. He might be my favorite one yet as well. No spoiled, not bratty, and an active pursuant of Ciara without being pushy.
NEGATIVES
**THEME OF FORGIVENESS**
The book had a theme of forgiveness and how forgiveness should not be because someone feels sorry and they’d changed. It should be granted by the person wronged and only when they feel ready for that. And even then, forgiveness is not automatic, nor does it ever need to come into fruition.
Where this is a negative is two points: (1) Alexei and ((2) Enzo.
ALEXEI
Alexei is Ciara’s father, or father-in-heart. In the first book, we understand that Alexei unfairly lashed out at Ciara, causing Ciara to go away. In Book one and now in THIS book, we never see how Alexei and Ciara repaired their relationship. I think the author didn’t know *how* to write that repair, so we got the cliff notes version of it. Ciara’s book was the perfect time to enlighten us on her and Alexei, but we didn’t.
ENZO
Enzo himself is an entire negative. I’m glad Ciara and others called out his manhandling, but it pisses me off that he was so easily forgiven for the direct pain and harm he brought to everyone around him. I hated that Enzo does a kind thing and vomits his own story for Ciara and all is forgiven.
**LORE DUMPS**
Didn’t care for all the lore dumps on character’s backstories. No.
**SEX OVER LOVE***
It’s always the omega’s heat that jump starts everything—always. Didn’t care for Ciara’s biting Artie in public. It WAS irresponsible. I just sighed. Such is omegaverse. Rarely can an omegaverse book not have the first heat in a book be what puts the relationship together. Dang. No courtship. No emotional intimacy. Just lots go physical.
NEUTRAL STANCES
**THIRD ACT**
I don’t love the third act, but I’ll tolerate it.
I liked that Ciara ran. I very much think she needed to. And I’m an angsty person, so Ciara running to see her father, and Wiz backing her up, was all I needed. I personally just needed more. I wasn’t really feeling that Ciara was ready to open up to anyone outside of Wiz. Especially with what Enzo pulled, my hurt/comfort loving self wanted some more hurt to earn comfort. I was hopeful Ciara would be upset with Wiz for selling her out, and she’d need time away from everyone. FROM THERE, she’d visit Finneas. Finneas would tell her about things, things that give Ciara something to think about.
The guys would find a way to grovel and apologize. Ciara needs things to slow down. They do simple things. The death happens. The pack has a talk about things to get them onto the right track, and we FINALLY see some courtship happening!
Not to mention, the pregnancy thing was getting old. It was just added more as a connection to keep her with the men and they “Take responsibility”. I wanted Ciara to stop running on her own volition without needing a biological connection to the pack. I will never not be weirded out by the “touch the bump” stuff, I’m sorry.
I understand emotions were high, but I just don’t feel all that great with the third act conflict and it’s resolution.
OVERALL
A good book with a female alpha, so I’ll rec it. Not too terribly impressed but not overly vexed.
“Heart on Ice” is an omegaverse sports novel featuring Ciara, an alpha FMC with a chip on her shoulder. After perusing a slightly unhealthy relationship with alpha Leith (MMC1), Ciara being blocked from her life is aiding her in moving on from him and moving in to her own hurt and trauma, not just from her abused history but from a father-figure’s own anger towards her. Four years later, and Ciara encounters the going-blind skater Artem “Artie”, a male omega, the asshole alpha and sports announcer Enzo, Leith in their pack, and free agent alpha Jae-Sun “Wiz”, a hockey player. When Ciara is forced to navigate these new relationships and opportunities, she does what she does best: run. But when two emotional bombs hit her, it’s time for Ciara to stand still.
POSITIVES
**CIARA***
A female alpha who isn’t burly and surly - yaaaaas! I truly enjoyed Ciara as a lady alpha.
I enjoyed Ciara so much! I think the people who read this and weren’t on her side may not have a deeper appreciation for Ciara and her relationship with her trauma. I truly did not feel like her decisions to run were “shake” worthy.
Admittedly, I didn’t like Ciara’s characterization in book one and skimmed her in book two. She gave “Romance Book Bestie” syndrome constantly, so having her in her own book was nice to actually see a personality.
Now, I don’t like Brynn’s personality. But negatives later.
**WIZ**
I love him. No notes. He consistently had Ciara’s back and brought the “comfort” into hurt/comfort.
**THEME OF FORGIVENESS**
I did enjoy that Ciara did not immediately forgive Finneas, her abusive father.
**ARTIE**
I enjoyed him as a male omega. He might be my favorite one yet as well. No spoiled, not bratty, and an active pursuant of Ciara without being pushy.
NEGATIVES
**THEME OF FORGIVENESS**
The book had a theme of forgiveness and how forgiveness should not be because someone feels sorry and they’d changed. It should be granted by the person wronged and only when they feel ready for that. And even then, forgiveness is not automatic, nor does it ever need to come into fruition.
Where this is a negative is two points: (1) Alexei and ((2) Enzo.
ALEXEI
Alexei is Ciara’s father, or father-in-heart. In the first book, we understand that Alexei unfairly lashed out at Ciara, causing Ciara to go away. In Book one and now in THIS book, we never see how Alexei and Ciara repaired their relationship. I think the author didn’t know *how* to write that repair, so we got the cliff notes version of it. Ciara’s book was the perfect time to enlighten us on her and Alexei, but we didn’t.
ENZO
Enzo himself is an entire negative. I’m glad Ciara and others called out his manhandling, but it pisses me off that he was so easily forgiven for the direct pain and harm he brought to everyone around him. I hated that Enzo does a kind thing and vomits his own story for Ciara and all is forgiven.
**LORE DUMPS**
Didn’t care for all the lore dumps on character’s backstories. No.
**SEX OVER LOVE***
It’s always the omega’s heat that jump starts everything—always. Didn’t care for Ciara’s biting Artie in public. It WAS irresponsible. I just sighed. Such is omegaverse. Rarely can an omegaverse book not have the first heat in a book be what puts the relationship together. Dang. No courtship. No emotional intimacy. Just lots go physical.
NEUTRAL STANCES
**THIRD ACT**
I don’t love the third act, but I’ll tolerate it.
I liked that Ciara ran. I very much think she needed to. And I’m an angsty person, so Ciara running to see her father, and Wiz backing her up, was all I needed. I personally just needed more. I wasn’t really feeling that Ciara was ready to open up to anyone outside of Wiz. Especially with what Enzo pulled, my hurt/comfort loving self wanted some more hurt to earn comfort. I was hopeful Ciara would be upset with Wiz for selling her out, and she’d need time away from everyone. FROM THERE, she’d visit Finneas. Finneas would tell her about things, things that give Ciara something to think about.
The guys would find a way to grovel and apologize. Ciara needs things to slow down. They do simple things. The death happens. The pack has a talk about things to get them onto the right track, and we FINALLY see some courtship happening!
Not to mention, the pregnancy thing was getting old. It was just added more as a connection to keep her with the men and they “Take responsibility”. I wanted Ciara to stop running on her own volition without needing a biological connection to the pack. I will never not be weirded out by the “touch the bump” stuff, I’m sorry.
I understand emotions were high, but I just don’t feel all that great with the third act conflict and it’s resolution.
OVERALL
A good book with a female alpha, so I’ll rec it. Not too terribly impressed but not overly vexed.
- * **Found On**: KU (US)
- * **Available On**: KU
- * **Audio**: N
- * **Genre(s)**: omegaverse, sports, modern, contemporary, why-choose, poly, queer romance, second chance
- * **Tropes**: alpha FMC, male omega, knotting, heats, ruts, nesting, MMMFM, surprise pregnancy, independent FMC, alpha-alpha relationships, hurt/comfort
- * **POV**: Multi (third person past tense limited)
- * **Reproduction**: Y
- * **Third Act Conflict**: Internal
- * **Intimacy**: Explcit, on-page graphic sexual; minor sensual and emotional
- * **Standalone**: N
- * **Connected to Other Works**: Y
- * **Other Notes**:
abusive parents (FMC, on and off page), spectrum blindness (MMC), FMC is a runner with a cause, mean girls, sports drama, harassment of FMC (MMC does this to FMC), insufficient groveling, missing pieces, easy forgiveness, sex = loves, hormonal rush, death in the family, protective asshole MMC - * **Personal Rating**: 3.75 stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Abandonment