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dwinn5 's review for:
Icebreaker
by A.L. Graziadei
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
There really is nothing quite like a rivals to lovers sports romance when they’re both athletes- it hits every time. Mickey and Jaysen’s story was very cute, and I actually thought that this would be a 4.25-4.75 ★ until the second half, but I still enjoyed it overall.
To start with what I did like, I appreciated the effort that was put into the side characters; I really felt invested in the lives of Mickey’s family and teammates. I wish that we had gotten more insight into Jayden’s family, but I liked the bits we did get. I also loved the tension and banter between Mickey and Jaysen, it felt very organic and I was really rooting for them. As someone who knows next to nothing about hockey, it also felt very well-informed (although that could have just been my own ignorance kicking in) and the games were exciting to read.
As for what I didn’t like, I think my main complaint about this book was how jarring the ending was. I turned the page (digitally) and saw “epilogue” and literally had to go back and make sure I didn’t miss something. It didn’t feel like the emotional climax that I was expecting, but even if it was, there could have been at least a chapter of wrap-up on the back end that would have made it less surprising. Aside from feeling like there were some loose ends between Jaysen and Mickey, Mickey’s character arc didn’t feel completely finished either- I’m not sure exactly what I was waiting for, and I’m not saying he needed to be “healed” or come to a concrete conclusion about his future, but it felt like we were building up to something bigger than what we got. I actually wasn’t upset with the open ending, I thought that was fine, but I think at least one or two more chapters, or even just a bigger plot point to pad it with would have made it feel less top heavy. The story itself had already started spinning its wheels a little in the middle- I wasn’t super satisfied with some of the conflict resolutions- but the romance was enough to keep me invested, and that part is why this is still rated well despite my issues with it. There were also a few too many pop culture/cross-media references for my taste, but that was a personal preference.
Overall, despite my complaints about some of its polish, it was a fun read and made me even more excited for my upcoming hockey game (Release the Kraken!).