✨ PRINCEMAN REVIEW ✨

📝 In Juniper Falls, nothing matters more than hockey. So when Claire's dad recovers from cancer, she takes a semester off from college to help keep her family's hockey bar afloat. But not all things are how she remembered. Tate, her childhood friend's little brother, is all grown up. He's now the confident, starting goalie. Tate is also battling his own demons, unbeknownst to others around him. Timing couldn't be any worse, but love may be the one thing these two need.

What I 🤍:
🏒 Small Town Romance
🥅 Sports Romance
😍 Long-Time Crush
🏔️ More to Plot than a YA Romance

When I started this book, I was expecting the overall feel to be something completely different. Usually YA romances are light, feel-good reads. This is not that. Off the Ice is an emotionally heavy read, and please check the Content Warnings (See Below) before grabbing this book. I would relate to a YA version of a CoHo book, or the more serious/later seasons of One Tree Hill.

There were aspects of this book I enjoyed. I loved the friendships between teammates, and the amount of detail the author put into building this hockey town. I could really picture this place-and the tensions that arose from it. I also think the, 'I've Always Had a Crush on You,' trope is super cute. But, there were some parts I had some serious problems with.

My biggest problem with this book is CONSENT. When Claire and Tate first kiss, she is drunk after receiving upsetting news about her father. When he comforts her, he goes in for the kiss, and she is surprised. YES, this is only a kiss, but I feel that consent is always important, no matter what physical action is taken. It just didn't sit well with me.. Additionally, I felt the plot moved slowly, and at times too much information or time was spent on side-stories (like the ex-relationship situation.) Also, while not the biggest deal, but it seemed strange Claire's friend (Tate's sister) didn't play a more important role (in real life, this would be a big deal if your best friend dated your little brother). Not to mention, she's two years older, and he's still a junior in high school.....

Prince's Rating: ⭐️⭐️
Passion: 🔥🔥
Read If ➡️: You love Emotional Romances
Read 📅: Hockey Season!
CW ⚠️: Physical Abuse, Verbal Abuse, Cancer, Money Issues, Unplanned Pregnancy, Stonewalling, Bribing, Blackmail

Overall, this book was not for me. But, if you want an emotional read with heavy topics, this is for you. I also think this book should be categorized as "New Adult" vs. YA.

🙏 Thank you so much to Entangled Teen for an ARC of this book.

This was a YA contemporary romance featuring a high-school hockey player.

The characters in this were okay, but I found it a bit hard to relate to them. I did feel a bit sorry for Claire with her having to deal with her dad’s cancer, and for Tate having to deal with an abusive father, but I just found it hard to connect with them.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5120417245

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the advance copy of this ebook in exchange of an honest review.


AAAAAAHHH!! Al fin logré terminar esta historia, la disfruté mucho. Aunque me tardé en leerla porque lo hice en inglés, y porque pasaron muchas cosas estos meses.

Off the Ice nos presenta a dos jóvenes, Claire y Tate. Ella está a punto de cumplir un sueño saliendo de su pueblo para ir a la universidad a estudiar teatro musical; mientras que él está pronto a comenzar su primer año de preparatoria, donde espera convertirse en un muy buen arquero de Hockey para el equipo de su escuela. Ellos se conocen desde siempre, pues Claire es la mejor amiga de la hermana mayor de Tate, pero algo cambia esas vacaciones que los une para siempre: comparten un secreto. Uno de los dolorosos.

La historia comienza un año después de este suceso, y nos narra el reencuentro de estos jóvenes, las dificultades que están enfrentando y el cómo seguir los sueños es a veces más complejo de lo que parece. Los dramas familiares están a la orden del día, por un lado una enfermedad muy compleja y la escasez de dinero para pagar todo el tratamiento que esta conlleva, y por otro, violencia intrafamiliar, chantaje emocional y manipulación paternal. Claire y Tate deben tomar muchas decisiones importantes a lo largo de la historia, para primero lograr estar en paz con ellos mismos y además, recuperar la motivación de seguir sus sueños.

Me sentí muy identificada con Claire durante los primeros capítulos de la historia. Porque ella de alguna forma debió pausar su vida por la enfermedad de su padre, la cual pese al éxito en la operación le dejó secuelas motoras, motrices y de comunicación importantes. Justo en ese momento de mi vida yo estaba viviendo una situación similar con mi abuelo, quien por causa de un cáncer gástrico, comenzó a menguar hasta necesitar cuidados constantes y diarios. Fui testigo de cómo debe adaptarse una familia para cuidar y acompañar a un familiar en ese estado. Fui testigo de lo dolorosa que se puede tornar la situación, las frustraciones que se tienen, los desacuerdos, la lentitud con que avanzan los días.... En fin, yo conecté con el dolor y la preocupación de Claire, y creo que ese es uno de los motivos principales para que me gustara (y a su vez me costara) leer esta historia. Creo que la autora supo plasmar muy bien la situación. Desconozco si a ella le ha tocado vivir algo similar, pero así lo sentí, y ese realismo se agradece.

Conectar con los personajes es parte importante de la experiencia lectora, esto puede influir mucho en la impresión final que queda de ella. En mi caso, fue un plus definitivamente.

Ahora bien, el libro es principalmente de romance, y desde esa perspectiva es muy cliché. A estas alturas las historias de romance no me suelen sorprender mucho, pues salvo el contexto y personalidades de los personajes, la fórmula general no suele variar en demasía. Sin embargo, la relación es entretenida de leer y muy "sana". Las actitudes de los personajes en general, me gustaron pues no caen en peleas tan absurdas o en faltas de madurez muy exageradas. Eso se agradece.

Recomiendo mucho esta lectura. Creo que en lo personal, deberé probar con más libros de la autora, porque al menos con lo que pude ver en esta historia, creo que podría disfrutar bastante de las demás que escriba. Ya estoy ansiosa por comprobarlo.

Off the Ice was my first read of 2023, an it was cute, wintry way to start the new year. I always love a sports romance, and hockey is one of my go to favorites. Oh, and set in Minnesota in the winter, I was sold!

I did not expect this to be set in high school, but that said, it is definitely not YA. There is some sex on the page and references to sex off the page as well. I will say, I was upset that the author didn’t give Claire a chance to finish (if you know what I mean), romances like this should seriously be about women’s empowerment in the bedroom!

However, by the end of the book, I realized while this is in both Claire and Tate’s POV, it is really Tate’s story. There was honest discussion about dealing with tough families and familial issues, which I appreciated.

Off the Ice was a cute read, and set over Christmas and New Year’s, which was the perfect way to start my 2023.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley for the review copy.

Hockey or any sport or passion for that matter can be difficult at times. There are so many factors that go into things you love, how you feel about it, how much you want to get approval from those around you. It’s hard juggling that and just trying to get through everyday events. This book hit on a lot of hard issues and struggles that some go through. I enjoyed reading it. The hardships the main characters had to go through. Giving up on dreams, trusting themselves with those dreams and of course trusting others.

Would love to see where these series take you. Because it started out dark and relatable. I’m hoping for some more from everyone.

Off the Ice proves that a tragic event doesn't have to lead to a tragic life, you pivot, make changes, and find your new course as you heal from old wounds.

Reading this book my heart went out to Claire, watching a parent with an illness, trying to make it all work, life, school, and finances, it's no wonder we find her where we do.

Tate is exactly what I think of when I think of High School Hockey God, growing up in Michigan I knew my fair share of them and Tate is the perfect representation, his language, and mannerisms all took me straight back to the rink.

With ups and downs both together and on their own Claire and Tate have a world of decisions in front of them, they both need to decide where they want to be and with who, and most importantly who they want to be for themselves before thinking about anyone else.

This would normally be a three and a half star read for me, but the nostalgia bumped it up to a four.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing a copy of this ebook, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I realized I really like sports romance books. This book was so sweet and adorable, but it was also very deep and emotional. I felt for Claire, to put family above all. I cannot wait to see where this series goes next.

This was a sweet YA Sports Romance. I enjoyed the characters and their growth and development. I found Tate to be mature for his age, charming and an all-around nice guy. I admit, it took me a while to like Claire. Eventually, I understood where she was coming from and was able to overcome my dislike of her. That was due to the fact that the author didn’t pull any punches in telling her story (or Tate’s, for that matter).

I enjoyed Claire and Tate’s interactions and how their friendship steadily developed into something more. It was a treat to see how Claire went from seeing Tate as her best friend’s little brother to the caring, young handsome man he had become while she was away. As for Tate, I loved how his confidence grew throughout the story, his camaraderie with his teammates and his protectiveness towards Claire. He was awesome!

This book worked well as the first in the series, not only did it bring Claire and Tate’s romance to the page it also introduced us to Juniper Falls, its citizens and its high school hockey team. I’m intrigued to read more about this town and its love for high school hockey!

All in all, a sweet entertaining read.

Trying to balance life on the ice is easier than real life in this drama-packed read, which holds more heart than just romance.

Tate seems to have everything with hockey and a girlfriend, but he harbors a horrible secret. Claire, a talented singer at his school, discovers his family problem, but it won't really pose an issue in the small town gossip ring, since she's already heading out to college. When she returns, though, everything's changed. Tate has broken up and is single, his mom finally divorced his dad, and he's on his way to becoming a star on the hockey team with the attitude to fit. Claire is disappointed, since she thought he'd turn out to be a nice guy, but then, she has enough problems of her own since her dad now faces cancer...and her college was cut short.

I was excited to see a romance staged around hockey and a small town, and this one does hold all the drama small-town gossip and life and give...and even more. It starts out right before Claire takes off to leave the town behind and begin, what could turn into a shooting career, in a special college program. So, we meet her and Tate not long before they part for a year. While this is well written and paced, it didn't give the reader any time to get to know either of them or the situation. The next scene sets Claire in a bad place and then has Tate facing down his dad with extreme violence. So we have a scene edging toward sexual force (although it didn't get that far), and then, family violence...both without knowing the characters, anyway. This ends abruptly, and the next chapter starts with Claire's return a year later and goes from there. But I kept reading and am glad I did because the book does get much better as it goes on, and the reader gets a chance to settle into what is happening.

Claire and Tate are characters, who are easy to relate to and come across naturally. They both have issues to deal with, but the author handles these with finesse and builds them effortlessly into the tale. Even the characters around Claire and Tate gain richness and depth as each brings their own personality problem and goals to weave subplots. It is fun to watch the two main characters grow together and learn to act as a support for each other as they both try to handle things as best as they can.

The romance has tons of hesitation and angst, and this will sit better with some readers than others. The initial pull is there, but neither Claire or Tate are ready to fall blindly and completely into bliss. And considering all of the other problems they are dealing with, it does come across more believable. The romance is surrounded by quite a bit more drama than I expected, but it works great with the setting.

Then, there's the hockey. These scenes add good change-up to the other drama and act as a wonderful break. The details of the sport are smoothly woven in and create a realistic atmosphere.

All in all, this is a nice, romantic read for those sport/romance fans out there. It flows well, offers tons of tension, and does make the heart melt, especially at the end.

Off the Ice, by Julie Cross, was an amazingly cute contemporary read. I finished it in once sitting, I was so sucked in and entranced in the story and characters. The love interest was adorable and made me swoon for their relationship. I highly recommend this book to fans of a cute, short romantic comedy with hockey guys. I can't wait to read more by Julie Cross.

Ugh this was so good. Tate and Claire are just… ugh. Chefs kiss. I love how their relationship evolved and they ACTUALLY TALKED THROUGH THEIR PROBLEMS. Yeah, they might’ve been mad at each other but they still eventually talked through their problems and that’s just so incredibly healthy. I love it.

I love a sports romance although this one was way deeper than I am familiar with. Claire is an art student - she is on her way out of her small town to pursue her singing career - unfortunately, she has to come back because her dad is sick and she needs to help out

Tate has always had a little crush on Claire - he is attempting to navigate his last year of high school and his hockey career. He is living under his dad's legacy and the man the town knows and the man he knows

I loved Claire and Tate together - they had the chemistry and their love story was cute and easy to be a part of. I think the content and Tate and Claire's lives topics were pretty serious and I think the author did a great job with that.

I do wish some scenes were taken out. It seemed like some fillers may not have been needed
however, this was a nice read and I loved how it ended

I read a fair amount of YA romance, including a number of hockey and other sports themed ones. So while this one is well written and engaging (I stayed up too late two nights in a row to read), I don't feel like there was much to differentiate it from the pack.

Recommended if you are looking for a solid, basic, sports-romance.

STEAM LEVEL: 🔥

This YA romance has been out for a couple of years but Entangled Teen with the help of NetGalley are revamping the series and offering it as an ARC once again. Y’all know I have a soft spot for YAs and this one was so heartfelt. My heart ached for these two young people from the abuse Tate suffered and the angst of Claire dealing with her sick father and his bar.

I found both characters to be deeply developed and flushed out. I could really feel each of their emotions. However, I do feel like the pain and turmoil overshadowed the sweet romance blossoming between the two. This romance was more of a “beginning” to this couple as they learned how to navigate the changes in their lives and discovered their need for each other.

While it didn’t feel complete, I enjoyed the story very much. The side characters were wonderful and even though I wanted more relationship development, it’s wonderful to find a YA with such well-developed main characters.

This is a YA Contemporary Romance about two teenagers in a big hockey town. Claire’s family owns the local hockey bar and Tate is the team’s goalie. Tate is Claire’s best friend’s younger brother. They both have problems at home, specifically with their dads. I enjoyed both the main characters and the depth they had surrounding their family issues. I felt that there were too many side characters and I had a hard time keeping track of who was friends with who. That made reading difficult for me. I do think younger readers who enjoy hockey romance would really enjoy this book though!

I have to admit that I have heard of Julie Cross before but I have never read any of her books until now and I have to say that I want to run out to the bookstore and pick them up since reading this.

I think Off The Ice is the perfect start to reading her books. If you follow me on social media you will know that I am a hockey mom/manager to my 13 year old son’s team. We have been in the minor hockey world for 5 years now.

Off The Ice takes place in a little town called Juniper Falls in Minnesota where life is centered around hockey. Everyone in Juniper Falls is obsessed with hockey.

The main characters are Tate and Claire. Claire is Tate’s older sisters best friend. Off The Line is told in alternating points of views from both of them. The book begins with Tate’s and its a year before the story line starts. We find out that Claire is leaving Juniper Falls for to attend college to pursue her music/drama career. Her friends have thrown her a going away party. Its within this chapter you are offered hints that Tate has always had a crush on Claire but he knows she has never felt that same way and just always looked at him like a little brother.

For Tate he is not your typical teenager. He is a teenager with the weight of the world on his shoulders to say the least. His life is hard and complicated, it shouldn’t have to be for a boy his age but with family issues, (this is where I have to say that I really disliked the dad), hockey obligations (and I know being in minor hockey that sometimes its too much and this is one of the reason’s my son didn’t want to do hockey in high school because of the demand and pressure), pressure from the town and team because of who is father is. Tate’s dad played hockey and he brought his team to the championships and won it so there is pressure to do the same thing.

For Claire, she is the kind of girl that wants to get out of her small town to pursue her dreams of being on Broadway because she has the talents that will take her far and a scholarship to help pursue that dream. I could relate to her because I was the same way growing up. I needed to get out of my small town where everyone knew each other and knew everyone’s business. Sadly Claire only got to experience a year away before being called home to help take care of her ill father and his business.

I loved reading the interaction between Tate and Claire when they saw each other a year later. You can tell the feelings were genuine and sincere and I loved how that built into something and it seemed real and not rushed. I was getting butterflies from reading it.

Living in a hockey city (Montreal) where everyone lives and breathes hockey I can completely understand the intensity a community can have for the game and sport they love. Reading this you know everyone has secrets good and bad and how would a community feel if the dirty little secrets were revealed? Especially if it involved a beloved hero to the community?

This is the first book in a new series that I have to say I am excited to read. I hope this storyline will be expanded.

The book did not really work for me. I DNF'ed it. I wasn’t able to connect with any of the many characters in the book and I found myself putting down the book a lot because it was never really catching my attention

“I’m breathing hard, my pulse pounding. Dad snatches the puck from my glove and stares me down. I can’t tell if he’s pissed that I blocked his shot or surprised. All I know is that I want him to go back to the center ice and do it again. And again.” (chapter 23)

I went into this book thinking it would be a fluffy romance with some conflict on the ice, something that was easy to read and made me feel good. That impression was shot down almost immediately. This snow-covered town of Juniper Falls holds so many secrets and the drama they cause can sometimes be dark. I was on the edge of my seat almost the entire day and a half it took me to finish this book. The drama! To reiterate, this isn’t a fluffy romance; the plot includes sex, alcohol abuse, underage drinking, physical abuse, and language.

Juniper Falls is a small, fictional town in Minnesota that lives and breathes hockey. The boys are raised to be hockey players and the girls to cheer them on (ayyye, sexist much? Though, there is mention of a little girl taking hockey classes, so a point for equality.) Tate grew up in the shadow of his hockey star father, whose dream in life is to relive his glory through his son. During the first game of the season, the Otters’ goalie walks out, and Tate suddenly goes from being a benchwarmer second goalie to the star goalie for the season. But can he get out of his head for long enough to catch the pucks? And what is he supposed to do with all these secrets coming out of the woodwork, including his own? The thing about Juniper Falls is that they have this perfect picture of what their town should look like. Anyone who strays from these perfectly functioning idealisms is ostracized and shut out. Tate struggles with keeping his own secrets from coming out, while also figuring out how to respond to those that have had their life and choices put on display.

Claire was chasing her dreams of being an actress at college when her world got flipped upside down and she was called home to help with her father and his bar. She develops this strong, independent will that ultimately puts other’s needs before her own. Whether this means sabotaging her own dreams or pushing people away so that they can find their own, Claire constantly has a battle in her head about what she deserves and what other people need. Like Tate, she also struggles with the secrets she knows and how different people would respond to these.

Chasing dreams, making them your own, discovering the values of friendships, and finding a love worth fighting for, Off the Ice has such beautiful themes, which are diamonds in the darkness of the heavier themes found. The writing feels very much as if in a high schooler’s head, so it wasn’t exceptionally stimulating, but the plot definitely took my by surprise and gripped me until the very end. The climax(es) had my heart pounding, but the fight for love and dreams melted me to a puddle. Tate and Claire’s adventure is a rollercoaster you will need to buckle up your heart for, wrapping up smoothly with hopes for the future.

This was a cute story. The slow burn aspect was killing me, which I enjoy in a book. There were a lot of things that happened that confused me though. I loved a lot of the parts but THere felt like there was a whole lot going on at times and that muddled the story some for my taste. Charlie and Tate were very likable and had great chemistry so for me that saved it a lot of the time. In the end a series I will continue when I find the time to pick up book 2.