(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley.)

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.

The storyline in this was about Claire dealing with her father’s cancer and working in his bar, and about Tate being scouted for college hockey teams. We did get some romance between the two, but it was really slow and got a bit lost for me, and I didn’t feel sucked into the story the way I expected to.

The ending to this was okay, but I was disappointed with the book overall.
6 out of 10

Julie Cross gives us a wonderful romance that will draw readers in from the very first page. This is not your typical YA book, full of fluff and hearts and stars. There are some controversial subjects brought up in the book, including: teen pregnancy; underage drinking; physical and emotional abuse; cancer; sexuality; and sex. They are brought up in such a way that they blend seamlessly into the story. There is no "shock and awe" intended. There is no conscious effort to "gotcha" the reader. The book manages to still be an enjoyable read despite the sometimes heavy subject matter. Readers will be drawn into the story and become invested in the character's lives. Definitely recommend!

Rating: 3.75 stars

Claire decided to take a semester off from college and return home to help with the family business during her father's illness. Her world was put in a state of flux, as she struggled with the bills, her father's health issues, and her prolonged absence from university. Right when she thought she was hitting rock bottom, her best friend's little brother, Tate, came back into her life, and unexpectedly gave her a lifeline and more.
"When and how did you become..." I wave a hand dramatically in front of him. "This?"
"What?" He glances down and tugs not he front of his hunter-green thermal beneath his unzipped jacket. "Someone who wears earth tones?"
"No! Th-that," I sputter, blowing hair off my face, "tall and ...not skinny..And the voice.."



I am always up for a good sports romance, and I liked this small town setting, as small towns bring a certain element to the story on their own. As expected, Juniper Falls gave me what I expected from the setting: the gossip, the backlash, the familiarity, the neighborliness, the history, and family ties to the town. I especially liked the hockey family dynasty aspects and how far back the characters went with each other.
These guys don't have the right to suddenly take notice of Claire when I've seen her, admired her for years.

Both Claire and Tate were dealing with a lot of personal issues. Claire had the responsibility of her family's entire existence and her uncertain future weighing her down, while Tate was grappling with his new position as starting goalie and the damaging secrets he was trying to keep hidden. These two sort of broken people were able to lift each other up. They supported each other, they gave of themselves to each other, and I was pretty sold on this romance. This was a healthy romance. These two were honest with each other, they had open conversations, they knew when to push and when to back off, and they never asked the other one to sacrifice something they loved for the sake of the other. And the history! I love when there is history between characters, and these went a loooooong ways back.
What is this thing that Claire and I are doing? It's painful and messy but also exhilarating, like seeing colors for the first time.

But do you know what I loved even more than Tate and Clair together? Tate, Jamie, and Leo together. The relationship between them was pretty brotastic, and I really enjoyed seeing male characters sharing their feelings. There are definitely more stories to tell in this town, and I care enough about these auxiliary characters to want them.
This bridge between Tate and me somehow emerged in the midst of everything falling apart.

Overall: a heartwarming sports romance, which has left me wanting more Juniper Falls stories.

Unfortunately Off the Ice didn't work for me and I did not finish the book. I had a difficult time with the girl being a college freshman and the boy being a high school junior. This is a personal taste and not a reflection of the authors writing, or even the plot beyond this point. Thank you for the opportunity to review Off the Ice.

Claire O'Connor and Tate Tanley have a connection before she leaves for college. After her father's illness brings her home early, Claire finds that Tate has grown up into a strong, handsome man who is attracting her attention on and off the hockey field. I like this book because Claire and Tate are both dealing with family issues that make this story more than a romance. The plot moves quickly and the romance is believable. I look forward to reading more about the Juniper Falls hockey players!

Confession: I didn't read the summary before deciding I wanted to read this book. All I needed to know was that it is written by Julie Cross and I was in. I love her contemporary novels.

At first, Off The Ice could have been any teen-y, high school drama, hockey novel. But let's not forget that it's written by Julie Cross, so pretty soon the characters started to expand and deepen in complexity, the situation got more complicated and basically it became totally addictive.

I was a little confused at first (probably because I didn't read the summary) about who our main characters were and how they were connected. Tate is the younger brother of Claire's best friend. The prologue starts the story and gives readers an insight into the big event of Claire's last night in town that connects her and Tate. And it's not something romantic, like I assumed. Instead it is far more complicated and terrible. At this point Tate has his own girlfriend but he has always had a crush on his sister's best friend. It's just that Tate was never on Claire's radar and certainly not romantically. Now, one year later Claire is back in Juniper Falls and dealing with her own family problems. One glance at Tate and she suspects that his problems haven't disappeared either. And also...Tate isn't the scrawny kid he used to be.

The middle part of this book just stretched for me. And I don't mean that in a bad, it-was-boring way. Instead it lengthened in all the right ways, letting the situation and romance and complications develop naturally rather than being rushed. This allowed the readers to really get to know both Claire and Tate better, as well as getting to know some of the other characters more. I would have happily stayed in that middle section forever.

This story also raises some important issues, like small towns where sport is valued over family and responsibility (and common decency), and family relationships and violence.

Here's what I loved most about Tate and Claire's relationship:
- Tate. Because he is so incredibly amazing with Claire. He is dealing with so much and he still goes out of his way to be there for her. He is patient, understanding, and, inside his head at least, vulnerable and scared about his feelings.
- Their open conversations. Tate and Claire discuss things and that makes for a fantastic relationship.
- That sense of peace when they are together. They just work.
- That their age difference is never an issue.

I would classify this book is New Adult or mature Young Adult rather than Young Adult, both because of mature sexual content and because of the characters' ages. Claire is already at college, and their focus on coming of age, growing up, moving on, and deciding what comes next for their future.

The absolute best thing about this book is that it is book one in the Juniper Falls series and that means there are going to be more books!!! Already I can see so many possibilities for secondary characters in this book to have a chance to tell their story and I can't wait.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

Well written, but this book did not meet my expectations. I think that maybe after reading her great Eleanor Ames book 'Chasing Truth' I thought the book would be different. This book is a typical YA book and enjoyable, but missing a spark for me.

I received an advance reader copy (from Netgalley) in exchange for a fair review. Thanks to Entangled Publishing and the author for a chance to review this.

I LOVED THIS. It was the perfect blend of hockey sports with an added romance. I was actually surprised by this because I haven't seen too many of these aspects combined together. I liked the fact that Tate and Claire's relationship wasn't "instant" and that made me enjoy it seeing as it gives the book a more realistic stance and that they also had to deal with their share of struggles. So the romance aspects were perfect in that aspect. The hockey aspect for me was definitely a bonus in wanting to read this.

Definitely recommended for hockey fans that are looking for romance based stories. It's a nice mix and I can't wait to see what Julie Cross has in store for the next installments.

I really enjoyed this book though its not my typical type of book. I usually go for more adult books and this is a book about very young adults. I don't really want to say too much because I might spoil some of the big things about this story.

However I will say that Tate and Claire are friends. This is a story about friends turning into more and how they are really there for each other when the other needs someone. The story starts a year before and you see how their relationship is formed and the secrets that Claire helps hide for Tate.

A year later Tate has really changed. He now is more manly but he also is becoming a hockey star. While a year before Claire had a wonderful future, now life is getting in the way of Claire's future.

I really enjoyed this story though its a departure from the normal books I review and read.