I was hoping with some time and distance I might be able to jump back in and enjoy this one, but I just didn’t.

I did like the girl playing hockey on the boys team aspect. Holland was great at her sport. What fell short for me was the character development. No one ever really felt fleshed out to me. The characters were all rather flat or like caricatures, with slighted distorted or inflated characteristics that made me roll my eyes.

I liked Wes, Hot Sauce, to a degree, but his ‘encouragement’ as the team captain was often harsh rather than helpful. Also, he seemed a bit full of B.S. especially at the beginning.

I was most excited for the music blog element of the story but even that ended up feeling like a plot device rather than part of the story.

I guess this is just a case of “it’s not you, it’s me” and we should just part ways amiably.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

You know what I love? I love when I can't stop smiling while reading a book, and that was EXACTLY what happened to me as I read Cold Day in the Sun.

Holland had spent her whole life as one of the boys, and when it came time to try out for her high school's hockey team, she opted to stick with the boys' team, since they already had a well established dynamic in place. Needless to say, she was constantly dealing with naysayers and those, outside of the team, who believed she didn't belong playing with the guys. She had to constantly prove herself, because she felt like they were all just waiting for her to fail. Suddenly, she seemed to be noticing, that her team captain, Wes, has been noticing her, and Holland was forced to mediate a battle between her head and her heart.

I love sports romances, and this one featured so many amazing components, which sum totaled to an incredible reading experience for me.

Holland was such an easy character to root for. She was driven and focused, and had to wear some armor being the lone woman on a men's team, but she was also sensitive to other people's needs and had a vulnerability, which she was hesitant to reveal, but was authentic. I empathized with her feeling some pressure and the weight of all eyes always being on her, and it pained me that these people made her doubt herself, but she was so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family. They believed in her and supported her. They gave her that little lift, when she needed it, and it all really warmed my heart.

Wes made me smile, A LOT. My initial impression of him was the same as Holland's, but I started seeing these bits and pieces of him, which made my love for him grow exponentially. He was a good captain, who deftly walked that line between tough and encouraging. He was a fantastic brother, who doted on his little sister. He was a good friend, who listened when you needed him to, and he made an effort to see things from your point of view. It was really all the little things he did, which won my heart, and made me believe that he was perfect for Holland.

And, OH, what a sweet and lovely romance these two had. I had so much fun spending time with them, and kept hoping Holland would give in to her feelings. Seriously, the tension between these two was palpable, and their interactions ranged from too adorable to swoony. The date at the a-frame, the popcorn, the sharing of hot sauce, the fence, those phone conversations, and even the blog interactions just made me ship them more. Yeah, I was totally onboard with these two.

There were so many other fun and wonderful things in this story, such as:

• Holland's brothers and her present and supportive family
• The inclusion of actual hockey
• Hair bands! This really brought me back
• Holland's blog
• The playlists
• Food references, especially Holland's mom's food
• An ending that put a perma-smile on my face

I wish I had photographic evidence of myself reading this book, because I wore an expression of genuine bliss, and as a testament to the happy-inducing power of this book, is the grin I am sporting as I write this review.

Overall: Cold Day in the Sun delivered that feel-good vibe I expect from sports books, but I also got an adorable romance, a strong and determined heroine, a swoony hero, and a wonderful and supportive family.

Fans of sports romance rejoice and add this to your must reads.
This book has it all, short, sweet, romance, hockey, and most importantly a strong female leader. I highly enjoyed this book. Lately I have been reading more hockey stories and this one did not disappoint. While it was a short read it packed the excitement of a longer read. The author does a great job of adding in hockey terms but in such a way that even a non hockey lover will understand it. A perfect Sunday afternoon read.

This is a great book for young adults. The sports and romance elements of the story were engaging and well done. I would definitely recommend this book to my students that are sports driven while still looking for a cute swoony story.

I just adored this book! What a wonderful story about female empowerment and working hard to get what you deserve in life! Holland "Dutch" is a girl hockey player on a boys team who is constantly fighting to show that she deserves to be where she is and not just there because she is a girl. Wes "Hot Sauce" is her team captain, frenemie and maybe something more. This is a story of friends, strength, courage, self expression, family and romance all set with some pretty amazing song references. I loved the relationship development and the friendship between these two characters. It reminded me a little of how I felt the first time I read Anna and the French Kiss by Perkins! Well done and will look forward to reading Sara Biren's first novel and hopefully many more to come! This book will be getting into the hands of a few young ladies I know who play hockey and into my school library! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I requested this book because the romance in the description sounded interesting, and I loved that it was a wintery book that wasn't about Christmas. So, I went into it not really knowing what to expect, but I ended up really loving this book!

Just as a warning, this book does contain a lot of swearing, so you might want to be careful if you are planning to give this book to a younger reader. And it does use a lot of Hockey lingo, but I don't watch hockey and didn't struggle too much as it's easy to understand the words in the context of the sentence.

However, that didn't make me want to give this book any less than the five stars that it deserves. Holland, our protagonist has a really unique voice in the story and she has so much character. Her relationship with her three brothers, who are all Hockey players too, is one of my favourite things about this book. They have a great family dynamic that feels real and that is really supportive and vibrant.

Holland is the only girl on an all-boys Hockey team and that creates a really interesting dynamic in the team. She also plays alongside one of her brothers which I thought was a nice touch, and although there is a lot of banter, you can see how protective and close the family is which is lovely to see, as a lot of YA protagonists are mostly estranged from their family and tend to act independently.

Holland is also unique to YA in other ways too. There's a need for protags to have more hobbies within YA which my friend PowisAmy highlighted here in her review of 'a very large expanse of sea'. And Holland fills that need by having a huge range of hobbies to fill her time. She is a hockey player, writer, blogger and music enthusiast and that makes her real.

But it is the Hockey that steals the show, and as someone who doesn't really know much about Hockey, I found it all fascinating. I also love ice skating so I really enjoyed learning about this other sport which is also based on ice. I loved the team spirit and friendship in this book, as well as the fact that Holland is 100% a total badass.

A cold day in the sun is a feminist novel in it's purest form. It teaches an important lesson about perseverance and strength and doing what you love whatever your gender. We are taught not to back down, to not let other people decide our future and to follow your heart and what you love no matter what.

And then we come to the romance element. I did struggle a little with the fact that the love interest was known by his hockey nickname 'Hot Sauce' at first, it just sounded weird. But as I got into the novel, it made a lot of sense and even became endearing. Wes is a great love interest though, and perfect for Holland. Their love is star-crossed but it's also really natural and believable, which makes it less of a dreamy romance and more of a relationship. It's real, and that's one of the many charms this book has for me. With its open ending, it doesn't pretend that this is going to be a happy-ever-after, but it also gives us hope for the future at the same time. It lets you decide for yourself what you think happens next.

I understand that some people are frustrated by the fact that there is a lot of build-up to a big hockey game at the end, but then the game isn't actually played out on the page. But I believe that her journey to the game was a lot more important than the game itself and that was the story that needed to be told. So I agree with Biren's decision to end the book where she did.

A cold day in the sun is an easy read, with a plot that keeps you addicted until the end. It's a strong feminist story that's believable and realistic with a female lead that jumps off the page. That's why this book deserves my first five-star rating this year. You don't have to be a fan of Hockey to love this book, but I imagine that if you are, this book would be doubly perfect for you.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a pleasant and heart warming story to read about a young female hockey player discovering who she is and how people view her. It contains a cute romance story as well and I found that I related to "Dutch" a lot when compared to my teenage years. I very fun and fluffy contemporary!

Cold Day in the Sun centers around Holland, the only female hockey player on varsity at her high school. 

Holland was such a kick ass female. She worked hard and didn't take shit from anyone, and I loved her. It was awesome watching her shut down sexist comments and stand up for herself. 

While she has a ton of support surrounding her hockey playing, there's always people who feel it's their business to remind her that she is, in fact, a girl and that hockey is a male sport. 

And despite being kick ass, she is still, in fact, a person who has doubts and insecurities. I felt like she presented a realistic balance between confidence and doubt. 

And because of the sexism, she works twice as hard and also has a rule to not date teammates. Which honestly made a ton of sense to me. If she's dating a teammate it could be seen as her being favored. 

However, romance is in this story and it's with the least likely person, the team's co-captain "Hot Sauce" Wes.  I loved watching their romance unfold, and I totally understood Holland's point of view regarding it.

Wes was not my favorite person in the beginning of the book, but as the story went on I liked him more and more. He and Holland had some unique hobbies in common and I loved that it drew them together. Although I did find it weird he carried hot sauce packets around, it definitely is one of those quirks that makes him memorable as a character. And I mean, his nickname is "hot sauce." haha

The plot was a good pace and I found myself easily swept up into this story. I love when characters are well developed and realistic and I really felt like I could go find this little snowy town and find Holland and Wes and all the other characters there living out their lives. 

Cold Day in the Sun is a great read and I definitely recommend it!

4.5 stars. This was almost a five star read for me. It had everything I love in a book: sports, swoons, and humor. I really enjoyed the blog entries and the musical references (I wish there were more!). I even made my own Spotify playlist to listen to while I read.

Things I loved:
*The banter between Wes and Holland.
*The blog entries and musical references.
*The athletics.
*The swoon worthy moments between Wes and Holland.

Things I wished there were more of:
*More little moments that showed how Wes and Holland's relationship developed and changed.
*More interactions between Hunter and Holland.
*A more robust resolution and an ending that gave more details about Holland's article.

I felt for Holland, and I might have cried...maybe..a little.

Cute romantic YA. Enjoyed the book and the characters. Good build of the relationship between Holland and Wes. Also a good message about women, sports and fighting for what they believe in.

The Last Thing You Said is a story that revolves around high school hockey. Our main character, Holland, is the only girl on the varsity boys' team. She works her butt off every day to prove that she's worthy of competing with the boys because not everyone believes she deserves to be on the team. The pressure to perform becomes even greater when her hockey team is selected to be spotlighted in HockeyFest. One person who supports Holland is her team captain, Wes. He's the last person Holland expects to support her. Wes is also the last person Holland thinks would ever be interested in dating her, but he is. Holland shouldn't be interested in Wes -- she has a no dating teammates policy -- but she can't help the attraction that is starting to build between them.

I have been waiting for Sara Biren's sophomore novel to be released ever since I finished reading her début novel, The Last Thing You Said. Her writing was so emotional and touched me in ways I wanted to experience again.

I found Cold Day in the Sun to be just as emotional and amazing as The Last Thing You Said. I loved the girl on a boys' team theme. How Holland had to deal with her insecurities of being "the girl" was and all the issues that brought up were relevant to some of the situations going on in society today. The way her relationship with Wes wove into everything she was dealing with was a perfect. It wasn't just her reactions to everything that made a big impact, but what others did and said about her spot on the team. There was a lot to think about it all -- it made me wonder how I would react if my daughter was in the same situation or how I would feel if I was in Holland's situation. I really loved how everything played out.

Oh, wait! I can't leave out the music! If you read the blurb, you probably noticed the mention of glam rock. Let me just tell you that if you're a fan of glam bands like Poison, you're going to love this book. So many amazing songs are worked into the story in very fun ways. I loved how music was just as important to Holland and Wes' relationship as hockey was.

Cold Day in the Sun was such a great book. It was one of those books I think everyone would benefit from reading. Sara Biren tackled a tough topic but mixed it with the sweetest romance to make it an emotional and fun read. I highly recommend Cold Day in the Sun. I think fans of Katie McGarry, Julie Cross, Ginger Scott, Sarah Dessen, or Morgan Matson would love this book.

Cold Day in the Sun is a fun YA, sport-centred novel with a tender heart and a very important message about equality and the strength and determination it takes to stand up for what you want (and there might be some very swoony romance thrown in as well). I absolutely love ice hockey novels. I’ve never played, never even watched a full game and yet there is something about the cold, crisp setting, the devotion of the fans, and the commitment and hard work of the players that makes this game so alluring in YA fiction. Throw in a story about a girl playing on a guy’s sport team and this novel was certain to be an absolute winner.

Holland Delviss is a talented ice hockey player. Her three brothers play, her father played - it’s in her blood. While Holland wishes it was her talent that people knew her for, she is more famous for being the sole girl on the guy’s team. And when their team is nominated to compete for a spot on a televised hockey feature, Holland is thrust into the spotlight. As she balances the extra pressure, things are further complicated when she starts to fall for her bossy team captain, Wes ‘Hot Sauce’ Millard. But as Holland is tempted to break her “I don’t date players” rule, she knows stepping over that line might bring more trouble than its worth.

If you enjoy contemporary YA fiction about sports or romance (or both), or if you are a fan of Miranda Keneally’s Hundred Oaks series or Julie Cross’s Juniper Falls series, then you will love Cold Day in the Sun. It has a great mix of romance and plot about coming of age and finding the self-determination to really stand and fight for what you want. Holland is a great character, easy to like with her quick wit and reluctance to step into the limelight. I was on edge throughout the entire book, picking up on Holland’s nerves, sure that at any moment things will explode in her face as she pushes the boundaries on what she ‘should’ be ‘allowed’ to do and who she wants to be.

As with any good sport-focused novel, the team and dedication to the game bring a great sense of camaraderie, seen especially between Holland and her brother. Holland’s love of music, her blog posts and how this connects her to Wes, all bring another layer of interest to the story.

Cold Day in the Sun is a fun, romantic story of falling in love, playing to your strengths, and being proud of who you are.

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

This was a fun, cute sports romance. It really hit right on the head what it's like to be a girl athlete in a man's world.... or even a girl in general. My only complaint is that I wanted to know more at the end of the book. What's the outcome of the game? What happens with Holland and Wes in the future? Does she make captain next year? Since there was so much more that I wanted to know, I know for sure that I enjoyed this read.

I loved this and will highly recommend it! Holland is a high schooler who plays on the boys varsity hockey team, which leads to a lot of prejudice and a lot of Holland policing her own behavior to try to work within a system that seems to be waiting for her to fail. Her careful rules, established to make sure she is above reproach by people who attack her based on her gender, are threatened when she finds herself experiencing mutual attraction with her talented and kind captain. I loved the realistic way Holland handled the different expectations placed on her as a girl on a boys’ hockey team rather than just another team member. I liked that her fears were validated and there wasn’t any overly happy resolution that everyone would treat her fairly. Instead, she was able to distinguish who mattered to her and who didn’t, uphold her own values, and be happy with her choices. Beautifully done, and a very sweet romance. Overall though, this is a story about a girl who can’t necessarily change everyone’s biased views, but who learns to be herself and be proud of herself even in an imperfect world. I think it’s a really important lesson.

Ahhhhhhhh! Just like Biren’s first book, this was adorable. But make no mistake—this isn’t just a simple contemporary. There’s more depth.

I’m not a huge hockey fan, but for whatever reason, I adore hockey players as book characters. Something about their toughness maybe? Anyhow, this will definitely be on the favorites list.

What made this special was a kick ass girl playing for the boys’ team...and killing it. It wasn’t unrealistic in any way. But more importantly was the message being relayed. Especially this year with all that’s gone on in the world, it really hit home.

Holland and Wes’s relationship was adorable. I mean, I love enemies to lovers, so it was a no-brainer. But add on the hockey aspect and the rest? Just fantastic.

And the music! I mean, my God it was perfect. And all of those glorious songs were featured in favorite scenes of the story. It was a staple in Wes and Holland’s relationship, and I really enjoyed the added depth.

If I had one criticism, it would be the ending. It was okay, acceptable even. But I think we deserved a little more considering this event was what the entire novel was building up to. And I’m not gonna lie, a tiny epilogue wouldn’t have hurt either. I think it just needed a little more “closure” this time around.

I highly recommend this for fellow fans of the sports romance and/or enemies to lovers trope.

This book may be called Cold Day in the Sun, but it will warm up your heart.

Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren follows Holland "Dutch" Delviss, a female hockey player whose team may be chosen for a widely televised hockey event. However, her team's chance rests on her ability play up her status as the only female on the team. While some people in town show their disdain for Holland's involvement in the team, she finds support from one of the team's captain, Wes.

I'm a huge hockey fan, so I was instantly excited when I saw this book on NetGalley. I quickly requested it and was thrilled to read it once approved. From this book, I expected a cute romance as well as some conversations surrounding the discrimination women face when they enter a male-dominated sport. While I enjoyed this quick and fun read, there were some aspects that needed some improvement to make this book a stand-out for me. 

I think my favorite aspect of this book was the relationship between Holland and Wes. While I do think their banter was sometimes over the top and their relationship changed to quickly from "hate" to "love", I generally liked them both as characters and saw the chemistry between them. Their relationship also added to the conversation this book brought up about the discrimination women face in male-dominated sports due to some of the barriers they faced in their relationship, which I appreciated.

I also enjoyed the main character, Holland. She is willing to call out anyone who makes a sexist comment towards her or other people. While she sometimes doubts herself and her abilities, this makes her extremely relatable to other young female readers who face the same discrimination as Holland. 

That being said, there were a few other aspects of the novel that fell flat for me, namely the big game constantly emphasized throughout the novel. The actual game comprises very little of the book and the ending left me very unsatisfied. The hockey games often took a large back seat to the romance, journalism, or music aspects of the novel. While I appreciated seeing some of Holland's other interests, I think it caused some of the other aspects of the story that I was really excited about not be well developed. The game had a lot of build-up, but not a lot of reward.

I also have mixed feelings towards how the feminist aspects played out in this novel. I appreciated how even though Holland played on the boy's team instead of the girl's team, she didn't put down the talent and drive of the girl's teams. However, I wished more aspects of this part of the story were fleshed out. There were people who made comments on the ice or members of the town that I wished were wrapped up in a more satisfying way. I appreciated that whenever a sexist comment was made, it was immediately shut down. Still, I wanted some big moment at the end to wrap up all the commentary provided in this novel, but I felt like I never got that.

Overall, Cold Day in the Sun is a great sports romance read that is perfect for fans of Miranda Kenneally's Hundred Oak series. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys hockey or young adult books that heavily focus on the romance. I give this book three out of four stars.

This is a great teen novel that deals realistically and openly about how tough and tough it is for a girl to play a so-called boy’s only sport.
The character of Holland is strong and well written as a female going up against the odds and criticism for playing on the high school Varsity hockey team. It does not matter that she has skill and prowess on the ice or that she was raised in a hockey playing family with her brothers. When faced with a budding romance with the Varsity captain, Holland is reluctant to pursue it knowing that a relationship could ruin her standing and all of her hard work to deserve to play with the boys.

I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Cold Day in the Sun is a wonderful contemporary read! I read this during finals week at my university, and it was a great way to de-stress. Holland is a hockey player on an all-boys team. She faces sexism and pressure from her town, and all the while fights her attraction to her team captain, Wes (aka "Hot Sauce"). As a person who loves contemporary romance and studies women and gender studies at my university, this book was right up my alley. Though there were times when the book was telling more than showing, Cold Day in the Sun was a fun read that kept me interested the whole entire time. Also, the couple in this novel has such great chemistry, and I loved them together.

With that,
I give Cold Day in the Sun
4 out of 5 Stars!

A more in depth review will be posted closer to the novel's release date, on March 12, 2019.

Reading a Sara Biren book is like hanging out with an old friend — you think you know what to expect with good laughs and a lot of heart. Yet, sometimes, that old friend can surprise you by filling you up with such unexpected emotions. Her storytelling has done it again — it snuck up on me & pulled so delicately, yet urgently, on my heart strings. This book may come across as just a sports YA, about a girl trying to play hockey among the boys. But it delivers something so much deeper, so much richer, about the injustices of sexism & unfairness when it comes to gender bias among sports. I really felt myself standing up, right alongside the main character, urging her to fight for her rightful place. There’s power in this story & so, so much glory. There’s also a very sweet, & very swoony, love story that’s woven throughout. And let’s not forget the beautiful scenery of what winter brings to the beautiful lakes of Minnesota. I fell in love with Sara Biren’s debut & have found myself falling again, once more, with this novel, too. The Foo Fighters sprinkled throughout may have a little something to do with it, too. What can I say? This author knows how to write exactly to my heart.

Holland has played on the boys hockey team her whole life. Not to prove a point but because that is all she knows. When she starts to get attention for this, she finds reassurance from the last person she expects, Wes. Wes is one of the captains of her team and one of her toughest critics on the ice. She can't have feelings for him, or could she? With all of the music and Princess Bride references a person could want, this was easily one of my favorite reads of the year. I couldn't put it down! The characters are complex and real and the story sucks you in so easily. I will be adding it to my collection!