I love this book so much. It is such a sweet and heartwarming story about teenagers who are trying to make the best decisions in life. They are not always right and they do silly things but ultimately they own up to their mistakes and try to make amends in any way possible. It is a story of a small town residents who are not used to having secrets. Yet, they are about to find out that even in small towns, full of nosy people, secrets do exist.
Jake is captain of the hockey team. He is the most popular guy in their school. Every girl wants to date him and every guy wants to be him. But that doesn't mean anything to him. All he wants is an opportunity to play the game he loves and graduate high school so that he may start college. He is looking forward to it. His life is simple and uncomplicated until one fateful night. Teenagers being teenagers make one little mistake and now Jake's peace of mind is gone. In this chaotic time the only person who understands him is the new girl. The girl everyone things is mute. Soo, Jake realizes that she is so much more than just a new girl in town and he find hismelf falling for her.
Brooke has been there and done that, she is not willing to go down that road again and date a popular guy. That can't end well but Jake is nothing like her ex-boyfriend. He is kind and considerate. He pays attention and he cares about the people around him. It might not be possible for her to resist his charm afterall. But life is not easy on her. She has secrets and her past still haunts her. She must find the strength to let go of the past so that she might be able to build a better future. Maybe with her new friends and people in her life she will at last learn to take chances again and live a little.
It is a very well-written story. I enjoyed it a lot and I think all YA fans will love it!

In the city of Juniper Falls hockey reigns supreme. When Brooke Parker’s father goes to jail, she and her mother return to her mom’s home town to live with her grandmother. With her mother’s downward spiral into depression Brooke turns to hockey to take her mind of her troubles and joins the brand new girls hockey team. Jake Hammond, captain of the Varsity boys hockey team, finds himself on the wrong side of the law when a 100 year old hockey tradition goes wrong. As punishment he has to be the assistant coach to the girls hockey team and finds himself drawn to Brooke, a girl who has obviously never played hockey but has some serious talent.

On Thin Ice explores a lot of tough subjects; bullying, depression, and suicide but the novel does a great job of putting a spotlight on these problems and allowing it’s characters to work their way to a solution in a very real, unforced way. Brooke’s family has gone through some really tough times and her life has been turned upside down, including moving to a small town. When she meets Jake after witnessing his teams traditional pre-season hazing she fights an attraction to him and who wouldn’t? Jake is also immediately curious about the “new” girl and when he finds himself her coach they take the time to explore a new friendship but also to help each other work their way through a land mine of adult responsibilities and feelings. Julie Cross did a great job of portraying these scenarios and as an adult myself I forgot I was reading a teen romance. The emotional impact was that good.

If you like sports novels/romances, this is a great one! There’s a good bit of hockey being played and those sports scenes were very well written. I could picture the action and feel the tension in those on the ice moments. Sports action scenes are not easy to portray and it really felt like Julie Cross had either played the game or was a huge fan. It was that good!

I highly recommend this novel if you are looking for a YA contemporary romance. It has some serious subject matter but an uplifting ending. Even though this is the third book in the series, you don’t need to read the first two. I didn’t, but I’m definitely going back to read them now. I’ve found a new author to love, yeah! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a free copy of this ARC for my honest review and it was honest

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this early copy!

This was well done cute romantic read. The mixture of romance and sports was interesting to read about. I will be checking out more from this author in the future.

Note: I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Julie Cross is an auto-buy author for me, which isn't typical as I usually read the Kindle sample before buying any book. I've read all the books in the Juniper Falls series, and I have to admit that this series isn't one of my favorites of hers. I was hoping to like On Thin Ice as much as I like some of Cross's other books, but this fell short of my expectations.

Overall, both Brooke and Jake fell flat for me. Brooke barely spoke, but somehow Jake was drawn to her. I didn't get how he could fall for her so easily when conversations between the two were few and far between. The hot guy that never wants to date because hockey is his life falls for the quiet and unassuming new girl? It all felt too cliched. Ultimately I found it difficult to get behind the romance between Brooke and Jake.

I did like how Cross handled the other issues in the book, hence the three star rating. She does a good job of portraying what life in high school is like and challenges that teens face. Overall, the writing was good but the characters in this just didn't do it for me.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was cute and serious at the same time. It’s strange how much I enjoy sports-themed books and movies when I don’t like actual sports. This is the second Julie Cross book I've read, and in each case, she crafted a well written book that was pretty down to earth and believable. Her characters feel real, and they're flawed but likable, easy to root for. They go through realistic experiences.

The main characters, Brooke (16, sophomore) and Jake (17, senior), well together, and I appreciated their efforts to be honest with each other (drives me crazy when characters hide things from each other). Initially, I wasn’t sure about Jake—he seemed like he was going to be a jerk. But I was glad to be wrong and actually ended up liking him a lot. It was neat that one of the interests he picked up while he was injured was genealogy. Brooke had some pretty heavy stuff to deal with (father in prison, mother with mental or emotional issues, etc), but she handled it well. She had a quiet strength about her. Secondary characters were fleshed out just as well.

Although there was definitely a love story, I liked that this book wasn’t only about the relationship. It also dealt with bullying, mental health, and some other more serious topics.

Overall I liked this book. My biggest complaint is some of the content. There was quite a bit of swearing, mostly when Jake narrated. And of course there’s some sexual content, because apparently that’s necessary in almost every YA novel now. *cue eyeroll* (That was also my biggest complaint in the other Julie Cross book I read, only that one had even more sexual content.) Were it not for the language and sex, I could easily recommend either book; however, I'm not going to offer a friend a burrito with bad meat in it, am I?

You’ll have to forgive me for my brief review—I’m tired, and it’s late.

Note: Swearing, including quite a few f words (Jake’s chapters). One sex scene, though it wasn’t graphic and it faded out.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

After a near fatal accident, Jake begins to question some of the traditions surrounding Otter hockey, but is Jake willing to risk his future to challenge traditions that have endured for over 100 years?

• Pro: Cross impressed me by taking on traditions in this book. It was a rather interesting look at how entrenched these traditions become, and how difficult it can be to abandon those which are toxic. The characters' reactions and struggle with the situation came across as very authentic, and I appreciated how she let us view the issue from multiple sides.

• Pro: Let's hear it for finally getting a women's team in Juniper Falls. It was rather exhilarating watching this team get their footing and finding some success in their debut season.

• Pro: This book stands on its own, but Cross also incorporated a bunch of characters from the previous two books. I always love catching up with old friends, but I really adored the future she gave to one of the side characters. It was great getting to know this character a little better, and also seeing things starting to look up for him.

• Pro: Both Brooke and Jake are extremely likable. Brooke's backstory was sort of heartbreaking, but I couldn't help but be impressed with how she dealt with her situation, and came out stronger because of it. And I admired Jake for taking a stand on a tough issue. He had the deck stacked against him, but she still chose the high road, and I was proud of him.

• Pro: The romance was so sweet, and I was absolutely on board with this ship. The circumstances bringing these two together were less than ideal, but something real and beautiful grew out of it all. Both Jake and Brooke were there for each other and offered support and comfort when they really needed it. Their romance growing from a sort of friendship made it just that much better.

• Pro: Although it was slightly abrupt, I still loved the ending to this book. Cross gave me closure as far as the fate of the team, the town, its inhabitants, and this couple. I was left feeling very satisfied and extremely happy with the way things turned out.

Overall: I fall more and more in love with this series with each book. Once again Cross delivered a story with substance that incorporated family, friendship, romance, and left me hungry for the next book.

I received an e-arc of On Thin Ice by Julie Cross from Entangled: Teen via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book. 

I've read a couple of Julie Cross' books before picking up On Thin Ice, and while they aren't my favourite books out there. They are ones that I know, I can sit down and just enjoy. And On Thin Ice wasn't any different. this one was fun, emotional and just a nice read. 

On Thin Ice follows Jake, the star and captain of the ice hockey team and prince of Juniper Falls. Everything that he has wanted is falling right into place. But then a hazing ritual goes wrong. Not only is Jake injured, but he has to deal with all the consequences that follow. Now Jake is assistant coach to the new girls' ice hockey team, and he is liking it more than he thinks.

Brooke is just trying to fit into her new town, but it's hard when everything is falling apart. Not only did she lose her dad, but her mum has also lost herself. And then Brooke joins the girls' ice hockey team. But the more time that Brooke and Jake spend together, the more they get to know each other. And the more time that they spend with one another. 

I really enjoyed reading On Thin Ice, as I said before, it's one of those books that I can just sit down and read. The characters were enjoyable, the plot was very intriguing and the romance just warmed my heart. From the start, I really enjoyed both protagonists and I loved seeing them come together.  

Brooke was a really interesting protagonist. The reader doesn't know too much about her from the start of the book, but as the novel goes on and Jake starts to learn more about her - so do we. Brooke was an easy character to get along with. Her pain was evident from the start, but that meant she was vulnerable and was easier to figure out. I really loved Brooke's character arc throughout On Thin Ice. At first, she is really closed off, but as the novel goes on, she makes friends and finds solace in Jake, she comes out of her shell. I adored that she played Ice Hockey. It was so much fun seeing a female hockey player. 

Oh, Jake. My heart broke for him so many times throughout the book. Like Brooke, he has been through a lot of most people around him, don't know or don't understand. Jake is a very interesting character, and I think that is why I liked getting to know to know him so much. The reader can tell from the get-go how caring and sensitive Jake really is. I mean yes his a hockey boy through and through. But, there is another side to him that Brooke really brought out. 

The romance in On Thin Ice was actually quite beautiful and sweet. Jake is a couple years older than Brooke and we don't see that much in YA, but it I think it really worked here. Brooke is younger and shy and Jake was great in bringing her out of her shell. They complimented each other really nicely, and the reader can see it as they both become themselves through the novel. The romance was slow and didn't move too fast, and I love that. They both go to know each other and really bond - which I don't see much anymore. 

I also really enjoyed the other themes that On Thin Ice explored. The notion of family was something that was very present throughout the whole book. Both Jake and Brooke have very dysfunction families but in very different ways. Brooke's family is in pieces and she doesn't know what to do with her life because of it. Her dad isn't in the picture, and her mum, she needs help. Jake just feels like he has let down his family. But he also feels like his family has also let him down. It is all very complicated. On Thin Ice also explores the notion of toxic masculinity and how high school sports might influence the way that people think and conduct things. 

Overall, I enjoyed reading On Thin Ice by Julie Cross. It was sweet, but also daring. It explores two different people and how they come together in strange circumstances. The romance was totally adorable and just put a massive smile on my face. The characterisation throughout On Thin Ice was really well done and I loved seeing both Jake and Brooke grow not only by themselves but as a couple. Pick this one up if you are looking for something that might just make you smile.

I want to say that I don’t expect YAs to be occasionally deep with beautifully poetic writing and lovably (or at least toleratedly) flawed. I want to say that I don’t secretly enjoy when a book I’m expecting to just act as a lighthearted life buffer turns out to be something m o r e to me.

In light of this, I guess this was my problem with On Thin Ice. I’m lowkey naturally drawn to books about ice and hockey and skating in any way shape or form, kind of like my music thing too, so I couldn’t not try to get a copy of this ARC of course.

The characters and their basicness turned me off very very quickly. Tropes can be good in moderation or when they’re executed with cool new twists and pulled together by the author’s creativity and ingenuity. I started off trying to look for depth within the MCs, and my determination and interest slowly faded from there.

I don’t think it really helps that there are so many recycled tidbits from page to page. I think I’ve been on too low of a w o w book streak that I just couldn’t bring myself to go on or really find myself interested in what was to happen with the various plot points and character relations.

I did enjoy some of the hockey aspects that I read through, which was definitely a plus, but otherwise I think this might just be the kind of book that I’ll have to retry some other time.

When that time comes, I’ll be sure to update my review.

My thanks to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC!

I DNF it. I've read Julie's previous books and enjoyed them and I was really excited to read this book. I was expecting a fluffy and cute YA book but the author talked about issues like bullying that are important but personally it's really hard and painful for me to read. There's a scene earlier in the book where a senior group of boys bully a younger group of boys and it was so disgusting to read. Don't get me wrong, I think that people NEEDS to talk about this stuff and try to find ways to help young people that suffer from bullying.

But a trigger warning would be really appreciated. I don't have the best memories from highschool and I don't like to read any bullying related material because it's too close to home for me and it reminds me of my worst times.

I had read and enjoyed the other books in this series, so I was pretty much in from the beginning.

I liked Brooke and Jake. They both have a lot of things going on in their lives and with their quick connection, they find a person to support them. They each opened up with the other and I liked getting to know them. I especially liked seeing characters from the other books.

Plot wise, this was not the fluffy book the blurb leads you to believe. Being familiar with the other books in the series, I figured there was going to be a darker side and in this one it’s all about hazing. The conflict after the fact was quite a slow build up and that had me struggling a bit.

Overall, it was a story with characters I really liked. I would have preferred something more at the ending {as it was very abrupt}, but it was a good addition to the series.

**Huge thanks to Entangled Teen for providing the arc free of charge**

Julie Cross continues her Juniper Falls series with On Thin Ice, a young adult, sports romance that perfectly blends first love angst, a dash suspense and a sprinkle of exciting hockey.

Jake Hammond had it all. The fame, the captain title and the best shot at continuing his hockey career. Until a century’s old initiation ritual goes terribly wrong and he ends up with broken bones and a position in the girls’ hockey team.

When Brooke Parker’s father was convicted she didn’t just lose him, she lost her mother, her friends and even a bit of herself until she moved to Juniper Falls and found the girls’ hockey team and its very attractive assistant coach.

As Jake and Brooke get to know each other, they find happiness, comfort and support, but will it be enough to overcome the considerable obstacles they face?

As far as the young adult romance, Julie Cross skillfully captures that wonderful sensation of first love the two experience while going through Brooke’s painful past and Jake’s complicated present. And yet, when either Jake or Brooke or both are engaged in anything hockey related Julie Cross does an excellent job of vividly bringing it to life. She also shows the impact of archaic harmful traditions and the importance of standing up for what is right.

With On Thin Ice, Cross creates a young adult romance which expertly calibrates the thrill of young love, strong friendship, exciting sports and family heartbreak. It is book #3 of the Juniper Falls series. A standalone story told from both points of view, with a happy ending.

*4.25 Stars*

On Thin Ice is the third book set in Jupiter Falls, small town in Minnesota. In this book, we meet Brooke and Jake. Jake is a senior and the captain of the Hockey team, Brooke, a sophomore, just moved here from Austin and has barely ever set food on the ice. But as she tours the town with the guidance counselor, she stumbles into a training session and is mesmerized by how Jake Hammond, number 42 glides on the ice. She can't stop staring and doesn't hide it either. Soon, she decides to join the brand new JV women team and turns out that Jake is the assistant coach. See, while doing a hazing thing gone wrong (when do they ever go right though?), Jake broke his clavicule and cannot play anymore and he has to do community service and the coaching thing is what's been asked of him.

Ok. That summary was shit but you kind of see what I meant?
Anyway, I really liked this book, I read it way too fast, finished it at 3.30am because I simply couldn't stop reading. I don't know what it is about Julie Cross writing that always make me binge read her books but I like it. The characters were layered and really interesting and I just loved their relationship. I don't think there was any unnecessary drama and I just loved how the town is almost a character in the story. Anyway, I have read book 2 and 3 of this series and I really got to read #1. I really hope there are more after this one too.

Summary: Brooke Parker’s life has been turned upside down. She has moved from her home in Austin, Texas to Juniper Falls, Minnesota. Brooke doesn’t feel like she belongs in the hockey obsessed town but when she gets the opportunity to join the town’s new girls hockey team she reluctantly joins hoping to find a place where she belongs. At practice, Brooke encounters Jake Hammond a hockey superstar who is sentenced to be the assistant coach of the girl’s team after a hazing ritual gone very wrong. The two are drawn to each other and quickly form a connection that will help them overcome Brooke’s painful family history and Jake’s troubling hockey future.

Review: I had high exceptions for this book because I enjoyed the others in this series so much and On Thin Ice easily lived up to all my expectations. Julie Cross is very good at creating characters that don’t seem like they should be each other’s perfect matches but somehow they just work. Brooke and Jake’s romance was filled with sweet moments of them learning to understand each other and realizing that they fill the voids in each other’s life. Their story about slowly fall in love is a very nice love story with sweet moments and some deliciously sizzling moments and makes this an excellent romance. However, Cross also was able to make On Thin Ice so much more than just a simple romance. This book goes much deeper. Cross uses Brooke and Jake’s love story to also discuss the abuse in high school sports and the issue of hazing. The book illustrates what many students are experiencing with the pressure placed on them by the adults in their lives. It is this discussion that takes a simple romance and turns it into novel about real life issues with which many teens maybe able to relate. Cross ties all the pieces (the romance, the hazing, parent issues) together to make a story that was both sizzly and heartfelt and left me hoping that this is not the last time that we get to visit Juniper Falls.

Super sweet, highly engaging story with wonderful characters and great backstory to make it interesting. I liked this book from beginning to end. I love stories where the heroine has to overcome and does so through her own strength and determination. The characters had enough depth and the writing style was a breeze to read. Dialogue felt real and so did characters. This is a good HEA story with a different premise than most.

4.5 stars — Dude, if this is the end of the series, I’m going to be really sad. Each story has been a fascinating look at hockey in a small town, and this one just brought that all together in the most perfect way. You can totally read it as a standalone, but if you do read them as a series, you’ll see how all the little events from the previous two books have culminated in the conflict/climax/resolution of this book.

These YAs really do have a more mature feel to them, though this one was perhaps the tamest. There is a somewhat steamy scene, but it’s mostly cut away (and fits the maturity of the characters). But it tackles some difficult subjects, like hazing, bullying, mental health, and other subjects that are too specific to mention. I just loved the way the story played out. Ms. Cross really showcased how difficult it would be to take a stand against a toxic environment that has existed and been allowed to fester for decades. I could see this happening in a small town, and I truly felt for Jake and how torn he was over how he felt, and what he wanted for the future. If he’d just made the right decision all along, I don’t think it would have had the same impact…and I don’t think it would have had the same sense of realism. Anyways, I really don’t want to get into the plot too much, just know that I was gripped and that I was so happy with how it played out.

Now onto our characters! Brooke was kind of fascinating, but I feel like we kind of got shortchanged on her story. We got hints of things that happened in Austin, and with her Dad…and while some bits were fleshed out, others were left more vague. I was actually a bit let down by that. And not only that, but there was no real development with what was going on with her Mom, and how that played out. Which is okay in some respects, b/c there was enough else going on, but then why have those bits mentioned? I also get it in that when something so difficult is happening at home, it can make sense to just compartmentalize it and focus on other things to deal.

However, I LOVED the whole girl’s hockey team story!! While there was a part of me that was skeptical about the rate at which Brooke learned and excelled, in the end I’m not sure I really cared. I loved seeing the challenges they faced, and the support that Sheriff Hammond gave his team. I also loved seeing Brooke develop a friendship with Rosie.

Jake was so not what I was expecting. I’m not sure what I was expecting, it’s been a bit since I read the previous two books, so I didn’t have a good memory of him necessarily, but he was so much more earnest and…just endearing than I was expecting. I really ended up loving him. He was hardworking, and caring, but caught up in the craziness that is Otters hockey. But deep down he was a genuinely good guy.

And I really loved the two of them together. I felt the connection and the crushes on both sides, the fascination with one another. It felt real, and sweet, and just made me happy. They were good for one another.

About my only complaint is that this book, like the others, had odd time jumps. I guess I don’t mind that happening, but then maybe mention the time in between. It just always took me a minute to adjust and be like “oh wait, so it must be like weeks later now”.

Needless to say, I started this one late last night and stayed up way too late because I had a hard time putting it down (though I did eventually). There’s just something about the way Ms. Cross writes that sucks me in and has me compelled to read just one more chapter.

I have read one of Julie Cross's books last year, and I was not surprised at all that On Thin Ice was a great read. I live a very busy life and having read this in ONE sitting was not expected. This is part of the Juniper Falls series but as I did I read it as a standalone. I would definitely, (and already have) recommend this book.

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

I have liked the other books in the Juniper Falls series, but I really loved On Thin Ice. It completely surpassed my expectations and I enjoyed it so much that I already want to re-read it.

I found both Jake and Brooke really likable characters. They both have had rough things happen in their lives and I felt like their reactions made sense for their age and situations. I also really loved them together. Their relationship didn’t have the best start, but I loved how it developed. I also really enjoyed seeing characters from the previous books like Tate, Claire, Fletcher, and Stellers.

I thought the hockey hazing storyline was well done. Over the course of the series we’ve seen how toxic the environment can be and how hockey players are given a lot of slack in the town, but it all really comes to a head here. I was glad to see the behavior was finally addressed and that it was the players themselves that brought it forward. It was a refreshing take on such a serious topic. I do wish that the issues with Brooke’s family were given a little more attention, though. Topics like self-harm and a suicide attempt are brought up and pretty quickly dismissed.

Overall, I just really loved On Thin Ice. I enjoyed the characters, the friendships, the romance, and the addictive writing. I really never wanted to put this one down. I recommend this one to fans of YA Contemporaries.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

On Thin Ice is an intricately woven story about two teens on different parts that merge at the worst time. It's about a budding relationship in a trying time. It even brings up bullying and hazing without the horniness of an after school special. It has aREAL feel. It doesn't feel hokey or fake. I appreciated the flow and the realistic nature of their reactions to what was going on around them.

On Thin Ice has made me want to read the other Juniper Falls stories.

For an Entangled novel, this had much more depth than I first expected, yet somehow still managed to retain much of the Entangled Teen charm that I love so much. I was impressed, I was. To talk about some of the issues that occur in this book (which I won't spoil) is not easy, so hats off to Julie Cross for managing to do it so well. Obviously, this is part of the Juniper Falls series by Cross, and although I haven't actually read the series myself, I can tell how much fun it would have been to see your favourite characters from the other novels pop up in this one.
While I did feel like there was a smidge of 'insta-love' in this, it is clear to see that the connection between Brooke and Jake is quite deep, more than just the basic attraction that each of them felt originally. The ability to support each other through tough times, I think needs to be shown more in novels, particularly in teen and ya fiction. It's something that we don't always see, but really we should be.
One small detail about their relationship that I appreciated, was just how quiet Brooke was in the beginning, before beginning to really let Jake in and vice versa. The character development for both of us, although perhaps more significant for Jake, was really quite nice to see.

Overall, well written and very well enjoyed by this reviewer. Congratulations to Entangled and Julie Cross!

Note: I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher and author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

On Thin Ice by Julie cross
5⭐️

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for allowing me an E-Arc in NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll start off by saying I had no idea this was part of a series at first, I read it as a stand-alone... which 100% works but I am getting the first two books because I loved this novel so much.

The main characters are so beautifully different that they work so tremendously well together. I was hooked into the story from the very start and my attention was still so focused all the way to the last page!

I would highly recommend this book, but also the series to anyone who wants a quick, loving, cute, heartbreaking - but in a good way read.