This was a surprisingly great read! FYI, there is no romance involved, which I didn’t expect. However as a hockey lover, I really enjoyed the story of a female breaking into the “nhl” and the challenges she faced along the way. The author definitely knew her hockey stuff. Thank you for the arc!

¨This ARC was given to me by Ninestar Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review¨

I was blown away by how incredible good "Breaking the ice" turned out to be once I started it. I read the whole book in one sitting, I just couldn't make myself stop reading it!

From the first page I was hooked. I love how strong the main character Sophie is and her determination to achieve her goals no matter the obstacles standing in her way. She is so strong and I will live on the girlpower vibes she sends out for a long, long time.

It is a lot of hockey, but I found myself enjoying every part of it; from the practices and the games to the team itself. The banter between the teammates is hilarious and I could find myself smiling like an idiot. This brings me to the best part of the book, the relationships. This isn't a book centered on romances, but about friendships (and rivalries). The way it all builds up feels so real and beautiful, it shows how life isn't always easy but good things will still come to you in time.

I will definitely pick up Collins' next book. I mean, how can I not when her debut novel was this good? It is an easy, funny and amazing debut. I can't wait to see what she writes next and I am already desperately waiting for book two about our amazing badass hockey star Sophie.

What a great book and really hope that this is made into a series! I could not put the book down and read it late into the night, needing to know what was next for our heroine - Sophie

The story of the first woman to be drafted into the NAHL (North American Hockey League) and the trial and tribulations of the rise to success. The pressures of finding her groove, fighting the public persona's and press and just trying to prove her worth among her teammates was riveting.

I loved Sophie's perseverance, her spunk and how she kept her eye on the prize. I wanted to throat punch some of the players and how they treated her but also was happy to see those that supported her. Sophie was one tough cookie and loved taking the journey with her! No romance, just pure hockey which I loved.

An amazing book and look forward to hopefully reading more in the series.

5 stars

Calling all hockey fans, Breaking the Ice, the debut book by K.R. Collins is a wonderful read about hockey, strong female, friendships, rivalries (good and bad), and more hockey. It’s just so good! You do not know how long I’ve been waiting for a book like Breaking the Ice. As a woman, a lover of hockey and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, this book hits all the right notes.

What can I say, this story had me hooked from the start with our MC Sophie Fournier in all of her six feet, 200 pound glory about to be drafted into an all-male hockey league. From the get-go you are rooting for Sophie to get that top pick and Ms. Collins has you sitting on the edge of your seat during the draft.

While the story is very hockey-centric, which I fear may turn some people away, I thought the hockey games, the practice, team-building was written so beautifully and engaging. Even if you aren’t the hard-core hockey fan, I still recommend you pick up this book because it’s much more then about hockey. It’s about following your dreams, overcoming challenges even though it seems that the world is against you, it’s about finding your inner-strength and keeping true to yourself. It’s also about building a home and finding and building upon relationships/friendships and just ahhh! This book just hits so many high points for me I don’t even know how to write it all down.

The characters, omg the characters. Collins has a diverse cast and you will fall in love with many and you will come to hate some just as much. Sophie. My Sophie, I am so proud of her. She’s like a little baby you’re watching grow up through the story. She’s already learned so much in her time previous leagues on how to act around all the men, how to deal with the media and sometimes I forget that she’s only 18 yet she is so tough and mature.

The relationships in the story has to be one of my favourite points in the story. Sophie-Matty (the team captain), Sophie-Ivanov (the lovable rival), and Sophie-Colby (her brother), and the Liney (line mates) are all great relationships that help shape Sophie. Breaking the Ice is not much of a romance story and it suited me just fine because I found the friendships much more heart-warming. Although I do hope that Collins will be releasing a sequel because I would love to see how Sophie-Elsa plays out because I’m sensing someone has a little crush.

All in all, I have to say that this book has to be one of the best of 2019 so far and I hope Collins will continue on writing brave/strong women in the hockey world.

It is a definite must-read for hockey fans!

This book was given to me by Ninestar Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review