I was disappointed that this story did not pick up more after a strong beginning and more so the fact that it relied on a tried an tired premise of a Stalker" that breaks up the main characters.

Quick romance read, with sexy men and the spice to go along with it. Loved these two together and the sharp whit from Lily. Got me out of a bit of a reading slump and will definitely recommend to my fellow readers!

This book was not for me, I really wanted to like this book I love me a good love story but I had the hardest time just getting into the story. I felt like the constant back and forth with Lily and Dante felt more like a constant tug of war and felt more like a bunch of high school drama then two grown adults. I did however like Amy, Jessie, Savannah and Noah they are seriously some of the best hype person's Lily and Dante could have in there lives. I did like what the author did have to say about Lily's Aunt she seemed like a true pistol and would love to know more of her life story. In conclusion the story was ok kind of drags making it seem a little long. There is sexual content in this book so it may not be suitable for all.

Dante tried to fix the problem and made it worse!

Lily Eddison loves making chocolates with her business partner but they need to find a new place for their business plus a place to live and that takes money. They need an investor to help grown their company, but their best chance is hockey player Dante “Fireman” Taylor. Lily and Dante have a history, but Dante became a serial dater after their breakup when they both first got to New Jersey and that comes back to be a problem with a stalker and trying to fix it without telling Lily.

Hot on the Ice is a second chance romance but it’s a romance and the path to love is never straight or easy even when there is chocolate involved.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m a sucker for a sweet and sexy sports romance. I usually devour those up in one sitting!

Unfortunately, this wasn’t what I got when I read Hot on the Ice.

First of all, when the hero of the book is introduced with the premise of previously cheating on the heroine… nope. It’s all the nope from me, personally. Dante tries to explain himself and justify his actions, but I honestly just couldn’t forgive him, and that stuck with me throughout the entire book.

The dialogue throughout the entire book seemed way too forced. Everyone spoke in such a proper way, it never really flowed. Some of the words and sentences were just very off-putting, for example “her womb clenched” was used during a sex scene. I actually had to giggle a bit when I read that because I couldn’t take it seriously. Even the way the hockey players spoke to each other was extremely uptight - there was no foul mouthed trash talking. Obviously there doesn’t need to be excessive swearing, but these grown men sounded like children when they were interacting with each other.

As for the plot, I found it fairly dull. I had to continuously take breaks just to get through the book, and had to push myself to finish. So many times I was ready to put it down for good, but I kept hoping it would get better. Which, spoiler alert, it didn’t. A lot of the romance and relationship building was glazed over, and we didn’t get a whole lot of insight into how the relationship progressed.

I really wanted to like Hot on the Ice, it was the perfect recipe for everything that I enjoy while reading. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the author got a couple of the ingredients wrong.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to the publisher/netgalley for providing me with this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. An honest review was requested but not required.

I don’t read contemporary romance as frequently as I do other subgenres of romance, but sports romance is probably my favorite type of contemporary. I was really hoping to find another good writer for romance involving my favorite sport, (ice) hockey. I won’t judge all of Ms. Sugden’s work by this example but this particular title didn’t work for me.

This was – surprisingly to me, since it wasn’t clear from the blurb – a second-chance romance. I don’t mind those. But I DO mind romance revolving around miscommunications as a major trope; it just isn’t my scene. And I felt like this book had nothing *but* miscommunications. Dante made every communication mistake in the book, not only with Lily, but with his friends AND with his crazy stalker. Every time he had an opportunity to make a good decision or communicate, he failed to take it. It was incredibly frustrating. How could such an otherwise smart person be SUCH a colossal idiot!? Lily, on the other hand, was… boring. I felt little interest in, or connection to, her. Jessie and Savannah were both much more interesting characters.

One other thing that really struck me: imagine you’ve just had an amazing intimate experience with your (fairly new) partner. Do you say “Thank you” to him/her/them afterwards? And do they really respond with “my pleasure”? The whole interlude felt faintly transactional and stiff (no pun intended) in a way that ground the book to a screeching halt while I stared at the words and tried to imagine such an exchange ever happening organically.

The other female characters definitely have potential (except for maybe Amy, about whom we know nothing other than she likes graphic design and will cut off Dante’s bits and pieces if he hurts Lily ever again), and the author certainly seems conversant enough with hockey to make it reasonably authentic. I might try another book by the author but I hope she eases up on the dialogue and, more importantly, gives her male main character massively improved communication skills.

❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

I love Hockey Romance books. This one was just ok.
The story premise was good. The massive info on the ice lack of info with the two main characters was only fare, that resulted in a lack of chemistry

The best friend and Jessie had more going on than our main couple.
That said, I did enjoy the plot and the ideas behind it.

I’m sorry but on the whole the book was missing vital elements, passion and chemistry , Due to this I can only give 3 stars

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

Zu viel Drama für meinen Geschmack

Der Roman dreht sich um eine zweite Chance für ein ehemaliges Liebespaar. Die beiden sind definitiv nicht im Guten auseinandergegangen. Jetzt treffen sie sich auf beruflicher Ebene wieder und schnell wird klar, dass trotz ihrer unschönen Vergangenheit noch etwas zwischen ihnen ist.

Den Anfang der Geschichte fand ich unterhaltsam und ich war gespannt, wie sich diese zweite Chance entwicklen würde. Dante, der männliche Hauptcharakter, weiß, dass er in der Vergangenheit Mist gebaut und sich mies verhalten hat. Das gibt er auch ganz offen zu, ohne etwas zu beschönigen, was für mich erfrischend war. Denn zu oft gibt es in ähnlichen Bücher "Ja, aber ..." - Erklärungen, die mich kirre machen. Dante versucht sein ehemaliges Verhalten wieder gut zu machen, auch das sieht man eher selten.

Das erste Drittel der Geschichte fand ich also durchaus gut und unterhaltsam. Dann war aber recht schnell die Luft raus und ich habe mir gedacht, dass das Buch als Novella vielleicht besser für mich funktioniert hätte.

Um etwas Spannung in die Geschichte zu bringen. hat die Autorin dann eine Entwicklung eingebaut, die ich als absolut unrealistisch und nervig empfand. Dadurch war für mich die zweite Hälfte des Romans nicht mehr gut zu lesen. Der ganze Stress und das Drama waren mir zu viel.

Das führt dann auch dazu, dass mich das Buch eher enttäuscht als begeistert hat. Dafür gibt es leider nur 2,5 Sterne.

Thank you Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for the book. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is just not quite my cup of tea. For me, it's missing the charm and wits that I love and come to expect in contemporary romance. I find this one edging on the dull side of the scale. The romance between the two leads didn't give me any butterflies. It is an okay story, but there's nothing really special that got me excited and craving for more.

I loved this story and the characters, I read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down, it was simply amazing!

I received this ARC from Entangled Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This review is being given voluntarily and is full of my own personal opinions.

I will say that this book had a bit of a misleading synopsis. What I mean by this is that I did not expect this to be a second chance romance and the synopsis did not really tell us, the reader, that the characters had history together. On that note I was surprised by how much I liked this book; I like to read different reviews of a book to gauge what I will be reading and if I will like it or not. This being said, I think this was a very genuine and organic portrayal of a second chance romance where <spoiler> the hero cheats on the heroine </spoiler>. This was something that occurred in the first run of their relationship which takes place six years earlier than the events in the book. When I say that this portrayal of a second chance romance was accurate. I mean that the hero <spoiler>cheated</spoiler> around the beginning/middle of the book and usually by the end of the book he does like one or two grand gestures and all is forgiven. This usually leaves a bad taste in my mouth because I personally hate this trope and tolerate it because it does make for some good angsty books. Hot on the Ice was FULL of angst and I enjoyed it a lot, especially when we see <spoiler> how the hero redeems himself and the heroine eventually forgives him </spoiler>. I really loved the way this author let the characters find their way back to each other and how it did not happen all at once but took time and effort from both of them to make it work. I really recommend this book if you like second chance romances and will be purchasing a copy of this book.

A publication day post will be uploaded on my Instagram @/bookbaddieb on 2/22/2021
There will be other promotional posts in the interim located on my Instagram as well

I am a glutton for nicely written sport romance and I was seduced by the blurb and the cover of this book
I was deluded
Dante is a prick that never goes back and re thinks their previous break up and social humiliation
Lilly is a introverted and I quote the book”virginal look” good girl aka doormat
She should have seen him and run but she does not
The side characters like Noah and Jessie have potential
BUT
LESS DRAMA PLEASE the stalker meh
The writing is not smooth and lean but shuttering idem the dialogues
Nice try next time you will do better
Hot on the Ice by Anna Sugden. #HotontheIce #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I liked this cover so much that didn't really pay attention to the blurb when I requested this title. I've read a few hockey romances so I knew I would like that aspect of it, especially paired up with a second chance trope.

Lily and Dante were interesting characters to get to know. I liked Lily from the very beginning because she didn't allow herself to be smitten by an old flame she still had feelings for. Ultimately, she gave in, but only because Dante kind of redeemed himself (at least in her eyes, I was still skeptical!) Dante wasn't an unlikable guy, he was just a bit too cocky there in the beginning, which made it harder for me to accept his feelings were genuine towards Lily. Thankfully, by the second half of the story Dante had started making strides into nice guy territory.

Although there were quite a few candid moments, there were times where the author did more telling than showing (e.g., Christmas Day, where according to Liam they touched, held hands, snuggled close and shared an "amazing" kiss). While I don't mind this happening in a story, I don't really enjoy it happening when it interferes with me experiencing first-hand how the couple's connection and/or chemistry settles and deepens (e.g., phone and video calls where they "shared more about themselves"). To tell you the truth, I wouldn't have minded a lot more 'telling" when it came to ALL the hockey game/practice happenings. I understand this is a "hockey" romance, but I don't need a play by play of every game and/or practice. However, I do need ALL the play by play when it comes to the romance aspect of a story. What can I say, I know what I like!

With all that said, I still think this an an okay read. Maybe not necessarily the way I like the story to be told, but a good story nonetheless.

The cast of second characters were a great addition to the story, especially Jessie and Noah. There's definitely a story there. I also enjoyed the business aspect of the story and seeing a pair of female partners running their own business.

A second chance romance for Lily and Dante, if she will trust him again. Or will his obsessive fan get her way and if she can't have Dante no one can.

Anna Sudgen’s first book in the Dockers Score series, Hot on the Ice, was a fantastically fun story rife with undercurrents of tension and strife, excellent hockey game play, and of course romance met with obstacles and challenges, that when overcome left me with a warmth for the journey Dante and Lily took toward their HEA. I look forward to the next installment in the series.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

I just finished reading an advance copy (thanks NetGalley) of Hot on the Ice by Anna Sudgen. This is the first book I have read by Ms. Sudgen and I did enjoyed the book. I admit I was not a fan of Dante (H) in the beginning and apparently he was a HUGE jerk when they previously dated. He also made some really dumb decisions throughout the book and then sometimes seemed to double down on the dumb decisions. The h, Lily, was likable, but quick to pass judgement. My favorite character in the book was Lily's best friend, Amy, she is the spitfire of the book and made me laugh a few times. I really liked her and look forward to reading a book by her at some point. While well written, I did feel that the book could have picked up the pace in some parts. I tend to be a reader that really can't put a book down, but I was able to do so a couple of times with this one-so that is the reason it is a 4 star and not a 5. It is an enjoyable read, but not the best hockey romance I've ever read.

Okay, so this is a dnf at the 20% mark. I just read a really good second chance romance and this one is very weak in comparison. But even if i wasn't comparing it to something I still have issues with it. First of all, I really don't like the guy, Dante. Here's a thing, I like redemption story arcs and second chance romances, I like those tropes a lot. But the them to work the person who messed up needs to feel sorry, they need to realize their mistakes and become better. I am 20% in and Dante is still a jerk. Years ago he decided to not only cheat, but to use another girl to publicly humiliate Lily and break her heart. To recover from something like that he needed to become a way better person, which he hasn't managed to do. So instead of rooting for this relationship I just want Lily to get far away from him as possible. And secondly, I didn't vibe with the writing style, the dialogue felt stiff and unnatural. So, unfortunately, this wasn't for me.
Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay. It wasn’t bad by any means but it wasn’t anything great. It took me awhile to get through because I couldn’t make myself care about the characters. Maybe I’ve just read too many similar romances lately. Even though I didn’t really enjoy this, I know someone else will

I am a suck for a sports romance. Hockey, Baseball, Football you name it! I'm not gonna lie I judged the cover a little bit. I thought it might be a little trashy, but I actually really enjoyed this book! It's a classic ex's turned re-lovers with some time between. Lilly is a chocolatier who gets reunited with Dante and a hockey convention and their spark is rekindled. Things are going great until a stalker fan of Dante's takes serious threats causing Dante to cut things off from Lilly completely. Everyone is in distress yet the hockey team and their mutual friends come together to put the pieces back together.

It's a little predictable, a little cheesy in some parts, but sometimes thats a good thing! The characters go through struggles and are completely relatable and the romance is swoon worthy. I definitely recommend!

Dante and Lily have a history. Before their unexpected meeting at a fan festival for the Newark Dockers, Dante had dumped Lily unexpectedly five years previous after sleeping with her the night before. When Lily sees him again, she is not impressed. She remembers immediately all the heartache it took her years to get past.

This is not your typical hockey romance. These characters jump off the page and have genuine emotions. Dante is introspective and understands exactly why he acts the way he does. Lily is smart in most situations and understanding of people's limitations. It is refreshing in a sports romance to see actual flaws and hot to get past them.

While I enjoyed this book, I also wished there was more background on the other characters, such as Amy, whose only purpose in the book is to support Lily. As a reader, I thought there were much better ways to deal with the stalker situation, which is prominent in the book..Sometimes, when there are superb characters in a novel, there is no need to bring out additional drama.