I went in to this book hoping for a cute college-setting sports-romcom. All of my expectations were not only met, but exceeded.

Finally, a rom-com set in college where the characters actually feel like they’re college aged, having realistic friendships and hook ups. I felt like every character introduced I could put a face to, because they’re not only vivid but also so similar to real people I met during college.

I read a lot of sports romances, and often find they struggle to balance the romance with the sport-intensive scenes—heavily descriptive sports that don’t necessarily make sense unless you are a fan of the sport, or have done the same level of research as the author has. While I expected a little more hockey game scenes, I was pleasantly surprised with the easy to enjoy sports, while still feeling like a sports book.

I absolutely adored Anastasia’s emotional maturity, and growth not only from prior therapy but also throughout the span of the book, and the effect her (mostly) level-headed approach to situations had on her friends. Nathan was such a softy when it came to her and his teammates, and the way he was always willing to protect them over himself had my heart soaring. HENRY BELOVED I WANT TO PINCH YOUR CHEEKS !!!!

Overall, I was embarrassed to listen to the audiobook while strolling target, but I adored the characters and their story.

My feelings towards this book are complicated. Did I have good time reading it? Yes. Did I think it was entirely too long? Also yes. Will I be reading everything this author writes in this little world? 100 % yes. The thing is, this is an 400 page romance. It’s not a slow burn, either. These two are hooking up before the 20% mark. There’s just so much smut, and so many small conflicts instead of one big one, and it all takes up so much page time. The sex scenes aren’t even badly written, I just don’t need them once per chapter.

There’s things in this book that deserve extra page time. There’s an incredible supporting cast of characters. All the boys on the hockey team are sweet and funny, and I’ll read all their books. Like everyone, I loved Henry, but I do think the author was trying a little too hard to show how sweet and lovable he is. The other thing I appreciated in this was the super honest, and in my opinion, thoughtfully done disordered eating storyline. Stassie, our female protagonist has a complicated relationship with food that she works on through therapy and open communication. It’s very slay. However, almost every other issue in this book is not handled with this care. We didn’t need the villainous skating partner, the injury from being dropped, the drowning, etc. It was just too much.

Despite this, I loved this. I loved these characters and I love the relationship. There was a ton of charm. Sure the epilogue was kind of awful! But Hannah Grace won me over. I can’t wait for what’s next in this series. Also, this is not for teens and it’s a little weird I got approved for it as an educator, but oh well!

Ok, I didn't for a second believe the protagonists were college students, but honestly that didn't bother me in the least. These two were hot and sweet, and I hope this is the start of a very long series!

A fun, sexy and sweet story, I loved the main characters and their relationship. So much passion and romance that is palpable. A lovely' fun read.

I've read a lot of romance novels, but I've never read a "hockey romance," as I saw this one promoted to me by a truly incredible number of BookTokers. That's why I picked this one up, and I'm glad I did! It's long for a romance, but I enjoyed that because it includes so many little slice-of-life moments between our two main characters as they fall for each other. I loved Hannah Grace's depiction of this group of college friends as mature, thoughtful, kind and considerate to each other while also being college students who party, drink and make bad decisions -- your early 20s contain multitudes! Looking forward to reading more from Hannah Grace.

Hannah Grace's Icebreaker was a fun and flirty novel. Definitely a cozy winter read. Perfect for a holiday break curled up by the fire.

I loved this one! 5 stars! Super cute. I loved Nate - I've read many hockey romances and the dudes are always arrogant jerks. Nate is like DREAM bf material. I also love that the drama late in the book doesn't cause a break-up or separation - they just remain a strong couple throughout.

I read this after seeing it all over book socials, and I get why the internet likes it. Despite a pretty wobbly beginning (there's a weird amount of energy spent making Anastasia's friend with benefits seem like a really appealing romantic lead and then he essentially disappears for the rest of the book?) and some weird characterization, especially with a character that seems to be coded as autistic/neurodivergent, this essentially reads like fanfic--which I don't mean as an insult. There's lots of fun little episodes that let you just sort of hang out with the characters, which ultimately made the middle of the book the most fun.

This one was cute. I loved the banter between the characters and their chemistry was undeniable. I just think it was a little long and a little young for my tastes as an older woman. Haha! I can definitely see what all the hype is about though!

This book was very on trend for me as I'm currently obsessed with hockey romances. I really did enjoy this book and the characters themselves were decently developed but I feel like Hannah Grace spent alot of time highlighting other characters and this world. So as this series progresses each book is going to better than the last. IE Henry's book is going to be the best thing ever. Looking forward to more from Hannah Grace!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

Really enjoyed this sports romance! Definitely a spicy read. Perfect for fans of the off campus series by Elle Kennedy or off limits rule by Sarah Adams. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC of Icebreaker! I was not expecting Icebreaker to be this long, honestly, and I felt like it could have been much shorter and that would have made it more enjoyable. Nevertheless, I was really excited about this one because I had heard amazing things while it was circulating after being indie-published first.

Honestly, I feel like I could have liked Nate a lot more if I wasn't being hit over the head with how "written by a woman" he was. It felt like a very big nudge, one that makes you topple over with the number of times it was mentioned. We get it; he's NOT like other guys. I didn't expect this book to be terribly character-driven, but the bare minimum expectation was to be actual characters than just a bunch of quotes strewn together. And the sex scenes, which I actually did enjoy. I'm not exactly sure if I'm going to read the next book in the series. I understood this was supposed to be a "sex is good!! and empowering!!" type of book, but it just fell so flat because that's all it was, with the characters and plot sorely lacking.

I was so surprised by this book! I thought it was a bit cliche at first but you really start to care about the characters. There is so much drama in this book and it feels like a cozy whirlwind by the end.

When a prank goes wrong and puts one rink out of commission, the hockey team and figure skaters at Maple Hills College in LA need to share the remaining rink, and skater Anastasia Allen gets into a complicated relationship with hockey captain Nate Hawkins. Fremenies that become lovers, neither 21-year-old has been in a committed relationship in college, although Stas has a friend with benefits and is also in a committed professional relationship with her dysfunctional skating partner, Aaron.

When Aaron is beat up–and blames it on the hockey team–Nate takes the blame, and although at first it results in a rift with him and Stas, Nate proves himself to be a stand-up guy and eventually becomes her figure-skating partner when Aaron is put of commission a second time; throwing Stas and Nate together is the last thing Aaron wants, and his manipulation has an undesired effect for him–they pretty much move in together and their domesticity is sweetly detailed. It’s also an opportunity to address Stat’s disordered eating around her skating partner’s controlling and unhealthy diet plan for her.

Most novels don’t open with the protagonists sleeping with other people, but it serves to set a scene for how right these two are for one another. Chapters alternate point of view between Stas and Nate as Stas tries to resist Nate’s charm, but cannot. There is some drama–it’s definitely a new adult book, with bad choices and living in the moment and detailing the college scene, but it’s elevated by strongly portrayed, diverse, distinct supporting characters. The complicated relationships each has with their parents adds depth: Stas is adopted, has Olympic dreams, has been in therapy half her life, is on scholarship, and worries about her parents pinning their hopes and dreams on her; Nate doesn’t want to go into his family’s ski resort business, is in a leadership position as the captain of the hockey team, and is used to taking care of people. The characters are young and real and flawed, and they grow in their relationship in very healthy ways. The abusiveness of Stas’s partner Aaron is painted as complex, but it’s pretty obvious to the reader that his volatile personality is inappropriate for any type of relationship.

The writing is fast and emotional, the banter is fun and flirty, and the sexy scenes are athletic and spicy with a lot of dirty talk. I couldn’t quite believe or relate to 21 year olds thinking about knocking up their partner or getting married, but they come after months of dating, the protagonists question these thoughts (and how rapidly they are falling in love with one another).

Fans of Elle Kennedy will DEVOUR Icebreaker by Hannah Grace.

The writing style is so easy to read and I just found myself getting lost in it. Anastasia and Nathan were fantastic characters - they really came to life on the pages and I adored them. It was easy to connect with them and find myself caring about them.

My biggest complaint was that the frenemies theme early on seemed almost forced. The reasons Anastasia had to "dislike" Nate were really childish and honestly I couldn't understand. Also I wanted drop kick Aaron.

I definitely enjoyed this book and I 100% agree that Icebreaker deserves the hype it's getting right now in the book community. I'm looking forward to reading her next book!!

I loved these characters. I loved the banter. I loved that there was finally a romance that contained flawed people but they were also people who saw therapists, and spoke about their feelings and normalized getting help. They articulated their wants and needs. Refreshing! And it didn't detract from their overall relationship and storyline.

As an avid hockey romance lover, I thought Icebreaker was a lighthearted, fun read. It definitely had the spice I was looking for and also included some sweet, sentimental moments.
I do feel like it was a bit too long and the epilogue was a little to unrealistic for my taste.

I’m so torn about this book.
Its amazing. The characters are so funny, their interactions are genuine, and I enjoy spending time with them. If you asked me to recommend a sports romance, it would be this one.
BUT
It’s so freaking long. It meanders from scene to lovey scene and even though the characters are all awesome to spend time with there’s almost zero tension, plot, or momentum. I read very quickly and this book has been my constant companion for nearly three weeks and I’m calling it quits here at 63%. I can’t do it anymore. I’m still giving this book 4 stars because it’s probably the perfect romance for someone out there. That someone just isn’t me. I really do love the book but I’ve reached the point where I’ve gotten the cuteness of the relationship out of my system and I don’t need to see what happens next because I can guess and I’m dragging my way through this book.

If you want a slow, hilarious romp through college sports with spice then here’s the book for you. But if you need fast paced, plot driven, tension filled romance, look elsewhere.

This one was a lot of fun. Nathan is one of my new book boyfriends! Ana on the other hand was very hard to get around. There was nothing I really liked about her.

Coming from a D1 student athlete, some of this hit home, but other parts totally did not make sense.

Overall I was entertained and would recommend it.

IM OBSESSED. I had seen this book around on social media and was very excited to discover it was not only being traditionally published but had also landed here on netgalley. I understand the hype. This book was like a hug. It was so cute to read and I absolutely love Stas and Nate. I will be keeping my eyes out to see what Hannah Grace comes up with next!