I’ve been on a roll with sport romance lately, so when I saw The Cutting Edge was available on NetGalley, I thought why not? After all, a hockey player and a figure skater always seems like a great mix. Yet, I really struggled through this book. Yet, it was just not for me.

I guess it just didn’t really fell like much was happening in this book. They suddenly were so into each other that they were willing to do some pretty stupid stuff for each other. Her presence affected his playing right away? It just felt cliché and superficial, and to be real, a little cringe for me. It just didn’t really impress me, and I almost gave up on the book so many times. And there was no spice to make up for the story.

So yeah, that one wasn’t for me. I just didn’t find it to be what I wanted.

This book started off strong with the slightly gruesome meet-cute taking place within the first few pages, but then the pacing of the book took a turn for the worse. It slowed down considerably with more than half the book taking place in a hospital room, which was just unnecessary. I actually had to go back to read the synopsis because I thought I was reading the wrong book. It felt as if the book could’ve been cut to the last 30% of pages and call it finished.

I, personally, am not a fan of the insta-love trope, but I felt the author could’ve built the relationship better if she had sped up the hospital portion of the book. It felt very materialistic at times due to a fixation on the male main character’s hockey salary and his propensity to spoil the FMC with lavish gifts as a way to woo her.

I very much loved Poppy as a supporting character and was sad that she was missing for a large chunk of the book. The author could’ve utilized the bond between Poppy and Coco to cement Logan’s feelings for Coco.

I feel like this had such an opportunity to be great, but just missed the mark. Entirely too much of the book takes place in the hospital. It kinda put a damper on everything. They barely knew each other and somehow built this amazing chemistry in a hospital room? It was so slow too.

Not at all a fan of miscommunication. It wasn't necessary. Honestly, the only thing I truly loved in this book was Poppy.

*thank you to NetGalley for access to this ARC*

Things I Liked:

-The banter between Coco and Logan: The author’s ability to write banter between them shows a lot and it was enjoyable to read. I could feel the sense of chemistry and bonding and how they related to one another in many ways. Personally, their conversations in the hospital were some of my favorite scenes of the book.

-The tale of two outcomes with Coco and Logan’s careers as professional athletes: I found it interesting to see the way the author placed one successful character with someone who is still finding her way towards success. I think many sports romances always focus on athletes beginning their careers or seasoned famous professionals, but it is nice to also see the tales of someone who has all the talent to succeed but things like money are factored in.

-Logan and Poppy’s relationship: I found their interactions also quite adorable, seeing how much of a devoted father Logan is despite his busy and often stressful career. I also thought the portrayal of Poppy felt mostly accurate to how a child would sound, with the excitement and wonder that comes with being a child.

Things I Didn’t Like As Much:

-The insta-love and fast pace of the romance: I am a huge fan of the “he falls first” trope but in this case, his feelings maybe just came on a bit too strong too early. I definitely enjoyed their banter but it would have been nice to see it really progress forward before becoming a deeper relationship just so that the reader could really see that progression in their relationship.

-The many undertackled elements of each main characters’ backstories: There are so many little things mentioned in passing that seemed to be such important elements to each of their characters and it is a shame it is not talked about further. It would have been interesting to delve into Coco’s past relationships or even Logan’s history as not only a way to better build out their characters, but as a way to also show the reader more about them

-The drama that was over before it was really ever there: I don’t mind lighter hearted romances and I personally liked the kind of way the novel strayed from the most typical issues that come with a sports romance, but when it came to the main crux of issues, they almost fizzled out before anything could happen which felt like a missed opportunity. I personally wished these conflicts were just fleshed out a bit more, only so that when they do get back together, there is a bigger sense of relief and happiness to it.

Overall, the story truly was cute and delivers what it intends, a romantic comedy that will make you smile. I do think my main gripes would really be there could be so much more to the story if there was just more written. The author has set up these really cool characters and there could have been even more to them if just given more room to be talked about.

Cute hockey romance.

Single dad Logan accidentally knocks out his daughters ice skating coach - who also happens to be an well know Olympic ice skater.

The premise is cute , insta love from Logan and Coco isn’t far behind. The book has so much potential but fell a little short for me.

I felt like the story was Quite slow paced for a large portion of the book when she was in the hospital and then rushed through other parts which could have been developed more like when we met Cocos abusive ex partner and Logan protects her .

No real Spice to speak off it’s more fade the black which is fine and I only mention it as a lot people often want to know how spicy books are .

I did get this book as an unedited version from NetGalley so there were lots of mistake through the book but I’m hopeful they were picked up during editing.

I really enjoyed this book. I love a hockey romance, like many on booktok right now.

Being hit I the head with a hockey puck was definitely a new premise for me in a romance novel. I loved Coco's care for Mrs. Markham in the beginning, but then she's really not followed up with all that much. Also, she becomes Mrs. Markle in Chapter 40?

The third act disagreement wasn't my favorite and seemed a bit weak. I know it's just fiction, but the Olympics storyline for Coco at the end does seem to gloss over the work that goes into being a professional athlete. Also do athletes have Patreon or should it have been a go fund me?

The chemistry of the two MCs was the best part of this book. I'm in for any type of lighthearted heartwarming romance.

Overall, I had a fun time reading and look forward to Cam & Lana's story.

I am a hockey romance girl so I wanted to love this book so much. It is not a super long book but it just felt like it dragged and it was so hard to keep interested in it. The premise of the story is great but the execution was not so great. I feel like the majority of the story took part while the FMC was in the hospital from the accident and it just didn’t lead to much development in my opinion. I ended up DNFing the book about 45% of the way through for two reasons: one I could not stay interested in it and two if really needs some more editing work because there are parts that are missing words or repeated and it made the book a lot less enjoyable

Logan Rivers, a professional hockey player for the St. Pete Slashers, is facing a performance slump. To help him, Olympic figure skater Coco strikes a deal with an assistant coach to act as Logan's lucky charm in exchange for covering her training expenses. This plan seems to work well, with Coco clearing off her debt and the Slashers gaining a winning streak. However, Coco has been deceitful about her intentions and is unsure about confessing to Logan. She plans to keep her secret hidden until the playoffs end.

Review:
I just couldn't stop reading this book! I was really cheering on Logan and Coco - they just clicked so seamlessly. They're perfectly suited!
I absolutely adore Poppy! She's truly mature beyond her years and her sense of humor is just wonderful. I have a special affection for the father-daughter bond she shares with Logan. It's heartwarming and precious.
Ice hockey might not be very popular in the UK, but wow, I was totally captivated by Logan's game! It's such an intriguing story that I am dying to delve deeper into. I'm totally hooked! I am now craving for more ice hockey and figure skating experiences. And I absolutely must find out what's in store for Cam and Lana. Eagerly awaiting the second book.

Overall, this was a cute and quick read.
I received a copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I'm going to be completely honest and is that this book has been quite interminable. It's only 200 pages, but it was practically a world away. And I don't really feel like it's something about the story itself because I do think it's written in a fairly enjoyable way, but I didn't really end up connecting with the story as much as I would have liked, and I think that's on me.

First, it doesn't say so in the synopsis, so I didn't know that I was going to find a single father trope. Just because it implies that we have a quasi-main character who is a child. Maybe this makes me look bad, but I don't like it when I feel that the child gets all the attention because I'm here for the romance. So here I feel like the little girl gets a lot of attention (also not like other books where only the little boy gets the attention). But I do feel like it doesn't end up being exactly what I need to get hooked on a book.

Secondly, I think it all unfolds too quickly. When you have only 200 pages to develop a romance, it falls too easily into instalove, and I personally don't like that. Here it had been like 2 weeks, and it was already all wonderful, “were so in love” kinda way and honestly, that doesn't go with me and that's why I don't think I can really enjoy the story.

I would have loved to love the characters and enjoy them, but I feel like the book just wasn't for me. It has elements that made me not connect with the story and when that happens, the reading becomes very heavy even when the book is very short, and it’s written in an easy way.

REVIEW
cw: mention of death, anxiety
When single father and NHL star Logan Rivers accidentally concusses Coco Charmont, his daughters' ice skating coach, he's mortified. But as he gets to know her better, he realises she's not only the woman he wants but also his good luck charm.
I've read another of Lisa Daily's books and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I was excited to read a hockey/figure skating romance by her. I'm not sure what happened here, but the blurbs on Goodreads (which had a completely different female lead's name) and NetGalley didn't really represent the storyline here until around the 60% mark. It's only then that the lucky charm element really comes into play. Before that, the entire story takes place in the hospital after the first chapter. I do wish we'd had more figure skating content. As it was, Coco was in the hospital for almost 70% of the story, so the bit we did get felt shoehorned in and over-simplistic. That said, generally I enjoyed the story, and the idea was good because hockey players ARE super superstitious. I liked Logan and Coco's chemistry throughout, and Poppy was adorable on the few occasions she was around. Logan was also a sweetheart, and I liked that Daily addressed the financial burden that a lot of Olympic-level athletes face. I also enjoyed the amount of in-play hockey content, BUT there are some inconsistencies... At the start of the book, Coco says she doesn't know what Poppy's father does and didn't even know he worked at the same facility as her, but then a couple of pages later she suddenly knows he's a superstar NHL player. I also couldn't work out how the accident happened. There's plexiglass and netting around the goals, which is where I'd assume a pro hockey player would be aiming a slapshot, not at a door. Also, NO-ONE in the NHL would be allowed to sit on the bench during any game (let alone one that decides post-season) with their mobile phone, repeatedly texting, least of all the superstar captain! I didn't understand the point of the 3rd act breakup, or the random ex that hadn't been mentioned at all previously, other than to add drama, so I'm going to pretend those didn't happen. I was intrigued by Lana and Cam, and liked the idea of their story, although it felt shoehorned in at the end (there could have been a couple of scenes between them to add authenticity earlier in the story).

Overall though it was a cute romance, if uneven at times in plot structure.

Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️
Heat Rating: 🔥.5
Emotional Rating: 💓😂🙈🙄😬🤔🤷🏻‍♀️🥰😍🤷🏻‍♀️😬🤔😉😒💓🥰

*Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to leave an honest review. The Cutting Edge is out now in the UK*

p.s. Notes for editing: It's Tonya Harding, not Tanya. It's Gretzky not Gretsky.

First of all, I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion and I’m thankful for the opportunity, but unfortunately this book was not for me. 😔

I have been obsessing with hockey romance for a while now, so I really wanted to love this book. When I read hockey romance/single dad trope, I was super excited. The fact that it had the word steamy on the title made it even more appealing. 🔥

The premise sounded intriguing: a figure skating teacher gets accidentally hit by a puck by none other than a famous hockey player who ends up being the single dad of her student. So there was an instant attraction and I was here for it, but it didn’t do it for me. 😕

I reached 47% and I felt like they overextended the hospital thing. I get that it was part of the story on how she got hit by a puck, but I think that was already too much. And if you are selling me a book with the word steamy on the title and I have reached that percentage with nothing but a kiss… you get my point. And don’t get me wrong, I love slow burns and even enjoy books without spice, but I wanted to make a point on how the title is really telling there will be smut. 🙈

I think the story could have flowed faster in the events that occurred in the hospital and moved to a home recovery or something similar. Maybe then I would have been more invested in the characters and their relationship. But for some reason, this book didn’t do it for me and I’m sorry. 😢

I ended up DNF it at 40-something percent 🙈

Like always, just because I don’t like it, it doesn’t mean you won’t. Maybe you will enjoy it more than I did and find something that I missed. So give it a try if you are interested in this trope and let me know what you think. 😊

Thank you Netgalley, Siesta Key House, and Lisa Daily for the review copy.
Very enjoyable read. I loved the way the author built each character, well this us a hospital romance as more than 70% of things happen in the hospital.
Good one.
💥💥💥 3/5

Summary:
Logan Rivers, a professional hockey player for the St. Pete Slashers, is facing a performance slump. To help him, Olympic figure skater Coco strikes a deal with an assistant coach to act as Logan's lucky charm in exchange for covering her training expenses. This plan seems to work well, with Coco clearing off her debt and the Slashers gaining a winning streak. However, Coco has been deceitful about her intentions and is unsure about confessing to Logan. She plans to keep her secret hidden until the playoffs end.

Review:
I just couldn't stop reading this book! I was really cheering on Logan and Coco - they just clicked so seamlessly. They're perfectly suited!
I absolutely adore Poppy! She's truly mature beyond her years and her sense of humor is just wonderful. I have a special affection for the father-daughter bond she shares with Logan. It's heartwarming and precious.
Ice hockey might not be very popular in the UK, but wow, I was totally captivated by Logan's game! It's such an intriguing story that I am dying to delve deeper into. I'm totally hooked! I am now craving for more ice hockey and figure skating experiences. And I absolutely must find out what's in store for Cam and Lana. Eagerly awaiting the second book.

Thank you Lisa daily and netgalley for this ARC

When Logan, a NHL superstar, fails to pick up his daughter Poppy from figure skating practice her coach and Olympic skater Coco decide to go find him. Walking into a closed practice Coco gets hit in the head with a puck, waking in the hospital Logan and Coco begin to form a bond. Which soon develops into a romance.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. It was very fast paced I flew through it. But it felt very repetitive and there were so many cringy parts that I was getting second hand embarrassment. Poppy was by far the best character, and Logan was pretty sweet. I didn't like Coco as a character she was too moany for me.

If you really like hockey romance you might like this.

The Cutting Edge by Lisa Daily
I loved this story.

Things I am here for:
Women in sports! HECK YEAH! Coco is an Olympic figure skater. This story shows how hard it is for Coco to train at the Olympic level and make ends meet, vs. how easy it is for Logan to do everything because of the money from his NHL contract. Women in sports need pay equity and equality for everything!
Logan is a stud! And he is so nice and sweet and caring. One of my favorite male main characters in a while.
Concussions are NO JOKE! This story shows some of the reality behind a serious concussion. Your brain is important!
I loved how Coco and Logan banter together, they take no prisoners.
Poppy is absolutely adorable!
Document false! Is this a real show? I must find out.
I want Marissa's story!
I want those flamingo slippers. Where can I get a pair? 🦩

I read this as an ARC from NetGalley, and it's possible that the language has changed in the final version, but this paragraph is soooo good.

"At some point in every relationship I've ever had comes the granddaddy of all arguments: “skating or me.” And every time, I choose skating. Every time. What's more, is that I know I will continue to make that choice, over and over again, for as long as I'm able to skate and have a viable shot at winning a gold medal. It’s who I am. I don’t want to spend my life apologizing for single-mindedly pursuing my ambitions. Male athletes are revered for that. Why not women?"

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I thought the book was an interesting and light read and cute, it's a single dad who plays pro hockey. He also happens to fall for his daughter's coach I don't want to stay too long but if you're looking for a light fun read this is the book for you

This was such a cute and fun read, that I finished the book in one day. It has dual POV (which I always love), has a single dad who falls first and hard for her daughter's coach, and has some spice (2/5🌶).

I loved the interactions between the characters, though, I wish we could have seen more of Poppy and how she made some decisions for Logan and how she felt about the relationship.

Overall, the plot was really good, and it's a light-hearted story that you can read in one sitting.

🏒The Cutting Edge By: Lisa Daily Review ( Received a LATE ARC from NETGALLEY) ⛸️

Synopsis:

Logan Rivers is a star pro hockey player for the St. Pete Slashers -- and he's in a slump.

He hasn’t scored in 3 games and it’s starting to freak him out. Enter Coco, who strikes a deal with an assistant coach to be Logan's lucky charm to pay off her training expenses as an Olympic figure skater. Everything is looking up for both of them.

She’s almost got her debt paid off and the Slashers are on a winning streak. There's only one problem: she doesn’t know how to tell Logan she’s been lying to him the whole time.

If she can just keep her secret until the playoffs are over…
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I enjoyed this book until the last page 📖. It was swoony , fun , comedic , raw in the best way , and everything else in between 🙌🏻. Miss Poppy stole the show for me🎀🥹. It’s always the single dads with the daughters that get me EVERYTIME literally. 🫠It was the cutest and I loved the pace of the book . I just didn’t enjoy the repetitive parts .. 🫤some of it was the same paragraph written over and the names were different every chapter for outside characters. Im really not knocking it at all , perhaps it’s just due to it being an ARC or the file. 🫶Regardless, I’m glad I recieved it! ❤️It was so cute. Im excited for Cam and Lana!! GO Slashers !! ☄️🍀
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Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice : 🌶️/5
Tropes : Freak Accident/ Single dad : Ice skating teacher / Figure skater : Hockey Player / Acquaintances to Friends to Lovers ( kinda insta ) 💕

Thanks @netgalley & @authorbythesea for the Late ARC. ☺️

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Thank you NetGalley and Siesta Key Publishing for the free copy. I enjoyed reading this book. I give it a 3/5 stars. It was a pretty predictable plot line but it was still really cute. It was perfect as an easy read for an afternoon by the pool!

Thanks to the author Lisa Daily and Netgalley i got an eARC in exchange of an honest review.

First of all, i like Logan… you can tell he really is a genuine guy and wants to be kind to Coco and make up for his mistake. He fall first & hard.

I liked the story overall. It was a bit predictable but funny. I also really liked the roommate/boss Marissa.

For me it’s a 3.5/5 ♥️