A wonderful story with an unforgettable hero carrying the devastating baggage of grief, and a heroine with her own scars, “Hearts on Thin Ice”, by Katie Kennedy, is full of sadness, hope and the promise of new beginnings.
Nick is such a memorable and lovable male character! He’s sweet, a bit shy, laconic, honest. Horribly wounded by a recent tragic event, still going stoically through the grief process, showing strength and vulnerability.
I loved the sensitive approach to the tragedy, how ever so slowly the author revealed how things happened and what Nick went through, as well as the deep bonds between Nick and his former mates, especially Sammy, showing how some part of the hero’s self disappeared too.
Alyssa is also a great heroine. I felt the struggles and frustration she has to face in his job are realistic. Her past is hard and the way she and her family reacted seems plausible.
Some parts of the story are really sad and emotional, but feel already as a path to redemption. Other moments or scenes are simply powerful in its devastating content.
I loved the descriptions of the games, the love for hockey and ice skating, and the beauty of it all.
Nick’s team is a group a great people and I really liked how they supported him.
In general I also liked the secondary characters.
I liked the decoration part but sometimes felt it was a bit too much.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press and to the author Katie Kennedy, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a super sweet unique book. I really recommend it if you enjoy sports romance. I’m not gonna lie the sports romance I have read so far really haven’t been my thing but this book was. I give it a solid four stars. It only got points off for the miscommunication between the couple and some slow parts of the book. I will be purchasing the physical copy when it comes out in June 2024.

Nick is a pro hockey player and Alyssa is an interior designer. Nick is recovering from a plane crash that killed his best friends/teammates and left him the only survivor. He is ready to get back on the ice physically but his coach doesn’t think he is mentally. The coach makes him see a therapist and expects him to decorate his newly bought apartment. He hires Alyssa to decorate his apartment for him after meeting her at a team mates house. They bum heads a couple of times and are navigating their own personal problems as well. They learn to come together as a team and fall for each other though.

Things I liked:
Alyssa being an interior designer and the interior design aspects
The Scooby Doo references
Nick working through his PTSD
Chapter 25
Nick VS Stacey was amazing
Nick and Alyssa’s chemistry
How Alyssa and Nick became friends then lovers

ALL OF THIS WAS FREAKING WONDERFUL. I cried, I laughed, I loved. I wish it went deeper into his PTSD but I’m also kind of glad it didn’t. The journey to healing was just heartwarming, and heart wrenching at the same time. I wish there was more to it though, I would read another book for several about Nick and Alyssa.

Hearts on Thin Ice was one of the best sporty romances I have ever read. It had a good story line and it was easy to follow. I thought that the flow of everything was just right, it was a fast read for sure. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes reading Hockey Romances.

I liked the mix that this book had between funny moments, steamy moments, and serious moments, It’s refreshing to read a book that addresses grief in such an understandable way. I really felt for the characters the whole time, but the 3rd act breakup and the ending sadly weren’t what I expected! Still really liked it though so you should read it!

I really enjoyed this book!!!!

The characters were easy to love and nicely developed. There is series potential with the lovable friends and players that support the MCs throughout the book. The steamy scenes were short, but they got the point across! The storyline flowed nicely with a cute HFN ending. (I could see the complete HEA in an epilogue being added by the author when published.)

Overall, I loved this book and will look for more by Katie Kennedy in the future!

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for allowing me to read and review this book.

Blurb:

A pro hockey player falls for an interior designer in this charming debut sports romance.

For fans of Icebreaker and Set On You, this flirty workplace rom-com explores mental health, belonging, and finding your way in the world.

Nick Sorensen had once been one of the fastest men in hockey—until the devastating plane crash that took the lives of his best friends, leaving him the only survivor. Now he’s physically ready to get back on the ice, but his coach is concerned Nick isn’t doing as well, mentally, as he says he is. Case in point: Nick’s apartment is completely empty, apart from a single chair and a mattress on the floor.

To prove he’s fine, really, Nick hires Alyssa Compton, an up-and-coming interior designer, to decorate his space. Alyssa’s thrilled at the chance to prove herself to her demanding boss—with job security at last, maybe she can finally put down roots and create a home for herself too. But Nick turns out to be infuriatingly stubborn and impossible to work with, and just when Alyssa decides to throw in the towel on the whole thing, Nick shows up for her in a way she never could have expected.  

The icy path ahead of these two lost souls may be slippery and cracking, but when it comes to love, sometimes all you need is someone on your team.

Plot:

As far as romcoms go, I wouldn't name this as one of my favorites. Or even something close to one.

The plot felt....like The Tempest by Shakespeare( if you're an ISC class 12th students, you will relate to my pain). Stuff happened because well stuff happened. There is a certain flow I look for in books, something which this lacked. There were elements to the story that felt jarring and unnecesary.

Characters:
Nick makes for a very predictable character near the beginning. A handsome, mysterious protagonist. But, his arc lacks the depth that was required if we keep in my mind the trauma he went through. There were scenes in which he attempted to handle grief that felt..fake and lacked the sensitivity that is needed when handling such grave topics. It almost felt pretentious.

Alyssa was well, annoying. I don't know what is going on in her head. Her flaws feel intentional. I don't exactly know how to explain it. Well you know how people make mistakes because they didn't think it through or perhaps were misguided? Well, Alyssa makes 'mistakes' as she puts it across because she just had to, because it was essential to the storyline. And that just did not sit well with me.

Writing Style:
Well, this was the saving grace of this book. Looking the past the obviously derailed plotline and pretentious characters, the writing style was cute and fuzzy, something a romantic book requires. I like the hockey game analysis provided in the middle of the scenes as well but I would have loved it if there were more scenes like that since it is a sports romance.

Rating:

I am sorry but I would not rate it to high. This gets 2.5/5 stars.

My heart is also on thin ice after reading this. Screaming, crying, throwing up! Katie Kennedy, you crushed it!

I love a good hockey romance, but I struggled with this book. Nick is a great character, and Katie Kennedy did a great job writing/explaining the trauma and grief he was going through. However, I really struggled with Alyssa, and also her boss. I didn't end up finishing the book but I may in the future.

First of all, Hockey Romance? Hell yes! I love the cover and insantly knew I had to read this book, And I have to say it didn't disappoint! The beginning was a bit dramatic for my cup of tea but I'm used to it from all the other romance books as well, so I don't really mind that. The story itself was great and enjoyable to read.

This book was a great surprise! I’ve never read a sports romance before but this story has turned me into a fan of the genre. I would describe the pace of the book as medium to fast, the characters are so likable and the cute dialogues kept me giggling. In conclusion, I laughed, I cried and overall had a great time even though at some point I wished there had been a more complex conflict.

This is a five-star read that would break the ice on the coldest of hearts. I really liked the way that Alyssa doesn’t gloss over Nicks grief, she was hiding her own history, so that may be it, but then they both open up and it makes such a great and powerful read. Its not your typical sports romance, as it deals with some heavy deep subjects, but the author does that so well, and I will admit that final five, had me in buckets when they all piled in, when you get to the spot you will know what I’m talking about, it was a great way to wrap the story up, it was one of those ends that will stay with you. This is a great story and yes it has deep subjects, but they dare done well, and the romance blossoms and keep you upbeat. Don’t miss this great story, I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Nick just survived a plane crash that killed his friends and then he meets Alyssa during this very challenging time. Alyssa has been dealing with past trauma from her childhood. This book was very entertaining and I thought the main characters had great chemistry. I only gave this 3 stars because I thought the ending was a little rushed but besides that I really enjoyed this.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the arc of this book.

Truthfully, I went into this with low (and I mean really low) expectations, not because of this author specifically, but because of the dire state the hockey romance genre is in but I actually enjoyed this sorry. The first thing I liked was that it was written in the third person; I felt it allowed a gateway to understand Nick’s emotions even better that it would in first person. The second thing I enjoyed was how fleshed out Nick’s personality was and the pace his relationship with Alyssa progressed in. I also like that Alyssa could confide in Nick straight away. I’m not sure if this a stand-alone novel but I was intrigued by Nick’s teammates so maybe they would be an idea for another story / stories for the author.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC.

DNF

The romantic comedy Hearts on Thin Ice, written by Katie Kennedy, centers on hockey captain Nick Sorensen and interior designer Alyssa Compton.

I had high expectations for this book based on its cover and the tropes, but the only thing that made it worthwhile to read was the adorable cover.

I read far more than I ought to have, but only because I thought things might improve, which they didn't. There was far too much information provided, and Nick and Alyssa had no chemistry at all.

Overall, though it’s good that the author talked topics like trauma and anger, the book was mostly focused on these topics and offered very nothing else.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and to the author, Katie Kennedy, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*

Thank you Netgalley, publisher & Author for this ARC. Opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️

I really enjoyed this book! It follows Nick, a hockey player, who experiences a tragedy & loses a ton (injury, friends & his original hockey team). It also follows Alyssa, who is an interior designer. This book has some focus on tragedy but not being the main focus. It shows PTSD & healing.

The romance/banter was perfect. I was laughing at their interaction throughout this book. I disliked their miscommunication in some parts. I just didn’t understand the long time frame of not talking to one another.

Overall, this was a cute hockey romance. I would say this doesn’t have much hockey action in it besides describing the MMC’s career and “family.” This book goes into a lot more detail about arts, decorating and design. So in case, you’re looking for the hockey action.

Overall, if you like friends to lovers vibes with some background of hockey & interior designs/arts; you’ll enjoy this read.

I requested this book mostly because I love Hockey Romances and I am surprised to say I found this story surprisingly deep.

The characters are well-written, each with their own issues that make them easy to connect with. The main character's journey is quite deep, dealing with grief and finding comfort in unexpected places. I found this difficult because I still find this triggering having lost both of my parents, so check your TW for this before reading, I almost stopped because of this.

But sadly what made me stop was the miscommunication with the characters and all the mistakes they made, I know this is just a story but I thought it was too much, and I really don't enjoy that in a story.

I loved this one! I was looking for a good hickey romance to acquire and this definitely fit the bill. I love how our protagonist helps our love interest overcome tragedy in his life by helping his design his apartment. It took a little bit to get into but once I was deep in the story I began enjoying it more and more. This would make a sweet movie and I hope to read more from this author in the future.

Totally fell in love with this story! A new to me author and I will definitely be reading more of her books! You will fall in love with Nick and Alyssa, I sure did! 5 hot hockey stars for this one!
Nick was the lone survivor of a plane crash that killed his best friends. His hockey team gave up on him, and a new team picked him up. His coach feels he needs to make his apartment more of a home since his place is barely furnished. When he meets Alyssa at a teammates home and finds out she's an interior designer, he hires her to help him with his apartment, and from there their story begins!
I hate to give to much away in my reviews, but this story has it all! Nick is suffering, and Alyssa is just the person to help him move on, but will he allow himself to be happy? You need to read this story to find out! I can't wait to read more by this author!

Notes for Publisher: honestly I loved this universe. The writing was succinct and descriptive without being flowery. I loved the characters and the characterisation. Would have loved an epilogue or something to cinch it together instead of a fade to black moment at an emotional climax.

Wowee. Read this in a day.

The good:
- The banter, the relationship between the MC and MMC
- The focus on grief and PTSD without it becoming the main plotline
- The characters were fleshed out and you could understand their motivations
- The "plot" 👀

The less good:
- I felt like the book ended very abruptly, like there was a chapter or an epilogue missing. The latter fifth felt rushed
- I struggled to follow why Alyssa <spoilers>rejected Nick three times</spoiler>. I understood the first two but didn't follow the third. See above point

Other than that, a great read! Like an adult version of <I>Collide</>. 4.5 stars ✨

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC!

----

Okay I'm only 56 pages in but I'm loving it so far! Maybe it's because I've been reading a lot of YA / college set novels but I'm enjoying the fact that the characters are whole ass people with likes and interests and <i>personality</i> beyond the fact that they're falling in love with xyz. It's nice to not have them reduced to their love interest.