I was really surprised by how refreshing this book was. There were some moments of bullying, anxiety and heartache but through all of that there was a beautiful foundation of friendship and family and love. There was so much support for Charlie throughout this entire book even while everyone was worried for her or not entirely sure what she was doing was the best thing for her they were calm and they showed up for her the entire way.

When Charlie wasn't there for her loved ones the way she should've been they weren't afraid to tell her and she was quick to be thankful for those comments and the opportunity they gave for her to be a better friend instead of getting defensive. Of course, no one is perfect and Charlie definitely had her moments where she wasn't doing the best for her or for the people she cares for but I think it's safe to say she made up for all of it by the end.

Overall, I think this is an absolutely wonderful YA novel and I hope a lot of people get the opportunity to read it and that they get as much joy out of it as I did.

P.s. I love Charlie and Alexa (and all of their wonderful friends) so much and I miss them already. I genuinely can't wait until the day I can reread this and see them and this wonderful story again.

I'm guessing that the target audience is probably not familiar with the 1992 movie The Cutting Edge, however if they are they are definitely going to want to read this! (I had a roommate who was obsessed with it back in the day and ended up watching parts of it more times than I can count.) The hockey player turned figure skater trope is so well done here and I particularly love how Charlie (short for Charlotte) gives her all on both rinks. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and teammates. This book has a great combination of action packed sports sequences and sweet romance. It might be best to have some hot chocolate handy -- they drink a lot of it! Highly recommended for grades 8 & up.

Firstly, thank you so much to the publisher and the author for giving me the arc! I'd been waiting for this book since I saw the cover a few months ago so I am really grateful!

I really loved this book, it was the perfect read for me at this time. I loved the writing, it was very nostalgic to me for some reason. Very wholesome. I loved the characters, especially the main character. Now, were they cringe? Sure, but I loved it, it's the special kind of cringe you can only be when you're 16, you know what I mean? I loved their interactions, it made me miss experiences I've never even had. I really liked Charlie and Alexa, they're cute!

Only a couple complaints, I didn't like how the characters of bullies were written, I felt they were kind of silly and cartoonishly mean. I mean I suppose that may be on par with teenage boy behavior, but I personally cringed so much every time they spoke. I also didn't like the conflict between Alexa and Charlie in the beginning (I don't think I can say much without spoilers), but it wasn't them being at conflict that was the problem, it was the conflict itself.

All in all, read this practically in one sitting, I really enjoyed reading it!

This was impossibly cute! It's like the YA version of Cleat Cute except hockey and skating instead of soccer. I loved that Charlie was more masculine presenting which is something we rarely see in YA sapphic stories. I also loved that she was also ambitious and driven character which makes for a great enemies to lovers romance. I haven't read many sports romances but this was the perfect introduction for me and I'm hooked! Overall, I definitely recommend this sweet sporty romance!

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for a review!

4.5 stars!

I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I adored and devoured this book! It is such a gem and I’m so glad to have found a hockey book that’s sapphic in comparison to what the vast majority of this niche comprises of.

I adored Charlie and felt for her so much throughout this book, and saw a lot of my teenage self in her torn between wanting to do what she can to help others however she can at odds with her impulsive selfishness. She is not always likeable but she is always loveable! Slowly throughout the book we get to see her grow and change in such a gratifying way I found myself feeling so proud of her :’-).

Alexa was a great counterpart of Charlie being able to go toe-to-toe with her snark and also be integral to Charlie’s growth, while Charlie also helped Alexa grow in turn! I do wish we could’ve seen a bit more of her honestly. We get glimpses of her changes throughout (which makes sense they are only glimpses as we are firmly in Charlie’s POV for the whole book), I just wish that maybe some more conversations between her and Charlie could have happened to really emphasize these moments (for sake of spoilers I’m remaining nonspecific, but <spoiler> what comes to mind is her slowly coming to embrace her more nerdy interests after her breakup, along with getting to embrace friendship with other girls which she was previously discouraged to do. Same with her identity/sapphic-ness. We learn Charlie is the first girl she’s ever been with, but it’s not really touched on much beyond that. I just think there were some interesting conversations we could have seen her and Charlie have! </spoiler> ).

I also thought the side characters were excellent. Charlie’s dad and brother were both amazing support for her throughout the book, and Alexa’s mom was a great stern coach figure but also loved her softer moments. The friends of our characters were also great and wonderful and weren’t afraid to also be clear when they felt hurt by something that was going on which was very refreshing to read (it’s not often to read teenagers with relatively good communication skills).

Overall though, despite some minor issues with the writing (some major events or conversations happening off-page with us just being told they happened, a bit of a pet peeve of mine) I love this book so much. This one’s for all those Ice Princess and Go Figure lovers out there!

I definitely enjoyed this read. it would’ve been a hand to hold when i was a preteen/teenager struggling with valuing myself as a bisexual teen. the plot line/ the characters/ and the love story are definitely for a younger reader. but that does not mean anyone cant read this book. Especially with the lack of lgbtq+ books *lets highlight wlw books* on the market. A big thank you to the publisher and Corson, for allowing me to arc read your book. this will help some queer kids feel seen. 4/5 stars

What a sweet and cute love story. I'm a big lover of hockey romances, and this one definitely keeps me loving the genre. I enjoyed the characters and their development because it's believable for teenagers growing up and going through all the emotions. I love the family dynamic, and that there are clear and very present parents , actually parenting. I feel like you don't see that a lot in YA books.
I love a good enemies to lovers story and this nailed it. I also appreciated learning about figure skating and learning the verbage, very interesting!
This was my first book by Corson but it won't be the last!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC copy and the opportunity to read a new author.

if you took the cutting edge and threw them in high school and made them both girls and GAY then you're getting this book. a slow burn with the right amount of enemies to friends to lovers. this was a delight and a half and i love to see sapphics and women WINNING!! the ending genuinely had me tearing up a little?? i love a cute little romcom.

4.5 😭
Okay to say I was excited to read this would be an understatement especially when it comes to reading queer sport romance most of them usually stay in the similar 3 sports ⚽🏀⚾
And to see have be hockey and ice skater I was here for it !!!!!!
The book kind of reminded be of an Disney Channel movie and gay and it. Worked great for me.
I did have some critics on it and they were mostly my own personal dislikes
The romance was really slow building at points I wasn't sure how alexa actually felt about her until like past 60% mark.
But there was so much I honestly did love while reading
Actually made her train in ice skating and ballet and she wasn't automatically perfect just because she was a hockey player and showed while she could be great in both she had to practice and put in the time for both sports because they ultimately very different.
Thank you so much net gallery for this arc i had an amazing time reading

Charlie + Alexa

-sapphic romance
-hockey player x figure skater
-rivals to partners to friends to lovers
-rivals girlfriend

so this was a YA romance story but it sounded so good i needed to read it anyways & it was well well worth it!! i loved it so much, the tension was so amazing!! & the climax killed me!! i was so sad for a second!! but these two were made for each other & i loved the tenacity to never give up for charlie!

This is the sapphic figure skater/female ice hockey player romance we've been asking for!

I absolutely loved the premise, characters and plot progression of this story. Charlie Porter is an ice hockey player on a co-ed team at a private school in a tense rivalry with the local public high school. After a losing match, Charlie is baited by a rival player and lashes out, accidentally injuring a nearby figure skater in the process. To make up for her mistake not only does she have to now attend public high school for six months with the rivals that pushed her, but she also has to stand in on the opposite side of the rink as a figure skater for the person she injured.

Through lots of sarcasm and stubbornness, Charlie actually comes to befriend her new skating partner Alexa while also finding a new love for the more "graceful" ice skating sport. These two have excellent chemistry together, but Alexa is with a boy- one of the ice hockey players that bullies Charlie. There's no way she could be developing feelings for Charlie, too, right?

I was so pleasantly surprised with so many parts of this story. Despite not knowing much about either sport, I fully enjoyed this and am already hoping for a sequel!

~~~~~ SPOILER~~~~~

Charlie and Alexa at the Olympics! And we can't forget Coach Geri and Frankie!

I adored this book! Charlie was such an amazing character, and the romance is written wonderfully. I love how her and Alexa are characterized, as well as the amazing other characters in this story. I’ve always been a fan of books with figure skating/ hockey, and this one didn’t disappoint. The author perfectly balanced plot with romance, and I found myself sucked into this book. The pacing never felt too fast or too slow, and overall I just really liked the writing style. This book was so enjoyable, one of my favorites I’ve read recently, and I would definitely recommend it.

This was a super fun and super cute book to read. It's always nice to read a YA novel and actively observe how an author explores young queer characters. The book itself was quick paced and didn't necessarily contain heavy handed drama or angst. The plot was interesting and well versed. Overall a great YA with easy to connect-to-characters with well rounded development. The side characters were a blast as well! Thank you again to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to read this eARC! :D

Charlie Porter, a fiery hockey player, gets into a brawl after a hockey game, which leads to her suspension from school, effectively ending her hockey season and her hopes of playing in front of college scouts. A disciplined figure skater, Alexa's dreams are dashed when her skating partner is injured in the same brawl. She's desperate to find a replacement, and despite Charlie's inexperience in figure skating, she embodies the physicality that could save Alexa's competition hopes. Alexa's Olympian mother will use her connections to get Charlie in front of college scouts if she agrees to partner with Alexa.

The tension between the two is challenged by Charlie's reckless, impulsive nature, which contrasts with Alexa's icy and controlled demeanor, making it hard for them to find common ground. Their differences, at first is a source of friction, gradually become complementary strengths. They develop a deeper connection and true partnership as they train together. Charlie and Alexa navigate trust and vulnerability while exploring their ambition and self-discovery. The romance and personal growth blend makes it a compelling and heartwarming read.

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and HarperCollins.

This gave me the energy of being a disney channel movie and I absolutely loved it. It was cute and relatable. I was a bit suprised that it was only one POV, but Charlie was an amazing POV and I loved reading her story. Charlie and Alexa had amazing chemistry and their romance was so sweet.

Absolutely devoured this. The day before I got the arc I watched disneys go figure and was thinking if this was a sapphic book I would die or it. And after reading this I can confirm I would die for it. While this was a little cheesy and the pacing was a little off, all of the characters and their growth and journey were wonderful. I cannot wait to read more from Corson!

I Hate Men and Love Women! It’s A Love/Skate Relationship truly combined everything that I love. Enemies to Lovers, Sapphic love stories, Broadway Musicals, Taylor Swift and badass female characters! Charlie and Alexa were adorable and had me giggling and kicking my legs over their banter!

Thank you author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!!

When I first started reading this I was a little sad that it wasn’t dual pov cause I just really wanted to know what Alexa was thinking. In the end I think it would’ve given too much away and I love Charlie so it all worked out I guess. There were some parts that the language was a little weird to read but I kind of just chalked it up to Charlie being a teen so it works for the story.

I loved this story so much. This gives Disney channel original movie vibes so much it’s incredible! The hockey to figure skating storyline is giving the cutting edge and I can’t get over it! It’s also easily queer, there’s no big coming out or reluctance about being queer. I always feel like my inner child healed just a little bit when I read books like this. I definitely recommend this book and I will be reading it again

I am going to shove this down so MANY throats. By the time I’m done, everyone in the universe will have read this sapphic masterpiece.

It’s kind of like a Disney Channel Original Movie, but make it gay. And you know what? I’m gonna eat that up. It does mean that the conflict and everything require a suspension of disbelief because it’s all super played up and dramatic without ever getting deep but it’s fun! The premise is also totally DCOM material: butch hockey player gets in trouble after a huge, damage-causing off-ice fight with her school’s rival team and has to fill in as the ice princess’s figure skating partner to pay off her debt? I mean, you’re seated already, right?

The fact that it ends up being an uplifting sports story where they ~just might fall in love~ is just the cherry on top.

Also, the cover is the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.

It’s probably closer to 3.5 for me but I’m going to round up because sapphic hockey player/figure skater romance <333 duh

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.