I wanted to love this one but I just couldn't relate to the characters in order to get into the book. However, I did think the plot was perfect for a rom com and I will read more by the author.

This was a short hockey romance read. Ellie is pretty negative, especially in the beginning, never believing Zach is a good person. This was a quick read.

Hockey romances are still having their moment, and this recently released multi-author series capitalizes on that. If you aren’t familiar with multi-author series, each book can stand alone, but they all share a common setting. Protagonists from one book will likely be side characters in another. Stores, events, and side characters will also be repeated, allowing multiple views of the setting.

This particular series revolves around a hockey team that is put together as a fundraising event for a ranch that serves underprivileged children, with a limited season of games against a Canadian team. The Ice Breakers are based out of the small-ish fictional Western Washington town of Maple Falls (not to be confused with the real town of Maple Valley).

Unlike the Appies series, each of these books was written by a different popular sweet romance author, each with her own style. There are some differences from book to book, but nothing so serious as to mar the series.

Similar to the Appies series, all of the female main characters exist beyond their potential as romantic partners. They have actual lives, careers, and struggles.

The male main characters have various reasons for their singleness at the beginning of the series. Several have (mostly undeserved) reputations as serial daters. All are dedicated to hockey.

The situations that get the various couples together are varied and interesting. Of course, there is an element of predictability: when there are two POV characters, you know they’ll end up together. The question is: what will happen to them before they get there? Will there be a third-act breakup, or will there be something else that tests the relationship?

I find that the passage of time is a bit confusing. There is a Halloween party mentioned in several of the books, and there’s a corn maze and haunted house at Maple Fest. There is pumpkin spice everything. The Ice Breakers practice together for a while before the first of their five games, but the space between games is a bit fuzzy. Days? A week? It all seems to be over before Thanksgiving though. Especially since some of the epilogues mention Christmas lights.

Also…what’s wrong with an otter as a mascot? (If you know me, you know I adore otters.)

Possible objectionable material:
Very mild cursing. Various issues such as parental divorce or neglect, alcoholism, death of a parent, chronic illness, infidelity, sexual harassment. This is hockey, so there are injuries and the occasional fight. People drink. This is closed door romance, so we don’t see more than passionate kisses. There is a hint that sex happens.

Who might like these books:
Romance fans, hockey fans, hockey romance fans. Anyone who likes well-written books where characters grow and develop over the course of the story.

These books are also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-hockey-romcom-era-continues.html

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers, billionaire, forced proximity.

My thoughts:
A good choice of author to start off the series, Whitney Dineen has the responsibility of introducing us to the town of Maple Falls and the idea of a charity hockey team. I like the angle of this being a hockey romance without involving any actual players of the game. Instead, we get the billionaire benefactor of the team. He finds Ellie attractive on first sight.

Ellie, of course, has believed all of Zach’s bad press, and really doesn’t want anything ot do with him. Naturally, events keep pushing them together and romance ensues.

The writing style on this felt super young to me. Couldn't connect with any of the characters and just wasn't interested despite the inclusion of sports in the romance.

A fast paced fun hockey romance to keep you on your toes! Perfectly bingeable and full of loveable characters! 100% worth the read!

this is part of an enjoyable series in a cute town with some good chracters but this wasnot the strongest of the books

An absolutely charming romantic novel by one of my favorite authors! Ellie is a hardworking small-town ice-skating coach, and Zach is a billionaire with a tarnished reputation. Their worlds collide when he comes to Maple Falls to polish up his image. Ellie has a lot going on in her life from caring for her ailing mother to her demanding job at the ice arena. When her employers ask her to host Zach for a charity event, she doesn't have much of a choice but to agree. Zach comes with a bad boy reputation and he and Ellie initially clash, but Zach finds himself unexpectedly drawn to Ellie, whose grounded nature and fiery spirit challenge everything he thought he wanted in life. Despite their initial animosity, the two form a connection that gradually melts the ice between them.
This is a heartwarming tale of second chances and surprising connections, exploring themes of family, redemption, and the unexpected bonds that can form when opposites attract. Ellie is tough yet vulnerable and her no-nonsense attitude toward Zach makes her a compelling and relatable character. Although in the beginning, Zach appears to be every bit the entitled billionaire, as the story unfolds, it slowly peels back his layers to reveal a man searching for meaning and redemption. His growth throughout the story is one of the highlights of the book.
This book is a delightful blend of romance, humor, and heartfelt moments with characters that I found both realistic and endearing. The story was charming and I enjoyed having the opportunity to read it.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Such a cute vibe and honestly I was not going to pick it up solely based on the cover
There is zero spice, the story itself is cute and short

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this one!

This was a cute, quick read.
The story itself was cute. Small town vibes. Enemies to lovers...well enemy lol.
I thought it would have more hockey, but it was very minimal.
It was more focused on Zach being a billionaire and dealing with bad press.
Ellie was a little annoying and immature.
The whole jealous ex (if you can call her that) and trying to pin a baby on the MMC was very overdramatic and unrealistic.
There was no spice, and it was a little boring.
Overall, I did enjoy it, but it's not really something I would pick up again.

Stars: 3.5
Spicy: G

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Ellie doesn’t have time for handsome billionaires who think they are God’s gift to women, especially ones that are completely self-absorbed. And currently she has one staying in the small cottage behind her house. Zach is a billionaire with some serious PR issues, but his brother has convinced Zach that sponsoring an all-star hockey game whose proceeds will go to children in need will help his image. Zach and Ellie aren’t expecting to find kindred spirits in each other, especially since a long-distance love is not what either needs right now. But when has the course of true love ever run smooth?

Breaking the Ice is one in a series of books about the inhabitants of Maple Falls, Washington written by six authors. I am intrigued enough by the other characters to check out the other novels. This was my first book by Dineen and I liked her style, though our hero and heroine felt a little off to me. I am sure if it was because they were confined to a specific time and space that didn’t allow Dineen to explore their time together a little bit more, but I enjoyed her writing and I will check out some of her other works for sure.

Breaking The Ice is the first book in the On Thin Ice Series written by multiple authors. I’m reading this series in any order these book hit my kindle and I can’t get enough of my visits to the small town of Maple Falls. I’m falling hard and fast for the billionaires, the hockey players and the residents who all contribute to wonderful stories featured.
Whitney Deneen’s contribution is billionaire Zachary “Zach” and local resident Ellie’s captivating and entertaining journey.
Zach is being hounded by reporter Yolanda Sims who he had three dates with. Given the opportunity by his brother to escape to Maple Falls to help with a charity all star hockey tournament he jumps at the chance and that’s where he meets Ellie. What he didn’t expect was for Yolanda to follow him there…….
What follows is a game of cat and mouse as Zach tries to prove he never has a relationship with the reporter. Ellie is the one who finally comes up with a plan but not before this couple realise they have feelings they can’t ignore.
Looking forward to my next visit to Maple Falls.

I was given a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.

This is the first book of the multi-author series Love on Thin Ice. Ellie is an ice skating coach who recently had to move in with her mom to help care for her. When her boss asks her to let his brother stay on their property during a charity event, she reluctantly agrees. An enemies to lovers, forces proximity closed door romance.

Clean romance with great tension between the characters. The romance pacing seemed a little slow and with it being a clean romance, I wanted to really feel the intimacy in other ways that I didn't feel I got enough of. The overall plot was engaging and there was plenty of storyline to keep me entertained. The third act conflict / break up was handled well between our main characters, but I wish there was a touch more romance to keep me swooning. I will for sure be continuing the series.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC.

Breaking the Ice is a wonderful short story. But all in all, I enjoyed it. It has a unique storyline with some great twists and turns. It's fun well-written, and definitely a good enemies-to-more kind of story. The character development was interesting to me.

Zach Hart is a billionaire with a PR problem. Ellie Butler is a small town skating instructor who is the sole caretaker for her ailing mother. When Zach's brother brings him to town as the sponsor of a charity hockey team, their paths collide and the sparks fly.

Breaking the Ice is a cute quick read. While I enjoyed it overall, I did find the prose to be a bit clunky in places. I'm not personally a huge fan of an insta-love dynamic as one of my favorite things in a romance is to watch the couple fall for each other. Here, it felt like no time from them meeting and finding each other attractive to thinking about spending their lives together. It felt unrealistic in a way that took me out of the story. Additionally, I got a bit confused at the beginning because I thought I had accidentally began reading this series out of order due to some of the character introductions, but this is the first book in the series. If you are looking for a light and fluffy romance, I think you will find this enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC to review!

Breaking the Ice is a contemporary hockey romance novel written by Whitney Dineen. It is book one in the Love on Thin Ice series.

Summary: Ellie is feeling stuck in life.

Her mother’s medical condition is getting worse, and Ellie is doing everything she can just to keep them both afloat financially.

So, when the cabin on their property is rented by a handsome billionaire in town for a charity hockey event, Ellie’s got no time for him.

How could Zach-a stuck-up rich man-understand what it’s like to be just scraping by to put food on the table?

But when someone threatens to destroy his reputation once and for all-will she be willing to set aside her feelings and help him-before things go too far?

My Thoughts: I liked this book. It has a unique storyline, with some clever twists and turns. It’s definitely a good enemies-to-more type of story and is well-written and fun.

It has a few cheesy moments, but overall, I found it to be an enjoyable read.

This book was independently published, and I received a free digital copy in exchange for my review.

I really enjoyed this one, Zach and Ellie had great chemistry and the side characters were fun and entertaining. I loved the small town feel of Maple Falls but wanted more of it! Definitely going to read the next in the series

First of all, Thank You Netgalley for the ARC granted. It was my first touch with the author's narrative, and altough it took me a while to get immersed in the story, it was a great start for a hockey series. I am looking foward to read the next ones.

This was a cute, small town romance. I enjoyed the character development and maturing that happened in this book. It was the perfect sized read for what it was.

Arc Review:
Overall Rating: 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cover Rating: 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes:
- Billionaire
- Boss’s Brother
- Opposites Attract
- Enemies To Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Dual POV
- Hockey Romance
- Billionaire Ex-Hockey Player x Figure Skating Instructor
- Small Town
- Fall Vibes
- Closed Door/Clean Romcom, Kisses Only

Welcome to the ‘Love on Thin Ice’ series, seven authors, seven short novels, and one charming town, welcome to Maple Falls where heartwarming love stories live. Our first book of the ‘Love on Thin Ice’ series is ‘Breaking the Ice’ written by. Whitney Dineen

Zach is a billionaire who is getting some really bad press from a female reporter who has it out for him at the moment, because of this scandal Zach’s brother Troy persuades Zach to come to Maple Falls so he can help with these charity hockey games that Troy is doing. When Zach arrives a day early in Maple Falls he heads to his brothers rink we’re he meets a feisty skating instructor who makes it clear she isn’t a fan of his named Ellie. Ellie is a figure skating instructor who works for Zach’s brother Troy. Ellie is also the sole care taker of her mother. Ellie has seen all the news surrounding Zach and has decided she wants nothing to do with the billionaire, but when Troys wife ask Ellie if she’ll rent out the cottage she has on her property to Zach, Ellie can’t say no to her bosses plus she could really use the money for her mom. Can Zach and Ellie learn to get along? Will Zach’s name ever gets cleared? Read ‘Breaking the Ice’ now to find out.

I’ve been so excited to read this series and I think that this book was the perfect start to it.
Even though this book was a shorter one I think that the plot and the characters were done incredibly well. This book had some lighthearted moments, some funny ones as-well but it also had some real emotions to it.
I think that Zach is the sweetest guy ever I love how we helps take care of Ellie’s mom and Ellie is such a strong, caring woman and I loved how it was her plan that saved Zach’s reputation.

I liked to wrap this up by giving a huge thank you to the author of this book Whitney Dineen along with NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an advanced readers copy of this book, I really enjoyed my time reading it.