3.75 stars

This felt like a sports-themed twist on the *Ravenhood* series. In this “why choose” romance, Riley meets Logan—the quintessential golden boy with golden retriever energy. Things take a turn when Logan’s friends learn who she is. One of them, Greyson, has a troubled history with her and convinces Logan to cut ties.

While reeling from that fallout, Riley meets Royce at her job in a gentleman’s club. Their chemistry is off the charts—he’s not always kind, but he has a surprising soft spot for her.

Greyson despises her for what he *thinks* she’s done, but as they say, the line between hate and love is thin. Whether he becomes redeemable is still up for debate… but personally, I’m not a fan.

The story ends on a major cliffhanger, leaving plenty unresolved.

I absolutely love the audio for this series! If you have any type of triggers I would definitely check the warnings for this series! It is a dark bully romance that may have you hating the male leads, I know this first book really has me disliking Grayson.

🎧AUDIOBOOK REVIEW🎧
UGH!!! A CLIFFHANGER! 😩
How am I supposed to wait that long?! I need answers and more story now!
Ok, so this story had my emotions all over the place.
I hurt. I wanted to cry. I wanted to hurt them. All of them. All for Riley.
Logan is such a golden retriever. I really liked him.
Ronan aka Ruthless had me...🤤. Like he can be a bit much but he's my favorite.
Grayson... well I have some hope for him in the next book. I hope he redeems himself is all I'm saying.
Overall I enjoyed this start to the series.
This story contains lots of triggering for some so be weary. It's not for the faint of heart.
I can't wait to hear what is to come next. I need answers!

Halston University was supposed to be Riley’s fresh start, a chance to prove she can stand on her own, except it’s not only passing classes that she has to worry about. And then there’s them. Three guys, each with their own darkness and allure. Her demons… Logan, Royce, and Grayson. This book hooked me from the first page with a strong start. It was a slow burn dark romance with 3 interests. Themes of bully and hockey romance mixed with step brother. I thought it was well written and I can’t wait to read the next in the series. Although it had dark themes, it had some great moments of tenderness. I can’t wait to see how the characters develop… especially Grayson. The narrators did an excellent job with bring the characters to life, and making me feel all the emotions. Be sure to read your trigger warnings.

I loved this series when it came out and I’ve been on an audio kick lately so I was so excited to find out audiobooks were coming!
I enjoyed the narrators a lot in this one.
I loved hearing Riley come to life.
Some of my favorite scenes were made even more special hearing Grayson, Royce, and Logan.

Riley is a strong character and I love her determination to keep going in spite of what’s been done to her.
Logan is a classic MMC, until he’s a classic jerk.
Royce is, well, swoon. Even when he’s mean, even when he’s got a mysterious past.
And Gray, he’s been my favorite. And then he’s not. And then he is again.
I have a weakness for stepbrothers. *shrug*

I ended up DNF’ing this book unfortunately.
It thought it was going to be a tad “darker” with more angst, but it was more of an insta-love type of deal and it just wasn’t the vibes for me.

I was gripped by this book and left wanting more.

Frozen Hearts audiobook review.

The narrators Helena Walters and Oliver Highpoint do a fantastic job bringing the story to life. With their perfect delivery of the character's voices, I enjoyed listening. They captured my attention and kept me eager for more.

Frozen Hearts is book 1 of the Halston U series. This is a dark why why-choose, sports, college, enemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance. It's dark, it's gripping, it's intense.
Perfect amount of sports, plot, and spicy romance.
I was captured by the plot right away, eager to find out what happens next. This book consumed me with so many lies and secrets. I ate this book up devouring each moment. It was emotional and kept my heart in my throat and blushing from the heat. The characters were complex, captivating, and interesting. This is an MMMF with multiple POVs. I could never have prepared myself for this emotional story. A fantastic start to this series.

I love dark romance and I thought this book was well written and the author was sensitive to difficult topics discussed in this book that being said there are a lot of dark moments in this book that might not be easy for some to read. Dark romance is not for everyone, please check the TW.

Riley has a difficult past and through all she has survived, she is goal-oriented and strong. She is a character that is relatable and realistic.

Logan is the hockey star heartthrob everyone wants or wants to be. He's so much more than his muscles and hockey skills.

Royce is the tough, ruthless underground fighter. He's been hurt and betrayed in the past and vowed never again to let his guard down.

Greyson is mercilessly seeking revenge on his estranged stepsister. He is pure sin and all the morally-gray things we dark romance readers seek.

Each of the guys has different personalities and walls built. They are each intense, attractive, and interesting in their way.

The tension and build-up were so good. I loved how each of the relationships developed and progressed. Each character is broken and finding ways to heal. I was not ready for this book to end and cannot wait to get to the next book in this amazing series.

Thank you to NetGalley, author R.A. Smyth, and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC.

This why choose dark romance is book 2 in the Halston U series. I'm usually a sucker for a hockey romance, but I felt like this did not contain enough hockey to count... like the author threw in a bit of hockey, just enough to be able to label it as such to attract the hockey romance girlies, but I feel like this was bait and switch. Also, I really felt a disconnect in the plot, a bit of a roller coaster between the different characters, where it sometimes was really dark (check the triggers) and sometimes it felt almost like a rom-com and that didn't make sense to me. Almost like Logan was really out of place in the plot. It was a nice break though from all the frustration the other characters brought on. It was sometimes a bit hard to follow on audio, but that might have been on me because it took me many listening sessions separated over a couple of weeks. I hated Grayson with every fiber of my being, and I feel like he has ruined the book. I won't keep going with this series, even if it has a lot of elements I usually love, it wasn't for me.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I throughly enjoyed listening to this novel on audio. The narrators did a great job bringing the story to life.

I wasn't expecting this book to be so dark and I also wasn't expecting to read it in one sitting.

It makes sense that this book has a sequel because the main male characters need to do a LOT of grovelling. I was fuming at them the whole time. The main character deserves the world, and I hope she gets it in the next book, I'll definitely be reading the next one.

Be sure to check the trigger warnings before reading this book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

Such an interesting Hockey romance. I really vibed with this book, the narration, and the charaters in the story.

Frozen Hearts follows Riley, a traumatised woman who sets herself the goal of going to university and winning back custody of her daughter. Demons come back to haunt her in this reverse harem, why choose "romance?"
Logan is actually pretty sweet and, of the love interests, I feel like he was the one to have his head screwed on the most. But all in all I found every one of the characters to be petty, childish, and immature. This book deals with some very heavy themes such as SA and R*** but i don't think the writing reflected that.
I found the macho "he's my best friend so he must always be right" politics to be a turn off and I wanted to put this book down many times. Grayson weedles into the heads of both Royce and Logan and convinces them that Riley has ruined everything and sent his dad to prison. This is purely misunderstanding on his part, and he shows how ugly he is toward the very end. Anyone who is a survivor of SA, stay away from this book.

The Audio Narration often took me out of the story with sounding out the Urghs and a few other sounds that could have been just groans or sighs.

In the end, I was disappointed with this book. It had so much potential to lean into Riley's trauma, and learn about what happened in a more tactful way. While this book was not for me, I recommend this to anyone that wants a reverse haram, why choose with dark themes. Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape for the ALC (Advanced Listeners Copy) of this book. I truly appreciate the opportunity. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I started this ALC from netgalley, expecting a college hockey story with some drama—but what hit me instead was full-on dark reverse‑harem intensity. Three MCs with secrets. One FMC is running from her past. And narration that brought everything to life.

Am I about to ginge this series..... hell yes!!!

Mode:
🎧 Dual Audiobook from Netgalley
☆ KU ebook read along

✅ Reverse harem (3)
✅ College hockey setting
✅ Stepbrother/forbidden edge
✅ Trauma redemption arc
✅ Brooding love interests
✅ Forced proximity
✅ Morally grey dynamics
✅ Slow trust build
✅️ Golden Retrieve/Silent x Broody/Angry x Vengful MMCs
✅ Touch her and die vibes
🔥 Medium
🌶 Medium
⚠️ Check TW - Dark themes


📖 Storyline
Riley arrives at Halston University with one goal—stay invisible. She’s here on a scholarship, with a past she’s desperate to leave behind and no intention of getting involved in anyone else’s drama.

But Halston has other plans.

It starts with Logan, the charming hockey captain who won’t take no for an answer when he decides she’s going to be his tutor. Then a hallway collision with Royce throws her into the path of someone darker, sharper, and far more unpredictable. And just when she thinks she might find her footing, Grayson Van Doren walks back into her life, dragging old wounds and buried grudges right to the surface.

Riley thought surviving her past was the hard part. But navigating Halston’s tangled web of secrets, obsession, and blurred lines might be even more dangerous. And this time, she’s not sure she’ll make it out untouched.

🎭 Characters
Riley – Quiet, guarded, and deeply resilient. She’s not here to impress anyone, and her internal strength carries the entire story. She doesn’t break easily, even when everything around her is designed to push her to the edge.

Logan – Golden retriever energy with a stubborn streak. Charismatic, loyal, and way too persistent. He softens the edges of the story but isn’t afraid to push Riley’s boundaries.

Royce – Dark, brooding, and unreadable. He challenges Riley in ways she isn’t prepared for. There's fire between them from the start, even if neither of them knows what to do with it.

Grayson – Cold, calculated, and absolutely feral with hatred. The tension between him and Riley is razor-sharp and laced with history. He's not just a villain, he's a walking grudge.

✍️ Writing/Pacing
The writing is gritty and emotionally charged, drops horror-tinged suspense into classic college life, and does not shy away from dark trauma triggers. The narrative unfolds deliberately, hooking you early and suspending you with a brutal cliffhanger. The pacing in the audiobook makes the emotional beats land hard.

💭 Final Thoughts
I devoured this. It’s dark, addictively messy, and full of emotional landmines. Every character brings a different energy to the page, and Riley holds her own through it all. If you’re into morally grey chaos, twisted tension, and stories that mess with your head, welcome to Halston.


Am I hooked on this series? Hell yes.


🖤 Who Would Love This:
✨️ This one’s for readers who loved Royals of Forsyth University and Dance Butterfly Dance—but want it with an even darker twist.
✨ Fans of dark reverse‑harem/new adult romance
✨ Listeners who enjoy college‑set hockey drama with layers of trauma
✨ Readers who like morally grey love interests and emotional depth
✨ Anyone who doesn’t mind intense content and loves cliffhangers

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape for the ALC.

This book is a dark, twisted hockey romance with high spice.
The narrator’s Helena Walter and Oliver Highpoint were fantastic and really brought this story to life. I loved the way Helena really captured our FMC’s emotions, personality and story. Oliver did an amazing job at bringing each of our guys to life and you felt their different personalities, it brought out the tension and their emotions perfectly.
This book had all the trigger warnings and I loved it.

This is book one in the Halston U Series and let me warn you right away, it is dark, twisted, and full of content that will not be for everyone. I highly recommend checking all trigger warnings before starting. I went in blind, and while most things do not bother me, this one pushed boundaries and was super dark.

That said, I could not stop listening. Even though the story was deranged at times, it completely hooked me. Riley’s journey was brutal and heartbreaking, but also about clawing her way back to power after having it stolen from her. I admired her fight, her survival, and the way she carried the weight of her past while still pushing forward.

The men in this book are Logan, Royce, and Greyson, and they could not be more different. You have the golden boy hockey captain, the broody fighter, and the vengeful stepbrother. Each one brought chaos, intensity, and their own brand of obsession into Riley’s life. Lies, secrets, and betrayal wove through the story, leaving me shaken and desperate to know what would happen next.

The narration took this book to another level. Helena Walters captured Riley’s despair, pain, and flickers of strength with raw emotion, while Oliver Highpoint gave each of the guys such distinct personalities that you could feel the tension and menace dripping through the story.

This audiobook was hard to put down, even when it made me uncomfortable. It is not for the faint of heart, but if you can handle the darkness, it delivers a story that is raw, gritty, and unforgettable. The whole series is already out in book form, but I will be impatiently waiting for the next audiobook.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook.

Frozen Hearts by R.A. Smyth is an emotional rollercoaster of love, loss, and redemption, and I devoured every word. This story grabbed me from the very first chapter and didn't let go. Smyth has a gift for writing raw, layered characters who feel heartbreakingly honest, and the emotional tension in this book is palpable in the best way.

The chemistry between the main characters is electric, but the emotional depth truly makes this novel shine. Beneath the romance is a story of healing, strength, and learning to trust again after being hurt. I laughed, teared up, and rooted so hard for these characters to find their way to each other.

If you're a fan of emotional, character-driven romance with just the right amount of angst and heat, Frozen Hearts will leave a mark on you, in all the best ways. A standout read I'll be thinking about for a long time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I saw this cover on Netgalley and I was like, huh, this looks cute. I was not expecting to love it as much as I did! This one is for fans of hockey/underground fighting and ALLLLL THE FAMILT DRAMA. Check your triggers though becuase there are some dark elements to this one. The audio is amazing. This was a first for me for Helena Walters and Oliver Highpoint. I def cant wait for book 2! It does leave you on a slight cliffy, just FYI! Thank you so much netgalley and Dreamscape for the ALC. Infinite Stars in my book!

thanks to dreamscape media and netgalley for this audiobook arc. i applied for this arc based on the title and cover art. i thought this was going to be a hockey romance. it turns out this one was not for me. but thats okay, it has an audience out there and im sure they will like it.

The first 50% of this book I was completely confused. There were too many plot ideas introduced It was overwhelming at times. The second half was better and I enjoyed it. Mostly the points connected and merge and it started to make sense a Dark Romance check the triggers because they might be triggering.

Thank you to the Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for an ALC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Frozen hearts by R.A. Smyth is the first book and audiobook in a trilogy called Halston U. The other books are available, but this is the first audiobook. It is narrated by Helena Walters and Oliver Highpoint and they do a fantastic job. I’m super picky about narration and they managed to make the characters all come to life with their own voices and distinct personalities.
This is a dark romance. Emphasis on DARK. If you cannot handle things like mention of prior child SA (Flashbacks), dubious consent, kidnapping, why choose (there are 3 male love interests), rape, single parenthood, bad parents and probably other things I am forgetting, then you may want to read the full trigger list before embarking on this adventure. I was mostly ok with the book, my mind is still reeling a little bit, but for the most, I like the book.
Our FMC is Riley James, a single mother who has overcome a lot of really lousy things in her life to get where she is and now, she is a freshman in college at Halston U. Her goal is to do well in college so that she can get a good job and take care of herself and her daughter. She just wants to study and work to support her family (as a stripper, so if that bothers you maybe move on to another book). This is a single mother and trauma survivor just trying to move on and improve her life and I think the character deserves respect for that.
Riley agrees to tutor a very handsome and extremely tall Hockey player named Logan. Logan is pretty much smitten with her immediately and wants to take her out. They go on a date, the date goes well and then he goes out with his hockey friends after a game and of course, instead of the place they always go to, they go to the strip club where Riley works. Logan’s roommates show up and one of them has a past with Riley and poisons Logan against her. He doesn’t call Riley like he said he was going to and he stops talking to her basically. She also starts running into this really tall scary guy who’s always mad she’s in his way. And then there’s the ex-stepbrother who has the grudge and he is where the story really goes off the rails.
I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, which in this instance is very difficult because there’s this path they all go down that leads them to where they end up, and if any one thing had changed or maybe some questions were asked before jumping to conclusions, the whole thing could have turned out in a much different way.
Overall, it’s a decent story and I am obsessed with finding out what happens next (full disclosure: I did start reading book 2 on KU, but I would much rather have the audio). I know there are 3 books, so I assume this is a trilogy. I wasn’t able to determine if more are planned after that.
I really thought the author was a man. Which is odd for dark romance, and I should have known better. This author writes entitled college men very well and casts Riley into a kind of bimbo college girl light now and then, which is why I thought that. However, R.A. Smyth is a woman, which makes the writing that much more impressive.
This book is not for everyone, that’s for sure. If you’re the kind of person who likes to skip over things that are uncomfortable or spice scenes, I think you can still enjoy most of the story. As is my usual contention with most spicy books, you can take that spice out and still have a good story. That is the case here as well. Sometimes I wonder if authors shouldn’t consider releasing both versions just to get a wider audience, but I’m sure someone has already considered that and there are issues I’m unaware of – but I do like the idea.
I’m giving this book 4.5 stars. If you like why choose dark romance and can handle the triggers previously mentioned (and the ones I forgot that you will find in the full trigger list), then I think this is well worth a listen.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for trusting me with another one of their books and to NetGalley for being the vehicle by which they are able to do so. As per usual, all opinions are my own, and if I don’t like a book, you will definitely know it. This book released on July 28, 2025.