3.5 stars
When I get arcs I try to not read the description or look too deep in the book as I like to go into the book with no preconceived notions on what I am about to read. With this book, I went in assuming it was going to be a cute hockey romance. Not realizing that it was a YA book about two high school seniors. Now, I am normally not a YA person, especially when the book takes place in a high school, but I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I think it was refreshing to read a book that, in my opinion, accurately picks out the struggles of being a teenager in high school.
The FMC believes herself to be undesirable by the male population at school simply because of her personality. Which I feel like is a very universal experience. The MMC is on the hockey team, but somehow is not popular or had a girlfriend before. Which was a little harder to believe. I was a little ticked out reading the more intimate scenes between the MC's since they are still in high school and I just do like to read those scenes about underage characters.
I think that this book follows a cute plot about the FMC blackmailing the MMC into taking her to prom and the two MC's slowly falling for each other but not realizing what those emotions are since they are just teenagers.
Thank you netgalley for this arc!

thank you to NetGalley for a copy of an ARC!!

I absolutely LOVED this book. literally one of my favorite YA books of this year. if you're a fan of Jenny Han, Lynn Painter, or even Ashley Poston then you'll love this book. Easton and Harper have such a funny relationship and i love that Harper wasn't scared to give him shit hahah. This book actually made my chest ache (in the best way possible) and I loved watching both of them grow both in their relationship, but also as people. Easton got on my mf NERVES throughout this book, but the ending??? 😭😭 SO GOOD.

So I knew this one YA when I requested it and was still looking forward to giving it a try. I unfortunately think I'm too old for the target audience (30). This just felt too young and naive for me but I would still suggest others to try to get into it!

I gave it a 3/5 I realized I really wasn’t vibing with the writing but continued to read. I think some parts are cringey/ trying too hard to see things from a teens perspective. Although I didn’t love it, in no terms did I think it was bad.

Love on Ice by Sara Ney was a cute sports romance! Loved Harper and Easton’s chemistry and Harper’s friendship with Macy. Great characters and a wild, enjoyable ride. Good light, feel good read.

* Review posted to profile linked Storygraph, Fable & Goodreads. Instagram review to be posted on 8/30*

I'm going to go easy on my review for this because I quickly realized that I wasn't vibing with the writing style but I was given an ARC and wanted to do my best to give a complete and honest review.

And honestly, the book isn't bad. It is written from the perspective of two teenagers which made some parts downright cringeworthy to read, but it lent a realism to the story that the characters were actually acting their age. There are TikTok references, text lingo, and a plethora of exclamation points but more than anything, there was a lot of teenage angst.

Our MMC, Easton, has been infatuated with the coolest girl in school forever so when he's blackmailed by his locker buddy, Harper, and forced to spend time with her, imagine his surprise when he realizes he may actually like her. And of course, Harper has always had a bit of a crush on Easton but has never told him and now he's starting to crush back but also his dream girl is now acting all interested in him out of nowhere and things get really messy, really quickly.

Again, the height of teenage angst. But the romance between Easton and Harper was actually very cute. Ney was able to capture that giggly, giddy, and confusing feeling of falling in love for the first time perfectly, and had the Maddie of it all not existed, this book honestly would've been so much cuter.

All in all, for the recommended age range I think this book is pretty cute but I just didn't vibe with it the way I was hoping to.

3.5 ⭐

Harper has a beautiful dress for prom, but she doesn’t have a date. When she catches the high school hockey star stealing their rival school’s mascot, she decides to blackmail him—she’ll keep quiet if he agrees to take her to prom.

I’ve read many of Sara Ney’s books, so I was really excited to check out her YA debut. I think it’s a solid teen romance—the characters are sweet, there’s plenty of humor, the plot fits the target audience well, and there are no sexual scenes.

I liked Harper right away—she’s kind, responsible, and fun—but my feelings about Easton were mixed. Most of the time he literally acted like an idiot—how can you not understand such obvious things? I get that high school boys probably aren’t as experienced in romantic matters as girls (though I feel like modern teens are more aware in that regard), but I wanted to see more initiative from him. And honestly, how can you not realize until the very end who you want to take to prom?

Overall, I had a great time reading this one and would definitely recommend it to the appropriate age group.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books (Delacorte Romance) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book!
This book was Fun! I loved the characters so much!
Easton was such an idiot most of the time and Harper was sometimes. The plot of this book was crazy and Easton spent most of this book not sure who to pick (even though it was quite obvious ) I repeat, he is such an idiot sometimes. Their relationship was really cute though. This book is really quite worth it!
Frequent language ( uses the f-word quite often )
No-spice
Some innuendo
4 stars ⭐️ ( I rounded up a half star )

Thank you to Delacorte and NetGalley for the advance reader copy!

Teens are going to be thoroughly entertained by this YA contemporary romance story full of cultural references, silly pranks, and a swoony romance. I wasn't connecting with the writing style, but I'm above the target audience so don't let that deter you. Harper and Easton make decisions appropriate for their age, and Sara presents the story in an easily digestible voice.

I haven't been reading a lot of YA lately, but I've liked Sara Ney's adult books so I requested this title. I'm really glad I read it! It was very fun and didn't feel like it was a YA book that had been dumbed down, so to say. I think this should be a definite purchase for public libraries.

Our story begins with high school senior Easton Westermann being dared to compete a senior dare by his classmates. His dare is to steal the school's rival team mascot. Easton ends up in a fellow classmate's backyard, Harper Conrad. Harper makes a deal with Eeaston, she wouldnt rat him out as long as he helps her with their senior prom decorations. Along the way, Easton and Harper develop a close relationship which then turns into something much more.

I have been a fan of Sara Ney's new adult books for years. I was surprised to hear she was writing a YA romance, but still very excited to read it. I'm so happy I did. Love on Ice is now one of my favored books by Ney. It was so adorable, fun, silly, sweet, and even a little emotional at times. Harper and Easton's romance was full of ups and downs in only the way a high school flirtation/possible romance could be. There was just the right amount of pinning and angst between them. I loved every minute spent with them. I wouldn't even mind a second book about them in college or a book about their friends. I want more of this world.

What an absolute delight this book turned out to be! Love on Ice perfectly captures the whirlwind chaos of teenage life, from awkward first crushes to laugh-out-loud pranks gone way too far. Sara Ney has given us a rom-com that sparkles with humor and warmth, while still holding on to that honest, slightly messy charm that makes YA so irresistible.

Harper stole my heart from page one — smart, witty, and just a little mischievous in the best way. The moment she finds Easton, the hockey team’s golden boy, sneaking through her backyard with a stolen mascot in tow, I knew this was going to be fun. Their deal to fake-date for prom is the kind of setup that makes you grin even before the sparks start flying, and watching their “arrangement” tumble into something much more real was pure swoony joy.

What I loved most is how authentically teen this book feels. Harper and Easton bicker, banter, stumble, and surprise each other in ways that felt so true to first love. The story doesn’t rush their chemistry — it lets it build in sweet, awkward, and hilarious moments that had me smiling nonstop. Add in Harper’s ride-or-die friendship with Macy, and you’ve got a story that balances romance with the kind of friendships that shape who you are in high school.

If you’re craving a rom-com that’s both funny and heart-fluttery, this one will absolutely hit the spot. It’s playful, it’s heartfelt, and it reminds you of just how big prom, first dates, and those life-changing teenage decisions can feel.

A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books | Delacorte Romance for sharing this lovely romance’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts. I had so much fun with Harper and Easton, and I can’t wait to see what Sara Ney does next!

This adorable YA romcom near-perfectly straddles the line between charming, swoon-worthy first love and the annoyance of one's teenage years. In a lot of other YA you're stuck thinking the author wrote an adult romance and aged it down to fit the genre, but Sara Ney specifically captures the flippancy of teenagers, the confusion of first time romance, and the cringe humor. This was a sweet read that had me smiling to myself and laughing, though the MMC Easton was maybe a tad too oblivious, even for a teenage boy. I did find myself wishing this took place during hockey season, though, to capitalize more on him being a hockey player. Maybe winter homecoming wouldn't have been the right setting for this story (since there's such a emphasis on the importance of senior prom), but the sport did feel a little set off to the side for how much emphasis it had on him as a character. Overall, an enjoyable read!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Children’s Books!

4.5/5 stars

LOVE ON ICE was a fun and exciting take on the sports romance genre! I loved Harper and Easton’s relationship, as well as Harper’s friendship with Macy! The characters were well-developed, and I enjoyed this story. Sara Ney takes the reader on a wild rollercoaster, and I had so much fun following along!


My ARC was provided by Random House Children’s Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.