This was a cute story. The slow burn aspect was killing me, which I enjoy in a book. There were a lot of things that happened that confused me though. I loved a lot of the parts but THere felt like there was a whole lot going on at times and that muddled the story some for my taste. Charlie and Tate were very likable and had great chemistry so for me that saved it a lot of the time. In the end a series I will continue when I find the time to pick up book 2.

I'm a huge fan of sports romances so I was excited to read Off the Ice, the first novel about hockey-obsessed small town. I wasn't hooked right away when I first started reading, so it took a little while getting into the story. I liked the main characters (Tate and Claire) and how their POVs switched back and forth, but I didn't fall in love with them. The story was slow and seemed a little drawn out at times. It also felt like the climax/ending was thrown in pretty randomly just to end the bool. By random, I mean (highlight for spoiler): Tate's dad gets violent and abuses him at the beginning of the novel when he's drunk. At the climax, a guy attacks Claire and Tate rescues her by beating up the guy. All of a sudden he's afraid that he's like his dad (even though there was nothing to indicate this fear or inclination prior in the plot). This seemed like it was added to easily finish the book and didn't feel right, especially since Claire almost being sexually assaulted was only used to move Tate's storyline forward. Also, Claire and Tate's huge secret throughout the book is that Tate's dad was the one who violently broke his arm a year ago when he was drunk. I had a hard time supporting this secret being kept when they should have told his mom immediately (for reference, his parents were already divorced and his dad lived several hours away). It seemed like an unnecessary secret that needed to be reported to an adult. On a picky continuity note, the beginning said that Tate was only a year younger than Claire, but she's returning to college (basically her freshman year since she left a year early) and he's still a junior so they would need to be at least two years apart in age.

This is an interesting and intense high school related book. There are lies and unhappiness floating all through out this book.

My favorite thing about this book was how real it was. It didn’t skirt around the hard topics. It didn’t hide in vagueness what it thought teenagers couldn’t handle. I truly enjoyed Julie’s writing style when it comes to this book.

The plot was intense and real. I felt like I was living these characters lives. However, I felt that the flow of the book was a bit off but the pace was great. I will definitely be looking for more books by Julie because she has woven an amazing story here.

I will be watching for more books by this author and I’m glad I was able to review this book. There are so many different important things you can learn from this book.

Oh man. Where to start on this book *sigh*

I can't pass up a sports romances as I've made super clear in other reviews. Especially the hockey ones. They are my kryptonite haha. Although I do have to admit I do typically go for more of the NA's or just regular ol' sports romances vs a YA like this.

But I'm so glad I dove into this one.

It was such a good story. And was so much more emotional than I was expecting. And hit really close to home for me.

I know some that follow my reviews may know. But my mom got sick a couple years back now. And when It happened I had to put my life on hold to get her through surgeries, doctors appointments, physical therapy. All of it. And it took a lot out of me. And I had to halt things like school. So I guess what all that means is, that I could relate so much with Claire in ways.
And not just that but just her personality and drive. And loyalty. I found she was so similar tome. And that really gave me this rare look at a character I could fully Empathize with. And I think that was the biggest thing that pulled me into this book.
Don't get me wrong. The story itself was absolutely amazing. And the characters were so well written and mature for a bunch of dumb high schoolers haha.
But once I had related. It just made the book connect in such a deeper way, and I found myself pulling for Claire and Tate.
And Tate in general. His story was just as good as Claire's. And he's by far one of my favorite contemporary YA heroes. There was just something about that boy. How real and raw he seemed. And I think that drew me in more. Made me want to cheer so much for him and Claire and see things work out.Plus, there was actually hockey in this sports romance. I get so tired of books that brand themselves as sports books and then have no sports in them. And there was a really good balance of sports and the rest of the story. It made me a happy hockey nerd for sure haha.

Just everything about this book was perfect. And I don't use that word often unless I really enjoyed every aspect of a book. And that is exactly what happened in this one.
I'm so glad I took a chance on it

And can without even a shadow of a doubt give OFF THE ICE 5 STARS!

🔆 Received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review 🔆

Off The Ice is a Young Adult Contemporary centred around the budding romance of Tate star goalie of the local ice hockey team and the returning Claire O’Conner.

There was an overflowing amount of drama going on in this book, too much I felt. So much so that the blossoming romance between our star pair was over shadowed.

It’s difficult to connect with the characters when you’re bouncing back and forth. With it being the 1st novel in the series I can understand why Julie Cross has laid the way for follow up novels.

The characters are likeable and interesting. I just felt a disconnect, that I was missing something.

Having read Julie Cross' other YA sports romance title, I knew what to expect with this book. I knew I would be getting a slow burn romance that would take a bit of a backseat to the character development...and I couldn't wait to dive in!

One thing I loved about this story was the small town setting. Everyone knows everyone and their business, but there are always these underlying secrets and feelings that always come to the surface. There are also certain expectations and almost stereotypes that people feel like they have to be boxed into. It provides a great stage for character growth to blossom on. And not just from our leads. I truly became invested in all the side characters as well and their stories.

Both Tate and Claire have very interesting character stories. They both have very complex situations to deal with and I liked that they each had their own things to work on. They are also such genuine characters that you really start to get behind them.

This story is more so a coming of age story than straight romance. It was rather refreshing for me to read a romance novel where it isn't always about the passion between two leads or them fighting obstacles to being together. Instead, it's about these two finding that confidence in themselves, figuring out what they want in life and how they can break out of the molds the small town has put them in for all their lives.

My only complaint is that this book felt a little long in the middle. While I enjoyed all the moments between Tate (he was positively adorable) and Claire (I loved her spirit), I felt like we reiterated the same things again and again building up to the big climax. The ending isn't rushed by any means but I think I would have taken away some of that exposition to have them tease out the various issues a little more.

"Off the Ice" is a great romance that fits into the New Adult category more than the Young Adult. We follow Claire and Tate in alternating point-of-view chapters. Claire is Tate's older sister Jody's BFF (although only about a year older), so they have known each other practically all of their lives. Tate has had a crush on Claire since he started noticing girls. The book begins with emotionally charged interactions, which end up being two of the main themes throughout the book as they deal with the aftermath of these events- one is abuse by a parent and the other is sexual assault. I'm putting these as trigger warnings in my review as they are pretty intense.

Anyway, the majority of the book takes place when Claire is back in town from Northwestern, where she is studying theatre. She has left college for a quarter because her dad had an inoperable brain tumor- which was eventually removed and from which he is slowly recovering. Tate is on the varsity hockey team in a town that only cares about hockey- and due to the star goalie leaving, he is now in the hot seat, and struggling not only with the pressure from his terrible coach but also with the relationship with his hockey star (and now assistant coach at SMU) father. He is also still dealing with the aftermath of a serious relationship with Haley, a cheerleader who is a bit intense (and featured in the second book).

This is not a light read/romance. Tate and Claire are dealing with some really huge issues that keep cropping up throughout, and it makes their relationship difficult. However, they are a really great/sweet couple and are overall incredibly mature for their ages. The content makes this really fall into the New Adult category rather than the Young Adult, in my opinion (brain tumor/recovery, physical/emotional abuse, sexual assault) plus there is very descriptive sexual content (not the assault). I'd recommend for older readers. That being said, it's a pretty powerful story and addresses not only all of this content but also shows some ways to handle it (although they are minor points, I appreciate that they are there). I would recommend this book for mature readers who love plot-driven romance.

Please note that I received this from the publisher through netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Off the Ice (Juniper Falls #1)
Julie Cross

Book Review: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥❣

Tate is the backup hockey goalie. He is in his junior year at high school. His dad is famous in the ice hockey world and he lives with his mum and stepdad. He's dating one of the most beautiful girls in school and is doing pretty well academically. To the outside world he has everything, but if you take a closer look he is juggling more than most can handle. He can't be the guy his girlfriend wants him to be. He can't be the hockey player his dad wants. Tate is given the chance to get off the bench and be in the net, but he needs to control his nerves. He needs to fight for what he wants and stop trying to please everyone else. He and Hayley break-up. It's tough, but he knows it's the right thing to do. No one ever said getting what you want is easy. Life's complicated and we all have to find the right path for us.

Claire is Tate's long-term crush. She's a couple of years older and one of his sister's close friends. She has returned to town because her dad is ill. She is also juggling more than any one person can manage. She's helping the family business, trying to hold it together and find a way to make more money. Her dreams were left behind at university. She wants to be a star but her family means more to her.

Little Tate Tanley is all grown up and Claire finds herself looking at him in a different light. They have been through a lot together. They became each other's rock, their constant and trusted friend. They both have a lot going on around them but their bond is strong. This is a love everlasting story, which is more than insta-love. It grows. Loves hard, but with the right person, it's worth it.

I really enjoyed this book. It had a realistic storyline with a lot of backgrounds. Both characters are perfect for each other but struggle with the rest of life.

This book contains adult content 16+ (u.k).

4.5 stars out of 5.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*


Kindle Edition £3.49 or £5.14 Paperback, 320 pages
Published February 28th 2017 by Entangled: TEEN

Off the Ice has been on my TBR since I heard the about it. I planned on reading it as soon as it was released last February.
In fact, if you would have asked me last week, I would have told you, I am pretty sure I read it. Yet somehow I didn't. Don't ask me why. But let me tell you, if you interested, go read it. It's well worth your time.
There isn't much that I didn't like about Off the Ice, except that the first quarter was bit slow? It's a bit long wound at times.
In the end, however, it doesn't really matter.
This is well written, with insight and subtlety. The writing style is beautiful. There are loads of descriptions that touched me. I love the hockey scenes.
The storyline is sweet, to say the least. But it is full of depth, there are some real issues tackled during the novel, while the love story is swoony, it feels tangible and very realistic. I think I like that best.
Actually, I love the character building even more.
It's done immaculately. I mean there are characters that are mostly negative. But all in all each and every character has depth, different sides and I feel like I gotten to know the entire group of friends. And while we talking about the group? I hope there will be a book about all of the guys?
The two MCs are strong, stubborn and work through some heavy stuff. They are both likable and loyal. Both unique, but can I just say Tate.. swoooon. The sketch? Just one of the things I adore about him.

A wonderful start to the series. Must read for lovers of the genre.

I'm sad to say that, while I positively ADORED Julie Cross's Third Degree, her latest release Off the Ice didn't really do it for me.
Up until the 70% mark, the story was hardly able to hold my attention for more than a few chapters at a time, which is why it took me so long to finally get through it. And while I'd love to blame the issues I had with this book on the book funk I've been in lately, I know that wasn't the reason. The pacing was just so incredibly slow, and though the romance was kind of cute, I was bored most of the time.
The saving grace of this book, and what made me decide on 3 stars eventually, were the last 30% when finally, finally, things started happening.

Still, the characters were very likable (I was particularly fond of Tate's team-mates and their adorable bromance), the plot was emotionally charged but not draining, and although the pacing was way too slow for me, I really like Julie Cross's easy yet engaging style of writing.

Tate Tanley is the starting goalie on his high school hockey team in Minnesota, where hockey is a religion. Claire O'Connor is back in town from Northwestern University after her father is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. When she sees Tate for the first time in over a year, she realizes her best friend's little brother isn't so little anymore. Tate has had a massive crush on Claire most of his life, but he's always been the kid brother. Not anymore. These two dance around attraction mixed-up with a lifelong friendship set against Claire's dreams for her future and Tate's goals on and off the ice. It's a super sweet romance with deeply developed characters.

Plot
The romance is the primary plot, but it's missing that teen angst that I've grown to love in Julie Cross's stories. What it lacks in that department, it more than makes up for in the supporting plots. Tate's hockey career, college recruiting, and his relationship with his town-legend father. Claire has her issues with her dad's health and what she wants to do with her college career, saving her family's business, and more. Told from dual-points-of-view, there's a lot of territory covered.

The Characters
No one does characters like Julie Cross. Tate is complex, fascinating, and completely loveable. The author takes usdeep inside his head and I never doubt it's a guy's point of view. Unfortunately, Claire fell a little flat for me. I struggled to like her her. I felt for her, I mean, who wouldn't with everything she was dealing with, but I just didn't love her the way I do so many of Ms. Cross's characters (Ellie from Chasing Truth, for example). This was a pretty character-heavy story and I had a tough time keeping some of the hockey players straight in my head, but Tate's and Claire's families came across in vivid color.

World Building
There's a lot of hockey here, something I didn't know that much about before reading Off the Ice. I feel as if I understand it better now. To me, it's always been "soccer played on ice with sticks." And maybe there's a little bit of that to it still, but it sounds a lot more interesting. I may even try to take in a San Diego Gulls game and watch it live.

What Didn't Work for Me
1. The romance. It wasn't that it didn't work so much as there wasn't ever a doubt they might not end up together. The romance lacked much in the way of overt conflict. It's almost as if these two teens were wise beyond their years when it came to relationships.

Top Five Things I Enjoyed About OFF THE ICE
1. The realness. I love that nothing was glossed over. The emotions, and feelings, and events were all written with such intensity, they grabbed me and pulled me into the story.

2. Tate. He's so deeply drawn, it's hard not to get such a sense of who he is and I love him all the more for his flaws.

3. Hockey. And not just the games. The practice and politics surrounding high school hockey was fascinating.

4. Cancer. No, I don't like cancer, but I love that the author didn't gloss over the ugly effects of this heinous disease.

5. Roger. Tate's stepfather grows more important in Tate's life throughout the story, so we catch glimpses of him early on, that grow more frequent as the book progresses until we get to see him for who he really is. Hint: he's one of the really good guys.

Bottom Line
Tate Tanley is the starting goalie on his high school hockey team in Minnesota, where hockey is a religion. Claire O'Connor is back in town from Northwestern University after her father is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. When she sees Tate for the first time in over a year, she realizes her best friend's little brother isn't so little anymore. Tate has had a massive crush on Claire most of his life, but he's always been the kid brother. Not anymore. These two dance around attraction mixed-up with a lifelong friendship set against Claire's dreams for her future and Tate's goals on and off the ice. It's a super sweet romance with deeply developed characters.

Plot
The romance is the primary plot, but it's missing that teen angst that I've grown to love in Julie Cross's stories. What it lacks in that department, it more than makes up for in the supporting plots. Tate's hockey career, college recruiting, and his relationship with his town-legend father. Claire has her issues with her dad's health and what she wants to do with her college career, saving her family's business, and more. Told from dual-points-of-view, there's a lot of territory covered.

The Characters
No one does characters like Julie Cross. Tate is complex, fascinating, and completely loveable. The author takes usdeep inside his head and I never doubt it's a guy's point of view. Unfortunately, Claire fell a little flat for me. I struggled to like her her. I felt for her, I mean, who wouldn't with everything she was dealing with, but I just didn't love her the way I do so many of Ms. Cross's characters (Ellie from Chasing Truth, for example). This was a pretty character-heavy story and I had a tough time keeping some of the hockey players straight in my head, but Tate's and Claire's families came across in vivid color.

World Building
There's a lot of hockey here, something I didn't know that much about before reading Off the Ice. I feel as if I understand it better now. To me, it's always been "soccer played on ice with sticks." And maybe there's a little bit of that to it still, but it sounds a lot more interesting. I may even try to take in a San Diego Gulls game and watch it live.

What Didn't Work for Me
1. The romance. It wasn't that it didn't work so much as there wasn't ever a doubt they might not end up together. The romance lacked much in the way of overt conflict. It's almost as if these two teens were wise beyond their years when it came to relationships.

Top Five Things I Enjoyed About OFF THE ICE
1. The realness. I love that nothing was glossed over. The emotions, and feelings, and events were all written with such intensity, they grabbed me and pulled me into the story.

2. Tate. He's so deeply drawn, it's hard not to get such a sense of who he is and I love him all the more for his flaws.

3. Hockey. And not just the games. The practice and politics surrounding high school hockey was fascinating.

4. Cancer. No, I don't like cancer, but I love that the author didn't gloss over the ugly effects of this heinous disease.

5. Roger. Tate's stepfather grows more important in Tate's life throughout the story, so we catch glimpses of him early on, that grow more frequent as the book progresses until we get to see him for who he really is. Hint: he's one of the really good guys.

Bottom Line
OFF THE ICE is a sweet small-town high school romance. A Friday Night Lights for the hockey crowd.

I absolutely LOVED this story! I can't wait to read more!

After a friend told me about Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross and I read and loved it, I couldn't wait to read more from her. That book was so much fun to read, it was refreshing and sweet and everything I love in a good YA/NA sports romance. So I jumped when offered the chance to read Off the Ice, especially since I am a huge hockey fan. So it was a bit disappointing that I struggled so much with this book.

Claire O'Connor returns home from college to help her dad and the family business, with the promise to herself that her time there will be short. As soon as things return to normal, she will be gone again. But once there, she finds that Tate Tanley isn't just a part of her past, and he is no longer the same guy she remembers. The attraction between them is stronger than ever, and besides the fact that she is leaving again, Tate is about to become the hockey team's new star player. While she swore off Juniper Falls hockey players, Claire soon realizes that there just might be more there between her and Tate than she can ignore.

I had a tough time relating to these characters and because of that I never felt fully invested in them. I couldn't connect with them and it felt like there was so much going on around them that they were hardly the focus of the story. I wanted more hockey and more romance, and instead we got more of Claire's struggles with her dad and the business and Tate's being scouted. It just felt like the romance and relationship were a bit lost here and I wanted to see more of that than I felt like we did.

Overall, there were some good parts to this story but it just wasn't what I was expecting. Because I had loved everything about Whatever Life Throws at You, I expected this one to be similar and to really see Tate and Claire really shine here. Unfortunately they felt like such a small part of this story and it just ended up being okay for me when I think that I could have really loved this one.

Being a fan of sports romance, I loved this book, because it was heartfelt, sweet and loveable family dynamics.

I don't know what it is about athletes, but I am a sucker for a good sports romance. I was obsessed with Julie's Whatever Life Throws at You and couldn't wait to read her YA hockey romance!

Claire O'Conner has always had big dreams of singing and performing and finally getting out of Juniper Falls. But a family tragedy has her back from her semester away at school and back working in her parents' hockey bar. Before she left, Tate Tanley was an awkward boy who happened to be one of her friends. A year later and Tate is definitely not a boy anymore and he's found himself as the school's starting varsity hockey goalie. Tate can't believe that Claire is back and can't forget the feelings he felt for her before she left. But with the pressures they're both feeling from their parents and responsibilities, can a relationship really work between them?

I've got to say, when I first started this book, it was a bit difficult to get into. Once the story picked up, though, I couldn't put this book down. I absolutely loved how important hockey was to the small town of Juniper Falls and how everyone knew everyone else's business. Tate felt so much pressure from the town and his father, who happened to be a hockey legacy, that he was finding it hard to live up to all of the expectations. Claire also had so much going on with her life and I loved how they could just be themselves with each other and be teenagers for once.

While Claire and Tate could relax around each other and find solace from their stressful lives, I also loved how they were brutally honest with each other and pushed each other to be their best selves. Even when they disagreed on something, the other wouldn't back down and made them look at things realistically while still being supportive. And have I mentioned the hockey yet? Because I loved how much ice time we got with Tate. While I wished Claire had watched him more, I was so happy we got to see Tate's time on the ice and the pressures he was facing to perform well. As a sports romance, this one had plenty of sports and plenty of romance, which definitely pleased me.

Overall, this was a cute story from Julie Cross. There were some serious moments, but also some playful moments between our main characters. Both of them were dealing with pretty serious problems regarding their families, which gave this book more depth than your average YA book. If you love sports romances and Julie Cross, you should definitely check out Off the Ice!

If you are looking for a wonderful little love story to chase away the winter blues, this is a great book to pick up. Short and fast paced, you will fall in love with the delightful cast of characters featured within these pages.

https://www.lostinlit.com/2017/03/hockey-dose-unrequited-love-off-ice-julie-cross/

I am a huge Julie Cross fan and I've done an interview with her that you can check out here!
Off the Ice is different to all Julie's other books, I expected it to be like Whatever Life Throws at you but it wasn't and I'm still not sure how I feel about that.

To read this book you don't have to be into hockey or sports at all because I really don't like sports but enjoyed reading about it.

Claire during this book was taking care of her father while Tate is trying to deal with his father. I quite like the difference between both of their fathers.

Have you read this book? Let me know your thoughts!

This was a cute story.With two realistic and lovable characters and an interesting plot.