Full Review added

All is fair in love and hockey…

Claire O’Connor is back in Juniper Falls, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be. One semester off, that’s what she promised herself. Just long enough to take care of her father and keep the family business—a hockey bar beside the ice rink—afloat. After that, she’s getting the hell out. Again.

Enter Tate Tanley. What happened between them the night before she left town resurfaces the second they lay eyes on each other. But the guy she remembers has been replaced by a total hottie. When Tate is unexpectedly called in to take over for the hockey team’s star goalie, suddenly he's in the spotlight and on his way to becoming just another egotistical varsity hockey player. And Claire’s sworn off Juniper Falls hockey players for good.

It’s the absolute worst time to fall in love.

For Tate and Claire, hockey isn’t just a game. And they both might not survive a body check to the heart.

I have to hand it to Julie Cross, she knows her hockey. I love hockey and unlike some authors who write a "hockey" book and then forget it's about hockey, she actually wrote about it. I loved that. What really resonated with me was Claire. I know what it's like to have to do without and take care of your parents. Sometimes it's really hard and choices have to be made. Sacrifices have to be made and I liked the way it was handled in the book. There were a lot of side characters in this book that kind of made it murky at times. I almost thought there were too many at times and maybe it needed to be scaled down some. The overall storyline was really well-done. I thought each character was well thought out and had depth. I would recommend it for ages 18+ because of adult themes but otherwise is was an overall quick, good read. I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series and adding it to my collection. Great start to a new series.

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on NetGalley for an honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.

Guys, I think it's happening... I'm growing out of young adult romances full of teen angst. I was really excited for this book and I ended up not liking it as much as I wanted to.

First of all, I didn't connect with the characters at all and I'm sad with that because they could have had such amazing personalities and stories but in the end it didn't work for me. Both Claire and Tate had a lot going with their lives and a lot of responsibilities but while this book had some difficult themes it didn't work for me mostly because I didn't connect with them. I also didn't like them together. I couldn't see the chemistry between them and I didn't understand why they were together at all. Also, this was really slow book and mostly because there were a lot of things happening in a short span of time. There was Claire's family problems, Tate's family problems, Tate's ex-girlfriend problems, his teammates problems, there was also a lot of hockey drama. A lot of things were happening and none of them really caught my attention and it sucks because I think some of the topics talked about are really important and should be talked about more but it just didn't work for me. As I said before, it had too much teen angst and too much drama that for me it was mostly unnecessary.

Here's another one of my main problems, while this book was told both from Claire and Tate's POV I still think it wasn't well done. They both had very similar voices and there were a few times that I only knew whose POV it was if I saw their names or the right pronouns to each one of them.

Overall, I didn't particularly enjoyed this book. I just think it would have been way better if it didn't deal with so much stuff and if it wasn't so slow but if you think this is something you would like you should give it a try.

rab your coats and your snow-shoes! This is the best kind of cold! Curl up and enjoy a sweet romance to warm your heart! I love Tate and Claire. The beginning of the story introduces us to both characters. We learn just enough to fall in love with them and it makes you want to know more. I want to take a moment just to acknowledge a fantastic author. I read and LOVED Chasing Truth (The Eleanor Ames series, #1), and fell in love with Julie Cross' writing. I am sure that I have read another of her books prior, but the title slips my mind at the moment.

This was a really cute read and, as a plus, had plenty of hockey being played in it. Off the Ice tells the story of Claire, a music student back in her hometown following her dad's operation, and Tate, a hockey goalie, who gets a starting spot on the team after the starting goalie drops out of the team.

Firstly, I really liked Claire and Tate's relationship, and the development of that relationship. They were both so supportive of the other, and it wasn't just a relationship based on physical aspects. The supporting cast of characters was also great, if at times, maybe underdeveloped (though more so with the characters who didn't appear so much, like Jamie and Tate's mum, which is understandable).

It was also so nice to see that there was no girls hating on other girls. I know this is a low standard to hold a book to, but when the plot has it like in this book, with one girl still in love with the main male character, while he and the main female character are getting together, all too often it seems to turn into girls hating on each other. But it didn't here (they even became friends), and that was lovely.

The book does also include child abuse and parents putting huge amounts of pressure on their child to do a sport. It seems to do well in dealing with that plot line, and what was nice to see was it wasn't thrown in at the end almost like an afterthought. It was set out from the start that the book would include this in it. A lot of books seem to have a tendency to just throw it in there, without any warning, and it feels almost as if they are treating the abuse as just another angsty plot point.

What would have been nice, though, would be if the book had also addressed the hockey team's coach's abusive behaviour. Because that's what it was. He made Tate face slapshots with only a glove, stick, and helmet, and that's incredibly dangerous. But it's kind of shrugged off by the players as "normal" for their coach. Which I could understand, if they don't know any other way, but Claire also sees their practice going on and notes how pressurised it is. And does nothing else. I hope that later books will address this though.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I'm really looking forward to more of this series.

Claire has returned home from college to help the family business while her father recuperates from a life-threatening illness. Assuming staggering responsibilities, helping run the business and dealing with financial debt, Claire is dealing with a lot. But spending time with Tate, the guy she had previously only thought of as her best friend's younger brother, helps her step away from the responsibilities and have something just for herself.

Tate is dealing with school, an ex-girlfriend, a fractured relationship with his father, and he's just been named the starting goalie for his team. The pressure is intense and he is floundering. He's had feelings for Claire for years and with her back at home he finds himself seeking her out again and again. When little else in his life is making sense, Claire seems to be the one thing that does.

Off the Ice started a bit rocky for me. I felt like some things weren't explained well and I was a little murky on details (and readers like me with zero hockey knowledge are at a bit of a disadvantage). Even so, I was quickly invested in the story which was made easy with such genuinely likable main characters. Both Claire and Tate were mature young adults with a lot on their shoulders. They had great chemistry (those kissing scenes - whoa, baby!) and I loved their honesty and openness with each other. (There is one sex scene that is handled perfectly, with tenderness and humor and just felt so genuine.) These were characters that truly had each other's best interest at heart and were incredibly supportive of one another.

There were a lot of themes touched on within the novel (some could argue perhaps too many) and covered the extreme pressure in competitive sports, illness of a parent, abuse, friendship, and the transition into young adulthood. Even with so much going on I never felt anything was glossed over or treated as a cliché. Instead, Cross managed to create complex main characters that were anything but cookie cutter. Not only were Claire and (the oh-so-swoony) Tate well developed but there was also a full cast of secondary characters that made for a richer story. (Is it too early to hope that the next Juniper Falls book focuses on Tate's best friend, Leo?)

Off the Ice is a solid mature YA contemporary romance filled with emotional topics and tempered with all the romance of first love. I recommend this one to fans of YA contemporary and sports romance and I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.

A fun and sweet book that dealt with love, loss, illness, family, relationships and so much more. Loved the writing and the characters!!

Off the Ice is the first book in the young adult Juniper Falls series by Julie Cross. I have read a bunch of Julie’s books, and I love how diverse of an author she is. She can write all genres and moods of stories. I really enjoyed Off the Ice and I can’t wait to continue on in the series. It was a bit more drama filled than I was expecting. This is not a super light and fluffy young adult contemporary. This story has some grit to it.

Off The Ice is the story of Claire and Tate. I liked both Claire and Tate but it took me some time to warm up to them. I didn’t instantly fall in love with them. In fact, the whole story takes some time to warm up. Off the Ice has a slower, more deliberate pace than some of Julie’s other stories. I could even see this story appealing to both young adult and new adult fans. It is upper young adult in my opinion, and the characters bridge the gap between high school and starting college age. Claire and Tate each have their own issues and demons they are dealing with, and it takes them awhile to really get to know each other in a meaningful way. I liked that we were on their meandering journey right along with them. And when they did start to open up to one another, it was great!

Off the Ice was a good read. One I really enjoyed, and I the world of Juniper Falls is one I will enjoy traveling back to. I love Hockey romances, but a lot of this story does take place off the ice. (get it?) There are a lot of other issues falling on Tate and Claire’s shoulders, so there is a lot explored within these pages. At times, it felt like the story was trying to do too much and touch on too many things at once. It was a bit overwhelming at some points, but overall it was a very good read. Off the Ice is going to be great for fans of sports romances that like a healthy dose of drama and real world issues thrown in.

3.5 Stars

I love that hockey books are becoming a thing. As an avid hockey fan (go Sharks!), I was sad to see so many sports romance books that only revolved around football or baseball, and when hockey was used, it was just a general mention. "He played center." "The game was exciting." No details, no setting the scene, nothing. But that's not the case anymore, there's hockey books everywhere! And while some still fall short of capturing this amazing sport, there are quite a few that seem to know what's up.

In Juniper Falls, hockey is a way of life. If you don't play, you aren't important. No one cares about your future - only your right now. Tate Tanley lives in his fathers shadow. Everyone remembers the great Keith Tanley, but the side they didn't see was what sent Tate to the hospital with a broken arm many nights ago.When Tate gets promoted to starting goalie on the varsity team, suddenly his father is back and is everywhere. Tate is just trying to figure out what he wants. He knows he loves hockey, but the game doesn't feel his. It feels like it's his fathers and he wants to be as far away from that man as he can get.

Claire O'Connell has had her share of bad times. Leaving school a year early after getting accepted to Northwestern, she's back when her father suffers a health emergency. She's the only one who knows what happened with Tate and his father that night with the broken arm. But Tate isn't that scrawny boy she remembers. And as she falls harder and harder for him, she also sees the darkness that's eating away at him. Having to deal with her own demons doesn't help the situation.

This is my second book from Cross and I still enjoy her writing style. Her characters are alive, the situations believable, and the writing just flows. I loved the camaraderie between Tate and his teammates. And Cross does a good job at showing just how important friends and being part of a team are to high school students. High school is tough. No one knows really who they are or who they want to be so most are just living in the now. And that's what Juniper Falls captures. The now. But Off the Ice shows what happens when you begin to live for tomorrow.

Normally I wouldn't pick up a YA book but since this was a hockey book I decided to give it a try. I thought Cross's book was a great read for young adults but could also be read by an older audience and still be enjoyable. Knowledge of hockey isn't really needed. I did wish there was a bit more closure at the end of the story and hope that next book gives a bit more details to these characters.

4.5 for this Sighworthy Story!

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Off the Ice by Julie Cross. She is a new to me author and I can't be more happy that I took a chance on her. I give her a 4.5 stars for this young adult story with the gritty situations that make it feel real! I admit the story didn't hook me right away as I had trouble distinguishing the character's voices' but as I got to know Claire and Tate they became people I cared about along with the people in their lives. I can't wait to see where Ms. Cross goes next with this series.

Off the Ice by Julie Cross......This was an entertaining hockey story, that kept me flipping pages. I enjoyed watching Claire and Tate's story unfold. The characters were very relatable and likeable. This is my first book by this author and she has gained a new reader. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book from publisher via NetGalley.

This is the first book I’ve read by Julie Cross, I wanted to read it because I love sport romance, well let me tell you this book isn’t just hockey it’s also about family.

Claire returns to Juniper Falls to help with a bar, and Tate is given a life opportunity. Love can’t be planned, but the story we find in this book show us that even though the circumstances aren’t ideal and they find themselves struggling with their own believes and convictions, it definitely pays it at the end.

Actually, 4.5 stars!
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Off the Ice by Julie Cross. This first book in her Juniper Falls series is told by Tate and Claire through alternating points of view beginning in the prologue. The story picks up one year later in Chapter One. Claire is two years older than Tate and she has taken a semester off of college because her dad has an inoperable brain tumor and she wants to be with him and help him and her mother. Tate is a high school junior and a varsity hockey player. The two have known each other since they were children and now their friendship is growing into something more. Tate feels like he has to live with his father overshadowing everything he does and it's suffocating him. Tate and Claire each have their own problems to deal with while trying to figure out their relationship and their future plans. A mature and realistic story line shows that being a young adult isn't always easy and the people around you are either helpful or harmful. 4.5 stars for a young adult story with the gritty situations that make it feel real!

So… yeah, so I don’t quite know what I was expecting from this book, but it sort of wasn’t what I got…

I’m gonna start with the writing, and here my impression of this book wasn’t the most amazing. The book is told in dual POV, first person, but my main problem here is that between Tate and Claire’s voice, there’s not much distinction. Both characters sound eerily similar and I wouldn’t know who was saying what if their names weren’t at the top of the chapter. This was one of the reasons that the writing didn’t totally work for me.

But my main problem was that this was a very busy book. There was way too much going on in the main characters’ lives, and around them. Way too much. It took me way too long to just distinguish between Tate’s friends. There’s the drama of their romance, Tate’s dad, Claire’s dad, Claire’s school, hockey, Haley, Mike, Leo, …

It could have been great, because everyone has issues and those were things that could have been all going on and it would have been fine, but the way they were written, they just felt like they were dragging the book down and made it way too busy. With way too much drama!

The main thing about this book is definitly family, familial obligations and responsibilities, and the weight of those things. I actually really liked this theme, and some of the ways it was explored, especially towards the end. I felt like both main characters grow up a lot throughout the book.

About Claire and Tate… I wasn’t particular fond of either of them, though I had nothing against them either. I just felt very indifferent towards them, and that’s not good. I understood their issues and their fears, and I liked that they leaned on each other and weren’t afraid to voice their true opinions. But even though the pacing of their relationship was towards slow at first, I still felt that it was lacking something.

Overall this book didn’t quite work for me, though I thought the story had loads of potential. It was just little things that ultimately didn’t do it for me. But give it a chance, it has some pretty strong topics and messages.

4.5 of 5 Stars

Julie Cross is victorious with OFF THE ICE, the first book in the Juniper Falls series. Claire O’Connor comes home to help run the family business while her father is recovering. The last thing she needs to do is get involved with her best friend’s younger brother, hockey goalie, Tate Tanley. This contemporary sports romance is suitable for new adult audiences. It takes pace in Juniper Falls, Minnesota.

Claire is a noble heroine. She worked hard to go away to college, but comes home when her father becomes ill to help the family business. She witnessed a dark secret about Tate that she keeps private. I enjoyed her reaction to Tate maturing. I like Tate. He has had a crush on Claire for a long time. They were good friends always hanging out with one another. He does not have a pleasurable relationship with his father. He has secrets and a lot of stress in his life. Tate and Claire make a cute couple with great chemistry.

I enjoyed the lot. Julie Cross does a nice job depicting life in a small town and the different pressures it has, especially for its athletes. I enjoyed the hockey scenes. It was engaging hearing Tate’s perspective on going from a backup to starting goalie. There were many engaging twists and drama. The story held me captivated from start to finish. This is the first book that I have read by Julie Cross. I will continue to follow this series. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Usually, I have to be in the mood to read a Young Adult Contemporary story, but Julie Cross’s Off the Ice was something that caught my attention, when I was reading the synopsis. The cover also caught my eye as well. It didn’t take me long to read Off the Ice, especially due to the storyline that Julie wrote for the characters.

Yes, I’m in my 30s, but I’ve enjoyed Young Adult books since I was a teenager and nothing will stop me from reading them. I’ll be in my 50s still reading all genre of books. 🙂 Plus, I tend to read YA to see if my girls will want to read them eventually too. I have a pre-teen that tends to read, when she has time and know she would enjoy Off the Ice. (but only when she’s a little older will I let her read Off the Ice since it does have some romance in the story that she would tend to shy away from)

One thing I really enjoyed about Off the Ice was actually the beginning of the story, when the characters are first introduced. Claire O’Connor ends up in a situation, where she handles it pretty well with a guy that she thought would be totally different. She also helps out the other main character Tate Tanley, when he gets in a sticky situation as well. Both of these characters are battling separate issues in the story and both issues touched my heart and made me feel for both of them.

Tate with his infatuation with Claire in the story, especially when she comes back from college temporarily. He wants to win her over and help her out with what she’s going through. Claire did help Tate over a year ago with his situation with his father.

Claire is going through so much in the story that I definitely wish I could’ve given her a hug. She’s back in town due to taking care of her father and the family business. Her focus is with her family and she put everything else in hold because her family needs her.

Tate + Claire = adorable together. These two went through so much in the story, and when they finally gave in to their feelings I was beyond happy for them both.

There is family drama in the story, especially with Tate and his dad (I didn’t like Tate’s dad at all). I did like Tate’s stepfather who was there for Tate.

I really liked being Juniper Falls and also reading a story that involved the sport hockey and also a couple of characters that needed each other a lot.

Julie Cross is a New-to-Me Author and I look forward to checking out the other books she has written and also checking out the next book in the Juniper Falls series.

I give this book 4 stars and highly recommend it to YA contemporary readers out there. If you are looking for a YA contemporary that has an adorable hockey player and a girl who loves her family then you’ll enjoy this story.

Review posted at http://abackwardsstory.blogspot.com/2017/02/review-off-the-ice-by-julie-cross.html on Feb. 27, 2017 as part of the OFF THE ICE blog tour.

While Julie Cross has written several novels at this point in her career, in multiple genres, it feels like she's written more sports-related romances than anything else, from baseball to gymnastics to ice hockey. In fact, while I've read quite a few books by her, the first one I read was her gymnastics-inspired LETTERS TO NOWHERE. Her new series, Juniper Falls, debuts tomorrow with OFF THE ICE. The book takes place in Juniper Falls, a town obsessed with ice hockey. It alternates between Tate's story and Claire's. What's really cool off the bat is that Cross plays with relationship stereotypes and breaks them. It's always the girl pining after her older brother's best friend, right? Not this time. Tate is a junior in high school and his sister's best friend Claire is in college. When she returns home to take care of her dad, she's stunned by the way Tate has grown up and into himself, while Tate is the one with a childhood crush! How about them apples??

Claire couldn't wait to get away from Juniper Falls and make something of herself. She wants to be on Broadway someday and loves going to Northwestern. Her father develops a nearly inoperable brain tumor that, once removed, leaves him on a long recovery path, so she comes home to help manage his bar and take care of him alongside her mother. She's bitter about leaving school, but doesn't want to leave her dad when he's so ill, either. She certainly doesn't expect to fall for Little Tate Tanley, her best friend Jody's younger brother. She grew up with Tate and never saw him as someone she could fall for...until now.

Tate never planned for his junior year of high school to get so out of control. He expected to fly under the radar until senior year, but when something happens to the Varsity Goalie, he must step up to fill the position. Suddenly, everyone is counting on him to take them all the way to States, and he doesn't think he's good enough. He should have had another year to get read, and the pressure to be ready now is ridiculous. On top of that, his super-star hockey father is riding him to break NCAA rules so that players will attend the college where he coaches. His childhood crush, Claire O'Connor is back in town, and she's finally noticing him. But she has so much family baggage to deal with and doesn't really want a relationship. Plus, his ex-girlfriend Haley wants to get back together so that she can win the title of Princess at the upcoming dance. With so much going on, it's really hard for Tate to keep his head in the game and get the job he was thrust into done.

There are a lot of issues at play in OFF THE ICE. This isn't a straight-forward romance novel, which is nice. I like when there's more depth and the characters have to work a little harder to get together. A lot of teens have experienced having to take care of a sick parent no longer capable of doing so him/herself, and will connect with Claire and what she's going through. Do they stay in school? What if there are money issues? What if their parent dies or gets worse while they're away at school? This book needs to find its way into the hands of teens and young adults going through this situation. It also needs to find its way to those constantly on the edge because a parent is abusive in public, and perfect in private. They need to know they aren't the only ones to suffer, that there is help available, that friends and family love you and want the best for you. Cross is great at showcasing both issues in a way that makes them a part of life for Claire and Tate, not a way that's ever preachy. The circumstances just are.

There is, of course, a lot of ice hockey, too, so this is a great book for readers who love the sport--or just love reading about sports in general. It's nice that one of the POVs is male. Even though it's a romance, a lot of male readers may pick this one up because they can relate with Tate. There's a lot of sports talk in this book, especially when college is on the horizon. If boys can get past the fact that it's also a romance novel, they might find they really enjoy this one! There aren't enough sports-related books for guys, and this could be one of them if they let it. (Though I could see them reading it on an e-reader so as not to show their classmates the "girly" cover!)

Also? This book has one of the BEST scenes where two people say "I love you" for the first time. I obviously won't tell you about it because SPOILERS, but I loved the scene and how unique and fun and intriguing it was!

There are a lot of great themes and issues at play in OFF THE ICE, and it's definitely more than a straight-forward romance, so it should appeal to a lot of readers!

One year ago eighteen-year-old Claire O'Connor left her small Minnesota town to study music at Northwestern University. The night before she left two events forged the path that would set the course of her return to town. After a near hook up with Luke Pratt, the guy she's had a crush on for a long time ends in disaster she flees the apartment over the bar her family owns just in time to see her best friend Jody's father verbally then physically attack Jody's younger brother, Tate. Claire inserts herself into the argument and realizes that in his drunken rage Tate's father has broken Tate's arm. Claire takes him to the hospital and later makes him promise to never stop being the sweet guy he is, to never turn into a hockey player player.

A year later, after her father was diagnosed and treated for a supposedly inoperable brain tumor, Claire is back in town to help keep the family business afloat. Nothing about Juniper Falls, Minnesota has changed. Hockey is still the only thing that matters, the players are treated like gods, and no matter the outcome of the game, come Friday night after the hockey game O'Connor's bar is full of patrons. Claire's family needs the money badly - for medical bills and other expenses - so she's not complaining. All she needs to do is survive in the town that never understood her for one semester then she can go back to school.

Meanwhile, Tate Tanley's life is changing. He hasn't forgotten the night that Claire took him to the hospital, nor the crush on her he's kept hidden for years - and now she's back in town. Right at the time that his focus needs to be on the game. The starting Varsity goalie quit the team and chose his responsibilities over hockey and the team, the town, and his overbearing father is all depending on him to make sure they make it to State. After all, the offense may win the game, but the goalie loses it for the team. He shouldn't be spending so much time thinking about Claire, but he can't help himself.

When Claire sees Tate again he's no longer the small, scrawny kid with braces she left behind and the feelings seeing him again sparks in her are anything but what she should be feeling for her friend's younger brother. But like moths to a flame, they become unable to stay away from each other.

But with responsibilities and other people's hopes and dreams bearing down on them, do Claire and Tate really stand a chance of being together? Or will their circumstances tear them apart?

Off the Ice is easily one of my favorite reads so far this year. For Contemporary YA Fiction it's a light enjoyable read filled with enough plot to satisfy a reader. I found both Claire and Tate's individual stories, as well as the development of their relationship, to be realistic and believable. I loved watching them fall in love and wondering what was going to happen next or whether someone or something was going to tear them apart.

As someone who's had family members with cancer, Claire's story especially spoke to me and I could relate to the struggles she and her family had. At the same time, my heart broke for Tate with the situation with his father.

For the first book in a series, I enjoyed the groundwork the author set up while also telling Claire and Tate's story. I loved all of Tate's teammate and I'm sure they'll pop up in the books to come; I'm interested to see what their stories will be and learn more about them.

The only thing that didn't make sense to me was why all the financial stress was placed on Claire's shoulders. If her father was a single parent it would have made sense, but Claire has a mother, an aunt, and at least one uncle so why was it her job to handle phone calls regarding the payment of medical and household bills?

Overall, I loved reading Off the Ice. The story grabbed me right away and I became wrapped up, unable to stop reading. I felt satisfied with the ending and I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the next book!