Having read (and totally enjoyed) Cross's Off the Ice earlier this year, I was excited to return to Juniper Falls. And Haley and Fletcher's story did not disappoint.

Fletcher keeps a low profile and does his best to steer clear of his small town's gossip mill. So when popular girl Haley, head cheerleader and Juniper Fall's Princess, asks him to be her partner for a summer school class project he's wary of any involvement. But Haley is persistent and before he knows it they're meeting for study sessions and maybe she isn't the snobby mean girl he assumed she was. Even so, Fletch has plenty of reasons to keep his distance - he and his family have been burned by gossip before and he can't afford to take any chances. He's better off keeping most people at arm's length and not getting too close... right?

Haley was forced to face some hard truths about herself after a break-up. Now she's determined to ace her summer school class and get into a college with a top notch cheerleading squad. Fletcher Scott seems like the perfect class partner but he's stand-offish and secretive. The more time they spend together the more she appreciates the glimpses she sees of another side of Fletch, but Fletch makes no secret of the fact that while he has no problem hooking up, he has no interest in dating. And now the girl who'd sworn off boys until college is falling for the guy who is determined to keep his secrets.

I really loved Haley and Fletcher - separately and together. They were both complicated, flawed characters that felt so realistic. Haley defied the mean girl/cheerleader stereotype and was refreshingly self-aware. Fletcher was dealing with issues that were literally life and death and was, understandably, unwilling to take chances. I loved watching as these two slowly got to know one another and overcame their preconceived ideas about each other. The evolution of their relationship felt so genuine and was filled with flirty banter, hurt feelings, honesty, and some seriously swoony moments.

One of my favorite aspects of Breaking the Ice was the cast of secondary characters. From Haley's friends Jamie and Leo, to Fletcher's dad and grandpa, this was a group that was equal parts supportive, understanding and willing to give a dose of hard truth when needed. Getting to revisit favorite characters from Off the Ice was a total bonus.

While Breaking the Ice is the second entry in the Juniper Falls series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. Readers who enjoy realistic YA romance will surely enjoy Haley and Fletcher's story as much as I did.

When I first read the synopsis for Breaking the Ice, I thought I had it all figured out. Popular girl falls for the nerdy kid and realizes he’s not so nerdy after all. But this book is so much more than that!

Haley Stevenson is the head cheerleader, Princess of Juniper Falls, and all around popular girl. But try as she might, she can’t seem to conquer her Civics class so she finds herself repeating it again in summer school. What she doesn’t expect to find there is Fletcher Scott, who is truly an enigma, and frankly, kind of a jerk. I loved the relationship between this two characters! It was intense, but sweet and was a perfect addition to this series.

Haley was first introduced in Off the Ice, and we see a side of her that probably isn’t her at her best. She comes into Breaking the Ice having learned a lot about herself, but she’s still doubtful that she’s a good person. Her relationship with Fletcher not only helps her to see who she truly is, but it also lets her see what love is really like. By the end of the book, I really connected with Haley and was so glad to see her get her happy ever after.

And then there’s Fletcher Scott. Fletcher is quiet, smart, and tries his hardest to blend into the background. His family has been plagued by rumors for years, and now that things have calmed down, he doesn’t want to draw them back into the spotlight. Plus Fletcher has secrets of his own. Secrets that could kill him and he should really share them with others. But fear and anger hold him back. It isn’t until he starts spending more time with Haley that he too, starts to find himself.

i just cannot stress enough how much I loved this book! This series is one that is sticking on my radar and I really hope that Julie Cross continues with this series and we see more of Juniper Falls. There’s a few other characters that I would love to hear their stories. If you love ya contemps, and you love sweet sports romances, then you need to pick up this book. I promise you will not be disappointed!

When I read Off the Ice, Tate became an instant favorite of mine. But he must step aside and make room for Fletcher. Fletcher just knocked Tate out of the way! Haley and Fletcher's story was touching. There was connection to the characters. Breaking the Ice was real and genuine. Its not just a fling, its more than that. It's about not letting fear get in the way. And I love how appreciative Fletcher is of Haley. He's also a bit mysterious. And I LOVE that in a male character. It's not excessive to the extent that you can't figure him out. It's just enough.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of the book.

I'm a fan of YA but tend to stick to fantasy and stay far away from contemporary because it sort of gives me the literary equivalent of blue balls. However, I made an exception for Breaking the Ice because hockey. I've discovered that if a book features hockey, I'm all about it. I don't even watch the sport but whatever, I'm weird, just go with it. The point of all of this is I struggled with the book initially (and a few times intermittently along the way) because of the plot drama inherent to the teenage set and the vague allusions to intimacy - but the characters and storyline were just so good. After the first two chapters, I just could not put the book down (and I totally planned on reading a few chapters then moving to something else and then coming back, etc.). The way that Haley and Fletcher's personalities were revealed layer by layer as they learned more about each other and accidentally slipped into this sweet relationship with other was just fantastic. It actually has made me rethink my stance on YA contemporaries, and I definitely want to read more from Julie Cross, particularly about the Juniper Falls crew. I loved the small town setting, the real life issues, and the focus on family and friendships as well as love. 4 out of 5 wine glasses.

Really good book but not something I would be interested in reading again! It would be great for teenagers

A little bit less enjoyable than the first book in the series but still worth reading. There are plenty of references to and appearances from previous characters. Features allergies in a way I've personally never read before. Overall I enjoyed reading this book and would continue if any more books were released but I do feel it was a little bit lackluster compared to the first book.

Everything I loved about the first book, OFF THE ICE, and none of the things that bothered me, are included in this second book in the series. I absolutely adore this installment by one of my favorite young adult authors, Julie Cross. To say that Juniper Falls Princess, Haley Stevenson, and nerdy Fletcher Scott are opposites would be the understatement of the century, yet these two mismatched personalities are clearly soul mates. While they have gone to the same school for years, Fletcher avoids the social universe that Haley orbits in, so when they wind up in the same summer school Civics class, things heat up. Fletcher can't ignore the fact that he's attracted to Haley, but isn't willing to change his ways to act on that attraction. Haley is infuriated by Fletcher's obvious interest and unwillingness to do anything about it.

But Fletch has issues. Big ones that Haley will learn about in the worst way possible. But Fletch also learns that Haley is anything but the self-absorbed, superficial princess he's always believed her to be. Julie Cross ramps up the angst in this book and it's as delicious as anything she's ever written.

Plot
For a romance, there was a fair amount going on. Haley has a personal journey as does Fletcher, but in addition, they both have external goals, including Fletcher's position on the hockey team and Haley's need to get a decent grade in Civics over the summer. Each subplot impacts the main storyline, making for a wonderfully plotted teen romance.

The Characters
I absolutely adored both characters. Haley took a good few chapters to grow on me, but Fletcher is total book boyfriend material from page one and only gets hotter through the story. Both have plenty of depth, though Fletcher has a lot more layers, which makes him infinitely intriguing. It was fun to see Tate Tanley, Jamie, Mike, Claire, and the rest of the group from the first book again, and it was especially nice to see Tate and Haley get a little closure on their relationship after it ended so abruptly in the first book.

World Building
Once again, the author drew me into the world of amateur hockey. It may not be a big sport here, but she has a way of making me want to watch it whenever I read one of her books. There's also a little bit about Fletcher's secret life that rounds the story out nicely and seems particularly well researched.

Top Five Things I Loved About BREAKING THE ICE
1. Food allergies. As the mother of three children with Celiac disease, it was refreshing to see this addressed in an open, honest, and non-judgmental way.

2. Heat. For a teen romance, there is plenty of heat without ever crossing a line. I love the way Julie Cross is able to consistently bring this in her books without it ever feeling stale.

3. Fletcher. One of the more interesting protagonists I've read in a long time. He's introspective, angry, angsty, and oh yeah, hot.

4. Haley. I wasn't sure how much I'd like the Princess of Juniper Falls, but she made me care about her more than I thought I would.

5. Fletch's job. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just say that the scenes at his place of employment are among my favorite in the entire book.

Bottom Line
BREAKING THE ICE is a wonderful young adult romance with plenty of heat and with a little something extra, that I won't spoil, but you'll know what I mean when you read it.

Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, Julie Cross nailed it once again. This was a fantastic read from start to finish for tons of reasons.

I'll start with Fletcher because he really surprised me. Talk about layers! He was unlike any other character I've ever read and I immediately fell in love with him. I loved all his secrets and his little Fletcher-isms. He has this confidence about him yet he's vulnerable at the same time and I loved how Haley brought that out in him.

I'll be the first to admit, I didn't like Haley when we first meet her Off the Ice. But she had this great character development in that first novel and it carries right on into this one. This series really succeeds in focusing on individual character stories and growing these characters in a way that doesn't rely solely on the romance but enhances it.

What I mean is that these two challenge each other in a variety of ways and that drives their individual character growth. They aren't changing to be with the other person; they're changing because they need to grow up as people and break the box they've put themselves in to be a better individual--something I think gets lost in a lot of YA contemporaries but doesn't here.

It works here because this is very much a slow burn romance. These two have fantastic chemistry and attraction from the start but they take their time getting to those romantic feelings. Instead, they learn about each other and develop this understanding and respect that brings them closer together. You can't help but root for them to fall in love as you watch that.

The only reason this book isn't an outright 5/5 for me is that it was missing that little something. It's hard to pinpoint what that is but I think it's the fact that the plot seemed to be a little all over the place in the start. I just felt like it took awhile to get to the crux of what these two needed to figure out. The latter half of the novel is great--that's where all the development happens--but the first half just seems subdued when it could have been a little more enticing.

This is the second Julie Cross book that I'm reading, and by what I've read so far I can say that what she does best when it comes to writing is make it feel incredibly honest. What I also love about this book (and the series) is how the characters just jump off the page, they're vivid, they seem realistic. All I could think about while reading this book was how well the topics in this book are delineated.
While I was left with a few questions, and there was a scenario that played out in a way that I don't think it will in real life, I still enjoyed this book a great deal and I recommend it.

Breaking the Ice is a high school romance that is an easy and entertaining read. The characters are extremely well written and believable.

Fletcher, our hero, was interesting and funny even with some of the very serious struggles he had dealt with in his life. I loved his secret part time job. His zany family was well written and fun as well and I hope his sweet younger cousin will get his own book in the future.

I liked Haley, our heroine, but I will say she was a kind of shallow in the beginning. I think I would have found her annoying but she aware of how vapid she had been in the past and was genuinely trying to grow as a person. Plus, she was never really a "mean girl" which is always really hard for me to get past.

I liked the two characters together and rooted for their romance from the start of the book till the end.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary NA or YA romance.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

received in exchange for a honest review.

This was good. I enjoyed watching Haley learn about herself and Fletcher. I liked seeing Fletcher reach out to Haley and learn to give her a chance even after all he went through and has going on.

Haley is a strong stubborn female lead. She does sort of push people to do what she wants and sees this more and more as she is with Fletcher. She learns that sometimes there are reasons for the way some are and to listen. she learns about herself in the process as well. here she is in summer school and needs a Civics partner to get a A. So she invites Fletcher to be hers since he is smart and the teacher likes him. Only to her Fletcher seems to rebuke her at every turn.

Fletcher is a very closed off and with good reason. Only sometimes he takes it to far. He is a good guy and sweet just he lives a very different life. His family has been in the rumor mill and is now just being forgotten. He has so many allergies it is hard for him to be out around people without the fear of something happening. Part of his life he was home schooled due to this but also because of a incident in grade school. An incident he never forgot. When Haley invites him to be her partner his world changes. He learns to open up and take risks and even learns to trust people. He gains friends to help him with his hockey and he helps them in the process as well. He shows them that the teasing of people is wrong and they learn to become more mindful of their actions. Fletcher at times is an idiot towards Haley but is called out on it. He also has a intriguing job. One that catches Haley’s eye but also shows us the heat of the attraction between the two of them.

The supporting characters are fun and entertaining. I loved Fletcher’s cousin and how he was more insightful than Fletcher but also helped him see what he was doing and how he felt.

The story is well written and we get both Fletcher’s and Haley’s thoughts in a round about way. It is a quick fun read about two people learning to take risks and learn about each other and themselves while finding out they want to be together.

I'm a huge Julie Cross fan but I didn't connect with this one as much. I loved the plot and the journey Haley went on but it wasn't my favourite book ever.

3.5 stars!!

This is the second in a series of standalone teen romances and has ‘real’ teen characters, flaws and all. Haley Stevenson has been the ‘Queen Bee’ in Juniper Falls, but is struggling to achieve the GPA she needs, has relationship problems and is having to attend summer school in an effort to enable her to achieve her personal goals. She’s also determined to avoid distracting male influences until she gets to college. In her Civics class she is paired with Fletcher Scott, a quiet, studious guy who also enjoys hockey but seems to spend most of his time on the bench. He’s determined to make the hockey team and achieve his academic targets without being distracted by his beautiful, attractive, study partner…. She’s Miss Popular, he’s Mr Invisible - what a great recipe for opposites attracting!

This story deals sensitively with a number of issues including learning disabilities, bullying and living with severe food allergies. The latter issue is particularly pertinent to me as someone very close to me has such allergies - though not to as many allergens as this character, so I found it very easy to relate to the parental concerns and problems he encountered. The chemistry between the two main characters was fantastic, especially as they were so reticent to become romantically involved with each other. I thought the revelations from the past were superbly handled, showing how guilt and getting to know others can alter attitudes and relationships.

So, if you’re looking for a feel good teen romance which also deals with some pertinent issues in a sensitive and informing way as part of the storyline, grab yourself a copy of this engaging story!

I requested and received a copy of this novel, via NetGalley. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.

Breaking the Ice was one of those cute romances that didn’t go as you expected but the reader was immersed in the characters’ world right from the start.

Haley is the hometown sweetheart who has grown from a somewhat shallow princess to an amazing individual.

Fletcher likes his enigmatic life, but he is smart, sexy and has secrets that Haley just wants to unravel.

Delightfully reminiscent of a Breakfast Club atmosphere, Haley and Fletcher are thrown together in a summer class, igniting a friendship, romance and individual growth that comes with any great storytelling.

I received this ARC copy of Breakign the Ice from Entangled Publishing, LLC - Entangled: Teen. This is my honest and voluntary review. Breakign the Ice is set for publication December 26, 2017.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Julie Cross
Series: Juniper Falls
Sequence in Series: Book 2
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Publication Date: December 26, 2017
ISBN-10: 1633758982
ISBN-13: 978-1633758988
Genre: YA | Romance

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/pa/book/brea...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Junip...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/brea...

Reviewed for: http://tomtender.blogspot.com

3 likes

Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Breaking the Ice by Julie Cross! Fletcher seems to have many things he wants to hide and Haley has a good heart and great values. The two of them are working on a class project together and sometimes get along fairly well and at other times they can barely tolerate each other. I enjoyed Off the Ice (the first book in the Juniper Falls series) immensely and Breaking Ice is just as good, dealing with bullying, sexuality, family, learning disabilities and the stressful experience of intense allergies. Unique aspects of solitude and the consequences of social and parental pressures are addressed also. I love the dancing and the teacher who’s willing to work with and help her students based on their individual needs! The only drawback is the often used f-word, which I felt was unnecessary to the story being told. 4.5 stars for a thought provoking story!

Please note: even though this is the second in the Juniper Falls series, it can be read as a standalone.

And with this book, I shall officially end 2017. I can think of no better way to end a rather successful reading year with a steamy read with my favorite trope ever, the friends to lovers.

Let me tell you, friends, this was something else. Fletcher and Haley are so damn stubborn in their feelings, it drove me insane! But it was such a fun tortue, I couldn't help but read on in the hopes that they got it together. I enjoyed every minute of them together and their sarcasm. I seriously love characters that are sarcastic. And the best part of the their interactions? They actually talked things out. Any misunderstandings were cleared up almost right away.

I also need to point out some really awesome rep in this book. Food allergies and their severity are one of the focal points in this book as Fletcher is allergic to a lot of different types of food. I think that is awesome because I honestly can't remember the last book I read where they talked about food allergies in such a informative way.

I must also mention the ADHD rep with Haley. Too often, girls aren't diagnosed properly with ADHD. Even though Haley wasn't officially diagnosed, she was on her way to being diagnosed. I personally do not have ADHD so I cannot confidently say how accurate the rep is but it was good to see it in the book. I hope it helps girls who have ADHD feel like they are not alone and they can be successful in life.

Overall, this was a great book. Haley and Fletcher were just so great. Their interactions were so much fun and steamy. The rep for food allergies and ADHD were great. (I think, for 2018, I need to look up better adjectives). I will definitely be checking out the rest of this series, with the hopes that Fletcher and Hayley are in them.

I loved this book it was so good. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Even though the plot of this book sounds ridiculous if I were to write it all out (stripping/samba lessons... really???) but it just works. I loved it and want more, like right now.

Breaking the Ice by Julie Cross is book two in her Juniper Falls series, though it can be read as a standalone.  It is a contemporary young adult novel about small towns, hockey, and opposites attracting. 
 
This novel features Hayley Stevenson (Tate's ex from book one, Off the Ice), who is taking Civics during summer school to improve her grade, and the boy she convinces to be her civics project partner, Fletcher Scott, is a nerdy, yet mysterious, boy that Hayley can't help but want to figure out even though she's sworn off boys until college since her last relationship ended.
 
Fletcher Scott wants to remain out of the limelight especially because of his family's past and his current moonlighting gig.  Helping his family on the farm, staying ahead in his studies, and trying to convince the ice hockey coach he's good enough for varsity, despite his allergies and asthma, has all his attention.  He has no time for relationships, nor does he want one.  But after spending time with Hayley he soon finds himself changing his stance on his no relationship policy.  Will these two unlikely partners find more than what they anticipated?  
 
Julie Cross's Breaking the Ice is a great continuation to her Juniper Falls series with returning characters from her previous book making an appearance.  Not only do they show up, they also play a part in the storyline that I didn't see coming and found interesting.  
 
Hayley and Fletcher are very likable characters.  Their interaction is endearing though sometimes frustrating with their back and forth hesitancy, while their chemistry is off the charts. Fletcher and Hayley seem completely different, but they mesh so well together. Fletcher, who seems older than his years, especially because of his experiences, compliments Hayley, who is completely social and a planner, but not as put together as she appears. They bring out aspects about each other that make each of them better. I also appreciated how Julie Cross’s story included important subjects like bullying, learning disabilities, and living with severe/life threatening allergies. My only issue was that it seemed to end abruptly and I wanted more of a resolution or an epilogue. Hopefully, we’ll get to see Hayley and Fletcher in future books because I’d love to know what happens next.
 
Overall, Breaking the Ice by Julie Cross was an enjoyable story that I happily recommend.  With both old and new characters, it was great to return back to Juniper Falls. I look forward to reading more by this author.

(I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)

Perfect way to heat up the cold winter nights. Julie Cross brings you a great YA book with a touch of spice. Readers will be drawn in and anxious for more. If you loved OFF THE ICE, you will enjoy this continuation with fresh central characters to fall in love with. Definitely recommend!