Once again, Julie Cross delivers with a light-hearted, yet deeply emotional story that is so much fun. Sport, romance, coming of age, friendship, family, fears and dreams all come together in a story that lets you sink in to it and happily stay awhile. No matter how many Julie Cross books I have read and loved, still she surprises me with characters that are deeply layered and stereotype-defying, and romance that just knocks my socks off.

Haley Stevenson is failing her high school civics class, still reeling from a relationship breakdown, and is stuck in summer school trying to save her grades. But all everyone else sees is her 'perfect' exterior, Juniper Falls Princess and cheer captain. Fletcher Scott is determine to not attract too much attention, working his way to a more permanent spot on the school ice hockey team, helping his father, brother, and grandfather on the family farm, working, and adding a summer school course so he can continue with advanced college courses in his senior year. This summer promises a chance for Haley and Fletcher to look beyond first impressions and to challenge everyone's expectations, including their own.

I have to admit that when I started reading Breaking The Ice I was a little worried that it was headed down the 'dumb, blonde' cheerleader route. I am very happy to say that not only did the book not do that, it called that ridiculous stereotype out and told it to back off. Haley is an athlete, a caring (if bossy) friend, and someone who is well aware of her faults and determined to change because of them. Fletcher is similarly a complex character - keen student, up and coming hockey player, quiet, and determined to stay off everyone's radar. There's also the mystery of his employment. Their developing relationship, the push and pull of their 'should we, shouldn't we', and the time they spend really getting to know each other (not to mention their off the charts chemistry) makes their romance delightfully addictive.

There are many fantastic secondary characters in Breaking The Ice, some of which readers will recognise from the first book in this Juniper Falls series. However, while there are character crossovers, each story can be read as a standalone and in any order. I look forward to reading book three in the series and I'm intrigued as to who will be the main characters.

I really enjoyed reading Breaking The Ice, and highly recommend it for readers of mature young adult or new adult novels, and who enjoy sport, romance, and brilliantly crafted writing.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

Julie Cross is a new author to me and I really wasn’t sure what to expect from Breaking the Ice after all it is book 2 in a series, well this book was a lot more than I ever expected, I found characters that had depth and were easy to like, a storyline that made you smile and at times tore at your heartstrings, Haley and Fletcher so different yet so perfect together, their story is a very special one it covers learning disabilities, severe food allergies as well as love, it has the perfect mix of humour and it’s beautifully written. I certainly will be checking out other books by this author including book one in the Juniper Falls Series

Breaking the Ice is the second book in the Juniper Falls series and it revolves around Haley Stevenson (Tate's ex-girlfriend from Off the Ice) and Fletcher Scott.

After her break up from Tate, Haley has sworn off relationships until at least college and she's trying to focus on bringing her grades up during summer school and getting a tuition waiver to go to her dream college, UCF. If only Haley could focus on what she needs to get done.

When her Civics teacher assigns a partner project, Haley seeks out the help of the guy sitting behind her, a guy who seems annoyed with her already. Insert Fletcher Scott who prefers to stick to his loner tendencies after being the victim of bullying and whose family has been the topic of cruel town gossip in the past. The last thing he wants or needs is to get closer to the town "it girl" because getting close to anyone means the chance that someone might figure out his secrets. Secrets he can't afford to have getting out.

As the two spend more and more time together Haley gets under Fletch's skin and teaches him that letting people in isn't always a bad thing and Haley in turn learns the importance of caring about someone other than herself.

I was eager to read Breaking the Ice after reading and loving Off the Ice earlier this year and this book definitely didn't disappoint. If possible, I think I loved Haley and Fletch's story even more than I loved Tate and Claire's story. I thought Fletch's allergies were plotted well and very well researched as well as the undercurrents of Fletch's OCD and Haley's possible ADHD diagnosis, although I would have liked for that to have had a definitive answer. I mean I'm sure Haley had ADHD but it seemed like something that was just going to be looked into.

I loved getting to see a different side of Haley and the other characters that returned from book one. I especially liked Jamie and kind of hope we either see more of him in a future book or even his own book. Another character I hope to see more of is Fletch's cousin Cole. Maybe give him a year or two to get a little older and I think he'll be a heartbreaker.

There were a couple things I wish would have been wrapped up more. I would have maybe liked to have seen Mike and Fletch have a conversation about the past, even though I do like how the author plotted it I just would have liked to see them be able to put that incident in the past together. I also kind of feel like we were left hanging at the end with Fletch's hockey offer and I wonder if it will be elaborated on in a future book or if we're to just assume that he said yes (which I think he probably would).

Overall I loved this book so much. It made me laugh and it's one of those feel good books that will leave you with a smile on your face. This author is definitely one that's books I want to return to over and over again.

I read and really enjoyed Off the Ice, which was my introduction to the world of Juniper Falls. So, obviously, I jumped at the chance to visit again, and I have to say, it was fun being back in Juniper Falls, and I couldn't have asked for a better couple to spend my time with.

Who?

Haley was the reigning princess of Juniper Falls. Super popular, super social, and seemingly, always in the middle of things. She was still feeling the pangs of rejection following her breakup with Tate and unsuccessful foray into meaningless fling territory. Haley was trying to put all romantic entanglements behind her, as she worked on improving herself and reaching for her goals.

Fletcher was the quiet boy, who kept a low profile away from the spotlight. After his family became a main source of Juniper Falls gossip, and he was the victim of an almost deadly bullying incident, Fletcher developed some trust issues. He had no friends in town and kept his physical relationships detached. He was a nerdy loner with a goal of leaving Juniper Falls behind.

What?

Neither Fletcher, nor Haley anticipated what would happen when their paths crossed in summer school. Initially, Haley was just looking for a project partner, who could help her achieve her scholastic goals, but eventually, the feelings simmering beneath the surface came to a full boil, and when the sparks flew, Fletcher and Haley reacted in very different ways.

Why?

There are so many things I loved about this book, but since we don't have all day, here are my top five reasons I loved this book.

•I found Haley to be quite a wonderful character. She started to redeem herself in the first book, but in this book, we get to see what is really so special about her. She was loyal and often put aside her own feelings in order to help other people. She often showed a lot of maturity, that she really didn't get credit for, and she had a heart of gold. I was really elated when she was able to figure out some of her academic issues with the help of Fletcher, because I couldn't help but want her to achieve her goals. I also admired that she acknowledged her shortcomings, and she was addressing them and striving to be a better person. What more could I ask of her?

•Wow! I don't even know where to start with Fletcher. First, there were all the wonderfully nerdy t-shirts. I couldn't wait to see what he would wear next. Then there was the double life he was leading. There were so many things swirling around in my head, and I liked the way Cross slowly revealed those parts of Fletcher's life, piece by piece. Oh, and he was swoony too.

•This romance was a slow burn and at times, confusing, but I loved every second of it. I was excited every time Haley and Fletcher were on page together. Sometimes it was because the tension between them was delicious and palpable, but other times, it was because I thought they really pushed each other to be better versions of themselves. There was a lot of push and pull, but because the drama was kept to a minimum, I was ok with it.

•Fletcher's world was littered with some very interesting characters, but his family won my heart. His grandfather, father, and brother were all fiercely protective of Fletcher, but they were a lot more then just manly men. These guys were real men, who had experienced epic love, and minimally passed on some really sage advice to Fletcher regarding how to treat and respect a woman.

•This book was fun, and filled with some great banter. I audibly laughed often and grinned a whole lot.

Overall: This was a really great trip back to Juniper Fall, where I got to know the gang a little better. I loved that Haley and Fletcher challenged the tropes with all their hidden layers and sort of kept me guessing in the best way. Fun, flirty, swoony, and a little bit spicy too.

4.5 stars

I loved the synopsis of this one and was really eager to get to it.

Love love loved Haley and Fletcher. She’s sweet and the town princess and maybe a bit nosy. He’s guarded and smart and has some secrets. Together they have a delightful push and pull that wasn’t too drama-y. Oh and the UST is practically palpable.

Plot wise, it wasn’t quite what I expected. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, it went somewhere else. There was some conflict and ridiculous behavior that made me want to push some characters, but for the most part, it was fluffy.

Overall, it was a fun story and I really enjoyed these MCs. I would absolutely love a Jamie book, so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed.

**Huge thanks to Entangled Publishing for providing the arc free of charge**

Haley and Fletcher shouldn't work on paper but boy oh boy do they work off of paper!!! I loved the hesitation and fears that Cross wrote about when this two decide to really try to make it something. When Haley and Fletcher first start to fall for one another you know that it isn't going to be easy for either of them...the only issue I had with this book is I wished I had read the first in this series to get more backstory on some of the characters. Can't wait to see what comes next in Juniper Falls!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I found this to be a cute book. A fast read. Good for young adults who like romance. I give it a 4.

This book is the second in a series and not fully a stand alone. Several pieces of info would be very helpful for a first time reader like me.

I liked the book told from two perspectives and the multiple layers to each of the main characters Haley and fletch.

I did not like the chemistry between the two main characters that was cold and hot. I also didn't like the language or sexual explicitly.

I am voluntarily reviewing Breaking the Ice. This was my first Julie Cross read and I really like her style of writing so I will most certainly read more from her. Fletcher isn't your typical "Leading guy" and I really loved that about this book. He was really likeable throughout the whole book too which I haven't been able to say much about a character. Haley was also a likeable character and I liked her interactions with Fletcher. Their chemistry was believable so that's always good. I liked my first experience with Julie Cross and Juniper Falls.

I received a copy of Breaking the Ice by Julie Cross from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story! Breaking the Ice was well written and from the start, I was rooting for the main characters, Fletcher Scott and Haley Stevenson. They were flawed, but likeable and had fun chemistry together. The plot was a little predictable, but it was still lots of fun.

Breaking The Ice is more than your average summer fling.

I adored this story. Fletcher and Haley I connected with them. Their story though a bit complicated was so full of heart. You just couldn't not love them. Fletcher is one of those guys that keeps people at arm's length. Haley is the popular girl in the small town.

There’s just something so genuine about this story. I felt the connection, but also there was a ton of humor. I laughed out loud quite a few times. I felt like I was hanging around them myself. As a reviewer, it’s super important for me to feel the connection with the characters and their story. This is the first book I’ve read of Cross’s. I didn’t read the first in the series, which I usually do. But I just jumped in. So you could read this as a standalone. I will most likely go back and read the second. The story was written exceptionally well.

It starts out as this summer fling but turns into this beautiful story about really going for what you want. Not letting fear stop you in any way.

Overall, I have to give this Five Boundless Stars.

"Breaking the Ice" is a great contemporary YA romance about Haley and Fletcher, told in alternating viewpoints. Haley and Fletcher are taking a Civics class over the summer; Haley is taking it to improve her GPA (hopefully) and Fletcher so that he can fill his schedule with more advanced classes during the next school year. They end up sitting next to each other in the class, and although Haley doesn't really remember him, they go back to preschool when she shoved Cheerios up his nose.

Haley has sworn off dating so that she can improve her GPA and hopefully get into UCF, which has a great cheerleading squad. She has always struggled with school, and so she really needs to turn things around in this summer class if she has any hopes of getting into UCF. She decides that Fletcher is her best chance of doing better in the class and makes him a fancy invitation to convince him to be her partner for the class project. Luckily, he accepts, but as they get to know each other better, she finds that she is in for more than she bargained for and that Fletcher Scott is hard to resist.

Fletcher is happy to keep a low profile and stay out of the small town gossip. He has no interest in dating (but doesn't mind hooking up). He has always done well in school academically, but now he's really hoping to be able to make the varsity hockey team (hockey is The Sport in Juniper Falls). Although he is about to enter his senior year, he has been on the JV team- in part because of his size and in part because of the allergies/asthma he has. Fletcher has a bunch of deadly food allergies that make his life much more complicated, and the coach can't seem to look past them. This summer, Fletcher intends to show him he is much more than his allergies. At the same time, he can't seem to ditch Haley, who is intent on working with him for the class project- and eventually, he starts to realize that he doesn't want to.

Overall, it was a really sweet romance that built very, very slowly between two people who were reluctant to trust and enter into any romantic relationships. As a warning, there is a lot of underage drinking, some bullying (past), and some sexual content (not too explicit but some descriptions). One plot line that wasn't totally wrapped up was the potential diagnosis of ADHD, which would have been nice to see with a visit to a doctor or therapist, and continued with treatment strategies as an example. Other big plot lines were all wrapped up, and although this is part of a series, it works easily as a stand-alone.

I would recommend for older teens due to content (as mentioned above), but it was a really enjoyable romance all around! I am excited to see how this series will continue in the future. There were a lot of really awesome side characters, and I assume they will be getting their own stories as this continues. Additionally, as this story revolves around hockey, even though it takes place during a summer, it seems to be a great winter read- and the romance will definitely keep you warm and cozy!

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

*** I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review ***

This was your standard dorky guy/cheerleader storyline - except it was really different. Fletcher is kind of the nerdy, lay-low guy in school...but...he has hidden depths. Reasons for wanting out of the limelight. And a big secret about how he's a star after all. And Haley may be the town Princess, but her crown is askew. She has issues that indicate perhaps she's "dorkier" than Fletcher.

I enjoyed how this book turned some conventions on their ear. No character was one-dimensional (even the supporting characters). A YA romance needs some sparkle for me to finish it, and I never considered putting this down. There was enough unique about Fletcher and Haley to keep me interested in their revolving first-person narrative. They each had a lot going on in their heads. Sometimes it was a little muddled, aggravating or confusing, but it never felt mundane or trite.

<b>"'We've been flirting since I nearly tumbled off your barn roof. It's not all acting. So what is it?'"

"'Attraction.' Fletch slides a hand up my back and into my hair. 'Curiosity.' He dips me back again and kisses my neck. 'Hormones.'"</b>

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