I recently got into this series by reading Breaking the Ice first. You can read this series out of order, and I am glad I did because now I am really looking forward to reading Off the Ice sometime.

On Thin Ice was much more serious than Breaking the Ice was. This book was about Jake Hammond, the star of the hockey team. He gets into trouble with the team one night during a traditional ritual and ends up taking the fall instead of letting his whole team come crashing down.

This book had me on the edge of my seat with all of the emotions. I don’t think there was anything to have a real trigger warning for it, except for mentions of depression and cutting. But I think the author handled those issues well, as well as the main plot of the story. I even stayed up until my late bedtime during the week to find out what was happening. I simply had to know what would happen next fast. I also really liked Brooke’s character.

I liked the team unity that took place in this book and how it was there in the end of the book. This book was overall a five star read because of friendships, romance, emotions and more. I definitely recommend this to anybody that likes hockey stories with romance.

Thank you publishers and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this.

Brooke Parker never expected to find herself in the tiny town of Juniper Falls, Minnesota. Of course, she also never expected to lose her dad. Or for her mom to lose herself. Brooke feels like she’s losing it…until she finds Juniper Falls hockey. Juniper Falls girls’ hockey, that is.

Jake Hammond, current prince of Juniper Falls, captain of the hockey team, and player with the best chance of scoring it big, is on top of the world. Until one hazing ritual gone wrong lands him injured, sitting on the sidelines, and―shocking even to him―finding himself enjoying his “punishment” as assistant coach for the girls’ team.

As Jake and Brooke grow closer, he finds the quiet new girl is hiding a persona full of life, ideas, and experiences bigger and broader than anything he’s ever known. But to Jake, hockey’s never just been a game. It’s his whole life. And leveraging the game for a shot at their future might be more than he can give.

It wasn't for me.

Wasn't my favourite Julie Cross book ever but was still an enjoyable read. I highly reccommend it a read if you've read the other books in the series as it's a lovely ending featuring a couple of old faces!

On Thin Ice is the story of Brooke, the new girl and Jake the Hockey Star.

It’s not an instant love between these two. They go through something together, that turns their world upside down. But also Brooke decides to do something she’s never done.. play Hockey.

I’ve loved Cross’s previous books. But for some reason, I could not connect to the characters. The story is written well; it just did not grab me.

Overall, Three Boundless Stars

On Thin Ice is the third book in the Juniper Falls series.  You can easily read each book as a standalone, but I recommend reading them in order.  The third book talked about stuff that happened in the other books and there are characters that appear in each one.  



Jake is a local hockey star.  It's his senior year and he's going to be captain.  The senior boys take the freshmen boys out to a lake for their hazing.  This has been done for 100 years (or so they have been told), so it's tradition.  Jake is uncomfortable with it, but he participates in the last part of it, after having a bit to drink.  He tells the boys to run out on the partially frozen ice.  It's just a joke and he tells them to stop as they're running.  But one boy doesn't hear him.  Jake falls out of the tree and rushes to help him.  Jake's collarbone is broken and the boy is rushed to a hospital.  Jake won't turn in any of the other guys, so he gets community service helping his uncle coach the new girls hockey team.



Brooke recently moved into her grandma's house with her mom.  They lived in Austin, Texas.  Brooke's dad is in jail and her mom fell apart.  Her depression is so bad that Brooke was taking care of herself.  Brooke got into some trouble her freshmen year and wants to start over in Juniper Falls.  She really doesn't talk to anyone, but she and Jake have run into each other a few times.  Brooke decides to sign up for the hockey team even though she's never played before.   Brooke runs at night to escape and she happened across the hazing incident.  She is the one that pulled Jake out of the water and called 911.  



Brooke and Jake start spending a lot of time together.  She's dealing with her mom's depression and Jake is struggling with what happened.  They find out that the hockey coaches over the years have covered up actual crimes.  This needs to change and Jake decides to stand up to everyone, no matter what it costs.



And like the other Juniper Falls books, there is a heavy focus on the romance.  Brooke and Jake are a cute couple that supports each other through everything while falling in love.



Warnings for hazing/bullying, attempted suicide, mental illness/depression, talk of past cutting, and there is some sexual content and swearing.



I gave this book 4 stars.  Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Teen for my review copy.

This was a decent YA story but I did not enjoy how the book started and that turned me off for most of the book. The start jumped right into a depressing turn and it was hard to continue. I will get a copy for our teen section because it tackles difficult situations.

3 1/2 stars. Pretty good YA book. I really liked Jake and how the whole incident and how it was covered up really bothered him. Brooke was such a strong character. The whole story was interesting and move along nicely. My issue was that I felt like I was missing some info. I didn't read the previous 2 books, but I feel like this book should have stood on its own. Also, the ending was a bit abrupt.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review On Thin Ice by Julie Cross. which is the third book in the Juniper Falls series.

Our main characters are Brooke who has to moved to Juniper Falls to live with her grandmother and mother who has suffered a breakdown after the incarceration of her father and Hockey star and town prince Jake, they couldn't be more different but when a hazing incident goes terribly wrong it draws them together and they find that despite lifes challenges, good things can still happen.

My heart broke for Brooke! at such a young age she has had to deal with so much but she remained strong and held her head high; all she wanted to do was keep her head down and blend in at school but when you capture the attention of the most popular boy in school that definitely wasn't going to happen. Jake has been looking forward to his senior year when he can finally show his talent on the ice, but when hazing ritual goes bad, it not only nearly cost him a future in hockey but also his and another persons life.

The romance was written very well and wasn't rushed, it was realistic and without unnecessary drama.

I thoroughly enjoyed the hockey aspect and the difficulties that were faced in women's sports & starting up a team; Hockey was such an important part of the Juniper Falls community which I did like. What I felt was missing was more details about the coach; I'm not sure if more was revealed in the other books but I found that this information was lacking.

Overall, I felt On Thin Ice was written very well, it dealt with the fallout from hazing, mental health, romance and standing up or what you believe in. I'm definitely keen to read more books by Julie Cross.

Gorgeous romance, heartbreaking family stories, strong friendship and a lot of soul searching make this a wonderful read.

I enjoyed this read. It wasn't what I was expecting.... which was more of a teen sports romance. Sure the romance is there but I feel like the hazing/bullying and conflicts with how the boys team is run story line is bigger. There is also the chunk of the story that is about the girls hockey team being started which was a good add on.

I did not know that this was part of a series at first. It definitely can be read as a stand alone. I think I will go back and read the other two books in the series though. I hope they're as good as this one!

The third book in the Juniper Falls series, but it reads like a true standalone. I had no problem connecting with the characters whatsoever, and I didn’t feel like I was missing pieces, except perhaps some information about the hockey coach and its toxic influence.
What I liked about this book, it that it wasn’t just your typical YA romance where new girl meets popular boy… blah blah. Don’t get me wrong, they do meet and their romance is as sweet as it is compelling. No insta-love here, but more of a slow burn, tastefully heated. I really liked how the characters and their relationship were developed, in a very realistic way.
But what stroke me as unique was the way Julie Cross managed to wave together romance and much more mature topics. The story is not just about love, but also other thing going on in characters’s lives that gives them lots of dimension. There is some darkness here and it delves into some important issues like teenage hazing, peer pressure, mental health, fear of speaking up… It’s a story about loss and regret, but also finding your voice. It was a bit heavier than I expected, but the author handled everything really delicately. I greatly respect where she took this story, and the message it conveys.
And even if the book manages to dig deep, it will leave you feeling all happy inside, I promise, thanks to its swoon-worthy romance. This was the first book I read by Julie Cross and I will definitively be back for more.

I love Julie Cross' writing, and I loved the characters (for the most part, I didn't like how we dealt with one of the hockey players), and I just liked the world of Juniper Falls and the snow and Brooke and Jake. Brooke especially was a unique character, and I liked getting to see what the characters cared about.

I felt like we sometimes forgot about parts of what was happening, and I wished the book spent more time with the training and hockey scenes. I also don't think we spent enough time dealing with Brooke's family issues. And overall I thought the non-romance plot of the book was kind of odd, and the book almost turned into another genre at the end.

But I still really, really liked it, and I am for sure going to read more Julie Cross books.

**this series is advertised as fine to read out of order, but this book at least would have been more impactful if I had started from the beginning

This is the 3rd book in the Juniper Falls series. I haven’t read the other books in the series, but I still think this is a standalone. The other couples in the other books do show up in this one, and I liked them so much I will probably go back and read the other ones.

The book starts with a hockey hazing ritual, which goes seriously wrong. I thought Jake was a great character, with lots of dimension. Brooke was definitely harder to get to know. I was really trying to piece together her past throughout most of the book. I really liked the stuff about Brooke learning to play hockey. The story was paced really well, and writing was great throughout. There’s quite a bit about the hockey team and it’s influence on the community. I did feel like I was missing a lot more information about the hockey coach, and maybe that came up in previous books. The story ends more abruptly than I personally wanted, but I still thought it was a good ending.

Overall, I really enjoyed it, and I will definitely go back and read the previous books. If you enjoy hockey, you will probably love this one!

* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This was a cute story. I felt the author could have done a little better as far as the back story with the heroines parents- it seemed a little flat to me. But the scandal with the hockey team was interesting and relevant. And I thought the heroine was strong. And I won’t spoil it but kudos to the author for making Jake the one to be having his first. 3 stars.

Actual rate: 3,6 stars

This a sweet, lovely, cute reading, with great descriptions, good characters, and flows really well.
The story is told from both main character POV which is my favorite and, in this case, Brooke and Jake are great together, the chemistry, the love, is all there.
The plot is more complex than what is expected. It shows a reality for some athletes, and both side of the ambition, the good and the bad.
It’s a story about self-respect, right and wrong, choices and consequences.
The last quarter is fantastic, I couldn’t stop until I reach the end. I was absorbed into the story, but the first part is a little messy with so many sub-plots and holes that doesn’t help the reader to keep focus on the main goal, and there are inconsistencies on the main characters' thoughts, at first it seems part of their personality but then It looks more like a flaw in the writing.
However, like I said, it’s a nice, fresh, and romantic reading with a great message for everyone.
100% recommended.

Can I just start by saying how disappointed I am in myself for not reading a book by Julie Cross until now? I have seen several rave reviews for her Juniper Falls series in the past. I always wanted to read one of those books, but never did. Shame on me! I absolutely adored On Thin Ice. On Thin Ice is one of those young adult novels that digs deep, but leaves you feeling all happy and bubbly inside. Or at least that is how it made me feel.

Brooke is a quiet sophomore new to Juniper Falls. She's had a rough couple of years, and she longs to take back her life in a new town. On a calculated whim, she joins the new high school girls' hockey team. Joining the team puts Brooke in direct contact with the boys' teams hockey star, Jake. Being around the cute and charismatic senior is tough enough as it is, but the two share a secret. The more the two get to know each other, the harder it is to stay away from each other and the truths they have to deal with.

Brooke and Jake were characters I couldn't help but love. Brooke was intense and sweet. She was also a mess. Jake was strong and had the best of intentions, but he was also a mess. Somehow their individuals messes faded when they were together. They were the support system the other needed to make the big, important changes in their lives. I loved them as a couple and as individuals.

I greatly respected where Julie Cross took this story when it came to the hazing incident. There have been so many gone wrong in the news in the past couple of years, and it's never close to home until it is. On Thin Ice tackled it in a way that gave young readers options to look at if they ever encounter a similar situation. I liked that it wasn't a quick and easy decision or fix for the characters.

I have a feeling Julie Cross is going to be joining my list of go-to YA authors like Kasie West, Katie McGarry, Emery Lord, and Morgan Matson (just to name a few). I am so excited to go back and read the rest of the Juniper Falls series.

Full disclosure: I didn't realize that this was the third book in a series when I picked it up, but I'm happy to say that it reads like a true standalone. I had no problem connecting with Brooke and Jake's story, and didn't feel like I was missing any puzzle pieces. In fact, it wasn't until the very end when I put together which couples the previous books revolved around. So, if you, like me, are on the fence about it being the third book in a series you haven't read yet? I enthusiastically say, go for it!

Why? Because this is just a <i>good</i> story. It's a more mature YA and I went into it with a fair bit of skepticism (mostly because I knew I'd already missed out on two books of this series), but it managed to charm me and pull me right in anyway. It's a bit heavier than I was anticipating - there are definitely some timely and serious issues going on throughout the story and I think that it is far bigger than a YA romance. However, the YA romance is compelling in its own right and the chemistry between Brooke and Jake was on point and completely satisfying.

Those of you who read sports romance for the sports will be happy to know that there's actually a fair amount of hockey in this book! And yet those of you who may not be invested so much in the sport itself will be happy to know that it's not too much, you won't feel lost, and the role of hockey in the book serves as a catalyst for some of the deeper, more emotional storylines. It's a pretty complete package, and I'm so glad I took a chance on it!

In all, definitely worth the read! In fact, I'd like to circle back and read the books I missed because those couples seem like they might have had some pretty gripping storylines of their own. The writing is engaging and smart. The romance is sweet and sparky and tastefully heated. I really enjoyed my time with Brooke & Jake and will definitely be back for more from this author!

On Thin Ice is the romantic and sensational third book in the Juniper Falls series. Ice hockey, scintillating romance, heartbreaking family troubles, strong friendship and a soul searching story about standing up for what’s right, On Thin Ice has all the pieces to create a captivating story which I devoured.

When Brooke has to move to a new town to escape her father’s incarceration and her mother’s breakdown, she planned to stay invisible. The last thing she expects is to connect with the town’s most popular guy, hockey star Jake. But after saving Jake’s life in a hockey hazing incident gone wrong, she finds herself working with Jake. Neither could imagine the connection they find with each other, nor how it will change their lives.

The romance. Oh, the romance. Be still my beating heart. As soon as I finished reading On Thin Ice I had to go back and read all my favourite bits (some, okay, a lot were kissing bits) again. Brooke and Jake’s connection and chemistry is absolutely captivating.

Yet alongside this story of love, is a story of challenges and making big sacrifices to stand up against them. Brooke is dealing with a family breakdown that has thrown more challenges at her than she is sure she can bear. Her father is in prison, her mother a zombie, her own past decisions weigh on her, and moving to a new town away from her passions is daunting. Jake has waited all his life for his senior year, the year he can finally show what he has on the ice. But a hundred-year-old hazing ritual goes bad, leaving him doubting his place in the structure of the town’s history and love affair with hockey, one that is now costing him his future and almost cost another his life. But choosing to stand up against that hierarchy and history will have even further challenges and costs. Despite what Brooke and Jake face they are both there for each other. They make a fantastic team, supportive and understanding and this deeper layer makes them a fantastic couple, going so far beyond fantastic chemistry.

I really loved On Thin Ice. It is by far the best book in this series and I enjoyed the first two books, as well. While each book can be read as a standalone, following this group of characters and the Juniper Falls icy hockey team has been wonderful and so much fun. I highly recommend On Thin Ice to readers who love YA contemporary romance and sports books.

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

Brooke and Jake share a terrible secret: Jake takes the fall for a near fatal drowning during a hazing incident for the freshman hockey players on their high school team. I was extremely proud of the way the young people in this story banded together to try to fight the corruption and unethical behavior of their coaching staff. Although the hazing incident was successfully covered up and scandal was averted, Jake decides that he cannot remain silent any longer and his teammates rally behind him. To quote Jake: "....the adults in charge of our program failed us. They don't have our best interests in mind when they make decisions......" So very, very true when the future of our young athletes can be ruined on the whim of the coaching staff.
This story also examines the difficulty that all-female sports teams face - in terms of funding, equpment and ice time - in this highly competitive. I read this story in one day - I just could not put it down. The romance between Brooke and Jake was sweet - they were so supportive of one another. This one of the books in a series, but it can be read on its own. Highly recommended. Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest review.

"On Thin Ice" is a sweet YA contemporary romance that follows Brooke and Jake in alternating chapters/points-of-view. Brooke is new to Juniper Falls, this odd town where hockey is king and the high school Otters are the penultimate. She moved there with her mother, who was originally from there, after her father was falsely put in prison for a changed narrative and her mother began to have mental health issues (which are not well defined). They live with her grandmother in an old farm house. Brooke is determined to do everything differently, beginning with listening rather than talking. She was a dedicated ballerina, but there's no dance in Juniper Falls. When she sees a hockey practice, and the dance-like quality of the moves, she decides to sign up for the newly forming girls' hockey team where no experience is required.

Jake is lined up to be the Captain of the varsity team in his senior year and be drowning in recruiters and offers. In the pre-season, there's an Otter tradition where the seniors haze the freshman. Hating every second of it, but feeling like he has to participate in this over 100-year-old tradition, Jake is shocked when it all goes wrong, he ends up badly injured, and a freshman ends up airlifted to a hospital near death. Protecting their own is second nature, and Jake takes the fall for what happened. His punishment is community service- more specifically to help coach the new girls' hockey team.

As Brooke and Jake get closer and deal with larger issues, a deeper romance begins to build, leading to something big neither of them would have expected. The romance in this book is top notch. Jake and Brooke are there for each other in all the ways that count, and their love heats up the pages. The bigger stories here are about the other things going on in their lives, primarily Jake's (although Brooke has some HUGE issues that are mentioned but not fully dealt with). The major issue is related to the way the town treats hockey and the team, considering the unequal treatment of athletes, allowances that can be harmful to not only others but also the students themselves, hazing, and the power and dangers of the lies around all of it.

These issues are handled really well, and we end up hearing a lot of stories that all feed into the same issues with the way the town treats the sports and team, including the past police, school/classes, and family issues. Jake is a great poster boy for all of this because he has the most to lose, but he also feels a lot of guilt when not doing the right thing. We see the conflict and the later resolutions. I think this story line was very strong.

I wish we could have had more insights into the mental illness plots of the book,, particularly with Brooke and her mother. We see it happening, but we do not get the full story nor the full resolution (some resolution at the end but not really information about the journey to get there). I felt like this could have been an equally big piece of the book, and I would have liked to have gotten more insight throughout the book and see an equally large discussion. I also do not agree with the portrayal of medications used to treat mental illness as inducing a "zombie-like" state- this is a really common misconception and can lead to people resisting treatments they potentially need. I feel like it could have all been handled better. Brooke is also mostly left to herself to handle all these big and horrible events, and I would have liked to see her getting some help/seeing a therapist to talk through it. This may have been happening (e.g. we hear a mention about a family evaluation/not sure if it could have continued), but it would be nice to have it explicitly stated. Her really big issues felt mostly brushed aside in favor of Jake's issues in terms of the plot, and I would have liked to see more discussion of them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this YA contemporary romance- it really delves into some big and important issues (on Jake's side) plus has a completely swoon-worthy romance. It was very much a page-turner, and I am really enjoying this series (where each book can be read as a stand-alone)!

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