Hearts on thin ice is one of my favorite hockey romances. The story, the characters, the humor… Nick and Alyssa will forever have me hooked. I cried, I laughed, I feared, I loved every moment of it. This book had me in tears on the third page (and at least 5 other). I knew I will love it, after the first chapter. It made me fan over these two so quickly. Nick has my heart, he’s absolutely amazing, a huge green flag (which usually not what I look for. I mean I’m a red flag girly for sure BUT Nick…) he and Alyssa are so funny, intelligent and the artsy in jokes... I don’t wanna spoil, but what I can tell you is that they will make you giggle and blush and kick your feet. I can’t wait for the release and buy a copy for me and my sister and probably for my best friend too.

Things that I liked about this story:
• The dual pov between Alyssa and Nick
• Their jobs - interior designer and professional ice hockey player
• Their core groups - Alyssa’s close group of girl friends and Nick’s team mates
• Seeing different forms of grief and how it manifests - Alyssa’s perfectionism and Nick’s minimalism

Things that weren’t my cup of tea:
• The miscommunication - for two people who don’t like being told what to do, they definitely made choices for the other before they were ready
• Alyssa’s employer - she was a nightmare!

Hey Hockey Town, do I have a book for you to read. From baked potatoes and chickens to stick taps and octopus, Katie Kennedy has penned a romance with depth and heart.

#HeartsonThinIce #NetGalley #KatieKemnedy #HockeyTown

Thank you to Alcove Press, Netgalley and Katie Kennedy for the arc
Nick and Alyssa are so adorable. She's stubborn and principled and he's locked away in his heart and mind after being the only team survivor of a plane crash
Alyssa is sent to him as his new interior designer but he's resistant because he has survivor's guilt.
Katie Kennedy writes a beautiful romance with lots of lighthearted fun too, despite covering some serious life issues. Alyssa grew up with a divorced parents, her father dying and having to live in a car with her mother and brother.
These two brought a lot of issues to each other but a friendship blossomed.
I love how the author created loveable characters that you want to be real, who have the compassion to help each other to overcome what they have to face.
This is a truly beautiful romance and I'll definitely read more by this author for sure
Kerry Kennedy Author

Absolutely adored this book. It was just the breath of fresh air I needed.

Well written, funny and engaging - I laughed and I teared up throughout.

Amazing read.

Katie Kennedy's debut novel, "Hearts on Thin Ice," is a poignant and heartfelt addition to the sports romance genre, blending emotional depth with the sweet, flirty charm of a workplace rom-com. At its core, it's a story about two people, Nick Sorensen and Alyssa Compton, who are trying to rebuild their lives — one as a professional hockey player dealing with immense grief and the other as an interior designer seeking to establish her identity and career. Kennedy does an admirable job in crafting a narrative that's both emotionally resonant and entertaining, striking a balance that's sure to captivate readers.

Nick Sorensen's journey is one of the central pillars of the story. Once a rising star in the hockey world, his life is irrevocably altered by a plane crash that claims the lives of his teammates and friends, leaving him as the sole survivor. Kennedy dives deep into Nick's psyche, exploring the guilt, isolation, and immense pressure he feels as he attempts to return to normalcy. The portrayal of his mental health struggles is both sensitive and realistic, avoiding clichés and providing an honest look at the journey of healing from immense trauma. His character arc is not just about returning to the sport he loves, but about learning to live and find joy again.

On the other side of this icy path is Alyssa Compton, an ambitious and spirited interior designer who sees Nick's apartment as a golden opportunity to prove her worth. Alyssa's character is crafted with as much care and depth as Nick's. She's not just a love interest; she's a woman with her own dreams, fears, and insecurities. Her passion for her work, coupled with her desire to create a sense of home not just for Nick but for herself, reflects a universal quest for belonging and purpose. Her interactions with Nick, marked by initial professional tension and evolving into something deeper and more personal, are a highlight of the novel.

The romance between Nick and Alyssa is built with a careful, slow-burning intensity. Kennedy takes time to develop their relationship, allowing them to move from client and contractor to friends and then lovers. Their dialogue sparkles with wit and emotion, bringing moments of levity as well as profound understanding. The push and pull of their relationship, filled with stubbornness, vulnerability, and growing trust, makes their journey towards love satisfying and believable.

Moreover, "Hearts on Thin Ice" doesn't shy away from exploring the broader implications of the characters' personal struggles. The novel delves into themes of grief, mental health, and the pressure of professional sports with a careful touch. It's evident that Kennedy has done her research, presenting these issues in a way that's respectful and insightful. The hockey backdrop provides a vibrant setting for the story, though the focus remains firmly on the characters' internal battles and growth.

Kennedy's writing style is engaging, with a knack for vivid descriptions and emotional depth. She captures the chill of the ice rink, the warmth of a well-designed home, and the rollercoaster of human emotions with equal skill. The pacing of the novel is well-measured, drawing the reader in with each chapter and building towards a satisfying conclusion.

One of the notable achievements of "Hearts on Thin Ice" is its ability to balance the sweet and the serious. The romance and chemistry between Nick and Alyssa are undeniable, filled with moments of tenderness, passion, and playful banter. Yet, the story never loses sight of the real issues at its heart. It's a testament to Kennedy's skill as a writer that she can weave these different threads into a cohesive and compelling narrative.

In conclusion, Katie Kennedy's "Hearts on Thin Ice" is a stellar debut, offering all the warmth and charm expected of a sports romance while also providing a thoughtful and touching exploration of recovery and love. The characters of Nick and Alyssa will stay with readers long after the last page, as will the message of hope and resilience that shines through their story. With its combination of emotional depth, engaging storytelling, and captivating romance, this novel is a must-read and heralds Kennedy as an exciting new voice in the genre. It earns a well-deserved four-star rating, leaving readers eagerly anticipating what Kennedy will write next.

Perfect romance for fans of Icebreaker. This cute interior designer x hockey player love story is a great addition to the sports romance catalog. Hearts on Thin Ice has characters who have adorable chemistry and are also great in their own right. You will wanna pick up this new romance asap.

Hearts on Thin Ice by Katie Kennedy ❄️❤️
Was such an amazing book. I love every single page!! Could not put this book down ❤️ it was one of my favorite romance books ever. I totally recommend anyone who picks up this book!! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

I love a good sports romance, but I love interior design even more! I immediately picked this one up after reading the synopsis with the promise of a love story between an interior designer and her hockey player client. Unfortunately, Hearts on Thin Ice lacked everything I was looking forward to seeing in the book. The interior design aspect was not researched enough and the hockey them was a distant backstory. And the love story lacked chemistry and spark. I was thrown off by the very first kiss and when she randomly slept on his porch. Both characters were also dealing with heavy issues but o never felt connected enough to understand the character’s feelings. Overall, it came off as a bit cheesy. I appreciate the advance copy and wish I liked it more.

This was such a cute and fun romance! The character development was very good, and I loved following our protagonists as they got to know each other!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

Unfortunately I DNF about 60% in. Personally I didn’t enjoy the spicy scenes. I do enjoy spice but this was not my style.

I also love hockey romance and this didn’t hit the mark for me. I wanted more of the cocky attitude and romance up front to hold my attention.

This book sounded so fun and promising to me. I love romances with a sad aspect. Nick struggles with his trauma. But I felt like the story didn't turn out as good as it could be.

The characters felt a bit flat to me, and their romance lacked the excitement I was hoping for (especially their first kiss!? That was a little too unrealistic in my opinion.)

I also expected it to be a hockey romance, but there wasn't much about hockey. The cover (and tropes) made it seem like hockey was going to be a main thing in the plot, but I didn’t feel like it was a hockey romance.

I felt like there was no strong connection/banter between Nick and Alyssa.

I really enjoyed some funny scenes in the beginning and Nick's past was so interesting to me. I just think this book had so much more potential.

This book might not be my cup of tea, but I know other people will definitely love it. I prefer more depth and banter.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.

Nick and Alyssa are such interesting characters. I was excited to get to know them, and to see them grow past the incredible circumstances of their lives as they meet, work together, become friends, and eventually fall in love. Nick is one big ball of trauma. He doesn't feel like he deserved to survive an awful plane crash, and Alyssa can't ever do enough for her boss. Seeing them interact with each other and grow was so exciting, and I don't know why but I'm here for the hockey boys. I want all their books ASAP.

I love Nick and his teammates/friends. I thought the conflict, plots and setting for this book was engaging and fun, and I'm looking forward to more stories about these hockey boys.

Nick Sorensen had once been one of the fastest men in hockey—until the devastating plane crash that took the lives of his best friends, leaving him the only survivor. Now he’s physically ready to get back on the ice, but his coach is concerned Nick isn’t doing as well, mentally, as he says he is. Case in point: Nick’s apartment is completely empty, apart from a single chair and a mattress on the floor.
To prove he’s fine, really, Nick hires Alyssa Compton, an up-and-coming interior designer, to decorate his space. Alyssa’s thrilled at the chance to prove herself to her demanding boss—with job security at last, maybe she can finally put down roots and create a home for herself too. But Nick turns out to be infuriatingly stubborn and impossible to work with, and just when Alyssa decides to throw in the towel on the whole thing, Nick shows up for her in a way she never could have expected.
The icy path ahead of these two lost souls may be slippery and cracking, but when it comes to love, sometimes all you need is someone on your team.

I am 100% in my hockey romance era and was very excited to pick this one up. The premise was really intriguing and I enjoyed that there a solid foundation of mental health awareness and grief tied into a story with romance and banter. I liked the main characters and felt for them, but I had a hard time with some of the miscommunication between the two during parts of the story.

Nick and Alyssa.

Tropes:
•Hockey Romance
•Forced Proximity
•Life After Tragedy

This story tugged on my heart from the beginning. I didn’t love this constant miscommunications in the last 25% although it was a refreshing take on a hockey romance especially with the elements of the tragedy.

Thank you, netgalley, for the free ebook.
4.5 stars...
Nick loses his best friends in a plane crash that he is the sole survivor. He struggles to get back on the ice and move past this tragedy, moving to a new team and town, but will his guilt keep him from true love?

In this book we follow Nick and Alyssa in their way of healing. Nick is a famous NHL hockey player in a new team after an airplane crash where his 5 friends and team mated died, including his best friend who shared a flat with him.
One day when meeting with his new team mates, he meets Alyssa, an interior designer, and they both feel atraction.
His coach makes Nick contact Alyssa to try to decorate his new apartment.
Will they help each other to move forward together?

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the copy of this book to read and review.

Hearts on Thin Ice really has a great premise in terms of Nick’s history of life trauma, and Alyssa’s own personal history as well. It offered an opportunity to showcase a couple being professionally successful as individuals and forging positive relationships despite their experiences.

Unfortunately for me, there was a huge gap between what this book could be and what it ended up being. What I read was a book that was a little all over the place, with two individually bland characters, who had very little spark to them as a couple. The intimate scenes lacked connection and didn’t convince me at all as to the depth of this couple’s affection or a relationship that would have any longevity.

The best character was Alyssa’s brother as he had some depth of character. And despite this being a sports romance there was very little of the said sport …(hockey) apart from the team mates if Nick’s who were mentioned who also supposedly played hockey. This aspect was really underdone yet we got a bucketload of decorating …… weird.

(Aside … I couldn’t otherwise deal with Alyssa naming her vagina. She wasn’t a funny person and it just seemed juvenile to me).

This was unfortunately a big miss for me.

Received an ARC through Netgalley. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Alcove for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Read this book if you like:
-Grumpy/sunshine
-Hockey Romance
- Dual POV

I have to start off by saying I love the cover! It's what drew me to request the book. It's so cute. Because of this, I had very high expectations and excitement for this book, and I LOVED the first few chapters. The heavy grief and sadness brought tears to my eyes and made my heart break for Nick. Then, I started struggling to get into the plot itself. My only complaint is that it feels a little wordy. Other than that, this book is amazing, and I really enjoyed the characters' connection to each other.

Hearts on Thin Ice is an ice hockey romance that follows Nick, a pro ice hockey player who is just getting back onto the ice after being involved in a tragic plane crash that killed everyone on board (including many of his teammates) and Alyssa, an interior decorator who has dreams of opening up her own business.

I give this book 3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. I love angsty romance books and with the book’s premise I thought I’d love this one too, but unfortunately it fell a little flat for me. While there were some emotional elements to the book, for me a lot of these elements lacked depth and I expected more of a nuanced exploration of the themes of the book, particularly considering how traumatic the plane crash was for Nick.

I didn’t really buy the romance between Nick and Alyssa to the extent that I believed they were in love. It seemed like they liked each other (and that they enjoyed having sex with each other), but it also seemed like the relationship was still too early and too superficial to be love. There were constant misunderstandings between the characters throughout the entire book and neither of them really put in enough effort to try and understand where the other was coming from.

I also very much disliked that Alyssa referred to her own vagina as ‘Rip Van Winkle’ constantly throughout the book…it made the steamier scenes pretty cringe to read at points.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this book overall; it was a fun, relatively quick read that mostly kept me entertained until the end, but it also didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

I’d recommend this book for anyone that wants to read a sports romance that’s light on the sports, a book that deals with trauma but not in-depth and a light romance that has some cute moments in it.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.