Ugh, I love hockey romances like seriously I eat them up. This was advertised as a hockey romance, and hockey is sort of mentioned, but this is not a hockey romance🤦🏼‍♀️ I feel like the cover is so misleading because not only do that never happen (Alyssa never goes to a game or anything like that) honestly basically zero scenes even take place at a hockey arena. Nick, the MMC, is a NHL hockey player and his teammates are also featured in the book and that is the extent the the "hockiness".

But aside from that, I just couldn't get with this book. The plot definitely has potential but the execution just wasn't there. Nick and Alyssa's relationship was barely anything and definitely was a low point in this book. Every time they would almost make a break through and actually talk about something emotional or "real" so to speak, boom it turns into a sex scene. Additionally I just didn't like Nick that much. I swear every other chapter his personality changed from happy golden retriever to emotionally stunted wall. I actually didn't mind Alyssa for the most part, but overall just boring and the execution for the plot just wasn't there.

This was a cute story. I’m not sure I’d consider it a sports story since that was more just a background plot. There’s lots of healing and trauma presented for both the fmc and mmc. The fmc is very relatable which I love in a story. Overall I liked it.

I had to sit with my thoughts after I finished this one. It's a good book but I'm not sure it was what I expected. Nick has a tragic back story with surviving his team's accident. He has to deal with a lot of trauma and grief. Alyssa adds to the story in her own way.
I went into this expecting a hit and heavy hockey romance, I didn't get that. What I got was a person dealing with pain and overcoming it. It was actually a good read.
Thank you Katie Kennedy and NetGalley for letting me read this book.

What to say... Well first I need to say that I am in a huge reading slump, maybe because this slump I did not really enjoyed this book. I am a huge fan of a sports romance. And the first few pages made me cry, but that is all.
Maybe because of the reading slump, maybe because this book was written in 3rd person ( I am not a fan), maybe because I just couldn't feel the connection with the characters... this was just okay for me...

Ce livre sort le 8 juin prochain mais j’ai eu l’opportunité de le lire avant sa sortie!

Nous allons suivre Nick, un joueur de hockey qui est le seul survivant d’un terrible accident d’avion, qui tente tant bien que mal de reprendre sa place dans sa vie. Un jour, ses coéquipiers l'obligent à refaire la déco de son appartement qui est morose. Il va rencontrer Alyssa, une décoratrice d’intérieur… Parviendront-ils à s’entendre et peut-être plus?

Dès que j’ai vu cette couverture, je me devais de le lire et au final, je ressors de ma lecture mitigée: la première partie est vraiment top, quand ils se rencontrent, quand ils prennent le temps de se connaître mais la seconde partie, je l’ai trouvé longue, répétitive genre je fais deux pas en avant pour trois en arrière, c’était un peu frustrant surtout qu’il y avait un potentiel de dingue! Les personnages sont vraiment touchants et attachants et j’ai adoré voir leurs interactions ensemble pour surmonter leur soucis, ils se poussent vers le haut

En bref, une romance qui a du potentiel mais la seconde partie du livre ne m’a pas convaincue!

I really wanted to like this book but the banter felt very one dimensional. I could not get into it at all.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I had such high hopes for this one with the cute cover and the tropes, but unfortunately I was not able to get into it at all and needed to stop reading.

Ce livre sort le 8 juin prochain mais j’ai eu l’opportunité de le lire avant sa sortie!

Nous allons suivre Nick, un joueur de hockey qui est le seul survivant d’un terrible accident d’avion, qui tente tant bien que mal de reprendre sa place dans sa vie. Un jour, ses coéquipiers l'obligent à refaire la déco de son appartement qui est morose. Il va rencontrer Alyssa, une décoratrice d’intérieur… Parviendront-ils à s’entendre et peut-être plus?

Dès que j’ai vu cette couverture, je me devais de le lire et au final, je ressors de ma lecture mitigée: la première partie est vraiment top, quand ils se rencontrent, quand ils prennent le temps de se connaître mais la seconde partie, je l’ai trouvé longue, répétitive genre je fais deux pas en avant pour trois en arrière, c’était un peu frustrant surtout qu’il y avait un potentiel de dingue! Les personnages sont vraiment touchants et attachants et j’ai adoré voir leurs interactions ensemble pour surmonter leur soucis, ils se poussent vers le haut

En bref, une romance qui a du potentiel mais la seconde partie du livre ne m’a pas convaincue!

Thank you to NetGalley, Katie Kennedy, and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book and review.

This book mix some light lovely romance with some pretty heavy topics of grief. The journey with Nicks grief and healing was written beautifully. I did wish that this book had more to do with hockey like I thought it would have but overall I loved it and had a hard time putting it down!

I am always for a hockey romance and this one was so much more than that. I feel like it was light on the hockey and heavy on overcoming trauma which led this into a more serious book than I expected going in. If you’re for healing, a team who is there for you no matter what, and some love of art and interior design, this book is for you!

This was a cute slow-burn hockey romance. It's told in dual points of view and has an intriguing premise, but I don't know I just struggled vibing with it personally. I can't fault the writer because obviously it takes a tremendous amount of skill and effort to write a book, and that shows. I just personally couldn't connect. Also, I think it was perhaps a bit too smutty than what I was expecting. Like, I was making a serious serious face while reading -- involuntarily.

CW: Grief, Survivor's Guilt

When I strted this book, I thought it would be a 5 star read for me. But I have very mixed feelings upon finishing it.
The first part I loved very very much. The tension was amazing. The icehockey super fun. I was really rooting for the characters.

But as the story went on, it went downhills for me. There was SO much miscommunication. Or simply lack of communication. The trauma aspect also could have used some more nuance in my opinion. It started out so strong. But the ending felt flet and unrealistic. They are shoving stuff onto each other without talking about it and that did not leave a good taste for me. And how quickly they were to forgive each other felt strange. Especially when it was related to the MMC's trauma and guilt. He did not process emotionally and just went for it and that does not do justice to trauma survivers.

But. The conversations around poverty really were impactfull. It really added to the story but I wish it was continued through to the end. I still have quit a few questions...
I would have liked to see more of the relationship between Nick and his team. So the ending felt more natural.

The first part was really fun and I smiled a lot. There was impactfull dialogue. And some really sweet moments. But I missed emotional connection in the spicy scenes and I really wished Nick & Alyssa talked more to each other about important stuff... I have very mixed feelings. I liked it but it could have been better.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Das Buchcover des Liebesromans hat mich gleich angesprochen und da ich sports romances seit Jahren gerne lesen, habe ich mich auf die Liebesgeschichte von einer mir unbekannten Autorin gefreut. Doch leider war das Buch nicht mein Fall und ich habe das ihn nicht beendet.

An sich war der Schreibstil ok und ich konnte der Geschichte gut folgen, doch gleichzeitig konnte mich nichts so richtig packen. Dazu wirkte auf mich alles ein wenig zu flach und die Dialoge hörten sich nicht besonders authentisch an.

Zudem war auch der Humor nicht immer mein Fall. Es gibt ein paar Szenen mit der Heldin, in denen sie ziemlichen Unfug erzählt ohne es zu merken. Das sollte wohl charmant wirken, ich fand es eher befremdlich.

Zusätzlich fühlte sich Nicks Geschichte doch recht konstruiert an und nicht jedes Detail machte Sinn.

Nimmt man das alles zusammen, dann machte das Fertiglesen der hockey romance für mich keinen Sinn.

Abgebrochen.

Für wen?

Wenn ihr hockey romances mögt, dann könnte der Roman eine Versuch wert sein.

Schaut vor dem Kauf unbedingt in eine Leseprobe rein und achtet auf den Schreibstil und darauf, ob euch die Dialoge einfangen können. Und erwartet von dem Buch bitte eine recht normale Liebesgeschichte und kein Highlight des Buchgenres.

I'm going to start this review by saying that this book was really hurt by the fact that before reading it I read a similarly themed book that I loved too much. And I liked this book, but I finished reading it with the feeling that if I had read it after a different book I would have liked it a lot more. So I'm sticking with it and may well feel like rereading it in the future.

What is the story itself I enjoyed it very much. I adore sport romance with all my soul, and this one is super well constructed. Yes it's true that I think it has the cliché setting, but it doesn't get to super enhance it, still the main thing about it is there and makes you enjoy it a lot.

I loved the characters and enjoyed each one of them. Above all I think the characters are very special when they are separate, which sometimes in romance books that fails, and here I think the characters are very well built precisely because of that.

In short, it is a great romance book super well written and with very well built characters. Besides the way it is narrated I think it is very good, it has a very cool rhythm and that goes totally with the style of the novel.

Thank you to Netgalley, Katie Kennedy
and the publisher for sending me a copy of Hearts on Thin Ice to read and review!

Nick Sorensen is a Hockey player who went through something very traumatic and he is trying his best to navigate a tremendous loss and being the only survivor.
Physically Nick is ready to get back on the ice, but mentally he still not In the best place…
His apartment is completely empty, apart from a single chair and a mattress on the floor.

Alyssa Compton is a talented up-and-coming interior designer, She has a horrible boss and a dream to start her own business one day.
Luckily Alyssa isn’t afraid of a challenge!

The pair meet unexpectedly and with a push from Nicks coach he hires Alyssa to decorate his apartment. At first things are rocky but as they spend more time together, they start to really get to know each other and help each other heal.

I really enjoyed Hearts on Thin Ice, the character development and how it handles some heavy topics but also a sweet romance that will have you laughing out loud!

Overall, I loved this book and I look forward to reading more books by Katie Kennedy in the future!


✨Grumpy/sunshine
✨Hockey romance
✨Found family
✨Forced proximity
✨Dual POV

Hearts on Thin Ice, marketed as a debut sports romance-
My rating is 4.5 stars

This would have been a 5 star review had the novel actually had actual hockey game play written into it, since it is marketed as a sports romance. The MMC, Nick, is on an NHL team and his teammates are written into the plot line but there isn’t really much hockey playing.

With that said, this novel is still an outstanding read!! I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book. The book focuses on Nick and Alyssa and the relationship that develops between them but, also deals with tragedy, grief and healing. It was quite beautiful to read.

Nick is the sole survivor from a tragic plane crash that claimed the lives of his five best friends and teammates. He is living with survivor’s guilt, although existing would be a more accurate verb than living. He meets Alyssa when his hockey coach requires him to hire an interior designer to get his home straightened away. He had moved into a new apartment after he left physical rehabilitation and had only a recliner and a mattress in his home. Alyssa had no idea what she was in for when she took Nick on as a client…

The plot line and story are so strong in this novel. The author writes so well and tells this story in a way that made it impossible for me to put this book down. The journey through grief and healing was written beautifully and done with such grace and, done in a way that the story didn’t feel too heavy and depressing. Nick and Alyssa have incredible banter, I loved each of their senses of humor. The evolution from workplace to friends to lovers was seamless. The support characters hit that found family trope hard with the hockey teammates. And that Stacey. Wow, did I really dislike her. The way Nick would “do anything to win” against her was hilarious. I loved seeing her get what she deserved. I also really liked the romance between Nick and Alyssa. It wasn’t perfect and they had a lot of ups and downs, but such is life. Especially when each main character has some previous trauma and baggage to unpack. The end was perfect, with both Nick and Alyssa pushing each other in the necessary direction, in their own unexpected (but loving,) way.

I really, really loved this novel. Katie Kennedy came out with a banger of a debut novel, I just wish it would have been marketed a little bit differently so the expectation when I picked this up would have been realistic. I’ll be watching for future novels written by the author. She’s a damn good writer.

I received an advance reader copy from NetGalley and am leaving my review voluntarily.

"Hearts on Thin Ice" by Katie Kennedy is a swoony hockey romance filled with laughs and memorable pucks.

A very cute Hallmark type of read. i read this in one sitting. The writing style, the characters I was really intrigued by it all. Would definitely recommend if you are looking for something cute

Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me. Between the heavy reliance on the miscommunication trope and actually having a fear of flying myself this book either had me stressed or frustrated with the characters.

This is a wonderful love book. I loved it, it was unique and special and it warmed my heart.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly