I really wanted to love and enjoy this one - but there were so many parts that came off as very cringe and sometimes even immature. There was such a lack of chemistry between these two characters and I genuinely wanted to just finish this as soon as I possibly could so I could just forget it. There were words and phrases that should absolutely not having been included or used.

I’m a big hockey romance girlie and that’s what initially steered me towards reading this one - however it didn’t quite make the leap to one that I loved.

It felt a little chaotic and jumbled but overall was a read that some might really enjoy. Personally - my adhd struggles when a plot is missing structure so that may have been what set the tone for me.

Thank you netgalley & alcove press for the chance to read early in exchange for an honest review.

I tried. It was so immature and cringe. I hated all of the characters and just didn't care if they got together much less were still alive at the end.

Hearts on Thin Ice was entertaining, but not spectacular. I liked the themes of the story, but there was a lack of chemistry between the leads and things developed way too fast between them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

There were some cringe parts of the books that threw me off. For example, "taking a ride on this Jolly Roger" or the use of "engorge"

The story was overall really cute and wholesome.

Yikes. This whole book is sloppy. The big idea is there, but the execution is all bits and pieces. Alyssa and Nick have zero chemistry. Alyssa seems crappy at her job, as do her friends. Nick really should just go to therapy, and this book acts like that is an extreme thing to do. The writing is passive and incredibly simplistic.

I quit reading a third of the way in. And I can't believe it was only a third! This book is way too long for how little substance there is.

eARC provided via NetGalley for review.

Very very cute read and I loved the characters so much. Adorable read. Really liked the tension between these two and the CHEMISTRY YES PLEASE
The plot was executed well and the writing was so good.
Very enjoyable

Hearts on Thin Ice by Katie Kennedy was a surprisingly emotionally charged read that unexpectedly covered some tough topics. As the cover suggests, this is focused primarily on hockey for the male main character. Nick Sorensen was an up-and-coming hockey player, until he and his best friends were in an airplane crash that left him as the only survivor. After a significant number of physical injuries as well as mental trauma that left him barely living due to a huge amount of survivor’s guilt, his new teammate and Coach have made his opportunity to play hockey conditional on improving his home and seeing a therapist.
Alyssa Compton is a hardworking interior designer determined to be successful and have her own company soon. After a difficult childhood, Alyssa has overcome mental obstacles. A continuous problem for her and her brother is the dismissal from their mother. She ignores any discussion of trauma they went through.
After Nick and Alyssa meet, she is given the difficult task of decorating his empty shell of an apartment but has a hard time connecting with him and getting through the walls he’s built around himself.
The pair become friends but as the attraction grows, they begin connecting romantically.
I enjoyed this book but didn’t love it. For a debut I think it shows great potential for Katie Kennedy. At some points the plot felt slightly over the top and although the characters experienced a lot of personal trauma, I didn’t feel connected to them or their relationship.
Thank you for the eARC

This was such a great story. I loved it. This follows Nick who plays professional hockey. He is also a plane crash survivor. His five friends and pilot all died, and Nick was the only survivor of the accident. The five friends were also his teammates. He spends time recovering from the accident and switches to a new team after he’s let go from his previous team. Nick meets Alyssa when she is hired to redecorate his apartment. She really wants to prove herself to her new boss so she takes the offer. At first Nick and Alyssa butt heads a bit, but then find solace in each other. Alyssa has some past trauma of her own and the two become close. This was such a sweet story.

I liked this but I didn’t love it. The romance and chemistry were a bit lacking for me. The character development was great and I love a good hockey romance.

I have not cried this much when reading a book in a long time. My heart really went out to the MMC. I can only imagine what a nightmare the whole plane accident would have been. The FMC issues/trauma brings a whole new level to the plot. I think that they both had trauma is what helped each character. And what character growth there was in this story! Wow!! My only issue was the ending. It felt a little pushy. The spice was fabulous but I would have liked a little more. I do hope that this is the start of a series!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Alcove Press and Katie Kennedy for this early release copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a heartwarming sports romance that had me hooked from the beginning. Nick Sorensen, a former hockey star, is struggling to recover from a tragic plane crash that left him as the sole survivor and emotionally scarred. His sparsely furnished apartment reflects his inner turmoil. Then enters Alyssa Compton, an ambitious interior designer hired to transform Nick’s space and prove her worth. Although they initially clash, Nick's unexpected support helps Alyssa see him in a new light. Their journey explores themes of mental health, belonging, and love. Kennedy's storytelling beautifully balances heartache and hope, making this a touching and satisfying read about the healing power of love and teamwork.

This cute hockey romance features our hockey player falling for the interior designer who makes over his place. It was a sweet story with the underlying importance of seeking therapy. I was able to listen to the audiobook while I read along and found the writing to be well structured and easy flowing. The audiobook narration was great too and perfectly clear. This debut book shows a lot of promise. I can't wait to read what Katie Kennedy writes next.

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This was a cute and fast read, but there was a lot going on. It was very chaotic, and things kept happening to the point it felt like unnecessary drama and tension. It was good, but ultimately forgettable. Even as I was reading I kept forgetting what had happened (partially because there was SO much going on). There was also a lot of 'telling' rather than 'showing' which took away from the emotional impact.

I adore a good hockey romance and this one met that love. There were some parts here and there where the hockey seemed a little off but it did help develop the story and I enjoyed it

Hearts on Thin Ice surprised me with its emotional poignance and ability to balance humor and dealing with some very heavy topics. I loved watching Nick and Alyssa deal with their pasts and learn to trust each other. I also really enjoyed the hockey team and the art references throughout. This book is beautifully written!

Alyssa and Nick have both been through a lot. Nick is handling his trauma by leaving his trauma by having a nearly empty apartment. Alyssa is an interior decorator and she agrees to help him decorate his apartment. It ends up being an emotional process for them both. I loved how much Alyssa loved her job and how much Nick supported her.

My only note was that I felt like the last third could have been a bit shorter. I did love that we got to see the hockey team more in that part though. I loved how they came together to support Nick. I'd love for this to be a series and we could read more about the team.

If you love a hockey romance, an emotional romance or a story about surviving trauma this one is for you! Fans of Unsteady or Just for the Summer will love this one!

An emotional read. After surviving a plane crash that killed his friends, Nick thinks he does not deserve to enjoy life. When he meets Alyssa and she ends up designing his new flat for him they hit it off, but will he let himself be happy? Looking forward to more books from this author.

Thank you, Net Galley and Alcove Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

This debut romance centers on a hockey star who has lost his BF/Roommate in a tragic accident and is suffering from PTSD (survivor's guilt) and working through his grief. His team manager insists that he seek therapy treatment and work towards settling into his new city/home to keep his spot on the team. Nick hires Alyssa, an interior designer, to help him fix up his new home that literally only includes one chair and a mattress. As these two work together on a design, they slowly get to know one another in an honest and vulnerable way that I found refreshing. I liked how the relationship moved from strangers to friendship before acting on their attraction; however, sometimes I felt their interactions stayed to close to the friend zone or lacked some of that tension/chemistry that could have raised the romance level. And while I did find Alyssa's quirky personality to be fun, I did not find the plot overall to have many comedic elements. This book read more as a romance while tackling heavier topics such as PTDS, panic attacks, grief, and trauma. I still enjoyed this one and look forward to the author's next work!

Like many others before have said, this book didn't quite work for me.

I could see where there should have been a lot of emotional depth to this one, but it was a miss for me. Things weren't quite fleshed out enough or felt too surface. I think we needed to dig in more to what these characters were feeling, especially when it came to our MMC's tragic accident. Also, I wasn't feeling the chemistry between our two main characters. On top of the miscommunication, they just didn't jive. I wasn't feeling the tension and everything else that's good in a romance novel.

I'm sad to say this was a miss for me because I love hockey romances. I think there's still hope for this author in the future, but this wasn't a great start for her.

I very much enjoyed this novel. I liked the couple overall and found their story heartwarming. I would recommend to those who enjoy hockey and romance.