Hearts on Thin Ice by Katie Kennedy was a sweet debut sports romance story.
My gosh I devoured this book!
It was such a deep, humorous, emotional and compelling story.
This is such a fabulous hockey romance story that sucked me in so quick.
I have loved every second of it, being sucked into the story from the first page, it held my attention until the last page.

Thank You NetGalley and Alcove Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Hearts on Thin Ice is a fun sports romance. The book is easy to read with fun and quirky characters and a storyline that has a little depth but much more romance. The loss of life, much less witnessing that loss first hand, is a touchy subject that Katie Kennedy handle with respect.

I am a hockey fan so I could understand Nick’s hockey career and how hard it is to come back from an injury. I cannot imagine how hard it is to watch people you love die a horrible death. I love that Nick had so much support from his family, teammates, friends, and especially Alyssa. Alyssa is the rock for him, she calls him out on his BS, she takes care of him when he needs it, and she falls head over heals for him. They are perfect for each other.

As I started this book and realized the plot I got nervous as I've read a similar series about a hockey team and a plane crash, and that's very niche in terms of multiple books. However, after reading this book, the two stories are wildly different. I love how the author discussed themes such as grief, loss, and moving on. Nick's story covers all three so beautifully as he struggles to move on from losing his five teammates in a plane crash, including his childhood best friend.

Alyssa is the interior designer Nick hired to design his new place after being forced by the coach to decorate his apartment and it doesn't go well. It takes some time for Nick to adjust to the changes including the apartment, the new team, and his newfound interest in Alyssa. I love how Alyssa and Nick pushed each other to be better versions of themselves but also how they made some terrible mistakes with this as well. It felt so real and the grief was palpable, that this story is very emotional at times! I enjoyed every moment of this story and can't wait to see what comes next from this author!

Following the death of his teammates in a tragic plane crash, hockey player Nick Sorensen is finally returning to his sport. However, there's a condition. He must get therapy, and he must decorate his apartment. Enter interior designer, Alyssa.

The premise behind this book was appealing, and there was so much potential for emotional growth within the characters and the immense attractiveness of a hockey romance. Unfortunately, the writing style felt less like storytelling and more like a listing of actions. The words didn't flow for me, and I struggled to connect to the characters more deeply.

I loved the camaraderie and supportiveness of Nick's new teammates. and the pure stubbornness Nick shows towards the end of the book.

In many ways, this book felt unfinished, and I think it just needs some finessing to be fabulous.

A fun romance with solid hockey [though not as much as you might expect], interior design and art elements [more than you might expect!] if that floats your boat. I don't love a miscommunication trope and this one had some SERIOUS miscommunication, but i liked the depth the characters had. There is a lot of grief/mental health content so don't expect this to be entirely fluffy, but the dialogue between the main characters, and their loving and supportive friend groups is very enjoyable to read.

I think this book is good, but no more. I don't care about the characters and I don't feel they romantic connexion. The writing for me was not really good, in my personal opinion the 3 voice narrator is not the best to tell this story. I believe there are so much better books with this tropes that I like more to share with my customers.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: contemporary romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A sweet romantic comedy that’s isn’t heavy on the hockey

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Hockey romance
Dual POV
Romantic comedies
Heavier topics
Grumpy / sunshine
Found family
Debut novel
Interior design
Character development

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Mental health rep
Museum visit

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
Miscommunication

'confident in this. in them. she knew the man, his body—his heart. and oh, did he know her.'
omg the painting reveal part had my heart stop and i wanted to mention that as the very first thing because i was so so moved by it lol. the museums visits were
the writing in the book is mature, demonstrating a deep understanding of language and narrative structure that elevated experiencing the book. it shocked me a little because first of all, i was in it for a cutesy romance with brain numbing fluff but katie catered hurt/comfort in a flow of writing that was intellectually engaging.
that being said, the 'rom' and 'com' elements were lacking. to the point that they sometimes felt forced :( it failed to add the expected charm and lightness to the story. and i'd like to say i was misled by the cover but the excerpt doesn't disclose these underwhelming aspects either

₊˚ nick sorensen ⊹♡.
“you said nobody can go it alone. but that’s what you’re trying to do.”
i understand why nick was utterly done with life and how cruel it was for the universe to push him till that man had nothing to live for and was okay with just 2 pieces of furniture in his house. his story is hard to read because you deeply feel his hurt and his grief alongside him but that is an explanation, not a justification for some for his actions and well... words, that, quite frankly? pissed me tf off.

“you were willing to have sex with me but not let me take you out to dinner.”
... they were trying to work it out and have a 'serious' talk, the whole ordeal obviously, alien to nick.

₊˚ alyssa compton ⊹♡.
pretty sure poor alyssa said no was because he was so rude and eventually got her fucking fired? (i'm aware she's not mad at him for what but fuck it, i am)😭icb she was holding onto the past and then saying stuff like:
“going forward, i mean. it has nothing to do with my life now.”
just felt a little hypocritical.

and like i feel like nick hasn't reached the age maturity for alyssa which is probably why i don't feel like they would last. i feel so bad because i genuinely wanted to like, and if you're someone who can ignore certain elements, this might end up being your next fav read.
i loved alyssa more than nick, pretty obvious now. and i'm happy to know that the book ends at a place where there isn't a guarantee that they are going to end up together. it ends where they kinda find their way back to each other and i love that. she's strong as fuck and i hope won't let nick get away with the problematic shit he pulls.

the miscommunication was done up so nicely omg!! miscommunication tropes are supposed to make you feel frustrated because you know the whole thing and other's don't and the book served in that department.
i won't lie, i don't want to go over the board because this is a debut novel but i felt like there was an integral part missing. there was excessive word jargon and less character development, which is fine but i feel like when you pick up books with a cute cover, you go in with very different expectations maybe i did, i don't know, maybe i am the problem?
i genuinely can't wait to read more works from katie because despite my rant, she is a very amazing upcoming author who after elevating her work and honing the marketing aspect a bit will no question become a bestseller.

thanks to katie kennedy, netgalley and alcove press for the arc.

This was an overall great read! Hearts on thin ice would be perfect for anyone who likes a quick sports/hockey romance book since it was fast paced, adventurous, and cute. There were times when the miscommunication trope was too much, and sadly enough I usually don’t mind it. I wish the book gave a little more since it was lacking in certain areas otherwise it was a great time.

The premise of this book sounded really cute, but I didn't end up connecting to the story much.

To be honest, I think the 3rd person POV is what bothered me the most, I couldn't enjoy it.

I found myself skimming a lot of it, especially the last 50%. There were some cute moments, but this wasn't the book for me.

This was a sweet hockey romance. There is a bit of a twist in that the hero, Nick, his the only survivor of a fatal plane crash that killed his best friends and hockey teammates on the flight. He is in the midst of a very severe depression as he prepares to come back to hockey on a new team. Alyssa is a spunky interior decorator who ends up decorating his very plain and bare apartment. She has her own wounds from her youth. Of course, they’re going to have to overcome their own personal and professional drawbacks to reach their own HEA.

I really liked the camaraderie that Nick has with his new teammates and that Alyssa has with her besties. I also liked the witty dialogue between Nick and Alyssa. I would have liked more hockey in a hockey romance. But I also liked the different interest that the author gave Nick. He was an art and art history major and loves going to museums. What a nice dimension to give a professional athlete. I also liked how art enters the sexy language between the two main characters and a fight they have over…Monet with the running commentary from Nick’s teammates. That was funny.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Hearts On Thin Ice by Katie Kennedy 💙
Standalone

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Adult • Romance
ARC Review
320 pages
🗓️ June 18th

🏒 sports romance
🖼️ workplace romance
🏒 pro-hockey MMC
🖼️ slow(ish) burn
🏒 love after trauma

📌”She was life—she was the future. And he had a choice.”

Nick and Alyssa, what am I going to do with you guys?! *sigh* I loved you both individually but maybe not yet together 🫣 Yet, being the key word here because the road just needed to be a little longer, a little wider, and a lot more angsty.

And how can you guys not love Kandinsky?! I should’ve ended this whole thing right there and then. I wanted to. Because, how dare you? 😜

Joking aside, their museum visit was one of my favorite things about this book and where I felt a vivid connection between our lovely MCs.

Devin, we adore you.

Not you Stacey. Not you.

I enjoyed the overall storyline.
The plot itself was ok. It deals with grief and overcoming obstacles; Remembering that you’re not alone. But the writing for the sex scenes was clunky and confusing and the constant miscommunication was frustrating.

It was heavily descriptive of interior design and art critique. In fact, if you are not into clsssic art (Michelangelo, Monet, etc), there are some conversations that might be confusing.
🏒🥅
If you are dealing with grief or depression, I would not recommend this book.

However, if those topics do not affect you, and you are just looking for an entertaining story, this one fits that requirement.

This book is such a curveball. I go in blind when reading and was expecting some light romcom hockey romance (which it was), but there is SO MUCH MORE to this book. Mental health rep, survivor's guilt, figuring out where you belong, shame/guilt of the past, and a heartbreaking MMC who you just can't help but root for and want to hug all the broken pieces back together.

The spice wasn't all that spicy, but the plot and characters and banter more than made up for it. This book really, really took me by surprise with how heavy it was while still remaining light. I absolutely will keep reading Katie (and hope that this turns into a series because there's more guys on the team that I'm curious about, but not sure if it would work well as a series due to the heaviness of the topics in this one and I'd hate to see this book be turned into a cotton candy, light and fluffy series when it's so much more than that).

ARC Review:

Synopsis:
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 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.

Review:
I'm not certain I can do a full review of this book bc it was bad. Like so bad, I don't want to write a full review, so here are my general thoughts.

1. If a man said to me "is this because of your dad?" once, let alone as many times as Nick says is to Alyssa, I'd punch him. In the throat.

2. Rip Van Winkle? Absolutely not

3. If you're going to write a "hockey romance" maybe include some more hockey in it - I get that his teammates were a big part of the story, but teammates could have easily been switched out for friends and this would've been the same book

4. There were definitely some cute moments and a line or two that made me smile/giggle

5. The spicy scenes were so cringy. So. Cringy. And the way they talked about them? No thank you.

6. The plot of this book is a great idea, the execution was just...bad.

When NIck loses his best friends and roommate in a plane accident, he is left as the lone survivor and floundering to find his footing again. He is definitely suffering from survivor's guilt and add on top of that he is hurt himself. He moves into a new place where he decorates it with just one chair and a mattress on the floor.

That's where Alyssa comes into the picture. She is an interior designer that is supposed to help him decorate his new place, but she quickly realizes he is difficult to work with. Just when she's about to quit, NIck is there for her in a way that is totally unexpected.

I thought this was a good attempt at a debut novel. There were some plot holes that were hard to get around and I didn't fully buy the characters were fully developed or very good for each other. The connection just wasn't there for me. There was dialogue that was a little disjointed and felt a little forced. The miscommunication trope is not my favorite, but when it's done right I can get behind it. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it in this story.

I can definitely see a future for this author. She did a great job! This one just wasn't for me.
Thank you to the publisher Alcove Press, @alcovepress, and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Yes- I’m fully in my Hockey-Romance Era (Thank you Stanley Cup Playoffs) and because of that I was excited to receive an ARC for HEARTS ON THIN ICE from NetGalley and Alcove Press.

That being said- this one was rough for me to get through. I wanted to love this rom-com from a debut author, but unfortunately it fell flat in far too many areas for me.

Tropes:
Sports Romance
Workplace Romance

What I Liked:
Mental Health Representation
Cover Hard Social Struggles- Homelessness, Drug Use, etc.
The Hockey Team/Male Friendships displayed in the book
Art Appreciation- Especially from the MMC
Nick’s “Scouting Report” of Alyssa- I thought this was cute and a fun tie in to his love of hockey and career.
Nick’s “Talks” with Sammy- I thought this was an interesting approach for their storyline and moving on from survivor’s guilt

What I Struggled With:
The Character Development- There was promise to be had here given both MCs tragic pasts- I just felt far too much went unresolved by the end of the book- I hoped that epilogue would provide some closure- but it really was useless.
Miscommunication- The two MC struggled to communicate from start to finish- the only exception may have been when Alyssa confided in Nick about her past and being homeless growing up. That scene was one of the highpoints of the whole book.
Lack of Chemistry- No matter how hard I tried- I never felt that the connection was there between these two. All their interactions felt like whiplash from scene to scene. Hot and cold with no reasoning or explanation for their actions in between. It was very irritating to feel as a reader not having the flow or understanding of where each character was at. This was a bi-polar relationship if I’ve ever read one.
Alyssa- She was a hard to relate to character and quite immature in my opinion. Some of this may have stemmed from her youth and growing up the way she did- if so- more time and attention should have been put into developing that storyline so she’d feel like a more complete character. I also blame this on she had no strong female role models in her life. Her mom- yeah bad news bears. Her two “close” friends- horrible advice givers. (Please- Do not get me started on Alyssa’s reaction to Nick and his commercial he filmed to help her- she threw a fit over not having a business launch party with pink cookies- I’m sorry- Grow up).
Writing Style- Some chapters were better than other- probably could be said about every first-time author- yet I struggled through a lot of this story and do hope that an editor took a heavy hand to this book before publishing.
The Spice- It was send to the sin-bin penalty bad y’all. I’m not sure I ever said that before, but those scenes could have been cut completely from this story and I would have added another star to the review. I believe the author was going for playful and fun, but that’s not how it translated onto the page. It was abrupt, and immature interactions that didn’t flow. All it made me feel was awkward and cringy.

Final Thoughts:
As I’ve found with most recent books labeled sports romance- I wanted more with the sport not just the cute cover (which I did love). I do appreciate the author’s attempt to hit on some harder subjects, but unfortunately with the lack of plot and development- it all fell through the thin ice.

I love a hockey romance and the thing that really stuck out about this one is the backgrounds of the character's. Both had trauma they needed to understand from themselves before they could understand each other. There was also a silliness to them I really enjoyed. I loved the mentions of art and artist throughout the text as well

I am a huge hockey romance fan, so was really excited to get this novel as an ARC. Unfortunately, it was only okay for me.

I’ll start with some things that I liked. It was set in Michigan, with the MMC playing for the Detroit Red Wheels (nice play on the Red Wings), so I always love a home state setting! This book dealt with a lot of grief from both of the characters, which is something that I always think adds to the book. With this one, their stories didn’t really work for me personally BUT I think others could really get attached to them and what they experienced. The book was a good blend of spice and plot, which is always what I want in a sports romance. It was dual POV as well, which is essential for me with romances now days.

Unfortunately, I really just couldn’t connect with the characters, especially the FMC. I found their behaviors to be immature a lot of the time, and it just really made the trauma aspects hard for me to connect with. There also was a lot of miscommunication/lack of communication which I really hate. Even up until the end when they were getting together, they were arguing and not communicating. So between immature characters and miscomm, I really had a hard time getting into this. It was overall fine and I think there are plenty of other people who could enjoy it more than me, but it just wasn’t a win in my book.

This was a sweet rom-com but also deals with a lot of heavier issues surrounding past traumas, mental health and survivors guilt. It is the author's debut in adult novels, she does make you feel for the characters but the backstories weren't as gut wrenching as others I've read.

I liked the plot and there was a good amount of banter between the main characters, especially the art references/innuendo but it did feel they went from 0 to 100 with their relationship once they found somethingin common. The spice wasn't particularly spicy but i did like that they could be goofy whilst doing it.

There was a lot of miscommunication, not too much hockey and it wasn't as cute as it could have been which brought my rating down.