It was sweet but the characters were not properly developed. Yet their connection was not really there, it was still sweet.

Hearts on Thin Ice is a sweet and spicy hockey romance that tackles some heavier topics, like grief and mental health. Nick Sorensen is a hockey star working to make his comeback to the ice after a devastating plane crash left him severely injured and claimed the lives of his closest friends and teammates. While his physical wounds have healed, his mental wounds still have a ways to go, as evidenced by his apartment's complete lack of furniture. To get his coach off his case, Nick hires interior designer, Alyssa Compton, to decorate his apartment. Alyssa is eager for the opportunity to prove herself with such a big client, which will get her one step closer to achieving her dream of opening her own firm. As they work together on the project, Nick and Alyssa open up to each other about their struggles and learn that sometimes what you need is someone on your team.

I absolutely adored Hearts on Thin Ice! I love hockey romances in general, and I appreciate that this story had a bit more depth than the typical hockey romance due to the grief and mental health storylines. At one point, I found myself tearing up at Nick's description of his grief. Nick and Alyssa encourage each other to open up about their traumas and push each other to take steps to move forward that they were too scared to do on their own. There are some recurring moments of miscommunication between them that was a bit frustrating, as the miscommunication trope is a personal pet peeve. Other than that, I really enjoyed the plot and Katie Kennedy's writing. I hope she continues to write stories set in this universe, as I would love to pick them up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me with an eARC to review!

I will always be a sport romance girly no matter what
They just hit differently and this was no exepection

I think that this story had potential, but it would have needed an overhaul. To begin, I do not personally like *any* book written in third person; I just do not see how it adds to the story in almost any case. I also didn't really feel any emotional connection to Nick or Alyssa, and I found their chemistry lacking. The author did attempt to add in heavier topics, such as mental health, trauma, death...however, I didn't feel like those moments were as impactful as they could have been. I ended up DNFing the book around 60%.

The book had some of my favourite tropes and the content of the book was enjoyable as i love a hockey romance. However, the writing style did not align with my preferences causing me to DNF the book. I felt the author was more telling rather than showing the story through the characters. This may be someone elses cup of tea but it wasn't mine.

p.s. i did not want to leave a star rating however netgalley doesn't allow reviews posted without a star rating.

As an avid reader of sports romances, many of which have been hockey romances, this book was insufferable. While I was trying to give it a fair shot, I ultimately decided to DNF this book at 40%. Originally, I wanted to DNF much earlier, but I made myself give it more time. And honestly, that's time that I will not get back.

There are a lot of issues that I had with Hearts on Thin Ice. First, the book being written in third person did absolutely nothing for the story. With the continual shifts of who the story was focused on-- Nick or Alyssa -- this story would have been more impactful if it was written in first person and the chapters were headed with who the narrator was.

The next aspect that really made me DNF this story was the dialogue. Both Nick and Alyssa are grown adults in professional workplaces, and yet they acted like teenagers. For example, I cannot imagine a grown man who is part of the NHL walking into his coaches office and saying "Was I naughty?" That line stuck out like a sore thumb and in my opinion, dumbed down Nick's character and made him come across juvenile. Which was a complete contrast to the serious subject matter in the story, like his accident.

Another aspect of the story that I really didn't like was Alyssa's character also being dumbed down. She was aware that Nick was a hockey player, yet when she couldn't get ahold of Nick the thought was had that "he was probably practicing sports puck." Why do we need to dumb women down in stories when they are more than capable of and have shown on page that they know what sport their design client plays? Women are fully functioning human beings who have the capacity to understand sports. This line does a disservice to women in general, but also female sports fans.

Overall, this story wasn't enjoyable and was a slog to get to even the 40% mark. Going into the book, I was excited by the cover art and the title, but the story itself just didn't deliver. I definitely won't be seeking out any further titles by this author or recommended this book to friends or fellow readers.

This book had so much potential for me! It had a story with a lot of heavy/impactful moments that could have really put a punch on the story but some of them just lacked for me. I felt like the characters were lacking depth and there were just moments that frustrated me more so based on the lack of chemistry. Overall I don’t think I would purchase this book as is but I think that if revised then it could be such a good book!

Nick Sorensen, a former speedster in hockey, struggles after surviving a tragic plane crash that took his friends' life. To prove he's coping and trying to move on, he hires an interior designer, Alyssa, to help spruce up his empty apartment. Despite initial clashes, their connection deepens, showing that sometimes love and support can come unexpectedly.

This was a cute romcom with some heavier moments of grief being explored throughout the story.

If you’re a fan of a hockey romance, grumpy/sunshine, and dual pov this is a book for you.

*Thank you Netgalley for the e-book*

When Nick survives a plane crash where five of his teammates die, he feels like he isn’t allowed to enjoy life anymore. Alyssa has a dream of starting her own design company, but is too scared to take a gamble because of her past.

This book was cute, although a bit silly at times. It dealt with some heavy topics and I feel like we could have taken a bit more time and explanation to see how they overcame their issues they’ve been dealing with for years.

There was also quite a bit of miscommunication, which is always a bummer, because the only thing they need to do is talk and they’re not doing it.

But it was funny and I loved the dynamics between the two MCs, so I definitely recommend it!

Everything changed when the plane Nick Sorensen was on crashed - not only did five of his best friends die, but it left him with a traumatic injury that took a a year of rehab to heal and a mental scar that still hasn't healed. But now, at least, Nick is back in the NHL with a different team and he's ready to show the world that he's still got it. The problem is, his captain sees he's struggling so Nick is issues an ultimatum: fix his depression den and make it livable, or go to therapy. Nick doesn't want to do either of those things, but eventually agrees to let interior designer Alyssa Compton design his space. Alyssa is desperate to prove herself to her monster of a boss, so she eagerly takes on Nick's space - unfortunately, he seems to be fighting her every step of the way and Alyssa can't figure out why.

The story wanted to be deep: the author brings up a lot of heavy topics: mental health issues, homelessness, death, etc. However, I didn't feel satisfied with the resolution (or lack thereof) of these issues. The author seemed to pull back at the last second on a few things, including the issues above and the sex scenes. The sex started out pretty graphic but then almost faded to black? Nick's characterization gave me whiplash - so sweet, giving, and willing to help Alyssa out no questions asked, but then he can't see or acknowledge his mistakes. His gesture with the ad was a tad tone-deaf and definitely more about him wanting to "win" than it was about helping Alyssa; and then he double-downed on it and blamed Alyssa for being mad! Huh? Where is the sweet man who helped decorate for a wedding he wasn't attending and dressed up as a pirate last minute just to help a girl out? I wish there was more healing for both of them with their various traumas - I firmly believe that you need to address your shit before you can be a good partner.

I will say, Stacey made an EXCELLENT villain, and the Christmas party scene truly pissed me off, despite not really furthering the plot. I enjoyed Alyssa's growth with her brother, standing up to her mother and addressing some of those issues, and the girls supporting girls was great - Alyssa's friends clearly love her and want to help her, even if their help is occasionally misguided.

Not my favorite hockey romance, but enjoyable nonetheless.

This was quite a fun, quick hockey romance. The author did well to keep levity throughout even when dealing with some heavier topics.

I really liked Nick and Alyssa, they are both dealing with issues of their own and their development as individuals though out their romance was a delight to read.

A pro hockey player who is recovering from a traumatic plane crash finds himself falling for an interior designer who is trapped in a toxic company. Nick Sorensen is the sole survivor of a devastating plane crash that took the lives of his best friends. He's recovering and getting ready to get back on the ice... but his coach is concerned about his mental health. Although Nick might be physically fine, he is still dealing with the grief of losing his friends and has survivor guilt. Then there is Alyssa, a sweet and charming interior designer who is getting her clients stolen by her boss. Alyssa catches Nick's attention and he hires her to redecorate his apartment. Soon they find themselves spending more time together and finding someone to support them in each other. This felt like a hallmark-esque romance, but without the charm or depth of a good one. I just felt kind of meh about the two characters and their romance just felt kind of bland unfortunately. I wish I liked it more but it just didn't really catch my attention and I just found myself tuning out a bit. I finished the book and overall it just missed the romance aspect to me If you like fairly simple romances with a touch of sports and a bit of angsty backstory, give this a go, maybe you'll have a better time with it than I did.

*Thanks Netgalley and Alcove Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

release day: June 18, 2024

Oh I loved this story!!! Nick and Alyssa each have a past that made me cry, let's say losing all your friends in a very bad accident is no less and the way Nick faced it felt real, Alyssa on the other hand comes from a very humble and at the same time shameful (according to her) beginning and to see how she has moved forward is admirable.

Their story starts when Nick hires Alyssa to decorate his apartment and that has a much bigger meaning than we think and I think that was what I liked most about the whole story: Nick's journey to heal not only physically but also mentally from the accident. They felt attraction from the beginning and you feel it on every page, yes, it has a miscommunication problem that makes me not give it a full rating, but it is nothing that hinders the reading.

The guys from Nick's new team are what he needed, I hope to read a book about them! Well, this is the first book by the author that I read and I will definitely continue reading because I really liked her way of writing and creating these characters.

thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Super cute hockey romance. Has a good mental health rep along with being a workplace scene. I loved the banter between the two characters also.

Thank you to the publisher, author, & NetGalley for sending me this e-ARC.

Hearts on Thin Ice is a hockey and workplace romance. The main characters Nick and Alyssa have a lot to work though as they start to fall for each other. While it definitely hits a lot of the usual hockey romance vibes, there is a lot more to this book as well. I was rooting for Nick and Alyssa throughout this book!

I absolutely loved this book. I adore Nick and Alyssa! Their romance was so lifelike I could see it as a movie in my mind. This was so good I am absolutely hooked on hockey romance books right now and this is the best one!!! 5 star read for me.
I just reviewed Hearts on Thin Ice by Katie Kennedy. #HeartsonThinIce #NetGalley
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I received an eARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

1.5 Stars Rounded Up

When you look at this book, you think it’s going to be this cute romance. Maybe add a little bit of spice?! The title makes you wonder how it plays into the story. The synopsis on the back adds to the intrigue….

BUT it falls flat. The characters were very one dimensional. Yes, there was growth but it wasn’t organic growth. Each of the MCs dealt with trauma for different reasons but a lot of the time it was “oh pitiful me”. Now, Nick has a reason to be that way to SOME degree. In this case, it was way overdone by both characters. I’m not trying to dismiss trauma in the slightest. It is just that this book centered around the trauma but it was never really addressed? It’s never talked about on how they overcome it.

The romance between the two was also not believable in the slightest. They had a really weird dynamic and didn’t seem to mesh well together. The story overall didn’t flow very well. It seemed to jump around and conflicts were just randomly solved. And SPOILER ALERT….

That second plane “crash”? It was written very anticlimactically. I almost thought it was a dream Nick was having because it was so poorly written. I hope this book gets a good edit before going to final print.

If you know me, I hate leaving bad reviews. But this book was definitely not for me. There was very little hockey, characters were very one dimensional, and overall the story felt off. It has potential to be a good story but in this case it did not.

Again, these are MY personal feelings and opinions about the book. You may read it and completely disagree and THAT’S OKAY! This is just how I feel regarding this title.

Hearts on Thin Ice by Katie Kennedy is a flirty sports (hockey) & workplace rom-com which explores mental health, belonging, and finding your way in the world. We see our main leads - Nick Sorenson & Alyssa Compton slowly and steadily fall for each other and also at the same time find their own individual paths.

What I liked the most about this book was how well the Mental Health rep was done and executed. I also liked the whole hockey players X Interior Designer rec as well. This was something new and very well done. Yes, it was slightly slow in the start but at the same time picks up the pace later on.

Also, to notice both Nick and Alyssa do stand up for each other whenever required and gracefully both are the missing puzzles of each other's life. I felt the ending could have been dealt better but nonetheless, this one was a good one time read for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first foray into Katie Kennedy's work! As a fan of hockey romance, I found this novel particularly engaging, offering a fresh perspective from a player who has endured injury and trauma yet still manages to find his way back to the game. Alyssa's character was both delightful and endearing, and the banter between the two main characters was a highlight for me. This book strikes a perfect balance between sweetness and sensuality, making it a quick and enjoyable read. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun and entertaining story!

Round up to 3.5 stars. I enjoyed this! It was quick and cute and I’m a sucker for a hockey romance. Although there wasn’t much of the actual sport mentioned I did enjoy the aspect of Nick’s team. I wasn’t a huge fan of the way it was told in alternating third person perspective but that may just be because I’m so used to romances being first person lately.