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*

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
[NetGalley URL]

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.

While this looks like a cute hockey romcom, it is not. Yes, Nick plays hockey but it’s not central to his character, he could’ve had any job and it still would’ve worked for the story. I don’t think there was even one hockey practice or game scene? And yes, there was a romantic storyline which for me was completely lacking any sort of chemistry. Nick and Alyssa acted like the interior designer and client that they were. But I could not imagine them in any other relationship by like 30% through because there was no chemistry. There wasn’t even chemistry when they were sleeping with each other. Not only was the chemistry bad but there was so much miscommunication or just a general lack of communication. So many of their issues could’ve been solved with just a single conversation, but no let’s just ignore each other and then talk in metaphors when we do actually talk. This relationship did not make it past the epilogue.

Overall, I did not enjoy this book

This was a super cute read! There's honestly nothing more that I love than a cute little hockey romance. As a debut it makes me excited to see what comes next from this author!

Great book until it turned into a porn novel. Not for me. Much too crass,what a shame. I was not a fan

This is the first book I've read from Katie Kennedy and I absolutely loved it. I've not read many hockey romance books but the ones that I've read I have loved. I loved this one aswell.

I loved the banter. It was sweet with a little sexy thrown in. It's such a quick and fun read.

This was my first book from Katie Kennedy and I loved it! I’m such a sucker for a hockey romance and I loved seeing it from the perspective of a player that has been injured and gone through an incredibly traumatic event but still was able to get back out there. Alyssa was so fun and sweet and I loved their banter! It was sweet but also sexy! Great read, it was super quick and fun and I’d recommend to anyone!

This one was cute but I’m Not totally sure that this writing style was for me. I think some will love it though

Thank you Katie Kennedy for a digital arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Hearts on Thin Ice" delivers a touching romance with relatable characters and a compelling storyline. Kennedy's debut showcases her talent for crafting emotional narratives, making this novel a promising start to her writing career. Recommended for fans of sports romance and HEAs looking for a heartfelt read.

I love hockey romance so I was excited to read this one but I could not get into it. The writing style wasn't my favorite - with tons of details about everything and long paragraphs with tons of text. The two main characters didn't have much chemistry. The first 15% of the book was just about redesigning his apartment which wasn't interesting enough to hook me. I looked up reviews and saw that these issues persist throughout the book so after skimming for a bit, I just had to put it down.

I wish there was a way to not include a star rating because I hate leaving 1 star review but the site requires it.

I read this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book. It made me think of what would've happened if someone had survived Kobe Bryant's plane crash. I loved the characters of Nick and Alyssa. It was very easy to relate to Nick's struggles grieving for his friends, healing from a serious injury, and being afraid to move forward with his life. The author did a great job showing the true struggles people go through in grief. I also enjoyed that Nick had a background in art history, making him a 3-dimensional character who had interests other than hockey, women, and grief. It was great to see him grow into his new team and new town as he developed his willingness to live.

I liked Alyssa as a romantic interest for Nick. I enjoyed her backstory of having parents who suffered from a gambling addiction and shame around homelessness. Alyssa was sweet and calming, working hard to make his home feel comforting and comfortable. I liked her attention to detail about things that Nick liked or strongly disliked and watching her incorporate that into her interior design of his home. I would've preferred Alyssa had a stronger backbone as an interior designer and when confronted by her high school bully. She clearly shows talent in her work, but doesn't take the bull by the horns until Nick makes the big steps for her. I would've loved to see her strengthening herself more.

Negatives- I found it a little hard to believe that someone who survived such a serious plane crash would be able to play professional hockey ever again. I wish there had been a little more explanation about his recovery. He clearly had to work hard to go from being wheelchair-bound to being in the NHL again. This should've been a little slower since his desire to live was also lagging behind.
I would've liked to get to know the 5 teammates who died, either through a prologue or a few flashback scenes.
The story also lacked closure in the plotline with her high school bully. If we weren't going to see her get revenge in an epilogue, then the bully character was unnecessary. It also bothered me that Alyssa refused to stick up for herself to the bully. It undermined her strength as an up-and-coming businesswoman and love interest.

Note for the Editor- Georgia O'Keefe's name was spelled as George, which really bothered me since it undermines her importance as a strong female artist in history.

I am currently obsessed with hockey romances. The first few chapters were extremely painful and profound. I really loved Nick's character. Nick is healing from a tragic accident. Nick meets Alyssa who is an interior designer and hired her to decorate his apartment. They both spend time together and learn to help each other heal. I wish there was more character development between Nick and Alyssa. But overall the story was very enjoyable. I will definitely continue to support Katie Kennedy’s work. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange of an honest review.

As someone who loves hockey romances I was really excited for this book, but it seemed to fall flat and drag. As someone who typically can ready a book in a couple days, I've slowly been trudging through this read between February-April. I didn't feel a hook and neither did the chemistry between the FMC and MMC.

The writer didn't seem to know what direction to take some of the conversations. From lines of swearing (which is fine) to saying "I'll be darned" and "poop project." I get not every book needs to have swearing all the time and understand that some readers might refrain from that, but there felt a lack of consistency. Same with the spice. I mean "doinkitude"?? Not every book needs to have spice but it felt so stilted here that it almost would have been better to have a fade to black, especially with how the characters acted and communicated. Also, the FMC slut shaming referring to skank. At least the "friend" Janet pushed back there. I say "friend" loosely because I have a lot of issues with her, but is it 2024 and we're still using the word "skank"? Or even discussing slut shaming in a book?

I was not here for the miscommunication trope, which was all over this, or the pacing.

Some things I noticed that I'm assuming will be fixed by the editors are formatting and spacing between letters, but it didn't take me out of the book because I know this was an eARC. I will say there's a line where the FMC, Alyssa, is talking about says "Alyssa told me when she called about tonight" and Alyssa is supposed to be referring to Vanessa. Again, I had to reread it a few times because I was confused in processing. There are a couple conversational situations like that in the book as well where I was not sure who was discussing what at one point. Since this an eARC, again, i'm going to assume edits are continuing to be made.

I will say i liked how the author approached the MMCs grief. That it's not a linear process and it can feel all consuming and that there is no timeline on how one handles that. The priority of mental health for the MMC and how his team supported and rallied with and for him constantly was lovely to see.

Tropes:
PTSD
Grief
found family (MMC)
hockey romance
miscommunication

I will put here what another reviewer said so respectfully, "although this book wasn’t for me doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it or resonate with it. Ultimately, this just wasn’t what I was looking for in a romance book which hindered my enjoyment in reading." I really wanted to do though, this just wasn't it.

This is a cute hockey romance. The hockey romances seem to be a hit these days. They are cute. This story follows Alyssa and Nick. Nick an NHL player who suffered loss and has a tough time moving on. And Alyssa an interior designer working for a not so nice boss. The two work together to design the perfect space for Nick but it isn’t always easy.
I think I wanted a little more from these characters. Although it was a good story, I didn’t really feel the connection or the love. Maybe it was too rushed? I’m not sure but a little more would have been great. I did like that it was in duel POV. And I did like and enjoy that they did get their happy ending. It is a quick read and if you love romance and hockey I do think you’ll enjoy.