I absolutely loved this book. The narrator was great and did a good job of making the characters come alive. The story was well paced and I liked both of the main characters immensely. I recommended this book to several of my co-workers at the library already and to our librarian who buys our fiction. This is something I think romance reader will really like. I will be looking for more books by Katie Kennedy in the future. If you like a great closed door romance - this is a fabulous choice.

3.5 Rueful Michelangelo ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️.5/5

You know how books are called devious because they are cute cartoon covers and then inside they are the dirtiest smut??? THIS IS ALMOST LIKE THIS.... but instead of smut, we get pain and sadness and just HEAVY... It's almost deceptive and not in the way I like. I think why this hit so hard is because it was VERY emotionally heavy, and since I normally don't typically read such emotional books, I was not prepared. I wanted to go into something light-hearted. I wanted to go into something that was going to be a sweet, almost fluffy romance. And while there are elements of sweet and fluffy, they are heavily shadowed by the trauma our characters need to work through.

Nick Sorensen is an NHL player who is returning to the game after a tragic plane crash killed six of his closest friends and teammates, leaving him the only one to survive the crash. Having been dropped by his former team, he's now been picked up by another; so he is dealing with the trauma of survivor's guilt, the loss of his previous life; as well as having lost his best friend and roommate. He is struggling to re-assimilate into a new life that requires him to move on. Something he is not ready for.

Then we have Alyssa Compton, who is dealing with her own childhood trauma. She's tried to turn her life around by becoming an interior designer for the worst person on the planet - however, mostly doesn't let this get her down. Her friend (and client) happens to be married to Nick's teammate. Nick's coach has given him an ultimatum: either he has to decorate his apartment because he's literally living with one chair and basically a cardboard box as a table, or he has to go to therapy. And since spending money on couch cushions is a lot more safe than talking about your feelings Nick hires Alyssa to help him.

My issue with this is I didn't particularly hate it, but I didn't love it either. I felt that for a lot of the novel, she and Nick were constantly almost fighting, at ends with each other, misunderstanding each other or disagreeing. There wasn't really a connection between them or attraction (besides the fact that they were near each other). It was like there was chemistry but NOT ENOUGH. While it was sweet that they developed into friends and that both were able to help each other through their various traumas and emotional conflicts, there was just something missing about their relationship that I didn't see.

Unfortunately, by the time they ended up getting together and realizing that they wanted to be with each other, the book ended. So it was like a tease and then done - where you just had to imagine their love growing deeper. It was also really strange because I listened to this in audio and while this has dual narration it was also in third person. That doesn't make sense to me why you would have two different people speaking when they weren't even really talking from their perspective anyway. It could have just been read by one person because they weren't talking for themselves; they were talking about characters.

I'm not sad I read it; I just think I would have liked it more if it gave me what I was expecting. I imagined that cute, light and fluffy forced proximity of the grumpy hockey player and gorgeous interior designer...and while I got that I got A WHOLE LOT MORE SADNESS. I did like their conversations about art and how that essentially helped them connect and open up to each other. I also liked that she managed to work through her pride with her brother and their issues with their mom. It was sweet...

But overall, they just didn't seem like a forever couple. They seemed like a couple that would get together in passing because they needed to heal and whilst they could eventually end up as a forever couple, we were never shown that.

Tropes:
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ BossXEmployee
▶ Dual POV (But also third person)
▶ Hockey Romance
▶ Trauma Bonding
▶ Found Family

If you are the type of person who LOVES emotionally driven stories about healing grief while also finding romance - this would be perfect for you! Unfortunately, I am not that person so it was a little miss for me...

Thank you so much Dreamscape Media, Netgalley and Katie Kennedy for my gifted audio copy!
All thoughts and opinions are my own

You know what? This book has stuff I like: cute cover, hockey players, house related players, and … yeah.

This was a nice listen (I played it while running errands). My only gripe is that I felt like it read too fast? And this is coming from me: a lover of quick reads. I was about a third or so in and I couldn’t tell you their names but maybe a semblance of plot. Now mind you, maybe that’s on me. I don’t think the MCs had any substantial chemistry because the plot progression was just so weird.

I loved reading Nick’s journey with his survival guilt. I wish the book honestly focused more on that and maybe took a more “grumpy/sunshine” direction. I would’ve loved a deeper look into his relationship with his lost friends and how his survivor’s guilt led to his apartment being so barren.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

I liked the idea of the book, but it just really didn't work for me. The dialogue was a bit awkward and didn't flow well. I didn't feel any connection to the characters either as they weren't developed enough, more surface level.

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media and Katie Kennedy for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Hearts on Thin Ice by Katie Kennedy

This debut sports romance weaves a captivating tale of heartache, resilience, and unexpected love.

Nick Sorensen, a former pro hockey player and the lone survivor of a tragic plane crash that took his friends' lives, is struggling to reclaim his place on the ice. While physically fit, Nick's mental health is in question, evident from his sparsely furnished apartment. To prove he's okay, he hires Alyssa Compton, an interior designer, to transform his space. Initially, their working relationship is rocky due to Nick's stubbornness. However, as they spend more time together, Nick shows unexpected support for Alyssa, leading to a budding romance. Despite their challenges, they discover that with love and teamwork, they can navigate the icy path ahead.

"There's nothing wrong with it...living through hard times."

What you’ll find in Hearts on Thin Ice:
Mental Health and Healing
Belonging and Home
Second Chances
Support and Teamwork
Professional Growth and Personal Identity
Dual POV
Hockey Romance

I really enjoyed Scarlett Everdeen and Nick Mondelli performances! They did a great job bringing this heartfelt story to life!

"That's why I thought you might understand; because you're pretending everything is fine."

Loved this! Generally I'm not one for sports romances but this was super cute with some hot and heavy spots. I enjoyed the growth both characters had as the story progressed and that they did, in the end, face their demons and worked through the hard stuff. Great listen and perfect book for fans of hockey player romances.

Title: Hearts on Thin Ice
Author: Katie Kennedy
Narrators: Scarlett Everdeen, Nick Mondelli
This is an audio review of a sports romance by Katie Kennedy. The story centres around a pro hockey player who falls for an interior designer. It is a flirty workplace romantic comedy that delves into themes of mental health, belonging, grief, and finding one's path in life. Nick Sorensen, used to be one of the fastest men in hockey until a tragic plane crash took the lives of his best friends, leaving him as the sole survivor. Physically ready to get back on the ice, his coach worries about Nick's mental well-being, especially as his empty apartment reflects his inner struggles. Nick hires Alyssa Compton, an up-and-coming interior designer, to decorate his space. Although excited about the opportunity to prove herself, Alyssa finds Nick difficult to work with. Both characters have personal obstacles to overcome, and they may find a way to address these issues while they work together. Despite my overall enjoyment of this audio, I felt that the character development and story plot were lacking at times. While the story had its moments of humour, there were also certain plot elements that felt a bit cringe-worthy.

"A pro hockey player falls for an interior designer in this charming debut sports romance. This flirty workplace rom-com explores mental health, belonging, and finding your way in the world."

Hearts on Thin Ice was an amazingly emotional heartfelt hockey romance novel. Nick Sorensen is a professional hockey team with the best of friends as his teammates until terrible tragedy strikes when their airplane crashes. Nick ended up being the only who survived and is having a hard time moving past it. He returns to his apartment with reminders of how empty it is especially since his roommate and best friend was in the crash. In order for him to move on his couch is having him hire an interior designer help nick make his apartment less empty. The interior designer is named Alyssa and she is trying to make a name for herself. Nick has two choices work with the interior designer or go to counseling. I loved this whole book and seeing the journey Alyssa and Nick go through together the highs as well as the lows.

This fast-paced hockey romance features a delightful grumpy/sunshine pairing, exploring themes of grief, survivor's guilt, and complex family relationships. The alternating perspectives added depth to the story, and I loved seeing Nick confront his struggles after the crash. Alyssa’s light-heartedness provided a perfect balance, and her efforts to help Nick rediscover joy were touching.

Though I enjoyed the story, some elements felt out of place, like the second plane incident, which seemed overly dramatic and unnecessary. It was also frustrating when characters made wild assumptions instead of communicating openly.

The audiobook was enjoyable, with two narrators enhancing the listening experience. Overall, this was a charming and easy-to-follow story.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

For some reason I caught some not so good reviews of this one and came into it kind of critically, but I really enjoyed it! Probably the only part I didn’t love was the grief that he was working through and some ways that was handled felt difficult and maybe not written as well. However, the relationship and how they helped each other was cute. Plus, the way he stood up for her was awesome. I found some parts of it really funny too, which is always a bonus.

The plot was original, with layers of complications for both main characters., The way they got together was not straightforward, and very satisfying.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🌶️🌶️/5
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: Contemp. Hockey Romance

I got this audiobook from @Netgalley to listen to and review. I love hockey romance but by the time I got around to listen to this one, I was feeling a bit tired with the sub genre. Luckily for me, this book was refreshingly great.

The characters are both deep and likable from the get-go. They both have troubled pasts and different ways that they deal with their own trauma. Most of the side characters are likable although there is a lot of them sprinkled in.

The plot is original and well-contrived. It doesn't rely on any of the tried and true tropes that hockey romances rely on, like brothers best friend/teammate/coaches daughter or whatever. This one's tropes include:

• Forced proximity/hired help
• Mental health/PTSD/therapy rep
• Grumpy x sunshine
• Strangers to friends to lovers

I'd definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a spicy hockey romance that still has a ton of depth and plot.

This is a quick hockey romance, with a sort of grumpy/sunshine dynamic and features grief, survivor's guilt, and complicated family dynamics.

I enjoyed the back and forth POVs and watching Nick do some hard work to overcome his struggles after the crash. Alyssa provided some much needed humor for Nick and I appreciated when she tried to help him reclaim some happiness.

There were some borderline ridiculous parts (like the second plane incident) that I didn't think fit well and could have been cut out. I also don't love when characters jump to crazy conclusions about things instead of just asking what's going on. Be an adult please.

The narration for the audiobook was cute and I love that there were two narrators. This was an easy listen and cute story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the copy.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was a cute little read! Definitely wanted to shake both main characters at some points. Some spicy parts but not every other chapter which was nice. The narrators did great.

4 stars

Such a cute hockey romance. She is an interior designer hired to help him get his apartment in order. He is a hot Hockey player that is recovering from a plane wreck that killed 5 other members of his team and he was the only survivor. She has her own demons and together they help each other work through their stuff. I loved both of them. The narrators did a great job. I love when there are dual narrators for the female and male characters.

Thank you to NetGally and Dreamscape media for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

It was a sweet story, and I really enjoyed the representation of grief and trauma throughout the book. But it felt like it was getting a bit repetitive. But I am always a sucker for hockey romances.

I wanted to like this one but it just fell flat for me. I love romances with complex emotions, such as the grief and anxiety in this book, but it just didn’t flow well together. Miscommunication was such a large plot point that it became redundant. If either of the main characters had communicated at any point during this book, most of the conflict would have resolved itself, or at least not felt like it dragged on forever. It is one of my least favorite tropes, which likely influences my rating. Overall, this just was not the book for me. I think others would enjoy it, and would still be interested in reading more within this hockey universe.

I wanted to love this so badly, but I didn’t.

The main characters have absolutely no chemistry between them, and I could not root for them being together. I didn’t love the writing style either.

This story didn't grip me. I had to stop about 45% in because none of the characters were all that interesting and the plot was lackluster. I love hockey romance so I was looking forward to this but it feels like it needs more work.

In terms of the narrators, they did a great job. They are actually the reason I listened for as long as I did.

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.