An absolutely delightful sapphic romance between a hockey player and a figure skater. It was pretty much exactly what I expected and wanted it to be.

When Charlie is kicked out of school (and therefore her hockey team) for (rightfully) fighting after a game, she ends up at the local public school. The only thing to make this worse is that she ends up working with a seemingly snobby ice skating princess named Alexa. Tempers fly and, of course, so do the sparks.

Genuinely, this book was a great time. There was fun banter, a realistic development of feelings between Charlie and Alexa, and teens being teens! It felt like a teen movie in all the best ways. More of these types of books in the future please!

This was so fun! I felt like the beginning was slightly slow but as I got more into the story the pace really picked up. I really enjoyed the storyline and although it is a plot we see often recently, it was still enjoyable to read and I didn’t feel bored.
Obsessed with the character development and relationship though! It was super cute and so fun to watch their relationship grow and grow.

I really enjoyed this book! The beginning of the book really reminded of step up when Channing Tatums character had to do community service at a school for causing damage and Jenna Dewan’s character needed a temporary dance partner. I knew I was going to love it once I got that vibe. I love Charlie so much and just want to give her a hug. Alexa is a cutie.

This was such an easy read! Not once was I bored . Looking forward to reading more from the author.

Thank you to Harper Collins for the advanced copy of "It's a Love/Skate Relationship."

Charlie and Alexa are endearing and realistic teenagers. Charlie has the tendency to get into trouble, get's less than perfect grades and has a streak of doing spontaneous things that could disrupt the course of her life. Alexa is a perfectionist who avoids friendships with other girls because of how cutthroat the figure skating world has proven to be. She finds that she feels safer in that lonely bubble. Through the book both girls grow through their issues at times, individually, but also with the guidance of the other. I had a really lovely time reading about these two, and while the sports aspect is always fun, their relationship didn't hinge on the details of the sports, it was truly a relationship between the girls that did not rely on hockey or figure skating to keep them together.

Thank you to Harper360YA for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hockey star Charlie Porter has one shot to make her dreams come true -- literally. One goal is all that stands between her and the coveted Winthrop Cup, along with a life-changing hockey scholarship that could catapult her into the big leagues. But when Charlie misses her shot -- and inadvertently starts a good ol’ fashioned brawl between rival schools -- she waves goodbye to more than just the championship title. She gets kicked off her team, suspended from school, and banished to the Worst Place on Winthrop High. Things for Charlie cannot get any worse. Until she meets Alexa Goldstein. A prickly, perfectionist ice princess with her sights set on the Olympics, Alexa is the last person Charlie would ever want to share a rink with -- no matter how good she looks in her figure skating leotard. But when Alexa’s skating partner breaks his ankle and torpedoes her chances for a gold medal career, the two unlikely allies -- along with Alexa’s terrifying, ex-Olympian mother -- strike a Charlie will practice with Alexa until her partner heals, and Alexa’s mother will use her connections to get Charlie back in her hockey uniform. But as the ice between Charlie and Alexa begins to melt, their partnership only gets more complicated. Charlie’s falling hard -- and not just when she’s trying to land a double axel. What happens when making Alexa’s skating dreams come true means giving up her own?

Charlie definitely has a stubborn streak, and an angry one too. I’m glad that over the course of the book, the anger subsided a little because she was incredibly prone to violence and it didn’t feel like it wholly fit with her character. Just because you play a violent sport, doesn’t mean you have to be. I liked that she kept pushing herself to achieve what others thought unthinkable. It is certainly a testament to her to jump into a brand new sport and do all she managed in such a short time. Charlie is also unapologetically queer which is brilliant. Too many YA stories have teenagers questioning if they’re really having those feelings despite saying they’re queer which feels too much of a performance for me. Here Charlie is open with it, and it’s accepted which is perfect.
I really didn’t like Alexa initially. Stuck up cow came to mind a lot. Blessedly, she mellowed out and as we got to know her more, Alexa became likeable. I did find it incredibly odd that there was no discernible transition between her feelings. One minute she’s dating a male hockey player and literally the next, she’s got feelings for a young woman yet I’m sure there was an incredible amount of emphasis on her being straight. I felt there could have been something more to describe the change in feelings or even elude to them. But otherwise, I think she was a pretty decent character - especially towards the end.

This book has a great premise. I was drawn in by the thought of enemies to lovers. As we all know, I am a MASSIVE sucker for that trope. And it is even better when it is a queer story too! The plot wasn’t too bad. The idea was great and I really liked the idea of someone changing their sport for the selfish sake of themselves and then it turns into doing it for someone else. However, it just felt a little too simply written? There was plenty of drama involved yet it didn’t pack as big a punch as I wished. I did however like the inclusion of such gross sexual innuendo and threats of violence from young men who are clearly insecure. The world nowadays sees more and more young men exposed to things online that are extremely harmful and their behaviour begins to reflect that. We see some of that behaviour here but I think it was incredibly well handled. The characters were pretty good but when one of the main characters has two best friends she adores and you don’t know much about them beyond surface facts, it leaves me feeling like they aren’t as realistic as they could be. I love knowing people’s backgrounds because it adds considerable depth to a story without even trying. I wish there was more! The romance was incredibly sweet, I cannot deny that. I was grinning and my heart was a flutter! I never get bored of queer romances. The ending felt very apt for the story. I think it was a great ending for the characters though a few things were left a little too open for my tastes.

Overall, It’s a Love/Skate Relationship is a lovely story that I felt could have beeb executed a bit better.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to Harper360YA for an advanced copy of this book. Review is available now on Goodreads and will be live on my blog on 30th June due to scheduling.

Charlie finds herself kicked off the hockey team and school after missing a winning shot and starting a riot. After transferring to her rival school, Charlie is back on the ice but as Alexa’s figure skating partner (both of which aren’t happy about). Okay hockey player turned figure skater but make it sapphic (with some enemies to lovers??) -- yess!! I loved the mix of sports, friendship, tension, family, and romance. The characters were well flushed out with fun, playful dynamics and their own fears and emotions. There was such a rush with the skating element and I loved how everything came together overall!

Thanks Netgalley and Harper360YA for the arc!

It’s a Love/Skate Relationship is basically a sapphic She’s the Man on ice and I mean that in the best way possible. The tension? Immaculate. The banter? Olympic-level. Charlie is pure chaos with a hockey stick and Alexa is an ice queen with a blade-sharp side eye—and watching them go from enemies to reluctant partners to falling so hard had me kicking my feet like I was the one in love. The queer joy in this book is off the charts, the sports drama had me sweating, and I need everyone to read it immediately so I can scream about it properly. Absolute gold medal rom-com vibes.

Thank you so much to HarperCollins for sending me a copy of this book as an ARC.

Rate : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Author ; Carli J. Corson

This book is such a cute, fun read full of lovable characters and a great sense of found family, friendship and finding love. I had a great time reading it and I loved the journey it took you on.

It’s a Love/Skate Relationship follows Charlie Porter who ends up causing a scene after a hockey match which results in Alexa Goldstein losing her pairs partner. After being kicked off the team, Charlie steps up to help Alexa qualify for nationals… but will their relationship develop into more?

Alexa and Charlie are adorable - their growth from rivals and dislike to girlfriends and being smitten was so much fun to read.

I really liked how many openly queer characters there were - and how easily it was mentioned. Sometimes, it feels forced in other books but this one really flowed well and just flew off the page!

One thing I struggled with was the technical jargon of ice skating. I know some lingo due to watching some online and reading other books - but nearer the end it got very jargon heavy.

However, I did enjoy this book! It was an adorable read and I cannot wait to see what else the author comes up with!

A sapphic hockey romance? Where the LI is a figure skater? I couldn’t not like this if I tried.
I loved the idea of a hockey player turning figure skater as kind of a punishment for bad behaviour. I also really loved that they hated each other hehe.
The side characters were lovely, I love their friend group and all the characters felt real in a very teenage flawed way (sometimes stupid, but also growing from their mistakes).
I really liked that the figure skater and her famous weren’t posted as little miss perfects, but also had problems of their own and a lot of character to them.
What I also really liked that not everything turned magically okay in the end, not everything can be fixed and sometimes even adults don’t (want to) change their ways.
I think the ending wasn’t super realistic, but ofc there needed to be a happy ending!

thank you to the publisher for an e-arc! this was a very fun and sweet read. i loved the relationship that developed between charlie and alexa, which was wonderfully banter-filled but also adorably awkward as befitting two teenagers. it had a lovely 'found family' element that really came to fruition at the end, and i enjoyed seeing all of the side characters and learning a little about them. the pacing was a little awkward at times, and you have to suspend your disbelief perhaps for some of the 'bigger' sporting moments of the book, but those don't take away from the fact that this is a very charming sapphic YA sports romance - we need more books with girls in hockey!!

I am now on an ALA committee and cannot leave a real review. Thank you for your patience. Sorry for the inconvenience This is NOT a rating. This just a place holder because I had to.

this is everything I would've wanted in a sapphic YA romance as a teen. it has sports, it has supportive friends, it has chill parents, it has an adorable romance, and most importantly, it has a main character that feels so freaking real. I, as a 30-year-old woman, still identified so much with Charlie and her silly and sometimes irresponsible attitude at odds with her incredible determination and ability to lock in and challenge herself. I was absolutely rooting for her the whole time, and despite knowing that there would be some kind of third act conflict regarding their performance, was totally convinced that Charlie would make it through. Some people may complain that this ending is too happy, too convenience, too unrealistic—to which I say, sapphic stories deserve cliché HEAs too!! It makes me want to be a librarian—to have the ability to put this in the hands of queer kids and watch them enjoy reading while also feeling seen and represented. I seriously love and recommend picking this up!!

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC!

This was a funny, sweet, romantic YA enemies to lovers romcom about a hot-headed hockey star and a stuck-up ice princess forced to work together as a pairs figure skating team. I loved the MC, Charlie, and the chemistry between her and her figure skating partner Alexa. A great debut!

I started reading this book with high hopes, expecting it to be a fun and easy read. While it is indeed a cute story, I found myself annoyed by the references to homeschooling (or elective home education in the UK) and being labeled a hermit. Perhaps I’m being overly sensitive, but it felt like a dig at those who educate differently.

The story is filled with humor, particularly in its portrayal of historical context. The characters' involvement in what was essentially the first same-sex pairing for official skating events is presented in a hilarious manner. However, this aspect is only mentioned toward the end, which leaves the reader entertained but also wanting more.

One significant issue I encountered was with the pacing. The main storyline takes place over six months, excluding the epilogue, which has a full six-month skip. The narrative often jumps forward in time, making it difficult to follow and stay immersed in the plot. We would be experiencing one event, only to suddenly leap two months ahead, glossing over previous moments and moving past them too quickly.

Many elements that should have had the appropriate time to develop felt rushed, especially regarding character relationships. The transition from Alexa dating one character to another felt incredibly abrupt. While I appreciated the emphasis on the two romantic leads having their own relationships and goals, there’s a pivotal moment in the story that ends up getting overshadowed by the romantic comedy elements, which didn't sit well with me.

This shift disrupted my ability to simply accept and enjoy the story. Additionally, it made me more aware of an ongoing issue with the book: certain significant events that should have been depicted directly are instead summarized after the fact. Ultimately, I felt that the characters ended up making major decisions that I just didn’t fully understand or appreciate.

#BookReview #Homeschooling #LGBTQ #PacingIssues #CharacterDevelopment #RomanticComedy #Storytelling #CharacterChoices #Netgalleybacklog

This was such a fun and easy read! The characters of Charlie and Alexa were relatable and the banter between them is both believable and relatable. The hockey player and figure skating duo is absolutely everything you didn't know you needed!

For me, the strength of YA lies in complex, imperfect characters who go through a lot of growth, and this book does that phenomenally. Combine that with an absolutely adorable sapphic romance, well-fleshed out characters, and not one but two ice sports, and you have a really entertaining read with a lot of depth. At first, I wasn't sure if I was going to like our main character, but that turned out to be a strength in the end, because it was very much intentional and the MC goes on such a journey of growth and development. I love how this was shown rather than told, and it never changed her personality.

this was the most fun i'd had reading a book in ages! i adored both the main characters, charlie and alexa, so much. their back and forth was supremely interesting to follow and i was hooked throughout. some suspension of disbelief is required re: the ice skating/hockey aspect, but i didn't care because of what a hoot this was.

Do you love figure skating or hockey? Do you want a sapphic enemies-to-lovers YA book? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then I've got great news for you! "It's a Love/Skate Relationship" by Carli Corson checks both of those boxes and more. When Charlie Porter finds herself on the outs from both her prestigious private school and her hockey team, she's forced to face public school and all of the people who hate her for causing a brawl that ended in disaster.

Forced to work at the ice rink to pay off the debt for the damage she caused, Charlie finds herself face to face with Alexa Goldstein, a championship winning figure skater who's partner was injured during the brawl. An unlikely duo, Alexa and Charlie must work together to help train for the upcoming competition -- and for Charlie it beats working the concession stand or cleaning the bleachers. But as they begin to get to know each other, the line between enemies and friends starts to blur, until eventually they both realize that maybe they're not so different after all.

I enjoyed every minute of reading this book, and with so many M/M hockey romances out there, it was refreshing to see a WLW one! I look forward to reading more of Corson's writing in the future.

Charlie, who’s suspened from her school and removed from her hockey team for the season and Alexa, whose skating partner is out due to an injury both come together in this opposites attract romance. You’ll follow them as they navigate their relationship on and off the ice. I loved the sweet high school yearning and the found family in this. I could not put down this cute sapphic ya romance.

I really couldn't get into this one but I liked the idea of the story . It just wasn't for me.
I don't really have much to say really.

I do think the author is a good writer just maybe I wasn't in the mood for this type of story at the time.