I liked the setup and really enjoyed the male lead in particular but this didn't connect with me as much as I hoped it would

Breaking the Ice by Amy Andrews was a fun read. I wouldn't call it a sports romance or hockey romance because while the MMC is a hockey player he is injured and there is no hockey in the book because he is recovering. It is a workplace romance in my opinion because he is helping his grandma at her bookstore while recovering and meets an employee there and becomes her friend and tries to help her with her self confidence. There are some really uncomfortable moments in this book, with the MFC and her randomly deciding to have a baby and discussing her eggs but quitting her corporate job. I did enjoy the discussions between the characters and finished the book with an over all positive feeling.

This is exactly what I expected: two hot people in a hot setting (a cozy bookstore) doing hot things with each other. Not much depth or anything extra. Hot hot hot and I loved it!

⭐️ 2/5 🌶 1/5

This was a slightly tough slog to get through - I refused to DNF an ice hockey themed book during the month of 'NHL November' on my socials. So alas, I persevered.

The romance felt comfy to read, and kept feeling like it was heading somewhere but wasn't really hitting the romantic parts.
There was a lot of circling back from the characters, in particular the FMC.
The MMC had some questionable traits.....

I wasn't vibing much woth this one, then the ending kind of had me, like "oh, ok then, sure."

Thanks to NetGalley & Amy Andrews for the ARC. Sorry, it wasn't for me.

Uncomfortably bad. Reads like a romance written by someone without romance experience. The spice was non existent but the tries were uncomfortable and icky. Nick said some disgusting things aloud nevermind his internal monologue ugh. Sam was whiny and a doormat type. This book gave me the ick.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author Amy Andrews for letting me read & review this advanced copy. This was a four star great cute hockey romance novel that releases November 7th 2024. I love a good book trope of hockey and book reader romantic novel. Nick Hawke plays professional hockey for the NHL. He has to take 4 months off to rest along with recover from a potential career injury. He helps his grandma with her bookshop on his down time to fill the time. Sam is job oriented and is taking a break from her stressful coorporate job. She decides to take a job at her local book store she adores. Their love story is beautiful and heartwarming.

This was just...not it. It was a weird and oddly written book with a collection of mismatched tropes and no real plotline to follow. The FMC talking about her egg quality was just plain weird, and the MMC was entirely inappropriate and just rude - you can't speak up about body positivity and then make comments on breast size! This is supposedly a sports romance - yet there is no hockey, he has an injury, so why even call it a sports romance? Just really not a fan of this one and I did DNF at 50%.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Breaking the Ice follows Samantha who is a corporate accountant who was recently dumped. Her ex said that she was too boring. Lately she has been re-evaluating her life and decided to take some time off of work to try to find a suitable man and have kids. She doesn't anticipate the death of a friend, Birdie, the owner of a second hand book romance store or her grandson, Nick, the hockey star who comes home to recover from an injury and run the bookshop for awhile. Sam decides to take a job at the bookshop during her time off and enlists Nick's help in setting her up on dates. Date after date ends in disappointment as Sam can't find someone suitable. All the while, her and Nick become closer. But family and kids isn't in his plans. He is recovering and leaving in a few months for a new season on the ice. Sam and Nick can no longer deny their attraction, but must figure out if the relationship is a fling or something more.

Breaking the Ice was a fun sports romance read that features a friends to lovers trope. Sam is a strong independent female who begins to get baby fever and wants to plan out how to meet a suitable man to have kids with her. She feels driven by her internal clock which as a woman who waited to have kids, I can relate to. Sam faces years of the pressures of society and the ideal image of beauty, a stick thin woman. Her lack of self-confidence and self-worth is a driving factor to why she feels she must settle for a certain type of guy and thinks Nick is out of her league. All the while, Nick is fighting a strong attraction to her but finds she is oblivious to her beauty. Sam is a very relatable character for those who enjoy eating and are not stick figures. Throughout the story she begins to love herself but it is a tricky process. I really found Sam to be a completely relatable and refreshing character. Throughout the story, the author uses Sam's eggs as a piece of her subconscious that tells her it is dissatisfied or happy with her choices. It is quite a funny choice and a bit of silliness in the book that I could see how others may not like it.

Nick's character was very sweet and made a great friend to Sam even while fighting his growing attraction to her. As her friend, he continues to try to build up her self-confidence even when she is self-deprecative and puts herself down. The story is a romantic comedy that shouldn't be taken too seriously. If you go into it just to have fun, it is a silly sweet read. There are some plot devices used that are a little juvenile at times, but can be easily overlooked for the fun story. Overall, I enjoyed the story. If you like a relatable FMC, friends to lovers, smalltown bookstore vibes, and forced proximity, then this is a fun romcom.

I was expecting a quick and fun read, but unfortunately, this was a miss for me.

I felt like the book really didn't give justice on the premise and tropes here. The same goes for the characters, which was undeveloped in my opinion and, at the same time, unlikeable.

The writing also didn't help, and I really had the problem going through it. That's why I had the DNF it @55%. It's just not for me, and I think 55% is enough to stop considering how unlikeable the characters and the writing has been.

Breaking the Ice by Amy Andrews is a light and entertaining read with moments of humor and romance. The story follows two charming leads as they navigate a love-hate relationship that eventually evolves into something deeper. Andrews does a great job infusing the dialogue with wit, and the chemistry between the characters is undeniable.

However, while the setup is engaging, the execution falls a bit short in places. The pacing felt uneven, with some parts dragging while others moved too quickly. Additionally, the characters’ emotional arcs could have been developed more fully to create a stronger connection with the reader.

That being said, the book has its bright spots—particularly in its humor and banter, which keep the story enjoyable. If you’re looking for a casual, feel-good romance without too much emotional weight, Breaking the Ice might be the perfect choice. It’s not a standout, but it’s still a pleasant way to pass an afternoon.

A good, quick read if you are looking for something a little bit quirky and an emphasis on the female ticking clock. Toss in a sexy, book reading hockey player who brings fun, flirty banter to a smolder in a nanosecond and you've got yourself a fun read! Our independent, intelligent, full-bodied female lead is at a crossroads in her life. Her job that has been her main focus was ripped from her and her eggs are screaming at her to get a man and make babies which is definitely the opposite of her life focus up to this point. The book is focused on her pursuit of a man to make babies with, but the side stories of her life also get woven in to make the story even more fun. The spice was nice, but the banter and antics are the true meat of the book. I'll definitely look for more books from this author as her others have been good to great reads as well and they make for a fun departure from everyday life!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Sam, a career-oriented woman, and Nick, an injured NHL player, meet when Sam loses her job and begins working for Nick at his grandmother's bookstore. They develop a friendship and it becomes evident that they have feelings for each other. However, they both have very different goals for the future. Sam desires to settle down and have children, while Nick wants to continue his NHL career without any children.

I found the pacing of the story to be quite slow and repetitive, which made it difficult for me to stay engaged. While the premise of the story had potential, the execution felt flat and lacked emotional depth. The characters were likable and had good chemistry, but unfortunately, the book did not resonate with me.

I'm not going to lie, I unfortunately didn't enjoy this book. The mention of her "eggs" over and over was cringy and hard to read. I decided against sharing my review on any platforms.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced e-copy of Breaking the Ice, in exchange for an honest review.

Breaking the Ice tells the story of Nick Hawkeye Hawke, an NHL player recovering from a serious injury. While he’s on the mend, he spends his time working at his grandmother’s bookstore. Enter Samantha Evans, a woman looking to escape the stress of her corporate life, who starts working at the same bookshop. As they get to know each other, they try to keep things professional, even though there's undeniable chemistry between them.

Their relationship begins strictly as colleagues, but as they spend more time together, their attraction grows, and they’re forced to confront their feelings. The book is full of funny moments, especially when Samantha talks about her awkward dates, which Nick finds amusing. There’s no denying the strong chemistry between Nick and Sam, but both are reluctant to fully embrace their feelings, unsure of what they really want.

The romance here is a slow burn, and the dialogue is engaging, making the book entertaining overall, though sometimes a bit awkward. Themes of trust, self-discovery, family, and love are explored throughout.

That said, I found myself wanting more from the story. I was hoping for more sports-related action and a bit more spice in the romance. Samantha’s obsession with eggs throughout the book started to get on my nerves, and her lack of body confidence was frustrating..

In my opinion, both Nick and Sam acted a bit immature, in a way I could not ignore. Though I did not love the book, it was an easy and quick read that might be a good choice for fans of sports romance with not a lot of spice.
3.5 Stars!

The story was ok and it could have
potential but Sam was intolerable, Apart from the eggs thing, her decisions made no
sense to me. She suddenly, out of nowhere, decided
she wanted to have a kid because....Then she quit her
job, that she claimed she loved, without much thought.
Then she realises she doesn't love it that much. And
the whole issue with her not feeling ok with her
body got tiring as well. I don't like heroines that lack
confidence. Nick was cute but nothing memorable
The writing style isn't bad though.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was enjoyable, but the cover fmc doesn’t match the curvy description of the fmc.

Cute and steamy friends to lovers romance. Nick and Samantha run his grandmother's bookstore while he's recovering from a hockey injury and she is on leave from her corporate job. Sam's biological clock is ticking and Nick agrees to help her find the right man to father a child, but eventually they can no longer fight their attraction to each other. Enjoyable read!

Cute and steamy friends to lovers romance. Nick and Samantha run his grandmother's bookstore while he's recovering from a hockey injury and she is on leave from her corporate job. Sam's biological clock is ticking and Nick agrees to help her find the right man to father a child, but eventually they can no longer fight their attraction to each other. Enjoyable read!

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Samantha Evans has always been career driven, but when her biological clock raised it's head, and with the death of a beloved friend, and owner of her local bookshop, she is now reconsidering it all. Quitting her job when she is overlooked for promotion in favour of the boss’s inept nephew, Sam needs a change of pace, and luckily there’s an opening at the store. Though he may be a NHL hot shot, Nick Hawke is recovering from an injury, and grieving his grandmother. At a loose end, he has until the season starts again to reorganise the store, and find a competent manager to take his place. Working with Samantha is both a dream and a nightmare, but not one he wants to end any time soon.

Well, this book was as fantastic as Amy's previous one, if not better. When I saw she had another book releasing soon, I was desperate to get my hands on it, and Sam and Nick were the perfect couple for this story. Samantha was such a strong character, who knew that as a woman in a male dominated industry she had to fight for what she wanted, but she didn't realise that the corner office and car was not that, but rather a family instead. I loved seeing her embrace her vulnerability and the way she found true friendship, and then love, with Nick. Nick may have been an NHL athlete, but his injury and losing his grandmother had made him really think about what he wanted from the future. He and Sam hit it off right away, and their banter and quips were excellent. I was just hooked on this book, and had to read it in one sitting because I needed to see our couple get their happy ending. Such a perfect book, and one everyone needs to get their hands on!

The first thing I wanted to say was how hilarious it was to read a book where part of a woman's reproductive tract is a starring character! The FMC's eggs are so funny! Part of this book felt a little fantastical. I mean a woman never gets the corner office, 2x pay and a company Porsche! The bookstore romance with a professional hockey player is completely believable! The body positivity aspects were wonderful and very relatable. I found the spice a bit different. It was open, but quick, which was disappointing. So much buildup! Overall a fun read!

Big thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood books and Amy Andrews for a copy of this book. This is my honest review.