I want to start by saying I wanted to love this book. It was good but I couldn't hear any more about her eggs. I felt the book was all about that and to me it ruined it. I loved the story of how Nick and Samantha got to know each other and how much love they had for Birdie's! But the talk about her eggs just threw me. I understand for want for a baby but I think it was over kill.. All in all a good love story. You could tell these two loved each other even before they were ready to admit it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Boldwood Books in exchange for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review - all opinions are my own.

This 284-page sports romance by Amy Andrews, coming out 11/7/2024, is a friends-to-lovers/love-on-a-timeline story that features talking eggs and a very loud ticking biological clock.

This book takes place over four months while Nick “Hawkeye” Hawk is on the mend from an injury that could end his illustrious NHL career. When his grandmother dies, he takes over her bookshop to pass the time in between PT sessions.

Samantha Evans is forced out of her cushy corporate job in marketing just as her eggs start talking to her and telling her it’s time to have a baby. She begrudgingly takes a job at her favorite bookshop to pass the time while she waits for her boss to come crawling back.

This slow and steady burn features forced proximity and a sexy amount of consent. 4/5 Stars



The gmpotter.com review is live now, and the YouTube review will be live on 11/5/24

A romance with a hockey star and a bookstore. Count me in! The romance was fun and the plot was nice. It’s a sweet story if you are looking for something cozy to read on those winter nights.

4 very noisy eggs for this charming and funny story. Nick and Samantha were wonderful, lovable characters and I was just rooting for them to figure things out. Her big sister Bec was great too and thank goodness for her meddling ways. The story was just very cute with no angst which was really nice. Just the right amount of steam. I love the very long path to finding their HEA together despite her asking for his help to find Mr Right. Sometimes what we search for is right in front of us the whole time.
Very enjoyable read! Not really about hockey though as the cover and title suggest.
Happy to have received this ARC through Netgalley for my honest opinion.

Exactly how many times did the author use the word eggs in this book? Too many to count, and too many for me to care. On the surface, this seems like the perfect hockey rom com book but what we got was no where near that imo. There is very little in the way of hockey in this book and to refer to it as a sports romance seems wrong. Secondly, I didn't feel the romance between the two main characters at all. Sure, Nick is a tall, handsome, fit hockey guy but I didn't find much else interesting about him. Sam was forgettable and focused way too much on her eggs to care about anything else and I'm sorry I just didn't find this book good. Even though this book was a total miss for me, I appreciate the author's effort and will likely try another book by them in the future.

Such a good read! I love this genre! My second Smy Andrew’s book and I’ll be back again!

Definitely recommend to those who like sports romance!

I’ll start with what really worked for me: Amy Andrews’ writing is pure gold. She’s witty, humorous, and gives her romances that breezy, beach-read vibe that’s impossible not to fly through. I’ll definitely be checking out more of her books.

Now, let’s talk about the setting—because yes, I’m a sucker for a bookstore in any form. In Breaking the Ice, we’ve got an injured hockey star taking over his late grandma’s shop, and who does he end up hiring? The ex-corporate woman next door who’s also a frequent customer. Could there be a better set-up for some romantic tension?

But here’s where it gets quirky, and not in the best way. The characters’ interactions were a little odd and abrupt, making their connection feel a bit forced. Samantha’s POV felt like she was only into Nick because her biological clock was ticking loud and clear. And Nick’s early thoughts? Well, let’s just say it was a bit too much like he was eyeing her up like a juicy steak—not exactly my cup of tea.

That said, Nick’s thoughts do improve as the story goes on, so if that part feels off, hang in there—it gets better. And while the whole “woman’s eggs cheeping” thing had me cringing, I was still hooked enough to see where the story would go!

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review the book in advance

2.75 stars.

I enjoyed this enough to keep reading and see where the story went, but oh my gosh. If I never heard a phrase about a woman's eggs cheeping at her ever again...it would be too soon!

Let's start with what I thought was really great about this book, which is the author's writing. I think Amy Andrews has a very witty and humorous way of writing a romance, making it fun and "beach-read" type of pace to fly through. I will be reading more from her, for sure.

I LOVE the setting of a bookstore. I'm a book nerd, I love a bookstore in any type of way. The premise of Breaking the Ice is an injury-recovering hockey star takes over his late grandmother's store and just so happens to wind up hiring an ex-corporate (for now) woman who frequents the store and, oh, also just so happens to live next door. Perfect set up for a lil somethin' something', right?

These two characters were a little odd and abrupt in their interactions with each other, in my opinion, which made their initial connection feel somewhat forced and not genuine. Like, Samantha's starting POV made it feel like she only pursued Nick because her eggs be cheepin', and
Nick's POV in the first few chapters made me feel like a creepy stalker with all his thoughts thinking about Sam like a juicy piece of meat....not really my jam, being in a dude's head that way. I will say his thoughts got better and I appreciated them more as the story progressed, so if that puts you off in any way, just get through the initial bits.

However!! They do grow a friendship that felt genuine once I got through that first chunk. It doesn't take too long getting into the story for their POVs to grow on you - and I mean not long at all. This was VERY fast-paced and they become incredibly bantery and flirty with each other. It's described as a slow-burn, but.....I don't know any slow burn where the two people basically flirt non-stop from the second they meet each other LOL.
Most of that I thought was decent, but some of the phrases took me out of the setting and kind of jarred me a little. (I'm not going to include them since a few are a little spoilery to the story, and you know what? Lots of people enjoy that style of character interaction! So no spoils here!)

Breaking the Ice will be a book for you if you're a fan of flirty banter, bookstore settings, friends to lovers, and body positivity.

Nick and Sam are adorable! Nick is an NHL player who is currently out because of an injury, and he finds himself working in his grandmas bookshop. Sam is also working there, after leaving her corporate job. AND she wants to have a baby. AND Nick is hot. I love the slow burn and forced proximity!

Made me smile. 30 year old career orientated finds her biological clock ticking.
Losing a close friend and her job helps reassess priorities. At the same time recovering from an ACL injury, worlds collide.
Friendship in to more?
Enjoy the fun, dates and family interference.

I just could not finish this book. I made it about halfway through and had to abandon it.

The characters were so two dimensional and flat. I am an avid sports romance reader and this story just fell flat in all the wrong ways.

The FMC was awkward and whiny and the way she described her body - from her constant negative thoughts to her “cheeping eggs” and her obsession with doing everything on a schedule - just gave me such a cringey feeling.

For an NHL superstar and play boy, Nick did not at all fit the bill. There was a lack of charisma there and when, by halfway through the story, I saw no real character development, I just gave up.

There was potential with the storyline here but Andrew’s just didn’t deliver with this one.

This had a ton of potential. However, Sam just ruined it for me. She was to whiny when it can to her body. But I’m not shocked she’s written like this. I’ve seen this happened in almost very book I’ve read about a plus sized woman and it’s pretty sad. Why can’t she be confident and sexy and self loving of her body?! It would have landed me for me if she was a character that was just more body positive. She could still be somewhat clueless about sensual things but why can’t she be a proud bigger girl that gets the hot guy? Nick was fine. He’s a NHL reformed-ish ladies man that has Peter pan syndrome but has a heart of gold and is family oriented. Nothing wildly new about his character traits. He was a lot older then he comes off which I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing here. It wasn’t the most entertaining story but was still readable.

This book was really made for women, and you can tell. It's a nice change to see the FMC struggle with body image on a day to day basis, and not jus all the time. it felt more realistic for me.

Nick wasn't that good of a book boyfriend for me, just because he never showed Sam anything that he was saying. I, too, would believe he was lying about liking curves if he was never going out with someone like that.

The only thing I don't understand is how Sam didn't know she was going to a gay bar.

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

I think sports romance books are becoming one of my favourite subgenres!

I really liked Amy Andrews' 'Breaking the Ice.' It was really cute and fun and it was very hot! I loved the chemistry between Samantha and Nick.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

The FMC’s obsession with her "cheeping eggs" and the constant reminder of her biological clock were more weird than charming, and the MMC's behavior was..... let’s just say, not winning any points for likability or body positivity.

The chemistry between them had potential, but their actions often felt forced, like they were just there to push the plot along. And despite being labelled as a sports romance, there was pretty much zero hockey—just a sidelined athlete who barely touched the ice! As for the spice? Let’s call it a mild fade-to-black situation—definitely not the steamy read it promised.

Overall, the story had its moments, but it just didn’t hit the mark for me. It felt more awkward than swoon-worthy. If you’re looking for a true sports romance with real character depth, this might not be your best pick.

Thank you Boldwood Books for providing an e-ARC!!
#BreakingtheIce #NetGalley.

This was a little too much trope and too little plot and development. While the book wasn’t unenjoyable, I have to admit that it felt like pandering. There was no real reason why Nick was a hockey player, other than that hockey sells right now. There was no reason or value to the couple working in a bookstore, other than people who read romance like romances set in bookstores. The MMC felt like a knock-off of one of Elle Kennedy’s hockey boys, but the issue is that this man isn’t in college and so the behavior and jokes just weren’t appealing. The FMC was fine, albeit a bit annoying. Overall, the book was fine. I didn’t hate my time reading it, but I don’t think I would recommend it to a friend either.

A lovely love story. The bookshop sounds amazing full of lots lovely second hand books. Bit saucy in parts . The egg parts made me laugh . A neat ending .

I'm sorry but one mention of cheeping eggs and I'm out. This one is not for me. DNF at the first chapter.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it uses the ice hockey element perfectly. I enjoyed the overall concept and how the romance aspect was perfect and worked with what I was expecting. I thought the characters were perfectly done and had that feel that I wanted. Amy Andrews has a strong writing style and that the concept worked overall.