They say love is messy. Turns out, friendship is too. Especially when you’re stranded in a cabin with your best friend and hearts are on thin ice.

Such a fun, easy read. It’s not very long so it didn’t take me long to read it. It feels rushed but I think that could have been solved if the book was longer.

Well……
Ahhhhhhh, how actually cute was this!!

Ted and Harlow are best friend have been since high school over collage and later in life both have had either not had relationships or failed ones that have lasted no longer then weeks.

Harlow is a lawyer and walks out of the family firm, fed up of being treated like dirt.
Teddy is a NFL player and after an injury is desperate to get back on the ice.
Harlow wins a raffle for a Weekend away and tells Ted about it, coincidentally it’s in the same area as a charity hockey game that’s his planning to play to prove to his coach his ready to get back on the ice.

After both dancing around eachother something happens that makes them have no choice but to be brutally honest with eachother but will it ruin their friendship forever.

The chemistry between these two is so there and at some point I just wanted to scream because all you want is them to really see eachother.
Do I recommend this? HELL YES!!

Thanks netgalley and Ellie Hall for the arc in exchange for an honest review

Love at First Skate is book 6 in the amazing Love on Thin Ice series by Ellie Hall.
This series has been the best sweet small town hockey rom-com!
I’ve enjoyed this series since book one and with each book I’ve fallen so in love with these characters and the authors writing.
I loved this sports romance book! It's a delightful and heartwarming story, perfect for the fall season.
I loved being back in Maple Falls with Harlow and Teddy.
An amazing best friend’s to lovers story with all the sizzle and chemistry, but without the spice.

Thank You NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Love at First Skate is the 6th book in the Love on Thin Ice series, which is a series of small town romcoms with each volume being written by a different romance author. This one is by Ellie Hall.

The series centers around hockey players taking part in a charity hockey competition in the small town of Maple Falls, though in truth actual hockey events make up on a small part of the various stories, so if you aren’t a fan of the sport don’t worry because the true focus is on the various relationships. This volume focuses on Ted and Harlow, who have been longtime BFFs. And while their relationship has never been romantic it quickly becomes clear that each of them has thought about the possibilities and both are denying their true feelings, but will they risk their friendship for something more? This wasn’t my favorite of the series but it was still enjoyable.And while there are a number of subplots, at its core this is a sweet romantic story of two friends finally deciding that what they’ve wanted is what’s been in front of them all along. I'd like to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Love at First Skate.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1VZYL0F1NESRQ/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Each book in this series can be read as a standalone, however the characters and storylines overlap.
They've been best friends for years. Will sharing lodging force them to see more or ruin everything. Both dealing with fear, what does it take to overcome?.

I received a copy of this book from the author. Review voluntarily given.

This is book #6 in the multi-author hockey romance series, Love On Thin Ice. Each book follows a specific couple and can be read as stand alones, but they are much more enjoyable if you read them all. There is such a great small town vibe with lots of fun characters that we get to see from book to book.

Love At First Skate is Ted (Teddy) and Harlow’s story. They are best friends to lovers and I really enjoyed their connection. They have been friends for so long that they truly know and love each other on a deep level and you can see and feel that in the way they are so comfortable together. All of the little nudges, joking together, loving looks, and the fun they have even in the awkward moments gave such a sweet and swoony feeling.

I will say this one feels the most disconnected from the others. There didn’t seem to be enough interaction with other characters we have been seeing throughout the series, and it had so little hockey that it almost doesn’t seem right to include as a hockey romance. It is a quick read, yet somehow still managed to feel a bit slow. It was a good slow initially because all of their fun friend adventure moments were great, but then it suddenly rushes through and is over. It just didn’t seem to flow well. I wish it would have been a bit longer and given more of their interaction with the other people in Maple Falls and the hockey team that is the focus of the series. It is still a great read, I just don’t feel like it’s quite as well written and connected as the others so I can’t give it the same rating.

All that being said I did still enjoy it and would still recommend it. Especially if you’re reading the series and/or looking for a quick, enjoyable palate cleanser.

Thank you to Xpresso Tours and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Teddy and Harlow have been best friends since grade school. Only best friends, as they've proven everyone wrong who said such a thing was impossible. Sure, they've had moments of long looks and accidental confessions while under medication, but truly, they're only friends. Then, in a moment of clarity, Harlow quits her job and immediately wins a couples romantic retreat. She decides to take her best friend, of course, and inadvertently blurs the lines between them, while she wonders if they can be both friends and in a relationship.

*******

This was okay, but it was kind of all over the place. Despite the book being novella length, we have career changes, trauma from a life-threatening event, a massive separate career decision, family drama on both sides, a charity hockey game, and a friends wedding to get through. Everything being tossed together meant there were constantly external threads getting in the way and barely any momentum in the love story itself. It felt so incredibly slow and took until 80% of the book before progress actually happens between them, and even then, it's kind of dry.

It felt as though we were supposed to believe that because Teddy and Harlow were best friends, and all of their friends were already married, we should be convinced of their impending love story. Instead, the chemistry was non-existent and overly forced. It was Harlow's viewpoint about how attractive and nice Teddy is, and Teddy's viewpoint constantly lamenting that they're only friends and she's perfect. There was no slow burn or overly interesting developments. Just realizing feelings and questioning those feelings over and over again until they finally agreed to those feelings. Then we get a weird proposal and awkward epilogues to wrap everything up.

By the end of the book, I was wondering why such little time was actually spent building up tension and chemistry and instead focusing on external plot points. The author spent a lot of time going into too much over-explanation of obvious terms and throwing similies into everything she could that I wasn't invested in the couple itself. They told us a lot about how they felt, but they didn't really show us, and that made the book a slog to get through. I haven't read any other books in this series, but I'd hope she'd focus more on the characters themselves and making them less two-dimensional than on all of the plot points floating around.

I personally wouldn't read this author again, as the authors voice and writing style did not appeal to me.

*********

Thank you NetGalley and Ellie Hall - for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve loved everything Ellie has written that I’ve read so far and this wasn’t an exception. Teddy and Harlow. Friends to lovers! I just loved seeing both their sides with being scared to say something to the other. Teddy is a sweetheart! This is part of a series but can be read by itself but I do suggest reading the whole series! I have one left to read and they have all been so good!

Received this via NetGalley for an honest review

Unfortunately I wound up not finishing this one 🫤

Perhaps I personally am not the intended audience (maybe this book is meant for readers new to the romance genre or just getting into reading), but I didn't feel like there was much substance here. I loved getting to know Harlow and Teddy - I think they're both great characters. I made it 62% of the way through before calling it because of how much I liked them, but the story didn't feel fully fleshed out and like there wasn't much depth.

I would have loved to get to know both Harlow and Teddy more on their own, and for there to be more distinction between the two in their narration styles, before the events that take place - for there to have been a bit more to them.

Again - this may just not be the book for me, or I'm not the intended reader for the book. Maybe I'd have a different opinion reading the five books that came before this one. Ultimately, in my opinion, - it seems like a cutesy friends-to-lovers hockey romance that stays surface-level

Love At First Skate is a charming and humorous romance that gives us the best friend to lovers trope beautifully. Teddy and Harlow are relatable characters, the setup is perfect for exploring their friendship and the attraction that blooms between them. The way they support each other through their struggles makes the story feel genuine and heartwarming.

I absolutely loved the humor in this book; it had me laughing out loud several times. Despite the funny moments, the story is also sweet and filled with meaningful conversations. The characters are well-developed and communicate openly, which adds a mature layer to their relationship. The banter and flirting between Teddy and Harlow make their connection even more enjoyable, creating a perfect balance of fun and romance.

This was my first book in the series, and for sure it won’t be my last. I’m eager to explore the other stories and characters in the series. If you enjoy a funny and sweet romance with well-drawn characters, Love At First Skate is definitely worth a read!

A best friend’s romance. A really sweet story set in maple falls 🍁 if you are looking for a lighthearted cosy romance I would definitely recommend. This series is so cute!!

A sweet hockey romance with no spice.🤍

The book felt a little slow for me even though it’s such a short one. But their bffs-to-lovers story was cute!

Another enjoyable installment in the Love on Thin Ice series. I always enjoy a good friends to lovers story. While I did enjoy this book, I felt like the subplot of Teddy's family drama took away from the main plot. The book is on the short side, so every moment counts!

Read if you like:
-Friends to Lovers
-Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine

Love at First Skate is the latest in the Love on Thin Ice series, and it was so sweet! Set in Maple Falls, Harlow and Teddy's story has elements of friends to lovers, forced proximity, one bed (ish), small town, and hockey romance. I love a friends to lovers plot, and this one had a lot of fun elements to it. Though they can be read as standalone, I recommend all the books in this fun series.

Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for gifting me with an ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

Love at First Skate is a fun, quick read. This is such a sweet story of best friends Teddy and Harlow. I love their individual growth as characters and their relationship growth. This best friends to lovers romance is a great addition to the Love on Thin Ice series

This is a solid short story, it’s funny, with good banter, intelligent and captivating writing and amazing flirting.
It’s a best-friends to lovers, small town, healing, escaping together, forced proximity and one bed kind of rom-com.
The perfect novela to take you out of a reading slump, it is sweet and has hockey, what more could someone ask?!
This book had me giggling and relating to the characters, their growth is surprising for this type of book, which is a statement to the amazing pace of the book.
Quotes:
“You look like a pufferfish trying to smooch a mermaid”
“I love to make her laugh, live to hear it”
“Giggles”
“Someone who loves you just the way you are”
“you’re my grumpy girl”
“Will you be my farmboy, please”
“You’re my life team”

Overall: I had an amazing time reading this book and 100 % recommend.

Love at First Skate is all about Teddy and Harlow and I loved it!! Being best friends for life has given them a comfort level that few have been able to achieve. These two humans love each other and truly each other’s biggest fan. They have witnessed and supported all of each other’s ups and downs. Watching them spend a “romantic weekend getaway” while trying not to acknowledge a shift in their feelings was nothing short of fun filled romance that deposited major happy vibes in my heart. Through in the coziness of fall and an unexpected snowstorm and you are guaranteed to be full of warm fuzzies. Teddy, aka “The Bear” has a soft spot reserved only for Harlow and the things he does to express it are so sweet and thoughtful. I enjoyed the full ride these two encounter and cheered them on from page one. If you have been following the Ice Breakers in Maple Falls, you will enjoy seeing some of the other characters. If this is the first (but hopefully not only) book you have read in the series, that is totally fine too. There are no spoilers and any backstory you might need is shared with just enough detail to support the scene. Have fun in Maple Falls and enjoy the beauty and special spark of the fall in a small town with an amazing hockey team.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I honestly tried but I just couldn’t get into this book.

I felt the plot was too slow (despite this being a short book). I also didn’t feel the chemistry between Harlow and Teddy. It seemed a bit forced, as if they should be together because they’ve been friends forever and all the other friends in their group are married.

I did enjoy the rest of this series.

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book in the Love on Thin Ice series. Small town, hockey romance with a friends to lovers storyline. Closed door and no third act breakup!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Love at First Skate to come out October 3, 2024. As with the others, this one will be on Kindle Unlimited once it’s released.

This is so relatable to anyone who dates hockey players or just has to put up with them. Such a cute story and you really love the characters