Icebreaker (Maple Hills, 1)

"Icebreaker": A Skating Romance That Hits All the Right Marks! As someone who loves a good romance that genuinely makes you feel something, Hannah Grace's "Icebreaker" was an absolute delight from start to finish. This book has been absolutely buzzing online, and having now read it, I can wholeheartedly say it lives up to the hype and earns every one of its five stars. If you're in Dinnington and looking for your next captivating read to curl up with, especially if you have a soft spot for unique settings and charming characters, pick this up! "Icebreaker" plunges us into the competitive, high-stakes world of collegiate figure skating and hockey. Our main characters, Anastasia Allen and Nate Hawkins, are compelling from the get-go. Anastasia is a dedicated, driven figure skater whose world is meticulously planned, while Nate is the charming, supportive captain of the hockey team. When an unfortunate incident forces their teams to share ice time, sparks inevitably fly – and not just from the ice skates! What sets "Icebreaker" apart is the fantastic chemistry between Stassie and Nate. Their banter is witty, their interactions are genuinely funny, and the slow burn of their romance is utterly captivating. Grace masterfully builds the tension, allowing their relationship to develop organically as they navigate personal challenges, team dynamics, and the pressures of their respective sports. Nate, in particular, is a standout; he's the ultimate green flag hero – supportive, understanding, and incredibly endearing without being a doormat. Beyond the romance, the book delves into important themes like ambition, self-doubt, and the importance of teamwork and supportive friendships. The side characters are well-developed and add so much richness to the story, making the world of the book feel vibrant and alive. The collegiate sports setting is incredibly well-researched and adds an exciting, fresh backdrop to the romance. "Icebreaker" is a truly heartwarming, feel-good story that also manages to explore deeper emotional currents. It’s sweet, steamy, and genuinely funny, leaving you with that satisfying glow only a truly great romance can provide. Hannah Grace has crafted a real winner here that I'll be recommending to everyone. Don't miss out on this absolute gem!

⚠️ cw: disordered eating, coercive control, gaslighting ⚠️ When one of the college ice rinks is sabotaged, causing the hockey team to have to share the other rink with the rest of the college athletes, Olympic figure skating hopeful, Stassie Allen, and hockey captain Nate Hawkins, butt heads. Below the frustration, there's a simmering attraction between them. Oh, how I really wanted to love this book. As an avid hockey fan who also loves figure skating and any kind of enemies-to-lovers romance, it sounded perfect. I have to be honest though. I almost gave up several times in the first fifth of this book. I felt the plot was all over the place, the events at the first party were particularly unbelievable, and right from the start, I felt bombarded with numerous characters, making it difficult to properly concentrate on the ones who were supposed to be the main focus. That said, I'm really glad I persisted past 20% because this story is definitely a grower. I loved Nate from the start. He came across as a genuine, sweet guy. Stassie was sometimes frustrating, but as the story continued I grew to really love her. Her disordered eating was sensitively written and relatable, and though I despised him from the start, Aaron (her skating partner) was well-constructed as the controlling person in her life. Stassie and Nate's chemistry was palpable throughout and the intimacy was well-written, and both main characters were pretty open in their dialogue with each other, which was refreshing. I'm also really happy the plot didn't rely on the over-used miscommunication trope very much. I really loved the friendships in this book, especially those between Stassie and Lola; Nate and his teammates, particularly Henry, JJ, and Robbie, and Stassie with Henry and JJ. I also enjoyed the figure skating aspects, but wish there'd been more ice hockey play or even locker room scenes included (especially as this is well over 400 pages), rather than just banter between the players at the house. That said, the banter was one of my favourite things about this book, both between Nate and Stassie, and the rest of the hockey team. Henry was an absolute cinnamon roll and must be protected at all costs. I *think* I might know who 'Gem' is (and cannot wait to see if i'm right). I'm definitely invested in these supporting characters' lives now. Overall, I really enjoyed this book once it got going, and looking forward to the next in the series. Overall Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥 Emotional Rating: 🤦🏻‍♀️😂😬🙄🙈🙄🥰😂😍🤤😡😢💔👏🏻💓😍🥰

Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker follows Anastasia Allen, a college student and figure skater, and Nathan Hawkins, a college student and hockey player. They meet when the hockey rink is trashed, and they have to share a rink. They don’t start on the best terms, but they go through a lot in this book. This book is known for being spicy, but it is so much more than that. The storyline keeps you interested, the characters are relatable and loveable, the found family aspect is perfect, the male characters are all sweethearts. The love interests actually learn things from each other, benefit each other, and improve each other. Choosing a favourite character is so hard because I adore all of them, they all have distinct personalities and differences but the girls are interesting and strong and independent and the boys are strong but sweet and caring and protective. But if I had to choose… I have a soft spot for Henry, as I’m sure most readers do. My least favourite character is Aaron, it was from the get go, but he just got worse and worse. I recommend this book because it is an emotional rollercoaster and so worth the read. One part that stuck out for me is how there is always a confirmation of consent before anything happens, which I think is really important in romance books. ‘It’s unfamiliar but familiar at the same time; a contradiction, I know, but so specific that it feels like it was specifically designed for me.’

Ahhh this was super adorable! I loved every second of it! I adored Nate and Stassie’s dynamic. Their banter was fun and their chemistry was sizzling off the page! Their healthy and respectful communication was so refreshing !! The whole friend group was hilarious! Their texts made laugh out loud multiple times. There wasn’t a character that I didn’t absolutely love (well, except for you know who). I was so happy to see that there was no third act break up!! Thank god!! I’m very excited for the next one in the series!

Goed en op tijd binnen gekomen ben er blij mee

Best

Este libro me sorprendió bastante, lo empecé a leer sin esperar mucho y termino siendo uno de mis libros favoritos 💖 cuando les digo que la historia de Nathan y Anastasia es hermosa me quedo corta. Su romance es suuuuper sano, tienen excelente comunicación, sus personalidades son encantadoras, sus bromas chistosas y su química envidiable. 🫶 No se los puedo recomendar lo suficiente, si te gusta el romance universitario deportivo este es tu libro. Ambos personajes son súper centrados, emocionalmente maduros, competitivos y dispuestos a trabajar por lo que quieren. Se apoyan muchísimo entre ellos y sacan lo mejor uno del otro. 💕 Además Hannah nos consciente y nos introduce a muchísimos personajes igual de hermosos que harán que tu corazón estalle de amor. 💕 No se dejen engañar por la portada tierna, ya que contiene bastantes escenas spicy descritas de una forma encantadora, los temas que tratan pueden ser sensibles para ciertas personas entonces please lee los TW antes de leer ya que es un libro 18+. 🙌 Este es el primer libro publicado de Hannah y el inicio de una serie 🤩 y no miden lo emocionada que eso me pone al saber que habrá más de todos los personajes maravillosos que nos presento en este libro. Thank you @hannahgraceauthor for this amazing wholesome story and the loving outstanding characters. I can’t wait to read more about this world you’ve created 💖

I’m always a little one foot out the door with TikTok books just because I find so many of them that go viral just are basic and kind of the same story over and over again type books but this book is worth it. First…It’s characters, despite there being a lot more than average in my opinion, we’re very well thought out and honestly so interesting I could read their stories too. The way she portrays communication in a relationship especially for the ages they are is actually amazing, I don’t see it often really with a good story line that I can keep reading without knowing the ending. Communication like this is rare and deserves the hype so these younger smutt readers (don’t lie to yourself please we know when it starts) can experience a relationship like this. One where from pretty much the beginning have great communication. I would mention something else but that would also ruins it so I can’t say it. I was very annoyed sometimes at some very obvious “Why?what the point” moments as everyone does but the fact I was blushing kicking my feet like a 13yo girl balanced that out and overall I will be putting this on my books to re-read in a year or two. Great amazing book especially if your in the moon for a light hearted, actually way funnier than expected, and blush inducing with some great surprises kind of story.