***May contain spoilers***

***Scroll to the bottom for my rating***

I am happy to announce that I finally tackled one of my “24 in 2024” book goals by completing Icebreaker by Hannah Grace. This book has circled my feed for months, and I couldn’t wait to give it a chance. A shoutout to Sunshine Soul Library on Instagram for gifting me my copy. I don’t know that I would have gotten to it as soon without you! (Book buying bans and such 🤷🏻‍♀️).

With two athletes trying to go pro, competitive nature through the roof, and sex appeal for days, it’s no surprise that Anastasia Allen and Nate Hawkins have a connection. After a mishap with rink one and a pissed-off athletic director, Anastasia and Nate are forced to share the ice while trying not to get in each other’s way. 

Except Nate wouldn’t exactly mind being in Anastasia’s vicinity. His well-intentioned introduction to the strong-willed figure skater quickly turns sour with a bit of miscommunication. Not one to give up, it doesn’t take long for Nate to break down Stas’s walls and find out what’s really going on. 

Their unexpected close proximity and his protective nature draw them together when her skating partner can’t seem to stop throwing hissy fits. Learning that he really is a good guy, Stas reluctantly finds herself falling for Nate. 

In a journey to better themselves for their future while also learning to live in the moment, Icebreaker is a captivating tale of love, loss, and recovery. 

My take on the book is this: I loved it, binged it in about 24 hours, and I definitely have Nate Hawkins fever. Add a new book boyfriend to the roster because dayum. 

Although there was a lot of smut throughout the story, which I thoroughly enjoyed, there was still a really good plot. It may have been predictable or a little unrealistic at points, but I still found myself eager to read more. 

I was enamored with Grace’s diverse cast of characters. She did a great job at including people of different cultural backgrounds, different sexual orientations, people with disabilities, and a variety of different familial situations. A lot to tackle in one book, yet it wasn’t overbearing, and I thought all of these details were handled exceptionally well. I quickly found a soft spot for most of the characters. 

Additionally, Grace included complex topics like bullying, verbal abuse, unplanned pregnancy, eating disorders, therapy, and manipulation. She didn’t shy away from these topics and embraced them in her writing, which I commend her for. She emphasized ways to notice someone dealing with an ED, being manipulated, and fighting back with grace against your abuser. She shines a light on the effectiveness and importance of therapy when used the right way and is very sex-positive throughout the entire story. 

Although I wish there was more hockey throughout, I found the moments on the ice equally enjoyable and possibly even more so than a typical hockey romance. For the above reasons and my overall enjoyment of the book, I am rating Icebreaker 4 out of 5 stars, with a 4 on the spice scale. I recommend reading if sports romance, spice, and the previously mentioned topics are compelling to you. 

As always, thanks for reading! 💜

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️