This was a sweet novel that dealt with some very serious topics in a nice and concise way. I really enjoyed Nick and Alyssa's love story and that they helped each other deal with their traumas.

Thank you for LibraryThing and Alcove Press for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Hearts on Thin Ice is a contemporary hockey romance between a star hockey player and an interior designer he hires to design his apartment. Both main characters are struggling with traumatic events in their past and how it impacts their relationship with the greater world.

I wanted to like this novel so much more than I did. The premise of the story was intriguing, but the execution fell flat. I struggled with a few aspects, the first one being that the actual writing was weak. After 300 pages, I can't tell you what the main characters physically looked like beyond being muscular and large (MMC) and the FMC having honey blonde hair. I don't think any side character was described at all.

I also felt there were a lot of magical fixes to issues. For example, the MMC is absolutely resistant to attending therapy to deal with his tramautic event. There is one scene of him with the therapist, a few mentions of the therapist in internal monologues, and then, without any real development, the male lead suddenly becomes fond of the therapist. Nothing really changes, but I guess it makes the reader feel better knowing he is realizing the benefits of therapy? I don't know, it just all felt so forced and unnatural.

Lastly, while miscommunication is a common trope in romance, this novel just felt like overkill. I don't mind miscommunication as a trope if there is reason for it occurring, but nothing between the two main characters felt too deep to not be solved with a 5 minute chat.

Ultimately, this just wasn't for me. ( )

✨3.5 rounded up to 4✨

In Hearts on Thin Ice by Katie Kennedy, the story follows Alyssa (FMC), an interior designer stuck in a job that isn’t fulfilling and Nick (MMC), a hockey player who has lived through very traumatic events and continues to hold onto the past. They team up when Nick’s coach makes Nick update his apartment to help make him feel more at home. Can Alyssa make Nick’s apartment a home? And can she do it without catching feelings for the hockey stud? Will this process help both of them deal with the ghosts of their past?

Overall, I enjoyed this book! I really love how they both helped each other through their unique circumstances. I thought doing a dual POV for this story was perfect, that way we were able to see into each MC’s mind and really grasp the terms of their relationship. There were a few instances that made me shake my head at Alyssa, some of her decision-making was questionable. I also felt that the last 25% of the book felt a bit crammed. There was a lot of lead up and coasting in the first 75% or so of the book and the last bit seemed rushed. Overall, I would recommend this book to someone looking for a quick read of a low spice, hockey romance!

Thank you LibraryThing, Alcove Press and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC of Hearts on Thin Ice by Katie Kennedy in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Not what I thought it was going to be. A little too spicy for me. ( )

While the emotional moments of Nick's growth got to me, nothing else really did in this sports romance. I was annoyed with Alyssa and her lack of communication and the sexual tension between the two main characters felt forced. The thing that really worked for me is Nick's story working through his grief and allowing his new teammates to be there for him. The guys in the book almost seemed too self-aware and a little bit of the female fantasy but it didn't detract from the main story. ( )