Summary:
Rhys is desperate to feel anything.
Sadie wants to stop feeling so much.
Rhys Koteskiy is back—at least, he’s supposed to be. During last year’s Frozen Four, the Waterfell University hockey captain and NHL legacy took a brutal hit that left him with a concussion and a new discomfort on the ice. Plagued by nightmares and panic attacks every time he attempts to skate, Rhys wonders if he’ll ever play again—or if he’ll ever want to.
Sadie Brown is staying focused this semester—no matter what. Currently drowning in debt, custody hearings for her younger brothers, and skating practices, she’s just trying to make it to the next day. A spitfire figure skater known for her bad attitude and frequent disappearing acts, Sadie has a reputation on campus. And it’s not a pretty one.
When she accidentally witnesses one of the golden boy hockey captain’s panic attacks and attempts to help him, a strange sort of understanding strikes up between them. No questions asked. Just comfort. But Rhys finds himself drawn to Sadie. Where he feels empty, a shell of the man and player he was before, Sadie is so full of everything, it bursts from her; every emotion she feels seems like it’s blasted at max volume. Rhys is desperate to feel anything. Sadie wants to stop feeling so much. But healing doesn’t mix with secrets, and they’re both skating on thin ice.
Review:
Why I got into sports romances, I’ll never know, but sometimes it’s nice to read something that you know is going to have a happy ending, even if the characters have to go through some tough stuff to get there. Yes, this is brain candy, and I am here for it; however, what makes a good romance, in my opinion, is creating good characters.
I’ll admit to a bit of bias for this book, because the male main character suffers from panic attacks, and I can relate to that. The author portrays panic attacks with devastating accuracy, but also with compassion. If you’ve seen the movie Inside Out 2, you have an idea of what I’m talking about. The female lead is overworked, temperamental, and dealing with an abusive coach… and she’s also portrayed with compassion. It’s these kinds of characters that are sorely needed in fiction, especially in romance, where characters tend to be too good to be true. And while that’s definitely something that feeds into the reader’s wish fulfillment, I feel like it’s easier to relate to a character who isn’t perfect.
As I mentioned above, this is the kind of book where you know things will work out okay in the end, and that gives readers the confidence to go through the novel and read about the challenging things without being afraid of getting blindsided at the end. Writing a story this way also allows the author to give readers a positive role model for handling difficult situations in a healthy way. The drama in this book doesn’t come from characters making stupid decisions–it comes from seeing the types of challenges that they face and the effort they have to make to learn to overcome them.
Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn’t give you all a bit of a content warning for the level of spiciness. There are some fairly graphic sex scenes in the book, but nothing that feels gratuitous. And these scenes are also a positive model of active consent in an intimate situation, which is refreshing to see. You may not think that it’s sexy to read a character taking the time to check in with their partner about what they’re doing, but personally I find it very sexy indeed!
This book is a good example of what romance can be when done correctly. It’s escapist, but it’s also a solid story with characters that you’ll be rooting for.
