Icebreaker by A. L. Graziadei

Wildcard #17 ~ “Two books that share a common link/theme: Book #2 ~ ‘ICE HOCKEY’.”

icebreaker

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My opinion in three sentences:

This book was such a struggle to put down in order to return to reality, and so I ended up devouring it. The characters were strong, relatable and (for once) I was fully behind this ship. Plus, even as someone with very little knowledge of ice hockey (particularly outside of YA fiction), the world-building and context was fantastic and well enough written to make me fully comfortable within the setting.

(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:

I was really happy with how the relationship was represented. For once (I’m talking in general here – Icebreaker is Graziadei’s debut), things weren’t rushed and there was no instalove – instead, it was steady with setback as much as steps forward. Plus, there was a good balance of the fun and cute alongside the serious and realistic, and it wasn’t all perfect model-human reactions. Not to mention that Graziadei didn’t pack it with every cliche or overly-dramatised moment, either, instead letting the story breath when it needed to – incredible.

A warning for the book:

It may sound like a cute little sports romance that you can dip in and out of as you need, but in reality it will sink its teeth in and consume your thoughts from page one until the bitter end. So, if you’ve not got the opportunity to clear out your schedule, be prepared.

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