Ice Shy

Apparently Facebook decided I needed a break from MC romances because my Reels have been completely taken over by hockey romance recommendations. The signs were everywhere, so I listened. And Ice Shy was exactly what I needed. I’ve been reading MC romances pretty much back-to-back, and I needed a change of scenery. Apparently that meant trading motorcycles for hockey skates.

I love a good grumpy/sunshine, and I really enjoyed watching these two get to know each other. This isn’t one of those books where they’re suddenly obsessed with each other and we’re just supposed to go with it. The relationship builds as they spend time together, learn more about each other, and start figuring out where the other person might fit into their life.

And maybe I’m particularly sensitive to this after all the MC books I’ve been reading, but THEY COMMUNICATED. Even when the MMC turned inward or started getting into his own head, it didn’t turn into 100 pages of unnecessary drama. They talked. They listened. They actually saw each other.

I also really appreciated what this book DIDN’T do. Yes, it’s a workplace romance, but there wasn’t a bunch of forbidden-office-romance drama just for the sake of creating conflict. Their jobs weren’t used as some giant reason they couldn’t possibly be together. Instead, the story really was about two people getting to know each other, figuring out how they could fit into each other’s lives, and working through their histories — sometimes together and sometimes on their own — because they wanted to be better for each other.

I also really liked the FMC. She was strong and independent without being so aggressively independent that accepting help apparently becomes a character flaw. She could take care of herself, but she could also let someone show up for her. She was willing to accept help and open herself up to new things, and I really liked that balance.

Overall, this was exactly the change of pace I needed. It gave me the grumpy/sunshine dynamic I love without loading the relationship with unnecessary angst just to keep the story moving. And since this is the first book in the series, it accomplished exactly what a first book should: I’m ready to read the next one.

Spice Rating

This is open door and there are a few spicy scenes, but nothing too wild — especially compared with how spicy hockey and MC romances can get. On my scale, this is a 2.5.