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. ( )

I really enjoyed this spicy romance. The characters were very well-developed and the sexual tension between the two main characters made it hard to put the book down! I will definitely read more from this author and it seems like the book may become part of a series. ( )

4.5 stars.

Hearts on Thin Ice by Katie Kennedy is a sweet, sober and funny romance.

Hockey player Nick Sorenson has physically recovered from the plane crash that took the lives of his friends and teammates. Moving to a new town and team, he is still struggling emotionally from his tragic losses. Although Nick does not appreciate it, others around him are determined not to let him flounder. Learning to move on without his friends is not easy, but will meeting interior designer Alyssa Compton help Nick move forward?

Alyssa is building her resume of clients in hopes of opening her own business one day. Her current boss is a nightmare to work for but well-respected in the interior design world. Alyssa is thrilled to work with Nick but he is not very helpful in the beginning. Wanting only to help create a home for him, she is delighted when he begins to open up to her. But will her own emotional baggage cost her the future Alyssa dreams of?

Hearts on Thin Ice is a delightful laugh out loud, steamy and sometimes poignant romance. Nick and Alyssa are multi-layered characters whose individual, unresolved issues occasionally put them at cross purposes. The romance between Nick and Alyssa is slow-growing with plenty of sexual tension. Nick’s teammates and Alyssa’s friends are a delightful addition to this charming story. Despite a few late in the story misunderstandings, Katie Kennedy brings this endearing romance to a heartwarming conclusion.

Hearts on Thin Ice by Katie Kennedy is well-written, has an interesting, original plot and has likeable characters. My problem with the book is the amount of detailed, graphic sex. From the description of the book on LibraryThing, I had expected a sports romance with an intriguing plot. There was no mention or warning that the sex descriptions would be ridiculously complete. I found myself skipping over the sexual parts of the book to see how it all turned out but not really caring about Alyssa and Nick in the end. Sometimes less is more and less sex in this book would have improved it. ( )