Icebreaker (The UCMH Series)

I don’t know what Hannah Grace put into this book other than absolute joy, love, heart warming, and endearing characters, fantastic, witty banter, and SO MUCH MORE! I’m pretty sure there was something magically sprinkled in this book because, one second I was opening the book to start reading and the next I found myself having zoomed through a good amount of chapters within a few hours. This had all the great qualities you could ever want in a book from, diversity, LGBTQ+ rep, humor, a unique take on the storyline, and characters that’ll leave you smiling the biggest smiles you could ever imagine!Anastasia Allen (Stassie) was the meticulous planner, making sure everything went according to her plans in order to execute the best of her abilities when it came to ice skating. Right away, it was easy to admire and love Anastasia’s determined drive in order to succeed. Meanwhile, Nathan Hawkins (Nate) was always driven to succeed with hockey and he was every bit of a lovable hunk with a heart of gold. Nathan was immediately so endearing, goofy, and a cinnamon roll that had me loving him right away. Both, Anastasia and Nathan were a joy from the start and once they got introduced to each other, OMG THE BANTER WAS OFF THE CHARTS FANTASTIC! I feel like the banter was truly unique in a way that literally reading their interactions together had me recognizing the quick wit and comebacks that came so naturally between Anastasia and Nathan that I was quite frankly impressed and surprised with the good amount of banter between them. Right away, it was easy to spot that Anastasia was the grumpy one and Nathan was the sunshine. I feel like reverse grumpy/sunshine books aren’t common (at least for me personally), but the way that Hannah wrote the dialogue between Anastasia and Nathan was phenomenal, as well as all the dialogue for the other characters as well.This story had amazing characters that are easy to love and with the friend group being a part of the story, you get to see a variety of different characters as well. One of the many things I loved about this book was the friend group. From meeting Lola, JJ, Robbie, Ryan, and Henry, all those characters each had wonderful personalities that were unique to them, and left me wanting to know more about them. I’m excited to see this book expanded into the series and see how each character will hopefully get their own books. Now, while I adore each character for a number of reasons, I gotta say… Henry Turner had me feeling some type of way! The shy, sweet, thoughtful Henry who somehow managed to steal the show at times throughout the book made me want to get more glimpses of him! I finally understand why everyone kept mentioning Henry! It all makes sense to me now!The chemistry between Anastasia and Nathan was one of the things I was most curious/excited to see unfold, especially considering the rocky start they had at the very beginning of the book. Initially, Anastasia wasn’t sure about Nathan, meanwhile Nathan just wanted to befriend and set things right between them. I definitely wasn’t expecting things to heat up quickly, but OMG Nathan definitely didn’t need a map in order to… please Anastasia (IF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW!) The spice in this book was immaculate! Anastasia and Nathan had many hot worthy moments that literally left me shook and jaw dropping from their stamina, passion, desire, and straight up creativity in and out of the bedroom. Anastasia liked to tease and push Nathan in order to rile him up and it only furthered Nathan into calling out Anastasia for being a brat that wanted him. I guess being called a brat and pushing a guy’s buttons was the kind of thing that turned on Anastasia and Nathan, and I was enjoying witnessing it ALL UNFOLD! I loved how sex positive this book was, and embraced all aspects of exploring yourself, sexuality, and more. Honestly I feel like with the amount of spicy moments in this book, I genuinely lost count. Ms. Hannah Grace wasn’t playing with the spice in this book WOO! There was a lot of great things that I could go on about with the spice, and certain scenes that come to mind, but let me just say that one) Nathan and Anastasia had a way with words, and two) Anastasia was VERY FLEXIBLE!Anastasia might have been a grumpy pants at times, but throughout the book, I got to see more of her sarcastic, hilarious, vivacious personality. Anastasia’s candidness with her mental health and going to therapy was a great thing to illustrate in the story especially when the pressure of trying to succeed in figure skating was hard for Anastasia. Little by little, Anastasia opened up to Nathan, which I loved seeing since she allowed him to learn more about her, and her insecurities/fears. The communication in this book was great, just by telling each other how they felt or talked things out made Anastasia and Nathan mature for being college students.My goodness this book simply blew me away, and I cannot get over it. There was never a full moment, the side characters, Anastasia, Nathan, the plot, the humor, romance, SPICE, and the banter were phenomenal! This book was more than I expected and I couldn’t get myself to stop reading, I was zooming through like the fastest woman alive! Anastasia and Nathan were incredible, I loved how their relationship and chemistry was, as well as the openness with communicating with each other. This book may look cute, but it certainly didn’t hold back on the spice, and some of the topics heavy topics mentioned. Hannah did a fantastic job with this book, and my only regret is that I didn’t read this sooner! This is officially a book I will never shut up about, will recommend to everyone! The overall vibe of the book made me fall in love, and just when I couldn’t get any happier, the epilogue was amazing as well! If you couldn’t tell by my LONG REVIEW, I clearly fell in love with Anastasia and Nathan, and Hannah Grace’s story!

“Icebreaker” alternates between the perspectives of Anastasia (Stassie) Allen and Nathan Hawkins, who are both very competitive when it comes to their respective sports on the ice (figure skating and hockey). Reading from the viewpoints of both characters allowed me to occupy their minds and truly discover when they stopped seeing each other as enemies and instead as lovers.Receiving such intimate access to their thoughts also allows the reader to fully realize the extent of the struggles that the characters grapple with. For instance, Stassie struggles with an eating disorder stemming from a diet imposed upon her by her toxic pairs skating partner. Her partner’s behavior negatively impacts her mental health, but she does not suffer in silence. Instead, she raises awareness for readers and becomes a mental health advocate by actively attending therapy sessions, being vocal about how she is feeling, and asking for help when she needs it. I appreciate Grace for handling such sensitive subject matters with care and providing accurate representation for readers.Another aspect of the novel I enjoyed is how Stassie’s stubborn and determined nature perfectly compliments Nathan fun-loving spirit, making them the ultimate comfort couple! They support each other, want each other to succeed, and would do anything to make each other happy. I could practically feel their chemistry radiating off the page, which made it all the harder to recover from their absence after reading the final page.My only word of caution to those reading this review is to not be deceived by the discreet cover… its contents are steamy. The mature scenes were a bit too numerous for my tastes, but that did not stop Stassie and Nathan from getting my heart in a chokehold!

“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐, 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖? 𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒔, 𝑨𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒂, 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒏.”Anastasia Allen is a figure skater with her life meticulously planned to the last minute thanks to her trusty planner. Even her hookups are scheduled. Nathan Hawkins is the hockey team captain, and he’s almost serious for once in his life, putting a stop to team pranks. When a prank goes too far, and the hockey team has to practice on the figure skating rink, their worlds are about to collide.I enjoyed this book from start to finish. This is my first sports romance book, and it was so good. The dual POV was well done, and Stassie and Nate have different voices. This book was fluffy and spicy.I adored the romance between Stassie and Nate. They really did their best to communicate and work out problems. Nate was definitely a man written by a woman, and I love it when MMC of romance novels aren’t blatantly misogynistic. He was incredibly sweet and did his best to be a better man whenever the opportunity arose. Stassie was relatable, with her need for control. I liked seeing her therapy sessions.The side characters were also were done. l found them incredibly entertaining. I know we’ll get more, but I want Henry and Robbie’s stories.It lagged at some points, where it felt like catch up. There was a lot more tell than show. The antagonist was a little frustrating because he was supposed to be Stassie’s best friend, but he didn’t feel like it at all, and anything involving him could’ve been avoided.Overall, this book was a sweet, fluffy, and spicy sports romance.

Ahhh 😱 I can’t even tell you all the ways I LOVE this book! This is my first book by this author, which I think is a debut (I could be wrong) though if it is, tell me how that’s possible because this book is incredible! I am more than a wee bit obsessed!- sports romance: hockey/ figure skater- Forced proximity- He falls first- Close friendship group- He takes care of herThe mark is set high for me when it comes to sports romance and this one came along and ticked all them boxes.Never judge a book by its cover - this for sure is NOT lacking heat 😮‍💨👌🏻Our two leads are Anastasia and Nathan and damn is there chemistry from the get go. Whether they are arguing, she’s ignoring him or he is trying to get her attention- the chemistry between them is sizzling 🥵🏒 Nate is captain of the hockey team. He is seriously hot, caring, full of banter, looks out for not only his friends, team but also Anastasia whether she wants him to or not. So when one of his teammates is behind the drama that happened to their ice rink which now means they need to share with the figure skaters, he keeps his lips zipped. Probably not the best thing to do when you are promising her yous had nothing to do with it🥴 He is ready to do what ever it takes for her to give him a second chance, he’s jealous of his own teammates that get to talk with her and he is ready to get on his knees😏Can Nate brake down her walls?Will he lose his dreams when he gets too close to her?💃🏻 Stas is a competitive figure skater, with competitions coming up. The last thing she wants to hear is that she will have to share her rink with the hockey team. She is demanding, beautiful, strong, caring and totally gives banter as good as she gets it. She isn’t looking for a relationship, she is too busy her planner is all she needs.I absolutely loved how open and honest about everything she is. She has her issues, don’t we all but she is very open about everything and it makes her stronger!She wants Nate, that can’t be denied.. her body screams for him whenever he is around but she refuses to listen she has a plan and she’s sticking to it🙈Will she let Nate in her strictly organised life?Will she have to choose between her future and him if she does?If there is a book with miscommunication- this isn’t it! At first there may be a wee bit of his she dating him or not but she quickly shuts that down.This book is beautiful, steamy and the friendships between them all man do I love them!Hen😍😍👌🏻I could keep going on and on but no one wants to be here listening to my babble when you could be reading it.I am so greedy I could read more about them!I honestly can’t wait for the next in this series!Highly recommend🫶🏻

I loved every single second of this book. I didn’t want it to end so I dragged it out to the max!I annotated the hell out of my copy of this book! Every other page I was tabbing and highlighting something! And it wasn’t just the main characters that I was doing this with, I fell in love with quite literally all the side characters - bar one… I’m an Aaron hater xoxo - but I need a Henry book because that man is the sweetest! I’m also hoping for a JJ book, and Russ! Oh and Lola and Robbie!Now moving on the main event Nathan and Anastasia are my king and queen. They have me in a chokehold!I adored Stassie, she was such a strong female lead. I adored how real it was for her to be in therapy, I also loved that she’d been in therapy for 10 years as that also showed how normal it was to need that kind of support long term. I’m completely in love with this woman!And Nathan, jeez this man is the epitome of golden retriever, cinnamon roll love interest, however with the dirtiest mouth! Man he had me gasping… I adored watching him fall for Stassie, and how supportive he was in wanting her to achieve her goals.I’m completely obsessed with this couple.The spice in this book was so incredibly hot! Like not what you expect from a cartoon cover like the one this one has!

What can I say. This book has all the feels.Nate's and Stassie's story had me hooked from the start. Two of the most likeable characters I've every had the pleasure to read. What I really love is that the fundamentals of their characters didnt change throughout the book, which so often happens in other books I've read.The more serious themes addressed in this book were handled really well.I particularly loved how incorporated the b characters were. That the relationships these two have with the hockey guys and her best friend always fit beautifully with the story and they never seemed just stuck in there.As a reader of dark romance sometimes in need a little light to break through my reading program and this book certainly delivered. Funny, sweet, and hot switch style spice, I really do recommend you give it a try x

[REVIEW] Icebreaker by @hannahgraceauthor ❄⛸Icebreaker is an ice-cold romance that will melt the heart of any reader who loves a good romance book 😍It's not difficult to convince someone to read this book, I'll just leave here a few bullet points:• frenemies/lovers• grumpy/sunshine (plot twist, she is grumpy)• dual pov• scenes with a lot of hot• character building on point• the coolest group of friends• a lot of sassiness to the mix• topics such as anxiety, toxic friendships and eating disorders.All this combined with the fact that much of the plot takes place on an ice rink divided between skaters and hockey players and we have the ingredients for a success story 🤌🏻It just couldn't be any other way. I mean, Nate and Stassie make an incredible duo and their relationship is everything a romance reader expects from a book: with its share of conflicts; a healthy dose of jealousy and back-and-forth; I already said very hot scenes; and with the happy ending that every reader likes to read - it's predictable for those who read so many novels, but it's still cute and very satisfying (just a little quick, I wanted more, what to do 😂). Of course, there is always a villain in the story and he was perhaps what I liked least about this book. For me it could have been better constructed, adding more layers to understand its motives.If Stassie didn't expect to fall in love with Nate, the truth is, neither did I. But if anyone knows where to get a man like this in real life let me know, ok? It's for a friend since I'm taken 🤣🙈That said, please read this book because I need to talk about it with someone 🥺 I feel like I'll have this story in my head for a long time. Yes, it is that good 😍

Well well well...Who would have thought with a cover like that there could be so much filth hidden inside? Nathan is one determined man in the bedroom and Anastasia does not shy away from it. In fact, she knows what she wants and I love it.Seeing Nathan fall for Anastasia first was to die for and I loved how he didn't hold back on his feelings. He supported her in every way and made sure she knew just how much he cared for her, whilst also trying not to be too overbearing for the commitmentphobe. It was interesting to see Hannah unravel some of Anastasia's issues and write about the characters helping her get over these hurdles in a positive way. Being in Anastasia's head while others were trying to tell her about Aaron's controlling behaviour was very interesting.It was slightly long-winded and Aaron's lies could have been revealed sooner instead of being rushed at the end. But overall I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I loved the writing. It was very easy and I became intrigued with all the characters that showed up along the way.