Ever since Rhys Koteskiy took a brutal hit during the Frozen Four he’s suffered panic attacks every time he steps on the ice and is getting little sleep at night. The only time he feels calm is when Sadie Brown’s brand of chaos hits the ice. After witnessing one of his panic attacks during an early morning skate, Sadie and Rhys start a friendship. He feels too much and she feels too little but together they create the calm that each other needs.
I came across a review for this book that made me curious. A hockey player with panic attacks and the chaotic ice skater with behavioral issues? How will this author convince the reader that these two are the perfect match? Rhys’s problems were easy, a concussive hit that blinded him temporarily would scare anyone. I think we can identify with that, but Sadie’s back story could easily have painted her in the wrong light. Drunk father, caretaker to her two brothers, working multiple jobs to help pay bills, uses casual hook-ups to take the edge off, and is on Waterfell University’s ice skating team? Hmmm. How was this author going to pull over this Cinderella story? Sadie’s reputation was in tatters, but this hardworking college kid was in an untenable situation and her love for her brothers just shone through all of the grittiness of her character. After a while that light is what I saw. Mission accomplished.
I always enjoy stories that include children, especially if they are cute and add humor or heart. Sadie’s brothers both created tension but also gave the plot a release of sorts with their heart tugging moments. Rhys’s parents were also great side characters and their non-judgemental attitude was refreshing in a novel that is geared towards a younger reader and those characteristics were a great contrast to Sadie’s own deadbeat dad. Their involvement in the story created a roundness that made this novel feel more complete and not just a new adult college romance novel. I’ll admit I’ve been on a bit of a college hockey binge lately so these things set this novel apart from a lot of the others I’ve read. This was a well done and well thought out story.
❤️❤️❤️❤️
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