The Cutting Edge

St. Pete Slashers #1

by Lisa Daily

Logan Rivers is a star pro hockey player for the St. Pete Slashers -- and he's in a slump.

He hasn’t scored in 3 games and it’s starting to freak him out. Enter Bella, who strikes a deal with an assistant coach to pretend to be a curse-breaker to pay off her training expenses from her days as a competitive figure skater. Everything is looking up for both of them.

She’s almost got her debt paid off and the Slashers are on a winning streak. There's only one she's doesn’t know how to tell Logan she’s been lying to him the whole time.

If she can just keep her secret until the playoffs are over…

Genres: Romance, Hockey, Sports Romance, Sports, Hockey Romance, Contemporary Romance, Adult

226 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 17, 2023

About the author

I've been writing for a long time, since third grade actually, when I wrote a romance serial starring everybody's favorite hunky science teacher, Mr. G. Every day the girls would gather under the slide to hear the latest installment of Mr. G's feats of romance and bravery, which involved things like giving only the third grade girls cupcakes, or riding up on the playground on a white horse to save one of us from a boy with cooties.

The girls in my class were hooked, and so was I.

More than a few years later, I wrote a dating advice book called STOP GETTING DUMPED which miraculously hit the best seller list (thanks for that, everybody.)

A few years after that, I figured it might be even more fun to create a whole guy from scratch, and I wrote my first romantic comedy, a novel called FIFTEEN MINUTES OF SHAME, a fictional (I swear!) account of a popular dating expert (not me!) who finds out on national television that her husband is cheating on her.

If you want to connect or learn more about why I can't pick a genre or just get some free writing advice, feel free to check me out on http://www.LisaDailyBooks.com

***
Lisa Daily is a USA Today bestselling author and one of the top book coaches for nonfiction and self-help authors.

Reviews

[costitanza (onetoomanybooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley for providing me with this cute hockey romance arc.

For me it was 3.5 stars read! 🌟🌟🌟

Figure skater Coccinelle 'Coco' Charmaine is late. She needs to go and she needs to go now. Unfortunately one of her students, five years old Poppy, is waiting for her dad to come and pick her up. Poppy's dad doesn't show up and Coco is resolute in finding him after discovering he also works at the rink.
Well, eventually Coco meets Logan Rivers, Poppy's father/captain of the St. Pete Slashers/NHL star, after waking up in the hospital for a puck in the head.

The characters were really nice and I love when the author is able to write a 5 years old, very smart, very perceptive, kid. I love single dad romances and I wouldn't have minded more interactions between Coco and Poppy, mainly in the second half of the book.
Logan was a perfect MMC, really polite and respectful.
Also the level of miscommunication (which I usually hate) wasn't that heavy in this book and it served the story well.

I found the overall story very cute and I found myself smiling a lot throughout the book. Sometimes the story was a little over the top and cheesy but I didn't mind it that much.
Unfortunately there are still a lot of typos, like sentences ending with a comma or dialogues that you don't know where they start/end. And this is the main reason why I didn't give 4 full stars.

Also this book gave me "Just my Luck" vibes and I loved it!!! When I was a teen it was one of my confort rom-com movie so it was a super cute addition to me 🥰

[Lenaasty · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC✨️ 2.5 / 5 ⭐️


please enjoy the following list of what came to mind as I was reading.

- he's always nice and happy and sweet and the only time he ever gets mad he talks like a man written by a woman but in a excessively obvious way

- 60% of the book happens in the hospital, it might as well be a hospital romance but even those don't spend as much time in the actual building

- slow af in 14 chapters you've gone through only 3 days

- coccinelle charmand??? if a real French person was named like this- they wouldn't be

- I hope this is only because it's an ARC but it hasn't been proofread AT ALL. I could barely get into the story because of how bad the mistakes were. the punctuation was a terrible mess of " out of place and I won't even mention the exact same paragraph appearing twice in the span of 2 pages

- not anything standing between them it's just sunshine rainbows and butterflies, it lacks tension. the one thing that causes them some drama feels far-fetched as they're both in the wrong but only one gets mad at the other

- closed doors on first physical scene but later a very detailed smut scene??

- ex bf turns out to be violent conveniently at the end when Logan needs to show a little testosterone and alpha attitude for the first time in the whole story

- so many dialogue I feel like I've heard every word they've ever exchanged in their entire lives

- she's on the ice ONCE in the whole story

- "manly cheeks tinged pink" he's blushing but in a manly manner, I can't stop laughing over this

[Caroline Rohem · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
🌶

- Sports romance
- Single dad
- He falls first and harder
- Fun read
- Insta love

It was an enjoyable and fun read. I liked the characters, but I really got a little irritated with the third act conflict.

I liked Cam and Lana, and I'm looking forward to reading their book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Lisa Daily, for the ARC.

[hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Siesta Key, NetGalley and Lisa Daily for a copy of this book!

2/5 Stars - Unfortunately stopped reading 71 pages into it.

Poppy and Logan are a super sweet father-daughter duo, with Logan being an NHL superstar and Poppy a figure-skating student of Coco's an Olympic figure-skater. After an unfortunate accident involving a hockey puck and Coco's forehead (!) Coco and Logan bond together during her hospital stay.

I loved the premise of this book, especially as a hockey, romance, and hockey romance lover myself, however I couldn't get past page 71 due to a number of specific reasons. Firstly, the so-called humour was honestly just cringey - Logan pretending to have lobster claws... please. Daily also used some very similar sentences early on in the book, just a few paragraphs from each other, I had to keep swapping back and forth to check I wasn't reading the same page over and over as it really felt repetitive. I also think perhaps a little more research would've made all the difference - it's not hard to check little facts about hockey practices etc (no, NHL players aren't doing on-ice practice for 4+ hours at a time!).

I do have to give it to Daily, she did make me laugh with Poppy's character and I would definitely like to try out some of her other works!

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐️ Good story, not so great execution.

This book is not so much a sport romance, as it is a romance book that happens to have two professional athletes as its MCs. There aren't really any description of hockey games or iceskating, and I wish there was. Also, the name of the fmc was so distracting to me for some reason. The blurb in Goodreads says it's Bella, but the fmc's name is Coco and I just couldn't take it seriously (but I know that's just a me thing).

Coco is a olympic figure skater trying to earn enough teaching children to pay for all the training expenses and make her way to the olympics again -and hopefully get the gold metal this time around. One of her students, Poppy, is the most adorable little girl with he hottest dad ever. One day, when Poppy's dad is 45 mins late to pick her up, she decides to go find him within the facility, since he works in the same stadium. Inadvertently, Coco and Poppy enter a restricted zone and a puck comes flying out directly at them and knocks Coco out. Coco wakes up in the hospital with a massive headache and superhot hockey player Logan Rivers by her side.

The book's premise was good. The whole single father thing is great, the fact that they're two professional athletes finding a kinship with each other when it comes to the sacrifices of staying the best as time goes on... all of it could have been great. But this just didn't cut it. We spend half of the book in the hospital with Coco, trying to recover from an injury that Logan gave her. Poppy is only there to be cute in two, three scenes and then it's like Logan doesn't have a kid at all. And I get that he felt bad, apologised profusely and all, but it felt weird that he kept buying her stuff so he'd forgive her for almost killing her, basically. I really couldn't get behind it.

Also, the whole hiring Coco to be Logan's lucky charm thing was so extremely weird. The third act breakup was the most hypocritical thing ever, and Coco was absolutely out of line and the resolution is laughable. In general, I don't think this book was that great and I don't think I'd recommend it.

⭐️⭐️.75 / 5
🌶 / 5

[eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was enjoyable and cute. Definitely a go to for a quick and easy read with some romantic moments.

Coco and Logan were cute but pretty surface level characters. Although they had undeniable chemistry which was enjoyable to read, there wasn’t much of them to explore.

I wasn’t too fond of the pacing just because the characters having strong feelings for each other within three days felt a little “insta-lovey” which is a trope that i’m not the biggest fan of - but that’s just a personal preference.

I loved Poppy and would have loved to have seen more of her. I felt like she just disappeared halfway through the book, whereas the beginning made her seem important to the story.

Overall, I liked this book but felt as though there could have been more too it to help with the cohesion and pacing. I’d still recommend it if you enjoy cute sports romances.

Thank you to Net Galley, Siesta Key House and Lisa Daily for providing this eARC.

[Marlou Klijn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love sports romances so of course I had to pick up this one when it came by on Netgalley. It was very wholesome, but a little surface level. Their entire personalities were figure skater and hockey player, that's basically all there was to it.

His kid was absolutely adorable, but she was also just there for convenient plot points and nothing was really related to her. She was also five but a little too smart and knew too many complicated words and stuff to really feel like a five year old.

The third act breakup with the incredibly fast forgiveness was all a little too quick, too sudden, too unnecessary. Either don't break up or have him work for it. Although he did nothing wrong so I would've gone with not breaking up at all. There could've have been an emergency with the kid to kick up the suspense in the last couple of pages.

The banter was super cute. It was, however, basically the only thing that kept me interested in this book. The writing style is very dense and the banter made it lighter. It did not feel like this book was just 200+ pages, and not in a good way.

It was a decent book, but it could've been better. Extra star for the banter because I was smiling a lot throughout this book. So that leaves it at three stars.

This book was provided to me by Netgalley.

[Nicole Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This super cute hockey romance is about Coco, an Olympian, down on her luck, Logan Rivers is a single father who happens to also be an NHL pro athlete. The two have a sort of meet cute if Logan hitting Coco in the head with a hockey puck is cute? :) The two become smitten with each other after the accident and everything seems to be moving in the right direction. Unfortunately, there is a secret between them that if revealed, could ruin everything.

This book was fun to read. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Poppy. Logan is one of the characters that makes you want to claim him as your book boyfriend, cute and charming. The writing was great and easy to read. I loved the dual POV and the short chapters. I read this in one sitting. It served as a great pick me up after being in a reading slump. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. I’d gladly recommend it to my friends.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.75★)

“𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨’𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭.”

A friends-to-lovers story, The Cutting Edge by Lisa Daily follows competitive figure skater Coccinelle Charmaine and hockey team captain Logan Rivers.

Normally, I love the figure skater x hockey player cliche, but this novel felt anything but, because although we did get some scenes from hockey games, there were no figure skating scenes, at least not until the very end. Also, the chapters were incredibly short, which made the book feel really fast paced. Speaking of chapters, tell me why only three days had passed over the course of 14 chapters, all of which took place in the hospital, the same with majority of the romance.

The only good parts of the novel that I loved were Poppy and the manner in which Logan showed his feelings for Coco. But in the final 15% of the book, things did start to improve.

Overall, I did enjoy this book’s premise, but the way it was plotted out was not ideal for the tropes or the characters.

*Thank you to Siesta Key, and to the author, Lisa Dailey, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cutting Edge is a book about love, dreams and the fear of losing it all. Coco and Logan's love story is a great one!!! It starts with us readers meeting Coco, as she finishes up her figure skating class which she teaches. She needs to leave but one of her students, Poppy hasn't been picked up. Coco knows that Poppy's Dad works at the ice skating complex. She takes Poppy to look for her Dad when she enters a closed practice for Ice Hockey when she is hit in the head with a puck. Logan knows that he messed up, he's always liked, Coco. He avoided her at all costs out of fear of ruining the relationship between Poppy and Coco. He will do anything to help Coco and learns that he was always right about her. While not everything goes to plan with the couple, their love story is like no other.

I really enjoyed this book. I understand why others wouldn't love it, but it was funny and had perfect tension for me. While the medical side of things was so frustrating, and for someone with Medical trauma, it can be triggering. I loved the way from the moment Logan and Coco truly meet, it's love at first meet. I mean it is understandable why Coco doesn't love Logan to begin with. The tension is beautiful and I literally loved every second of it. There is a few spicy scenes and they do have good communication.

Thank you to Netgalley for this amazing read I received as part of an ARC!

[Ilaria 🌸 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started as a solid 4 stars a single daddy with a frenzy life and professional athlete and she is also another professional athlete
Cure banter nice wooing the puppies therapy I ❤️ loved that a lot
Then disaster : same chapter repeated, odd grammar and punctuation
The olimpici games will be held n Milan or Madrid?!? The ex come back awful unnecessary drama
The Bae /lucky charm agreement unnecessary and again. bad communication
The third act break up
Behind the curtains first time and then smut scene meh
This had potential but should be revised and re edited 2 stars 1 for Poppy and one for Rufus and the puppies
Thanks NetGalley for the Arc

[✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰Janeane ✰ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for my review copy

I requested this because, hello, hockey!

And I was hoping it would be more on ice action a la the movie of the same name, but instead it was more a hospital romance, since most of it happened there.

There was no angst, no passion (good or bad), just a few cross words between Logan and Coco and then everything was all good (and I know that sometimes we just want a sweet, angst free tale).

To me, this needed a bit of fire, a bit of grrr to move the story and the relationship along.

But I did love Poppy, she stole scenes and will steal your heart.

[☆ jess ☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

dnf @ 38% just not for me, too long in places making it boring, too fast in places where it would be interesting

[zasou.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rounded up from 4.5
Coco is a figure skater teacher. One day, one of her student's, Poppy, dad, Logan, is late to pick her up. And when Cocoa goes to find him, a misfortune lands her in the hospital with a concussion. And now she needs Logan's help...
This is book 1 in the St. Pete Slashers series, a hockey, single dad, instalove romance. She's a figure skater, he's a big shot hockey player (where have I read that before?). The cover says steamy. Not that much. There is one good spicy scene around 80% in, a couple of pages long and that's pretty much it. But I didn't mind, that's not why I picked up that book. I would've like to see a bit more tension though. I don't mind a slow burn, if things at least burn a little. It also would've been nice to see more of the romance outside of the hospital. He falls first, which I love, and I was only 6% in and Logan already had me swooning, he's a complete cinnamon roll. And Poppy is so stinking cute! I would've liked to see even more of her. The third act conflict is stupid, far-fetched and once again an utter overreaction, they both made a mountain out of a molehill. It was still a very fun, super quick read and had me grinning and laughing pretty much all the time. I can't wait to read Lana and Cam's story in book 2!
I received an advance review copy of this book for free, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

[Destany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book, provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

WHAT AN ADORABLE BOOK! I laughed so much and smiled so big my cheeks hurt. I love stories with little kids, right? And Poppy? She's the sweetest! After Logan is late picking up his daughter from Coco's figure skating class, things go slightly awry, and let's just say that Logan and Coco end up spending a lot of time together. Through the ups and downs, they start to fall for each other - while everyone around them pushes and pushes.

I loved the team camaraderie and the WAGs. I also liked that Coco had her own life and dreams, and Logan never asked her give them up. He was always encouraging her. He was also kept in check by his sassy daughter. Of course, their interactions as a family were my favorite. I just really loved everything about this story. I can't wait for more in this universe!

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

UPDATE: After reading the second book in the series and finding so many errors in that published copy, I went back to see if anything had been edited in this final copy. Sadly, every bit of it was left in.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Though there are errors in the ARC copy, I enjoyed every second of this read! Logan is by far the best part of this story with Coco not far behind. I would have loved to see a few training sessions with Coco and Marissa. 4.5 stars from me!

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

NHL hockey star and single dad Logan Rivers meets Coco Charmont when his puck hits her in the head putting her in the hospital. Coco is his five year old daughters skating instructor and she is also an Olympic figure skater. She placed fourth in the last Olympics and hopes to do better in the next. Logan has been in a scoring slump but after meeting Coco his luck seems to change. If your dream man is a wealthy and thoughtful gift giver Logan is the heartthrob for you.

I do have some issues with the storyline. Anyone with a new concussion should not be watching tv as it slows recovery. Coco watches Logan’s game while in the hospital. Also I’m not sure how Logan would not know his daughter is being taught by an Olympian. She has a gold medal as a member of the team competition. It defies logic to me but I will go with it for the story. And I didn’t need her ex to show up near the end for Logan to become a caveman protector. But otherwise this is all a very gentle and nice romance with a little heat.

I didn’t mark down for it because books on NetGalley are ARCs and not always fully edited. But there is proofreading errors, a saw a section of line duplication and some typos. I also had formatting problems where the book on my devices were aligned with the right side of the page, making reading more difficult. I assume those glitches will be fixed but I am mentioning them as current feedback.

Thank you Lisa Daily and Siesta Key for the ARC via NetGalley. In a surprise to me I am friends with Lisa on Goodreads as I enjoy her book reviews. I didn’t realize she was an author in her own right. I am leaving a voluntary review.

[mck boe · Rating 3 out of 5]

“You’re not the kind of person who’s easy to forget”

The Cutting Edge by Lisa Daily is a friends-to-lovers novel, following competitive figure skater Coco and hockey team captain Logan. Coco has a class teaching kids how to figure skate, and she gets hit with a hockey puck landing her in the hospital. The guy who hit the puck, Logan, continually went to see her at the hospital to apologize and make sure she was okay.

The romance in this book was fast paced, which didn’t go hand in hand with the plot which was seemingly slow paced- at the half way point of reading you’re still on day three of her being in the hospital. Which brings me to my next point, I had high hopes with this ice skating/hockey romance, but although we saw a lot of hockey we didn’t see much ice skating at all.

I liked Logan’s daughter, Poppy, she was so sweet throughout the novel- and her interactions with both her dad and Coco were so adoring. Logan was also a decent character, although at points it felt like he was trying to overachieve her forgiveness at points where she already forgave him. Coco was a nice character at the beginning, but towards the end I started to dislike her harshness towards Logan about the situation- she seemed inwardly bitter about it throughout the novel.

The banter between Coco and Logan was really nice because you can feel their chemistry. Also seeing the outcomes of both of their career goals at the end was really sweet, and let’s face it- it made me shed some happy tears.

I would recommend if you want to read a good fast paced romance. This was a really cute quick romcom read, and will definitely place a smile on your face. Thank you to Lisa Daily and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: 22 June 2023

---🌟🌟🌟

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you loved The cutting edge movie you won’t want to miss this single Dad, hockey/figure skater romance that sees Coco getting a puck to the head and then falling for the man responsible (who also happened to be the dad of one of her skating students).

A swoony, dual POV slow burn. This was a quick and enjoyable read. My only complaint was I didn’t love the third act miscommunication break up. I thought Poppy took things a little too hard when they were both keeping secrets.

Other than that though definitely worth a read and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series! I voluntarily read and reviewed an early copy and all opinions are my own!

[Jodi · Rating 1 out of 5]

A sports romance that plays out in the hospital I had high hopes for this book, but after I was halfway through, I could not take the hospital romance anymore. It's stuck in one place. I did try to enjoy it, and I loved the character Logan and his little girl. It was not what I expected. I got all excited about the blurb and the cover, but sadly, after 52% in, I ended up DNF'ing this book.

 

It had so many spelling errors and repeated words and sentences. It was enjoyable at first, but went nowhere. Thank you, Netgalley, for this e-ARC.

[May Christin · Rating 2 out of 5]

the story in this book was cute and easy to follow along, which made it an okay read for me. there were unfortunately some issues with the book, where some small things were being repeated shortly after one another and it did not seem to have been proof read well enough. in addition to that there were some small parts of the book which I think should have had more explanations or just not been there at all. overall it was sweet, but too many things that bothered me.

[♡ Lilly ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute, quick hockey romance read with likeable characters and wonderful banter! I'm always down for a sports romance and even more for a Hockey one! Logan and Poppy were such a cute father/daughter duo! Poppy is so freaking adorable! However, if you are looking for a spicy read this isn't going to be it. The spice was lite but the book was still good! Logan and Coco had great chemistry and between the three of them it was cute!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall rating
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5

This book has potential to be 5 stars but it missed the mark for me. Mainly it was some grammar and punctuation issues, along with some repetition in certain chapters.
I think the constant whiplash from coco also gave me a headache. I get her reluctance to trust but she gave up too easily at times which led to a third act breakup and that isn’t my favorite trope.

Emotional rating
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5

Loved the romance in this book! Logan is so sweet and caring and went above and beyond for Coco. I also enjoyed his daughter poppy who is just simply adorable! The romantic scenes between Coco and Logan gave me butterflies! They were so sweet together (when they were together haha). Overall such a cute hockey romance.

Spicy rating

1🌶️ out of 5

If you are looking for a ✨spicy✨ book, this one isn’t it. One spicy scene is inferred while in the hospital and there is only one other when they get together after an away game. Nothing wrong with the scenes but I wanted moreeeee.

I do plan to read the next book in the series since I enjoyed this authors writing! ❤️




All opinions shared of are an expression of my own thoughts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

[Lexi Nikole · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley & lisa daily for the opportunity to read this arc!
first off, i love poppy. she’s my new spirit animal. i’m a sucker for hockey romance and loved how coco also had a prominent ice sport. a bit of a traumatic meet cute but a cute story none the less. devoured this baby in a little over a day. definitely recommend.

[Michaela Bergland · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oof. Where to begin?

This book started off fun enough--when figure skating coach (and Olympic skater) Coco goes looking for her student's father, who's late to pick her up, an accident involving a hockey puck lands Coco in the hospital, putting her training on hold. Guilty over his mistake, Logan visits Coco regularly in an attempt to make it up to her, and feelings ensue. When Logan starts playing better after having Coco around, Logan's coach offers to pay Coco to be Logan's good luck charm. The caveat is: she can't tell him.

When I reached about the halfway point of the book, I couldn't remember where the story was supposed to be going, so I looked up the synopsis. When I read that the book was supposed to be about Coco being Logan's good luck charm, I thought Goodreads had the wrong book synopsis listed because there had been absolutely no sign of that. It wasn't until the 60% mark that the actual advertised plot began and Coco even got out of the hospital.

This book was not structured well. The original premise of Coco being Logan's good luck charm could've been interesting if the book was actually about that. To stick with that premise, WAY less of the book should've taken place in the hospital so they could've gotten to the actual plot, and so they could've focused more on Coco's figure skating career. She could've had any career, honestly, and it wouldn't have mattered because it was so irrelevant to the story. Her dream of returning to the Olympics took a backseat to Logan's hockey career, which I found disappointing.

The entire book was wildly unrealistic as well--from Coco's injury to the insta-love to literally everyone in Coco and Logan's lives telling them that they were perfect for each other when they barely knew each other to even the most basic facts about hockey and figure skating that the author got wrong--it was too much to overlook. The hockey and figure skating mistakes were particularly frustrating because they could've easily been corrected with a quick Google search.

Possibly my least favorite scene in the entire book took place around the 90% mark when Coco and Logan were on a date and a random, completely unestablished, ex-boyfriend of Coco's showed up and started making incredibly misogynistic comments. This entire scene, and ex-boyfriend character, was clearly created so Logan could show off his hero complex and "rescue" Coco, which she definitely didn't need. It gave me the ick to watch how creepy and possessive Logan became in an attempt to "protect" Coco. The scene was supposed to paint him in a good light but had the opposite effect.

By the end of the book, I wasn't supporting Logan at all. When Coco learned Logan was the one who came up with the lucky charm idea, and forgave him almost instantly, I didn't agree. The way he manufactured that entire situation and lied to her AND essentially paid her to be his girlfriend without her knowing that's what was going on was absolutely disgusting. Personally, I would've dumped him and run for the hills.

I also feel it's worth mentioning that, toward the end of the book, Coco calls Logan the "man of my smutty dreams." Ugh.

Needless to say, I don't recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ashley James · Rating 5 out of 5]

What’s this book about?

Logan Rivers is the star hockey player and captain of the St. Pete Slashers. Coco Charmaine is a figure skating teacher who dreams of fulfilling her goal of winning gold at the Winter Olympics after placing 4th last time. They had an unconventional meeting, meaning that Coco woke up in a hospital after taking one of Logan’s 103 mph slap shots to the forehead.

Logan’s always had it bad for his daughter, Poppy’s, figure skating teacher, and these unfortunate circumstances are giving him the perfect opportunity to get to know Coco. As Logan spends more and more time with Coco, he gets his game back on the ice. Is Coco the lucky charm he’s been looking for to bring his team to the Stanley Cup?

Logan’s shooting coach strikes a deal with Coco - act as Logan’s lucky charm for the rest of the season, and her living and training expenses will be covered by the team. As Logan and Coco spend more time together this chemistry continues to grow. But will the truth of their circumstances hit like a slap shot to the face?
My review of Cutting Edge:

Such an easy 4 out of 5-star rating for me! I am a sucker for a good hockey romance, and as a Tampa Bay Lightning fan, it was fun to see another hockey team set within the area in this book!

One of the reasons I loved this book so much was because it was so easy to relate to Coco. She is such a hard worker who has a really hard time relying on anyone but herself for anything. She will singlehandedly bend over backward to help out her friends in whatever way possible, but is reluctant to accept that same kind of support. It was amazing to see her personal growth, and how Logan helped open her open to the possibility of sharing the responsibility with others.

Logan Rivers is falling under one of my favorite book boyfriends. His relationship with his daughter, Poppy, is so swoon-worthy and emotional. I loved how he never questioned how he felt about Coco throughout the whole story, and his support of her and her dreams never wavered. They both have such an amazing support system around them in the form of their teammates, and I loved how easily Logan’s team accepted Coco into the fold as one of their own. Also, I am trying to figure out where I can get a flamingo pink weighted blanket because that is a NEED.

I CANNOT wait to dive into Lana and Cam’s story as they fight their undeniable chemistry.

If you like _____, you’ll enjoy this book!
- Hockey Romance
- Dual POV
- Swoony, cinnamon roll hockey player
- Hockey player/ figure skater dynamic
- Single father
- He falls first and hard.
- Lucky charm/superstitious hockey player
- Stanley Cup Finals!!

[Markie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Cutting Edge" by Lisa Daily is a hilarious and heartwarming hockey romantic comedy that will have readers laughing, swooning, and cheering for the charming protagonists as they navigate the unpredictable world of professional sports and unexpected romance.

The story follows Logan Rivers, a star pro hockey player for the St. Pete Slashers, who finds himself in a frustrating slump, unable to score in his recent games. Frustration mounts as Logan's performance suffers, leading him to search for a solution to break his streak. Enter Coco, an Olympic figure skater who strikes an unconventional deal with an assistant coach to become Logan's lucky charm in exchange for helping to cover her training expenses. As Coco and Logan's worlds collide, sparks ignite, and their lives take an unexpected turn.

Lisa Daily expertly blends humor and romance, creating a narrative that is both entertaining and heartwarming. The chemistry between Coco and Logan is electric, and their interactions are filled with witty banter and genuine emotion. As they form a unique partnership, readers will find themselves invested in their journey, eagerly awaiting each twist and turn.

Coco's dilemma of keeping her secret adds depth to the plot, as she struggles with the decision to reveal her true intentions to Logan. The tension and anticipation build as the story unfolds, leading to moments of vulnerability and growth for both characters.

"The Cutting Edge" is a delightful exploration of love, trust, and self-discovery set against the backdrop of the sports world. Lisa Daily's engaging writing style immerses readers in the exciting and competitive atmosphere of professional hockey while also delving into the complexities of personal relationships. As Coco and Logan's connection deepens, the novel highlights the power of honesty and communication in building a strong foundation for any relationship.

Fans of romantic comedies and sports romances will find "The Cutting Edge" to be a perfect addition to their reading list. Lisa Daily's knack for combining humor, romance, and genuine emotion makes this book an enjoyable and satisfying read. Whether you're a fan of hockey or simply love a good love story with a dose of laughter, "The Cutting Edge" is sure to capture your heart and leave you with a smile.

[Steph Beaudoin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cutting Edge by Lisa Daily
I loved this story.

Things I am here for:
Women in sports! HECK YEAH! Coco is an Olympic figure skater. This story shows how hard it is for Coco to train at the Olympic level and make ends meet, vs. how easy it is for Logan to do everything because of the money from his NHL contract. Women in sports need pay equity and equality for everything!
Logan is a stud! And he is so nice and sweet and caring. One of my favorite male main characters in a while.
Concussions are NO JOKE! This story shows some of the reality behind a serious concussion. Your brain is important!
I loved how Coco and Logan banter together, they take no prisoners.
Poppy is absolutely adorable!
Document false! Is this a real show? I must find out.
I want Marissa's story!
I want those flamingo slippers. Where can I get a pair? 🦩

I read this as an ARC from NetGalley, and it's possible that the language has changed in the final version, but this paragraph is soooo good.

"At some point in every relationship I've ever had comes the granddaddy of all arguments: “skating or me.” And every time, I choose skating. Every time. What's more, is that I know I will continue to make that choice, over and over again, for as long as I'm able to skate and have a viable shot at winning a gold medal. It’s who I am. I don’t want to spend my life apologizing for single-mindedly pursuing my ambitions. Male athletes are revered for that. Why not women?"

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Aylin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars (rounded up to four)

Coco is an Olympic figure skater but trains kids during her off-time to cover her expenses. When one day a dad of one of her students, Poppy, is late for pick-up and she is in a rush, she decides to track him down, since he happens to work at the ice rink as well. What Coco doesn‘t know is that the dad in question happens to be NHL player Logan Rivers AND she has just entered the closed-off practice area. Next thing she knows, she‘s got a puck flying to her head with the speed of 103 miles per hour, courtesy of Rivers himself. Ouch! But can this be a blessing in disguise?

This book was very sweet! Low angst, fast-paced and some of the best witty and flirtatious banter I have ever read in a book, I was practically grinning throughout!
Coco is an incredibly kind and compassionate character and so is Logan, our cinnamon roll hero who also happens to be a single-dad to an adorable five year old. What more could you ask for?
If you are looking for a quick and light-hearted hockey romance, this one is good!
I only wish we would have seen more interactions between Poppy and Coco, especially in the second half of the book.

What I do have to add is that the book did still have some formatting mistakes and things that should have definitely been edited. It is not perfect but since I read the earc I kindly received from NetGalley, I don‘t know if the published version is different.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lisa Daily for providing me with an earc! The Cutting Edge is out now!

[EVANGELIA MARAGKOPOULOU · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing story . Coco is a figure ice skater and she gives lessons to young kids . One of them is Poppy the daughter of the hockey player Logan Rivers the captain of the St. Pete Slashers . When he is late ti pick up his daugther from her lesson she goes to find him in the stadium and she ends up getting hit by the puck in the head . Logan feels awful for the accident and he spents the next days keeping company to Coco at the hospital . His feelings for her makes him have one of his best games of his careeer so he thinks she is his lucky charm . Coco now that she is injured she can't work or practice for the Nationals and there is a chance she won't be able to go to the Olympics . When one of Logan coaches asks her to be Logan lucky charm until the team wins the Cup and to pay her so she can afford all the expenses she accepts . What happens when she realises she is in love with him and she is lying to him ?
I received this book from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own .