Iced Out

Heston U Hotshots #1

by Veronica Eden

Dancing on bartops means the night is going great. Exiting the bar hauled over the shoulder of Heston University's infamous hockey captain? Not my idea of a good time. But my would-be knight would have to do. I needed an escape route from my brother...his biggest rival. Easton Blake is the perfect reminder of why I avoid hockey players. Cocky. Frustratingly sexy. Accustomed to every girl in his orbit falling for his charm. With his sultry smile that tells me he knows all the ways to make girls come undone with his touch, I'm almost the next score on his stats. Except I have no time for distractions when I'm focused on graduating early. Gaining Easton's attention wasn't part of my plans. Of course, from the moment he catches me shaking my assets on the bar, he decides I'm his next goal. Instead of sticking to my own rules, I do something I shouldn' I dare him to try . Easton's never met a challenge he wouldn't accept. He makes it clear he won't be iced out without convincing me to give him a chance. I swore off hockey players for a reason. Can I risk making the same mistake again?

Genres: Sports Romance, Hockey, Sports, Romance, Hockey Romance, College, College Romance

348 pages, Paperback

First published May 8, 2023

About the author

Veronica Eden is a USA Today and International bestselling author of romances with spitfire heroines, irresistible heroes, and edgy twists.

She loves exploring complicated feelings, magical worlds, epic adventures, and the bond of characters that embrace us against the world. She has always been drawn to gruff bad boys, clever villains, and the twisty-turns of a morally gray character. She is a sucker for a deliciously swoony hero with a devastating smirk. When not writing, she can be found soaking up sunshine at the beach, snuggling in a pile with her untamed pack of animals (her husband, dog and cats), and surrounding herself with as many plants as she can get her hands on.

Keep up with Veronica:
Newsletter Sign up ➜ bit.ly/venewsletter
Instagram ➜ instagram.com/veronicaedenauthor
Website ➜ bit.ly/veronicaeden
Amazon ➜ amazon.com/author/veronicaeden
Facebook ➜ facebook.com/veronicaedenauthor
TikTok ➜ tiktok.com/@veronicaedenbooks

Reviews

[Kursed Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maya Donnelly has sworn off hockey players, if not guys in general, after the destruction her douçhe of an ex caused. When she catches the eye of Easton Blake, captain of the Heston U Hotshots, she is immune to his charms. Yet, he goes all in and never looks back. 
 
I’m a sucker for a “he falls first – and hard” story. Combine that with the forbidden aspect and a hockey hottie? SOLD! There was push and pull, enough unexpected outside drama to keep everything interesting, and plenty of steam to check all of my boxes! PLUS, no unnecessary third-act breakup >> #winning!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🤍
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 😩
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual}

🗂 Genre: Sports Romance

✨ Tropes: College, Forbidden, Jealous/Possessive

💋 Kinks: n/a

⚠️ Warning: This steamy read will leave your panties wet and reaching for BOB.

🚩 Safety Squad: Pesky Ex Drama

📣 Type: Iced Out is part of the Heston U Hotshots series, but can be read as a standalone.

🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.

[Bookaholic Shaima · Rating 1 out of 5]

If a disappointment was a book this would be it.
😬😬😬😬😬 How can someone go this wrong with college hockey??? TERRIBLY WRITTEN 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️.
What a way to waste my time

[Taryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t bad, it just felt long. They got together pretty early on in the book and the rest was just about their happy relationship. No angst, no conflict, so rather boring.

[Skyler · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was just a huge no for me. Maybe I’ll try to write a more coherent review later but for now, here are some reasons why this one didn’t work for me:

•The FMC has anxiety, but it’s only ever shown as a plot device to allow the MMC to be overprotective, and it’s forgotten about the rest of the time.
•The dialogue is so cringy I got second hand embarrassment from reading it.
•The story was very insta-love which I wasn’t expecting when it’s being marketed as a book where the FMC refuses to date hockey players.

I honestly should have dnf’ed but I kept reading hoping it would get better.

[monica ✨ romantasyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loooved this one. Maya has sworn off hockey players. She’s focusing on her studies so she can graduate early from Heston U. After her twin brother, who happens to be on the rival team, dragged her to his hockey game against Heston, she ends up getting thrown over the shoulder of the captain of Heston’s team at the bar after the game. Easton Blake is the definition of a man obsessed and I was so here for it. That man made me swoooon.

Maya was such a strong fmc and Easton is everything: possessive, caring, and softie only for his girl. I love the two of them and their push/pull dynamics so much. While Easton is obsessed he also have Maya time and made sure what she really wanted.

I loved the team dynamics sm too. I can’t wait for the later books in the series!!

Read if you like
✨ hockey romance
✨ he falls first and he’s obsessed
✨ rival’s sister

Thank you sm Veronica for an arc! This book is out now <3

[glavreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok my unpopular booktok opinion is that though i love hockey romance, with the way it’s blown up on TT… sometimes the hockey books are just mediocre because people just want to write about hockey.

this one though? incredible, showstopping, live laugh love, icebreaker vibes.

maya has sworn off hockey players after her brother’s teammate cheated on her but she can’t resist the draw of easton blake, her brother’s rival.

easton is obsessed from day 1 and basically was like i am going to prove to you every step of the way that you should take a chance on me and boy does he deliver. the spice was great but the GESTURES. he was just so so sweet and thoughtful. i love book boyfriends who don’t make me mad at them.

ugh just so good!!!!!

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

DEAD!!! I've been on a hockey kick, and I love these authors and giving me these men who don't cheat, are devoted to their girl!! Ott!! I loved every second of this book!!

Easton is book boyfriend he's focused on. His hockey career, until he sees Maya in the stands at his hockey game, he gets sidetracked and loses to his biggest rival. Upset at the loss, he's there with his teammates enjoying the aftermath until he spots Maya again this time dancing on a bar, and that's it he's smitten! Even when he hauls her out and finds out she's his rivals sister, it doesn't stop him from making her his. It takes a while since she doesn't date hockey players and doesn't trust them. So they start as friends, and he's showing her he can be trusted. They grow from there even with her ex and brother against them. I love that he never stopped. He didn't play any games to show Maya he was in it for the long haul. He was even there for her when she had a family emergency.. and he put her first.. before hockey.. we love that in a man!!

Plus, we got PERIOD SEX! YESSSS MAN, GOT HIS REDWINGS 🥰💦💦💦
& enjoyed making her scream with her toys.
We get a bunch of fun side characters, and we can't wait to see who's next.

No ow/tiny om drama, no cheating, secondary character, drama, sexy times, no virgins

Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5
Sadness-💧💧.5

Slowinsta
Pinning
Dealing with grief
Praise kink
Sexy toys
Period sex
No condom
Hea
Epilogue

[Karina (shedreamsinwords) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The man that Easton Blake is 😮‍💨🫠

[Milo (if lost, return to hot fictional character)]

dnf at 56%

bro this was cute and stuff but nothing was really happening :(
i might pick this up again when I'm in the mood for it, but for now it's a dnf

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

***AVAILABLE NOW***

3 STARS

I really wanted to love this one. It had good writing, amazing steam and chemistry, and I LOVED all of the characters. The group of hockey players were so fun, I LOVED Easton (you will too if you love a man who is obsessed over the heroine), and I really connected with Maya. Her energy and her friend group were fun.

BUT… there was literally NO conflict in this book. He courted her. She resisted, then fell. From there on out it is them tackling obstacles together. That’s it. That’s the story.

I have to have conflict. It is almost always a reason I low star a book.

There were also some consistency issues or errors and super unrealistic hockey moments that took me out of the book a few times.

Would I read more from this author? Yeah, I’ll try again.

[Natalie Elsholz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did I read the same book as everyone else?? How does this have so many 4 and 5 star reviews? The writing is so bad, the characters are even worse. Easton is an ick. He doesn’t give off ick vibes, he just is one. From meeting her and calling her baby immediately, to making a sex joke every three sentences. When Maya makes a dumb comment about thinking he’d run and hide when she had her period and his response to this conversation, which was not even remotely sexual, was to offer to earn his red wings again and again. The writing is so very cringey, and the whole book just tries too hard.

[samantha ఌ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A better version of Icebreaker.

When he's down so bad but she doesn't give him the time of the day >>>

[Christi (christireadsalot) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iced Out is the first book in the Heston U Hotshots series. Love that it started off with the team roster listing all the players and the coaches, as well as a campus map…so fun! I picked this one up because I’m currently obsessed with hockey romances and this one delivered! 😍 It also includes: hero is her brother’s rival, he falls first, forced proximity, and no third act breakup!

Easton is the new captain of Heston’s hockey team. And during a game he gets distracted the first time he spots the heroine, Maya. He doesn’t know who she is but he can’t look away. Later on he runs into her at the bar and rescues her from the rival team they just beat…only to find out she’s the sister of one of those players. Maya’s ex is on her brother’s team as well and after that failed relationship she swore off hockey players. But Easton is determined to woo her, especially when he learns they attend the same university.

“You’re going to be kicking yourself for holding out on me, baby. Once I show you what you’re missing, you’re going to wish you had it sooner. But that’s okay, it makes it more fun this way.”

If you love a hero who falls first and is super determined and super flirty, then definitely read this book! It’s soooo good! I was obsessed with this book early on and even messaged the author to find out if other books exist in this series yet cause I need them all. 😆😍 The side characters are so fun, I want all of their books! I loved when he finds her stash of toys, he’s impressed and compares them to him being good at being a team player. There is period caretaking and a hero who loves and takes in a stray cat. Easton is swoony AF and I loved how supportive, protective, and how all in he is with Maya.

“For so long, I believed all hockey players were heartless playboys who weren’t capable of giving a damn about anyone but themselves. Easton Blake proves me wrong at every turn. When I’m with him, it’s not just that he makes me feel safe. He makes me want to trust him. To give him the pieces of myself I’ve kept locked away tight.”—Maya

“This is all for you and only you. Forget the guy you might’ve heard about or think I was before we met, because I’m not him anymore. The only thing I am now is yours.”—Easton

CW: grief, loss of a loved one

[Tori - Novel Life · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another really good hockey romance!!! I loved that her brother plans for our main male characters rival team! It makes the games they play so fun! But I loved the connection and the PINING!!!!!!!! He pines sooo much and it was so satisfying

[kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easton and Maya were so cute and sexy. I can’t believe a college sports romance gave me something so wholesome and without the miscommunication trope!!

This book is on par with the “Playing For Keeps” series i absolutely adore. I’m coming back for more.

[Aurora Rosette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stars : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice : 🌶️🌶️🌶️ / he has one hell of a dirty mouth and especially that ✨ Blood Play ✨ scene😍 🥵 I didn't quite expect it from a Rom-Com book but I liked it as always 🤡)
Ending : HEA 💃

Another heart melting, adorable Hockey Romance. Aha, *contented sigh*, whenever I get bored by reading same ol same ol stories I return back to find my solace my comfort in Hockey romances. It grounds me, calms my heart sooths my soul fills me with loads of emotions i can't explain writing. This one is no exception either.

Easton And Maya were Destined from the first to be together. I loved their dynamic, the way they kept their balance in their relationship among other things going on in their life. Two different person from different platforms and yet and whenever they are free they gravitate towards each other as soon as possible, I think that's what drew me in this story most.

And of course! Easton Blake!! Sweet Jesus! This guy! Ohhh. BOY DID HE WAS OBSESSED WITH MAYA !!! From the first time to last, HIS EYES ONLY GOES FOR HER, The way he always told her,

' I've got you, you're not alone, wherever you go I follow always, you are my priority, my future my world and I'll take care of you always.'

and it goes on and on and on!!

Another Book boyfriend added to the unending list for whom I would sell my soul just to get a man like him.

🤗💚❤️💙🌸

🌼 Quotes :

✨ W͟h͟a͟t͟e͟v͟e͟r͟ t͟h͟e͟ f͟u͟t͟u͟r͟e͟ h͟o͟l͟d͟s͟ f͟o͟r͟ b͟o͟t͟h͟ o͟f͟ u͟s͟, w͟e͟’l͟l͟ h͟a͟v͟e͟ e͟a͟c͟h͟ o͟t͟h͟e͟r͟. N͟o͟t͟h͟i͟n͟g͟ w͟i͟l͟l͟ s͟e͟p͟a͟r͟a͟t͟e͟ u͟s͟. M͟a͟y͟a͟ D͟o͟n͟n͟e͟l͟l͟y͟ i͟s͟ i͟t͟ f͟o͟r͟ m͟e͟ a͟n͟d͟ I͟ w͟a͟n͟t͟ t͟o͟ s͟p͟e͟n͟d͟ m͟y͟ l͟i͟f͟e͟ w͟i͟t͟h͟ h͟e͟r͟. ✨



✨ T͟o͟ t͟h͟e͟ w͟o͟r͟l͟d͟, h͟e͟’s͟ m͟a͟k͟i͟n͟g͟ a͟ n͟a͟m͟e͟ f͟o͟r͟ h͟i͟m͟s͟e͟l͟f͟ a͟s͟ t͟h͟e͟ r͟o͟o͟k͟i͟e͟ t͟o͟ w͟a͟t͟c͟h͟ t͟h͟i͟s͟ s͟e͟a͟s͟o͟n͟.T͟o͟ m͟e͟, E͟a͟s͟t͟o͟n͟ B͟l͟a͟k͟e͟ i͟s͟ a͟l͟w͟a͟y͟s͟ g͟o͟i͟n͟g͟ t͟o͟ b͟e͟ t͟h͟e͟ c͟o͟c͟k͟y͟ h͟o͟c͟k͟e͟y͟ c͟a͟p͟t͟a͟i͟n͟ t͟h͟a͟t͟ t͟o͟s͟s͟e͟d͟ m͟e͟ o͟v͟e͟r͟ h͟i͟s͟ s͟h͟o͟u͟l͟d͟e͟r͟ t͟h͟e͟ n͟i͟g͟h͟t͟ I͟ d͟a͟n͟c͟e͟d͟ o͟n͟ t͟h͟e͟ b͟a͟r͟ a͟n͟d͟ s͟t͟o͟l͟e͟ m͟y͟ h͟e͟a͟r͟t͟.✨

[Chasity7474&#x1f4da;❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: He falls first, No miscommunication

This is the story of Easton and Maya. They meet at a bar and she challenges him to persuade her to date him because she does not date hockey players. Easton has never had a girlfriend but decided Maya is exactly who he wants to be his girlfriend. As he slowly proves his worth and she gives him a chance he proves why some men are written and not real. I love how supportive and caring he becomes. This book gets four stars because the banter and no miscommunication. I love when a story doesn’t involve a breakup.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOW LIVE!
Amazon US * Amazon UK

I love a hero that falls first and Easton did it perfectly. It was so fun getting to see him chase after Maya and it was honestly adorable in the beginning when he was stumbling all over himself not sure what to do to get her attention. It kept a smile on my face and made the wait to see them together completely worth it.

I also really enjoyed the scenes with just Easton and his friends. They really immersed me into the characters lives and had me feeling like I knew them really well. And I can't wait to get more of them.

[nikki]

dnf @22%

I lost all interest in this book y'all. It was going so well until the 20% mark - yk the whole "hockey-player-falls-for-his-rival's-sister-and-becomes-obsessed-with-her-to-the-point-that-he-can't-stop-pursuing-her" was good. Until it wasn't. I might be the only one who feels this way but when a hero is described as infatuated with the heroine and is clearly shown as someone who wants more with her despite her not giving in to his charms...well, you'd think he wouldn't entertain anyone else right? WRONG❌️

Man's let his old fuck buddy flirt with and cozy up to him and as if that wasn't enough, she sits on his lap and kisses his cheek while this dude who's supposedly "down bad" lets this happen and only tells her no when she tries to follow him back to his room like WHAT???? Why did it take you so long to let her down?😭 After all this happens, brother has the audacity to get jealous and possessive just because the heroine is talking - I repeat, TALKING - to another guy. Make it make sense🥱 I was so excited to read this but I ain't gonna torture myself anymore just because I wanna know how it ends lol. I like my men obsessed and loyal. PERIODT🤚🏻

[lyn ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

☆ 5/5 & 3.5/5 spice

"Forget the guy you might have heard about or think I was before we met, because I'm not him anymore. The only thing I am now is yours."

One of my most anticipated read ever since I saw it was announced, and it did not disappoint and exceeded my expectations. Throughout this whole book I was literally swooning left and right over Easton. Another guy added to my hockey book boyfriend list because he was 10/10 the perfect book boyfriend material.

From the first moment Easton saw Maya, he was completely captivated by her and became a guy who was obsessed to win her over. He was 100% attentive, charming, and such a sweet talker with a filthy mouth. Maya was such a breath of fresh air with her determination to graduate college early, her dedication to her family, and how she was such a friendly and supportive individual. I love the way she played hard to get and made Easton work hard to get with her. Maya didn’t expect Easton would put in any effort, but she was definitely wrong - he put in everything just to try and get her to fall for him. The progression of their relationship was *chef’s kiss* and every encounter they had with each other made me so freaking happy. Their banter, instant chemistry, and adoration for each other was just everything. Some of these scenes gave me butterflies and made me so giddy.

Seriously this book was perfection and I am completely and utterly obsessed. I enjoyed Easton and Maya’s story sooo much. This book was filled with many spicy scenes, flirting, and hot banters. I honestly can’t wait for the next book in this series!

Tropes:
❥ Hockey romance
❥ Rival’s sister / brother’s rival
❥ Boy obsessed
❥ Forced proximity
❥ Guy falls first

[ikram · Rating 3 out of 5]

i can’t even blame this girl for acting up because i too would be an absolute menace if i had an easton blake obsessed with me 😵

[Danielle (The Blonde Likes Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay this was cute and Easton is an amazing book boyfriend! From day one he only had eyes for Maya, and he let his actions speak just as loudly as his words. There was no drama between them, no angst or miscommunication, and no third act breakup, which was refreshing! As much as Easton was a sweet boyfriend, he was also a dirty talker, so I enjoyed the spicy scenes!

We had dual POV, so we also got to see Easton’s POV, which was cute.

That said I’m sitting at 3.5 stars because I do feel like there were several times I cringed at the writing or dialogue, especially in the beginning. I think the author was trying to show that Easton was a little bit of a playboy prior to meeting Maya, but some of the things he thought in his POV chapters seems totally unlike the character we met.

Lastly, I know this is a series featuring different couples in each book, but I felt like there were some loose ends that could have been resolved more clearly. I would have loved to get more information on how her brother Ryan dealt with her ex (and also Ryan’s teammate) after finding out what actually happened that caused them to break up. It drove a little bit of a wedge between them because Maya was scared to tell her brother in fear that he would side with his friend. We got a hint that Ryan beat him up, but there wasn’t much of a discussion about it when he and Maya worked out their issues. With Johnny breaking in, showing up at the club Maya was at, and calling her, I thought he would pose more of a problem in the story but it sort of just disappeared. I also felt like the last chapter was a little strange. I thought it was going to lead to a proposal but it didn’t, so now I’m not clear on whether the announcer accidentally called her his fiancée or if it was intentional?

This was also listed as book 1 in the series, but what I didn’t realize was that there was a prequel novella about a different couple who shows up in this book. I felt like I was missing a tiny bit of context not having read that first. There were also several other characters that showed up here and there that made me feel like I should already know them, so I kept checking to make sure this really was the first book! There were enough tidbits about some of the other characters in the book to make me curious about their stories, so I do think I’ll continue reading the series!

I’m rounding up to 4 stars because of how sweet Easton was and how mature he and Maya were in their relationship. Just healthy communication and trust in each other! Perfect book boyfriend!

[Sandy (Sandy.Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.75/5 Stars

Iced Out by Veronica Eden is a solid addition to the growing trend of hockey romances, a genre I find myself enjoying more and more with each read.

Admittedly, the beginning was a bit of a slow burn for me, and it took some time to fully immerse myself in the story. However, once it picked up, I couldn’t put it down. Eden hooks you with tropes that feel like fan favorites—falling for the competition’s sibling and the classic transformation of a tough, cocky hero into a lovable golden retriever when it comes to his girl. These elements are executed to perfection here.

What really surprised me was the spice level—much higher than I expected, but I wasn’t complaining! If you’re in the mood for a steamy read that’s easy to devour in one sitting, this book won’t disappoint.

While it didn’t quite hit the “love it” tier for me, it was an entertaining read that delivered on its promises. If hockey romances with a side of heat and humor are your thing, Iced Out is worth checking out.

[rapha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25⭐️ ugh

[paris · Rating 5 out of 5]

when i said i was back in my hockey romance era, i meant it!

Iced out is the first book in veronica eden’s Heston U Hotshots series, it follows Maya who has sworn of hockey men, that is until she meats Easton Blake, he’s HOT but he’s also everything she said she would avoid not to mention he’s her brothers rival.

This is a boy obsessed, college romance with forced proximity and he falls first.

"Forget the guy you might have heard about or think I was before we met, because I'm not him anymore. The only thing I am now is yours."

EASTON BLAKE THE MAN THAT YOU ARE.

The way he shot up my fav hockey men lost so fast, he’s literally everything.

He was such a sweetheart to maya, their chemistry was off the charts as soon as they met, he was willing to work to get her (and boy did she make him WORK) Maya was so likeable, a very goal oriented character, I loved seeing her get passion about her family and her goals for school.

They seemed like such an odd pairing but they fit together so perfectly, the way their relationship progressed was amazing, I loved their vulnerable moments but i also loved how much banter they had between one another.


This book was just so amazing a definite 5 stars, had me giggling and kicking my feet. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series 🩵🩵

[LKBooks | Lexy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ Despite the fact that it has taken me, what feels like 5 years to finish this book but in reality was only 2 weeks I throughly enjoyed myself. I just hate reading right now, it’s like the last thing I want to do.

As someone who loves the sport hockey first and the romance genre second, I loved this! My biggest qualm with hockey romance is that there is never any ACTUAL hockey or if there is, it’s minimal and not accurate. I can tell that this author enjoys the game of hockey and knows the sport because the hockey content in this was great!!!

Loved both the FMC and MMC and the side characters were top tier! I have a feeling this may be the next Off Campus or Brier U series!

[Miriel · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf at 30% it was cute and sweet but too boring to keep reading

[Hannah Chambers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wayyyyy too many similarities between this book and Offsides by Avery Keelan. It was like reading Avery’s book all over just with different names. And period sex really? Ewww gross!

[Rachel Sauer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Noooooo. DNF 2%. Did someone edit this? What are these sentences? (May 2023)

[Allison · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF- 40%
Absolutely fuckin no. This was beyond cringey and I couldn’t finish it. If a man talked to me like that I would actually throw up. That’s all I gotta say