Breaking the Ice

Love on Thin Ice #1

by Whitney Dineen

What do an entitled billionaire and small-town ice-skating coach have in common?

Ellie
My life is not turning out like I thought it would.

My mom’s arthritis has gotten so bad that I had to move in with her. I’m making ends meet by giving ice skating lessons at the arena in Maple Falls. I’d be in serious trouble had the Harts not given me that job.

Which makes it impossible to say no when they ask me to let Troy’s obnoxious billionaire brother stay in the cabin on my mom’s property during the charity hockey event they’re running.

Zach
First the tabloids call me out for being a cheapskate and then Yolanda Simms takes to national television to tell everyone what a vicious heartbreaker I am?

Yeah, my life has been better.

My brother thinks I can fix my bad press by coming to Maple Falls and donating big to his new charity endeavor. Too bad he didn’t mention the woman who owns the cottage I’ll be staying at hates me with a passion.

He also didn’t mention she’s everything I’ve ever looked for in a woman…

Breaking the Ice is part of the Love on Thin Ice sweet small town hockey romcom series. It's an enemies to lovers, billionaire romance, with forced proximity, It's a small town romance with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.Breaking the Ice by Whitney Dineen

The Rebound Play by Kate O’Keeffe

The Friend Face Off by Grace Worthington

Love in Overtime by Melissa Baldwin

The Parent Playbook by Elsie Woods

Love at First Skate by Ellie Hall

Penalties and Proposals by Anne Kemp

Genres: Romance, Hockey, Sports Romance, Sports, Hockey Romance, Rom Com, Contemporary

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 22, 2024

About the author

Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries -- not always in that order.

She's a USA Today Bestselling & multi-award-winning author of romantic comedies, non-fiction humor, thrillers, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.

She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.

Gold Medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards 2017.

Silver medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016, 2019.


Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.

Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017, 2019

Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards and Top Shelf Book Awards, 2017

Reviews

[Olga 🌺 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had to dnf so quickly before the writing messed up with my head.
Her mother "poo pood" her idea! 🤦‍♀️

The MFC sets on a full hateful ranting about the MMC in front of his sister in law, who is her boss, because the tabloids said that he was an egotistical bastard who feasts on weak women, and she believes them.

And then she meets him and treats him like an asshole in a very disrespectful and condescending manner in front of his brother, who is also her boss, and the brother just laughs about it and the billionaire MMC just puts up with her!!

Stupidest writing I've ever read.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was absolutely adorable and there’s something about a billionaire visiting a small town that just always gets me. You can tell this is the first book in a new series because it’s laying the groundwork for future books and I enjoyed that because it’s fun to guess what may or may not happen next. Maple Falls is a cute little town and the charity hockey stuff was unique and a fun bonus for fans of sports romance. Ellie and Zach were great together and I appreciated that it took some time for them to pursue a relationship, it felt mature and authentic. This was quick, cute and flirty and also closed door so heads up there, but overall a charming little read.

[Courtney sharpe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was beyond excited to read the first in a new closed door hockey themed romance series but let’s just say I hope the rest get better.

Ellie
My life is not turning out like I thought it would.
My mom’s arthritis has gotten so bad that I had to move in with her. I’m making ends meet by giving ice skating lessons at the arena in Maple Falls. I’d be in serious trouble had the Harts not given me that job.
Which makes it impossible to say no when they ask me to let Troy’s obnoxious billionaire brother stay in the cabin on my mom’s property during the charity hockey event they’re running.
Zach
First the tabloids call me out for being a cheapskate and then Yolanda Simms takes to national television to tell everyone what a vicious heartbreaker I am?
Yeah, my life has been better.
My brother thinks I can fix my bad press by coming to Maple Falls and donating big to his new charity endeavor. Too bad he didn’t mention the woman who owns the cottage I’ll be staying at hates me with a passion.

Okay first off I absolutely hated Ellie’s character. It is 2024 why are we still judging people based off of the internet/rumours/ their financial status. I understand that yes sometimes fame and money can make someone act nasty but she’s super close to his brother; surely if he’s that nice and praises his brother than he can’t be all that bad? There were some analogies that came off as extremely outdated and other moments that just seemed completely insensitive in my option.
*Spoiler*
Lightheartedly using IVF to trap someone; so many families struggles with infertility and IVF and we’re just gonna carelessly throw that in as revenge? It really rubbed me the wrong way.

There wasn’t enough hockey for my liking and overall the plot was just an extreme miss for me. I will continue the series because it’s a multi author one but as long as they’re stand alones you can skip this one.

[Rocio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a cute vibe and honestly I was not going to pick it up solely based on the cover
There is zero spice, the story itself is cute and short

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this one!

[Lori ◡̈]

Note to self: the heroine is an all fired-up loud mouth that would not float with my boat. See Olga’s review for more proof.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breaking The Ice, is the first book in the On Thin Ice series by multiple authors this one was written by Whitney Deneen in the first book we meet Zachary, he lives in California and has been getting some really bad press from a reporter who took kindness for impassioned love and denial of that passion as a personal insult. Her name is Yolanda Sims and has single-handedly ruined his reputation by giving interviews on gossip shows talking about what a superficial cheapskate uncouth man Zachary heart is. So when his twin brother Mac calls asking him to help the charity hockey team their Brother Troy is putting together up in Washington State Zach cannot agree fast enough. It’s his sister-in-law Kelly who gets her friend Ellie, who is a Jackie of all trades around the heart home to rent the cabin behind her mom‘s home to Zack so he can have peace and quiet. The fact that she dislikes him makes her hesitant but it isn’t long before she starts looking at Zach differently but when Yolanda Sims contacts her to get an exclusive interview Ellie will be able to add subterfuge to her long list of talents which include skating. With them working so closely together soon Zach and Ellie will have to rethink what is it they really do think/feel about each other. I love the whole plot with them tricking Yolanda and I thought the love story was one of the better ones I’ve read in a while. I am definitely going to read the other books in this serious as they are released these are fast enjoyable satisfying reads and definitely no Insta lost here.#WhitneyDineen, #BreakingTheIce, #OnThinIce,#HiddenGems,

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so excited about the new Love on Thin Ice sweet romcom series! Breaking the Ice is book one in the series and sets the stage nicely for introducing the men who will be part of a special charity hockey team being established in the small town of Maple Falls.

This enemies to more, billionaire romance had great tension between the two main characters. Ellie had a very bad opinion of Zach and it took some work on his part to prove his good character to her. I loved that Zach treated Ellie and her mother with respect, even while Ellie disliked him. His actions toward them spoke much louder than words could in changing Ellie’s opinion. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship begin to grow into attraction and romance.

These two had some big hurdles to overcome in the story as Zach had to stand strong against some very bad press he was receiving. I loved seeing how everything worked out and am excited to read the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

You can read this review on my blog:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...

[Araya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc Review:
Overall Rating: 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cover Rating: 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes:
- Billionaire
- Boss’s Brother
- Opposites Attract
- Enemies To Lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Dual POV
- Hockey Romance
- Billionaire Ex-Hockey Player x Figure Skating Instructor
- Small Town
- Fall Vibes
- Closed Door/Clean Romcom, Kisses Only

Welcome to the ‘Love on Thin Ice’ series, seven authors, seven short novels, and one charming town, welcome to Maple Falls where heartwarming love stories live. Our first book of the ‘Love on Thin Ice’ series is ‘Breaking the Ice’ written by. Whitney Dineen

Zach is a billionaire who is getting some really bad press from a female reporter who has it out for him at the moment, because of this scandal Zach’s brother Troy persuades Zach to come to Maple Falls so he can help with these charity hockey games that Troy is doing. When Zach arrives a day early in Maple Falls he heads to his brothers rink we’re he meets a feisty skating instructor who makes it clear she isn’t a fan of his named Ellie. Ellie is a figure skating instructor who works for Zach’s brother Troy. Ellie is also the sole care taker of her mother. Ellie has seen all the news surrounding Zach and has decided she wants nothing to do with the billionaire, but when Troys wife ask Ellie if she’ll rent out the cottage she has on her property to Zach, Ellie can’t say no to her bosses plus she could really use the money for her mom. Can Zach and Ellie learn to get along? Will Zach’s name ever gets cleared? Read ‘Breaking the Ice’ now to find out.

I’ve been so excited to read this series and I think that this book was the perfect start to it.
Even though this book was a shorter one I think that the plot and the characters were done incredibly well. This book had some lighthearted moments, some funny ones as-well but it also had some real emotions to it.
I think that Zach is the sweetest guy ever I love how we helps take care of Ellie’s mom and Ellie is such a strong, caring woman and I loved how it was her plan that saved Zach’s reputation.

I liked to wrap this up by giving a huge thank you to the author of this book Whitney Dineen along with NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an advanced readers copy of this book, I really enjoyed my time reading it.

[Lisa Mandina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve wanted to read this author for a long time, and I finally got to read a book by her earlier this year, and I loved it as much as I thought I would. So when I saw this new multi-author series starting up, with her book as a part of it, I had to sign up to read and review.

This was another winner for me! I loved the characters, I loved all the small town atmosphere, and I also loved Zach’s assistant! I wonder if possibly the author will give us a story for her soon? Like maybe Zach’s twin brother or something? Anyway, once I picked this one up I sped through it. I hated having to put it down to go back to work after my lunch break, or when I had to go to bed.

There was a lot to the story with Zach’s brother hosting the charity hockey team/game. Then there was Zach’s not really ex-girlfriend, three dates, part of a PR deal in reality. She was the perfect villain for the story. Ellie’s story with her mom also brought a pretty emotional part, for me especially with the last year with my mom and stepdad’s health. But I really did like the way the story handled all of it. The author did a great job having it be emotional, yet not depressing.

The only reason I didn’t give it a full 5 stars is because it seemed Ellie’s dislike of Zach was a little over the top for me. I don’t think we necessarily got a back story with a guy for her that did something, and to believe all the press when she knew and really liked his brother, it just seemed she kept getting into that too much without really knowing the guy. That’s just my opinion, and it wasn’t anything that ruined the story, as I still really enjoyed it!

[Randi Sampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great start to the series and introduction to Maple Falls and the charity hockey team at the center of the series. I was drawn in right away to this story. Zach is a self-made billionaire who is getting some bad press thanks to a reporter who seems to have it out for him... so to get away and get a little good press, he heads to the small town of Maple Falls to help his brother with a charity hockey team. There he meets Ellie... whose bought into the bad press and wants absolutely nothing to do with him. As they get to know each other better, she sees that perhaps she judged him too harshly. I absolutely adored the chemistry between these two. They were so sweet together and I loved watching her letting her walls down and getting to know the real him. Perhaps my favorite part of the story was also how not only did he show her he cared about her... but also how he stepped in to help care for her mom (who has crippling arthritis) as well... oh my goodness... could he be any sweeter at all? Throw is some fall vibes that absolutely had me looking forward to the cooler weather and there truly was just so much to love in this story!

Though I've had several of her books on my TBR, this is the first Whitney Dineen book that I have actually had the chance to read... but it absolutely will not be the last!

Love on Thin Ice is a closed-door romance with kisses only and no language.

**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Angela Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breaking The Ice by Whitney Dineen really put me in the mood for fall weather and it was such a quick and fun read! It’s book one of the Love On Thin Ice series and each can be read in any order.

Zach is a billionaire who is getting really bad press from a female reporter so he takes part in his brother’s public charity event in Maple Falls where he meets Ellie. While there’s instant chemistry, Ellie has her mind made up that she doesn’t like Zach based on what she’s seen in the news and she just doesn’t have time for romance since she takes care of her ailing mother and works.

From beginning to end I was drawn in to the story and loved it. I loved Zach and how caring he was with Ellie’s sick mom and I admired Ellie for how strong and stubborn she was for wanting to stand on her own without accepting help unless absolutely necessary. The story brought tears to my eyes a few times as I felt empathy for Ellie and her mom dealing with illness at a young age.

I recommend this clean billionaire/sports romance with a HEA.

[marybee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had many keywords that would usually indicate a story that really works for me for some quick, sweet escapism: smalltown romance, hockey romance, opposites attract...
Sadly this book didn't hit the spot for me personally. I felt like the romance happened way too fast and we didn't see how it could have developed. The characters met a handful of times throughout the novel. Also in my opinion the story tried to do too much for the length of it. The romance plus the deception plot with a rival and also the focus on the main character's mother's health issues all couldn't develop in the depth the plotlines needed.
On the other hand I really enjoyed the sweet smalltown vibes, the relationship between the main character and her mother as well as the glimpses of ice skating we got in this book. It's a quick read and the right audience might find a new (multi author) hockey romance series to enjoy!

[Shayla Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breaking the Ice is part of the Love on Thin Ice sweet small town hockey romcom series. It’s an enemies to lovers, billionaire romance, with forced proximity, It’s a small town romance with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice. It can also easily be read as a stand alone. However, it nicely sets up the stage for more greatness to come!

“Part of the reason I’m so successful, Ellie, is because I know a good thing when I see it. And believe me, you and I are great together.’

I enjoyed this story with original flawed but meaning well characters. It seemed that they were never quite seeing eye to eye yet, I loved that both Ellie and Zach are strong characters with hearts of gold. They were all about putting their friends and family first. I enjoyed that it took some time for Zach to break down Ellie’s prejudices along the way and that Ellie had to come to realize there was more to Zach than what the press would say. I appreciated that she was willing to see things through, to weather the storm for truth to shine forth with Zach! In this story, there is drama, angst, tension, tenderness, sparks of chemistry stubbornness, genuine kindness, and sweetness in this story that will have you engaged and cheering on a happily there after for these dear characters. This is a quick read that is both heartwarming and entertaining. I look forward to more to come in this series!

“Real risk is part of finding a real connection.”

#breakingtheice
#whitneydineenauthor
#aheartwarmingandenjoyablestory
#allsboutthebestreads

“And now, only a short time later, there are suddenly
so many possibilities.”

-Content: mild innuendo, accusation/talk of sleeping with a date resulting in a pregnancy.

“Honey, I’d go to the moon for you.”

-I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The drama! The angst! The incredible sweetness. Zach and Ellie were utterly adorable together. Even the sniping and snarking when Ellie was sure Zach was the most useless waste of space on the planet was cute and fun. But as they got to know each other, and Ellie learned that the media machine doesn’t always tell the full truth, we got to see the pair falling hopelessly, head-over-heels for one another. And now that we’ve met several of them, I’m hoping that the author is going to treat us to stories about the rest of Zach’s family, too.
I received a complimentary advance copy of this book from the author.

[Regan Y. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ellie and Zach are total opposites. She is a teacher at the ice rink Zack's brother owners and Zach is a billionaire with a poor reputation thanks to slime ball reporter her went out with 3 times... they find common ground when they finally start to get to know each other.

I will say, this wasn't my favorite because I'm not a fan of Ellie assuming she knows someone based off media. We don't know celebrities no matter how much we think we do. She jumps to conclusions and I'm not fan of her back and forth. Once second she's falling for this guy then the next she believes a woman who has shown her true colors multiple times.

I was fun, and I wish we had a bit of spice but it was not my favorite.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

[nikkyireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒇𝒖𝒍, 𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒆, 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒊𝒕. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.”

If you're looking for a cute, short, clean romance- this is it. He is the billionaire brother of the Ice Breakers team,trying to fix his image from some bad press. She is an ice skating instructor working for his brother and cares for her disabled mom.

I'm excited for the other books in this series, I think this was a great set-up.


✨️ Billionaire
✨️ Boss's Brother
✨️ Enemies to Lovers
✨️ Smalltown Romance
✨️ Forced Proximity
✨️ Dual POV
✨️ Closed Door Romance

[Kristie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good Billionaire Trope…. BUT

This book could have been such a cute and good quick read but I found FMC to be so obnoxious!

I love a sassy heroine in a billionaire trope when the MMC needs it but she is judgmental and honestly just ugly to a complete stranger she’s never met just because he has money… Which is unfounded as the MMC (also wealthy) brother who she adores is her boss! Her instant hate has no ground to stand on.. which made me really dislike her and feel like it was a serious plot fail!

I like the premise for the other books so I’ll probably try a few more as each on is a different author!

[Angelique · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely fell in love with Zach and Ellie, without even meaning to! Their story warmed my heart and was the perfect quick and delightful read. I really enjoyed how the conflict was presented but communication between our couple helped them overcome their obstacles and initial (at least on one side) qualms. I can’t wait to read more in this series and shear how other characters stories turn out!

[Kim Golding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breaking the Ice is the first book in a 7 book, multi author series! Although the books can be read as standalone, it’s going to be so fun to read them all!!

Maple Falls is the cutest little town! Zach (a former hockey player) is headed there for 6 weeks while his brother hosts a charity hockey event. What he doesn’t expect is to meet the feisty and beautiful figure skating coach, Ellie, who seems to hate him even though they have never met before. Zach will be staying in a little cottage behind her mom’s house, so these two might be seeing more of each other than they bargained for.

Zach was so, so sweet and thoughtful! I loved how even though Ellie wasn’t his biggest fan at first, he went out of his way to help her with anything and everything she needed!

Ellie was cute and feisty and I loved how she took care of her mom! It was easy to see why she went from loathing Zach to loving him!

Such a cute, fun book! I’m excited for the next one in the series!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading about Ellie and Zack! Whitney always writes light romance stories with great characters. The perfect read for a rainy summer day. For me, her stories are always a nice break; like a mini-vacation.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and the author for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was enjoyable, but I did find the writing a little basic at times, and some of the plot lines were a little problematic.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, Zach and Ellie had great chemistry and the side characters were fun and entertaining. I loved the small town feel of Maple Falls but wanted more of it! Definitely going to read the next in the series

[Jamie Humphreys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet romcom about a billionaire and a small town girl. He’s trying to get away from bad press and she’s trying to decide if she believes the press or him.

Cute (and clean) read!

[Alyssa Critchfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt kind of rushed and I didn’t feel connected to the characters

[Em Reads Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’m sorry, i found this to be boring

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.4.
Dosadnjikavo

[lovelybookstolove · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have not started reading the “Love on Thin Ice” series, you need to right away! This is the first book in this multi-author series, and definitely leaves the reader with wanting more!

Zach and Ellie have great chemistry! I love how they overcome being “enemies” and let themselves fall in love.

If you are looking for a quick, fun, fall themed read-this is the one for you!

Things to LOVE about this book:
🌸Closed Door Romance
🌸Enemies to Lovers
🌸Dual POV
🌸Billionaire Romance
🌸Fall Vibes

❤️This book is kissing only.❤️

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy of Breaking the Ice! This is my honest opinion and all words are my own.

[Hannah Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breaking the Ice is the first book in the Love on Thin Ice series. This series takes place in the small town of Maple Falls, where the Hart Family owns a hockey rink and has connections with many current and past NHL stars. Two of the Hart brothers put together the Ice Breakers hockey team to compete in a charity league. Each book tells a story about someone associated with the team…
This first book introduces us to Zachary Hart, one of the two Hart brothers responsible for bringing together the Ice Breakers team. He is the billionaire backing the team and matching financial donations. He also has an extremely bad reputation in the media… as well as with Ellie Butler- who works for Zach’s brother and sister-in-law teaching ice skating lessons at their rink. When Zach rolls into town for the charity games, he ends up renting Ellie/her mother’s guest cabin in order to stay out of the public’s eye and away from Yolanda Simms (a reporter determined to ruin Zach’s life). Is Zach able to change Ellie’s preconceived notions of him long enough to get her help to survive his time in Maple Falls?! I loved the personal growth of the two main characters in this story and the life lesson the author wrote so beautifully about- that you shouldn’t always believe everything you hear and you need to make your own decisions about people/situations. I highly suggest you start the series out right and read this first book!

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hockey romances are still having their moment, and this recently released multi-author series capitalizes on that. If you aren’t familiar with multi-author series, each book can stand alone, but they all share a common setting. Protagonists from one book will likely be side characters in another. Stores, events, and side characters will also be repeated, allowing multiple views of the setting.

This particular series revolves around a hockey team that is put together as a fundraising event for a ranch that serves underprivileged children, with a limited season of games against a Canadian team. The Ice Breakers are based out of the small-ish fictional Western Washington town of Maple Falls (not to be confused with the real town of Maple Valley).

Unlike the Appies series, each of these books was written by a different popular sweet romance author, each with her own style. There are some differences from book to book, but nothing so serious as to mar the series.

Similar to the Appies series, all of the female main characters exist beyond their potential as romantic partners. They have actual lives, careers, and struggles.

The male main characters have various reasons for their singleness at the beginning of the series. Several have (mostly undeserved) reputations as serial daters. All are dedicated to hockey.

The situations that get the various couples together are varied and interesting. Of course, there is an element of predictability: when there are two POV characters, you know they’ll end up together. The question is: what will happen to them before they get there? Will there be a third-act breakup, or will there be something else that tests the relationship?

I find that the passage of time is a bit confusing. There is a Halloween party mentioned in several of the books, and there’s a corn maze and haunted house at Maple Fest. There is pumpkin spice everything. The Ice Breakers practice together for a while before the first of their five games, but the space between games is a bit fuzzy. Days? A week? It all seems to be over before Thanksgiving though. Especially since some of the epilogues mention Christmas lights.

Also…what’s wrong with an otter as a mascot? (If you know me, you know I adore otters.)

Possible objectionable material:
Very mild cursing. Various issues such as parental divorce or neglect, alcoholism, death of a parent, chronic illness, infidelity, sexual harassment. This is hockey, so there are injuries and the occasional fight. People drink. This is closed door romance, so we don’t see more than passionate kisses. There is a hint that sex happens.

Who might like these books:
Romance fans, hockey fans, hockey romance fans. Anyone who likes well-written books where characters grow and develop over the course of the story.

These books are also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2...

Thank you to the authors, publishers, and NetGalley for providing ARCs in exchange for my honest opinion.

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers, billionaire, forced proximity.

My thoughts:
A good choice of author to start off the series, Whitney Dineen has the responsibility of introducing us to the town of Maple Falls and the idea of a charity hockey team. I like the angle of this being a hockey romance without involving any actual players of the game. Instead, we get the billionaire benefactor of the team. He finds Ellie attractive on first sight.

Ellie, of course, has believed all of Zach’s bad press, and really doesn’t want anything ot do with him. Naturally, events keep pushing them together and romance ensues.

The villain of this book is reporter Yolanda, and she’s a bit on the cartoonish side with her actions. A woman scorned, etc. I found the resolution of the conflict with her to be a bit on the predictable side.

There’s no true third-act breakup in this book, which I’m not mad about. The third act conflict is due to Ellie’s torn feelings over whether she should believe Zach or Yolanda. Luckily, she figures it out.

As we meet other characters who have their own books in the series…the scene is set!

[DayDreamer8912 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5
Genre: Clean/Sweet Romcom
🚨TW: toxic world of press, stalking.

Read it if you like:
🏒Dual POV
🏒 Hockey Romance
🏒Billionaire MMC
🏒 Fiesty FMC
🏒He Falls First
🏒Forced Proximity
🏒Boss' Brother

Favourite Moments
🏒Their first meeting
🏒 Him helping her mom (read then you will know)
🏒 Them bickering and flirting with each other.
🏒 Her helping him to stand up for himself.
🏒 Their sweet time together (can’t spoil it)
🏒 Him with his little nephew.
🏒Them opening up to each other.
🏒 The people in Maple Falls helps out in clearing his name (can’t spoil it)
(lots more)


Swoony Moments
🏒 He falls first
🏒 He worried and cares for her and her mom
🏒 He cooks for her.
🏒 He is there for her whenever she needs him

Synopsis
Zach
A billionaire who is caught in a relationship scandal. Used to be an ice-hockey player but because he injured his knee he gave up.

Ellie
An ice-skating coach who works for Zach’s brother Troy. She stays with her mom in Maple Falls.

Because of the scandal Zach was persuaded by his brother to go to Maple Falls and also help out in the fundraising event. Zach had always had a soft spot for the children in need and he has been donating anonymously. He reached a day early and met a feisty ice-skating coach who seemed to hate him very much and it seemed that his sis-in-law ask her to rent the cottage for him to stay. Will both of them get along? What about his relationship scandal which is not true will he be able to reveal the truth about it? Read to Breaking the Ice to find out.


Review:
Love these two bickering with each other and please guys don't believe whatever it is said on the news because the tabloids are very toxic at times. They can tear an innocent well-known person down. So it better to not judge a person before you get to know them. Love that he helps her with her mom is so sweet of him. And both of them open up to each other and she also found out that whatever the press state about him it’s not the real him. Love her mom too trying to matchmake them. I love that they work together to reveal the truth about him and of course their growing feelings for each other. His brother Troy also have similar situation as him tells him that not to be afraid to fight because he didn’t do anything wrong and the truth will always come out in the end but I will be a hard process. This story made me smile, laugh, swoon and also frustrated (can’t spoil it) and love everyone warmth of the people in Maple Falls.

P.S I want learn ice-skating again but it is expensive. T.T

Thanks @whitneydineenauthor for the ARC.

This is the 1st book of Love on Thin Ice Series. This series consist of 7 books and it is written by 7 different authors.

Here are the list of the series:
Breaking the Ice by Whitney Dineen (@whitneydineenauthor)
The Rebound Play by Kate O' Keeffe (@kateokeeffewriter)
The Friend Face Off by Grace Worthington (@graceworthingtonauthor)
The Parent Playbook by Elise Woods (@elsie.woods.author)
Love in Overtime by Melissa Baldwin (@mbaldwinauthor)
Love at First Skate by Ellie Hall (@elliehallauthor)
Penalties and Proposals by Anne Kemp (@annekempauthor)

Please do check out other series of Whitney Dineen.
You can purchase her books on Amazon and it is available on KU