What do you think?
Rate this book
Icy Hearts ~ Ice Hockey Romance
The Referee's Rendezvous
From the bestselling author of Christmas in Snow Falls comes a heartwarming read that's perfect for fans of Jenny Hale, Sheila Roberts, Debbie Macomber, and Jill Shalvis.
What happens when the whistle blows on the thin line between love and hate? In a game where checking is part of the play, Samantha and Mike are about to learn that the heart doesn't always follow the rules.
In the high-stakes world of professional hockey, Samantha Merritt is about to shatter the ice ceiling. As the NHL's first female referee, she's armed with a whistle, a steely determination, and the weight of history on her shoulders. But not everyone is ready to welcome her to the rink.
Enter Mike "Iron Mike" Donovan, a veteran defenseman who bleeds old-school hockey. He sees Samantha's appointment as nothing more than a publicity stunt, a threat to the game he loves. Their first encounter on the ice is explosive, a viral moment that ignites a firestorm of controversy.
As the season unfolds, Samantha and Mike find themselves constantly at odds, their heated exchanges masking an unexpected and dangerous attraction. With their careers on the line and the eyes of the hockey world upon them, they're forced to navigate a minefield of professional integrity and personal desire.
Get ready for a face-off that will leave you breathless. It's time to drop the gloves and fight for love.
What happens when the whistle blows on the thin line between love and hate? In a game where checking is part of the play, Samantha and Mike are about to learn that the heart doesn't always follow the rules.
In the high-stakes world of professional hockey, Samantha Merritt is about to shatter the ice ceiling. As the NHL's first female referee, she's armed with a whistle, a steely determination, and the weight of history on her shoulders. But not everyone is ready to welcome her to the rink.
Enter Mike "Iron Mike" Donovan, a veteran defenseman who bleeds old-school hockey. He sees Samantha's appointment as nothing more than a publicity stunt, a threat to the game he loves. Their first encounter on the ice is explosive, a viral moment that ignites a firestorm of controversy.
As the season unfolds, Samantha and Mike find themselves constantly at odds, their heated exchanges masking an unexpected and dangerous attraction. With their careers on the line and the eyes of the hockey world upon them, they're forced to navigate a minefield of professional integrity and personal desire.
Get ready for a face-off that will leave you breathless. It's time to drop the gloves and fight for love.
- GenresRomance
208 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 25, 2024
38 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 5, 2024
No lo recomiendo ni para tener la típica lectura light de hecho recomiendo no leérselo en absoluto.
October 27, 2024
3⭐️
Sport romance carino, che tratta della parità di genere nello sport.
Sport romance carino, che tratta della parità di genere nello sport.
September 7, 2024
This is an interesting and cute sweet romance book! I really enjoyed the whole story! Samantha is a trailblazer! Mike is kind of a jerk, but he mellows out. The romance is unexpected and is full of secrets. The ending is perfect!!
I won this book via LibraryThing!
I won this book via LibraryThing!
November 11, 2024
Really great
This was such a fun book but also had great depth to the characters and a really good storyline! Loved how changes can be made with honesty and heart! Really great book!
This was such a fun book but also had great depth to the characters and a really good storyline! Loved how changes can be made with honesty and heart! Really great book!
August 15, 2024
Overall it was a good read. I definitely would have preferred dual POV instead of the style that was used.
As a female who happens to be a die hard hockey fan, I loved the idea of a female ref at the NHL level. Not because of the inclusivity, but because there are plenty of women who love the game and have the skills required to do the job.
I loved that while Samantha and Mike got off to a rocky start, they both found themselves admiring the other for their skills and their passion of the game. Their animosity turned to respect, then friendship, and then something undeniably more. I loved the slow burn of their developing feelings. And if you like a clean read, this is it.
I also liked that it brought about questions of ethics; both between the growing feelings between Sam and Mike, and Zoe’s dilemma in having to choose her friendship with Sam over a boost in her career.
Again, there really was a lot to like here. But…my biggest issue was that by the end of the story, the reader doesn’t know if Mike and Sam get a HEA or just a happy for now ending. How did their final actions in the story impact their professional lives? This book would have definitely benefited from an epilogue, perhaps one sever months later letting us know what happened.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest opinion.
As a female who happens to be a die hard hockey fan, I loved the idea of a female ref at the NHL level. Not because of the inclusivity, but because there are plenty of women who love the game and have the skills required to do the job.
I loved that while Samantha and Mike got off to a rocky start, they both found themselves admiring the other for their skills and their passion of the game. Their animosity turned to respect, then friendship, and then something undeniably more. I loved the slow burn of their developing feelings. And if you like a clean read, this is it.
I also liked that it brought about questions of ethics; both between the growing feelings between Sam and Mike, and Zoe’s dilemma in having to choose her friendship with Sam over a boost in her career.
Again, there really was a lot to like here. But…my biggest issue was that by the end of the story, the reader doesn’t know if Mike and Sam get a HEA or just a happy for now ending. How did their final actions in the story impact their professional lives? This book would have definitely benefited from an epilogue, perhaps one sever months later letting us know what happened.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest opinion.
September 16, 2024
I started reading this novel with excitement that quickly fizzled out. There’s nothing to connect us to these characters or their situation and I quickly found myself losing interest. There’s no character development whatsoever and the quick POV switches threw me off the entire time I was reading. Don’t even get me started on the almost constant use of full names. Why must we be reintroduced to these characters that have been introduced already over and over?
There isn’t a natural flow and instead felt choppy, switching from scene to scene with “Meanwhile…” It feels very juvenile. It’s almost like we’re a fly on the wall and not actually there with the characters, which is unfortunate. I was hoping the writing would improve the further I got into the story, but it continued to feel disjointed.
As far as content there is some adult language sprinkled throughout which I didn’t feel like was needed, but other than that it’s a pretty clean read.
I did not enjoy the present tense at all and finishing the book was a struggle, which is sad because this story has true potential. It just should’ve been better executed.
*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.
There isn’t a natural flow and instead felt choppy, switching from scene to scene with “Meanwhile…” It feels very juvenile. It’s almost like we’re a fly on the wall and not actually there with the characters, which is unfortunate. I was hoping the writing would improve the further I got into the story, but it continued to feel disjointed.
As far as content there is some adult language sprinkled throughout which I didn’t feel like was needed, but other than that it’s a pretty clean read.
I did not enjoy the present tense at all and finishing the book was a struggle, which is sad because this story has true potential. It just should’ve been better executed.
*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.
September 4, 2024
This book needs a bit more editing and character development before it progresses to print. It read a bit like fan-fiction and not very well written fanfic, at that. Removing my personal bias against books written in present tense, I found that I was highly uninvested in the characters. It seemed that instead of taking time to develop who everyone was, the author jumped straight into conflict and then a quickly developing romance without explaining who everyone was or why they cared. Additionally, the author seemed to be trying to reintroduce the characters or clarify scenes which didn't need clarification. It's a bit unfortunate as I think the premise of the story had great potential but it was just rather poorly executed here.
NB: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for my review.
NB: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for my review.
August 7, 2024
The story was an intriguing idea even if it wasn’t my favorite writing style.
It did a great job of reminding people that friendship is more important than promotions. Also you get reminded that nobody likes the “armchair” judges.
Content:
Style - Multi POV, Hockey Romance (Enemies to More, Forced Proximity, Kept apart Love)
Intimacy - Moderate (kisses, longing, brushes against each other)
Language - High (25 times)
Violence - Mild (threats and on ice hits)
Potential Triggers - High pressure work environments and threats
It did a great job of reminding people that friendship is more important than promotions. Also you get reminded that nobody likes the “armchair” judges.
Content:
Style - Multi POV, Hockey Romance (Enemies to More, Forced Proximity, Kept apart Love)
Intimacy - Moderate (kisses, longing, brushes against each other)
Language - High (25 times)
Violence - Mild (threats and on ice hits)
Potential Triggers - High pressure work environments and threats
December 20, 2024
This was an enjoyable sports romance. My first time reading a hockey romance. I really did like it. I loved that she was a referee and stood her ground, paving the way for women in hockey. She was a strong character. And I loved that she fell for the gruff, grumpy hockey player. Definitely check it out if you enjoy sport romances!
September 6, 2024
This is the story of Mike and Samantha. Entertaining to watch these two meet and play on and off the ice. They had a rocky relationship and their interactions were fun. A bit of trouble as a slow burn heats things up.
October 11, 2024
No profundiza en la relación o en la vida de los personajes, tampoco sentí que ellos tuvieran una colección, siento que fue un romance muy forzado.
Personalmente, no me gustó.
Personalmente, no me gustó.
January 2, 2025
This was a really cute fun book. Enemies to lovers. I loved how she was a female referee and paved her way for women in hockey. Easy read. I would definitely recommend for a sport romance.
March 27, 2025
"Sam", dice, con la voce roca e piena di emozioni, "ho smesso di giocare secondo le regole che ci tengono separati. Qualunque cosa accada, la affronteremo insieme. Che ne dici?"
Storia carina,però nn mi ha preso particolarmente.
Storia carina,però nn mi ha preso particolarmente.
August 2, 2024
𐙚 1,5 𐙚
Inacabado
────୨ৎ────
La verdad que tampoco me esperaba gran cosa pero es que se me ha hecho muy aburrido. No pasa, literalmente, nada. Además, que a veces hace saltos en el tiempo sin sentido que no aportan nada a la historia sino más confusión. No me ha enganchado y la pluma tampoco es nada del otro mundo. No lo recomiendo.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
February 11, 2025
La lecture des points de vue des personnages est étrange et peut-être mal amener pour pouvoir apprécier pleinement les personnages principaux.
Le livre est assez rapide a lire mais bon ça m'a quand même gêner de plus la traduction est vraiment horrible ça m'a sortie plusieurs fois de l'histoire.
Le livre est assez rapide a lire mais bon ça m'a quand même gêner de plus la traduction est vraiment horrible ça m'a sortie plusieurs fois de l'histoire.
August 19, 2024
Bfff no sé ni qué decir, estoy un poco harta de que siempre usen el tema del feminismo. Aburrido, lento y predecible.
September 18, 2024
Lento, verso la fine ha un sussulto, peccato.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews