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Breaking the Ice
One girl. One boy. A small-town ice rink. This sweet story of hockey, friendships, and crushes is perfect for tween readers in search of a hockey rom-com that's just right for them.
Harper was born to play hockey. She was captain of her school's hockey team...but after she causes an accident during a game, Harper is terrified to ever get back on the ice again.
Instead, she gets a job at the local ice rink's snack shack and resigns herself to days spent making hot chocolates.
Until Jason, a cute figure skating champion and Harper's new classmate, comes to town. Suddenly, Harper wonders if she's truly happy with never putting her skates back on.
With the help of her new crush and best friend, Bea, can Harper break the ice around her heart and forgive herself enough to lace up her skates again?
Harper was born to play hockey. She was captain of her school's hockey team...but after she causes an accident during a game, Harper is terrified to ever get back on the ice again.
Instead, she gets a job at the local ice rink's snack shack and resigns herself to days spent making hot chocolates.
Until Jason, a cute figure skating champion and Harper's new classmate, comes to town. Suddenly, Harper wonders if she's truly happy with never putting her skates back on.
With the help of her new crush and best friend, Bea, can Harper break the ice around her heart and forgive herself enough to lace up her skates again?
256 pages, Paperback
Published September 2, 2025
28 people are currently reading
100 people want to read
About the author
Natalie Blitt
7 books134 followersOriginally from Canada, Natalie Blitt grew up on a steady diet of loyalist adventure stories. It wasn’t until she moved to Chicago after graduating from McGill and receiving a journalism degree from the University of King’s College, that she learned that not everybody sees the loyalists as the heroes. Now living in the Chicago-area, she dreams up young adult novels of a different sort: more kissing, less guns, but always a lot of loyalty. Natalie works at an education think tank and lives with her husband and their three sons. She knows a lot about baseball. She has no choice.
Natalie is represented by Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency.
Natalie is represented by Rena Rossner at the Deborah Harris Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 16, 2025
It was cute but the plot was predictable. The main character had a negative attitude for most of the book.
March 3, 2026
Rounded up from 4.5. Super cute story. Considering this was originally called Cocoa Crush, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth contained in the story of the main character. I also really appreciated that the main characters become friends first. And I can’t help but love that it’s about a hockey playing girl and a figure skating boy. Tough friendship issues and mental/emotional obstacles are also covered. Really enjoyed this one and it was perfect to read while watching the Winter Olympics!
May 10, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
8th grader Harper has a job serving cocoa at the Sweet Shack in the local ice skating rink, the Skatium. She used to be on the girls' hockey team, since her grandmother and mother were obsessed with hockey and her older brothers all played, but after an incident in a game, she won't even go on the ice. This poses a problem when the owner of the rink asks her to participate in a mentorship program. Jason D'Andre, a prominent tween pairs skater, has moved to town and will be helping out, but Harper is still reluctant. It takes the insistence of eight year old friend Bronte to get Harper to acquiese, and even then, she refuses to actually get out on the ice. Jason is not only at the rink, but also enrolls in Summit Middle School. When Harper finds out that the two live in the same neighborhood, they walk home together. Jason has his own issues with skating, and is not fond of the attention that his skating has brought him. Harper's best friend was Bea, but she was involved in the incident that took Harper off the ice. Bea's brother, Brian, has been very mean to Harper ever since. When Bea insists that Harper come to her birthday party, there's a snafu with the cocoa, but the two have a heart to heart talk and make up. Harper is enjoying the mentorship program, but is anxious when she thinks she has caused Bronte to injure herself. Eventually, Harper and Jason talk about their issues with the ice, and decide to try to help each other out. They are good friends, but as they spend more and more time together, they become fonder and fonder of each other. Will they be able to return to the skating that they love, and will they be more than friends?
Strengths: I'm trying not to spoil some of the plot twists here, but yes, the two start dating... after Harper asks Jason out! Loved that part! I also appreciated that they really did start out as friends, had a lot in common, and talked to each other for support. It's also fun that Harper is a hockey player with deep ties to the sport, and Jason is a figure skater, since it's often the other way around. Bronte is an interesting character to have, and Harper trying to be a positive role model is great. I'd love to see more tweens mentoring slightly younger kids. Both Harper and Jason seemed like they were high schoolers (especially since Harper has a job), and the illustration style on the cover is similar to some of the Young Adult titles I have seen, which will encourage even 8th graders to pick this up. This was a generally positive story with no dead relatives, a new kid in town who is fairly well adjusted, and a supportive sports environment. The budding romance is super sweet and involves a kiss. I would love to see SO MANY more stories like this.
Weaknesses: Kids today. They whine a lot. While this is completely on trend for whatever this younger generation is called, it makes an old person like me want to slap them a tiny bit. Blitt's titles are solid middle grade stories, but often seem to get stuck in some kind of publishing purgatory. This came out as Cocoa Crushes about 2020, but maybe only through Scholastic book orders. I also couldn't seem to get a hold of a copy of Carols and Crushes. Scholastic's WISH books are so popular with my students; I don't understand why they are so hard to get for my library.
What I really think: If I can find a prebound copy of this, I'll definitely purchase it. I've bought some paperback titles because I couldn't get them any other way, but for whatever weird reason, my students are reluctant to check out paperbacks! Fans of Suzanne Nelson's and Taylor Garland's WISH titles will drink this one up like a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows!
8th grader Harper has a job serving cocoa at the Sweet Shack in the local ice skating rink, the Skatium. She used to be on the girls' hockey team, since her grandmother and mother were obsessed with hockey and her older brothers all played, but after an incident in a game, she won't even go on the ice. This poses a problem when the owner of the rink asks her to participate in a mentorship program. Jason D'Andre, a prominent tween pairs skater, has moved to town and will be helping out, but Harper is still reluctant. It takes the insistence of eight year old friend Bronte to get Harper to acquiese, and even then, she refuses to actually get out on the ice. Jason is not only at the rink, but also enrolls in Summit Middle School. When Harper finds out that the two live in the same neighborhood, they walk home together. Jason has his own issues with skating, and is not fond of the attention that his skating has brought him. Harper's best friend was Bea, but she was involved in the incident that took Harper off the ice. Bea's brother, Brian, has been very mean to Harper ever since. When Bea insists that Harper come to her birthday party, there's a snafu with the cocoa, but the two have a heart to heart talk and make up. Harper is enjoying the mentorship program, but is anxious when she thinks she has caused Bronte to injure herself. Eventually, Harper and Jason talk about their issues with the ice, and decide to try to help each other out. They are good friends, but as they spend more and more time together, they become fonder and fonder of each other. Will they be able to return to the skating that they love, and will they be more than friends?
Strengths: I'm trying not to spoil some of the plot twists here, but yes, the two start dating... after Harper asks Jason out! Loved that part! I also appreciated that they really did start out as friends, had a lot in common, and talked to each other for support. It's also fun that Harper is a hockey player with deep ties to the sport, and Jason is a figure skater, since it's often the other way around. Bronte is an interesting character to have, and Harper trying to be a positive role model is great. I'd love to see more tweens mentoring slightly younger kids. Both Harper and Jason seemed like they were high schoolers (especially since Harper has a job), and the illustration style on the cover is similar to some of the Young Adult titles I have seen, which will encourage even 8th graders to pick this up. This was a generally positive story with no dead relatives, a new kid in town who is fairly well adjusted, and a supportive sports environment. The budding romance is super sweet and involves a kiss. I would love to see SO MANY more stories like this.
Weaknesses: Kids today. They whine a lot. While this is completely on trend for whatever this younger generation is called, it makes an old person like me want to slap them a tiny bit. Blitt's titles are solid middle grade stories, but often seem to get stuck in some kind of publishing purgatory. This came out as Cocoa Crushes about 2020, but maybe only through Scholastic book orders. I also couldn't seem to get a hold of a copy of Carols and Crushes. Scholastic's WISH books are so popular with my students; I don't understand why they are so hard to get for my library.
What I really think: If I can find a prebound copy of this, I'll definitely purchase it. I've bought some paperback titles because I couldn't get them any other way, but for whatever weird reason, my students are reluctant to check out paperbacks! Fans of Suzanne Nelson's and Taylor Garland's WISH titles will drink this one up like a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows!
February 16, 2026
Harper is a hockey player who hasn’t stepped on the ice in over two months, since an accident that she blames herself for. Jason is a pairs figure skater who doesn’t have a partner anymore, and has some decisions to make about his future. They end up bonding when they both become mentors in the skating rink volunteer program.
This was a sweet grade 7 romance where the reader can tell both Harper and Jason like each other, but they still don’t know they like each other. I loved how the ice rink was the central setting where both Harper and Jason spent the most time together learning about their passions and fears. I liked how supportive they were of each other when they were trying to overcome their fears, and that neither of them insulted the other person’s sport of choice. Special shout out to the Zamboni scene that every skater wishes they could experience!
Who will like it?
✅ Fans of #sportsromance
✅ Fans of #middlegraderomance stories
✅ Fans of stories about overcoming your fears
This was a sweet grade 7 romance where the reader can tell both Harper and Jason like each other, but they still don’t know they like each other. I loved how the ice rink was the central setting where both Harper and Jason spent the most time together learning about their passions and fears. I liked how supportive they were of each other when they were trying to overcome their fears, and that neither of them insulted the other person’s sport of choice. Special shout out to the Zamboni scene that every skater wishes they could experience!
Who will like it?
✅ Fans of #sportsromance
✅ Fans of #middlegraderomance stories
✅ Fans of stories about overcoming your fears
January 26, 2026
hockey player Harper is a 12 year old girl but since the promblem she never goes on ice again, Harper is terrified since the day she fell into her friend bea now from that day the ice is harpers enemy. her 3 older brothers all played hockey never had a promblem that harper know's of. Now Harper chose to never go on ice. When a famous cute figure skater , Josh lol haha Josh, Harper calls him as a friend he believes in her ,, when Harper helps a girl that loved hockey even though her dad does not care , bea becomes friends with Harper after all it was a addicent but still people this day say Harper shaul never go on ice, can harpers friends help Harper face her fear and at least make Harper try again, fight her fear, but Harper through the way starts to fall in love with Josh can Harper go through this fear or will it also go through kissing, bleugh!
January 3, 2026
Like the hot chocolate that figured so heavily in this book, this was a warm, sweet comfort read. No beating you over the head with issues, but trying to resolve some conflict. And just a touch of age appropriate romance. I wanted more of Jason’s backstory and maybe more hockey versus figure skating. Would I recommend this as a G-rated hockey romance (that I was kinda hoping for)? No, but it was a cute read, especially for this age group.
December 16, 2025
This was a cute, very quick read.
Content is completely clean. No language, the worst they say is “crap”. One brief, nondescript kiss, and Harper has to squeeze into a small seat with Jason, and ends up pretty much sitting on his lap. Ages 10+.
Content is completely clean. No language, the worst they say is “crap”. One brief, nondescript kiss, and Harper has to squeeze into a small seat with Jason, and ends up pretty much sitting on his lap. Ages 10+.
February 23, 2026
I found it hard to read at first and went into a reading slump but about 2 days ago I opened the book to page 76 and started reading it and finshed it today I found the book okay but not my fav but I would recommend it for a good winter/sport read 3.5 stars
October 22, 2025
Read with my 7th grade son…it was cute but boring and too dragged out
December 11, 2025
Cute little story about getting over fears and frustrations.
December 23, 2025
This was super sweet! Although I DID think something more needed to be done about one of these characters, I still enjoyed it. Real review to come to my blog.
December 26, 2025
Fun, cute middle grade novel. Hand to tweens looking for romance (crushes, meet cutes, hand holding, first kiss), plus friendship stories.
January 14, 2026
Amazing book totally recommend it’s a sports fiction and middle aged romance
January 26, 2026
Such a sweet read about conquering your fears and healing past trauma. And there’s a cute Cush situation too 😉
February 22, 2026
Liked this book I wish Harper were more confident in herself though. Otherwise I loved the spice!!😝
January 16, 2026
Overall it was a wholesome read. I picked it up at the store mainly based on the cover. I know that hockey romances are popular now, and I thought this would be a nice short read to dip my toe into the genre. I didn't expect it to be a target more for the tween audience. Still it was a nice, easy read if you’re in the mood for something light and comforting.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews