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The Barracudas #1
Icing on the Cake
One’s a ball of sunshine. The other’s a cloudy day. When a missing hockey stick brings them together, it’s Icing on the Cake.
Gerard Gunnarson, the charming and outgoing right winger of the Berkeley Shore University’s hockey team, is used to being in the spotlight. With the mysterious Ice Queen—a blogger documenting his every move—and a legion of adoring fans, Gerard seems to have it all.
Elliot Montgomery, a grumpy and introverted student, prefers spending his days working in the campus library while everyone else is out in the world, having fun. His life is meticulously planned, with no room for sudden change. So, when Gerard skates in with all the finesse of a bull in a china shop, Elliot doesn’t know what to do or how to feel.
As Gerard and Elliot’s unlikely friendship blossoms into something more, Elliot must confront his own fears and insecurities, while Gerard must come to terms with his sexuality. With the Ice Queen’s all-seeing eye fixed on them, will their relationship even stand a scoring chance? Or will the intense scrutiny from their peers threaten to tear them apart?
Icing on the Cake is a campy, spicy MM grumpy/sunshine sports romance with a guaranteed HEA. While it is the first book in The Barracudas series, it can be read as a standalone.
Gerard Gunnarson, the charming and outgoing right winger of the Berkeley Shore University’s hockey team, is used to being in the spotlight. With the mysterious Ice Queen—a blogger documenting his every move—and a legion of adoring fans, Gerard seems to have it all.
Elliot Montgomery, a grumpy and introverted student, prefers spending his days working in the campus library while everyone else is out in the world, having fun. His life is meticulously planned, with no room for sudden change. So, when Gerard skates in with all the finesse of a bull in a china shop, Elliot doesn’t know what to do or how to feel.
As Gerard and Elliot’s unlikely friendship blossoms into something more, Elliot must confront his own fears and insecurities, while Gerard must come to terms with his sexuality. With the Ice Queen’s all-seeing eye fixed on them, will their relationship even stand a scoring chance? Or will the intense scrutiny from their peers threaten to tear them apart?
Icing on the Cake is a campy, spicy MM grumpy/sunshine sports romance with a guaranteed HEA. While it is the first book in The Barracudas series, it can be read as a standalone.
470 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 14, 2025
413 people are currently reading
1249 people want to read
About the author
Christopher J. Brice
5 books95 followersChristopher J. Brice has always loved reading stories and creating his own. After many years of wanting to do so, he finally took the plunge and published a story that had been brewing in his mind for over ten years.
When Christopher is not writing or reading, he’s watching a lot of television and movies, indulging in his favorite foods, and enjoying time with friends, family, and the most adorable cat known to mankind.
When Christopher is not writing or reading, he’s watching a lot of television and movies, indulging in his favorite foods, and enjoying time with friends, family, and the most adorable cat known to mankind.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
January 18, 2025
Okay… I only got 7% into this ARC (thank you to the author, I apologize pls don’t read this DNF explanation) but this book already pissed me off way too many times:
- There are so many weird and unnecessary similes (ex: it clicked like a well-oiled gear)
- The longest description of this guy’s penis (Jesus H. Christ move on)
- The crunchy sock in Gerard’s room 🤢
- Gross sexist lines such as “breasts you could get lost between,” “hump-and-dump,” and my final straw was “I shriek like a girl”
I was very excited to read this but I can’t do it if the rest of the book is anything like the first 7%
- There are so many weird and unnecessary similes (ex: it clicked like a well-oiled gear)
- The longest description of this guy’s penis (Jesus H. Christ move on)
- The crunchy sock in Gerard’s room 🤢
- Gross sexist lines such as “breasts you could get lost between,” “hump-and-dump,” and my final straw was “I shriek like a girl”
I was very excited to read this but I can’t do it if the rest of the book is anything like the first 7%
Read
January 19, 2025I didn't finish this one so I won't leave a star rating but, donkey dick rhapsodizing aside....
There's a very creepy lawsuit baiting student at the uni whose blog routinely encourages other students to do unhinged things like...
'Feel free to drop in the comments your thoughts on Gerard’s ass, pictures you’ve sneakily taken of all the junk in his trunk, and your guesses for who’ll be the first to see what lies beneath. I would love it if we could all unite and share our love for Gerard’s plump rump.'
This is part of a whole blog post on how his ass looks in different clothing, btw.
But......BUT, get this. At first he's a little embarrassed, then he's okay with it and sends the anonymous blogger a thank you email(for appreciating the junk in his trunk) and ATTACHES A PIC OF HIS GIANT PEACH BUTT THAT'S DRIVING EVERYBODY ON CAMPUS WILD.
Soooo.....yay, I guess?
I didn't really understand Gerard. On one hand he's this shy hockey prodigy who happens to be a virgin and on the other he's the guy who thinks things like....
'When they see me, their nipples harden into tight nubs beneath their shirts.'
Lol. This guy has a really big head and I don't mean the dick one.
FYI his dick is 8½ inches. The author felt it was very important we knew what a big dick he had so it would be remiss of me not to include it in the review.
There's nothing offensive about this book and it was a slow burn, which I've been saying I want, but somehow it just didn't work for me.
Gerard had a tendency to go off on internal monologue tangents which at first I thought was the author's way of giving us additional info without it having to be delivered via conversation....but did we REALLY need to know about the crusty sock in his room from his prior masturbatory efforts?
I think not.
That aside, it wasn't just a Gerard issue. Elliot ALSO would go off on thought tangents. There are entire chapters that feel like internal monologues. There's soooooo much told about the side characters too and at a point it started to feel like an ensemble cast.
In summary, nothing wrong with the book but if I'm ALSO starting to go off on unrelated tangents while reading, it's time to close it.
DNF at 43%.
Got an ARC of this via BookSirens.
There's a very creepy lawsuit baiting student at the uni whose blog routinely encourages other students to do unhinged things like...
'Feel free to drop in the comments your thoughts on Gerard’s ass, pictures you’ve sneakily taken of all the junk in his trunk, and your guesses for who’ll be the first to see what lies beneath. I would love it if we could all unite and share our love for Gerard’s plump rump.'
This is part of a whole blog post on how his ass looks in different clothing, btw.
But......BUT, get this. At first he's a little embarrassed, then he's okay with it and sends the anonymous blogger a thank you email(for appreciating the junk in his trunk) and ATTACHES A PIC OF HIS GIANT PEACH BUTT THAT'S DRIVING EVERYBODY ON CAMPUS WILD.
Soooo.....yay, I guess?
I didn't really understand Gerard. On one hand he's this shy hockey prodigy who happens to be a virgin and on the other he's the guy who thinks things like....
'When they see me, their nipples harden into tight nubs beneath their shirts.'
Lol. This guy has a really big head and I don't mean the dick one.
FYI his dick is 8½ inches. The author felt it was very important we knew what a big dick he had so it would be remiss of me not to include it in the review.
There's nothing offensive about this book and it was a slow burn, which I've been saying I want, but somehow it just didn't work for me.
Gerard had a tendency to go off on internal monologue tangents which at first I thought was the author's way of giving us additional info without it having to be delivered via conversation....but did we REALLY need to know about the crusty sock in his room from his prior masturbatory efforts?
I think not.
That aside, it wasn't just a Gerard issue. Elliot ALSO would go off on thought tangents. There are entire chapters that feel like internal monologues. There's soooooo much told about the side characters too and at a point it started to feel like an ensemble cast.
In summary, nothing wrong with the book but if I'm ALSO starting to go off on unrelated tangents while reading, it's time to close it.
DNF at 43%.
Got an ARC of this via BookSirens.
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February 2, 2025
I won’t give a star yet but ya lost me at wanting to suck your own big toe 🫣😵💫
*edited* removing one star
After futher consideration, this book just wasn't for me. I think the overall storyline had potential, but it was weirdly constructed. Some aspects should've been longer, and some should've been shorter. I liked the 'Gossip Girl" vibe, but it didn't fit in with the actual story or the characters.
I usually don't have a problem with college romances, but for some reason this felt reallllllllly immature to me. Not sure if I'll continue the series.
*edited* removing one star
After futher consideration, this book just wasn't for me. I think the overall storyline had potential, but it was weirdly constructed. Some aspects should've been longer, and some should've been shorter. I liked the 'Gossip Girl" vibe, but it didn't fit in with the actual story or the characters.
I usually don't have a problem with college romances, but for some reason this felt reallllllllly immature to me. Not sure if I'll continue the series.
August 15, 2025
“I wouldn’t trust a man with anything, even another man.” “male authors are so evil.” - my friends after I sent them quotes from the first 3% of this book.
Gerard’s an idiot, Elliott’s a jackass, and they’re both awful. The parts I did read were too full of sixth grade humor, with multiple pages detailing the size of this guy’s dick. Not to mention the casual misogyny. Icing on the Cake gives more casual porn than it does romance, as it makes everything sexual for absolutely no reason.
Just more evidence as to why I avoid male authors in the romance genre.
Gerard’s an idiot, Elliott’s a jackass, and they’re both awful. The parts I did read were too full of sixth grade humor, with multiple pages detailing the size of this guy’s dick. Not to mention the casual misogyny. Icing on the Cake gives more casual porn than it does romance, as it makes everything sexual for absolutely no reason.
Just more evidence as to why I avoid male authors in the romance genre.
February 16, 2025
Why would you sexualize someone so much on a blog meant for the whole college to read? Was it because itbwas a man's ass? I mean... imagine if the blog described a woman's ass in different clothing and that too in detail. It would cause a huge issue. I hated how dumb this whole book was.
March 22, 2025
This book was obnoxious. Read these spoilers to save yourself some time.
Having an "adoption event" for kids where you just go in and pick one out really was the "icing on the cake" of stupid events (see #9 below).
Here is a list of additonal ridiculousness:
1) Pages and pages discussing penis size - just no.
2) Elliot cleans the bedroom and finds multiple spank socks, which he continues to hold throughout the whole conversation of how it isn't cleanly to have them sitting around the room.
3) Elliot constantly pleasures Gerard who almost never reciprocates. It's like because Elliot doesn't have a big penis the author didn't want to write about those scenes.
4) The noncussing. I'm over reading "fiddlesticks".
5) Gerard's parents knew all about Elliot being the boyfriend but they needed to surprise the 10 year old sister with the news and see her reaction to Gerard's "special friend". Why wouldn't the parents just share the news??
6) Gerard saying he "doesn't see skin color" is really like when white people say they don't see race, or more like they don't have to think about race.
7) The way in which Elliot being temporary unhoused, adopted, and Hispanic where shallow attempts at the author trying to create depth for this character without putting in any effort or expanding on any of these experiences.
8) Elliot never communicates with his mom throughout the entire story, but in the epilogue he uses Gerard's promise from the beginning of the book make Gerard hire mom as his personal assistant and Gerard buys Elliot's mom a house and car. This character doesn't even get a name.
9)The entire epilogue was garbage. Nothing is mentioned about Elliot's career, and only that he never wanted to move back go Boston, but he did (???). They literally walked into an "adoption party" and picked out a sad boy sitting in the corner like they would a puppy to take home. WTF. Also the only relationship with the boy, Gunnar Gunnerson, is with Gerard who he calls Daddy, and no mention of the relationship with Elliot and what he calls him, but luckily they got to adpot him when he was three because Elliot hates babies.
10) The Ice Queen blogger who just outs people in her blog, sexually exploits Gerard with comments on his body, which Gerard then embraces, but is mad and doesn't like that Elliot is targeted around the campus because of the blogger. If the ice queen is a friend of Gerard, then they are pretty shitty friend.
11) Gerard's dad just shares with Elliot how his and the Coach's wife use to watch them (Garard and the Coach) have sex when they were first married is not a plausible conversation, but just a way for the author to try and make this book exciting. Who shares with their son and son's boyfriend how the Coach of the hocky team has great dick-tugging hands?
It's like the author threw all different ingredients into this book; adoption, race, racism, outing someone's sexuality, orgys, online bullying, experiencing homelessness, and so many more concepts and decided that these things would make the book exciting.
Having an "adoption event" for kids where you just go in and pick one out really was the "icing on the cake" of stupid events (see #9 below).
Here is a list of additonal ridiculousness:
1) Pages and pages discussing penis size - just no.
2) Elliot cleans the bedroom and finds multiple spank socks, which he continues to hold throughout the whole conversation of how it isn't cleanly to have them sitting around the room.
3) Elliot constantly pleasures Gerard who almost never reciprocates. It's like because Elliot doesn't have a big penis the author didn't want to write about those scenes.
4) The noncussing. I'm over reading "fiddlesticks".
5) Gerard's parents knew all about Elliot being the boyfriend but they needed to surprise the 10 year old sister with the news and see her reaction to Gerard's "special friend". Why wouldn't the parents just share the news??
6) Gerard saying he "doesn't see skin color" is really like when white people say they don't see race, or more like they don't have to think about race.
7) The way in which Elliot being temporary unhoused, adopted, and Hispanic where shallow attempts at the author trying to create depth for this character without putting in any effort or expanding on any of these experiences.
8) Elliot never communicates with his mom throughout the entire story, but in the epilogue he uses Gerard's promise from the beginning of the book make Gerard hire mom as his personal assistant and Gerard buys Elliot's mom a house and car. This character doesn't even get a name.
9)The entire epilogue was garbage. Nothing is mentioned about Elliot's career, and only that he never wanted to move back go Boston, but he did (???). They literally walked into an "adoption party" and picked out a sad boy sitting in the corner like they would a puppy to take home. WTF. Also the only relationship with the boy, Gunnar Gunnerson, is with Gerard who he calls Daddy, and no mention of the relationship with Elliot and what he calls him, but luckily they got to adpot him when he was three because Elliot hates babies.
10) The Ice Queen blogger who just outs people in her blog, sexually exploits Gerard with comments on his body, which Gerard then embraces, but is mad and doesn't like that Elliot is targeted around the campus because of the blogger. If the ice queen is a friend of Gerard, then they are pretty shitty friend.
11) Gerard's dad just shares with Elliot how his and the Coach's wife use to watch them (Garard and the Coach) have sex when they were first married is not a plausible conversation, but just a way for the author to try and make this book exciting. Who shares with their son and son's boyfriend how the Coach of the hocky team has great dick-tugging hands?
It's like the author threw all different ingredients into this book; adoption, race, racism, outing someone's sexuality, orgys, online bullying, experiencing homelessness, and so many more concepts and decided that these things would make the book exciting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
February 15, 2025DNF 16%
These characters didn’t really exist, they don’t talk like this, and their internal monologues are both offensive and unrealistic.
Also, nobody’s ass is that amazing, and I really hope the author can, despite that, have someone at least moderately excited about his ass.
That said, at least this is a new simile.
“I watch Gerard walk away, and my eyes are immediately drawn to his ass. His hockey butt stretches the thin material of his athletic shorts to their limit. As he takes his first step down to the second floor, his cheeks quiver like two enormous bowls of jello being carried by a clumsy waiter.”
These characters didn’t really exist, they don’t talk like this, and their internal monologues are both offensive and unrealistic.
Also, nobody’s ass is that amazing, and I really hope the author can, despite that, have someone at least moderately excited about his ass.
That said, at least this is a new simile.
“I watch Gerard walk away, and my eyes are immediately drawn to his ass. His hockey butt stretches the thin material of his athletic shorts to their limit. As he takes his first step down to the second floor, his cheeks quiver like two enormous bowls of jello being carried by a clumsy waiter.”
January 18, 2025
What a phenomal debut. Honestly I loved these two guys. Gerard is peak golden retriever while Elliot is the grumpy kitty. I loved watching this unfold. This was a slow burn that did have some spicy scenes but you had to wait for them. They were worth it though. These two had a grip on my heart. Also who is the Ice Queen? I need to know.
February 19, 2025
DNF - This is either written by a 13 yo or the creepiest middle aged man
March 14, 2025
??????? don’t read this lmao DNF 62% bc it was kind of cute but not everything needs to be explained with a stupid simile nor does an ass need 5 pages of explanation of how amazing it is
February 13, 2026
Icing on the Cake was a pretty good book. The nerd x jock romance made for a good story. Gerard and Elliot were a cute and unlikely duo that just worked. And maybe as a queer man I’m a little biased, but unlike so many of these reviews, I didn’t mind the constant dick talk. It actually felt very authentic to some gay men and jocks that I know, especially when I was in college. I will say though, I didn’t enjoy some of the comments about women and the whole Ice Queen blog made me uncomfortable. But overall I am excited for the next installment in the series.
March 1, 2026
This book was a whole boring mess for me! I wanted to like the concept and the main characters but couldn't.
It was a whole heap of clichés, really weird situations (adoption parties, where you just chose a child or first meeting of the parents, where your future FiL tells you about all the sex he had with his college best friend!)
The whole book was flat and filled with supporting characters who were there to tick off a list.
And what was the point of the Gossip Girl style blogger that really gave nothing to the plot except overtly sexual mentions about a sports person - not cool.
This could have been so much better but was actually shit!
It was a whole heap of clichés, really weird situations (adoption parties, where you just chose a child or first meeting of the parents, where your future FiL tells you about all the sex he had with his college best friend!)
The whole book was flat and filled with supporting characters who were there to tick off a list.
And what was the point of the Gossip Girl style blogger that really gave nothing to the plot except overtly sexual mentions about a sports person - not cool.
This could have been so much better but was actually shit!
Did not finish
March 24, 2026time of death: 36%
I was so into this book at the start. I had tears in my eyes from laughing. But after a whole chapter dedicated to one of the mmc's butt I thought we could move on from it.
Turns out the objectification just keeps going?
There are so many random interactions, loose ends and unnecessary details that I couldn't keep going. a shame cause I really wanted to like it.
I was so into this book at the start. I had tears in my eyes from laughing. But after a whole chapter dedicated to one of the mmc's butt I thought we could move on from it.
Turns out the objectification just keeps going?
There are so many random interactions, loose ends and unnecessary details that I couldn't keep going. a shame cause I really wanted to like it.
Did not finish
February 10, 2026DNF @ 26%
112 pages in and nothing has happened, I just don’t care enough to continue
112 pages in and nothing has happened, I just don’t care enough to continue
February 11, 2025
Gerard Gunnarson, the charming hockey star at Berkeley Shore University, is used to the spotlight—especially with the mysterious Ice Queen documenting his every move. Elliot Montgomery, a quiet, introverted student, prefers a life of routine and solitude. But when their worlds collide, an unexpected friendship turns into something more. As Gerard and Elliot navigate their feelings under the watchful eye of their peers, they must face their own fears and insecurities. Will their relationship survive the pressure, or will it crumble under the scrutiny?
This book was my first ARC, and I’m so grateful to have been chosen! The characters really kept me hooked from start to finish. Their romance, friendships, and genuine care for one another—whether romantic, platonic, or as teammates—were beautifully written. I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the series and find out who the mysterious "Ice Queen" blogger is (I’ve got a few suspects in mind!). Overall, this book was amazing! The intimate scenes were chef’s kiss—perfect and definitely left me needing a few breaks to catch my breath. I highly recommend it, and it’s available on Friday, February 14th, 2025! #IcingOnTheCake #ChristopherJBrice #BookReview #FirstARC #NewRelease #RomanceBooks #HockeyRomance #BookRecommendations #RomanticFiction #FriendshipGoals #CharacterDevelopment #LGBTQReads #IceQueen #CollegeRomance #SportsRomance #Teammates #FallingInLove #SlowBurnRomance #ComingOutStory #MustReadBooks #Bookstagram #BookishLove #BookCommunity #RomanceBookRecommendations #ContemporaryRomance #BookObsessed #February2025Release #ReadingAddict #BookLoversUnite #ARCReview
This book was my first ARC, and I’m so grateful to have been chosen! The characters really kept me hooked from start to finish. Their romance, friendships, and genuine care for one another—whether romantic, platonic, or as teammates—were beautifully written. I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the series and find out who the mysterious "Ice Queen" blogger is (I’ve got a few suspects in mind!). Overall, this book was amazing! The intimate scenes were chef’s kiss—perfect and definitely left me needing a few breaks to catch my breath. I highly recommend it, and it’s available on Friday, February 14th, 2025! #IcingOnTheCake #ChristopherJBrice #BookReview #FirstARC #NewRelease #RomanceBooks #HockeyRomance #BookRecommendations #RomanticFiction #FriendshipGoals #CharacterDevelopment #LGBTQReads #IceQueen #CollegeRomance #SportsRomance #Teammates #FallingInLove #SlowBurnRomance #ComingOutStory #MustReadBooks #Bookstagram #BookishLove #BookCommunity #RomanceBookRecommendations #ContemporaryRomance #BookObsessed #February2025Release #ReadingAddict #BookLoversUnite #ARCReview
March 21, 2025
Oh boy, so first I tried to get as far as I could despite all of the glaring warning signs early on in the book to DNF. I will say I made it 30% through and it was 30% too far. First, the "sunshine" MC had absolutely no depth. He's a blond hockey player that can't swear, and makes stupid jokes with his 30 hockey housemates (no I'm not exaggerating there was a part that said he lived with that many people). Two, I had to sit through a long monologue of how the "grumpy" MC wants to rim the hockey player and possibly be bullied just to "feel alive". Third, let's talk about that blog! For one, posting pictures of someone's ass on a blog dedicated to said person will land you in trouble. And the fact that this is happening at a college where there's usually a no tolerance for this kind of stuff I have to wonder, why??? But what finally did me in was when the "sunshine" MC was having some private time with his hand and DECIDED TO READ AND EMAIL BACK SAID BLOG POSTER. All why doing that. Apologies for my ranting review but this book hit a lot of buttons.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2025
Weird
I only give one-star ratings to books that are unethical, plagiarized, or grammatically/technically unreadable. This was none of those but wow it was tough to read. The whole book I just kept thinking, “People don’t talk like this.” All of the dialogue was written in therapy speech and it just felt like all of the characters were constantly preaching at each other. And on a picky note, it seems the author didn’t bother to research anything to do with hockey or football because every detail having to do with either sport was lacking. A marching band for an NFL halftime show??? I literally wrote “lol wut” in my notes. Also, there what was with that weird, overtly sexual random text exchange between Jackson and Gerard? It went far beyond two friends joking around. Points for the first kiss being scored by Black Magic by Little Mix.
I only give one-star ratings to books that are unethical, plagiarized, or grammatically/technically unreadable. This was none of those but wow it was tough to read. The whole book I just kept thinking, “People don’t talk like this.” All of the dialogue was written in therapy speech and it just felt like all of the characters were constantly preaching at each other. And on a picky note, it seems the author didn’t bother to research anything to do with hockey or football because every detail having to do with either sport was lacking. A marching band for an NFL halftime show??? I literally wrote “lol wut” in my notes. Also, there what was with that weird, overtly sexual random text exchange between Jackson and Gerard? It went far beyond two friends joking around. Points for the first kiss being scored by Black Magic by Little Mix.
Did not finish
February 6, 2025DNF'd. I really could not get into this book. The ick was purely because of the descriptions of the mmcs socks and room
Disclaimer: I do not rate DNF books. I only rate books I've read through the entire thing or at least 70%.
Disclaimer: I do not rate DNF books. I only rate books I've read through the entire thing or at least 70%.
February 11, 2025
3.5 stars. Very appealing characters on the whole, with a very large sunshiny golden retriever hockey player who was incredibly sweet. The grumpy librarian was also very enjoyable, as were the two together. However, the humour didn't always appeal to me (too immature), and there was too much repetition about body parts. The Ice Queen felt a lot like a stalker. As I also enjoyed the other characters, I might try the next in this new series, but I'm not sure yet.
April 15, 2025
“Icing on the Cake” starts the Barracudas series with a sweet, slow-burn MM romance between a golden-retriever hockey player and a grumpy, bookish loner. Gerard, the star right winger of the Berkeley Shore University hockey team, is sunshine in skates — popular, loud, and always smiling. Elliot, on the other hand, is quiet, thoughtful, and perfectly content to fade into the background. When a case of mistaken identity (and a missing hockey stick) throws them together, they navigate unexpected attraction, personal insecurities, and the scrutiny of a mysterious campus gossip blogger, the Ice Queen.
There’s a lot to enjoy in this opposites-attract story: the campus vibes, the heartwarming moments, and the developing friendship-to-something-more arc. Gerard’s enthusiasm is contagious, and Elliot’s dry humor makes for some great moments of banter. That said, this book didn’t thoroughly sweep me off my feet. While the romance had its charming moments, the pacing felt uneven sometimes, and some scenes dragged more than needed. Though likable, the characters occasionally acted in frustrating or over-the-top ways. It took a while for their chemistry to click believably.
Still, this was a light and cozy read with a few standout moments. It’s a solid setup for what could be a fun series, and I’m looking forward to the next installment — especially if it gives more attention to supporting characters like Alex, who quietly stole the show for me. If you’re in the mood for a cute sports romance with some angst, fluff, and a dash of college gossip drama, Icing on the Cake may be your thing. -3 Stars!
There’s a lot to enjoy in this opposites-attract story: the campus vibes, the heartwarming moments, and the developing friendship-to-something-more arc. Gerard’s enthusiasm is contagious, and Elliot’s dry humor makes for some great moments of banter. That said, this book didn’t thoroughly sweep me off my feet. While the romance had its charming moments, the pacing felt uneven sometimes, and some scenes dragged more than needed. Though likable, the characters occasionally acted in frustrating or over-the-top ways. It took a while for their chemistry to click believably.
Still, this was a light and cozy read with a few standout moments. It’s a solid setup for what could be a fun series, and I’m looking forward to the next installment — especially if it gives more attention to supporting characters like Alex, who quietly stole the show for me. If you’re in the mood for a cute sports romance with some angst, fluff, and a dash of college gossip drama, Icing on the Cake may be your thing. -3 Stars!
January 18, 2026
I need to preface this review by saying, I am one of the easiest going readers out there, which can be seen in the fact that I have NEVER given a book less than 3.5 ⭐️s until today. Christopher J. Brice needs to stick to writing exclusively White characters because the care he gives to creating 3-dimensional White characters stands in glaring contrast to the piss poor and insulting job he does with Elliott, his gay theoretically Latino/Hispanic (?) main character. To understand my full criticism you need to know that Elliott is described as having caramel skin (someone who is obviously not White) and is the adopted only child of a poor single White mother, which I guess is supposed to explain why his name is Elliott Jerome Montgomery, and who is homeless for the first almost 2.5(!) years of college sleeping nightly in the library. Beyond the scant descriptions of his skin color and the handful of times he refers to himself first as Latino, but then Hispanic for the rest of the novel, nothing and I mean NOTHING about Elliott remotely gives off that he is a person of color beyond these descriptors, which are literally skin deep. Brice has Elliott have enough sense to talk about how he is mistreated by his White peers at his university and the White people people in Gerard’s rural hometown in Colorado, but these plot points aren’t used to tell us anything about Elliott, but instead are used to make Elliott’s best friend, Jackson, and his boyfriend, Gerard, come off as tolerant and not racist (which is not the same as anti-racist). Thus, the mistreatment Elliott experiences is a plot device to it see him, but the other White characters. Elliott has no friends of color, and it is shown over and over again how much of a bibliophile he is, but the only books he mentions are those by old dead White male writers. Brice never has Elliott mention interest in Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende, Rigoberto Gonzalez, Reinaldo Arenas, Benjamin Alire Sáenz, or any other Latinx authors. All of this was grating enough throughout, but what sent me over the edge was the Epilogue. In this concluding chapter we learn that Elliott and Gerard are married and have adopted a male child name Gunnar who is the spitting image of Gerard. Christopher J. Brice literally has Elliott ponder what he “did to deserve these two gorgeous blond-haired blue-eyed men in his life?” The author probably never thought how self-hating and White-glorifying that really comes off. We never see Gerard say how do I deserve this gorgeous brown curly-haired brown-eyed caramel-skin man. It sets up the dichotomy that Elliott should be grateful that someone as White as Gerard should love him, and that Gerard never has to think that about Elliott in terms of his color because a White person never has to be grateful for the love of a person of color. But what might be the most galling of all is that Brice has Elliott talk about Gunnar’s connection to Gerard as his virtual twin who shadows him, but never has him reflect on the connection he would have with his son because he himself was adopted. We never see Elliott ruminate on what it was like to adopt a child given he was an adoptee. This is such a glaring oversight that it almost feels like disdain for the character, because at every opportunity in the story Brice has to really complicate Elliott as a character beyond being a love interest for Gerard, he refuses. As a queer Latinx reader it is especially infuriating. I would love to continue reading this series, but I just refuse to do so.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2025
Going to do a full review bc (I think) this is a debut novel!
SO many wonderful aspects in this one. I think the friendship to relationship pacing was done really well. I loved the friend group and side characters throughout the whole thing. And I thought the next books in the series have been set up well without taking away from our main characters in this one.
For being a lower angst college hockey romance, the book was a tad long for my liking. Some parts got a little hard to lock in to. There were a couple of times the conversation topics between characters got a bit immature and carried longer than needed sometimes. The epilogue wasn’t my favorite and I didn’t like how the favor from the beginning of the book felt like it was thrown in there just to be able to recall it idk it just wasn’t my fav.
All in all I still had a great time reading this and I hope the author continues to write and moves forward with the other players! ❤️
SO many wonderful aspects in this one. I think the friendship to relationship pacing was done really well. I loved the friend group and side characters throughout the whole thing. And I thought the next books in the series have been set up well without taking away from our main characters in this one.
For being a lower angst college hockey romance, the book was a tad long for my liking. Some parts got a little hard to lock in to. There were a couple of times the conversation topics between characters got a bit immature and carried longer than needed sometimes. The epilogue wasn’t my favorite and I didn’t like how the favor from the beginning of the book felt like it was thrown in there just to be able to recall it idk it just wasn’t my fav.
All in all I still had a great time reading this and I hope the author continues to write and moves forward with the other players! ❤️
February 4, 2025
A grumpy sunshine, m/m, hockey romance WHERE THE SUNSHINE ONE IS THE STAR HOCKEY PLAYER???? sign me up.
I know I didn’t give much of a synopsis, but I’ve gotten into reading books without looking at the synopsis, only the main tropes and it’s made my reading so much more fun and diverse.
Either way, I love Gerard and Elliott so much, but I especially love how Brice made Gerard so happy sunshine. I feel like you don’t see that many sunshine mmcs to begin with, but you definitely don’t see sunshine mmcs who are the campus favorite hockey player. It made for such a good plot, really. I loved the relationship those two shared, and the growth and love they found out about themselves and each other. Brice handled figuring out gender identity incredibly well, and that made me so happy.
Thank you so much to the author for sending me an early copy of your book!
I know I didn’t give much of a synopsis, but I’ve gotten into reading books without looking at the synopsis, only the main tropes and it’s made my reading so much more fun and diverse.
Either way, I love Gerard and Elliott so much, but I especially love how Brice made Gerard so happy sunshine. I feel like you don’t see that many sunshine mmcs to begin with, but you definitely don’t see sunshine mmcs who are the campus favorite hockey player. It made for such a good plot, really. I loved the relationship those two shared, and the growth and love they found out about themselves and each other. Brice handled figuring out gender identity incredibly well, and that made me so happy.
Thank you so much to the author for sending me an early copy of your book!
January 21, 2025
This book is way to young for me. I usually stay away from NA and college romances because character immaturity is a type of drama I'm happy to live without. This book had pretty stereotypical frat bro characters but it was also written with young/immature voice that I didn't enjoy
And, oddly enough, this book is somehow extremely dated even though it is only just now being published. By dated, I mean a zillion pop culture references from 10+ years ago. Singing Carley Rae Jepson at karaoke anyone? This book could feel current (and stay that way for the next ten years!) if the pop culture specifics were removed along with the time/date stamps in the emails.
Those were big things that kept me from fully enjoying the book - but I think this is clearly a case of me not being the right audience. There were a few parts that had me chuckling and it was okay overall, I suppose.
I received a free ARC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
And, oddly enough, this book is somehow extremely dated even though it is only just now being published. By dated, I mean a zillion pop culture references from 10+ years ago. Singing Carley Rae Jepson at karaoke anyone? This book could feel current (and stay that way for the next ten years!) if the pop culture specifics were removed along with the time/date stamps in the emails.
Those were big things that kept me from fully enjoying the book - but I think this is clearly a case of me not being the right audience. There were a few parts that had me chuckling and it was okay overall, I suppose.
I received a free ARC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 2, 2025
I’ve read my fair share of MM college hockey romances and this one stands out in a few ways. I love a good awakening and grumpy/sunshine vibes by it was interesting to see college age guys being a bit more immature. I lived with a couple guy roommates in college and it brought back memories because yes they can be shameless messy dorks and so this brought a smile to my face.
The interesting decision to not curse as a person in Athletics was bizarre in my experience. Then learning his reasoning was interesting as well. Is it plausible? In some way yes even if it’s not probable but for this story it serves a purpose and it was super cute when the shift happened.
The different dynamics between one who’s a legacy vs one on scholarship put a dynamic that I don’t always see in college whether they’re MM or not. I think the author did a good job of pointing out how some people from a wealthier background can be a bit out of touch but not be terrible people.
The spice served a purpose and it made it so much sweeter. It was open door and surprisingly really informative if you catch my drift and twas thoroughly appreciated. It was also really interesting to see the discoveries happening in real time. Sometimes people know what their into and some just come upon it or in this case, try it and see if you like it. Now kinks are personal and not for everyone but it was super cute to see the characters figure out what worked for them.
The interesting decision to not curse as a person in Athletics was bizarre in my experience. Then learning his reasoning was interesting as well. Is it plausible? In some way yes even if it’s not probable but for this story it serves a purpose and it was super cute when the shift happened.
The different dynamics between one who’s a legacy vs one on scholarship put a dynamic that I don’t always see in college whether they’re MM or not. I think the author did a good job of pointing out how some people from a wealthier background can be a bit out of touch but not be terrible people.
The spice served a purpose and it made it so much sweeter. It was open door and surprisingly really informative if you catch my drift and twas thoroughly appreciated. It was also really interesting to see the discoveries happening in real time. Sometimes people know what their into and some just come upon it or in this case, try it and see if you like it. Now kinks are personal and not for everyone but it was super cute to see the characters figure out what worked for them.
January 17, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I’m not usually a sports romance reader but by the end of this book I’d been converted. I’m always a fan of the grump/ sunshine trope and i thoroughly enjoyed Elliot and Gerard finding their way to each other. Aside from a few minor inconsistencies in small details, the story was beautifully written and it’s perfect for fans of the sport romance genre.
4.5 ⭐️’s
I’m not usually a sports romance reader but by the end of this book I’d been converted. I’m always a fan of the grump/ sunshine trope and i thoroughly enjoyed Elliot and Gerard finding their way to each other. Aside from a few minor inconsistencies in small details, the story was beautifully written and it’s perfect for fans of the sport romance genre.
4.5 ⭐️’s
March 7, 2025
3.5⭐️
cute romance, lots of cringe things/moments but i still had a good time reading it
cute romance, lots of cringe things/moments but i still had a good time reading it
April 4, 2025
Was this a work of art. No. But the vibes were vibing. Fiddlesticks is my new favorite word.
February 9, 2025
I think the authour tried way too hard to be cute and it distracted from what could have been a good story.
I love a grumpy/sunshine trope and I really liked that in this case, it was the hockey player that was the sunshine guy!
That being said, I could have done without all the descriptions of Gerrard's junk and him fawning over himself. Hey, it is great that he likes himself, but we did not need pages and pages of it.
Elliot, the Grump, had more than enough reasons to be grumpy and I did like that he came out of his shell, with Gerrard's love.
The book was way too long-I think a lot of it could have been cut out. The writing style made them seem like they were in high school, not university.
One thing I really did like, was the epilogue, although the jump to 10 years in the future was a surprise. The viewpoint was from Elliot and he sounded more mature, which was welcome.
I would say this more of a 3.5; I did not hate it, but it was a bit hard to get thru.
I received an ARC for my honest review.
I love a grumpy/sunshine trope and I really liked that in this case, it was the hockey player that was the sunshine guy!
That being said, I could have done without all the descriptions of Gerrard's junk and him fawning over himself. Hey, it is great that he likes himself, but we did not need pages and pages of it.
Elliot, the Grump, had more than enough reasons to be grumpy and I did like that he came out of his shell, with Gerrard's love.
The book was way too long-I think a lot of it could have been cut out. The writing style made them seem like they were in high school, not university.
One thing I really did like, was the epilogue, although the jump to 10 years in the future was a surprise. The viewpoint was from Elliot and he sounded more mature, which was welcome.
I would say this more of a 3.5; I did not hate it, but it was a bit hard to get thru.
I received an ARC for my honest review.
February 5, 2025
A sexy warm hug of a book. Funny, real and relevant. Slow burn, steamy and so, so cute!! A must read for all hockey fans!
Gerard Gunnarson, hot hockey player, golden retriever, owner of the perfect hockey butt, falls in love with Elliot, the shy, nerdy librarian. Sounds a bit clichéd, you say? Well, let me tell you something. This author has taken that trope and turned it on its head!
Brimming with fantastic characters, heart warming moments, some hilarious banter and antics, I couldn't put it down. It was great to see Gerard embrace the attention he attracted (loved the idea of the Ice Queen's blog) and to see Elliot become part of and accepted by Hockey House. And Gerard's parents! Sooo cool!!
I am not sure but believe this could be a first novel for this author. If that's the case then this is real talent and I honestly can't wait to read more from him. I believe there's more to come in this series. Can't wait!
I received this as a free arc and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
Gerard Gunnarson, hot hockey player, golden retriever, owner of the perfect hockey butt, falls in love with Elliot, the shy, nerdy librarian. Sounds a bit clichéd, you say? Well, let me tell you something. This author has taken that trope and turned it on its head!
Brimming with fantastic characters, heart warming moments, some hilarious banter and antics, I couldn't put it down. It was great to see Gerard embrace the attention he attracted (loved the idea of the Ice Queen's blog) and to see Elliot become part of and accepted by Hockey House. And Gerard's parents! Sooo cool!!
I am not sure but believe this could be a first novel for this author. If that's the case then this is real talent and I honestly can't wait to read more from him. I believe there's more to come in this series. Can't wait!
I received this as a free arc and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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