On Thin Ice

Austin Aces Hockey Club

by Rebecca Norinne

One last season. One final secret.

I’ve spent fifteen years in the NHL hiding who I really am. One more season—head down, mouth shut, lies firmly in place—and I can retire with my secret intact. Then Stryker Bell crashes into my life.

He’s got hands of gold, a mouth made for sin, and a body that moves like a promise. Ten years younger, he’s cocky, reckless, and everything I shouldn’t want. My problem. My obsession. My undoing.

We clash from the start. But no matter how hard I try to keep my distance, Bell doesn’t back off. He crowds my space. Smirks like he knows exactly what I’m thinking. Every glance feels like foreplay. Every brush of contact, a dare.

And after a brutal loss on the road, I break. One raw, desperate moment, and I’ve got him pinned to the wall, my mouth on his like I’ve been starving for a taste.

Now I’m playing the most dangerous game of my career—falling for the rookie who makes me feel more alive than I ever have, while battling trauma I’ve buried so deep I almost believed it was gone.

I want him, but those old demons don’t let go easy. They’ve got their hands around my throat, whispering every lie I’ve ever believed about what it would cost to be open.

And Bell? He refuses to be anyone’s dirty little secret.

If I don’t fight for him now, I won’t just retire in the closet—I’ll lose the only man who’s ever made me want to step out into the light.

He was my idol. Now I’m his secret.

I had Ethan Harrison’s hockey poster taped to my bedroom wall growing up. Now he’s my teammate—and the most infuriating, closed-off man I’ve ever met. All clenched jaws, surly grunts, and brooding stares.

And yet, something about the way he watches me when he thinks no one’s looking makes me want to break him wide open. Crack that perfect composure.

Every lingering glance. Every loaded silence. Every time he pulls away like he’s scared of what will happen if he lets me in—it feels like it’s building to something inevitable.

So when he finally backs me against the wall and kisses me like he’s starving? I know I’ve been right all along. The tension, the looks, the armor he hides behind—it was never just in my head.

He might bark out orders on the ice, but behind closed doors? He’s the one who begs for me to touch him, make him come undone. Who gasps my name, and needs it rough, slow, and real.

I want all of Ethan, but if he won’t choose me, I’ll have no choice but to walk away. I didn’t fight like hell to stand in the light just to be someone’s dirty little secret.

Genres: M M Romance, Hockey, Sports, Sports Romance, Romance, LGBT, Contemporary

420 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 20, 2025

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Norinne writes sexy romance from the heart. When not banging away at the keyboard, she is watching rugby, playing board games, or drinking a pint of craft beer.

Originally from California, she now resides in New England with her husband and two cats where she is renovating a house built in the 1700s and trying valiantly not to be eaten alive by mosquitos.

For more information, please visit http://www.rebeccanorinne.com.

Reviews

[Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, age gap, forced proximity, secret relationship
Feels: 4/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: cum play, rough sex, praise
Angst: medium
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: homophobia, internalized homophobia, past severe gay bashing incident, injuries, religious trauma, past conversion therapy
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: No
Other person drama: neither of them are with anyone else or interested in anyone else once they meet. At one point, Bell thinks Ethan cheated on him, but it was a misunderstanding.

4 stars

Ethan is 34. He is a gay NHL player who is deeply in the closet. He's from a red state that is very homophobic and he was assaulted for being gay as a teen. He has a lot of unresolved trauma. He's only been with one guy before, someone who was as deep in the closet as he was, but their arrangement ended a few years ago. Ethan has been crushing on an up-and-coming rookie, Bell.

Bell is 23 and an openly bi NHL rookie. He's followed Ethan's career and had a crush on him since he was a kid. He's just joined Ethan's team. The coach has paired Ethan and Bell together, because he wants Ethan to mentor the rookie. Ethan gets pressed into letting Bell crash with him. And they are roommates on away games. Bell is a flirt and likes to push boundaries. He pushes a little too far with Ethan, and Ethan loses his control and attacks him with his mouth, lol. They agreed to keep it casual and be friends with benefits, but they both find the other person so endearing that it can't stay casual. They both want more.

But Ethan is very deep in the closet, and Bell doesn't want to be anyone's secret. Bell had a religious upbringing and was put through conversion therapy as a kid and left home as soon as he was old enough. He's not going back in the closet. They both feel very deeply about each other. They aren't perfect, but they are trying their best.

This was an enjoyable book. I love this combination of tropes, the grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, secret relationship... it develops this Us against the world dynamic, where they are the only ones that understand each other and see past the surface level of who the other person is, and sees the vulnerability. They tried to be what the other person needed. They loved fiercely. There was a lot of banter, tension, angst, steam, and feelings.

Some criticisms. I do feel like I've read this premise before a couple times, but I enjoyed this couple so much. I wish Chet had gotten consequences for his behaviour. And I think the book ended a little abruptly, wrapping up some of the difficult things in the epilogue a little too conveniently. It would have been nice to see some of those things resolved in a more thorough way before jumping into the epilogue.


Some notable moments:

"Bell laughed, low and sweet and so fucking fond that it cracked something inside me, as he pressed a soft, lazy kiss to the curve of my shoulder."

"“Smiley?” Keats twisted around in his seat two rows ahead to glance between Bell and me, his expression confused. The movement made his chain catch the light, flashing silver. “How’d you manage that?” “I’ve seen E smile. Once. It was terrifying,” Viggy said as he strolled past on the way to his seat at the back of the plane."

"A low rumble echoed next to me. Oh my god. Ethan was jealous. I should not be as turned on by this discovery as I was, but this was pure fucking gold. How far could I get him to go before he snapped? Before he dragged me to a closet to show me exactly who I belonged to? I knew I was poking the bear. I also knew I wasn’t about to stop."

"Bell never once asked me to be someone I wasn’t. He just kept showing up—brilliant, ridiculous, and tender in ways I hadn’t expected, filthy in ways I hadn’t known I needed. And little by little, I stopped fighting it. Because somewhere deep down, even from that very first moment, I think I knew: Stryker Bell was going to matter. He was going to be my everything."


*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.

**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a 2.5 I think, but I'm feeling generous. This felt 200 pages too long and my god Ethan was so bloody irritating that I couldn't understand what Bell even saw in him!?

Everything felt too drawn out and over explained. There was so much detail where it wasn't needed, mostly with locations (it felt like a HGTV show at times), and there were so many rambling anecdotes that felt so obviously manufactured to push the plot in the 'right' direction.

Also, for a hockey romance there was barely any hockey!

I'm also not a fan of never ending sex scenes, or characters continually using sex as a coping device instead of talking. It got old really quickly.

These two just didn't work for me, and after all the drama about Ethan's fears, everything resolved in basically one sentence and then the epilogue happened and skipped 4 years... 😑😑

[Monikat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful, painful journey from the generation before. The ones who carried the burden, pain and guilt. The ones who sacrificed years and years of happiness because of fear. The ones who finally broke free and came out as their true selves so that they and future generations can live their truths out in the open.
This was a painful book. A story that has been told over and over again, but one that is so necessary and important. I hurt and angered for Ethan. Bell was an angel, simple as that.

[loverexreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4.5/5 | 🌶️ 3/5

I’d been craving a hockey romance for a while, and the moment I came across On Thin Ice, I had a strong feeling it would hit exactly right.

I really enjoyed Bell and Ethan’s story. I went in expecting something far heavier on the angst, but it turned out to be more restrained than anticipated — in a good way. There were so many genuinely sweet moments between the two MCs. The book struck a great balance between light, funny, and tender scenes, while still delivering stretches of tension that had me nearly holding my breath when the emotional pressure peaked.

I loved both main characters. I’m usually drawn to darker personalities, yet Bell — a full-on sunshine — completely won me over. It was refreshing to see a younger character portrayed with emotional intelligence and a solid sense of self. As for Ethan, he frustrated me more than once, but that made the payoff even more satisfying once the story peeled back the layers and revealed why owning his truth felt so impossible for him.

This wasn’t the spiciest read, but the intimate scenes were thoughtfully written and caught me off guard in the best way. There were a couple of kinks I would’ve loved to see explored more than once, though their inclusion at all was already a big plus.

Overall, this was a strong, enjoyable read that I’d easily recommend to fans of age gap romance, grumpy/sunshine dynamics, and secret relationships.

[Drew H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recognize how different this take is compared to many other reviewers, but if Stryker Bell has no haters, then both I and the homophobic player on the team are dead. Like Ethan had his share of flaws and ultimately was the one that needed to bend to get to the point of being in a real relationship, but my god has Bell ever been introduced to a boundary or emotional reaction he didn't bulldoze over and then get mad it still wasn't good enough??? Don't even get me started, my friend already heard it all with much more caps lock

[Papie]

DNF at 28%. This was already not going very well for me but I was trying.

And then one kiss, one blow job. And there are tears, shouting “I can’t do this”. And I’m like “Hello?”. As my teens would say, it’s not that deep.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Ethan and Bell is one of the best MM books I have read. The heart that these two characters have, going through their own journeys in a different ways was a heartbreaking tale but one that ends in a happy ending.

I really appreciated the author using the impact of the current political climate and how it affects these two as two people just trying to survive and live happily. I felt for Ethan so much in his journey and cried for Bell in his. These two show the different ways that childhood can impact you forever and how hard grief and trauma can be overcome. Their love story was such an intense but amazing read, I could happily read another novel of just these two and their hilarious antics with each other.

I was lucky enough to receive an arc of this amazing novel and am leaving a review of my own thoughts and feelings.

[A🦄🌻🌙]

Idk if I can rate this right now - it’s feeling a little too fresh. The writing was great, I definitely shed tears several times, the spice was hot as hell - but by the end I truly didn’t want our MCs to end up together or I at least wished one MC put his foot down and refused to put up Al with the other MCs shitty treatment. Bell (an emotionally mature alien in a 23 yr old jock suit) deserved so much better. I feel like Ethan (a clearly traumatized and emotionally constipated 36 yr old) was playing games with Bell, even as unintentional they may have been. The push and pull and rejection and denial just got to be too much and I wanted Bell to follow through on the many times that he reached a new breaking point. Ethan needed to get himself lots of therapy to get him to a point that he deserved the truly beautiful treatment he received. So yeah, I’m conflicted and a bit frustrated - feel like I was left with emotional blue balls, no resolution for my many tears. Ugh. Bummed. But Bell is one of my favorite characters I’ve read recently. So atleast there’s that lol. There’s also nearly NO hockey in this book and the conflict between our MCs seems to be happening in a bubble with nearly no interaction or interference from outside forces which felt a little weird at times. Ok I’m done rambling.

[Summer White · Rating 1 out of 5]

So this book had a few strengths that kept me reading, at least in the beginning. The alternating first person point of view gives solid insight into both main characters and helps frame their emotional arcs clearly. The chemistry between them is evident, and the spicy scenes are written with intensity, though I struggled with the decision to forgo safe sex in their first encounter and some dynamics that leaned slightly toxic. That choice made it harder for me to fully root for them. There is potential in the premise of two hockey players navigating attraction and vulnerability, and at times I could see the story it was trying to be.

Unfortunately, the execution made it difficult to stay immersed. Teammates are introduced but never meaningfully developed, which weakens the team atmosphere. Noticeable grammar errors interrupted the flow, and the heavy reliance on modern phrasing and real world talking points felt jarring rather than purposeful. I am here to read about two hockey players falling in love, not to be reminded of the hellscape of reality that reading usually gives me a break from. There is a way to include politics without pulling the reader out of the story, and this did not feel integrated in a way that served the plot. By chapter ten it felt like a trudge, and the ending was disappointing and unfulfilling. I am glad I read it on Kindle Unlimited, but it is not one I would purchase or revisit.

[Megan McGrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethan & Bell
Another fantastic read from a new-to-me author. An addition to the wonderful multi-author Austin Aces series.

These two have a very heated, up & down relationship. It takes Ethan a good long while to show and admit that he has hidden feelings, or at least urges, for Bell. Once Bell gets that glimpse, he takes the chance to push & prod Ethan over his edge and discover/recognize/acknowledge his truth. Ethan struggles with feeling safe about being out & sharing his relationship, even though he's pretty sure his good friends & teammates wouldn't really care in any negative way. Watching Bell feeling so defeated and dejected over how many missteps he and Ethan take in their relationship is heartbreaking. Both men deserve the best, and only they can provide that for one another, but both of them have to be willing to work together to share and explore a full relationship.

I really enjoyed On Thin Ice, and while these two MCs had a decent age gap, I don't think it really affected their relationship enough to be too noted. It meant more to Ethan than to Bell, and Bell often quoted "Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." by Mark Twain to show his feelings on said concern. These two struggled to come to terms with their path together, but they end on a great note with a wonderful outlook on their future.

I received an authorized copy of this book and am volunteering my honest review.

[Haley Younker · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️ 3 🌶️

This is likely my last MM book for a bit. I think I’m MM out for awhile, which this may have to be a reread because I felt like I was reading something I’ve already seen. Still a cute story, but felt rushed at the end.

[Brittany St Thomas]

dnf in the 30% area. pretty sure it's me, and not the story, but I just couldn't stay focused

[Julia]

GOODREADS CAN WE PLEASE FIX THESE BOOK COVERS!!!

[MissyLynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book by the author.
It's been on my tbr list, but the cartoon cover kept calling to me though I usually don't care for them.

Loved the chemistry and connection between Ethan and Bell. One out and proud the other closeted. Childhood traumas that bind them but also doesn't.
I was pulled in from the start.
Lots of spice. A guy with hair long enough to pull into a bun. He also sheds. lol
Read the ebook, but my physical copy is on its way. This is a book I'd love to have as an audiobook.



.

[Barbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story, but the ending was way too quick and also a bit weird? Felt like I was missing a big piece of development, and it wasn’t a satisfying experience for me.
The book needs editing, and please add to each chapter which character‘s POV I‘m reading ffs. That took me out of my reading flow several times.

[將薇 · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is just the same recycled conflict over and over, and it got very boring. I also can't stand when authors try to take hard line political stances in what's basically pure smut with the barest hint of plot. I'm not here for your milquetoast commentary that sounds like a 12 year old who just found reddit.
Neither character was interesting or compelling, and I have no idea why they fell in love. They had no real chemistry or time to get to know each other, and they never explained what exactly it was about the other person they liked.
There are misspellings and grammar mistakes galore, as well as random POV shifts that shouldn't be there, and plot holes all over the place.
The only plus is the spice is well done, but it doesn't match with the MCs or how everything else is written.

[erm · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ethan is NOT the one for Bell he is way too harsh and treated Bell quite terribly. Of course we don’t get his actual backstory and reasoning until literally 90% and I already hated the man so nothing was changing for me.

Also the entire reason the two couldn’t get together for real .. the whole major conflict of the book .. gets a diy imagine whatever tf you want to kind of ending. It just skips to 4 years later and an epilogue with a fuck ton of characters i’ve never heard of.

This had a lot of cute potential but ended up just being too toxic and more in need of personal character development between the both of them

[Ema · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the priviledge of getting an review copy in exchange for an honest review so here it is.
The story is amazing honestly, i dont read a lot of MM romances but the ones i did read usually had characters living in an eviroment where their sexuality was accepted so having both characters come from a place where they had to overcome their trauma to be together was just so beautiful. I dont want to put many spoilers in the review so im gonna leave it at the peoint where i loved the story, im probably gonna read it again in a few monts just for the spice bc let me tell you this two are insaitable and i love it

[Kate]

I don’t understand how this book starts with a “3 years ago” prologue where Bell gets drafted, then the first chapter jumps to “present day” and it seem like Ethan is meeting him for the first time as brand new teammates. What am I missing?? Anyway this bothered me and led me to abandon the book at like 6%.

[Coke · Rating 1 out of 5]

Story was underdeveloped, could have used more editing for basic grammar, continuity, and fluidity of story. Wasn't much evidence of them falling in love showing or telling. They meet, they both have had long distance crushes, they kiss and then they're in love? Maybe with the idea of each other, but we don't see them together much building memories outside of bed and work.

The story jumps from milestone to milestone off page, as the audience only gets summaries of the level to which the relationship has progressed. Its smut with disorganized emotional vomit that wants to add depth to the story but lacks any impact.

This was my first experience with this author and likely the last... Just a disappointing read. Too long for a fun smut read and lacking the skill to be emotionally engaging.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than expected. (I didn’t INTEND for this to be the way to meander back toward reality from my Heated Rivalry frenzy, but it worked 😂)

Nice satisfying epilogue. Good rep by a queer elder neighbor. Older guy had very personal trauma he’d never discussed but finally comes out and gets help. Younger guy is somehow the more settled of them - he even COOKS like an actual adult!

.

[Meagan Grauel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off as a very promising MM teammates-to-lovers hockey romance story. One of the MMC's is an out and proud bisexual, and the other MMC is an extremely closeted (like WHOA) gay man. The two have been obsessed with each other and admiring from afar, and through coincidental circumstances, end up in very close quarters with each other. After a while of rooming with each other, things come to a head (that is a very intended pun) and their physical relationship starts. And while Ethan says that he can work on being proud of being with Bell, he often finds himself unable to due to fear and past trauma. And while Bell is understanding and wants to be with Ethan - there are limits to being rejected in the public eye while your boyfriend comes to grips with his sexuality. There is a lot of uncertainty for a huge portion of the book, and the end of the book really only comes with spoken promises and no real action on Ethan's part. And that's just how things end. Sure, there's an epilogue that gives a vague outline of what went down, but it would have been nice to have more of a substantial ending than the cut off that we received. And I get that the point of the story was to highlight Ethan's struggle and not so much the aftermath of coming out. But getting a little bit of that part of their story would have been good since there's so much build up to Ethan actually wanting to be "out" with Bell. Because of the abrupt ending, I definitely dropped my rating down a star or 2. I think it could have been better executed. So I wouldn't say to steer clear of this book, but go in knowing that the ending is kind of a let down. There is technically closure, but not nearly as developed as I would have liked.

My conscious stream of thoughts while reading, in no particular order:

Definitely some spice to this book, especially when Ethan and Bell finally start hooking up - cut that sexual tension with a knife. Bell is into some kinky shit, and Ethan has been suppressing that side of himself for a long time and has all that to make up for. Bell has a thing for cum and some of those scenes are downright dirty. But the author does a great job with descriptions and painting a detailed picture of how freaky these two get. I would say 3/5 peppers on the spice scale.

Having to hide your sexuality and what is a large part of you for so long must be so emotionally devastating and painful. Feeling the need to do so because it could impact your career or how people see you even more so. Then having to see people in the same sport as you be open and honest about their sexuality and orientation must be a knife to the gut, wishing that you could have the same thing. Or still feeling like you couldn't have that because you've been telling one version of yourself for so long. The author does such a good job of outlining that and making you really feel what the MMC (Ethan) is going through.
But what really got me what the scene where Ethan and Bell finally get together. You can feel how emotional things were in that hotel room through the pages. How much Ethan is struggling is obviously apparent and you can also feel how much Bell wants to be there for him and knows what he's experiencing. The whole thing was a debauched fuck fest and their urgency was also very clear, but it was also a very emotional experience as well. And I think it's a good author that can bring that level of realism to their story and make the reader so invested and feel what the characters are experiencing.
Having said all that - there's a part after they initially hook up where Ethan is freaking out and Bell is trying to figure out what to say to him to support him while acknowledging how hard this must be for him. His internal monologue thought cracked me up and brought levity to the whole thing. "How did you tell someone who was so far in the closet he got mail in Narnia that he'd just given you the most epic orgasm of your life?"

Some of the interactions that are super emotionally charged between Ethan and Bell tiptoe into telenovela level drama. It's also the whiplash of their situations. Things will be calm and kind of par for the course and then all of a sudden (not all the time, but a lot) one of them is very emotional and worked up. Them fixing things with sex also doesn't really help the argument that they act like characters in a telenovela. Because come on, having sex to prove that they're "yours" when you were JUST crying over him? It has daytime TV drama written all over it.

Okay, so the 13 year age difference is what it is. It was made a little creepy when it was pointed out that Bell was only 5 years old when Ethan started college. But they're both adults now and everything is good. But how Ethan is constantly talked about like he's this ancient dinosaur is ridiculous. He's 36! (I think) 36 isn't "old" by any means. The book makes it seem like he's some kind of octogenarian on medicare. He's still playing hockey on an NHL team; I think we could chill with the constant harping on him being old.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will admit that I rarely read MM, its usually MMF, or MFM, or why choose but I really enjoyed this book. I have so much to say about this book but my review would be considered controversial and would probably be censored so I will try and keep it PG and non political. I might email the author my full review after. Sorry in advance if I get too off topic.

I grew up in a very conservative rural area where being different would get you hurt and gender norms and stereotypes are still prevalent. These characters would have probably suffered the same toxicity growing up here. As a society I have seen so many people hurt for being themselves and it should not happen but it does every day. I see and hear it everyday with "thats a girl color", "that's a man's job", " a boy shouldn't wear that", or "boys have short hair and girl's have long hair", or "boys will be boys" as a justification of their bad behavior. The one I hate most is "can I speak to male head of the house who makes the decisions", jokes on them because if my husband made the decisions or paid the bills nothing would get done. This makes me so angry because I am trying to teach my kids and those who I come in contact with that as long as you treat everyone how you want to be treated and are comfortable in your own skin them thats alright with me.

Ethan and Bell are from different generations and Ethan is closer to my age so I can relate to how he was raised and how hard it is for rural kids who are raised in a masculine toxic environment and forced to lie to protect themselves. Bell still faced toxicity from his parents but once he got to college being himself was easier and more acceptable than during Ethan's college days. Where Ethan was forced to hide his true self, Bell was open and honest about who he was. I know that in sports things have changed a lot but there is still a lot of toxic behaviors ingrained in policies and the gender and sexuality barriers are still there.

Bell and Ethan are an unlikely pairing who are opposites, Ethan is quiet and reserved, a grump to his teammates. Bell is outgoing and loud and a ray of sunshine. These two were forced together by their teams management and soon they couldn't deny how they wanted each other. Their on and off the ice chemistry was strong and even their fans could see it. Though because of this chemistry it also brought out the trolls and a bigoted member of the team started to cause problems as well. This made Ethan's fear grow and he wanted to run and hide himself away again even though he wanted to be with Bell. Ethan's retreating nature caused problems of insecurity for Bell because it increased his feelings of being unlovable. After a tense moment, Bell and Ethan agreed to be who they were without making a big fuss and their teammates supported them.

I loved Ethan and Bell and for all those that have a problem with their rrkationship remember that the color orange doesn't define what is right and wrong and that who you love should not be anyone's decision but your own. There are so any other colors of the rainbow that will support you.

Thank you, Rebecca Norinne for the ARC and allowing me to review your MM hockey romance. So far all the Austin Aces books have been amazing.

[Jane litherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rookie Stryker Bell is Ethan’s nemesis .He’s what if he’s honest ,he’d liked to have been and that’s out for the world to see ,not spending fifteen blooming years on the ice in misery in life ,with even a pretend wife at times! This Rookie though was getting to him…“Nice try, rook, but you’re gonna need to work on your control.” Stryker’s answering grin was absolutely filthy with promise. “Oh, I’ve got plenty of control.” His voice dipped just low enough to make it sound like a challenge. “Maybe I’ll get to show you someday.” Well this sort of tease it did appease me and the vein of the storytelling was excellently executed.The writing is super and you’re quickly immersed in and swimming along absorbing the story . The raw ,the phwoar and then argh…It’s packing that’s for sure and it’s excellently penned . On Rebecca Norrine to get your heart racing and then beguiled like a child before it hits the rawness of the world in which you’ve immersed into and you want to continue turning the page like a drug for the senses this book shows great depths of the characters and their stories one man and another man barely a boy but who is the toy. Ice Hockey is a contact sport and tempers get overwrought,there’s a thin line between playing it clean and being mean . But in both their pasts they’ve had heartbreak . Ethan was assaulted for being gay at sixteen so he repressed himself as unclean ,put up a wall to that side ashamed and deep he does hide his ‘dirty ‘ little secret . Rook Stryker ,he’s openly gay ,he prefers it that way ,he was openly abused and taunted being in the closet is not for him . But Ethan is into him and Bell isn’t going away anytime soon . With their dilemma I did care and swoon at the love affair. They’re sure of feelings but want different things. Do we see what power love brings? Or are they skating On Thin Ice? Loved the book ,it’s rather nice . It’s got deep layers and I was onside with both players seeing their points of view and what have you ,and Rebecca Norrine that’s thanks to your great writing making it inviting to step in and read.

[ꫝye-jeenu꠹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
This is a 4.5 read to me.
The writing is good as well as the story, but not 5⭐ because of few aspects that hold me up. The ending felt unfinished - it would be great if there's anything about how MCs worked together to finally be together or how E worked and finally overcome his fears to be with his love. Though the epilogue somewhat gave basic idea on this aspect, still it would be great if discussed in main story. Another one is that the story kinda focused on E's hurt and his idea on how to protect himself more comparing to Bell's.
Overall it's a great story to read with few flaws. Every single thing is well written. Enjoyed!!
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POV: Dual (Ethan, Bell)
Spice: 4.5/5
HAE: yes
Fav quotes:

“I know this is just fucking,” I said, my voice cracking slightly on that last word and betraying my nervousness. “But um … can you sleep with me tonight?”

“I want you,” I panted against his mouth. “All the damn time. You’ve created a monster, and now I don’t know how the fuck I’m supposed to hold my shit together.”

“You think you’re the only one who’s obsessed with this?” he continued, dragging his mouth over my jaw, his hand slipping down to wrap around me. “You think you’re the only one losing his goddamn mind here? You make me fucking crazy, and you have absolutely no clue.”

“Open your eyes, E,” he whispered. “Look at me, baby.”

“I’m still fucking furious with you,” he growled. “You made me go to places in my head tonight I vowed never to go again.”

“I know,” I whispered.

“You’re mine,” he said, his voice hard with determination. “Do you understand me?”

I nodded, throat too tight to speak.

“Say it, Ethan.”

“I’m yours,”

“Talk to me, baby,” I whispered. “What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”

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Recommended!! 👍🏻👍🏻😉😉

[Nicole | elocinrhom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in a huge Game Changers/Heated Rivalry slump and picked this book up. It was just what I needed. Coming from a conservative Christian household, I definitely could identify with both guys in their past trauma and how that affected them in their relationships. So I thought that was really well done. I also loved Bell and Ethan together. We also needed more scenes with the other hockey players and their neighbor, Marjorie.

My biggest complaint with the book was the pacing. The main plot line would be moving along just fine but they would have the same conflict repeatedly. I felt like that could have been trimmed down a bit. And then when I'm expecting the big satisfying resolution to their situation at the end, it jumps 4 years for the epilogue and essentially just says everything was resolved. Give me details! There were so many loose ends that needed to be tied up, so the epilogue felt a bit like an info dump. It was still good, but I just felt thrown off a cliff at the end. Make the arguments a little less repetitive and save some pages for a resolution at the end. We could definitely still have the delicious epilogue scene we were treated to. Just let us have the coming out and public acknowledgement of their relationship that they (and we) deserved. The injury and wedding were fine to be left for the epilogue if we could have at least saved space for what they had been working towards for the entire book.

I stretched out the reading time for this book, both to savor it and to be ready for book two's release. I have already borrowed it from KU and will be taking my sweet time again.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this grumpy/sunshine story with Bell and Ethan.

Ethan Harrison is a 34 year old Austin Aces hockey player who has hidden his sexuality for nearly his entire life. He wants to play one more season keeping it quiet and then he plans to retire. Then, Stryker Bell, an openly bisexual rookie, is recruited to play on the Aces as well and the coach asks Ethan to mentor him. In addition to mentoring him, the coach asks Ethan to let Bell live with him so that the kid stays out of trouble. Unfortunately for Ethan, Bell manages to push every button and tries desperately to get to know Ethan, who has been his hero for years. As they get closer, their chemistry sparks both on and off the ice, but Ethan’s past makes him fear coming out and Bell’s past makes him refuse to go back in the closet.

I absolutely loved Bell’s personality. I felt like his experiences and his reactions were really authentic. On the other hand, I also felt like Ethan’s fear was so realistic especially given his past trauma. I think that they worked really well together and I appreciated how hard they tried to understand each other. I did feel like the ending was kind of abrupt and a couple of the unresolved issues were glossed over a bit in the epilogue, but overall I thought it was a well written and adorable story.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story!

*** CONTAINS SPOILERS *** Overall, I actually give this story a 2.5/5 but I did round up because I think that this author is incredibly good at writing. This book needed to be twice as long because I felt like there were so many details that were just missing that could have definitely contributed to the story. At one point, I felt like the wine was described more than what was going on with a character. I don’t exactly feel like there was a good resolution for some things that happened throughout the story. Also, I felt like I expected to just know something or someone with no detail (like Ethan’s brother Ryan & nephew Will were mentioned in chapter 1 and then again in epilogue like they were besties but I had forgotten completely who they were!!) I also don’t exactly understand how they fell in love. It was very much teammates too quick roommates to falling in love with a little sex sprinkled in. I just feel like there could’ve been so much more depth to them, falling in love versus just insecurities that they were facing internally. I don’t know. It’s really hard to explain, but it was a good read, I just feel there was depth in detail lacking. But Rebecca Norinne writes very beautifully and I definitely look forward to reading more books in the future!

[Kenzie May · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review <3

Tropes: m/m, overcoming trauma, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, secret relationship, age gap, grumpy x sunishine

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book really does a deep dive on the more emotional side of coming out and traumatic experiences having to do with it and it was SO good! I know there are a lot of coming out books, but hear me out… this was one of the most realistic books I have ever read. This book was very well put together and I could really see and understand the struggle that was happening in Ethan’s head.

Ethan overthinks, he has PTSD from something that happened in his past and not only do you see how it affects him (he’s back and forth due to his overthinking, he’s easily triggered, and he has panic attacks that kick in fight or flight), but you also get to see a lot of how it affects Bell.

The banter was amazing! I love the grumpy x sunshine trope and I always will. These two had so much chemistry, I was squealing. The spice in this book is another thing that was LITERALLY PERFECT! There’s a lot of exploration going on that I loved every second of! Overall, this was an amazing read and if you guys are looking for a more emotional, but still spicy m/m romance, then this is definitely the one for you!

[ੈ♡˳ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really really loved this book! Bell and Ethan had so much chemistry but actually trying to navigate their relationship was the difficult part.

Both men had trauma regarding their sexualities but completely different ways of dealing with it. Where Bell made it his life mission to be out and proud, Ethan created a lie that ended up becoming hard to live. Bell coming into his life really ruined his plan of living this life whilst in the NHL and I’m happy they ended up sorting it out by the end. It was understandable that Bell didn’t want to be a secret as he never wanted to be in the closet again after he was sent to camp as a child but Ethan wanting to stay in the closet also made sense after what we as readers learned about his past later in the book.

The angst, pining and jealousy was everything in this book and I’m happy nearly the whole team supported them. Seeing them be domestic was also the cutest.

I will say I wish we got to see Ethan go to therapy because Bell mentioned it to him twice but he always brushed it off. I’d like to assume Ethan took Bell’s advice and went to therapy to find ways to process things better and I really loved the epilogue and seeing them both happy.