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Pleasant Oaks University #1
Icebound Hearts
The first book in the delicious, icy-hot Pleasant Oakes University series!!
Aiden Knight
Hockey is the one thing I can control. On the ice, everything makes sense the plays, the pressure, the expectations. As captain of Pleasant Oaks University's hockey team, I know my role, and I own it. Off the ice? That's a different story. The weight of leading my team, the battles I fight in silence, the parts of me no one sees, it's all starting to pull me under.
The rink is supposed to be my escape. My safe place.
Then she shows up.
A figure skater with sharp edges and a mouth that never backs down. She's a distraction I don't need, a complication I never saw coming. But from the moment she crashes into my world, something shifts.
She gets under my skin, challenges me in ways I don't expect. And the more I try to keep my distance, the harder it gets to stay away.
I thought hockey was the only thing that mattered. I thought I had everything under control.
Turns out, I was wrong.
Katerina Hart
There was a time when I was unstoppable. When the ice was mine, and the world watched with bated breath. Katerina Hart Russia's golden girl, a name whispered with awe. Until one fall, one moment, changed everything.
The 2022 Olympics were supposed to be my crowning glory. Instead, they became my downfall. A disastrous mistake, a scandal I never saw coming, and just like that, the future I had sacrificed everything for slipped through my fingers.
Now, I'm here, Pleasant Oaks University. A far cry from the world stage, but a second chance to prove I still belong. A top coach, grueling training, one final shot at reclaiming my dream. But pressure weighs heavier than ever, and the cracks beneath my surface are starting to show. And then there's him.
The hockey player. My roommate. The infuriating, cocky, maddening presence in my life who makes me want to strangle him half the time and kiss him the other half. He pushes my buttons, challenges me in ways I don't expect, and worst of all, makes my heart race every time he looks at me.
A new father figure I never asked for. A health issue I refuse to acknowledge. The relentless fear that no matter how hard I fight, I'll never be enough.
I came here to rewrite my story. To take back what was stolen from me.
But what if I'm the one standing in my own way?
As their late-night arguments turn into something deeper, they’re forced to ask Is love worth the risk when everything they’ve ever worked for is on the line?
Because falling for each other was never part of the plan and in their world, love could cost them everything.
Aiden Knight
Hockey is the one thing I can control. On the ice, everything makes sense the plays, the pressure, the expectations. As captain of Pleasant Oaks University's hockey team, I know my role, and I own it. Off the ice? That's a different story. The weight of leading my team, the battles I fight in silence, the parts of me no one sees, it's all starting to pull me under.
The rink is supposed to be my escape. My safe place.
Then she shows up.
A figure skater with sharp edges and a mouth that never backs down. She's a distraction I don't need, a complication I never saw coming. But from the moment she crashes into my world, something shifts.
She gets under my skin, challenges me in ways I don't expect. And the more I try to keep my distance, the harder it gets to stay away.
I thought hockey was the only thing that mattered. I thought I had everything under control.
Turns out, I was wrong.
Katerina Hart
There was a time when I was unstoppable. When the ice was mine, and the world watched with bated breath. Katerina Hart Russia's golden girl, a name whispered with awe. Until one fall, one moment, changed everything.
The 2022 Olympics were supposed to be my crowning glory. Instead, they became my downfall. A disastrous mistake, a scandal I never saw coming, and just like that, the future I had sacrificed everything for slipped through my fingers.
Now, I'm here, Pleasant Oaks University. A far cry from the world stage, but a second chance to prove I still belong. A top coach, grueling training, one final shot at reclaiming my dream. But pressure weighs heavier than ever, and the cracks beneath my surface are starting to show. And then there's him.
The hockey player. My roommate. The infuriating, cocky, maddening presence in my life who makes me want to strangle him half the time and kiss him the other half. He pushes my buttons, challenges me in ways I don't expect, and worst of all, makes my heart race every time he looks at me.
A new father figure I never asked for. A health issue I refuse to acknowledge. The relentless fear that no matter how hard I fight, I'll never be enough.
I came here to rewrite my story. To take back what was stolen from me.
But what if I'm the one standing in my own way?
As their late-night arguments turn into something deeper, they’re forced to ask Is love worth the risk when everything they’ve ever worked for is on the line?
Because falling for each other was never part of the plan and in their world, love could cost them everything.
- GenresRomance
369 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 22, 2025
7 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
A.C. MOTUGA
1 book14 followersA.C. MOTUGA was born and raised in Albania, in a place where tradition, emotion, and storytelling run deep. Growing up surrounded by the quiet strength of her culture and the raw beauty of everyday life, she developed a deep love for stories that explore the most universal experience of all—love.
Writing romance wasn’t always the plan, but it came naturally. What started as scribbled thoughts in notebooks became full stories, characters with real feelings, and relationships that felt honest. For MOTUGA, romance isn’t just about happy endings—it’s about connection, vulnerability, healing, and the small, powerful moments that shape who we are.
Her stories are rooted in emotion, often inspired by real life, and driven by the idea that love, in its many imperfect forms, is always worth writing about. Through every book, A.C. MOTUGA hopes readers feel seen, understood, and maybe even a little more hopeful about love.
Writing romance wasn’t always the plan, but it came naturally. What started as scribbled thoughts in notebooks became full stories, characters with real feelings, and relationships that felt honest. For MOTUGA, romance isn’t just about happy endings—it’s about connection, vulnerability, healing, and the small, powerful moments that shape who we are.
Her stories are rooted in emotion, often inspired by real life, and driven by the idea that love, in its many imperfect forms, is always worth writing about. Through every book, A.C. MOTUGA hopes readers feel seen, understood, and maybe even a little more hopeful about love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
April 20, 2025
Katerina is moving to America to go to university and try her hand at a fresh start in the skating world. With an eye on Olympic gold, her and her partner try to overcome her past trauma in the sport in a new country. However, she isn't expecting to cross paths with a grumpy hockey player who drives her up the wall, and who brings her to her knees.
*****
I wanted to love this one, and I gave it a lot of grace in spelling errors as I know the author said this ARC still needed final edits, but this one was a mess. The writing itself is underdeveloped. Neither lead is fully fleshed out, and they don't truly act their age or exist in a logical world. Even from the start, Katerina moves from Russia, where she's lived her entire life, to America, and has zero language barrier or any mention of an accent, culture shock, or anything. She moves there with multiple teammates and somehow ends up in a university-run hockey house that houses a handful of people, and can't be switched, while her teammates end up in a skating household.
She immediately bonds with her hockey housemates, spilling information as if she's known them her entire life, and referring to them as her best friends. We also have her Russian best friends she's known forever, and they all end up dating everyone in the hockey house as well so it's a menagerie of drama and weird enmeshment. Every character for some reason is invested in each other characters love life to a strange degree, and they all meddle and give advice despite all of them being terrible at relationships. We also have a side story of Katerina's best friend and Aiden's best friend and all of their relationship drama running concurrent to the leads story that pulls the focus onto them throughout the entire novel. It's so incredibly messy and dramatic that it genuinely started to get annoying.
From there we have a lot of consistency issues. Scenes often didn't make sense. One that sticks out heavily is driving a car to pick Katerina up from her "dorm" when she actually lives in the hockey house with them, driving that car to a concert. Then they uber "back to the hotel" when they didn't come from a hotel at all, and why did he leave his car?? We also have him taking steps towards her yet still leaning on a door frame right after, as well as mentions of Katerina having dark hair like her father, when the entire book her light hair is mentioned to the point Aiden goes as far as calling her "Goldie." Then Aiden's aunt is over for a visit yet the scene says Katerina is talking to his mom - who is dead. It's over and over with odd inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story. Multiple times it felt as if scenes were rearranged and then the book wasn't read back over, as we'd have advancement in their relationship and then the next chapter would start with them not knowing where they stood.
The layout of the book was odd as well, as it was often spaced as if one lead was saying something, then as you read forward it was actually the other lead. I'm not sure if this was an overall formatting issue, but it did make the book frustrating as I kept having to adjust to who was saying what after reading a few lines. We also get a lot of repetitive phrasing in general, that made scenes predictable.
The book did have moments where it was engaging, it started off decent enough, but then it got stagnant. There didn't seem to be any real direction to the story, with random side stories pulled in, and the characters meandering through random days. Aiden's sister was an odd side story - especially how the dad treated her. Knowing he must have been paying tons in medical expenses yet didn't care about her was odd. Also having Katerina party so frequently while training to compete for the Olympics also didn't make any sense. Also describing her clothing constantly started to have me zoning out and skimming those paragraphs as they weren't important to the story.
Overall, the author had some interesting concepts of the book, but beta readers would have been beneficial to narrow down some bigger issues and bring her book some clarity.
*****
Thank you to the author for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****
I wanted to love this one, and I gave it a lot of grace in spelling errors as I know the author said this ARC still needed final edits, but this one was a mess. The writing itself is underdeveloped. Neither lead is fully fleshed out, and they don't truly act their age or exist in a logical world. Even from the start, Katerina moves from Russia, where she's lived her entire life, to America, and has zero language barrier or any mention of an accent, culture shock, or anything. She moves there with multiple teammates and somehow ends up in a university-run hockey house that houses a handful of people, and can't be switched, while her teammates end up in a skating household.
She immediately bonds with her hockey housemates, spilling information as if she's known them her entire life, and referring to them as her best friends. We also have her Russian best friends she's known forever, and they all end up dating everyone in the hockey house as well so it's a menagerie of drama and weird enmeshment. Every character for some reason is invested in each other characters love life to a strange degree, and they all meddle and give advice despite all of them being terrible at relationships. We also have a side story of Katerina's best friend and Aiden's best friend and all of their relationship drama running concurrent to the leads story that pulls the focus onto them throughout the entire novel. It's so incredibly messy and dramatic that it genuinely started to get annoying.
From there we have a lot of consistency issues. Scenes often didn't make sense. One that sticks out heavily is driving a car to pick Katerina up from her "dorm" when she actually lives in the hockey house with them, driving that car to a concert. Then they uber "back to the hotel" when they didn't come from a hotel at all, and why did he leave his car?? We also have him taking steps towards her yet still leaning on a door frame right after, as well as mentions of Katerina having dark hair like her father, when the entire book her light hair is mentioned to the point Aiden goes as far as calling her "Goldie." Then Aiden's aunt is over for a visit yet the scene says Katerina is talking to his mom - who is dead. It's over and over with odd inconsistencies that pulled me out of the story. Multiple times it felt as if scenes were rearranged and then the book wasn't read back over, as we'd have advancement in their relationship and then the next chapter would start with them not knowing where they stood.
The layout of the book was odd as well, as it was often spaced as if one lead was saying something, then as you read forward it was actually the other lead. I'm not sure if this was an overall formatting issue, but it did make the book frustrating as I kept having to adjust to who was saying what after reading a few lines. We also get a lot of repetitive phrasing in general, that made scenes predictable.
The book did have moments where it was engaging, it started off decent enough, but then it got stagnant. There didn't seem to be any real direction to the story, with random side stories pulled in, and the characters meandering through random days. Aiden's sister was an odd side story - especially how the dad treated her. Knowing he must have been paying tons in medical expenses yet didn't care about her was odd. Also having Katerina party so frequently while training to compete for the Olympics also didn't make any sense. Also describing her clothing constantly started to have me zoning out and skimming those paragraphs as they weren't important to the story.
Overall, the author had some interesting concepts of the book, but beta readers would have been beneficial to narrow down some bigger issues and bring her book some clarity.
*****
Thank you to the author for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 23, 2025
*I was given this book as an eArc but my review is based solely on my own thoughts and opinions*
Hmm, not sure how I feel about the grumpy x grumpy trope. Kat is straight up rude to everyone when she gets to America, I’ll give her a pass though cause she’s gone through a lot. There’s a lot of bipolar-ness, like one sec they are flirting and the next they are screaming at each other, kinda hard to like them when they act like children at times. I love the subtle things, like when he sees her hair down for the first time and he just stops what he’s doing. How he wants to impress her with his playing. I love those moments. The tension is great, good slow burn. That was done very well. It had me on the edge. I do love seeing their relationship progress. The introduction of Maddie was fast, there was a scene mentioned of her meeting one of the guys but it was brief, I wish there was more detail to that because it felt like I was missing so much story and detail. The other boys in the house are cute and fun, very likable. I feel like the author made the other boys more carefree and likable to really have Aiden’s behavior stand out but at times it seemed too much. I do love a good hockey romance though haha. What is it about hockey players that just does something to us women? Haha. I do love a redemption story too, her relationship with her absent father is nice. The ending is happy which is always nice and adorable.
Overall, I enjoyed it, as previously mentioned I think im not a big fan of grumpy x grumpy romances, so I’d give this book a 3 but I think it’s good and is up there with other similar books and tropes. For people who like hockey romances and/or back and forth bickering and tension, I think they’d give it a 4. Author should be proud of themselves and I’m just so thankful to have been accepted to read this arc.
Hmm, not sure how I feel about the grumpy x grumpy trope. Kat is straight up rude to everyone when she gets to America, I’ll give her a pass though cause she’s gone through a lot. There’s a lot of bipolar-ness, like one sec they are flirting and the next they are screaming at each other, kinda hard to like them when they act like children at times. I love the subtle things, like when he sees her hair down for the first time and he just stops what he’s doing. How he wants to impress her with his playing. I love those moments. The tension is great, good slow burn. That was done very well. It had me on the edge. I do love seeing their relationship progress. The introduction of Maddie was fast, there was a scene mentioned of her meeting one of the guys but it was brief, I wish there was more detail to that because it felt like I was missing so much story and detail. The other boys in the house are cute and fun, very likable. I feel like the author made the other boys more carefree and likable to really have Aiden’s behavior stand out but at times it seemed too much. I do love a good hockey romance though haha. What is it about hockey players that just does something to us women? Haha. I do love a redemption story too, her relationship with her absent father is nice. The ending is happy which is always nice and adorable.
Overall, I enjoyed it, as previously mentioned I think im not a big fan of grumpy x grumpy romances, so I’d give this book a 3 but I think it’s good and is up there with other similar books and tropes. For people who like hockey romances and/or back and forth bickering and tension, I think they’d give it a 4. Author should be proud of themselves and I’m just so thankful to have been accepted to read this arc.
March 25, 2025
⛸️ᗩᖇᑕ ᖇEᐯIEᗯ🏒
5/5⭐️
I absolutely love this book. I legit ate it up in one sitting.
Aiden and Kat are amazing…
The banter between them is hot and hilarious… You can feel the sexual tension.. Everyone around them feels it also😝
They don’t like each other in the beginning..
She thinks he is a grumpy jerk…
He can’t keep his eyes off her from the very first moment..
They both fall insanely HARD for each other but it’s not easy..
She has things from the past that mess with her still and she is afraid he will eventually leave like everyone else…
Aiden is an amazing big brother.. I love how close he is with his little sister and he steps up in a GIANT way…
I legit wanted to throw my kindle at one point from Kat being a total idiot for saying what she does and breaks Aiden’s heart💔
But Aiden knows they are meant to be… Our boy doesn’t give up…
They both get jealous a lot haha
They try to fight their feelings until they can’t anymore and give in..
They are beyond amazing together🥹
5/5⭐️
I absolutely love this book. I legit ate it up in one sitting.
Aiden and Kat are amazing…
The banter between them is hot and hilarious… You can feel the sexual tension.. Everyone around them feels it also😝
They don’t like each other in the beginning..
She thinks he is a grumpy jerk…
He can’t keep his eyes off her from the very first moment..
They both fall insanely HARD for each other but it’s not easy..
She has things from the past that mess with her still and she is afraid he will eventually leave like everyone else…
Aiden is an amazing big brother.. I love how close he is with his little sister and he steps up in a GIANT way…
I legit wanted to throw my kindle at one point from Kat being a total idiot for saying what she does and breaks Aiden’s heart💔
But Aiden knows they are meant to be… Our boy doesn’t give up…
They both get jealous a lot haha
They try to fight their feelings until they can’t anymore and give in..
They are beyond amazing together🥹
April 10, 2025
3,5 ⭐️
My very first ARC and I'm so thankful I got to be one of the first to read this beautiful story!✨️
I really enjoyed the story, the romance between Kat & Aiden was so so cute! And I honestly couldn't get enough of them! The build up to their relationship was filled with ups and downs and very fun enemies to lovers story!
The side stories from all of Kat's friends was also very entertaining and fun! (Secretly I'm hoping for an Alina x Roman book next 🥺)
I really recommend this book if you love enemies to lovers, hockey romance, a bit of drama and lotssss of love✨️
Oh and he falls first😉
My very first ARC and I'm so thankful I got to be one of the first to read this beautiful story!✨️
I really enjoyed the story, the romance between Kat & Aiden was so so cute! And I honestly couldn't get enough of them! The build up to their relationship was filled with ups and downs and very fun enemies to lovers story!
The side stories from all of Kat's friends was also very entertaining and fun! (Secretly I'm hoping for an Alina x Roman book next 🥺)
I really recommend this book if you love enemies to lovers, hockey romance, a bit of drama and lotssss of love✨️
Oh and he falls first😉
April 16, 2025
I love a grumpy mmc so add a grumpy fmc and make it forced proximity and found family, I'm all in. The tension and banter between Kat and Aiden was good. Kat is dealing with a lot of trauma and doesn't know how to handle it. Aiden has family issues (which is brother acknowledged during the story, I hope we get his book for his POV on the topic). Kat puts up walls but Aiden knocks them down. Kat tries to push him away and breaks up with him, he does what her can to support her during this time and her run for the Olympics.
The side characters were great, you can tell they all truly love and support each other. The book sets up their stories to continue the series.
The side characters were great, you can tell they all truly love and support each other. The book sets up their stories to continue the series.
March 26, 2025
♡ARC REVIEW♡
♡♡♡♡♡/5
Hey Hey! Hockey romance fans this one's for you! I had the pleasure of ARC reading Icebound Hearts by @acmotugaauthor, and let me just tell you it's absolutely everything you will crave in a sports romance novel and so much more! Icebound Hearts is Releasing April 22, 2025 so EVERYONE go mark your calendars!
Aiden is the cocky, very in-control hockey captain who wants to focus on getting his team to the championships But there is Kat, the girl he can't stand but he also can't stand to be away from her and Kat is the fallen ice princess with nothing absolutely left to lose. When certain circumstances force the two together, the tension chips like the ice beneath the blades. This book owns all of my mind, body and soul. If you’re a lover of sports romance fully packed with banter, intensity, and genuine heart, you need this on your tbr!! Who else is adding this to their TBR?
♡Tropes list♡
♡Dual POV
♡High angst
♡Touch her & die
♡Enemies to lovers
♡Forced proximity
♡Panic attack rep
♡Grump x broken
♡Found family
♡♡♡♡♡/5
Hey Hey! Hockey romance fans this one's for you! I had the pleasure of ARC reading Icebound Hearts by @acmotugaauthor, and let me just tell you it's absolutely everything you will crave in a sports romance novel and so much more! Icebound Hearts is Releasing April 22, 2025 so EVERYONE go mark your calendars!
Aiden is the cocky, very in-control hockey captain who wants to focus on getting his team to the championships But there is Kat, the girl he can't stand but he also can't stand to be away from her and Kat is the fallen ice princess with nothing absolutely left to lose. When certain circumstances force the two together, the tension chips like the ice beneath the blades. This book owns all of my mind, body and soul. If you’re a lover of sports romance fully packed with banter, intensity, and genuine heart, you need this on your tbr!! Who else is adding this to their TBR?
♡Tropes list♡
♡Dual POV
♡High angst
♡Touch her & die
♡Enemies to lovers
♡Forced proximity
♡Panic attack rep
♡Grump x broken
♡Found family
March 25, 2025
I was a part of the ARC team for this book.
It is a romance between a hockey player and a figure skater. 🏒⛸️
The FMC (Katerina) is Russian and after having to leave her home in shame, she comes to the United States to complete under the American flag. She has many ups and downs, but there is one person she can’t stand, Aiden. Aiden the captain of the hockey team and wants to focus on getting his team to the championships. But there is Kat, the girl he can’t stand who he also can’t stand to be away from.
They both support each other through each other’s struggles. We both tried to fight their connection and saying they hate each other, but they both know the inevitable reality that that is a lie. They both have amazing banter going back-and-forth. This book does have some spice. I can’t wait until this book is officially released!
Please check out this book!
It is a romance between a hockey player and a figure skater. 🏒⛸️
The FMC (Katerina) is Russian and after having to leave her home in shame, she comes to the United States to complete under the American flag. She has many ups and downs, but there is one person she can’t stand, Aiden. Aiden the captain of the hockey team and wants to focus on getting his team to the championships. But there is Kat, the girl he can’t stand who he also can’t stand to be away from.
They both support each other through each other’s struggles. We both tried to fight their connection and saying they hate each other, but they both know the inevitable reality that that is a lie. They both have amazing banter going back-and-forth. This book does have some spice. I can’t wait until this book is officially released!
Please check out this book!
April 22, 2025
BETA/ARC Review: 4.5⭐️
Icebound Hearts is book 1 in the Pleasant Oaks University series featuring Aiden Knight & Katrina ‘Kat’ Hart.
Kat comes to Pleasant Oaks with two of her friends for a second chance to qualify for the Olympics in Figure skating. She skates doubles with her partner Alexei and her bestie Alina skates singles.
After a mix up with the housing department she winds up rooming at the hockey house for the semester. She gets along well with all her house mates, with the exception of Aiden.
Kat & Aiden constantly picker and drive each other crazy, but there’s a fine line between love and hate and these two are on a fast track to finding out.
After an injury results in Kat needing surgery, Aiden steps in to help her and things really begin to bloom between them. But when the pressure becomes to much and kat pushes Aiden away, can they survive or will they lose their chance before they even begin?
I absolutely love this book, the characters and this world! Everyone felt so real and easy to connect with, and I could totally picture being apart of the friend group. Aiden has become a top tier book boyfriend, and I can’t wait to see what comes next !!
I would like to take the time to thank A.C. Motuga for asking me to Beta/ ARC read this story and I hope I’ll be able to continue to do so in the future!
Icebound Hearts is book 1 in the Pleasant Oaks University series featuring Aiden Knight & Katrina ‘Kat’ Hart.
Kat comes to Pleasant Oaks with two of her friends for a second chance to qualify for the Olympics in Figure skating. She skates doubles with her partner Alexei and her bestie Alina skates singles.
After a mix up with the housing department she winds up rooming at the hockey house for the semester. She gets along well with all her house mates, with the exception of Aiden.
Kat & Aiden constantly picker and drive each other crazy, but there’s a fine line between love and hate and these two are on a fast track to finding out.
After an injury results in Kat needing surgery, Aiden steps in to help her and things really begin to bloom between them. But when the pressure becomes to much and kat pushes Aiden away, can they survive or will they lose their chance before they even begin?
I absolutely love this book, the characters and this world! Everyone felt so real and easy to connect with, and I could totally picture being apart of the friend group. Aiden has become a top tier book boyfriend, and I can’t wait to see what comes next !!
I would like to take the time to thank A.C. Motuga for asking me to Beta/ ARC read this story and I hope I’ll be able to continue to do so in the future!
April 16, 2025
“the girl i love is here”
firstly i would like to thank arseda motuga for providing me with an arc of this book to read and review!
overall, this was such an easy read that was such a perfect length with a plot that progressed very well. however, the formatting and writing structure of this arc made it a little hard to read and understand at times unfortunately. it also took a third of the book to gain some information i think we should have started with in order to make the events of the book make more sense from the get go. i also found that as the book went on, there were quite a few plot discrepancies. unfortunately while this book had so much potential, it did lose me in the end a bit as some events seemed random, not relevant to kat and aiden’s storyline, or just very short lived complications for no apparent reason. in the end, my final rating feels generous for the unedited version of this book.
i think that kat and aiden were amazing MCs, and i really enjoyed reading about both of them and their blossoming relationship (but honestly, they were in love from the start and everyone but them knew it - which i love!). both kat and aiden are super grumpy to begin with, but their reasoning for it was understandable and just added to the tension brewing between them. and, despite this grumpiness and hard exterior, both have soft interiors and truly care about each other. aiden in particular is so protective, which made me devour all the jealousy, tension, and his nicknames for kat (namely ‘angel face’ or ‘my angel’ or ‘my girl’). their romance bloomed at such a perfect pace, and when they crossed the line from hate to love it made perfect sense. and i absolutely love how both aiden and kat succeed in their dreams and are there to support each other in doing so - i think that was such an important ending to their book. however, i do wish we had more chapters from aiden’s pov as i would have loved to learn more about him and his past as well.
i think the found family aspect of this book was also extremely good! the way all of the hockey and figure skating couples come together to be family and supports for one another is so special. i’m hopeful we will get to see the stories of each couple to help make sense of the events that occurred in this one. at times it did feel as though we were expected to know details of the side characters’ lives and relationships even though this book solely focused on kat and aiden. because of this, i didn’t quite understand why or love how the characters had been written at times. however, as well as great found family, i also thought that this book had great representation of different personal situations and experiences! it brought an extra layer of reality to the book that i really enjoyed.
firstly i would like to thank arseda motuga for providing me with an arc of this book to read and review!
overall, this was such an easy read that was such a perfect length with a plot that progressed very well. however, the formatting and writing structure of this arc made it a little hard to read and understand at times unfortunately. it also took a third of the book to gain some information i think we should have started with in order to make the events of the book make more sense from the get go. i also found that as the book went on, there were quite a few plot discrepancies. unfortunately while this book had so much potential, it did lose me in the end a bit as some events seemed random, not relevant to kat and aiden’s storyline, or just very short lived complications for no apparent reason. in the end, my final rating feels generous for the unedited version of this book.
i think that kat and aiden were amazing MCs, and i really enjoyed reading about both of them and their blossoming relationship (but honestly, they were in love from the start and everyone but them knew it - which i love!). both kat and aiden are super grumpy to begin with, but their reasoning for it was understandable and just added to the tension brewing between them. and, despite this grumpiness and hard exterior, both have soft interiors and truly care about each other. aiden in particular is so protective, which made me devour all the jealousy, tension, and his nicknames for kat (namely ‘angel face’ or ‘my angel’ or ‘my girl’). their romance bloomed at such a perfect pace, and when they crossed the line from hate to love it made perfect sense. and i absolutely love how both aiden and kat succeed in their dreams and are there to support each other in doing so - i think that was such an important ending to their book. however, i do wish we had more chapters from aiden’s pov as i would have loved to learn more about him and his past as well.
i think the found family aspect of this book was also extremely good! the way all of the hockey and figure skating couples come together to be family and supports for one another is so special. i’m hopeful we will get to see the stories of each couple to help make sense of the events that occurred in this one. at times it did feel as though we were expected to know details of the side characters’ lives and relationships even though this book solely focused on kat and aiden. because of this, i didn’t quite understand why or love how the characters had been written at times. however, as well as great found family, i also thought that this book had great representation of different personal situations and experiences! it brought an extra layer of reality to the book that i really enjoyed.
April 21, 2025
~ARC REVIEW~
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5
One of the things I absolutely loved about "Icebound Hearts" is how the author effortlessly blends emotion and tension, keeping me hooked from beginning to end. The depth of the characters, Aiden and Katerina, and their emotional journeys was so well done that I found myself fully invested in their growth and struggles.
Character Time!!!! Aiden (I love this him!!!!! 🥰) is absolutely everything. From the very first page, his strength and vulnerability stood out. I loved how he wasn’t perfect but still managed to fight through his inner turmoil and become better for himself and those around him. The way he faced his challenges head-on was incredibly inspiring.
And Katerina? Wow, just wow. Her resilience and depth were unmatched. Her ability to navigate through her past while still being open to love and growth was so captivating. The balance between her and Aiden’s relationship, filled with tenderness and mutual respect, really stood out to me. It was the kind of love that felt real—no games, no manipulation, just raw, unfiltered care.
As for Roman and Alina, they added so much to the story. I loved their chemistry and how they supported Aiden and Katerina throughout their journey. They brought lightness to the book, while also showing their own personal growth and love. Their connection added layers to the story and made the entire emotional journey feel even more fulfilling.
To my fellow readers who’ve ever doubted themselves, feared love, or struggled to find peace with their past—Aiden and Katerina’s journey will hit home. Their growth and the way they opened their hearts again was nothing short of beautiful.
This book isn't your typical romance. There’s no unnecessary drama—just love, trust, and understanding. It’s about finding someone who truly sees you, who holds you when you’re broken, and who makes you feel whole again. The ending? 🥹🥹🥹. A bittersweet, but fulfilling conclusion to a heartfelt journey
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5
One of the things I absolutely loved about "Icebound Hearts" is how the author effortlessly blends emotion and tension, keeping me hooked from beginning to end. The depth of the characters, Aiden and Katerina, and their emotional journeys was so well done that I found myself fully invested in their growth and struggles.
Character Time!!!! Aiden (I love this him!!!!! 🥰) is absolutely everything. From the very first page, his strength and vulnerability stood out. I loved how he wasn’t perfect but still managed to fight through his inner turmoil and become better for himself and those around him. The way he faced his challenges head-on was incredibly inspiring.
And Katerina? Wow, just wow. Her resilience and depth were unmatched. Her ability to navigate through her past while still being open to love and growth was so captivating. The balance between her and Aiden’s relationship, filled with tenderness and mutual respect, really stood out to me. It was the kind of love that felt real—no games, no manipulation, just raw, unfiltered care.
As for Roman and Alina, they added so much to the story. I loved their chemistry and how they supported Aiden and Katerina throughout their journey. They brought lightness to the book, while also showing their own personal growth and love. Their connection added layers to the story and made the entire emotional journey feel even more fulfilling.
To my fellow readers who’ve ever doubted themselves, feared love, or struggled to find peace with their past—Aiden and Katerina’s journey will hit home. Their growth and the way they opened their hearts again was nothing short of beautiful.
This book isn't your typical romance. There’s no unnecessary drama—just love, trust, and understanding. It’s about finding someone who truly sees you, who holds you when you’re broken, and who makes you feel whole again. The ending? 🥹🥹🥹. A bittersweet, but fulfilling conclusion to a heartfelt journey
April 7, 2025
Hockey romance lovers, buckle up—this one’s about to skate straight into your heart and leave a permanent mark. 🏒❄️💙 I had the absolute honor of beta reading Icebound Hearts, and let me tell you… this book isn’t just a story—it’s an obsession. It’s raw, it’s intense, it’s sexy as hell, and it’s dropping into the world on April 22, 2025—mark your calendars, set reminders, tattoo the date if you have to. You do not want to miss this.
🔥 Here’s the lowdown:
He’s the cocky, untouchable hockey captain with a chip on his shoulder and fire in his blood. She’s the once-golden ice princess, shattered by the past and skating on the edge of a breakdown. When life throws them into close quarters, their chemistry is instant and electric—like a match dragged across gasoline. Their verbal sparring? Straight foreplay. And every stolen glance, every accidental touch, builds to a tension so thick, it practically fogs the rink glass. ⛸️🔥
💖 Tropes That Will Wreck You (in the best way):
✨ Dual POV (hello, deep emotional insight and angsty internal monologues)
✨ High-stakes angst that hurts so good
✨ Touch her and die (he’s feral and I love him)
✨ Enemies to lovers with a delicious slow burn
✨ Forced proximity that’ll make you scream
✨ Sensitive panic attack rep that’s handled with care and power
✨ Grumpy x broken dynamic that makes your chest ache
✨ And a found family that’ll wrap around your heart and never let go
This book owns me. I’m talking lost sleep, feral reactions, and moments where I had to just sit and feel. If you crave romance that makes your pulse race, your heart break, and your soul scream “one more chapter,” then Icebound Hearts belongs on your TBR ASAP. 📚💙
Who else is pre-saving, pre-ordering, or planning a reading binge? I need a support group already. 😭🔥
🔥 Here’s the lowdown:
He’s the cocky, untouchable hockey captain with a chip on his shoulder and fire in his blood. She’s the once-golden ice princess, shattered by the past and skating on the edge of a breakdown. When life throws them into close quarters, their chemistry is instant and electric—like a match dragged across gasoline. Their verbal sparring? Straight foreplay. And every stolen glance, every accidental touch, builds to a tension so thick, it practically fogs the rink glass. ⛸️🔥
💖 Tropes That Will Wreck You (in the best way):
✨ Dual POV (hello, deep emotional insight and angsty internal monologues)
✨ High-stakes angst that hurts so good
✨ Touch her and die (he’s feral and I love him)
✨ Enemies to lovers with a delicious slow burn
✨ Forced proximity that’ll make you scream
✨ Sensitive panic attack rep that’s handled with care and power
✨ Grumpy x broken dynamic that makes your chest ache
✨ And a found family that’ll wrap around your heart and never let go
This book owns me. I’m talking lost sleep, feral reactions, and moments where I had to just sit and feel. If you crave romance that makes your pulse race, your heart break, and your soul scream “one more chapter,” then Icebound Hearts belongs on your TBR ASAP. 📚💙
Who else is pre-saving, pre-ordering, or planning a reading binge? I need a support group already. 😭🔥
April 10, 2025
Icebound Hearts by A.C. Montuga
🏒Hockey Player x Figure Skater
⛸️Grumpy x Sunshine
🏒They Both Have Trauma
⛸️Third Act Breakup
🏒She’s Russian
My Rating: 7/10💫
This book was pretty good. The banter between Aiden and Katerina was pretty funny at times and I always love a good forced proximity book. I also liked how Katerina was very career driven and often focused on her friends instead of being boy obsessed like some other female mcs that I have read in the past. I also loved how down bad Aiden was and how he wanted to see her happy no matter what it took. I also loved how Aiden was so supportive of everyone around him and wanted to help as many people as he could. This book was a fun little read that I would definitely consider picking back up sometime in the future.
Now, with that being said, this book confused me. There were often times plot lines that felt like they could have been touched on more, such as kat being from Russia. I also would have loved to see her and Aiden simmer a little bit more and have more of that enemies to lovers dynamic. I also would have loved to see more development in Katerina’s relationship with her dad.
A.C. if you’re reading this, thank you so much for the opportunity to ARC read this book. I loved Aiden and Katerina to bits and wanted to just scoop them up and keep them in a blanket and feed them ice cream for the rest of their lives. I also love your writing style because it wasn’t overcomplicated and was fun and easy to read. I have full faith that whatever you write next will be amazing and blow me out of the water.
🏒Hockey Player x Figure Skater
⛸️Grumpy x Sunshine
🏒They Both Have Trauma
⛸️Third Act Breakup
🏒She’s Russian
My Rating: 7/10💫
This book was pretty good. The banter between Aiden and Katerina was pretty funny at times and I always love a good forced proximity book. I also liked how Katerina was very career driven and often focused on her friends instead of being boy obsessed like some other female mcs that I have read in the past. I also loved how down bad Aiden was and how he wanted to see her happy no matter what it took. I also loved how Aiden was so supportive of everyone around him and wanted to help as many people as he could. This book was a fun little read that I would definitely consider picking back up sometime in the future.
Now, with that being said, this book confused me. There were often times plot lines that felt like they could have been touched on more, such as kat being from Russia. I also would have loved to see her and Aiden simmer a little bit more and have more of that enemies to lovers dynamic. I also would have loved to see more development in Katerina’s relationship with her dad.
A.C. if you’re reading this, thank you so much for the opportunity to ARC read this book. I loved Aiden and Katerina to bits and wanted to just scoop them up and keep them in a blanket and feed them ice cream for the rest of their lives. I also love your writing style because it wasn’t overcomplicated and was fun and easy to read. I have full faith that whatever you write next will be amazing and blow me out of the water.
April 22, 2025
Icebound Hearts🏒⛸️
.
I'm so happy to be able to read this ARC from the author and letting me give my honest review! There's 2 things I want to touch today that is the plot and characters. No spoilers obviously.
Plot: Honestly I love the plot. I've never read many Grumpy x Grumpy in books and this one actually ate. Both are the definition of grumpy and I honestly like it. The author actually put it up. The pace was quite fast I would say but nonetheless I love fast paced plots. The only issues are the spelling errors which I don't mind since it's an ARC and this is the author's first book and I totally respect that. It did said that this had Grumpy x Broken but somehow to me I felt it more to Grumpy x Grumpy! And of course there's angst. Angst in books..is always a must to me. Some parts of this book did made me cry which is honestly good because that means I felt the emotions in this. Panic attack rep is what made this story best. I loved it. The author did good with it!
Characters: In my opinion,they weren't that bad at all! Katerina lift up to being the Grumpy as well as Aiden. I also haven't read any books that has a romance between a figure skater and a hockey player so it's quite new to me and interesting. The developement between Katerina and Aiden was somehow the pace I liked. The teasing and banter was definitely for it to me.
Overall I like this book. It isn't the best but I do know the author can improve more and I would absolutely love to see that happen. I will definitely keep supporting her to keep writing!
.
I'm so happy to be able to read this ARC from the author and letting me give my honest review! There's 2 things I want to touch today that is the plot and characters. No spoilers obviously.
Plot: Honestly I love the plot. I've never read many Grumpy x Grumpy in books and this one actually ate. Both are the definition of grumpy and I honestly like it. The author actually put it up. The pace was quite fast I would say but nonetheless I love fast paced plots. The only issues are the spelling errors which I don't mind since it's an ARC and this is the author's first book and I totally respect that. It did said that this had Grumpy x Broken but somehow to me I felt it more to Grumpy x Grumpy! And of course there's angst. Angst in books..is always a must to me. Some parts of this book did made me cry which is honestly good because that means I felt the emotions in this. Panic attack rep is what made this story best. I loved it. The author did good with it!
Characters: In my opinion,they weren't that bad at all! Katerina lift up to being the Grumpy as well as Aiden. I also haven't read any books that has a romance between a figure skater and a hockey player so it's quite new to me and interesting. The developement between Katerina and Aiden was somehow the pace I liked. The teasing and banter was definitely for it to me.
Overall I like this book. It isn't the best but I do know the author can improve more and I would absolutely love to see that happen. I will definitely keep supporting her to keep writing!
April 9, 2025
Tension!! Right from the start.
Katerina has just arrived in the US from Russia, with one thing in mind. To make it to the Olympics. Leaving behind everything that happened back home, she is committed and focused on being perfect and earning the gold. However things start off rocky when she finds out that she was accidentally placed in the Hockey player house, instead of the figure skating one. And the bumps continue, when she finds out the guy who’s been staring at her, the one who’s presence she can feel before she sees, is Aiden Knight. Captain of the hockey team, and her new roommate.
Aiden doesn’t do distractions. He’s got too much on the line. His sole focus is hockey, winning, and caring for his sister who’s in the hospital battling for her life. He doesn’t have time for anything else. But then why can’t he stop staring at her. Or picky fights with her. Or watching her as she gets all riled up by him.
This is not a cutesy hockey romance lol. It is full of tension, and enemy banter!! I loved the whole “dark” kind of presence that Aiden has. And the build up for them 🔥 I loved how they each got to take care of one another, and how it grew their relationship.
I’m not a big fan of 3rd act breakups, and this one does have one so reader beware lol. There is also a side relationship between the two best friends that is drama filled girl!! So hang on lol.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series!!
Katerina has just arrived in the US from Russia, with one thing in mind. To make it to the Olympics. Leaving behind everything that happened back home, she is committed and focused on being perfect and earning the gold. However things start off rocky when she finds out that she was accidentally placed in the Hockey player house, instead of the figure skating one. And the bumps continue, when she finds out the guy who’s been staring at her, the one who’s presence she can feel before she sees, is Aiden Knight. Captain of the hockey team, and her new roommate.
Aiden doesn’t do distractions. He’s got too much on the line. His sole focus is hockey, winning, and caring for his sister who’s in the hospital battling for her life. He doesn’t have time for anything else. But then why can’t he stop staring at her. Or picky fights with her. Or watching her as she gets all riled up by him.
This is not a cutesy hockey romance lol. It is full of tension, and enemy banter!! I loved the whole “dark” kind of presence that Aiden has. And the build up for them 🔥 I loved how they each got to take care of one another, and how it grew their relationship.
I’m not a big fan of 3rd act breakups, and this one does have one so reader beware lol. There is also a side relationship between the two best friends that is drama filled girl!! So hang on lol.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series!!
April 21, 2025
Umm?? WHO doesn’t absolutely MELT for a grumpy-grumpy dynamic?!? 🥹🔥Give me two emotionally damaged ice babies slowly falling in love and healing each other and I’m SOLD. 🧊💔➜💖 THE SPARKS?? THE STARES?? THE “accidental” touches?? The TENSION?? The PUSH and PULL?? The walls slamming and not just because of the hockey boards ahem 🧊🔥😮💨🧃Also?? I felt like I was watching a slow burn explode into a 5-alarm fire and I LOVED every second of it.The banter was top-tier, the longing?? 10/10 would ache again ✨😭
Would you believe I read it a handful of times again 😌? Well, I did. This book had me pacing in my room, blushing like a maniac, screaming into my pillow, smiling at walls like a lovesick teenager 🧸🫠 , and kicking my feet at 2 AM.This line??!! "I love you like a bruise loves bones—too deep to heal clean. I love you like a body hitting the boards—all impact and no grace." I had to put the book down and LIE DOWN, stare at the ceiling like I was in a music video. 💥🩶🥶 Who gave him the right?! Respectfully, sir??. I'm in pieces. 🫨 ✨
The SPICE?? Oh we got spice, babe. Think: slow-burn tension meets 🔥 clothes-on-the-floor energy🔥I needed a fan, a glass of water, and a TIME OUT. 😳🥵🧯
Enemies to lovers done RIGHT. Forced proximity done better. Chemistry?? Off. The. Charts. One second they’re arguing, next second...well, you’ll see 😏. Microwave at 2:00 AM levels of heat. 🔥📈🍜
Would you believe I read it a handful of times again 😌? Well, I did. This book had me pacing in my room, blushing like a maniac, screaming into my pillow, smiling at walls like a lovesick teenager 🧸🫠 , and kicking my feet at 2 AM.This line??!! "I love you like a bruise loves bones—too deep to heal clean. I love you like a body hitting the boards—all impact and no grace." I had to put the book down and LIE DOWN, stare at the ceiling like I was in a music video. 💥🩶🥶 Who gave him the right?! Respectfully, sir??. I'm in pieces. 🫨 ✨
The SPICE?? Oh we got spice, babe. Think: slow-burn tension meets 🔥 clothes-on-the-floor energy🔥I needed a fan, a glass of water, and a TIME OUT. 😳🥵🧯
Enemies to lovers done RIGHT. Forced proximity done better. Chemistry?? Off. The. Charts. One second they’re arguing, next second...well, you’ll see 😏. Microwave at 2:00 AM levels of heat. 🔥📈🍜
April 22, 2025
Review:
🏒Icebound Hearts🏒
Pleasant Oaks University #1
By A.C. Motuga
🏒 College Romance
🏒 Hockey Romance
🏒 Sports Romance
⭐ 4/5
Aiden and Katerina
The story follows Aiden and Katerina, and to say it is just a sweet college romance, is wrong. Katerina’s journey to Pleasant Oaks wasn’t easy and much less expected, from her side. Things have turned her into a grumpy but determined athlete.
Aiden is solely focused on hockey until he meets her. But with a lot on the plate things aren’t easy on his side, too.
Both stand in the way of their happy end, but it is easy to see that they are meant to be.
The side characters fit perfectly in the story. Whether that may be from her side or his teammates. Support, understanding and friendship with having each other's backs is a given.
Kat and Aiden have a really hard fought happy end with a few back and forth. But Aiden never wavers in supporting her, and in the end all that matters are the feelings you have.
With both being athletes they can relate to what the other one wants to achieve and has to work for.
I liked that their journey was one that they had to put work in, and I am truly curious how the stories of the other characters will turn out.
🏒Icebound Hearts🏒
Pleasant Oaks University #1
By A.C. Motuga
🏒 College Romance
🏒 Hockey Romance
🏒 Sports Romance
⭐ 4/5
Aiden and Katerina
The story follows Aiden and Katerina, and to say it is just a sweet college romance, is wrong. Katerina’s journey to Pleasant Oaks wasn’t easy and much less expected, from her side. Things have turned her into a grumpy but determined athlete.
Aiden is solely focused on hockey until he meets her. But with a lot on the plate things aren’t easy on his side, too.
Both stand in the way of their happy end, but it is easy to see that they are meant to be.
The side characters fit perfectly in the story. Whether that may be from her side or his teammates. Support, understanding and friendship with having each other's backs is a given.
Kat and Aiden have a really hard fought happy end with a few back and forth. But Aiden never wavers in supporting her, and in the end all that matters are the feelings you have.
With both being athletes they can relate to what the other one wants to achieve and has to work for.
I liked that their journey was one that they had to put work in, and I am truly curious how the stories of the other characters will turn out.
March 29, 2025
*ARC REVIEW*
I actually enjoyed the book.
I love sports romances!! Especially Hockey/Ice Skating ⛸️
I think the setup was good, and the writing was definitely my taste.
The romance was cute.
Aiden and Kat were definitely a new experience to me, and it was funny how two characters that are supposed to be opposites could actually fall in love.
I just think the book starts with so many characters and interactions. It was a little overwhelming 😅
There were parts that I felt annoyed with the characters, mainly because I just wanted them to shut up and kiss.
I also think we could have had a little more of the hockey team ... Aiden was the capitan, but we never really see him being the capitan.
I totally understand that the story is more focused on Kat and ice skating, but... I would love to see more interactions with his teammates and best friends.
Even like that, I'm totally here to see what the author is going to publish next.
I loved Alina, and I would totally read her book 🥰✨️
Thank you so much for this opportunity!! 💖
I actually enjoyed the book.
I love sports romances!! Especially Hockey/Ice Skating ⛸️
I think the setup was good, and the writing was definitely my taste.
The romance was cute.
Aiden and Kat were definitely a new experience to me, and it was funny how two characters that are supposed to be opposites could actually fall in love.
I just think the book starts with so many characters and interactions. It was a little overwhelming 😅
There were parts that I felt annoyed with the characters, mainly because I just wanted them to shut up and kiss.
I also think we could have had a little more of the hockey team ... Aiden was the capitan, but we never really see him being the capitan.
I totally understand that the story is more focused on Kat and ice skating, but... I would love to see more interactions with his teammates and best friends.
Even like that, I'm totally here to see what the author is going to publish next.
I loved Alina, and I would totally read her book 🥰✨️
Thank you so much for this opportunity!! 💖
May 6, 2025
I was really excited going into this book, but unfortunately, it started to lose me toward the end. The beginning was super promising,especially when Katerina first meets Aiden. Their dynamic had so much potential. But once the family drama kicked in, the story just didn’t hit the mark for me.
No offence, but the girl characters felt overly dramatic and kind of rude, like they were trying too hard to be the “main character.” It ended up feeling more cringey than compelling. Some scenes didn’t really make sense, and I wasn’t a fan of how Aiden swooped in on Katerina during such a vulnerable time. I know they had a love-hate thing going on at first, but I was hoping for a more grounded progression instead of Katerina coming off as childish and high-maintenance.
Overall, it’s not a bad read, just didn’t fully land for me. Maybe it’s just not my thing. But if you’re into the grumpy x grumpy trope, hockey boys with hidden soft sides, and late-night tension in a shared house… this one might be up your alley.
No offence, but the girl characters felt overly dramatic and kind of rude, like they were trying too hard to be the “main character.” It ended up feeling more cringey than compelling. Some scenes didn’t really make sense, and I wasn’t a fan of how Aiden swooped in on Katerina during such a vulnerable time. I know they had a love-hate thing going on at first, but I was hoping for a more grounded progression instead of Katerina coming off as childish and high-maintenance.
Overall, it’s not a bad read, just didn’t fully land for me. Maybe it’s just not my thing. But if you’re into the grumpy x grumpy trope, hockey boys with hidden soft sides, and late-night tension in a shared house… this one might be up your alley.
April 16, 2025
"Icebound Hearts" kicks off the Pleasant Oaks University series with a bang! We meet Aiden, a hockey captain with hidden pressures, and Katerina, a determined figure skater trying to bounce back from a tough past. They become roommates and, let's just say, sparks fly, the arguing kind at first!
What makes this book work is how real Aiden and Katerina feel. You get their struggles and their drive.
Their connection builds slowly but surely as they see past each other's tough exteriors. There's definitely some heat, but it's also about finding someone who understands their intense lives as athletes.
With high stakes in their sports, you can't help but wonder if their growing feelings can survive. "Icebound Hearts" is a fun, emotional read with a great slow-burn romance. If you love stories about athletes with real depth and a compelling love story, this is a good one to pick up. It definitely leaves you wanting more from Pleasant Oaks University!
What makes this book work is how real Aiden and Katerina feel. You get their struggles and their drive.
Their connection builds slowly but surely as they see past each other's tough exteriors. There's definitely some heat, but it's also about finding someone who understands their intense lives as athletes.
With high stakes in their sports, you can't help but wonder if their growing feelings can survive. "Icebound Hearts" is a fun, emotional read with a great slow-burn romance. If you love stories about athletes with real depth and a compelling love story, this is a good one to pick up. It definitely leaves you wanting more from Pleasant Oaks University!
May 18, 2025
DNF @ 31%
I started out interested in this book and where it could go. But then there were things that really didn't make sense. Kat is moving from Russia to the US yet there isn't anything mentioned about an accent, a language barrier, or culture shock. And this is just me, but I would have liked to see more Russian in the book itself, considering that Kat and her friends came from a different country, I would assume they would want to still speak the language. Adien and Kat were just messy love interests, and I couldn't see the attraction. They acted like children at every turn and at first he was made to be this silent, brooding captain of the hockey team but then he's flirty and talkative? I got confused. All the side characters in the book probably will date each other and there was already a lot of mess with that too. The idea for this book was great and I could see the vision for this book, but it wasn't for me.
I started out interested in this book and where it could go. But then there were things that really didn't make sense. Kat is moving from Russia to the US yet there isn't anything mentioned about an accent, a language barrier, or culture shock. And this is just me, but I would have liked to see more Russian in the book itself, considering that Kat and her friends came from a different country, I would assume they would want to still speak the language. Adien and Kat were just messy love interests, and I couldn't see the attraction. They acted like children at every turn and at first he was made to be this silent, brooding captain of the hockey team but then he's flirty and talkative? I got confused. All the side characters in the book probably will date each other and there was already a lot of mess with that too. The idea for this book was great and I could see the vision for this book, but it wasn't for me.
April 8, 2025
📖🏒⛸️ARC REVIEW⛸️🏒📖
Icebound Hearts by A.C. Montuga
💭BLURB💭
Katerina is a figure skater on the Olympic track and is in need of a fresh start and a second chance. Moving to Pleasant Oak University might just be what she needs. She did not expect to meet Aiden, hate him, and be drawn to him at the same time.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.95
❄️REVIEW❄️
Thank you to the author @acmotugaauthor for a free, advanced reader copy of this book and for including me on her street team!
This was such a fun college hockey romance. The tension between Kat and Aiden is built so well that when it snaps, it’s everything! The banter was fun and sharp, as well as funny. Figure skater FMC and hockey player MMC is such a fun dynamic.
Also, it seems like we might get more books involving Kat and Aiden’s friends, and if that’s true, I’ll be begging to read those!
Icebound Hearts by A.C. Montuga
💭BLURB💭
Katerina is a figure skater on the Olympic track and is in need of a fresh start and a second chance. Moving to Pleasant Oak University might just be what she needs. She did not expect to meet Aiden, hate him, and be drawn to him at the same time.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.95
❄️REVIEW❄️
Thank you to the author @acmotugaauthor for a free, advanced reader copy of this book and for including me on her street team!
This was such a fun college hockey romance. The tension between Kat and Aiden is built so well that when it snaps, it’s everything! The banter was fun and sharp, as well as funny. Figure skater FMC and hockey player MMC is such a fun dynamic.
Also, it seems like we might get more books involving Kat and Aiden’s friends, and if that’s true, I’ll be begging to read those!
May 6, 2025
Note: I have received this book as e-ARC from the Author, my review for this book are solely my thoughts and opinion.
I did love hockey romance but as I read this book I find myself contemplating if I should stop reading, but in the end I still gave it chance. This books is quite predictable and mostly I need to go back and check if who's POV I'm reading, I got confused sometimes of what's happening on chapters 'cause there's a moment that there's lot happening that I need to go back to previous chapter to actually know how it ended up the situation like that.
There's a scene where Aiden's brother came to see him then Roman is also there when only Aiden's brother and Kat was spotted at that scene.
I do believe this book and next installments will definitely have progress in the future.
Thanks to Ms. A.C Motuga for the e-ARC. (sorry for the late post of review.😓)
I did love hockey romance but as I read this book I find myself contemplating if I should stop reading, but in the end I still gave it chance. This books is quite predictable and mostly I need to go back and check if who's POV I'm reading, I got confused sometimes of what's happening on chapters 'cause there's a moment that there's lot happening that I need to go back to previous chapter to actually know how it ended up the situation like that.
There's a scene where Aiden's brother came to see him then Roman is also there when only Aiden's brother and Kat was spotted at that scene.
I do believe this book and next installments will definitely have progress in the future.
Thanks to Ms. A.C Motuga for the e-ARC. (sorry for the late post of review.😓)
April 17, 2025
⭐️ARC REVIEW⭐️
♡”𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤’𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙚-𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙚. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙. 𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚’𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚. 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨…𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙄’𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪.” ♡
I was lucky enough to not only ARC read this book , but be a BETA reader as well. This was a really sweet meets angsty book and I really enjoyed it.
Katerina is a figure skater from Russia. Traumatic events have forced her to leave her home country and start new in America. Chasing her Olympic dreams under the American flag. But things aren’t off to a great start when she gets to Pleasant Oaks University. She’s accidentally put into the hockey team housing instead of with the figure skaters, and it doesn’t seem like a solution is anywhere to be found due to the lack of extra housing. She decides to suck it up but that’s when she meets him.
Aiden is the Captain of the school’s hockey team and has one MASSIVE chip on his shoulder. But you can’t really blame him. He’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders…dealing with his sick sister and trying to keep things together to get his team to the championships. So the last thing he needs is some mouthy Russian figure skater as a roommate but it’s seems like that’s just what he’s got.
These two HATE each other. The ultimate grumpy x grumpy. They hurl insults at each other at every turn and hold no punches. Neither of them has the time or energy to deal with each other, yet they can’t seem to stay away from each other. The hate is almost like foreplay for them and the tensions is THICK! To be honest…the fighting between them was a bit much at time. They really had NO REASON to be that angry at each other all the time. It felt almost like high school drama at times.
Eventually they give in to their love/hate for each other, but it’s not easy. Aiden is stressed and super focused on his sister. And Katerina is traumatically insecure and just waiting for the other shoe to drop with Aiden, not trusting that he could really want to be with her and care for her. Which leads to the dreaded 3rd act breakup. BUT…Aiden understood and never gave up on her. Supporting he in every way and showing her that his feelings were real and true and that he wasn’t going anywhere. Which I thought was really sweet.
All in all I thought this was a great first book! The side characters were fun and I can’t wait to see where the series takes us next.🩷
🏒Sports Romance
⛸️Figure Skating FMC
🏒Hockey Captain MMC
⛸️Grumpy x Grumpy
🏒Mental Health Rep
⛸️Forced Proximity
🏒Dual POV
⛸️3rd Act Breakup
🏒HEA
⛸️High Stakes Angst
🏒Touch Her and 💀
⛸️Enemies to Lovers
🏒Found Family
⛸️Grumpy x Broken
🏒Figure Skater x Hockey Player
⛸️Mutual Pining
♡”𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤’𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙚-𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙚. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙. 𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚’𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚. 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨…𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙄’𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪.” ♡
I was lucky enough to not only ARC read this book , but be a BETA reader as well. This was a really sweet meets angsty book and I really enjoyed it.
Katerina is a figure skater from Russia. Traumatic events have forced her to leave her home country and start new in America. Chasing her Olympic dreams under the American flag. But things aren’t off to a great start when she gets to Pleasant Oaks University. She’s accidentally put into the hockey team housing instead of with the figure skaters, and it doesn’t seem like a solution is anywhere to be found due to the lack of extra housing. She decides to suck it up but that’s when she meets him.
Aiden is the Captain of the school’s hockey team and has one MASSIVE chip on his shoulder. But you can’t really blame him. He’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders…dealing with his sick sister and trying to keep things together to get his team to the championships. So the last thing he needs is some mouthy Russian figure skater as a roommate but it’s seems like that’s just what he’s got.
These two HATE each other. The ultimate grumpy x grumpy. They hurl insults at each other at every turn and hold no punches. Neither of them has the time or energy to deal with each other, yet they can’t seem to stay away from each other. The hate is almost like foreplay for them and the tensions is THICK! To be honest…the fighting between them was a bit much at time. They really had NO REASON to be that angry at each other all the time. It felt almost like high school drama at times.
Eventually they give in to their love/hate for each other, but it’s not easy. Aiden is stressed and super focused on his sister. And Katerina is traumatically insecure and just waiting for the other shoe to drop with Aiden, not trusting that he could really want to be with her and care for her. Which leads to the dreaded 3rd act breakup. BUT…Aiden understood and never gave up on her. Supporting he in every way and showing her that his feelings were real and true and that he wasn’t going anywhere. Which I thought was really sweet.
All in all I thought this was a great first book! The side characters were fun and I can’t wait to see where the series takes us next.🩷
🏒Sports Romance
⛸️Figure Skating FMC
🏒Hockey Captain MMC
⛸️Grumpy x Grumpy
🏒Mental Health Rep
⛸️Forced Proximity
🏒Dual POV
⛸️3rd Act Breakup
🏒HEA
⛸️High Stakes Angst
🏒Touch Her and 💀
⛸️Enemies to Lovers
🏒Found Family
⛸️Grumpy x Broken
🏒Figure Skater x Hockey Player
⛸️Mutual Pining
March 29, 2025
I love this hockey player x figure skater dynamic!
And we have Dual POVs which you know is a favorite of mine.
Our FMC is trying to work her way back to the Olympics when she ends up living at the hockey house instead of the figure skating house on campus. The Hockey Captain aka Grumpy Hockey Player is our broody MMC. He's insufferable but she secretly loves it! I loved all the guys in this found family.
So much tension and banter. If you're a fan of forced proximity, found family, and enemies to lovers you'll enjoy this book! I'm excited to see where the rest of this series goes.
Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read an ARC!
Release date = April 22, 2025
Rating 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 3/5 🔥🔥🔥
And we have Dual POVs which you know is a favorite of mine.
Our FMC is trying to work her way back to the Olympics when she ends up living at the hockey house instead of the figure skating house on campus. The Hockey Captain aka Grumpy Hockey Player is our broody MMC. He's insufferable but she secretly loves it! I loved all the guys in this found family.
So much tension and banter. If you're a fan of forced proximity, found family, and enemies to lovers you'll enjoy this book! I'm excited to see where the rest of this series goes.
Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read an ARC!
Release date = April 22, 2025
Rating 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 3/5 🔥🔥🔥
March 30, 2025
This was a great palette cleanser between dark fantasy reads and I really enjoyed the main characters.
I wish we had more depth to the story. It was very quickly back and forth between all the plot points and I would’ve liked more time to let everything sink in and feel it all before it jumped to the next point.
I think it has a lot of potential in it. I do love the characters and the setting. I think as the series evolves over time it will get better.
I did enjoy this story for what it is. Aiden was great. I think his character made sense. Kat I struggled with a little bit, I did like the mental health rep but sometimes her choices didn’t feel like one I’d expect her to make.
Thank you to the author for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. This is my honest opinion.
I wish we had more depth to the story. It was very quickly back and forth between all the plot points and I would’ve liked more time to let everything sink in and feel it all before it jumped to the next point.
I think it has a lot of potential in it. I do love the characters and the setting. I think as the series evolves over time it will get better.
I did enjoy this story for what it is. Aiden was great. I think his character made sense. Kat I struggled with a little bit, I did like the mental health rep but sometimes her choices didn’t feel like one I’d expect her to make.
Thank you to the author for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. This is my honest opinion.
April 7, 2025
This was my first time reading a hockey and figure skater romance, and I have to say, I loved it! The push and pull between Kat and Aiden had me giggling 🤭 they hated each other, but anyone could see that they were clearly growing feelings for each other. And when Aiden called her "angel face"?! *swoon* Ugh, I ate up this book! There's a part in the story where they make a pinky promise 🥺 I found that so sweet and adorable! I also loved how Aiden was there for Kat during her panic attacks and how he comforted her. He's just a big teddy bear, honestly 🧸 I admire Kat and her confidence 💜 she's been through so much and pushes through it all. If you love hockey romance, tension, a strong fmc, who talks back, and an mmc who challenges her, then you'll enjoy this one!
April 7, 2025
Full disclosure: I read this as an ARC.
Katerina is a figure skater running from a traumatic past event, moving from Russia to the States to go to Pleasant Hill University. Unfortunately there is a housing mix up, and instead of staying with the rest of the figure skaters, she gets stuck in a hockey house. Aiden is the captain of the hockey team, and they immediately hate each other. How do they balance their competitive nature, their respective sports, their focus, and their feelings for each other?
This book was a fun read! It had banter, found family, and good mental health representation. There was SO MUCH angst. It felt like high school drama.
If you like your enemies to lovers with an extra dose of angst, this one's for you.
Katerina is a figure skater running from a traumatic past event, moving from Russia to the States to go to Pleasant Hill University. Unfortunately there is a housing mix up, and instead of staying with the rest of the figure skaters, she gets stuck in a hockey house. Aiden is the captain of the hockey team, and they immediately hate each other. How do they balance their competitive nature, their respective sports, their focus, and their feelings for each other?
This book was a fun read! It had banter, found family, and good mental health representation. There was SO MUCH angst. It felt like high school drama.
If you like your enemies to lovers with an extra dose of angst, this one's for you.
April 25, 2025
I received a free eARC of this book, and this is my honest and voluntary review.
I absolutely LOVED this!! This is my first sports romance and if all SRs are like this - I need to read more! I adored Kat from the very beginning and my heart broke at each hurdle she faced. I also adored every one of the hockey boys, although I do wish we got a better insight into the ‘side’ characters as I loved their relationships with each other and Kat! Now - Aiden. Holy mother of God is that man swoon-worthy! I couldn’t get enough of the tension between him and Kat! I do wish we got to see more of their relationship when they were out of the ‘hate you’ phase as it was very back and forth for quite a while, but I still loved every second!
9/10
I absolutely LOVED this!! This is my first sports romance and if all SRs are like this - I need to read more! I adored Kat from the very beginning and my heart broke at each hurdle she faced. I also adored every one of the hockey boys, although I do wish we got a better insight into the ‘side’ characters as I loved their relationships with each other and Kat! Now - Aiden. Holy mother of God is that man swoon-worthy! I couldn’t get enough of the tension between him and Kat! I do wish we got to see more of their relationship when they were out of the ‘hate you’ phase as it was very back and forth for quite a while, but I still loved every second!
9/10
March 31, 2025
This book was cute yet deep!! Both of our main characters come to the story with a complicated past with trauma they are both actively working through.
This is enemies to lovers in a "I can't stand you because you're so smexy" kind of way (which is obviously the best kind of enemies to lovers.
We get hurt/comfort, touch her and 💀, he falls first/harder....all the greats!
I also really liked how we get set ups for at least one other couple, and a potential for others in the series. I'm looking forward to going back to these characters and seeing what they're up to!
Overall: recommend
Spice: open door
This is enemies to lovers in a "I can't stand you because you're so smexy" kind of way (which is obviously the best kind of enemies to lovers.
We get hurt/comfort, touch her and 💀, he falls first/harder....all the greats!
I also really liked how we get set ups for at least one other couple, and a potential for others in the series. I'm looking forward to going back to these characters and seeing what they're up to!
Overall: recommend
Spice: open door
April 8, 2025
"She's going to drive me insane. And I might let her."
This book was adorable🤭 I am an absolute sucker for a grumpy MMC like gimmie a grumpy broody man and I will melt. Arseda really delivered on this but not only did she provide us with with a grumpy MMC but we also got a grumpy FMC who hates the MMC to begin with and I loved it!!!
The love I have for hockey romances is never ending and this one has made its way very high up on my list. This is a fantastic debut novel and it comes out on the best day of the year... the 22nd of April (my birthday!!!) so I'd definitely recommend going and pre ordering this one because it is so so worth it!
Tropes list 🏒 ⛸️
⛸️Dual POV
🏒High angst
⛸️Touch her & die
🏒Enemies to lovers
⛸️Forced proximity
🏒Panic attack rep
⛸️Grump x grumpy/broken
🏒Found family
Big thank you to Arseda Motuga for the opportunity to ARC read this book in exchange for an honest review🥰
This book was adorable🤭 I am an absolute sucker for a grumpy MMC like gimmie a grumpy broody man and I will melt. Arseda really delivered on this but not only did she provide us with with a grumpy MMC but we also got a grumpy FMC who hates the MMC to begin with and I loved it!!!
The love I have for hockey romances is never ending and this one has made its way very high up on my list. This is a fantastic debut novel and it comes out on the best day of the year... the 22nd of April (my birthday!!!) so I'd definitely recommend going and pre ordering this one because it is so so worth it!
Tropes list 🏒 ⛸️
⛸️Dual POV
🏒High angst
⛸️Touch her & die
🏒Enemies to lovers
⛸️Forced proximity
🏒Panic attack rep
⛸️Grump x grumpy/broken
🏒Found family
Big thank you to Arseda Motuga for the opportunity to ARC read this book in exchange for an honest review🥰
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