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Love on Ice
Not yet published
Expected 17 Feb 26What's a girl to do when the star of the hockey team crash lands in her backyard after a prank gone wrong? Help him cover up the evidence...in exchange for him posing as the perfect prom date, of course. Get ready to swoon with this hilarious YA rom-com debut from the
USA Today
bestselling author of
The Studying Hours
Sara Ney!
Harper Conrad figures when opportunity knocks, smart girls listen. Which is why when she catches high school hockey star Easton Burbank trespassing on her parents’ property after stealing their rival school's mascot, she knows exactly what to do.
The deal is simple. In exchange for Harper's silence, Easton will become her date to their upcoming prom. It's a win-win Easton doesn't lose his hockey scholarship over a silly prank, and Harper can finally justify her purchase of the mega-expensive prom dress sitting in her closet. The perfect bargain...but what happens when what starts as a cover-up begins to feel all too real?
You know how the saying goes, “If you like someone, set them free. If they come back to you, they were meant to be your prom date.” Or something like that.
Harper Conrad figures when opportunity knocks, smart girls listen. Which is why when she catches high school hockey star Easton Burbank trespassing on her parents’ property after stealing their rival school's mascot, she knows exactly what to do.
The deal is simple. In exchange for Harper's silence, Easton will become her date to their upcoming prom. It's a win-win Easton doesn't lose his hockey scholarship over a silly prank, and Harper can finally justify her purchase of the mega-expensive prom dress sitting in her closet. The perfect bargain...but what happens when what starts as a cover-up begins to feel all too real?
You know how the saying goes, “If you like someone, set them free. If they come back to you, they were meant to be your prom date.” Or something like that.
384 pages, Paperback
Expected publication February 17, 2026
583 people want to read
About the author
Sara Ney
89 books6,632 followersSara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte's, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
December 24, 2025
☃️❄️ 𝐫𝐭𝐜: THIS LITERALLY PUT ME IN A SLUMP 😭
💕❄️ 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: GOT THE ARC FOR THIS BADDIE SO MIGHT ASWELL READ IT WHILE ITS FREEZING OUTSIDE 😋😋☃️
💕❄️ 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: GOT THE ARC FOR THIS BADDIE SO MIGHT ASWELL READ IT WHILE ITS FREEZING OUTSIDE 😋😋☃️
August 28, 2025
What an absolute delight this book turned out to be! Love on Ice perfectly captures the whirlwind chaos of teenage life, from awkward first crushes to laugh-out-loud pranks gone way too far. Sara Ney has given us a rom-com that sparkles with humor and warmth, while still holding on to that honest, slightly messy charm that makes YA so irresistible.
Harper stole my heart from page one — smart, witty, and just a little mischievous in the best way. The moment she finds Easton, the hockey team’s golden boy, sneaking through her backyard with a stolen mascot in tow, I knew this was going to be fun. Their deal to fake-date for prom is the kind of setup that makes you grin even before the sparks start flying, and watching their “arrangement” tumble into something much more real was pure swoony joy.
What I loved most is how authentically teen this book feels. Harper and Easton bicker, banter, stumble, and surprise each other in ways that felt so true to first love. The story doesn’t rush their chemistry — it lets it build in sweet, awkward, and hilarious moments that had me smiling nonstop. Add in Harper’s ride-or-die friendship with Macy, and you’ve got a story that balances romance with the kind of friendships that shape who you are in high school.
If you’re craving a rom-com that’s both funny and heart-fluttery, this one will absolutely hit the spot. It’s playful, it’s heartfelt, and it reminds you of just how big prom, first dates, and those life-changing teenage decisions can feel.
A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books | Delacorte Romance for sharing this lovely romance’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts. I had so much fun with Harper and Easton, and I can’t wait to see what Sara Ney does next!
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Harper stole my heart from page one — smart, witty, and just a little mischievous in the best way. The moment she finds Easton, the hockey team’s golden boy, sneaking through her backyard with a stolen mascot in tow, I knew this was going to be fun. Their deal to fake-date for prom is the kind of setup that makes you grin even before the sparks start flying, and watching their “arrangement” tumble into something much more real was pure swoony joy.
What I loved most is how authentically teen this book feels. Harper and Easton bicker, banter, stumble, and surprise each other in ways that felt so true to first love. The story doesn’t rush their chemistry — it lets it build in sweet, awkward, and hilarious moments that had me smiling nonstop. Add in Harper’s ride-or-die friendship with Macy, and you’ve got a story that balances romance with the kind of friendships that shape who you are in high school.
If you’re craving a rom-com that’s both funny and heart-fluttery, this one will absolutely hit the spot. It’s playful, it’s heartfelt, and it reminds you of just how big prom, first dates, and those life-changing teenage decisions can feel.
A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books | Delacorte Romance for sharing this lovely romance’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts. I had so much fun with Harper and Easton, and I can’t wait to see what Sara Ney does next!
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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August 28, 2025
3.5 ⭐
Harper has a beautiful dress for prom, but she doesn’t have a date. When she catches the high school hockey star stealing their rival school’s mascot, she decides to blackmail him—she’ll keep quiet if he agrees to take her to prom.
I’ve read many of Sara Ney’s books, so I was really excited to check out her YA debut. I think it’s a solid teen romance—the characters are sweet, there’s plenty of humor, the plot fits the target audience well, and there are no sexual scenes.
I liked Harper right away—she’s kind, responsible, and fun—but my feelings about Easton were mixed. Most of the time he literally acted like an idiot—how can you not understand such obvious things? I get that high school boys probably aren’t as experienced in romantic matters as girls (though I feel like modern teens are more aware in that regard), but I wanted to see more initiative from him. And honestly, how can you not realize until the very end who you want to take to prom?
Overall, I had a great time reading this one and would definitely recommend it to the appropriate age group.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books (Delacorte Romance) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Harper has a beautiful dress for prom, but she doesn’t have a date. When she catches the high school hockey star stealing their rival school’s mascot, she decides to blackmail him—she’ll keep quiet if he agrees to take her to prom.
I’ve read many of Sara Ney’s books, so I was really excited to check out her YA debut. I think it’s a solid teen romance—the characters are sweet, there’s plenty of humor, the plot fits the target audience well, and there are no sexual scenes.
I liked Harper right away—she’s kind, responsible, and fun—but my feelings about Easton were mixed. Most of the time he literally acted like an idiot—how can you not understand such obvious things? I get that high school boys probably aren’t as experienced in romantic matters as girls (though I feel like modern teens are more aware in that regard), but I wanted to see more initiative from him. And honestly, how can you not realize until the very end who you want to take to prom?
Overall, I had a great time reading this one and would definitely recommend it to the appropriate age group.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books (Delacorte Romance) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
October 16, 2025
: huge thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
──────────── » [i wish i knew how to quit you (sombr)] «
0:00 ─〇───── 0:00
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ review for { love on ice } by jo, buckle up babes it's time ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆
before i get into this review. i'd like to give a disclaimer that i wrote love in rice about three times in the draft of this review and almost left it because love in rice sounds so much more slay than on ice but i took it out. thought you should know !
a cutie cozy ya read for the upcoming cozy winter seaon. i reccomend this book if you need an escape or something to read while sipping a latte or fun drink. its sugary sweet like those rice krispie treats and sugar cookies around the holidays. and its cute like a hallmark you throw on when you need an escape.
while its not the most groundbreaking or jawdropping writing ive read (bc its not) it has a few elements that i really like. in fact if you like fake skating by lynn painter you'll probably like this book because they are very similar.
nerd girl x jock (hockey) boy ✅
fake dating ✅
high school friend group ✅
similiar character setup ✅
yeah it's got all those! but i love fake dating so i'll eat it up every single time. plus a very high school and character feeling always gets me when the characters feel like teenagers.
// plot //
⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙ harper is super excited for prom (i mean pop off queen) and she lives for it. shes a planner girlie (twinning fr) and has her dress (me fr) all ready but doesnt have a prom date (again wow twins). babes would so be me in a story like ouch singleness. but apparently she's never heard of living life to its fullest and going alone and just slaying the day ?
so when she catches easton (our hockey star jock dude who swears...just like alec does in fake skating ??? wow cousins!?) in the middle of a senior prank, harper knows exactly what to do. she might have had a crush on this guy for a bit--whattttttt?
and harper gaslight gatekeep girlbosses him into blackmail. she really said imma just pop off here real quick. and convinces him (aka hey broski give me a promposal and i wont spill ur big secret and get u in trouble) to ask her to prom. fake dating wise.
and easton agrees and they start fake liking/dating each other. woww groundbreaking.
EXCEPT THE FACT THAT HE NEVER ACTUALLY ASKS HER OFFICIALLY TO PROM BEFORE THEY HAVE THEIR IDICOTIC THIRD ACT BREAKUP!?!? LIKE HE JUST SAYS OH YEAH GOTTA ASK THE "GF" TO PROM BUT IT NEVER HAPPENS UNTIL THEIR BREAKUP!?!?!? like we could have set this up really cutely and instead we didn't.
all in all, main plot is basic but cute. characters are basic but cute (not super developed nor relatable. i don't have hot jocks popping up in my yard. what a shame tbh.
so read if you need a cute cozy read!
happy reading bestiesss!!!
xxjo
──────────── » [i wish i knew how to quit you (sombr)] «
0:00 ─〇───── 0:00
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻
⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ review for { love on ice } by jo, buckle up babes it's time ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆
before i get into this review. i'd like to give a disclaimer that i wrote love in rice about three times in the draft of this review and almost left it because love in rice sounds so much more slay than on ice but i took it out. thought you should know !
a cutie cozy ya read for the upcoming cozy winter seaon. i reccomend this book if you need an escape or something to read while sipping a latte or fun drink. its sugary sweet like those rice krispie treats and sugar cookies around the holidays. and its cute like a hallmark you throw on when you need an escape.
while its not the most groundbreaking or jawdropping writing ive read (bc its not) it has a few elements that i really like. in fact if you like fake skating by lynn painter you'll probably like this book because they are very similar.
nerd girl x jock (hockey) boy ✅
fake dating ✅
high school friend group ✅
similiar character setup ✅
yeah it's got all those! but i love fake dating so i'll eat it up every single time. plus a very high school and character feeling always gets me when the characters feel like teenagers.
// plot //
⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙ harper is super excited for prom (i mean pop off queen) and she lives for it. shes a planner girlie (twinning fr) and has her dress (me fr) all ready but doesnt have a prom date (again wow twins). babes would so be me in a story like ouch singleness. but apparently she's never heard of living life to its fullest and going alone and just slaying the day ?
so when she catches easton (our hockey star jock dude who swears...just like alec does in fake skating ??? wow cousins!?) in the middle of a senior prank, harper knows exactly what to do. she might have had a crush on this guy for a bit--whattttttt?
and harper gaslight gatekeep girlbosses him into blackmail. she really said imma just pop off here real quick. and convinces him (aka hey broski give me a promposal and i wont spill ur big secret and get u in trouble) to ask her to prom. fake dating wise.
and easton agrees and they start fake liking/dating each other. woww groundbreaking.
EXCEPT THE FACT THAT HE NEVER ACTUALLY ASKS HER OFFICIALLY TO PROM BEFORE THEY HAVE THEIR IDICOTIC THIRD ACT BREAKUP!?!? LIKE HE JUST SAYS OH YEAH GOTTA ASK THE "GF" TO PROM BUT IT NEVER HAPPENS UNTIL THEIR BREAKUP!?!?!? like we could have set this up really cutely and instead we didn't.
all in all, main plot is basic but cute. characters are basic but cute (not super developed nor relatable. i don't have hot jocks popping up in my yard. what a shame tbh.
so read if you need a cute cozy read!
happy reading bestiesss!!!
xxjo
November 26, 2025
Thank you much to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
-------------------------☽---------------------------
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-------------------------✩---------------------------
︎🍿- I though this book was so cute and fun! The story was super entertaining and I loved reading about Easton and Harper! I would definitely recommend this!
🎬- The Plot of this book was good! It wasn’t super different from other things I’ve read, but it was definitely good and worth the read. It was quick paced and easy to get into. I did think there were a few loose ends, with Easton’s parents, and about the prank, that I just thought should’ve been wrapped up a little bit better.
🧍♀️- The characters were pretty good! I loved Harper, she was super fun. Easton, however, I had mixed feelings about… he was super sweet one moment but then a total jerk to Harper, and he just acted like that a bit too much in my opinion. He was also a total idiot whenever it came to Maddie. And don’t get me started on Maddie, I hated her with my whole heart, and still do :)
🥰- The romance was super cute and perfect for young adults! Harper and Easton were super cute together! There was a bit of a problem, I felt, with the communication though… in what way is someone kissing you a sign that they aren’t interested? And again, Easton was often a little inconsiderate to Harper, but sadly I guess that is common with most teenage boys in real life anyways.. overall super cute though!!!
📖- Overall, the writing was done very well for a young adult book. At times, it did feel a little closer to middle grade, especially with how immature some of the characters acted at time, but for the most part, I felt like it was a great time!
-------------------------︎☽---------------------------
I would definitely recommend this book overall <3
-------------------------☽---------------------------
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-------------------------✩---------------------------
︎🍿- I though this book was so cute and fun! The story was super entertaining and I loved reading about Easton and Harper! I would definitely recommend this!
🎬- The Plot of this book was good! It wasn’t super different from other things I’ve read, but it was definitely good and worth the read. It was quick paced and easy to get into. I did think there were a few loose ends, with Easton’s parents, and about the prank, that I just thought should’ve been wrapped up a little bit better.
🧍♀️- The characters were pretty good! I loved Harper, she was super fun. Easton, however, I had mixed feelings about… he was super sweet one moment but then a total jerk to Harper, and he just acted like that a bit too much in my opinion. He was also a total idiot whenever it came to Maddie. And don’t get me started on Maddie, I hated her with my whole heart, and still do :)
🥰- The romance was super cute and perfect for young adults! Harper and Easton were super cute together! There was a bit of a problem, I felt, with the communication though… in what way is someone kissing you a sign that they aren’t interested? And again, Easton was often a little inconsiderate to Harper, but sadly I guess that is common with most teenage boys in real life anyways.. overall super cute though!!!
📖- Overall, the writing was done very well for a young adult book. At times, it did feel a little closer to middle grade, especially with how immature some of the characters acted at time, but for the most part, I felt like it was a great time!
-------------------------︎☽---------------------------
I would definitely recommend this book overall <3
October 26, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for this earc
This was cute but felt very much unfinished.
Why you ask? Well it says that Easton is a hockey player but there are exactly zero hockey seasons because the hockey season is over? I always like an idea of jock who can’t talk to girls but even for High School setting Easton’s “crush” on Maddie felt very immature.
And than situation with Harper. He liked her at some point but then Maddie was prettier? Again very surface level writing.
Story did make a lot more sense from Harper’s POV. She liked Easton, didn’t know what to do about it so she blackmailed him lol. Here’s my issue. The whole story happened because of the prank. But then nothing happened with that and there were no consequences.
Harper’s parents. She keeps mentioning how unhappy they are but again no follow up on that.
Easton keeps talking about how much pressure his father puts on him. Again. No follow up.
You see the pattern.
One aspect of this book I did enjoy was awkward first kisses and messy feelings. Everything else just felt unfinished.
This was cute but felt very much unfinished.
Why you ask? Well it says that Easton is a hockey player but there are exactly zero hockey seasons because the hockey season is over? I always like an idea of jock who can’t talk to girls but even for High School setting Easton’s “crush” on Maddie felt very immature.
And than situation with Harper. He liked her at some point but then Maddie was prettier? Again very surface level writing.
Story did make a lot more sense from Harper’s POV. She liked Easton, didn’t know what to do about it so she blackmailed him lol. Here’s my issue. The whole story happened because of the prank. But then nothing happened with that and there were no consequences.
Harper’s parents. She keeps mentioning how unhappy they are but again no follow up on that.
Easton keeps talking about how much pressure his father puts on him. Again. No follow up.
You see the pattern.
One aspect of this book I did enjoy was awkward first kisses and messy feelings. Everything else just felt unfinished.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for the arc
I can recognize that this book has potential—the YA vibe is there, but it was giving more middle grade; the writing was very juvenile but also the excessive use of words like "friggin" or "darn" instead of curse words, but then also some actual curse words? Idk, threw me off a lot. (Also the usage of "bruh"...)
Easton has two siblings yet his brother was only brifely mentioned once, I don't even know why he was included.
Supposedly a hockey book, but hockey was barely mentioned
Most importantly—the characters were INSUFFERABLE. I wanted to slap them through the pages. Easton was literally acting so dumb the whole time—kissing Harper but then being like ah no I like Maddie, and saying Harper needs to chill out when she was annoyed about Maddie? And Harper being like yup we're totally just friends, but I like you, but we can't kiss again. GAHHHHHH. Like I honestly didn't understand them, because once they kissed I thought great they'll get together now, but suddenly they're asking each other if they like someone? WHAT DO YOU THINK??
Maddie's random redemption arc at the end was just weird like pop off queen idk
I skimmed the second half of the book because I just couldn't take their idiocy anymore.
I can recognize that this book has potential—the YA vibe is there, but it was giving more middle grade; the writing was very juvenile but also the excessive use of words like "friggin" or "darn" instead of curse words, but then also some actual curse words? Idk, threw me off a lot. (Also the usage of "bruh"...)
Easton has two siblings yet his brother was only brifely mentioned once, I don't even know why he was included.
Supposedly a hockey book, but hockey was barely mentioned
Most importantly—the characters were INSUFFERABLE. I wanted to slap them through the pages. Easton was literally acting so dumb the whole time—kissing Harper but then being like ah no I like Maddie, and saying Harper needs to chill out when she was annoyed about Maddie? And Harper being like yup we're totally just friends, but I like you, but we can't kiss again. GAHHHHHH. Like I honestly didn't understand them, because once they kissed I thought great they'll get together now, but suddenly they're asking each other if they like someone? WHAT DO YOU THINK??
Maddie's random redemption arc at the end was just weird like pop off queen idk
I skimmed the second half of the book because I just couldn't take their idiocy anymore.
October 22, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for this arc!
This was a cute YA story. Definitley brings you back to High School drama and crushes with the plot. Gave a nostalgic vibe and ended up giving a lot of life lessons that would be good for the high school age range.
With that being said I did not realize this was YA so I would not typically lean towards reading this.
For fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty or Better Than the Movies, this is a cute YA romance revolving around prom!
This was a cute YA story. Definitley brings you back to High School drama and crushes with the plot. Gave a nostalgic vibe and ended up giving a lot of life lessons that would be good for the high school age range.
With that being said I did not realize this was YA so I would not typically lean towards reading this.
For fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty or Better Than the Movies, this is a cute YA romance revolving around prom!
November 29, 2025
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House Children's Books and Sara Net for sharing this ARC with me, in exchange for my honest review.
Love On Ice is such a fast-paced adorable read. Easton and Harper are super cute and I couldn't get enough of them. The world building is phenomenal, a fabulous High School romance depiction. I was laughing at loud, kicking my feet and swooning. I truly couldn't put this book down. I was hooked from start to finish. The character development and Easton and Harper's back-and-forth banter is chef's kiss. I fell in love with everything about this book.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all y'all.
Love On Ice is such a fast-paced adorable read. Easton and Harper are super cute and I couldn't get enough of them. The world building is phenomenal, a fabulous High School romance depiction. I was laughing at loud, kicking my feet and swooning. I truly couldn't put this book down. I was hooked from start to finish. The character development and Easton and Harper's back-and-forth banter is chef's kiss. I fell in love with everything about this book.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all y'all.
September 8, 2025
Love on Ice was a cute, hilarious and heartwarming YA romance!
I love the hilarity between their “run in” and how their friendship progressed. This was such a fun story to read and I loved Harper’s tenacity. Easton had a lot to learn lol but he put in the work and the ending…so cute!
This is young adult so no big steam but for the characters it was perfect. I don’t read YA much anymore but this book was such a good read I’m happy I picked it up!
I love the hilarity between their “run in” and how their friendship progressed. This was such a fun story to read and I loved Harper’s tenacity. Easton had a lot to learn lol but he put in the work and the ending…so cute!
This is young adult so no big steam but for the characters it was perfect. I don’t read YA much anymore but this book was such a good read I’m happy I picked it up!
September 26, 2025
This book was such a good time!! I don’t have a lot of thoughts on it bc it was just a cutesy little palette cleanser book but I really enjoyed it!!
I really loved the plot and how it played out, all the supporting characters were amazing I loved the relationships in it!
The romance was sooo cute and honestly so relatable and I found myself laughing and giggling more than a few times 🤭
This is such an easy read (literally finished in less than 24 hrs) and genuinely I would so recommend it if you want something cute and funny hehehe.
I really loved the plot and how it played out, all the supporting characters were amazing I loved the relationships in it!
The romance was sooo cute and honestly so relatable and I found myself laughing and giggling more than a few times 🤭
This is such an easy read (literally finished in less than 24 hrs) and genuinely I would so recommend it if you want something cute and funny hehehe.
December 3, 2025
When I requested the arc for Love on Ice - I solely requested based on the cover (yes I am someone who judges a book by it's cover). Much to my surprise, this book was about high school seniors... I am far past that age now so I was worried I would not enjoy this story. I am SO glad that I requested based off of the cover because I adored this book.
Easton and Harper are the cutest couple. I enjoyed their dynamic a lot - it was sweet, endearing, respectful, and funny. I like that Sara really showed how to 'tease' your partner but in a respectful and cute way. No where in this book did I think the teasing went too far. I think Sara also portrayed their 'relationship' problems well, I think we all have faced these problems within our relationships. It was super nice to be able to relate to. The way they BOTH owned up to their mistakes and apologized was so healthy. It's so refreshing to read cute little stories like this... makes your heart warm.
Easton - a boy who is 'in love' with the high school 'it' girl and finds out she really is not all that great. He truly grew throughout the book and it was nice to see. His little nerves and funny moments was precious. I also enjoyed his meltdown on the way to prom (iykyk), I think it needed to be said and the way he said it was super respectful.
Harper - a girl with a beautiful prom dress but no date... girl she could've gone by herself and still had a blast. I think she was too worried about what others thought (we have all been there). I'm glad that she eventually didn't care, but I also love how outspoken she was in the beginning and throughout the book.
SPOILER BELOW:
I think the date that Easton planned on Prom Night was SOOOO CUTE!!!!!!! I think it definitely made up for his actions especially with this grand gesture. I do wish they spent more time at Prom though. I hope Sara writes a sequel to this one and has it be their college experience... it would be so wholesome.
Thanks Netgalley and Sara Ney for this arc!!
Easton and Harper are the cutest couple. I enjoyed their dynamic a lot - it was sweet, endearing, respectful, and funny. I like that Sara really showed how to 'tease' your partner but in a respectful and cute way. No where in this book did I think the teasing went too far. I think Sara also portrayed their 'relationship' problems well, I think we all have faced these problems within our relationships. It was super nice to be able to relate to. The way they BOTH owned up to their mistakes and apologized was so healthy. It's so refreshing to read cute little stories like this... makes your heart warm.
Easton - a boy who is 'in love' with the high school 'it' girl and finds out she really is not all that great. He truly grew throughout the book and it was nice to see. His little nerves and funny moments was precious. I also enjoyed his meltdown on the way to prom (iykyk), I think it needed to be said and the way he said it was super respectful.
Harper - a girl with a beautiful prom dress but no date... girl she could've gone by herself and still had a blast. I think she was too worried about what others thought (we have all been there). I'm glad that she eventually didn't care, but I also love how outspoken she was in the beginning and throughout the book.
SPOILER BELOW:
I think the date that Easton planned on Prom Night was SOOOO CUTE!!!!!!! I think it definitely made up for his actions especially with this grand gesture. I do wish they spent more time at Prom though. I hope Sara writes a sequel to this one and has it be their college experience... it would be so wholesome.
Thanks Netgalley and Sara Ney for this arc!!
December 7, 2025
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟
Thank you to NetGallery and the Delacorte Romance publishers for the advanced copy of this book for an honest review!
On her last year of high school, Harper Conrad wants nothing more than to have a handsome date to senior prom. Her wish is granted as Easton Burbank stumbles into her yard to pull off his senior prank as a consequence. Harper ends up blackmailing Easton to be her prom date as she’ll assist him in pulling off the crime of stealing their school’s rival mascot. Easy plan, right? Except Harper is hiding a secret that Easton doesn’t know about all along.
As my first ARC review, I’m excited! But to be honest, I lost interest in the book within the first few pages but had hope of it getting better over time. The writing isn’t the best, despite it being categorized for young adult, it felt middle school. The structure of the sentences on the pages felt like it lacked depth in character’s thoughts. It felt shallow and surfaced level along with the characters themselves. I understand Harper and Easton are teenagers but I found myself cringing at their thoughts sometimes.. especially one particular like in the book where Easton said that he had a “hard-on for Maddie since middle school”. Another thing is, it’s advertised as a hockey romance but there barely any mentioning of hockey. Despite all the things I didn’t enjoy about the book, there is a few good things. I love that the author added vulnerabilities in the characters especially with Maddie, dealing with an insecurity of being her true self. I enjoyed the banter between Harper and Easton, it was light hearted and it reflected how teenagers behave and speak with each other like. One of my favorite line was from Harper’s bestfriend when she said “you look chopped”, I wouldn’t ever expect to see that in a book and it made me giggle. Overall, I’m open to reading other works from the author.
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟
Thank you to NetGallery and the Delacorte Romance publishers for the advanced copy of this book for an honest review!
On her last year of high school, Harper Conrad wants nothing more than to have a handsome date to senior prom. Her wish is granted as Easton Burbank stumbles into her yard to pull off his senior prank as a consequence. Harper ends up blackmailing Easton to be her prom date as she’ll assist him in pulling off the crime of stealing their school’s rival mascot. Easy plan, right? Except Harper is hiding a secret that Easton doesn’t know about all along.
As my first ARC review, I’m excited! But to be honest, I lost interest in the book within the first few pages but had hope of it getting better over time. The writing isn’t the best, despite it being categorized for young adult, it felt middle school. The structure of the sentences on the pages felt like it lacked depth in character’s thoughts. It felt shallow and surfaced level along with the characters themselves. I understand Harper and Easton are teenagers but I found myself cringing at their thoughts sometimes.. especially one particular like in the book where Easton said that he had a “hard-on for Maddie since middle school”. Another thing is, it’s advertised as a hockey romance but there barely any mentioning of hockey. Despite all the things I didn’t enjoy about the book, there is a few good things. I love that the author added vulnerabilities in the characters especially with Maddie, dealing with an insecurity of being her true self. I enjoyed the banter between Harper and Easton, it was light hearted and it reflected how teenagers behave and speak with each other like. One of my favorite line was from Harper’s bestfriend when she said “you look chopped”, I wouldn’t ever expect to see that in a book and it made me giggle. Overall, I’m open to reading other works from the author.
𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟
August 31, 2025
In this book we follow Harper, who one day catches Easton trespassing in her own backyard after stealing their rival school's mascot. To assure her silence, Easton agrees to go to their senior prom with Harper as her date.
The main tropes are friends to lovers and a prom agreement.
For the characters, overall I liked Harper's creativity, even though at times she would behave as if Easton could read her mind, and I thought please just tell him what you think.
Now, for Easton, he was at times a bit clumsy with his decision-making some of them were really questionable, but at the end of the day he's a man, so a lot of his actions will be arguable. I don't want to spoil anything, but there were some moments in the story where the choices he made were the worst he could have done, which made me roll my eyes multiple times.
For their relationship, the build-up was made on ups and downs. They were cute together but I liked more the parts before the actual Relationship, they had good Chemistry even though some of their interactions seemed a bit childish sometimes.
My biggest problem with this book is that the characters did not behave like seventeen-year-olds for the majority of the story, I felt like some of them were childish. If I didn't know what age they were, I could have assumed that they were fourteen or fifteen years old. It might be an issue in young adult books, trying not to age the characters too much or not too young, but having these kinds of behaviors and interactions at seventeen was a bit unrealistic to me.
Finally, I liked the Pitch Perfect reference, it was a cute and fast young adult read.
Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The main tropes are friends to lovers and a prom agreement.
For the characters, overall I liked Harper's creativity, even though at times she would behave as if Easton could read her mind, and I thought please just tell him what you think.
Now, for Easton, he was at times a bit clumsy with his decision-making some of them were really questionable, but at the end of the day he's a man, so a lot of his actions will be arguable. I don't want to spoil anything, but there were some moments in the story where the choices he made were the worst he could have done, which made me roll my eyes multiple times.
For their relationship, the build-up was made on ups and downs. They were cute together but I liked more the parts before the actual Relationship, they had good Chemistry even though some of their interactions seemed a bit childish sometimes.
My biggest problem with this book is that the characters did not behave like seventeen-year-olds for the majority of the story, I felt like some of them were childish. If I didn't know what age they were, I could have assumed that they were fourteen or fifteen years old. It might be an issue in young adult books, trying not to age the characters too much or not too young, but having these kinds of behaviors and interactions at seventeen was a bit unrealistic to me.
Finally, I liked the Pitch Perfect reference, it was a cute and fast young adult read.
Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Read
September 2, 2025I’m going to be totally honest when I requested this book I had no idea it was YA. I was just so excited to finally try one of Sara Ney sports romances. She’s been on my radar for a while and I saw this cover on NetGalley to request and immediately went, YES PLEASE. I should also admit I’m horrible at reading synopsis. I also saw this books cover and went yup, hockey romance say less. So with those two things combined and once I started reading I realized oh no I may have made a mistake. Which again not blaming on the author. This was totally my bad. But I typically don’t read YA anymore, I’ve realized one too many times that I’ve just aged out of it. But since I requested and got approved for an ARC I figured what the heck we will still give it a go.
Now with that said I enjoyed the book.
Was it perfect? No.
Would I recommend it? Yes
I loved the plot FMC blackmailing our MMC into taking her to prom after catching him trying to pull off the senior prank. Through forced proximity the two MC's slowly start falling for each other but because they are teenagers they do make some silly goose decisions along the way. Now with that said some of those decisions had me cringing and rolling my eyes. Especially because these are supposed to be seniors in high school but at times they were acting like freshman or heck even middle schoolers. I mean I was dumb in high school but I don’t remember being that dumb.
Even with that said I overall enjoyed the story. I thought it was a cute, quick read that anyone could enjoy. Lastly thank you to NetGalley & Random House Children for providing an ARC for me to read and review.
Now with that said I enjoyed the book.
Was it perfect? No.
Would I recommend it? Yes
I loved the plot FMC blackmailing our MMC into taking her to prom after catching him trying to pull off the senior prank. Through forced proximity the two MC's slowly start falling for each other but because they are teenagers they do make some silly goose decisions along the way. Now with that said some of those decisions had me cringing and rolling my eyes. Especially because these are supposed to be seniors in high school but at times they were acting like freshman or heck even middle schoolers. I mean I was dumb in high school but I don’t remember being that dumb.
Even with that said I overall enjoyed the story. I thought it was a cute, quick read that anyone could enjoy. Lastly thank you to NetGalley & Random House Children for providing an ARC for me to read and review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
This book was so absolutely ADORABLE. The romance was just so YA and cute, in the best way possible. And all of the characters felt so...real. I was reading some of them and...yeah I can totally picture the equivalents in my life. Macy was a good friend but also mean and annoying sometimes, which was so refreshing from the totally supportive best friend you usually find (don't get me wrong, I love those characters, but they seem a bit unrealistic sometimes). Also with Easton, think I've gotten so used to reading books where the boy POV thinks just like a girl that it's kinda a shock to find one where they actually think/act like a boy, but this book was one of those. Easton felt like a boy, with the way he thought, the things he said, I could just see it.
OK spoilers now:
This book was so absolutely ADORABLE. The romance was just so YA and cute, in the best way possible. And all of the characters felt so...real. I was reading some of them and...yeah I can totally picture the equivalents in my life. Macy was a good friend but also mean and annoying sometimes, which was so refreshing from the totally supportive best friend you usually find (don't get me wrong, I love those characters, but they seem a bit unrealistic sometimes). Also with Easton, think I've gotten so used to reading books where the boy POV thinks just like a girl that it's kinda a shock to find one where they actually think/act like a boy, but this book was one of those. Easton felt like a boy, with the way he thought, the things he said, I could just see it.
OK spoilers now:
August 24, 2025
♡ Thank you NetGalley, Random House Children's Books & Delacorte Romance for the ARC ♡
I'm going to go easy on my review for this because I quickly realized that I wasn't vibing with the writing style but I was given an ARC and wanted to do my best to give a complete and honest review.
And honestly, the book isn't bad. It is written from the perspective of two teenagers which made some parts downright cringeworthy to read, but it lent a realism to the story that the characters were actually acting their age. There are TikTok references, text lingo, and a plethora of exclamation points but more than anything, there was a lot of teenage angst.
Our MMC, Easton, has been infatuated with the coolest girl in school forever so when he's blackmailed by his locker buddy, Harper, and forced to spend time with her, imagine his surprise when he realizes he may actually like her. And of course, Harper has always had a bit of a crush on Easton but has never told him and now he's starting to crush back but also his dream girl is now acting all interested in him out of nowhere and things get really messy, really quickly.
Again, the height of teenage angst. But the romance between Easton and Harper was actually very cute. Ney was able to capture that giggly, giddy, and confusing feeling of falling in love for the first time perfectly, and had the Maddie of it all not existed, this book honestly would've been so much cuter.
All in all, for the recommended age range I think this book is pretty cute but I just didn't vibe with it the way I was hoping to.
I'm going to go easy on my review for this because I quickly realized that I wasn't vibing with the writing style but I was given an ARC and wanted to do my best to give a complete and honest review.
And honestly, the book isn't bad. It is written from the perspective of two teenagers which made some parts downright cringeworthy to read, but it lent a realism to the story that the characters were actually acting their age. There are TikTok references, text lingo, and a plethora of exclamation points but more than anything, there was a lot of teenage angst.
Our MMC, Easton, has been infatuated with the coolest girl in school forever so when he's blackmailed by his locker buddy, Harper, and forced to spend time with her, imagine his surprise when he realizes he may actually like her. And of course, Harper has always had a bit of a crush on Easton but has never told him and now he's starting to crush back but also his dream girl is now acting all interested in him out of nowhere and things get really messy, really quickly.
Again, the height of teenage angst. But the romance between Easton and Harper was actually very cute. Ney was able to capture that giggly, giddy, and confusing feeling of falling in love for the first time perfectly, and had the Maddie of it all not existed, this book honestly would've been so much cuter.
All in all, for the recommended age range I think this book is pretty cute but I just didn't vibe with it the way I was hoping to.
November 21, 2025
My rating: 3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this book. It was very sweet and nice. I liked the banter between the characters. Easton could be a bit stupid at times, but to be fair, he is a teenage boy, and that is to be expected sometimes. Harper as a character at times seemed a little juvenile especially with the faux cursing, but I think that she was written to be very much the type of FMC that is a romantic and maybe a little naive. Also, "Foolish One" by Taylor Swift immediately comes to mind to describe Harper. I think that something that resonated with me about Harper is that she wants to have this romantic experience, and that it hurts looking around and go, why not me? Why can't I have this thing, when others do? And I think that given her age, that feeling is really justified and makes sense to drive the plot of doing something questionable to get that experience. The pacing was good, and it never dragged. Though, my critiques are that the whole blackmail school mascot plotline kind of gets lost in the romance plotline. I also think that there was a missed opportunity to develop on the thread of Easton and his parents' expectations but that wasn't really fleshed out much which is a bummer because it could have made people resonate more with his character. Still a really solid read and good for the young adult target audience.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this book. It was very sweet and nice. I liked the banter between the characters. Easton could be a bit stupid at times, but to be fair, he is a teenage boy, and that is to be expected sometimes. Harper as a character at times seemed a little juvenile especially with the faux cursing, but I think that she was written to be very much the type of FMC that is a romantic and maybe a little naive. Also, "Foolish One" by Taylor Swift immediately comes to mind to describe Harper. I think that something that resonated with me about Harper is that she wants to have this romantic experience, and that it hurts looking around and go, why not me? Why can't I have this thing, when others do? And I think that given her age, that feeling is really justified and makes sense to drive the plot of doing something questionable to get that experience. The pacing was good, and it never dragged. Though, my critiques are that the whole blackmail school mascot plotline kind of gets lost in the romance plotline. I also think that there was a missed opportunity to develop on the thread of Easton and his parents' expectations but that wasn't really fleshed out much which is a bummer because it could have made people resonate more with his character. Still a really solid read and good for the young adult target audience.
December 8, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for the ARC!
This story had a lot of potential, and there were several aspects I genuinely enjoyed. The side relationships were a highlight for me — Harper and Macy’s friendship especially reminded me of my own high school bonds. The dynamic between Easton and his parents also felt grounded and relatable. The writing itself was clear, approachable, and easy to follow.
Where the book didn’t fully work for me was in the development of certain character arcs. I would have loved to see the story delve deeper into the characters’ internal struggles, particularly Easton’s. His conflict around prom felt like an opportunity for meaningful growth, but instead of coming to decisions on his own, he often relied on other characters to guide him. As a result, his arc felt a bit underexplored.
I also found it difficult at times to get a strong sense of Easton’s feelings for Harper. Easton’s feelings leaned more toward being told rather than shown, and his feeling for someone else felt overpowering. Aside from Easton’s character arc, Harper occasionally came across as less confident than the strong, dynamic character she’s portrayed to be.
There were several side themes (like Easton’s difficulty trusting his own judgment and Harper’s relationship with her parents) I wished had been expanded on. A deeper exploration of these plot lines could have added even more emotional richness to the story for me.
This story had a lot of potential, and there were several aspects I genuinely enjoyed. The side relationships were a highlight for me — Harper and Macy’s friendship especially reminded me of my own high school bonds. The dynamic between Easton and his parents also felt grounded and relatable. The writing itself was clear, approachable, and easy to follow.
Where the book didn’t fully work for me was in the development of certain character arcs. I would have loved to see the story delve deeper into the characters’ internal struggles, particularly Easton’s. His conflict around prom felt like an opportunity for meaningful growth, but instead of coming to decisions on his own, he often relied on other characters to guide him. As a result, his arc felt a bit underexplored.
I also found it difficult at times to get a strong sense of Easton’s feelings for Harper. Easton’s feelings leaned more toward being told rather than shown, and his feeling for someone else felt overpowering. Aside from Easton’s character arc, Harper occasionally came across as less confident than the strong, dynamic character she’s portrayed to be.
There were several side themes (like Easton’s difficulty trusting his own judgment and Harper’s relationship with her parents) I wished had been expanded on. A deeper exploration of these plot lines could have added even more emotional richness to the story for me.
August 30, 2025
3.5 stars
When I get arcs I try to not read the description or look too deep in the book as I like to go into the book with no preconceived notions on what I am about to read. With this book, I went in assuming it was going to be a cute hockey romance. Not realizing that it was a YA book about two high school seniors. Now, I am normally not a YA person, especially when the book takes place in a high school, but I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I think it was refreshing to read a book that, in my opinion, accurately picks out the struggles of being a teenager in high school.
The FMC believes herself to be undesirable by the male population at school simply because of her personality. Which I feel like is a very universal experience. The MMC is on the hockey team, but somehow is not popular or had a girlfriend before. Which was a little harder to believe. I was a little ticked out reading the more intimate scenes between the MC's since they are still in high school and I just do like to read those scenes about underage characters.
I think that this book follows a cute plot about the FMC blackmailing the MMC into taking her to prom and the two MC's slowly falling for each other but not realizing what those emotions are since they are just teenagers.
Thank you netgalley for this arc!
When I get arcs I try to not read the description or look too deep in the book as I like to go into the book with no preconceived notions on what I am about to read. With this book, I went in assuming it was going to be a cute hockey romance. Not realizing that it was a YA book about two high school seniors. Now, I am normally not a YA person, especially when the book takes place in a high school, but I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I think it was refreshing to read a book that, in my opinion, accurately picks out the struggles of being a teenager in high school.
The FMC believes herself to be undesirable by the male population at school simply because of her personality. Which I feel like is a very universal experience. The MMC is on the hockey team, but somehow is not popular or had a girlfriend before. Which was a little harder to believe. I was a little ticked out reading the more intimate scenes between the MC's since they are still in high school and I just do like to read those scenes about underage characters.
I think that this book follows a cute plot about the FMC blackmailing the MMC into taking her to prom and the two MC's slowly falling for each other but not realizing what those emotions are since they are just teenagers.
Thank you netgalley for this arc!
December 3, 2025
This book was a cute, quick read, but it didn’t completely win me over the way I hoped it would. Love on Ice has a fun premise and plenty of lighthearted moments, but overall it landed more in the “just okay” category for me.
Harper and Easton were likable enough, and their setup for prom added a playful element to the story. There were moments that made me smile, and I could appreciate the awkward, innocent vibes of first love. That said, I wanted a little more depth from their relationship and more emotional connection between them. The chemistry felt surface-level at times, and I never fully got invested in their romance.
The writing style was easy to follow and the pacing was quick, which made it an effortless read. While the story had some charming scenes, it didn’t leave a lasting impression once I finished. It’s one of those books that’s enjoyable in the moment but easy to forget afterward.
If you’re looking for a light, low-angst teen romance with a hockey backdrop and a fake-dating trope, this will probably work for you. But if you’re hoping for something deeply emotional or swoony, you might be left wanting more.
Overall, not a bad read — just not one I’ll be thinking about long after closing the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Harper and Easton were likable enough, and their setup for prom added a playful element to the story. There were moments that made me smile, and I could appreciate the awkward, innocent vibes of first love. That said, I wanted a little more depth from their relationship and more emotional connection between them. The chemistry felt surface-level at times, and I never fully got invested in their romance.
The writing style was easy to follow and the pacing was quick, which made it an effortless read. While the story had some charming scenes, it didn’t leave a lasting impression once I finished. It’s one of those books that’s enjoyable in the moment but easy to forget afterward.
If you’re looking for a light, low-angst teen romance with a hockey backdrop and a fake-dating trope, this will probably work for you. But if you’re hoping for something deeply emotional or swoony, you might be left wanting more.
Overall, not a bad read — just not one I’ll be thinking about long after closing the book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 2, 2025
Nik’s Arc Review
💒 Love on Ice by Sara Ney
💗 Genre: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
🗓️ Publish Date: 3/10/2026
📖Read if you like:
Coming of Age
Sports Romance
Fake Dating
Story Premise:
Harper can’t wait for prom. She’s on the planning committee and found the perfect pink dress. All that’s missing is a date. That changes when she catches Easton, the school’s star hockey player, in the middle of the senior prank. One secret for one promposal? Sounds fair. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
Flow Factor:
The story flowed seamlessly between Harper and Easton’s POVs. It was an easy read and completely bingeable.
OTP Energy:
Artsy girl & sports jock. Doesn’t get more high school than that. It took Easton a little too long to give Harper the love and attention she deserved. He needed to swoop in a little sooner at the end. However, their heart to heart texts were just the sweetest.
Final Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I didn’t realize this was YA before I started reading. However, I wanted to give it a shot since I teach middle schools. This is a perfect read for high school students who love romance and comedy.
Thank you Net Galley for providing me with an Arc in exchange of an honest review.
💒 Love on Ice by Sara Ney
💗 Genre: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
🗓️ Publish Date: 3/10/2026
📖Read if you like:
Coming of Age
Sports Romance
Fake Dating
Story Premise:
Harper can’t wait for prom. She’s on the planning committee and found the perfect pink dress. All that’s missing is a date. That changes when she catches Easton, the school’s star hockey player, in the middle of the senior prank. One secret for one promposal? Sounds fair. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
Flow Factor:
The story flowed seamlessly between Harper and Easton’s POVs. It was an easy read and completely bingeable.
OTP Energy:
Artsy girl & sports jock. Doesn’t get more high school than that. It took Easton a little too long to give Harper the love and attention she deserved. He needed to swoop in a little sooner at the end. However, their heart to heart texts were just the sweetest.
Final Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I didn’t realize this was YA before I started reading. However, I wanted to give it a shot since I teach middle schools. This is a perfect read for high school students who love romance and comedy.
Thank you Net Galley for providing me with an Arc in exchange of an honest review.
September 15, 2025
❄️🏒 Love on Ice by Sara Ney 🏒❄️
What an absolute delight! ✨ Love on Ice had me grinning, giggling, and swooning from start to finish. This YA rom-com captures all the messy, magical chaos of teenage life with awkward crushes, laugh-out-loud pranks, and that first taste of real romance. 💕
Harper is sharp, witty, and totally relatable (seriously, I adored her from page one). Catching Easton, the golden boy of hockey, in her backyard with a stolen mascot? ICONIC. 😂 Their fake prom date deal was hilarious and heart-melting all at once, and watching it turn into something real had me kicking my feet like a teenager again.
The banter? On point. The chemistry? Chef’s kiss. The friendship dynamics? Pure gold. This book is fun, flirty, and full of those big teenage feelings that feel like the end of the world but actually make you who you are.
If you love fake dating, sports romance vibes, and YA rom-coms that sparkle with heart + humor, this one is for you. 🌸
Thank you to NetGalley and @delacortepress / @randomhouse for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
#LoveOnIce #SaraNey #Delacorte #RandomHouse #YARomance #YARomcom #FakeDating #SportsRomance #PromRomance #HockeyRomance #NetGalley #BookReview #Bookstagram #RomcomReads #TeenLove #Bookish
What an absolute delight! ✨ Love on Ice had me grinning, giggling, and swooning from start to finish. This YA rom-com captures all the messy, magical chaos of teenage life with awkward crushes, laugh-out-loud pranks, and that first taste of real romance. 💕
Harper is sharp, witty, and totally relatable (seriously, I adored her from page one). Catching Easton, the golden boy of hockey, in her backyard with a stolen mascot? ICONIC. 😂 Their fake prom date deal was hilarious and heart-melting all at once, and watching it turn into something real had me kicking my feet like a teenager again.
The banter? On point. The chemistry? Chef’s kiss. The friendship dynamics? Pure gold. This book is fun, flirty, and full of those big teenage feelings that feel like the end of the world but actually make you who you are.
If you love fake dating, sports romance vibes, and YA rom-coms that sparkle with heart + humor, this one is for you. 🌸
Thank you to NetGalley and @delacortepress / @randomhouse for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!
#LoveOnIce #SaraNey #Delacorte #RandomHouse #YARomance #YARomcom #FakeDating #SportsRomance #PromRomance #HockeyRomance #NetGalley #BookReview #Bookstagram #RomcomReads #TeenLove #Bookish
September 24, 2025
This is a cute and fun YA debut from Sara Ney.
Harper Conrad is in her senior year and is ready for prom. She’s on the planning committee and has the Perfect dress the only problem? She doesn’t have a date until a plan lands in her lap … well yard.
Enter Easton Westermann, who after failing to ask out the most popular girl in school has to pull off the impossible senior park and while on the run lands in Harper’s backyard and after some blackmail has agreed to help with the prom planning and to be Harper’s prom date.
I really liked Harper and I love that she stood her ground but there were times that I just wished she was more honest and told what really aggravated her. I am still pretty iffy with Easton, I felt for him being a senior he was still really childish and didn’t pick up on social cues. The thing that really bothered me was that with like 85% of the book left he was still unsure who he wanted to go to prom with and was still lowkey obsessed with Maddie even though she proved over and over that she was mean and rude.
I didn’t really like that Maddie was given an “redemption” arc and she was still mean.
Thank you Random House Children's Books and NetGalley for letting me read a free copy of this book in exchange for a review
Harper Conrad is in her senior year and is ready for prom. She’s on the planning committee and has the Perfect dress the only problem? She doesn’t have a date until a plan lands in her lap … well yard.
Enter Easton Westermann, who after failing to ask out the most popular girl in school has to pull off the impossible senior park and while on the run lands in Harper’s backyard and after some blackmail has agreed to help with the prom planning and to be Harper’s prom date.
I really liked Harper and I love that she stood her ground but there were times that I just wished she was more honest and told what really aggravated her. I am still pretty iffy with Easton, I felt for him being a senior he was still really childish and didn’t pick up on social cues. The thing that really bothered me was that with like 85% of the book left he was still unsure who he wanted to go to prom with and was still lowkey obsessed with Maddie even though she proved over and over that she was mean and rude.
I didn’t really like that Maddie was given an “redemption” arc and she was still mean.
Thank you Random House Children's Books and NetGalley for letting me read a free copy of this book in exchange for a review
September 27, 2025
As a die-hard fan of hockey romance, I’ll pick up any book in the genre—and this one totally hit the spot in some ways, even if it didn’t check every single box.
Let’s start with the highlight: the main character, Harper. She was everything I love in a YA romance heroine—confident, witty, independent, and totally boss. She held her ground and didn’t let the love interest walk all over her, which I loved. Honestly, I was rooting for her the whole time and would read an entire series just following her life on and off the ice.
The love interest, though... meh. He didn’t win me over. Something about him felt a little too performative or fakey for me. He had that annoying habit of going back and forth emotionally, which I personally can’t stand—it makes the romance feel more frustrating than swoony. But I’ll give credit where it’s due: he does grovel, and I appreciated that he had to work to win her back. Still, I wish there had been more time for their relationship to develop in a believable way.
Overall, if you're like me and love any hockey romance (especially with a badass female lead), this is still worth picking up. Just be prepared for a love interest you might want to throw in the penalty box a few times.
Let’s start with the highlight: the main character, Harper. She was everything I love in a YA romance heroine—confident, witty, independent, and totally boss. She held her ground and didn’t let the love interest walk all over her, which I loved. Honestly, I was rooting for her the whole time and would read an entire series just following her life on and off the ice.
The love interest, though... meh. He didn’t win me over. Something about him felt a little too performative or fakey for me. He had that annoying habit of going back and forth emotionally, which I personally can’t stand—it makes the romance feel more frustrating than swoony. But I’ll give credit where it’s due: he does grovel, and I appreciated that he had to work to win her back. Still, I wish there had been more time for their relationship to develop in a believable way.
Overall, if you're like me and love any hockey romance (especially with a badass female lead), this is still worth picking up. Just be prepared for a love interest you might want to throw in the penalty box a few times.
October 24, 2025
This one is absolutely ADORABLE. Harper and Easton are high school seniors facing the weight of college decisions, senior pranks gone right, and what prom is supposed to mean and look like. Both are hopeless romantics in their own ways, and when they finally find each other outside of the sea of high school expectations, they come together in such a cute way.
I absolutely loved the dynamic between Easton and Harper. Their banter felt like so many other hockey romances- but obviously scaled back for the audience. I can easily see how this book may be a segway into hockey romances for teens out there who crave the yearning and love that these types of romances typically produce.
I wholly appreciated Harper’s best friend Macy & Easton’s sister Pheobe as well- I felt like they added SO MUCH to the story and really helped Harper and Easton along in ways they couldn’t for themselves.
All in all, the witty banter, the hopeless high school romantics, and the happily ever after really captured my heart with this one!
Thank you Random House Children’s & Delacorte Romance for access to this ARC in return for an honest review!
I absolutely loved the dynamic between Easton and Harper. Their banter felt like so many other hockey romances- but obviously scaled back for the audience. I can easily see how this book may be a segway into hockey romances for teens out there who crave the yearning and love that these types of romances typically produce.
I wholly appreciated Harper’s best friend Macy & Easton’s sister Pheobe as well- I felt like they added SO MUCH to the story and really helped Harper and Easton along in ways they couldn’t for themselves.
All in all, the witty banter, the hopeless high school romantics, and the happily ever after really captured my heart with this one!
Thank you Random House Children’s & Delacorte Romance for access to this ARC in return for an honest review!
November 8, 2025
What a cute and fun story💙
It's been a bit since I've read a book by Sara Ney, and boy, do I regret it because I just love her writing and the stories she creates. It's always filled with characters that are easy to fall in love with; not only that, they are filled with such good plots and storylines that definitely leave you wanting more.
Lately, I have read no high school romances, and this made me miss reading them because it’s nice to take a break from adulthood and just go back to those cute romances filled with humor and banter from teenage life.
Harper and Easton were so cute, and I just knew they deserved one another despite him wanting someone he’d had a crush on for some time. The beginning of their love story sure started with a bang, and it was definitely a good way to start!
The back-and-forth banter between them and the way they liked one another, and it took them a bit to admit their feelings, left me on the edge of my seat because I was just rooting for them, wanting them to get their stuff together. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I hated that I finished it in one sitting because I could've appreciated it more; that’s how much I loved it.
It's been a bit since I've read a book by Sara Ney, and boy, do I regret it because I just love her writing and the stories she creates. It's always filled with characters that are easy to fall in love with; not only that, they are filled with such good plots and storylines that definitely leave you wanting more.
Lately, I have read no high school romances, and this made me miss reading them because it’s nice to take a break from adulthood and just go back to those cute romances filled with humor and banter from teenage life.
Harper and Easton were so cute, and I just knew they deserved one another despite him wanting someone he’d had a crush on for some time. The beginning of their love story sure started with a bang, and it was definitely a good way to start!
The back-and-forth banter between them and the way they liked one another, and it took them a bit to admit their feelings, left me on the edge of my seat because I was just rooting for them, wanting them to get their stuff together. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I hated that I finished it in one sitting because I could've appreciated it more; that’s how much I loved it.
December 3, 2025
I need this book made into a movie right now!
13.5 years ago I was distraught that I wasn't asked to prom. Actually, I wasn't just distraught, I was devastated. I wanted so badly to have a reason to get a pretty dress, have my hair and make up done, and to be able to dance the night away. I wish so badly that this book was there for me to read before my senior prom so that I would have read it and followed Harper's lead, going even though I wasn't asked because I had every right to get dressed up in the cutest dress I had ever owned. I felt a bit healed by this book in seeing someone go to prom on their own, not depending on a boy to give them the invitation to do so.
But the romance was also such a good part of this book. Sara Key wrote my favorite banter between Harper and Easton. It felt authentic and high school but not immature. I'll say it again, I want this as a movie so I can watch it again and again!!
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
13.5 years ago I was distraught that I wasn't asked to prom. Actually, I wasn't just distraught, I was devastated. I wanted so badly to have a reason to get a pretty dress, have my hair and make up done, and to be able to dance the night away. I wish so badly that this book was there for me to read before my senior prom so that I would have read it and followed Harper's lead, going even though I wasn't asked because I had every right to get dressed up in the cutest dress I had ever owned. I felt a bit healed by this book in seeing someone go to prom on their own, not depending on a boy to give them the invitation to do so.
But the romance was also such a good part of this book. Sara Key wrote my favorite banter between Harper and Easton. It felt authentic and high school but not immature. I'll say it again, I want this as a movie so I can watch it again and again!!
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Sara Ney ,Random House Children’s books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review! All information below is based off my own opinion of the book! I also like to keep my reviews short and simple as someone who looks at the short reviews before reading books. 💕⭐️
Book rating: ⭐️⭐️
Favorite characters: probably the male characters sister
Review: I think this book should be changed to middle school instead of high school. This felt very kiddish to me. Honestly I found myself hating the main male character so much by the end of the book I just wanted her to find someone else. This book has a lot of potential and some people might enjoy it but it was not for me. I found the Maddie situation to be so drawn out. I found some mistakes in the book as well so it will need some editing. I felt like a lot of the blame got put on her and he wasn’t blamed enough for his crappy behavior while liking two girls at once one he doesn’t even really know. This might be too YA for me. It definitely needs something more. The cover is super cute though!
Book rating: ⭐️⭐️
Favorite characters: probably the male characters sister
Review: I think this book should be changed to middle school instead of high school. This felt very kiddish to me. Honestly I found myself hating the main male character so much by the end of the book I just wanted her to find someone else. This book has a lot of potential and some people might enjoy it but it was not for me. I found the Maddie situation to be so drawn out. I found some mistakes in the book as well so it will need some editing. I felt like a lot of the blame got put on her and he wasn’t blamed enough for his crappy behavior while liking two girls at once one he doesn’t even really know. This might be too YA for me. It definitely needs something more. The cover is super cute though!
September 25, 2025
Genre: Young adult, Romcom, Sports romance, Dual POV
If You Liked: Fake Skating by Lynn Painter, To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Release Date: March 10th, 2026
No slow burn, incredibly rushed plot and ending, cringy dialogue, no chemistry. Kind of bummer this one fell flat because it hits all the best tropes low key.
I had to keep reminding myself this was young adult because some of the characterizations, behavior and dialogue was more than a little cringe. It very much gave "How do you do fellow kids?" I also don't know why the Maddie part of this went on for as long as it did.
Easton and Harper I fear are one of those book couples you know for SURE they're breaking up lmao
To be fair, it WAS cute for the most part. I do think others will enjoy it. It was a pretty quick read.
Thank you to Random House Children's Books and netgalley for the arc!
If You Liked: Fake Skating by Lynn Painter, To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Release Date: March 10th, 2026
No slow burn, incredibly rushed plot and ending, cringy dialogue, no chemistry. Kind of bummer this one fell flat because it hits all the best tropes low key.
I had to keep reminding myself this was young adult because some of the characterizations, behavior and dialogue was more than a little cringe. It very much gave "How do you do fellow kids?" I also don't know why the Maddie part of this went on for as long as it did.
Easton and Harper I fear are one of those book couples you know for SURE they're breaking up lmao
To be fair, it WAS cute for the most part. I do think others will enjoy it. It was a pretty quick read.
Thank you to Random House Children's Books and netgalley for the arc!
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