When your mothers have been inseparable since you were all in diapers, it's even more complicated. One impulsive night Sadie and Trent act on all those years of sexual tension and--
It's damn incredible.
But the potential for disaster leads Sadie to bolt. She does her best to ignore her aching heart. And Trent's dozens of voicemails. Their relationship goes from fire to solid ice.
After a tragic death rocks the families, Sadie manages to avoid home completely until winter break...but when Trent comes to her rescue one frigid night, all it takes is one look to realize walking out on him was the biggest mistake of her life.
Christmas is the season for miracles, which is perfect. Because it's going to take miracle to thaw Trent's heart and prove to him that she's ready to give their epic love story a fighting chance. But when tragedy strikes and everything she's ever cared about hangs in the balance, Sadie has to decide what's truly worth fighting for.
Liz Reinhardt is a perpetually homesick NJ native who migrated to the deep South a decade ago with her funny kid, motor-head husband, and growing pack of mutts. She's a fanatical book lover with no reading prejudices and a wide range of genre loves, but her heart will always skip a beat for YA. In her spare time she likes to listen to corny jokes her kid reads to her from ice-pop sticks, watch her husband get dirty working on cars, travel whenever she can scrape together a few bucks, and gab on the phone incessantly with her bestie, writer Steph Campbell. She likes Raisinets even if they aren't real candy, the Oxford comma even though it's nerdy, and airports even when her plane is delayed. When she isn't writing, Liz Reinhardt teaches a fantastic group of diverse 8th graders in Savannah, GA. Rebels Like Us, her latest YA novel, is full of hot kisses, angst, homesickness, and laughs that are almost as good as the ones that come from the stick of a melty ice-pop.
I wanted to love this book, I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately that wasn't the case for me. Best friend's brother stories are usually my favorite and I liked the premise of Heart Thaw, Sadie and Trent had one night of passion but she didn't believe anything could come of it and essentially ran. Fast forward a few years, months maybe, I'm not a hundred percent sure, the timeline wasn't quite clear or I just missed it when I started skimming. I don't think I ever knew Trent's age either. And who the heck are Monty and Lloyd? Anyways, Sadie and Trent are thrown back together when she needs help getting home for Christmas and things between them are tense. Trent is determined to get Sadie to see that they could be perfect together but she wasn't having it. I never really connected to them as a couple nor cared for them individually. Trent was portrayed as absolutely perfect but Sadie not so much, which made it hard to see why Trent wanted her so badly. Other than the relationship between Sadie and Trent there was a lot going on in this book and a lot of, what I felt were unnecessary, details. After the first few chapters, the book started to drag and became a tad bit depressing for me. Heart Thaw wasn't the light-hearted Christmas read I had anticipated and it felt as if it needed a bit more polishing. As I said before, I really wanted to like this book and I think many people will, it just didn't work for me.
Anytime you put a best friend's brother and Christmas together, you automatically have a win for me. Add in Liz Reinhardt and it was an automatic one-click. I loved this story so much. Gosh, that sounds stupid. I really don't have the pretty words for it, because I, am not a writer. But, I fell in love with this book and read it every chance I could. I fell asleep reading it and woke up extra early to finish it. I love how the characters were all a little flawed, but somehow for the most part, everyone accepted their flaws. Even Sadie. But, they certainly never let her forget them either. I completely appreciated the fact that this book, while it had it serious issues and situations, and even a few sad ones, the book wasn't a downer, and when I finished, I was all over happy. It's a definite read. :)
I love Christmas and I love anything by Liz Reinhardt so this book was right up my alley!
The chemistry between Sadie and Trent was pretty hot and I like how their relationship was never really smooth sailing, yet you always could tell how much they care for each other. The side characters (mom, ella, and george) added a lot to the story and to Sadie and Trent's relationship. My only comment is that it almost seemed like there was too much drama! By the time I was 50% done I almost felt like it should have been two books.
If you like stories about christmas with a lot of romance and family drama thrown in, then this is a book you should definitely check out.
I loved so many of the characters, but I wanted to smack Sadie upside the head so SO many times. I am glad she stopped being a dimwitted witch prior to the end of the book. She had to figure things out and grow up on her own. Just thank goodness, it happened.
And Trent...Wow! It's too bad men like that don't really exist too often outside of fiction.
Heart Thaw is a sweet and steamy friends-to-lovers, holiday read. Trent and Sadie have known each other their entire lives and somewhere along the way things between them got… complicated. Trent happens to be the younger brother of Sadie’s best friend, Georgia, and despite knowing everything there is to lose, one night together changes everything between them. Set amongst the sparkling holiday lights and emotional turmoil of the first holiday season since tragedy struck their families, Trent and Sadie’s story is raw, sexy, and full of feels. Liz Reinhardt has created a great dynamic that perfectly captures the New Adult genre. A future filled with the unknown, growing pains, uncertainty, and vulnerability give Heart Thaw an authenticity that readers can definitely appreciate.
I have to admit, Sadie drove me crazy at first, mostly because Trent seemed so swoon-worthy and she seemed downright oblivious. When she returned home for Winter Break, Sadie was forced to face the friends and family she left behind and all the emotions she’d been avoiding. As Liz Reinhardt revealed everything Sadie had walked away from, I started to understand her confusion and the fear of losing everything she loved that drove her to hold everyone at arm’s length. Being able to better relate to Sadie, I eventually found myself connecting to her in unexpected ways. I absolutely loved Trent and the growth that was demonstrated in this character. As Sadie’s perspective of Trent shifted, we got to experience all of the ways in which he’d clearly come into his own and I found myself easily falling for this totally sweet book boyfriend. Trent’s beautifully artistic soul was just icing on the already delicious cake.
From the beginning, I could feel the chemistry between Sadie and Trent. The tension was palpable and the emotionally charged moments burned hot, creating a vacuum around this couple that easily sucked me in and threatened to catch the other characters as well. Liz Reinhardt did a really great job with the various relationship dynamics captured in this story. I loved seeing how Trent’s sister and Sadie’s mom and sister played into their developing feelings. I found myself curious about the secondary characters and wanting to know more about them as they became an increasingly significant part of Sadie and Trent’s journey. Liz Reinhardt gave Heart Thaw an overwhelming feeling of family that made this book something special and hit me hard with all the feels. Heart Thaw is a sweet, light-hearted read that touched me and brought back all of the emotions and challenges that come with being a new adult. If you’re looking for a little holiday fun that’s full-of-life and love, then check out Heart Thaw!
If you're looking for a fast and light read, then this is one to pick up. I quickly read it in one sitting and it pleasantly surprised me.
Trent is Sadie's best friend's younger brother. Even though they do have a past, she knows it can never amount to anything but Trent will not be persuaded otherwise. He knows he wants her and will stop at nothing.
As much as you see Sadie trying to deny her feelings for Trent, his persistence is what breaks down her walls and changes her mind. You quickly find out that no matter how much she protests, you cannot deny the truth.
Trent and Sadie are such the perfect couple because their families are so close. After Trent has suffered a tragic loss, it pulls their family together even closer. I loved all of the characters in this book and I definitely fell for Trent myself!
Sadie and Trent grew up together and he is her best friend's little brother. Sadie is in her head for most of this book and over analyzes everything to death. Trent wants to be with her and does not want to take no for an answer any longer. After a few missteps and turns, Sadie realizes that life cannot be totally planned and some things need to be fought for. The book was pretty light and easy read. There were a few instances in the book where Trace was used instead of Trent by accident, which was a little confusing for a moment. Overall a nice holiday read.
Heart Thaw by Liz Reinhardt was a solid read without a cliffhanger. The storyline was solid and well thought out. My only complaint was the back and forth with Sadie....I wish the author would've wrapped that up earlier in the book. The characters had great depth and emotion....loved their chemistry for each other. I would highlands commend this read.