Ice Ice Baby

Boston Bobcats #1

by Carly Robyn

He's the plot twist she didn't see coming...

Maya Silver doesn’t believe in happily ever afters, nor does she want one. She’s too busy managing the Book Nook, a cozy Boston bookstore where romance novels fly off the shelves. After one too many disappointments, she’s learned that love is unpredictable, and most promises don’t last. So love in real life? That’s a story Maya’s shelved for good.

Enter Nicholas “Cole” Barrett, the Boston Bobcats’ star player. He’s built his whole life around the game, and it’s paid off. He’s got his routine perfected until Maya crashes into it with stories, sarcasm, and a smile he can’t stop thinking about. She’s not chasing a puck or a paycheck, and for once, he’s not thinking about the next practice or game, he’s thinking about her.

Maya’s not interested in being won over, but Cole is used to pursuing things worth winning. And as they spend more time together, the harder it is to ignore the fiery pull between them and the way their connection feels like something more. But having spent her whole life believing true love was only found in books, will Maya be brave enough to begin a love story of her own?

Genres: Sports Romance, Hockey, Romance, Sports, Hockey Romance, Friends To Lovers, Slow Burn

330 pages, ebook

Published November 6, 2025

About the author

Carly Robyn writes contemporary romances with heart, heat, and humor. When she's not writing or reading, you can find her spending time with her family, scrolling through TikTok, exploring Chicago's restaurant scene with friends, watching a Grand Prix, taking a million photos of her dogs Quincy and Owen, or binge-watching anything true-crime related while drinking Diet Coke.

Reviews

[maria (will I fully comeback?) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ✰

The premise of this book sounds like something I’ll enjoy reading… unfortunately it was not the case this time.

My biggest problem with this book is how the fmc’s whole personality is that she reads. Don’t get me wrong, that’s lowkey my only personality too but at least I don’t go around making all conversations about books and trying to change the topic all the time. Most of the times the fmc would make references to booktok and things I don’t really like to see in a book since it’s part of my daily life lol, so I think that definitely played a big role into why I couldn’t love this. Also the fact that he ghosted her for a month!?!?!? ummm no, thank you😭

I truly wanted to enjoy this book and i think it is a me problem tbh, it was very insta-love/lust, i just couldn’t get into their dynamic as friends and then a couple since everything happened so fast.

[naz · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅, 𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍, 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝑩𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕.

Okay this was hella cuuuuteeeee 🥹💖 If you love romance, banter, and having the FMC be obsessed with books as we are, then definitely read this book 😍 Not to mention SPORTS 🏒!!! We got the team captain falling head over heels for the woman who “just wants to be friends” but let’s be real… we all know that doesn’t last 😏 WIIINK.

Maya Silver only reads about happily ever afters but doesn’t actually believe in them. Comes in Cole Bennett, who wants to win her over no matter how long he has to wait to convince her (SCREAMS) The banter and the black cat x golden retriever energy were so delicious! I especially loved how even though it’s all cute and games, you really get to see why Maya doesn’t come easy when it comes to love and also Cole's insecurities of trusting someone completely. Personally, I think that’s what hit close to heart while reading.

Love is not only expressed with words but also with actions💞 and there are so many scenes here outside of the spice (WHICH WAS HOT. BY. THE. WAY 🔥) that pulled at my heartstrings and made my reading experience amazing 🥹

We also can’t forget the hockey aspect of the book 🏒⛸️ I loved seeing Maya go from never watching a hockey game to being obsessed by the end 😂 Because let’s be honest just like Maya, we usually only read about the games, not actually go to them lol. Maya Silver was seriously so relatable that I think every book lover should read this book as a requirement into the book society lmao!! 💕

tropes
🏒 hockey romance
🏒 black cat x golden retriever
🏒 he falls first
🏒 slow burn
🏒 opposite attract

Thank you Valentine PR and Carly Robyn for my eARC

⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 ꪆৎ ˚⋅ i need to be healed by a hockey romance

[paula ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

I really enjoyed the book. Maya is super charismatic and fun, and Cole is a sweetheart. Plus, the slow burn was 🔥🔥🔥

My only issue with the book is that once they started getting together, it felt like it was almost one spicy scene after another, and the whole ending felt rushed.

But overall, I really liked the book.

[shelbysbookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’m like rebecca yarros in the way that i need to read a sports romance in between every fantasy book i read 🤭

[Olga 🌺 · Rating 1 out of 5]

No jab to the author, but she is trying too hard. Her language is picture perfect and her setting is too modern. Ticking all those boxes that need to be included in modern books for them to be "published".

Not my thing...

[megan ◡̈ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was unfortunately just an okay listen for me, i didn’t necessarily dislike it by any means but i wasnt as invested as i would have liked to have been either.

i think my biggest issue with this book revolves around making being a reader mayas one and only personality trait and dont get me wrong i was living for the lil y/n moment, the hot hockey star picking her out of everyone bc shes different and doesnt care who he is… but i just wanted a bit more depth from her at the end of the day.

i enjoyed being in cole’s pov, he felt a bit more layered and having his friends/teammates around made for an entertaining treat. i liked when cole was around maya and helped bring her out of her comfort zone and we got a little bit more out of her than just reading and books.

the bean nickname also really threw me out of the story every time it was said, that is an unfortunate personal problem of mine but it was still something that made the listening experience less enjoyable.

i will probably give the rest of this series a try as they release because i do enjoy carly’s writing and this may just be a one off for me.

[Diet Mtn Dews and Dramatic Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤍hockey romance
🤍black cat x golden retriever
🤍slow burn
🤍he fall first

💋Dramatic Thoughts💋

If you thought Carly Robyn’s F1 romance era was fabulous, then you better lace up your skates because her hockey romance era is just as INCREDIBLE 😍

Let’s dive in!!! Cole fell first and HARD for his coffee loving, romance reading, selfless woman! Cole literally was so cute taking things at Maya’s pace and following her lead! Maya just has this quirky sense of humor - I was rolling every time she told someone her job description!! The banter between Maya and Cole was so much fun and I certainly cannot miss my opportunity to mention the SPICE SPICE BABY 🥵🥵

While obviously I adored the main characters, the side characters were fabulous too!! I’m super excited to continue this series and I’ll forever be a Carly Robyn fan!!

Thank you Carly for an ARC of this book!!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ice Ice Baby by Carly Robyn is a multiple scene open door sports romance between a bookstore manager and a professional hockey player. I found it super relatable since the FMC is completely obsessed with books and can talk about tropes for hours. Same.

The story was really sweet. I loved that they met as strangers and became friends first. So many sports romances lean on best friend’s brother or coach’s daughter, so getting a real meet cute between two unconnected people felt refreshing. The FMC has zero ties to hockey and honestly, I loved that about her.

The MMC was sweet, steady, and really dedicated. The miscommunication trope is definitely strong in this one, so go in with your eyes open if that’s not your thing.

Overall, I liked the side characters, the chemistry, and how caring the MMC was. The FMC was fun to read, and I think this might kick off a Boston Bobcats series. If so, I’ll definitely be checking out the next one.

Thank you to Valentine PR and the author for a copy of this arc.

[ʚ Aileen ɞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sweet! Very green flag-y and entertaining. I related a lot to Maya, which is one of the main reasons I enjoyed this so much. Cole and the cast of side characters (especially Goose!) were also great. If you’re in the mood for a light-hearted hockey romance with minimal drama, I definitely recommend this one.

[Katie Beasley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was borderline 3.75-4 stars for me, but I leaned towards 4. It was a good intro to a new world of men that we get to watch meet their matches! I had a little bit of a challenge with the pacing and the chemistry. Everything was a little fast then slowed down all while their chemistry was slightly lacking in my opinion. With that being said, I liked the intro to our new world of hockey players. I liked Cole and Maya. I liked their meet cute- as a reader- I clicked with Maya. I have found myself reading not necessairly on my reader but definitely on my phone at things that I feel out of touch at haha. I liked how she didn't really know anything about hockey but after becoming "friends" with Cole she made an effort. I had a hard time with the beginning of the book BUT understood it after learning more about Cole and where his head was at. I liked how he made the deep dive and decided that he wanted to be with Maya and would go at her pace. He showed up for her. He listened. It was nice to have him show her his world while she was learning more about his. At the end of the day, these two were good together. The spice when it hit was GOOD. That's when the chemistry clicked. It was really fun watching these two finally lower their walls and give love a try.

Maya has one main focus- reading. She manages one of the local bookstores and loves her job. She doesn't really think anything about dating but then she meets Cole at a party. He kisses her after hanging out for the night, and it's a GREAT kiss. But then he ghosts her. She tries not to let it affect her, but when he comes back around for a second chance. She says they can only be friends. And so friends they are. Friends that talk. Friends that eat together. Friends that learn things about each other. Friends that think dirty thoughts about each other- wait that's not right. She shouldn't be thinking about Cole this way, but she can't help thinking about that kiss. She wants more. She knows he wants more. And so after a lot of teasing she gives in. And she is so glad that she did. She realizes that they have basically been dating but now there are additional benefits. They have a solid foundation. They have a great connection AND he is supportive in her dream of writing. She is starting to think of this long term when a wrench is thrown at them. Maya hopes she knows how to navigate. She hopes that the trust she has given Cole is not unfounded. Because she realizes life isn't fun with him not in it.

Cole has one thing that he is focused on. And that's hockey. Ever since tragedy hit his family three years ago, it's all he has known. But then he meets Maya at a party and gets distracted by her kiss. Distracted enough to drop the ball in hockey. He freaks and backs off but realizes that he can't only be about hockey. He WANTS to try with Maya. He knows he messed up but is hoping that she will give him another chance. She says no to anything romantic but yes to friends. Cole takes it with the hopes he can change her mind. And then he basically proceeds to fall in love with her. He learns her dreams, her wants, her challenges, what makes her smile, what makes her tick. He learns it all and gives her hints that he still wants more which he does. She when she finally gives in, it's like finding water in the desert. Glorious. And now he wants her all the time. They have a great foundation. He just wants to continue to be the best he can for her and support her how he can. But then a dream that he had with his brother comes into play. One that would change everything. And Cole finds himself wondering if his dreams haven't changed to involve a woman named Maya.

This was a pretty easy read. I enjoyed the overall plot and again getting to meet all of our future characters. I would recommend this if you want to start a new hockey series!

Thank you to Valentine PR and Carly for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Sandy (Sandy.Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐

If you’re looking for a fun, feel good hockey romance with plenty of banter, this one definitely delivers. The chemistry between the main characters was easy and playful, and I loved how their connection built through all those little moments, especially the fact that he’s out here reading monster romances just because she likes them. That alone had me smiling.

The found family aspect really stood out to me. There’s something so comforting about a tight knit group that shows up for each other, and this book captured that perfectly. And I can’t forget the adorable dog, who honestly deserves a spotlight of their own.

Overall, this was such an enjoyable read that balanced humor, sweetness, and just enough depth to keep me invested. I’m really excited to continue with the rest of the series and spend more time in this world.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored everything about this book! Maya is a romance loving bookstore manager who always has her nose in a book. Cole is an outgoing and swoon worthy NHL superstar and when he sets his mind to something he’s going make sure it happens. He’s instantly captivated by Maya and he’s determined to show her that happily ever afters do exist outside of romance novels.

I loved these two together and they make such an adorable couple. I loved Maya’s bit of grumpiness mixed with Cole. It was so fun being about to relate to Maya as a fellow book lover that’s introverted but always willing to discuss books. I also need to find myself a man like Cole that’s willing to read alien smut for me.

I love Carly’s writing style and she did an amazing job with this new hockey romance series. I was hooked from page one and enjoyed every minute of the book. I can’t wait to see what happens next in book two of the Boston Bobcats!

[Tohfaaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐

omg i had so much while reading this book. i really like the characters. i can't wait for book 2🥰

[Sim-fully Ever After · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5🌟, 3 🌶️

You know that book that just feels like a warm hug? Ice Ice Baby totally hit that spot for me.

It’s a charming sports romance between a book-obsessed bookstore manager and a pro hockey player, and I absolutely adored the FMC’s bookish, trope-loving vibes. Their stranger-to-lovers meet-cute felt so fresh and real—a nice break from the usual sports romance clichés.

Maya and Cole were both such great characters. I loved how they started as friends and built their connection slowly while still having great chemistry. Cole was patient, kind, and genuinely devoted, while Maya took her time to open up—but once she did, it was all in. There’s a bit of miscommunication in their story, but it fits naturally and adds to their connection.

The side characters added so much warmth and fun, giving the book that perfect found-family feel. Goose completely stole the show, and I’m really hoping we get to see more stories about the rest of the crew—they were so much fun to read about.

It was sweet, charming, and low on drama, with just the right touch of spice—a cozy, comforting read that I didn’t want to put down.

~~~~

Thank you, Carly Robyn and Valentine PR, for the ARC! 😍 All my bookish thoughts are completely my own. ✨

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
Cole meets Maya at a party she's in a corner of the event reading on her kindle and this makes him intrested since Maya doesn't know who he is. Its refreshing. He finds out where she works and sorta goes pursinging. Maya is alittle hesitant cuz she doesn't trust easy due to her ex cheating on her and how her family life is. No one ever sticks around. And Cole does do something dumb like ghostest her. So Maya doesn't make it easy when he comes around again.
Both have there own baggage. That im glad they dealt with.
We see some side charas ;)
And I can't wait to read book 2!! (I was reading out of order)
The spice was good not to spicy.


Saftey-one part of the book he's at a party and someone random jumps on him and kisses him he doesn't kiss back but that made Maya jealous. And Maya ex tried something beside that it was safe.

No ow/tiny om (an ex), no cheating, slight secondary character, drama, sexy times, no virgins or manwhores

Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶

Slowinsta
Praise kink
Grief of a loved one
Mentioned of death (off page)
Safe sex
Found family
Hea
Epilogue

[casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the romance book lovers out there get ready because this is the book for us! 🤩

🐈‍⬛ black cat x golden retriever
🩵 he falls first & hard
🏒 hockey romance
📖 bookish heroine

This is literally perfect for anyone who doesn’t follow hockey in real life but loves to read sports romances about it (aka me lol)! Maya is truly a bookish heroine I think many people will relate to 🫶

Maya is a closed-off eldest daughter who’s always taken care of her siblings (ouch I’ve been targeted again), and she’s the type of FMC I can always get behind. And Cole is the golden retriever hockey player who falls first and hard for her! He really owns up to how much he likes her and is so respectful of her boundaries. I loved seeing them get to know each other on a real friendship level before becoming more serious. It was so sweet seeing Cole show up for Maya whenever she needed him especially since she’s never had that kind of stability from anyone else in her life 🥹

Overall, this was a really cute hockey romance read! It made me smile, and I ADORED the side characters in addition to Cole & Maya. I’m now super intrigued and excited for the rest of the series! This was my first Carly Robyn book, and it will definitely not be my last 💙

Thank you so much to Carly Robyn & Valentine PR for an ARC of this book! 💌

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

stop it rn this was so cute!! this one's truly for all the book lovers out there <3

[Carly Robyn]

Available now!

Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
Amazon: http://bit.ly/4fbzGON

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/4odosxc

🩵 opposites attract
🩵 hockey romance
🩵 golden retriever + black cat
🩵 slow burn with spice
🩵 he falls first
🩵 bookstore manager + pro hockey player
🩵 nonstop banter
🩵 dual POV

[Courtney | romancereadswithcourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m SUPER early. This was read for a content pull. Either way? It’s a top read of 2025 for me 🥹🫶🏼.

Oh. My. God.

This book gave me SOOO much life. Cole Berrett is a true book boyfriend. Their dynamic and relationship is INCREDIBLE. The side characters? Funny and charming. The banter? Immaculate. The angst and tension moments? I literally teared up from the feelings.

[Gel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC!

Overall rating: 4
HEA/HFN: HFN
POV: 1st dual

Emojis to describe MMC: 🏒🦮🔥
Emojis to describe FMC: 🐈‍⬛ 💂💪🏼
Emojis to describe story as a whole: ❤️😍👏🏼🔥

What I liked: This was a super cute and easy read. There was a bit of angst and Maya was enough of a black cat to push back, but not come off as obnoxious.I can’t stand FMCs who are just straight up bitchy and unlikeable. Maya had her reasons for being standoffish. I liked the minor betrayal by the MMC (withheld truth). He felt bad and apologized, but the grand gesture actually came from her. I usually don’t like that but I didn’t mind it because she really made him work for it for about 50% of the book. Loved that we didn’t really have to hear about their love life before each other.

What I didn’t like: I didn't like that Cole ghosted her after their first time really hanging out. She really didn't seem to give him enough crap for it either. I understood why he did, but it didn't exactly fit with the rest of the vibe of the story. He did work to get her to give him a chance but he would have had to regardless because she was so guarded anyway.

Safety: Safe
OW/OM drama: There was a woman who jumped on Cole’s lap and forced a kiss on him at a club. Of course a camera caught it and it upsets Maya but she believes him when he explains what happened.
Cheating: None
3rd act breakup: Not really–there’s an argument but they aren’t apart long enough to count as a breakout IMO.
Celibate: Since meeting, yes. Cole mentioned he hasn’t been with anyone in a long time and it is implied that it was before his brother died (a few years ago). Not sure though. She just broke up with an ex who cheated on her.

[Anna Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

How is this her first hockey romance?! Carly was MADE to write hockey. This is every book lovers dream come true - meeting a hockey player at a bar where you’re hiding in the corner to read your kindle? Count me in.

Read this if you’re in the mood for…
- hockey romance
- he takes her out to skate
- meet cute
- he falls first
- found family
- banter texting

This was SO sweet and the perfect start to a new series! Can’t wait to see who gets their own book in the future.

Would I recommend? YES

[Bea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watch me celebrate that I'm ending the million series I have unfinished and then start another 5 book unfinished series...
I'm going to need another page on my reading journal for all of this series..

I'm going to say just one thing and then I will do the review, I was here before this series get famous on tiktok because this series has so much potential and end this reach the influencers it's going to implode.

Nothing better than a hockey romance, but mix it with a FMC who is the definition of a bookworm, who doesn't believe she would ever experience a love like the books she reads. And bang transform this in her personal book love story.

In the start I was like you my god is it going to be insta love? Because in the first 10% it looked like that, and I'm so happy I continued because it had so much more to give and it delivered.

I absolutely loved Maya and Cole as individual characters and their romance was even better. Maya is someone who has been let down many times throughout her life and she doesn't trust easily, and Cole is literally the definition of a golden retriever who also has a brown lab. And he shows up every time to prove he is worthy of her trust.

And honourable mention to the team, I love when I start a new series and I confuse the names of all the players and then when I reach the end of book one I am already obsessed with all of them.

So ofc I'm invested in reading this whole series!!!

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Slow Burn Sport Romance, and this is the first book in the Boston Bobcats series. I read this book by listening to the audiobook for this book, and I enjoyed the audiobook. I love the characters in this book, and I also love all the book stuff in this book. The two main characters have a lot of great back and forth throughout this book. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

[Han · Rating 3 out of 5]

Safety

Nye party a girl jumps on him and kissed him he didn’t kiss her back but there was a picture of it onljne this was during there “just friends” phase but they had kissed a month or so prior. He clears it up never gets brought up again

Her ex wants her back he calls her a bunch and shows up once
Or than that it was safe for me

[Afton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted a bit more from this book. More character development, more depth, more yearning. It just fell a bit flat for me.

[Ethan Wilt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just started this, Goodreads rated it on its own volition. We’ll see if it stacks up.

EDIT: 2.5 on final read

[Katie Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love hockey

[Alex (HEABookNerd) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved everything about ICE ICE BABY and I never wanted to put it down! Carly Robyn's writing was so engaging and I loved the character "voices" that felt real and interesting. I'm a big fan of hockey romances and while they can sometimes be predictable I appreciated that Maya and Cole brought a fresh maturity to the genre with their communication and clear intentions. Their banter was top tier, the slow burn was perfectly tension filled, and the spicy moments were delicious.

Cole was a fantastic MMC with plenty of charm and golden retriever vibes and a natural drive to take care of those in his life. He's the exact kind of hero I love to read -- a nice guy, emotionally available, a goofy dog dad, with the right amount of take charge when needed. He's ready to be all in with Maya and I loved that he was always open and clear with what he wanted. As a counter, Maya was reluctant to start a relationship but she enjoys spending time around Cole and I liked the friendship they built in the early parts of the book. Maya was used to taking care of everyone else and being completely independent so I loved the moments when she let Cole take care of her instead. Together Maya and Cole had a great relationship with lots of tender moments, genuine care, and fun banter. I loved their dynamic and chemistry so much!

Throw in some fun hockey moments, ride or die friends, and goofy teammates and I'm so excited to read more in this series.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Favorite Quotes:

“And what’s your New Year’s resolution?”

“To read more,” he says simply.

“You’re liking Alien Lovers of Planet Dexxar that much?”

“I like you that much,” he corrects, “but the alien lovers aren’t too bad.”

[Jennifer W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awww, this was so my type of book!! So cozy and cute ☺️ loved all the bookish references 🤭

There could have been more dramatics but I just loved how true it felt, like there were no crazy unrealistic things going on. Both Maya and Cole were such great characters and I thought they had a depth to them as well. They were ADORABLE! 🥰

I really hope there will be more stories about the rest of the characters, they were so fun to read about and I loved them all together! Must also say that the spice was good spice 😏

[Adri (books.with.adri) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was cute read. I really like it – specially the audiobook.

She’s a book nerd and he is a jock (hockey player). He falls instantly for her and she’s just not charmed – especially since she is used to being hurt and is used to guarding her heart.

But Cole will not give up so easily. I loved the slow burn between these two.

Overall, it was good. I liked it ☺️

[Lynn_G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute romance between bookshop worker Maya and hockey star Cole. This opposites attract novella is a fun read which manages to be lighthearted even while delving into serious topics like the loss of a twin brother.

I received an advance reader copy from Valentine PR, and I’m sharing my honest review.