Enemies, Ice, and Everything Nice
Dedication: For those that have never felt good enough. You are and you always will be. And for those that have always wanted the grumpy older brother.
Lydia (FMC): 29 • Owner of Fusion Weekly Magazine • Stubborn Workaholic • Wine Lover • High Heel Are A Must • Boss Lady Era • Former Foster Kid • Heavily Guarded Heart •
Landon (MMC): 30 • Owner & Coach at Hockey Haven • Grumpy • German Shepherd Energy • Addicted to Coffee • Secret Cat Lover •
Tropes:
🥅 Enemies to Lovers
📰 Nicknames
🥅 Hockey Romance
📰 No Third Act Breakup
🥅 Found Family
📰 Secret Relationship
🥅 Text Messages
📰 Cats as Therapy
🥅 He Falls First
📰 Team Shenanigans
🥅 Fierce Girl Gang
📰 Banter as Flirting
🥅 Low Angst
Rating: 🐈⬛🐈🐈⬛🐈(4⭐️)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️(praise, dirty talk, 👅, impact play, hair pulling, hand necklaces, 🐫, crawling)
T/W: foster care (referenced), absentee parent (referenced), fighting/violence (referenced), police (on page), jail (on page), hospital scenes (on page), broken bone (on page)
If you love your romance with a side of icy banter, blistering tension, and just enough sweetness to melt a grumpy man’s heart, Fear of Love is going to skate straight into your favorites. Lydia and Landon start off like a puck and a goalie—constantly clashing, refusing to let the other score. She’s a boss babe determined to prove she doesn’t need anyone. He’s the broody rink owner with walls thicker than the boards around the ice. Sparks fly from their very first face-off, and the chemistry is hotter than an overtime playoff goal.
What I adored most was watching those walls come crashing down. Landon may look like a gruff enforcer, but once you see his cinnamon roll center, he’s impossible not to love. (The way he takes care of Lydia after the bachelorette party? 😍 SWOON.) Lydia’s journey takes longer. Her fear of letting people in felt raw and real but when she finally opens her heart, it’s beautiful in a way that lingers long after the final page.
Add in the laugh out loud banter, the unforgettable girl gang chaos (the painting class, the zoo, the bachelorette antics—pure gold), and the found family warmth that threads through the whole series, and you’ve got a story that balances spice, humor, and heart like a perfect power play. Seeing couples from earlier books felt like reuniting with old teammates, and of course, Mateo continues to steal every scene like the golden retriever QB star he is. I’m counting down the days for his story.
Kenadee Bryant nailed the tension, the tenderness, and the triumph of two people learning to trust love again. This series just keeps getting better. I’d call this one an absolute game winner.
I received an ARC copy and wanted to leave an honest review.