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Breaking The Ice
She's all control. He's all chaos. When PR specialist Sophie Lane meets hockey star Ethan Cole, sparks fly, arguments ignite, and desire burns hotter than either of them expected. Between late nights, media drama, and undeniable chemistry, can they navigate love, trust, and fame—or will their hearts pay the price?
424 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 20, 2025
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15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 14, 2025
To start of this review I want to say thank you to the amazing author, Chrissy Smith! Thank you so much for allowing me with this amazing ARC of your newest book. With that being said this book was great, the characters were so lovable, and if you love fast paced books this you would absolutely love this one!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I've heard my name screamed in arenas, chanted by fans, shouted from teammates across the ice-but nothing has ever sounded like that. Nothing has ever wrapped itself around my ribs and held on. And I want more of it. God, I want more of her.
✩₊˚ ☾┊Thoughts and summary
Thank you so much Chrissy Smith for this arc
I ended up DNFing this book at 75%, and I want to be honest about that — especially since this is an ARC review. Just because I didn’t finish it doesn’t mean I hated it. It really wasn’t a bad book at all; I just wasn’t able to fully get into it, and that’s okay. Reading is so personal, and maybe I’m just in a phase where certain stories aren’t clicking for me. That happens, and it’s totally fine.
The story itself is very fast paced — like very. If you love quick-moving romances, this one will probably work for you. Ethan Cole is already obsessed with Sophie by chapter eight, which shows how quickly things progress.
I actually enjoyed their banter in the beginning. Ethan keeps trying to get under Sophie’s skin on purpose, poking at her just to make her react. And honestly… it works every time. She pretends she hates it, but you can tell it gets to her in the best way.
Overall, even though this book didn’t end up being for me personally, I still think it has qualities many readers will enjoy. And who knows — maybe if I pick it up again in a different mood, I’ll end up liking it more.
ׂ╰┈➤ Tropes in this book
❀ Workplace romance
❀ Reverse grumpy x sunshine
❀ He falls first and hard
❀ Hockey romance
──── 𝜗𝜚
⋆˚࿔ Ethan 𝜗𝜚˚
Ethan is very flirty, and he makes it obvious from the start that he wants her. One of the cutest things he does is try to bake blueberry muffins just because Sophie once brought homemade ones. He remembered how it softened her, and he wanted to give that moment back to her, even though he doesn’t know how to bake at all.
He’s also patient with her. He knows she’s scared and holding back, so he never pushes too hard — which made him even sweeter.
I had fallen for her. I'd fallen a while ago, actually. Tonight just stripped away my ability to pretend otherwise.
⋆˚࿔ Sophie 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
Sophie is extremely guarded, and I honestly don’t know if I like her or not. She doesn’t show much personality, and sometimes her reactions were frustrating. Instead of talking to Ethan, she jumps to conclusions over something, and even when he tries to explain, she refuses to listen because she thinks she looks like a fool.
I get that she feels embarrassed and insecure, but I still wish she would communicate instead of assuming the worst. She’s confused — and that confusion turns into drama that didn’t need to happen.
Because this-this version of him— isn't the charming hockey star the world sees. It's the man behind it. The brother. The protector. The heart. I didn't expect to see it today. And I definitely didn't expect to like it this much.
✩₊˚ ☾┊Thoughts and summary
Thank you so much Chrissy Smith for this arc
I ended up DNFing this book at 75%, and I want to be honest about that — especially since this is an ARC review. Just because I didn’t finish it doesn’t mean I hated it. It really wasn’t a bad book at all; I just wasn’t able to fully get into it, and that’s okay. Reading is so personal, and maybe I’m just in a phase where certain stories aren’t clicking for me. That happens, and it’s totally fine.
The story itself is very fast paced — like very. If you love quick-moving romances, this one will probably work for you. Ethan Cole is already obsessed with Sophie by chapter eight, which shows how quickly things progress.
I actually enjoyed their banter in the beginning. Ethan keeps trying to get under Sophie’s skin on purpose, poking at her just to make her react. And honestly… it works every time. She pretends she hates it, but you can tell it gets to her in the best way.
Overall, even though this book didn’t end up being for me personally, I still think it has qualities many readers will enjoy. And who knows — maybe if I pick it up again in a different mood, I’ll end up liking it more.
ׂ╰┈➤ Tropes in this book
❀ Workplace romance
❀ Reverse grumpy x sunshine
❀ He falls first and hard
❀ Hockey romance
──── 𝜗𝜚
⋆˚࿔ Ethan 𝜗𝜚˚
Ethan is very flirty, and he makes it obvious from the start that he wants her. One of the cutest things he does is try to bake blueberry muffins just because Sophie once brought homemade ones. He remembered how it softened her, and he wanted to give that moment back to her, even though he doesn’t know how to bake at all.
He’s also patient with her. He knows she’s scared and holding back, so he never pushes too hard — which made him even sweeter.
I had fallen for her. I'd fallen a while ago, actually. Tonight just stripped away my ability to pretend otherwise.
⋆˚࿔ Sophie 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
Sophie is extremely guarded, and I honestly don’t know if I like her or not. She doesn’t show much personality, and sometimes her reactions were frustrating. Instead of talking to Ethan, she jumps to conclusions over something, and even when he tries to explain, she refuses to listen because she thinks she looks like a fool.
I get that she feels embarrassed and insecure, but I still wish she would communicate instead of assuming the worst. She’s confused — and that confusion turns into drama that didn’t need to happen.
Because this-this version of him— isn't the charming hockey star the world sees. It's the man behind it. The brother. The protector. The heart. I didn't expect to see it today. And I definitely didn't expect to like it this much.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you so much Chrissy for sending me yours and my first arc copy I have ever received of Breaking the Ice! This is the world to me from an author that sends me to read an arc of theirs! 🥰✨️
I rated 4.5 stars 🌟 I will say I love the hockey romance trope that I am obsessed with 😍 i couldn't put this book down! it is so bingable, easy to understand, fast read, keep on your toes vibes that you would keep reading chapter after chapter. I cannot wait to read more of her books 🥰💖
This book about Sophie who has to work with a superstar celebrity hockey player who is the captain of the team as an assistant. Sophie doesn't like him because all she knows about him is he is a ladies man who likes to flirt and play games in romance. Meanwhile, Ethan the hockey player likes to get her under her skin because he knows something about her that he is soo curious to look inside under all those layers. However, deep inside Sophie is discovering who she is when she not the structured, professional and non chaos side when she gets to know the flirtatious hockey man.
I liked the FMC Sophie who is very guarded, grumpy sunshine, professional, structured, loves coffee person who likes to do her way and not change a thing.
However, the MMC Ethan is the total opposite who is charming, loyal, funny, loves choas and change Sophie's world upside down. AGHHHHH i love everything about him that i wanted to hug him sooo tight! (he reminds me of Shep from Ready or Not) exactly they are alike!
Ethan does little things that for her which makes your heart squeezed soo tight 😍💓
Here are the quotes that will keep your heart pumping!
"Don’t ever get on your knees for a man like that,” he says “Make them do it for you.”
"Hope I didn’t ruin your night, Ice Queen. You looked good when you forgot how to breathe"
"If we weren’t surrounded by people, I’d show you exactly how impossible you make it to behave"
She sighed. “You are… chaos.”
“And yet you keep inviting me back.”
Characters:
I love Madison who is Sophie best friend and she is a cracker who made me laugh so much! I adore her 💗 she is also wise person that she knows exactly what to say when Sophie is unsure about something, Madison is the best advice person to go to.
Tropes:
Forced proximity
Hockey romance
Workplace romance
Dual Pov
He falls first
Hate to love
I rated 4.5 stars 🌟 I will say I love the hockey romance trope that I am obsessed with 😍 i couldn't put this book down! it is so bingable, easy to understand, fast read, keep on your toes vibes that you would keep reading chapter after chapter. I cannot wait to read more of her books 🥰💖
This book about Sophie who has to work with a superstar celebrity hockey player who is the captain of the team as an assistant. Sophie doesn't like him because all she knows about him is he is a ladies man who likes to flirt and play games in romance. Meanwhile, Ethan the hockey player likes to get her under her skin because he knows something about her that he is soo curious to look inside under all those layers. However, deep inside Sophie is discovering who she is when she not the structured, professional and non chaos side when she gets to know the flirtatious hockey man.
I liked the FMC Sophie who is very guarded, grumpy sunshine, professional, structured, loves coffee person who likes to do her way and not change a thing.
However, the MMC Ethan is the total opposite who is charming, loyal, funny, loves choas and change Sophie's world upside down. AGHHHHH i love everything about him that i wanted to hug him sooo tight! (he reminds me of Shep from Ready or Not) exactly they are alike!
Ethan does little things that for her which makes your heart squeezed soo tight 😍💓
Here are the quotes that will keep your heart pumping!
"Don’t ever get on your knees for a man like that,” he says “Make them do it for you.”
"Hope I didn’t ruin your night, Ice Queen. You looked good when you forgot how to breathe"
"If we weren’t surrounded by people, I’d show you exactly how impossible you make it to behave"
She sighed. “You are… chaos.”
“And yet you keep inviting me back.”
Characters:
I love Madison who is Sophie best friend and she is a cracker who made me laugh so much! I adore her 💗 she is also wise person that she knows exactly what to say when Sophie is unsure about something, Madison is the best advice person to go to.
Tropes:
Forced proximity
Hockey romance
Workplace romance
Dual Pov
He falls first
Hate to love
Review of advance copy received from Author
Going into this, I genuinely appreciated the effort — especially considering this is only the author’s second book. There’s clear potential here, and a few really warm moments, but overall the story didn’t fully land for me.
The book opens by grounding us in Sophie’s world and her emotional walls, but we don’t quite get the same depth from Ethan’s perspective. We know he’s a star hockey player, but his inner world stays mostly on the surface. I was hoping for a slower, more layered emotional build — a true breaking of the ice — but the romance leaned more toward insta-love than I personally connect with.
Sophie is written as deeply guarded, and while that makes sense given her insecurities, it sometimes made her reactions hard to connect with. There were moments where miscommunication could have been resolved with a conversation, but instead turned into avoidable tension. I understood her confusion and fear, yet I wished the story allowed her more space to express that openly — especially since Ethan never fully learns the depth of her past, including the impact of her parents.
Another aspect that affected my reading experience was the pacing. There were moments where certain scenes felt drawn out or repetitive, both in tone and execution. At times, similar situations seemed to repeat without adding new emotional weight, which slowed the story rather than deepening it.
The central misunderstanding also felt a bit too convenient, and the resolution came quicker than the emotional tension warranted. I kept wishing the story had taken more time — more intensity, more space to let the characters and their emotions unfold naturally.
That said, there were highlights. Adele was a standout for me. Despite being only ten, she shows an emotional awareness well beyond her years and brings genuine warmth to the story. Ethan’s persistence, particularly in the quieter moments, was also endearing and showed real intention.
While there are sweet scenes and heartfelt ideas throughout, they weren’t quite enough to balance the pacing and structural choices for me. This one simply wasn’t my kind of romance, though I can see it working better for readers who enjoy faster connections and lighter emotional stakes.
The book opens by grounding us in Sophie’s world and her emotional walls, but we don’t quite get the same depth from Ethan’s perspective. We know he’s a star hockey player, but his inner world stays mostly on the surface. I was hoping for a slower, more layered emotional build — a true breaking of the ice — but the romance leaned more toward insta-love than I personally connect with.
Sophie is written as deeply guarded, and while that makes sense given her insecurities, it sometimes made her reactions hard to connect with. There were moments where miscommunication could have been resolved with a conversation, but instead turned into avoidable tension. I understood her confusion and fear, yet I wished the story allowed her more space to express that openly — especially since Ethan never fully learns the depth of her past, including the impact of her parents.
Another aspect that affected my reading experience was the pacing. There were moments where certain scenes felt drawn out or repetitive, both in tone and execution. At times, similar situations seemed to repeat without adding new emotional weight, which slowed the story rather than deepening it.
The central misunderstanding also felt a bit too convenient, and the resolution came quicker than the emotional tension warranted. I kept wishing the story had taken more time — more intensity, more space to let the characters and their emotions unfold naturally.
That said, there were highlights. Adele was a standout for me. Despite being only ten, she shows an emotional awareness well beyond her years and brings genuine warmth to the story. Ethan’s persistence, particularly in the quieter moments, was also endearing and showed real intention.
While there are sweet scenes and heartfelt ideas throughout, they weren’t quite enough to balance the pacing and structural choices for me. This one simply wasn’t my kind of romance, though I can see it working better for readers who enjoy faster connections and lighter emotional stakes.
Review of advance copy received from Author
December 19, 2025OUT ON DECEMBER 20th!!!
Trope vibes:
Grumpy x Sunshine • Forced proximity • He falls first • Workplace romance • Hockey romance • Slow-burn tension
Breaking the Ice is a slow-burn romance about proximity and restraint—about what happens when two people are forced into each other’s orbit and pretend they don’t feel the pull. Set between ice rinks, media appearances, and quiet moments in between, it follows a hockey star used to attention and the PR specialist determined not to give him more than necessary.
At its heart, this is a story about walls. About professionalism as armor. About sarcasm used as distance. It’s about learning someone slowly—through glances, tension-filled conversations, and moments that linger longer than they should.
This book leans into longing and buildup rather than rushing the fall. The romance unfolds in small gestures, charged silences, and the growing realization that some lines are crossed long before they’re ever named.
Breaking the Ice is for readers who love emotional tension, sharp banter, and relationships that change quietly at first—until everything shifts.
If this book ends up dog-eared, highlighted, or held a little too close, then it did its job. Thank you for reading
Trope vibes:
Grumpy x Sunshine • Forced proximity • He falls first • Workplace romance • Hockey romance • Slow-burn tension
Breaking the Ice is a slow-burn romance about proximity and restraint—about what happens when two people are forced into each other’s orbit and pretend they don’t feel the pull. Set between ice rinks, media appearances, and quiet moments in between, it follows a hockey star used to attention and the PR specialist determined not to give him more than necessary.
At its heart, this is a story about walls. About professionalism as armor. About sarcasm used as distance. It’s about learning someone slowly—through glances, tension-filled conversations, and moments that linger longer than they should.
This book leans into longing and buildup rather than rushing the fall. The romance unfolds in small gestures, charged silences, and the growing realization that some lines are crossed long before they’re ever named.
Breaking the Ice is for readers who love emotional tension, sharp banter, and relationships that change quietly at first—until everything shifts.
If this book ends up dog-eared, highlighted, or held a little too close, then it did its job. Thank you for reading
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2025
Thank you Chrissy for my first ARC!
Chrissy spends so much time laying the foundation for Sophie's world and her emotions, but unfortunately Ethan does not get the same depth too. Due to this, it was hard for me to believe this was a HEA of true love and not insta-love. I absolutely loved how fast paced this story was; which made it somewhat easy to overlook some of the repetitive scenes that don’t deepen their connection.
Adele being the most outspoken person regarding their love really resonated with me. I have a large age gap with my siblings as well, and their opinions on my partner were always the most honest. Although she is 10, knowing that she had Ethan as her role model allows her maturity and situational awareness to be honest and believable.
I am a huge fan of sports romances and particularly golden retriever / black cat tropes but this unfortunately did not hit the mark for me. I do love Chrissy’s writing style and will finish the series, this just wasn’t a home run for me.
Chrissy spends so much time laying the foundation for Sophie's world and her emotions, but unfortunately Ethan does not get the same depth too. Due to this, it was hard for me to believe this was a HEA of true love and not insta-love. I absolutely loved how fast paced this story was; which made it somewhat easy to overlook some of the repetitive scenes that don’t deepen their connection.
Adele being the most outspoken person regarding their love really resonated with me. I have a large age gap with my siblings as well, and their opinions on my partner were always the most honest. Although she is 10, knowing that she had Ethan as her role model allows her maturity and situational awareness to be honest and believable.
I am a huge fan of sports romances and particularly golden retriever / black cat tropes but this unfortunately did not hit the mark for me. I do love Chrissy’s writing style and will finish the series, this just wasn’t a home run for me.
December 17, 2025
ARC review: I am so happy I was able to receive an ARC of this hockey romance book. One of my favorite tropes is when he falls first and harder and Ethan Cole does just that. I love how from the moment he met Sophie he was intrigued and loved the parts of her she thought might be boring. I loved the dynamic of their relationship and their banter was off the charts. They say opposites attract and Ethan and Sophie are the strongest magnets. Ethan was unapologetically himself and Sophie pretended to resist it but secretly loves it the whole time. I couldn’t put the book down-I read it in one day! I loved the tension and the pacing of the story and can’t wait to read more books by Chrissy!
December 25, 2025
I don't know what it is with authors lately and writing characters I can really relate to, but that is what Chrissy Smith did. I like Sophie tend to run when things get real or there is a real chance of getting hurt. Now I don’t organize my entire life like her, but I can relate to everything else. I wish I had an Ethan who was willing to put in the effort that he did.
While I enjoyed this book, there were times when I wasn't as into it, but overall it was fantastic! The epilogue and bonus scene definitely make up for it! I loved this, and I always love getting to see the characters' lives just a little farther down the road.
While I enjoyed this book, there were times when I wasn't as into it, but overall it was fantastic! The epilogue and bonus scene definitely make up for it! I loved this, and I always love getting to see the characters' lives just a little farther down the road.
December 13, 2025
If you like hockey romance, with some banter, a good amount of spice and a dreamy MMC, you’ll enjoy Breaking the Ice.
This was a fairly fast read with a good storyline and good writing. A few of the transitions were a little fast for my liking and I will say I���m not sure I loved the FMC. She was a little blah and full of a good amount of drama. But, I did enjoy Ethan and how hard he worked to win Sophie over. It’s a sweet love story that’s worth a read!
Thank you, Chrissy, for allowing me the opportunity to be an ARC reader. I look forward to reading more of your work.
This was a fairly fast read with a good storyline and good writing. A few of the transitions were a little fast for my liking and I will say I���m not sure I loved the FMC. She was a little blah and full of a good amount of drama. But, I did enjoy Ethan and how hard he worked to win Sophie over. It’s a sweet love story that’s worth a read!
Thank you, Chrissy, for allowing me the opportunity to be an ARC reader. I look forward to reading more of your work.
December 19, 2025
*I received a copy of this book as an ARC. This review and thoughts are mine alone.*
Rating: 4.5⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
This was a sweet hockey romance between Sophie and Ethan.
About halfway through the first half I was ready to shake Sophie and tell her to lighten up. She was too headstrong, too stubborn, too anxious. But then i realized that she dealt with internal battles where she simply didn’t feel good enough, and i realized that I’ve also been in that position.
By the end i enjoyed her fun and light side
Rating: 4.5⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
This was a sweet hockey romance between Sophie and Ethan.
About halfway through the first half I was ready to shake Sophie and tell her to lighten up. She was too headstrong, too stubborn, too anxious. But then i realized that she dealt with internal battles where she simply didn’t feel good enough, and i realized that I’ve also been in that position.
By the end i enjoyed her fun and light side
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 9, 2025
OMG so im completely in love with these characters. Sophie and Ethan are truly soulmates, fighting for each other and bringing out the best in one another. Her tough exterior, his flamboyant nature, UGHHHHH im in love.
If youre looking for a fun, genuine, loving couple, this is it. Maybe it isnt a life changing story, but I truly felt connected to the characters.
The writing was beautiful, and I had an amazing time reading it!! I highly recommend Breaking the Ice
If youre looking for a fun, genuine, loving couple, this is it. Maybe it isnt a life changing story, but I truly felt connected to the characters.
The writing was beautiful, and I had an amazing time reading it!! I highly recommend Breaking the Ice
December 10, 2025
This is such a sweet story.
Sophie is a super organized PR specialist who gets handed a new challenging client ...
Super star hockey player Ethan Cole who is all chaos and charm 🫠
Their chemistry is undeniable and they bring out the best in each other but can they navigate the love, trust and fame is the big question.
Grab yourself a copy and come find out.
Thank you Chrissy Smith for the great ARC opportunity 💙
Sophie is a super organized PR specialist who gets handed a new challenging client ...
Super star hockey player Ethan Cole who is all chaos and charm 🫠
Their chemistry is undeniable and they bring out the best in each other but can they navigate the love, trust and fame is the big question.
Grab yourself a copy and come find out.
Thank you Chrissy Smith for the great ARC opportunity 💙
December 11, 2025
This was my first sport novel and I loved it! It was very light to read but super catching the whole way through. Full of fun banter, smut, lovely moments and lots of funny ones.
December 22, 2025
Oh I love good hockey romance book!!! I received this as an ARC review. I loved the banter between the 2 MC’s. If you like a he falls first trope this is for you. Sophie is a no b.s. always on time person that works in PR and she is assigned to Ethan who is just a hot mess hockey player, and she has to help him maintain his image. Ethan just loves to push her buttons and get under her skin.
This was a quick read for me as I couldn’t put it down. I hope we see more from Chrissy
This was a quick read for me as I couldn’t put it down. I hope we see more from Chrissy
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews