What do you think?
Rate this book
Fresh Ice: An MM Hockey, Friends to Lovers Romance
A sunshine center who's never wanted a man before. A grumpy, closeted captain who hasn't let anyone in for a decade. Co-captains. Teammates. A slow burn neither of them saw coming.
Ryan Asher has always been the sunshine in every locker room. The teammate who learns your name first, remembers your coffee order, and makes the room warmer just by showing up. Signed to the Atlanta Firebirds after a divorce he's still pretending didn't break him, Ash is chasing the fresh start he needs. New city. New team. New ice. He's fine; he's always fine. But from the very first phone call with his co-captain, something he can't explain takes hold. Because Ash has never wanted a man before. And Antero Ikonen (six-five, Finnish, and devastating in his silence) is unraveling everything Ash thought he knew about himself. This isn't just attraction. It's a bi-awakening he never saw coming.
Antero "Avi" Ikonen hasn't let anyone close in a decade. Fifteen years closeted in professional hockey. A secret relationship with a teammate years ago that ended in a fight on a highlight reel. A trade from Philadelphia that felt less like a roster move and more like being thrown away. Avi has learned exactly one caring about someone gives them the power to destroy you. As captain of an expansion team built from castoffs and rookies, his job is to lead, not to fall for the too-warm center who texts at midnight, stays late after team dinners, and somehow keeps finding doors in walls Avi didn't know existed. He falls first. He falls quiet. And he can't stop.
Except Ash doesn't stop showing up. And Avi doesn't stop letting him in.
What begins as forced proximity between co-captains becomes something neither of them can deny. Stolen hours on road trips, a drunk confession in a dark hotel room, a first kiss that rewrites everything. Their slow burn ignites behind closed doors while the team they're building starts to feel like the found family neither of them has had before. But Avi knows how this story ends. He's lived it. And the closer Ash gets, the harder Avi has to protect himself the way he always has, or trust that this time, loving someone won't cost him everything.
Meanwhile, a stray cat keeps showing up at the Firebirds' facility. He chooses Avi, whether he wants that or not. He feeds him. He carries him in his backwards hoodie. He refuses to call it love. Then he disappears and the loss cracks open everything he's been trying to hold together.
Fresh Ice is a slow-burn, grumpy-sunshine MM hockey romance about a bisexual awakening, a closeted captain, and the expansion team that becomes their found family. Steamy and open door with hurt/comfort, forced proximity, and a stray cat who knows what he wants before either of them do.
Start the Atlanta Firebirds series with this standalone first installment. Perfect for fans of Rachel Reid, Eden Finley & Saxon James, and Tal Bauer.
bi-awakening, teammates to lovers, slow burn, found family, forced proximity, secret relationship, grumpy-sunshine, hurt/comfort, co-captains, he falls first, dual POV, open door, hockey expansion team, stray cat, who hurt you
Heat 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Steamy / Open Door
Dual First-Person (Ash & Avi)
Atlanta Firebirds, Book 1 (can be read as a standalone) Book 1: Fresh Ice — Ash & Avi's story Book 2: Coming soon — Fontenot & Volkov's story Books 3–5: Coming soon
Content Themes of bisexual identity, coming out later in life, internalized expectations, parental pressure, and emotion
Ryan Asher has always been the sunshine in every locker room. The teammate who learns your name first, remembers your coffee order, and makes the room warmer just by showing up. Signed to the Atlanta Firebirds after a divorce he's still pretending didn't break him, Ash is chasing the fresh start he needs. New city. New team. New ice. He's fine; he's always fine. But from the very first phone call with his co-captain, something he can't explain takes hold. Because Ash has never wanted a man before. And Antero Ikonen (six-five, Finnish, and devastating in his silence) is unraveling everything Ash thought he knew about himself. This isn't just attraction. It's a bi-awakening he never saw coming.
Antero "Avi" Ikonen hasn't let anyone close in a decade. Fifteen years closeted in professional hockey. A secret relationship with a teammate years ago that ended in a fight on a highlight reel. A trade from Philadelphia that felt less like a roster move and more like being thrown away. Avi has learned exactly one caring about someone gives them the power to destroy you. As captain of an expansion team built from castoffs and rookies, his job is to lead, not to fall for the too-warm center who texts at midnight, stays late after team dinners, and somehow keeps finding doors in walls Avi didn't know existed. He falls first. He falls quiet. And he can't stop.
Except Ash doesn't stop showing up. And Avi doesn't stop letting him in.
What begins as forced proximity between co-captains becomes something neither of them can deny. Stolen hours on road trips, a drunk confession in a dark hotel room, a first kiss that rewrites everything. Their slow burn ignites behind closed doors while the team they're building starts to feel like the found family neither of them has had before. But Avi knows how this story ends. He's lived it. And the closer Ash gets, the harder Avi has to protect himself the way he always has, or trust that this time, loving someone won't cost him everything.
Meanwhile, a stray cat keeps showing up at the Firebirds' facility. He chooses Avi, whether he wants that or not. He feeds him. He carries him in his backwards hoodie. He refuses to call it love. Then he disappears and the loss cracks open everything he's been trying to hold together.
Fresh Ice is a slow-burn, grumpy-sunshine MM hockey romance about a bisexual awakening, a closeted captain, and the expansion team that becomes their found family. Steamy and open door with hurt/comfort, forced proximity, and a stray cat who knows what he wants before either of them do.
Start the Atlanta Firebirds series with this standalone first installment. Perfect for fans of Rachel Reid, Eden Finley & Saxon James, and Tal Bauer.
bi-awakening, teammates to lovers, slow burn, found family, forced proximity, secret relationship, grumpy-sunshine, hurt/comfort, co-captains, he falls first, dual POV, open door, hockey expansion team, stray cat, who hurt you
Heat 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Steamy / Open Door
Dual First-Person (Ash & Avi)
Atlanta Firebirds, Book 1 (can be read as a standalone) Book 1: Fresh Ice — Ash & Avi's story Book 2: Coming soon — Fontenot & Volkov's story Books 3–5: Coming soon
Content Themes of bisexual identity, coming out later in life, internalized expectations, parental pressure, and emotion
344 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 26, 2026
10 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 1, 2026
With styles of writing similar to Rachel Reid, and Emily Rath along the same lines for MM hockey romance I enjoyed reading this. It's kinda tame on angst and while there were some spicy scenes it wasn't a lot or over done. I liked the storyline on the cat and kinda figured it out when a certain weight comment was made Abt it at one point so not a huge surprise. The ending was just that but it left you wondering enough to what is still to come. I do wish I would have read the novella first as a lead up to the story instead of having it as an afterthought flashback. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book and have it added to my tbr already.
March 23, 2026
Great story!
Great story, wonderful world building, sympathetic characters, good pacing, good character development, important cat!
I enjoyed the universe building here and I’m looking forward to more in the series. It was an enjoyable, quick read. When the crisis moment hits the emotions hit hard. Lots of points where I was highlighting with the crying and heartbroken emojis! And I liked that the crisis resolution was an opportunity for the airing of grievances and not one of the easy forgiveness scenes that so many authors revert to.
There’s definitely a need for some better editing. I was confused at quite a few points with timelines and continuity. Also some basic hockey errors , one of which has a significant impact on the timeline. But for people that don’t really follow hockey or have tiny details jump out at them probably won’t notice or mind.
Off to download book two!
Great story, wonderful world building, sympathetic characters, good pacing, good character development, important cat!
I enjoyed the universe building here and I’m looking forward to more in the series. It was an enjoyable, quick read. When the crisis moment hits the emotions hit hard. Lots of points where I was highlighting with the crying and heartbroken emojis! And I liked that the crisis resolution was an opportunity for the airing of grievances and not one of the easy forgiveness scenes that so many authors revert to.
There’s definitely a need for some better editing. I was confused at quite a few points with timelines and continuity. Also some basic hockey errors , one of which has a significant impact on the timeline. But for people that don’t really follow hockey or have tiny details jump out at them probably won’t notice or mind.
Off to download book two!
March 8, 2026
Fresh Ice is the first book in the new Atlanta Firebirds series and it was so good. This is a sexual awakening, slow burn, teammates to lovers, grumpy/sunshine read about Avi and Ryan. I really enjoyed reading this story and about the wonderful characters in this team, can't wait for the next book.
February 26, 2026
Two hockey players are about to take you on a journey neither expected. They have their own pasts which may lead them to a situation neither expected. A friendship will form and it may even turn to love. See how they get on
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a lovely romance
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a lovely romance
March 20, 2026
I don't even like friwnds to lovers
But my friends I loved this!!! Silent type yearning, bi awekening, a bit of touch him and die, the silent type x the extrovert type, a bit of heart break and so much more!!! Great job!
But my friends I loved this!!! Silent type yearning, bi awekening, a bit of touch him and die, the silent type x the extrovert type, a bit of heart break and so much more!!! Great job!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews