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Ice Princesses
Not yet published
Expected 28 May 26Former skating icon Isabella Pierce knows how to perform under pressure. As the sport’s most polished commentator and the daughter of figure skating royalty, she’s spent her life protecting her legacy – and her control.
Coach Cecilia Montenegro doesn’t have the luxury of either.
Fierce, brilliant, and utterly uninterested in skating’s unwritten rules, Cecilia is fighting for her athlete’s future with nothing but stubborn determination, raw talent, and a refusal to bow to a system that was never designed for people like them.
Now they’re forced into the same professional orbit, where Cecilia’s relentless instinct to protect her athlete collides with Isabella’s quiet influence, and the friction between them sparks something far more dangerous than professionalism.
In a sport built on precision and control, falling in love might be the riskiest move of all.
Coach Cecilia Montenegro doesn’t have the luxury of either.
Fierce, brilliant, and utterly uninterested in skating’s unwritten rules, Cecilia is fighting for her athlete’s future with nothing but stubborn determination, raw talent, and a refusal to bow to a system that was never designed for people like them.
Now they’re forced into the same professional orbit, where Cecilia’s relentless instinct to protect her athlete collides with Isabella’s quiet influence, and the friction between them sparks something far more dangerous than professionalism.
In a sport built on precision and control, falling in love might be the riskiest move of all.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 28, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 14, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
You cannot imagine how long I waited for an ice skating sapphic romance and here it finally is, and let me tell you, I adored it!
Isabella and Cecilia are both written very well and complex, I loved getting to know both of them and their story and simultaneously see their relationship bloom. Moreover, I loved to see how attracted they were to each other and crushed on each other from the beginning even if there was a short initial dislike from one side due to things that were said in the past.
Besides that, I think the steamy scenes were written soo well and really gave the whole story an extra boost for me. I loved the “hidden” makeout sessions at the beginning, the yearning but also everything that happened later in the story!
Speaking about later in the story, I also think the book handled the family drama very well and it played well into the theme of choosing yourself over the expectations your parents set out for you. As well as accepting who you are, what you want in life and refusing to accept to settle for less than you deserve. This was, in my opinion, the most important and emotional aspect of the book and the one that made this story stand out for me in a particular way.
I also really liked the general pace and the writing style was nice too!
However, I do think some things were drawn out somewhat and the romance was very low stakes. Though I think a lot of readers actually enjoy it a lot more than high stakes ones.
Overall, I can only recommend it and especially to those of you who enjoy complex character and low stakes romances with a really great character development and well written steamy scenes ;)
Thank you so so much to Maria Rigou for providing me with a free arc in exchange for an honest and voluntarily given review!
You cannot imagine how long I waited for an ice skating sapphic romance and here it finally is, and let me tell you, I adored it!
Isabella and Cecilia are both written very well and complex, I loved getting to know both of them and their story and simultaneously see their relationship bloom. Moreover, I loved to see how attracted they were to each other and crushed on each other from the beginning even if there was a short initial dislike from one side due to things that were said in the past.
Besides that, I think the steamy scenes were written soo well and really gave the whole story an extra boost for me. I loved the “hidden” makeout sessions at the beginning, the yearning but also everything that happened later in the story!
Speaking about later in the story, I also think the book handled the family drama very well and it played well into the theme of choosing yourself over the expectations your parents set out for you. As well as accepting who you are, what you want in life and refusing to accept to settle for less than you deserve. This was, in my opinion, the most important and emotional aspect of the book and the one that made this story stand out for me in a particular way.
I also really liked the general pace and the writing style was nice too!
However, I do think some things were drawn out somewhat and the romance was very low stakes. Though I think a lot of readers actually enjoy it a lot more than high stakes ones.
Overall, I can only recommend it and especially to those of you who enjoy complex character and low stakes romances with a really great character development and well written steamy scenes ;)
Thank you so so much to Maria Rigou for providing me with a free arc in exchange for an honest and voluntarily given review!
Review of advance copy received from Author
3.75 ⭐
I had really high expectations for this book, so I’m honestly a little sad that it didn’t completely live up to them. That doesn’t mean I disliked it though. Overall, this was a cozy and enjoyable read.
The story follows Isabella, a retired figure skating legend who became famous both because her parents were elite skaters and because of her own groundbreaking achievements. Now she works as a commentator while trying to build an identity outside of her famous family name. Then there’s Cecilia, a figure skating coach who had a much harder journey into the sport. Unlike Isabella, she didn’t come from privilege or influence, so she had to fight the system for every opportunity. Now, through coaching her talented athlete Rodrigo, she gets to watch him receive all the opportunities she never had at his stage. Somewhere between practices, competitions, and emotional vulnerability, Isabella and Cecilia slowly grow closer until the tension between them turns into something undeniably romantic. But figure skating is a world full of pressure, politics, and expectations, and their relationship must exist under the weight of all of that.
One of the biggest highlights for me was how deeply the book explored the politics behind figure skating. I don’t think I’ve read another figure skating romance that went into this much detail about how the sport actually functions behind the scenes. Learning about the associations, favoritism, corruption, and pressure within the sport was genuinely fascinating. You can clearly tell the author did a lot of research, and everything felt realistic. Even as someone who doesn’t know much about figure skating, I found it immersive and grounded. I imagine readers more familiar with the sport will appreciate it even more.
I also really appreciated how layered both main characters felt. Isabella could have easily come across as untouchable given her legendary status, but instead she felt surprisingly grounded and human. I loved that beneath the fame and expectations, she genuinely wanted to change the figure skating world for the better and stop living according to the image her parents created for her. Her journey toward reclaiming her own autonomy felt well done and emotionally satisfying.
Cecilia took me a little longer to connect with because she was quite emotionally guarded at first. She wasn’t exactly an ice queen, but it was clear her past had shaped how she interacted with others. As the story progressed, we slowly got to see the softer side underneath those walls. I really enjoyed watching her gradually let go and accept care from someone else instead of carrying every burden alone. Like Isabella, her growth felt slow and natural, which made it believable.
Another thing I absolutely loved was the found family dynamic between Rodrigo and Cecilia. Their relationship added so much warmth and comfort to the story, and you could truly feel how protective Cecilia was. Their bond felt genuine and brought some much-needed lightness to the heavier moments. On the other hand, I wish we had gotten a deeper exploration of Isabella’s relationship with her sister. While their connection was present, it never felt fully developed emotionally.
I found the romance between Isabella and Cecilia to be undeniably sweet. Their chemistry was strong from the beginning, and I enjoyed watching them understand each other’s experiences in the figure skating world and slowly learn to trust one another despite their different backgrounds. However, I felt the romantic relationship developed a little too quickly at times. It wasn’t full insta-love, but it came close in some moments, especially because physical intimacy often moved faster than their emotional connection. At points, it felt like they used sex to avoid addressing bigger emotional issues. I also struggled with how low-stakes the relationship felt overall. While many readers love softer romances with minimal drama, I was hoping for a bit more emotional conflict to make the payoff hit harder. Because things stayed fairly calm and predictable, I never felt as emotionally invested in their romance as I wanted to be, though I think that mostly comes down to personal preference.
The writing itself left me a bit conflicted. On one hand, it was absolutely beautiful. The prose is layered, introspective, and emotionally evocative, which made the characters feel incredibly alive. On the other hand, the heavy introspection sometimes slowed the story down. Even scenes that should have felt lighter or quicker ended up dragging because of it, which is also why the pacing felt a little slow in the middle for me.
All in all, if you don't mind these kinds of things, I think you’ll probably love this book for what it is: an intricate and immersive story about figure skating, filled with layered and relatable characters, comforting found family dynamics, and a tender romance full of vulnerability and emotional intimacy. If that sounds like your kind of read, I’d definitely recommend giving it a chance.
Thank you to the author for the early read!
I had really high expectations for this book, so I’m honestly a little sad that it didn’t completely live up to them. That doesn’t mean I disliked it though. Overall, this was a cozy and enjoyable read.
The story follows Isabella, a retired figure skating legend who became famous both because her parents were elite skaters and because of her own groundbreaking achievements. Now she works as a commentator while trying to build an identity outside of her famous family name. Then there’s Cecilia, a figure skating coach who had a much harder journey into the sport. Unlike Isabella, she didn’t come from privilege or influence, so she had to fight the system for every opportunity. Now, through coaching her talented athlete Rodrigo, she gets to watch him receive all the opportunities she never had at his stage. Somewhere between practices, competitions, and emotional vulnerability, Isabella and Cecilia slowly grow closer until the tension between them turns into something undeniably romantic. But figure skating is a world full of pressure, politics, and expectations, and their relationship must exist under the weight of all of that.
One of the biggest highlights for me was how deeply the book explored the politics behind figure skating. I don’t think I’ve read another figure skating romance that went into this much detail about how the sport actually functions behind the scenes. Learning about the associations, favoritism, corruption, and pressure within the sport was genuinely fascinating. You can clearly tell the author did a lot of research, and everything felt realistic. Even as someone who doesn’t know much about figure skating, I found it immersive and grounded. I imagine readers more familiar with the sport will appreciate it even more.
I also really appreciated how layered both main characters felt. Isabella could have easily come across as untouchable given her legendary status, but instead she felt surprisingly grounded and human. I loved that beneath the fame and expectations, she genuinely wanted to change the figure skating world for the better and stop living according to the image her parents created for her. Her journey toward reclaiming her own autonomy felt well done and emotionally satisfying.
Cecilia took me a little longer to connect with because she was quite emotionally guarded at first. She wasn’t exactly an ice queen, but it was clear her past had shaped how she interacted with others. As the story progressed, we slowly got to see the softer side underneath those walls. I really enjoyed watching her gradually let go and accept care from someone else instead of carrying every burden alone. Like Isabella, her growth felt slow and natural, which made it believable.
Another thing I absolutely loved was the found family dynamic between Rodrigo and Cecilia. Their relationship added so much warmth and comfort to the story, and you could truly feel how protective Cecilia was. Their bond felt genuine and brought some much-needed lightness to the heavier moments. On the other hand, I wish we had gotten a deeper exploration of Isabella’s relationship with her sister. While their connection was present, it never felt fully developed emotionally.
I found the romance between Isabella and Cecilia to be undeniably sweet. Their chemistry was strong from the beginning, and I enjoyed watching them understand each other’s experiences in the figure skating world and slowly learn to trust one another despite their different backgrounds. However, I felt the romantic relationship developed a little too quickly at times. It wasn’t full insta-love, but it came close in some moments, especially because physical intimacy often moved faster than their emotional connection. At points, it felt like they used sex to avoid addressing bigger emotional issues. I also struggled with how low-stakes the relationship felt overall. While many readers love softer romances with minimal drama, I was hoping for a bit more emotional conflict to make the payoff hit harder. Because things stayed fairly calm and predictable, I never felt as emotionally invested in their romance as I wanted to be, though I think that mostly comes down to personal preference.
The writing itself left me a bit conflicted. On one hand, it was absolutely beautiful. The prose is layered, introspective, and emotionally evocative, which made the characters feel incredibly alive. On the other hand, the heavy introspection sometimes slowed the story down. Even scenes that should have felt lighter or quicker ended up dragging because of it, which is also why the pacing felt a little slow in the middle for me.
All in all, if you don't mind these kinds of things, I think you’ll probably love this book for what it is: an intricate and immersive story about figure skating, filled with layered and relatable characters, comforting found family dynamics, and a tender romance full of vulnerability and emotional intimacy. If that sounds like your kind of read, I’d definitely recommend giving it a chance.
Thank you to the author for the early read!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review of ARC received from author.
2.75 ⭐️
I liked Ice Princess enough. It’s a cute, low stakes story with enjoyable characters.
I think for me, where it falls short is the romance-and I don’t mean that it’s lacking-just that something feels off.
Isabella and Cecilia are rivals in the sense that they’re two athletes, close in age and skill, and skating in the same competitions. We’re almost lead to believe that they’re two athletes were actual rivals and direct competitors, maybe with a bit of enemies to lovers type thing, but that never happens. In the story, we’re told they never even really spoke or interacted with each other much.
This is where I struggle with their present relationship. The way they’re written almost feels like they had a previous interaction and the reader misses a part of their story: did one have an unrequited crush? Did they previously date? Were they caught in a compromising position?
It’s stated Isa makes an off hand comment she isn’t aware of and Ceci carries that with her throughout her years but that’s it. It feels like a forced tension that isn’t highlighted enough, equaling the feeling of missing information when reading their dynamic.
I hope that makes sense bc they just felt off in that aspect, for me. Otherwise, I really enjoyed them. They’re cute together and communicative for the most part and I love how easily Isa was to calling Ceci pet names.
Again, it’s a cute sport romance with low stakes.
2.75 ⭐️
I liked Ice Princess enough. It’s a cute, low stakes story with enjoyable characters.
I think for me, where it falls short is the romance-and I don’t mean that it’s lacking-just that something feels off.
Isabella and Cecilia are rivals in the sense that they’re two athletes, close in age and skill, and skating in the same competitions. We’re almost lead to believe that they’re two athletes were actual rivals and direct competitors, maybe with a bit of enemies to lovers type thing, but that never happens. In the story, we’re told they never even really spoke or interacted with each other much.
This is where I struggle with their present relationship. The way they’re written almost feels like they had a previous interaction and the reader misses a part of their story: did one have an unrequited crush? Did they previously date? Were they caught in a compromising position?
It’s stated Isa makes an off hand comment she isn’t aware of and Ceci carries that with her throughout her years but that’s it. It feels like a forced tension that isn’t highlighted enough, equaling the feeling of missing information when reading their dynamic.
I hope that makes sense bc they just felt off in that aspect, for me. Otherwise, I really enjoyed them. They’re cute together and communicative for the most part and I love how easily Isa was to calling Ceci pet names.
Again, it’s a cute sport romance with low stakes.
Review of advance copy received from Author
As an Elder Millennial Lesbian, I'm fairly certain Nancy Kerrigan was my Queer Awakening. I mean back to back winter Olympics in 1992 AND 1994? Nevermind the Tanya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan chaos of it all. So to say I was excited about this book may be a smidge of an understatement. I mean you had me at retired Ice Skaters and sold me at sapphic. Latina main character? Yes please! Overall this was a fun read, some drama, some shenanigans, some longing. Were there some seeds planted that could have had deeper exploration? Sure. Looking at you power dynamics "Princess" "Coach" *wink wink*.
I would rate the spice level around a 2/2.5 and there was something about the spice that felt just shy of authentically queer. That being said, the character connection felt earned and not gratuitous.
I am here for content that celebrates the sapphic community. This was an enjoyable read that gave me what I want from a romance novel, love, longing, and lesbians. 😀
I would rate the spice level around a 2/2.5 and there was something about the spice that felt just shy of authentically queer. That being said, the character connection felt earned and not gratuitous.
I am here for content that celebrates the sapphic community. This was an enjoyable read that gave me what I want from a romance novel, love, longing, and lesbians. 😀
Review of advance copy received from Author
Ice Princesses fulfilled my Eteri Tutberidze fantasy while also delivering a swoon worthy love story.
Cecilia is the ultimate emotionally guarded ice queen. As a retired skater, she has now taken up coaching a very promising talent, Rodrigo. Isabella, on the other hand, is a fierce former skater who wants to make a name for herself on her own terms, no longer just an echo of her parents' legacy.
Both characters felt pretty well-crafted, and I really enjoyed watching them go from (one-sided) enemies to hopeless flirty menaces. Their banter was great, and the flirty moments felt almost as hot as the actual steamy scenes.
It was sad to watch Isabella struggling to be taken seriously by her parents (who were definitely hateable characters), but her fierceness was very much appreciated.
Overall, a very enjoyable read! Many thanks to the author for the ARC and for trusting me with it.
Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Spice level: 🔥🔥🔥
Cecilia is the ultimate emotionally guarded ice queen. As a retired skater, she has now taken up coaching a very promising talent, Rodrigo. Isabella, on the other hand, is a fierce former skater who wants to make a name for herself on her own terms, no longer just an echo of her parents' legacy.
Both characters felt pretty well-crafted, and I really enjoyed watching them go from (one-sided) enemies to hopeless flirty menaces. Their banter was great, and the flirty moments felt almost as hot as the actual steamy scenes.
It was sad to watch Isabella struggling to be taken seriously by her parents (who were definitely hateable characters), but her fierceness was very much appreciated.
Overall, a very enjoyable read! Many thanks to the author for the ARC and for trusting me with it.
Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Spice level: 🔥🔥🔥
Review of advance copy received from Author
*ARC Read*
Thank you to the author for sending me this book!
This was my first FMC/FMC romance and skating romance book and I really enjoyed it! I loved the skating knowledge that the author included and I was really rooting for Rodrigo throughout!
I did find that the relationship between Isabella and Cecilia was rushed at the beginning of the book especially considering Cecilia had animosity towards Isabella over comments that were made in the past and then they very quickly got together! It then slowed down in the middle and then it felt rushed again towards the end especially with them getting engaged! I was shocked how quickly that happened! But other than that, I really enjoyed the book!
Thank you to the author for sending me this book!
This was my first FMC/FMC romance and skating romance book and I really enjoyed it! I loved the skating knowledge that the author included and I was really rooting for Rodrigo throughout!
I did find that the relationship between Isabella and Cecilia was rushed at the beginning of the book especially considering Cecilia had animosity towards Isabella over comments that were made in the past and then they very quickly got together! It then slowed down in the middle and then it felt rushed again towards the end especially with them getting engaged! I was shocked how quickly that happened! But other than that, I really enjoyed the book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC REVIEW:
Isabella and Cecilia, two women with passion for their work and sass with each other. Their story is low stakes with a little bit of family drama. This book is about figuring out who you are and what you want in life, and refusing to accept less than you deserve. I love this book so much. It’s got Maria’s signature yearning with so much technical jargon, you’d think she figure skated herself. Don’t miss out on this book!
Isabella and Cecilia, two women with passion for their work and sass with each other. Their story is low stakes with a little bit of family drama. This book is about figuring out who you are and what you want in life, and refusing to accept less than you deserve. I love this book so much. It’s got Maria’s signature yearning with so much technical jargon, you’d think she figure skated herself. Don’t miss out on this book!
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