What do you think?
Rate this book
New York Blades #8
Icebreaker
Good thing high-powered attorney Sinead O'Brien has a rule about never dating clients. Because Adam Perry, the newest star of the New York Blades—and her newest client—has her headed for the penalty box. If only she could prove he's just another jock...
Adam's been charged with assault after a borderline hit on another star player, but off the ice he's a private, no-nonsense guy who knows the Blades are his last shot at Stanley Cup glory. Assembling her case, Sinead tries not to get distracted by Adam's dazzling good looks or strong work ethic, but she quickly discovers that there's a wounded man under that jersey, and she's starting to fall for him—hard.
Now Adam's having trouble focusing on the goal with Sinead in his sights. And Sinead is tempted to break her "no dating clients" rule. Can they play on their newfound feelings without penalties?
Adam's been charged with assault after a borderline hit on another star player, but off the ice he's a private, no-nonsense guy who knows the Blades are his last shot at Stanley Cup glory. Assembling her case, Sinead tries not to get distracted by Adam's dazzling good looks or strong work ethic, but she quickly discovers that there's a wounded man under that jersey, and she's starting to fall for him—hard.
Now Adam's having trouble focusing on the goal with Sinead in his sights. And Sinead is tempted to break her "no dating clients" rule. Can they play on their newfound feelings without penalties?
289 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 2011
40 people are currently reading
1542 people want to read
About the author
Deirdre Martin
29 books580 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
New York Times Bestselling Author Deirdre Martin was six when she wrote her first "book,”a Peanuts parody. In addition to penning bad, maudlin poetry in junior high school and serving as the Arts Editor on her high school newspaper, she was also the Arts Editor at her college newspaper at the University of New York at Buffalo, where she earned her BA in English in 1985. While writing for the student newspaper there, she sold her first freelance magazine article and won a city wide play writing contest. Her play, Spin Cycle, about two lonely people at a laundromat, was subsequently performed in a theater space in downtown Buffalo.
Ater graduating college, Deirdre worked at a series of trade magazines before landing a job at Soap Opera Digest. While she says it was fun working in a place where she got to watch TV all afternoon, she longed to branch out, and after two years, left to begin freelancing full time. Over the course of her twelve year freelance career, her work appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Seventeen, YM, McCall's, Fitness, New Woman, Bride's, Bridal Guide, Inside Sports, Woman's World, Modern Maturity, Islands, Newsday, and the New York Times. In 1998, her first non fiction book was published: Investing for Retirement (Avon). She also contributed to Lifescripts for Managers, Lifescripts for Employees, and Lifescripts for the Self Employed. (MacMillan, 1999).
A fan of the romance genre and of soap opera ("If Dickens were alive today, he'd be writing for a soap," Deirdre maintains), she decided to try her own hand at writing a romance novel. The result, BODY CHECK, was published in March, 2003, followed by USA Today Bestseller FAIR PLAY in 2004, TOTAL RUSH in 2005, THE PENALTY BOX in 2006, and USA Today Bestseller CHASING STANLEY in 2008.
2008 also saw the publication of JUST A TASTE, which made The New York Times Bestseller List. Deirdre returned to the world of the Blades in 2009 with POWERPLAY. 2009 was also when she launched a new series, The Wild Hart Saga, centering around a large Irish American family who own a pub in Manhattan. The first book in the series, WITH A TWIST, was quickly followed by STRAIGHT UP in 2010, and there are plans for at least two more. But the New York Blades keep calling her back: her next book, ICEBREAKER, will be published in 2011.
A resident of Ithaca, NY, Deirdre enjoys hiking and biking with her husband, Mark Levine, co author of the financial bestsellers, Die Broke and Live Rich. When not busy lavishing affection on her beloved Newfie, Rocky, she also enjoys reading, baking, listening to music, yoga, photography, and hanging out with her friends from acting class. She's had the same best friend since she was ten and adores the color purple.
New York Times Bestselling Author Deirdre Martin was six when she wrote her first "book,”a Peanuts parody. In addition to penning bad, maudlin poetry in junior high school and serving as the Arts Editor on her high school newspaper, she was also the Arts Editor at her college newspaper at the University of New York at Buffalo, where she earned her BA in English in 1985. While writing for the student newspaper there, she sold her first freelance magazine article and won a city wide play writing contest. Her play, Spin Cycle, about two lonely people at a laundromat, was subsequently performed in a theater space in downtown Buffalo.
Ater graduating college, Deirdre worked at a series of trade magazines before landing a job at Soap Opera Digest. While she says it was fun working in a place where she got to watch TV all afternoon, she longed to branch out, and after two years, left to begin freelancing full time. Over the course of her twelve year freelance career, her work appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Seventeen, YM, McCall's, Fitness, New Woman, Bride's, Bridal Guide, Inside Sports, Woman's World, Modern Maturity, Islands, Newsday, and the New York Times. In 1998, her first non fiction book was published: Investing for Retirement (Avon). She also contributed to Lifescripts for Managers, Lifescripts for Employees, and Lifescripts for the Self Employed. (MacMillan, 1999).
A fan of the romance genre and of soap opera ("If Dickens were alive today, he'd be writing for a soap," Deirdre maintains), she decided to try her own hand at writing a romance novel. The result, BODY CHECK, was published in March, 2003, followed by USA Today Bestseller FAIR PLAY in 2004, TOTAL RUSH in 2005, THE PENALTY BOX in 2006, and USA Today Bestseller CHASING STANLEY in 2008.
2008 also saw the publication of JUST A TASTE, which made The New York Times Bestseller List. Deirdre returned to the world of the Blades in 2009 with POWERPLAY. 2009 was also when she launched a new series, The Wild Hart Saga, centering around a large Irish American family who own a pub in Manhattan. The first book in the series, WITH A TWIST, was quickly followed by STRAIGHT UP in 2010, and there are plans for at least two more. But the New York Blades keep calling her back: her next book, ICEBREAKER, will be published in 2011.
A resident of Ithaca, NY, Deirdre enjoys hiking and biking with her husband, Mark Levine, co author of the financial bestsellers, Die Broke and Live Rich. When not busy lavishing affection on her beloved Newfie, Rocky, she also enjoys reading, baking, listening to music, yoga, photography, and hanging out with her friends from acting class. She's had the same best friend since she was ten and adores the color purple.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
February 8, 2011
I'm a sucker for a good, hot, sports romance. There are plenty of them out there now (The Perfect Play, I'm thinking of you)...and some of them are part of a series. Deirdre Martin's latest, Icebreaker, is #9 in her long running New York Blades (hockey) series, and while it didn't exactly knock my socks off in the hotness department, sports romance (and especially hockey) fans should find it to be a pretty good, interesting read.
Basically, Icebreaker is about a pretty, 32-rear-old slightly neurotic, control-freak workaholic lawyer named Sinead O'Brien. Sinead's family owns a New York Irish pub and was featured in some of Martin's previous books from her connecting Wild Hart series, but it's not essential to have read those books (I didn't and I followed along just fine).
Sinead is hired to defend newly acquired, ruggedly handsome, hard hitting New York Blade's star defenseman and captain Adam Perry (35) when he is charged with assault. A borderline 'legal' open-ice hit that Adam made on a star Philadelphia defenseman has left him with a broken cheekbone and a concussion. The NHL is not happy with Adam--the league wants to crack down on the violence in the sport and make it more "fan-friendly". Now a Philadelphia DA up for reelection wants to make an example out of Adam and the NHL, and has filed criminal charges. It's up to Sinead, who knows next to nothing about hockey but is an ace in the courtroom, to defend a man known for his hard hitting, "old-style-hockey" type of play. Can Sinead get this DA to drop his nuisance suit before it interferes with the Blade's run to the championship?
Adam...
As you can guess, there is a romance between Sinead and Adam, even though their first impressions of each other were not positive. Yes, there's a physical attraction, but Sinead is put off by Adam's reticence and unwillingnessness to open up about himself (he'a very private person), and Adam thinks Sinead is uptight and controlling. But the more Sinead finds out about Adam and his past, and the more time they spend working together, their perceptions change, and they find much to admire about each other besides the physical. A hot romance blooms (which they must keep quiet because Sinead should not be dating a client), and Adam and Sinead seem to be a perfect match, but will that be enough to overcome differences in opinion about careers and children?
As I said, I enjoy a good sports romance, and if it's about hockey, that makes it even better. I have always enjoyed Martin's New York Blades series--they're light reads with mainly likable characters and simple plots. I'll have to admit though that Sinead and Adam at times were not always likable. Some of Adam's ideas about women were a throwback to the 50s, but Sinead especially made me want to pull my hair out at times. God the woman could be a neurotic mess--she was always worrying about something! Both she and Adam were alike in so many ways (stubborn, controlling, opinionated, inflexible, career obsessed) it's a wonder they ever got along. They were both afraid to be vulnerable. Sinead had been hurt in the past by her ex-husband, and Adam was trying to overcome a tragedy that left him with feelings of guilt and afraid to connect with anyone. Deirdre Martin did a fine job showing why the H/h acted as they did, and even though they weren't always likable or did what I wanted them to do(!), I felt that I understood them. And I kept turning the page, because I wanted to see how their unlikely romance turned out.
The heat factor? Umm, about what you'd expect in a contemporary. A couple of hot scenes, nothing too explicit or unusual. I'm not sure I totally bought into their romance 100% though. At times when things got rough in the relationship, each seemed a little too accepting that things weren't meant to be, and were ready to give up. I wanted to see a little more passion, a little more fight in them.
I enjoyed seeing a few of the characters from the Blades series that I recognized. Adam developed a friendship with his coach Michael Dante's ( Fair Play) brother Anthony, the chef from Just A Taste. Anthony, a fellow Three Stooges fan like Adam, delivered not only some humor to the story, but some good advice about women to Adam.
Sinead also had a confidant who helped her through some rough spots, a co-worker named Oliver who basically had the same effect as Anthony. He was there for comic relief, to lend support, and give Sinead a kick in the pants when she needed it. Oliver had some problems of his own to overcome, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him pop up as a character in a future book.
So, if you're a sucker for a sports romance, you might like this series. This one wasn't my favorite, but it was enjoyable enough to keep me engaged. It was definitely fast paced--I finished it in less than a day. I don't know if this was the last of the series, but there was a pretty sweet epilogue 3 years down the line that made me think this might be it. For this edition of the New York Blades? 3.5-4 stars
Basically, Icebreaker is about a pretty, 32-rear-old slightly neurotic, control-freak workaholic lawyer named Sinead O'Brien. Sinead's family owns a New York Irish pub and was featured in some of Martin's previous books from her connecting Wild Hart series, but it's not essential to have read those books (I didn't and I followed along just fine).
Sinead is hired to defend newly acquired, ruggedly handsome, hard hitting New York Blade's star defenseman and captain Adam Perry (35) when he is charged with assault. A borderline 'legal' open-ice hit that Adam made on a star Philadelphia defenseman has left him with a broken cheekbone and a concussion. The NHL is not happy with Adam--the league wants to crack down on the violence in the sport and make it more "fan-friendly". Now a Philadelphia DA up for reelection wants to make an example out of Adam and the NHL, and has filed criminal charges. It's up to Sinead, who knows next to nothing about hockey but is an ace in the courtroom, to defend a man known for his hard hitting, "old-style-hockey" type of play. Can Sinead get this DA to drop his nuisance suit before it interferes with the Blade's run to the championship?
Adam...
As you can guess, there is a romance between Sinead and Adam, even though their first impressions of each other were not positive. Yes, there's a physical attraction, but Sinead is put off by Adam's reticence and unwillingnessness to open up about himself (he'a very private person), and Adam thinks Sinead is uptight and controlling. But the more Sinead finds out about Adam and his past, and the more time they spend working together, their perceptions change, and they find much to admire about each other besides the physical. A hot romance blooms (which they must keep quiet because Sinead should not be dating a client), and Adam and Sinead seem to be a perfect match, but will that be enough to overcome differences in opinion about careers and children?
As I said, I enjoy a good sports romance, and if it's about hockey, that makes it even better. I have always enjoyed Martin's New York Blades series--they're light reads with mainly likable characters and simple plots. I'll have to admit though that Sinead and Adam at times were not always likable. Some of Adam's ideas about women were a throwback to the 50s, but Sinead especially made me want to pull my hair out at times. God the woman could be a neurotic mess--she was always worrying about something! Both she and Adam were alike in so many ways (stubborn, controlling, opinionated, inflexible, career obsessed) it's a wonder they ever got along. They were both afraid to be vulnerable. Sinead had been hurt in the past by her ex-husband, and Adam was trying to overcome a tragedy that left him with feelings of guilt and afraid to connect with anyone. Deirdre Martin did a fine job showing why the H/h acted as they did, and even though they weren't always likable or did what I wanted them to do(!), I felt that I understood them. And I kept turning the page, because I wanted to see how their unlikely romance turned out.
The heat factor? Umm, about what you'd expect in a contemporary. A couple of hot scenes, nothing too explicit or unusual. I'm not sure I totally bought into their romance 100% though. At times when things got rough in the relationship, each seemed a little too accepting that things weren't meant to be, and were ready to give up. I wanted to see a little more passion, a little more fight in them.
I enjoyed seeing a few of the characters from the Blades series that I recognized. Adam developed a friendship with his coach Michael Dante's ( Fair Play) brother Anthony, the chef from Just A Taste. Anthony, a fellow Three Stooges fan like Adam, delivered not only some humor to the story, but some good advice about women to Adam.
Sinead also had a confidant who helped her through some rough spots, a co-worker named Oliver who basically had the same effect as Anthony. He was there for comic relief, to lend support, and give Sinead a kick in the pants when she needed it. Oliver had some problems of his own to overcome, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him pop up as a character in a future book.
So, if you're a sucker for a sports romance, you might like this series. This one wasn't my favorite, but it was enjoyable enough to keep me engaged. It was definitely fast paced--I finished it in less than a day. I don't know if this was the last of the series, but there was a pretty sweet epilogue 3 years down the line that made me think this might be it. For this edition of the New York Blades? 3.5-4 stars
April 10, 2011
I love my sports romance and I was glad to see the New York Blade series by Deirdre Martin was finally back to the good sport of hockey. There was a few tangents to sports writer, firefighter, and restaurant owner that other books in the series centered on. They were good, but weren't about one of my favorite types of heroes- the cocky athlete.
Although the hero Adam doesn't fit this mold either. He is a tough hockey defenseman, very aloof, private and a great leader. He is brought to the Blade's to captain the team and bring them the Stanley Cup trophy. Adam is known for his bone crushing, open ice hits and old style hockey play, but after his opponent is left injured with a concussion, a lawsuit is filed against him for assault. Sinead is chosen to represent him (her family owns Wild Hart which was in previous books). She is workaholic and knows nothing about hockey. I loved their first impressions of each other, she thought he was a dumb jock who couldn't form a sentence to help his case and he thought she was uptight and snooty, but good looking- they were both way off base. The beginning of the book was a little slow because neither Adam or Sinead would open up to each other so it was hard to like them. Once Sinead started interviewing Adam's friends and family from his hometown you got a glimpse at what made Adam so protective of his past. She saw videos of him being silly with his niece and nephew and met his best friend, it was definitely a choke-up-moment for me. Sinead is a little annoying because she can't go with the flow, she always wants "to control the flow" as she states many times. She is always looking for roadblocks to her relationships and sometimes really blocks the passion that could be wild between her and Adam. There first date is wonderful though, nothing like karaoke to lighten the mood.
Icebreaker is 3 1/2 to 4 star read in my book. I really liked it, but nothing earth shattering or fast moving. Some sweet and tender scenes, but probably nothing that sticks with you. I thought that the topic of old style hockey versus new, faster less violent style is very relative to professional hockey today. I prefer old style with good protective gear- who doesn't go to a hockey game an cheer for a fight... that's hockey!
February 1, 2011
Originally posted at http://www.smexybooks.com/2011/02/rev...
Favorite Quote:
“As far as I can tell, you’ve got no flaws and can walk on water.”
“Divinity is a bitch.”
Sinead O’Brien is a high power attorney who lives and breathes her job. The only female partner is her law firm, she walks the straight and narrow to hold her own on an all male playing field. Dating clients is against the rules. When she is approached by the New York Blades to defend a player accused of unnecessary roughness, Sinead begins to think that rules are meant to be broken.
Adam Perry, the new captain of the New York Blades, plays hard and makes no apologies for it. He’s out to win the Stanley cup and no one is getting in his way. When he is accused of assault on the ice and the league tells him to bring it down a notch, he has to put his career and life in Sinead’s hands. And soon he doesn’t want to be anywhere else.
Deirdre Martin’s Icebreaker is #9 in her endearing and humorous hockey series focusing on the lives and loves of the fictional New York Blades. A romantic contemporary that addresses real life concerns and issues facing two career driven individuals. Well written in a fast paced conversational style, we watch our two protagonists Sinead and Adam lock horns and lips in an emotional and humorous battle of the sexes.
Sinead and Adam are both alike. Private people; they have devoted their lives to their careers. Sinead thinks Adam is a dumb jock and Adam sees Sinead as an uptight prig. As Sinead divulges deeper into Adam’s past in order to build a defense case against him, she and we see a different side to him.
I found both Sinead and Adam to be well developed characters, but I didn’t like them. They each have deep seated insecurities and issues from the past that were resolved in to short a time. So controlling of their own lives; and then mystified when others don’t fall into line with their opinions and ultimatums. I found it laughable that it took friends to call them on their actions on many different occasions. I didn’t feel I got enough time to really get to know them or connect with them. This same reasoning also contributed to me not feeling any chemistry between them so the relationship felt one dimensional and forced. The romance came at me fast; once again because I didn’t see the attraction of these two characters. The actual love scenes are pretty steamy and enjoyable to read.
It was the secondary cast of characters that made the story for me. These characters are a hodge podge of old and new faces. Plenty of personality and humor define them in a way that carried and evolved the main storyline for me. In here we see some of our favorite Blades-Ty Gallagher & Michael Dante-busting heads and taking names. Sinead’s brother Quinn O'Brien and the rest of her family are here to lend moral support and unwanted advice. Anthony Dante are also here in which he plays a huge part in showing Adam that his way or the highway isn’t a great attitude to have when trying to keep your girlfriend.
We also meet my new favorite of the series-Oliver. Oliver is Sinead’s best friend and co-worker. Oliver is a hilariously unapologetic alcoholic and womanizer yet his advice to Sinead is spot on. He’s the comic relief this uptight woman needs. I hope he gets his own HEA.
The ending is predictable and satisfactory for Adam and Sinead’s story. While it didn’t work for me personally-it ended the way it should have for them. I did like that they learned to compromise; both learning that giving in doesn’t mean giving up.
Rating: C
Favorite Quote:
“As far as I can tell, you’ve got no flaws and can walk on water.”
“Divinity is a bitch.”
Sinead O’Brien is a high power attorney who lives and breathes her job. The only female partner is her law firm, she walks the straight and narrow to hold her own on an all male playing field. Dating clients is against the rules. When she is approached by the New York Blades to defend a player accused of unnecessary roughness, Sinead begins to think that rules are meant to be broken.
Adam Perry, the new captain of the New York Blades, plays hard and makes no apologies for it. He’s out to win the Stanley cup and no one is getting in his way. When he is accused of assault on the ice and the league tells him to bring it down a notch, he has to put his career and life in Sinead’s hands. And soon he doesn’t want to be anywhere else.
Deirdre Martin’s Icebreaker is #9 in her endearing and humorous hockey series focusing on the lives and loves of the fictional New York Blades. A romantic contemporary that addresses real life concerns and issues facing two career driven individuals. Well written in a fast paced conversational style, we watch our two protagonists Sinead and Adam lock horns and lips in an emotional and humorous battle of the sexes.
Sinead and Adam are both alike. Private people; they have devoted their lives to their careers. Sinead thinks Adam is a dumb jock and Adam sees Sinead as an uptight prig. As Sinead divulges deeper into Adam’s past in order to build a defense case against him, she and we see a different side to him.
I found both Sinead and Adam to be well developed characters, but I didn’t like them. They each have deep seated insecurities and issues from the past that were resolved in to short a time. So controlling of their own lives; and then mystified when others don’t fall into line with their opinions and ultimatums. I found it laughable that it took friends to call them on their actions on many different occasions. I didn’t feel I got enough time to really get to know them or connect with them. This same reasoning also contributed to me not feeling any chemistry between them so the relationship felt one dimensional and forced. The romance came at me fast; once again because I didn’t see the attraction of these two characters. The actual love scenes are pretty steamy and enjoyable to read.
It was the secondary cast of characters that made the story for me. These characters are a hodge podge of old and new faces. Plenty of personality and humor define them in a way that carried and evolved the main storyline for me. In here we see some of our favorite Blades-Ty Gallagher & Michael Dante-busting heads and taking names. Sinead’s brother Quinn O'Brien and the rest of her family are here to lend moral support and unwanted advice. Anthony Dante are also here in which he plays a huge part in showing Adam that his way or the highway isn’t a great attitude to have when trying to keep your girlfriend.
We also meet my new favorite of the series-Oliver. Oliver is Sinead’s best friend and co-worker. Oliver is a hilariously unapologetic alcoholic and womanizer yet his advice to Sinead is spot on. He’s the comic relief this uptight woman needs. I hope he gets his own HEA.
The ending is predictable and satisfactory for Adam and Sinead’s story. While it didn’t work for me personally-it ended the way it should have for them. I did like that they learned to compromise; both learning that giving in doesn’t mean giving up.
Rating: C
July 8, 2023
I bought this on accident, realized that by around 10% completion, but wanted to finish anyways. Not my favorite, but I think it says something that when I realized it wasn’t the correct book I still wanted to see where this story goes.
January 31, 2011
Icebreaker by Deirdre Martin
Contemporary Romance -Feb. 1st, 2011
4 ½ stars
Deirdre Martin does it again. Her engaging and charming characters are easy to love and carry this story.
Sinead is a high-powered lawyer but as the only woman on the team, she has to work twice as hard and makes less. Ever since her divorce, her job is her life. She and her ex-husband split because they disagreed on children. Feeling like a failure, she immerses herself in work. When she is given a hot case to defend the new captain of the NY Blades hockey team, she is ready for the challenge.
Adam has a reputation as a tough hockey player who plays rough on the ice. Usually his playing is the norm, but the higher ups want to make an example of him. Sinead is forced to work with her strangely stoic client but soon realizes that Adam is more than a dumb jock. While investigating his case, she discovers a man that soon melts her heart. Meanwhile, Adam finds a woman who thrills him and understands his need to succeed. Both are powerfully motivated to be the top in their fields. Workaholics and strong-willed, they find understanding and love in each other. But when both fight for what they believe in, what will these two stubborn individuals do when they disagree?
Often I find contemporary romance dull. This is because if the characters are boring, there is nothing else in the story to keep my interest. There is no mystery or ‘magic’ to distract me from the so-so characters. But Deirdre Martin never fails to engage me. Her characters are real, and I feel their worries and cares as they find love and each other. Although the storyline is pretty straight-forward, how the author reveals each character’s vulnerabilities are surprising and touching.
Both of these characters are used to being the strong silent types. If it weren’t for the circumstances that throw them together in this story, I wonder if they will have been able to ever open up and have such a meaningful relationship. I was fascinated as Sinead digs into the recalcitrant Adam’s past and discovers that this tough guy has a heart of gold and a deep sensitivity that keep him distant from his teammates. Sinead works so hard and puts so much effort in everything she does that I could not help but be sympathetic towards her. Amazingly, this story is also cheery and fun, too. The secondary characters are a hoot and bring depth, humor and perspective. I hope the author includes the irreverent Oliver in future books!
Funny with deep, well thought out characters, this is a book to savor and enjoy!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Contemporary Romance -Feb. 1st, 2011
4 ½ stars
Deirdre Martin does it again. Her engaging and charming characters are easy to love and carry this story.
Sinead is a high-powered lawyer but as the only woman on the team, she has to work twice as hard and makes less. Ever since her divorce, her job is her life. She and her ex-husband split because they disagreed on children. Feeling like a failure, she immerses herself in work. When she is given a hot case to defend the new captain of the NY Blades hockey team, she is ready for the challenge.
Adam has a reputation as a tough hockey player who plays rough on the ice. Usually his playing is the norm, but the higher ups want to make an example of him. Sinead is forced to work with her strangely stoic client but soon realizes that Adam is more than a dumb jock. While investigating his case, she discovers a man that soon melts her heart. Meanwhile, Adam finds a woman who thrills him and understands his need to succeed. Both are powerfully motivated to be the top in their fields. Workaholics and strong-willed, they find understanding and love in each other. But when both fight for what they believe in, what will these two stubborn individuals do when they disagree?
Often I find contemporary romance dull. This is because if the characters are boring, there is nothing else in the story to keep my interest. There is no mystery or ‘magic’ to distract me from the so-so characters. But Deirdre Martin never fails to engage me. Her characters are real, and I feel their worries and cares as they find love and each other. Although the storyline is pretty straight-forward, how the author reveals each character’s vulnerabilities are surprising and touching.
Both of these characters are used to being the strong silent types. If it weren’t for the circumstances that throw them together in this story, I wonder if they will have been able to ever open up and have such a meaningful relationship. I was fascinated as Sinead digs into the recalcitrant Adam’s past and discovers that this tough guy has a heart of gold and a deep sensitivity that keep him distant from his teammates. Sinead works so hard and puts so much effort in everything she does that I could not help but be sympathetic towards her. Amazingly, this story is also cheery and fun, too. The secondary characters are a hoot and bring depth, humor and perspective. I hope the author includes the irreverent Oliver in future books!
Funny with deep, well thought out characters, this is a book to savor and enjoy!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
February 4, 2011
Btw 3.5 to 4 stars.
Before I review this, I have to add my disclamer. I'm a HUGE hockey fan. Knowing that the New York Blades are modeled after my own beloved NY Rangers would have gotten me to read this series even if I hadn't heard they were great. Knowing that Ty Gallagher is modeled after my captain, Mark Messier (who brought us Lord Stanley's Cup in 1994) was icing on the cake for me. :)
Anyway, I love the Blades series. Hockey and Romance--two of my favorite pastimes! Adam Perry reminded me a lot of Ty in his book. Kind of stoic and standoffish before you get to the meat of the man. Sinead actually is much the same way.
Watching them let down their respective guards and fall in love was a great ride. We got to see a little of Ty and Micheal Dante and a lot of Anthony Dante. It was great to visit old friends. There were a few questions about relationships for me though. i was surprised that Sinead had never met Vivi (their siblings are married to each other). It seemed odd that Anthony would know nothing about Sinead when Natalie manages Dantes (if you haven't read the other blades books, i've confused you and I'm sorry). But aside from those questionable things the story is great.
I had one final question at the epilogue. The story is great, but like a few of the other Blades stories, I wasn't sure I bought the resolution. I wonder if they really resolved their differences. I have no trouble believing they're in love, but did they get past what kept them apart? I'm going to hope the answer is yes and just be happy.
If you've read the Blades books, you're sure to like this one as well.
*SPOILER*
Thank you Ms. Martin for bringing the Cup to NY again! I love when the Blades win the cup! If only have some kind of foresight! I know you, too, are a die-hard Rangers fan. LGR! Bring us the cup!!
Before I review this, I have to add my disclamer. I'm a HUGE hockey fan. Knowing that the New York Blades are modeled after my own beloved NY Rangers would have gotten me to read this series even if I hadn't heard they were great. Knowing that Ty Gallagher is modeled after my captain, Mark Messier (who brought us Lord Stanley's Cup in 1994) was icing on the cake for me. :)
Anyway, I love the Blades series. Hockey and Romance--two of my favorite pastimes! Adam Perry reminded me a lot of Ty in his book. Kind of stoic and standoffish before you get to the meat of the man. Sinead actually is much the same way.
Watching them let down their respective guards and fall in love was a great ride. We got to see a little of Ty and Micheal Dante and a lot of Anthony Dante. It was great to visit old friends. There were a few questions about relationships for me though. i was surprised that Sinead had never met Vivi (their siblings are married to each other). It seemed odd that Anthony would know nothing about Sinead when Natalie manages Dantes (if you haven't read the other blades books, i've confused you and I'm sorry). But aside from those questionable things the story is great.
I had one final question at the epilogue. The story is great, but like a few of the other Blades stories, I wasn't sure I bought the resolution. I wonder if they really resolved their differences. I have no trouble believing they're in love, but did they get past what kept them apart? I'm going to hope the answer is yes and just be happy.
If you've read the Blades books, you're sure to like this one as well.
*SPOILER*
Thank you Ms. Martin for bringing the Cup to NY again! I love when the Blades win the cup! If only have some kind of foresight! I know you, too, are a die-hard Rangers fan. LGR! Bring us the cup!!
April 21, 2011
Flat characters no chemistry but good hockey action that's about it. Easy cheesy read if you're bored and have nothing better to read.
July 9, 2014
it is rare that a book is SO bad I have to declare it unreadable, but here we are.
February 4, 2011
Good thing high-powered attorney Sinead O' Brien has a rule about never dating clients. Because Adam Perry, the newest star of the New York Blades-and her newest client-has her headed for the penalty box. If only she could prove he's just another jock...
Adam's been charged with assault after a borderline hit on another star player, but off the ice he's a private, no-nonsense guy who knows the Blades are his last shot at Stanley Cup glory. Assembling her case, Sinead tries not to get distracted by Adam's dazzling good looks or strong work ethic, but she quickly discovers that there's a wounded man under that jersey, and she's starting to fall for him-hard.
Now Adam's having trouble focusing on the goal with Sinead in his sights. And Sinead is tempted to break her 'no dating clients' rule. Can they play on their newfound feelings without penalties?
Can you have a romance novel with two extremely shut off characters, characters who are both so guarded that the first half of the book is all about them playing chess with each other, or rather battleship, each aiming at the others guard towers to see if they can figure the other one out. Whether or not one can, or should, Deirdre Martin did, and it is good.
Adam is so guarded that he's developed a reputation for barely speaking, intimidating every one around him with his silent but deadly nature, his on ice play and his reluctance to discuss anything personal. When he is charged with assault for an on ice hit, he is thrown together with Sinead, a top litigator who is recently divorced and due to the nature of her job and her divorce, has had enough hurt to last a lifetime. Her life is so stacked full of work that she is able to ignore some other aspects of her life. Her family is extremely close knit and wants the best for her, even though they have no idea what that is. Sinead works triple time to try to maintain her standing at the office while her hilarious drunkard of a best friend, in the most British humor of ways Oliver, he's sleeping and drinking his way through Manhattan, and eventually has to face a come to Jesus moment which is hilarious and one of the most entertaining aspects of the story.
Most of this book is about cautious people taking calculated risks with love. Its a sincere story about above average people, but the best part about this story is that it could easily be extrapolated to apply to any type of cautious personality or personalities, the story is written that well. The circumstances of their meeting may have been extraordinary, I mean a hockey player getting indicted for assault for an on ice hit, not likely. But two people hurt in their lives, one carrying extraordinary guilt, and one who wanted something so much but couldn't get her partner to compromise enough with her to make their lives work together. Its a sad story that is made better by the two people that are trying to find ways around themselves to get to each other. I was not particularly fond of the ending, I thought it didn't fit what the book was trying to say, but I understood why Ms. Martin had it end that way. I loved the peripheral characters, they were fantastic to read, they were hilarious, imaginative, real, evocative, they were fantastic. This story and the way they were featured made me want to go out and find the other books that may feature them.
There were parts of this book, the ending specifically, that really bothered me, not due to something subjective just my personal preference or personal hatred of certain types of sense, people, endings, etc. I'm not letting that color my judgement of this novel, its a good one. Perfectly entraining, and able to be relatable to those of us who aren't amazing litigators or NHL Players. I really liked it.
Cover Art: C-
Plot: B
Writing: B
Characters: B+
Overall Grade: B
Adam's been charged with assault after a borderline hit on another star player, but off the ice he's a private, no-nonsense guy who knows the Blades are his last shot at Stanley Cup glory. Assembling her case, Sinead tries not to get distracted by Adam's dazzling good looks or strong work ethic, but she quickly discovers that there's a wounded man under that jersey, and she's starting to fall for him-hard.
Now Adam's having trouble focusing on the goal with Sinead in his sights. And Sinead is tempted to break her 'no dating clients' rule. Can they play on their newfound feelings without penalties?
Can you have a romance novel with two extremely shut off characters, characters who are both so guarded that the first half of the book is all about them playing chess with each other, or rather battleship, each aiming at the others guard towers to see if they can figure the other one out. Whether or not one can, or should, Deirdre Martin did, and it is good.
Adam is so guarded that he's developed a reputation for barely speaking, intimidating every one around him with his silent but deadly nature, his on ice play and his reluctance to discuss anything personal. When he is charged with assault for an on ice hit, he is thrown together with Sinead, a top litigator who is recently divorced and due to the nature of her job and her divorce, has had enough hurt to last a lifetime. Her life is so stacked full of work that she is able to ignore some other aspects of her life. Her family is extremely close knit and wants the best for her, even though they have no idea what that is. Sinead works triple time to try to maintain her standing at the office while her hilarious drunkard of a best friend, in the most British humor of ways Oliver, he's sleeping and drinking his way through Manhattan, and eventually has to face a come to Jesus moment which is hilarious and one of the most entertaining aspects of the story.
Most of this book is about cautious people taking calculated risks with love. Its a sincere story about above average people, but the best part about this story is that it could easily be extrapolated to apply to any type of cautious personality or personalities, the story is written that well. The circumstances of their meeting may have been extraordinary, I mean a hockey player getting indicted for assault for an on ice hit, not likely. But two people hurt in their lives, one carrying extraordinary guilt, and one who wanted something so much but couldn't get her partner to compromise enough with her to make their lives work together. Its a sad story that is made better by the two people that are trying to find ways around themselves to get to each other. I was not particularly fond of the ending, I thought it didn't fit what the book was trying to say, but I understood why Ms. Martin had it end that way. I loved the peripheral characters, they were fantastic to read, they were hilarious, imaginative, real, evocative, they were fantastic. This story and the way they were featured made me want to go out and find the other books that may feature them.
There were parts of this book, the ending specifically, that really bothered me, not due to something subjective just my personal preference or personal hatred of certain types of sense, people, endings, etc. I'm not letting that color my judgement of this novel, its a good one. Perfectly entraining, and able to be relatable to those of us who aren't amazing litigators or NHL Players. I really liked it.
Cover Art: C-
Plot: B
Writing: B
Characters: B+
Overall Grade: B
July 1, 2011
What an absolutely terrific read this is. Though the hero has the serious business of a brutality lawsuit pending against him, Deirdre Martin has given readers some fun, a lot of romance, and characters you can’t help but love. Especially the hero and heroine, who have to come to grips with all the changes their relationship will bring about.
Sinead O’ Brien is a workaholic. She has to be to make it in the male-dominated law business and firm where she’s the only female partner. Once she agrees to take on Adam Perry’s case and she gets to know him more, she discovers he’s just as job oriented as she. I enjoy so much how these two related, starting with her figuring he’s a bonehead since he’s not all that talkative. Adam is working his butt off to whip the Blades into shape to skate the Cup, something he’s never done in his long hockey career. So he does his job, keeps the players in line, but now there’s a certain attorney who’s on his mind more often than not.
There is attraction between them after a few in-office meetings, but neither act on that immediately. It grows each time they meet to talk about the case and eventually they take those meetings outside the law firm for a little fun after hours, despite Sinead’s guilt when she goes against the grain of her ethics about dating clients. They begin to loosen up with each other as they’ve never done before. I also like the way Sinead has to learn about Adam’s life, since he won’t give her much to work with for a jury, because he’s such a private person. What she learns from his family and friends in Canada only makes her heart more open to the man. And I fell more for him too learning about his generosity for his family and community and his guilt over something most friendships would never survive.
The legal aspects of the story work for me, of course, because of my former court reporting background, and I’m happy to say Ms. Martin did her homework and her scenes are right on; whereas the hockey scenes also work for me, but I have to take those on faith since I know very little about the game. But she makes it interesting and fun for a novice. I love the way Adam takes care of a cocky, self-absorbed player who doesn’t take the game seriously, and fans of the series will be happy to see some of their favorite players again. I also really like the family scenes in the book, though those embarrass Sinead when her plain-spoken mother grills Adam at a family dinner, and Adam himself is a little embarrassed after Sinead talks to his family. All of that, however, sheds light on how they’ve become the people they are, making them all the more charming to read about.
Once Adam and Sinead work things out - mostly his not understanding why she won’t stand up for herself at the firm, despite her trying to explain it’s different for her being a woman in a man’s world and having to work twice as hard to get where she is - I have to say that I like the way Ms. Martin solves their immediate issues. I think it works perfectly for this high-powered couple to settle down and begin really living. They’re a joy to read.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
Sinead O’ Brien is a workaholic. She has to be to make it in the male-dominated law business and firm where she’s the only female partner. Once she agrees to take on Adam Perry’s case and she gets to know him more, she discovers he’s just as job oriented as she. I enjoy so much how these two related, starting with her figuring he’s a bonehead since he’s not all that talkative. Adam is working his butt off to whip the Blades into shape to skate the Cup, something he’s never done in his long hockey career. So he does his job, keeps the players in line, but now there’s a certain attorney who’s on his mind more often than not.
There is attraction between them after a few in-office meetings, but neither act on that immediately. It grows each time they meet to talk about the case and eventually they take those meetings outside the law firm for a little fun after hours, despite Sinead’s guilt when she goes against the grain of her ethics about dating clients. They begin to loosen up with each other as they’ve never done before. I also like the way Sinead has to learn about Adam’s life, since he won’t give her much to work with for a jury, because he’s such a private person. What she learns from his family and friends in Canada only makes her heart more open to the man. And I fell more for him too learning about his generosity for his family and community and his guilt over something most friendships would never survive.
The legal aspects of the story work for me, of course, because of my former court reporting background, and I’m happy to say Ms. Martin did her homework and her scenes are right on; whereas the hockey scenes also work for me, but I have to take those on faith since I know very little about the game. But she makes it interesting and fun for a novice. I love the way Adam takes care of a cocky, self-absorbed player who doesn’t take the game seriously, and fans of the series will be happy to see some of their favorite players again. I also really like the family scenes in the book, though those embarrass Sinead when her plain-spoken mother grills Adam at a family dinner, and Adam himself is a little embarrassed after Sinead talks to his family. All of that, however, sheds light on how they’ve become the people they are, making them all the more charming to read about.
Once Adam and Sinead work things out - mostly his not understanding why she won’t stand up for herself at the firm, despite her trying to explain it’s different for her being a woman in a man’s world and having to work twice as hard to get where she is - I have to say that I like the way Ms. Martin solves their immediate issues. I think it works perfectly for this high-powered couple to settle down and begin really living. They’re a joy to read.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
February 7, 2011
My thoughts:
I shall begin with a little speech. I have only read book 1 so far, and I had no trouble at all jumping to book 9. It's a series about the players finding love, their relatives finding love and so on.
Sinead was uptight, and a workaholic. Adam was quiet and did not talk any more than he had too. One would think that these too would not work together but they did. They both worked hard at their jobs so there they were similar. And Sinead did want to let loose, and Adam was hiding a real sweetie inside. They were good for each other.
The ice-hockey theme, I like that. Sports and romance work well, and here there are other things too. Since Adam plays old school hard hockey and the bosses want a cleaner sport. I like rough hockey, anyway, he feels the pressure.
A nice couple who had some things to go through, the hunt for winning the Stanley Cup, the lawsuit, and a good cast of different characters. I felt right at home in this world, as I had been there many times before.
But what I liked the most, lol, there was a Finnish player in the book. The young star who had to be put in his place. Wohoo, Finland, they even drank some Finlandia vodka. Thumbs up for that.
Recommendation and final thoughts:
A cute romance with a great setting. Who can say no ice-hockey players. And since I feel so at home, I would read more.
Reason for reading:
I shall begin with a little speech. I have only read book 1 so far, and I had no trouble at all jumping to book 9. It's a series about the players finding love, their relatives finding love and so on.
Sinead was uptight, and a workaholic. Adam was quiet and did not talk any more than he had too. One would think that these too would not work together but they did. They both worked hard at their jobs so there they were similar. And Sinead did want to let loose, and Adam was hiding a real sweetie inside. They were good for each other.
The ice-hockey theme, I like that. Sports and romance work well, and here there are other things too. Since Adam plays old school hard hockey and the bosses want a cleaner sport. I like rough hockey, anyway, he feels the pressure.
A nice couple who had some things to go through, the hunt for winning the Stanley Cup, the lawsuit, and a good cast of different characters. I felt right at home in this world, as I had been there many times before.
But what I liked the most, lol, there was a Finnish player in the book. The young star who had to be put in his place. Wohoo, Finland, they even drank some Finlandia vodka. Thumbs up for that.
Recommendation and final thoughts:
A cute romance with a great setting. Who can say no ice-hockey players. And since I feel so at home, I would read more.
Reason for reading:
March 19, 2011
When I started reading Icebreaker, I had no idea that it was book number nine in Dierdre Martin's New York Blades series. I actually didn't find this out until I was close to the ending of the book. It definitely can be a stand alone. I didn't feel lost or confused about anything at all.
Adam and Sinead were a match made in Heaven. Their attraction to one another was practically smoking off the pages as I was reading. Dierdre did such an amazing job describing their emotions and thoughts for one another, that I actually got a tear or two in my eyes. I really felt for Adam the more I read about him and his past. To go through everything he did and still be standing, is very brave. Sinead is also a very strong character and all she has is her family and her job. Like Adam, she too has gone through a lot. But when Adam and Sinead meet, slowly they both start seeing the brighter side of things.
Dierdre Martin really has a way with words. I got so lost in Adam and Sinead's emotions almost like they were my own. I was rooting for them from page one. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say that the ending was perfect! The more I read about Sinead and her past, the more I was hoping the book would end the way that it did. This was a great read! Now I guess I have to go buy the first eight books in Dierdre's New York Blades series LOL.
4.5 out of 5 stars!
Adam and Sinead were a match made in Heaven. Their attraction to one another was practically smoking off the pages as I was reading. Dierdre did such an amazing job describing their emotions and thoughts for one another, that I actually got a tear or two in my eyes. I really felt for Adam the more I read about him and his past. To go through everything he did and still be standing, is very brave. Sinead is also a very strong character and all she has is her family and her job. Like Adam, she too has gone through a lot. But when Adam and Sinead meet, slowly they both start seeing the brighter side of things.
Dierdre Martin really has a way with words. I got so lost in Adam and Sinead's emotions almost like they were my own. I was rooting for them from page one. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say that the ending was perfect! The more I read about Sinead and her past, the more I was hoping the book would end the way that it did. This was a great read! Now I guess I have to go buy the first eight books in Dierdre's New York Blades series LOL.
4.5 out of 5 stars!
February 20, 2011
This is the most recent in her NY Blades series. We meet up with some familiar characters from other installments, mainly Sinead O’Brien and some favorites from the Blades team.
Sinead O’Brien is a successful New York lawyer working at a primarily male firm. Her newest case is a challenging one–Adam Perry, a defensive player for the Blades, has been charged with assault during a game. Her role is to get the charges dropped, but she ends up finding out that there is much more to Adam than she initially thought. Beneath his private demeanor is an extremely generous man with a scarred conscience. Adam is also starting to soften to the prickly Ms. O’Brien. Underneath her starched nature hides an incredibly sensitive woman with some major trust issues.
I really enjoyed this book. I really like Martin’s books, but every few books I read of hers aren’t so great. This book falls into the “great” category and will be one that I recommend if you are looking for a fun, sporty romance. I really like the Blades series and concept, so hopefully these books will continue. I’m curious to see what happens with some of the side characters, especially Saari and Oliver. Martin also does a great job of tying in some more serious issues every now and then, and this book was no exception. Overall, a solid read.
Sinead O’Brien is a successful New York lawyer working at a primarily male firm. Her newest case is a challenging one–Adam Perry, a defensive player for the Blades, has been charged with assault during a game. Her role is to get the charges dropped, but she ends up finding out that there is much more to Adam than she initially thought. Beneath his private demeanor is an extremely generous man with a scarred conscience. Adam is also starting to soften to the prickly Ms. O’Brien. Underneath her starched nature hides an incredibly sensitive woman with some major trust issues.
I really enjoyed this book. I really like Martin’s books, but every few books I read of hers aren’t so great. This book falls into the “great” category and will be one that I recommend if you are looking for a fun, sporty romance. I really like the Blades series and concept, so hopefully these books will continue. I’m curious to see what happens with some of the side characters, especially Saari and Oliver. Martin also does a great job of tying in some more serious issues every now and then, and this book was no exception. Overall, a solid read.
October 21, 2011
The hockey bits (excluding the cardboard pep talks) were really good, but there wasn't enough hockey to make up for the rest of the story.
I don't mind neurotic heroines, but Sinead crossed the line into ridiculous territory. Also, her snap-judgments were annoying. First Adam is a moron because he doesn't like to talk, then he's a genius because he can explain hockey positions to her. And her inner dialogue during sex scenes was bad.
Adam took turns being a '50s-era throwback and then a cardboard-perfect hero. It seemed that the only reason he and Sinead were able to make things work was because Adam's friend Anthony kept calling Adam on his stupidity.
All in all, the characters were 2D and the emotional components of the book were way too cheesy for me. Hockey's one of my favorite sports and I've heard a lot about the Blades series, so I was really hoping for something better than this. Perhaps another book in this series would suit me better, but at the moment I don't feel compelled to find out.
I don't mind neurotic heroines, but Sinead crossed the line into ridiculous territory. Also, her snap-judgments were annoying. First Adam is a moron because he doesn't like to talk, then he's a genius because he can explain hockey positions to her. And her inner dialogue during sex scenes was bad.
Adam took turns being a '50s-era throwback and then a cardboard-perfect hero. It seemed that the only reason he and Sinead were able to make things work was because Adam's friend Anthony kept calling Adam on his stupidity.
All in all, the characters were 2D and the emotional components of the book were way too cheesy for me. Hockey's one of my favorite sports and I've heard a lot about the Blades series, so I was really hoping for something better than this. Perhaps another book in this series would suit me better, but at the moment I don't feel compelled to find out.
March 20, 2011
Okay, I'm a sucker for a story where a sullen, heard headed, grumpy hero finds his true love. Make the hero, Adam, gorgeous and a hockey player too and I'm in reading heaven. I really enjoyed this latest addition to the New York Blades series and fans of the series should feel the same way.
My one problem with the story is small but it bugged me the whole time reading.I couldn't understand why the heroine, Sinead didn't seem to know Adam's friend Anthony, the hero of another Blades book. Am I wrong, isn't Anthony's wife,Vivi, the sister of Sinead's sister-in-law, Natalie? Wouldn't they have met at the wedding? They live in the same city, why wouldn't they already know each other? This is just a silly issue I have with the book and in no way stopped my from enjoying Adam and Sinead's story.
My one problem with the story is small but it bugged me the whole time reading.I couldn't understand why the heroine, Sinead didn't seem to know Adam's friend Anthony, the hero of another Blades book. Am I wrong, isn't Anthony's wife,Vivi, the sister of Sinead's sister-in-law, Natalie? Wouldn't they have met at the wedding? They live in the same city, why wouldn't they already know each other? This is just a silly issue I have with the book and in no way stopped my from enjoying Adam and Sinead's story.
February 3, 2011
Attorney Sinead O'Brien's new client is Adam Perry, the star of the New York Blades. It's a good thing she doesn't date clients, especially jocks. Charged with assault on another player, the private, no-nonsense Adam knows this is his last shot at Stanley Cup glory. Sinead quickly discovers that there's a wounded man under that helmet, and she's falling for him-hard. Can they play on their feelings without penalties?
While I enjoyed this book, and have enjoyed reading other books by Deidre Martin, I did not feel the chemistry between the H and h was all it could have been. I think there could have been a bit more build up with the relationship between Sinead (h) and Adam (H). Overall, it was enjoyable, but I was a little disappointed in the characters and their interactions. I was not able to connect to them as I have in her other books in this series.
While I enjoyed this book, and have enjoyed reading other books by Deidre Martin, I did not feel the chemistry between the H and h was all it could have been. I think there could have been a bit more build up with the relationship between Sinead (h) and Adam (H). Overall, it was enjoyable, but I was a little disappointed in the characters and their interactions. I was not able to connect to them as I have in her other books in this series.
March 6, 2011
When I pick up a Deirdre Martin novel, I know it will be an automatic read for me. She has a way of mixing sensational storylines with emotional barriers that make her novels an instant hit. Icebreaker is just as fantastic as her other works. To top it off, she has mixed her New York Blades Series with her Wild Hart Saga, giving this story extra points for all of the characters we know and love from her other novels. Between the spicy sex scenes, temperamental-foreplayish arguments between Sinead and Adam, cloak-and-dagger dating, a friend in need of rehabilitation, and some zesty romance, you cannot help but fall in love once again with Ms. Martin’s talented penmanship.
Danielle
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Full Review:
http://coffeetimeromance.com/BookRevi...
Danielle
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Full Review:
http://coffeetimeromance.com/BookRevi...
September 21, 2011
Ok, I guess I like to read about Hockey Players. Besides, all Hockey players are HOT! I really liked this book, until the last chapter, which was "3 years later"..... I cannot believe that she can live in the city 4 days a week, while her husband and her daughter live up in the woods, then she drives home for ONLY 3 days, before heading back into the city to work again. I think that is a crummy way to "balance" home and work..... I'm sure they could have come up with a better happy medium than that. I really wish I would have NOT read that last chapter. Otherwise, LOVED the book..... And my other Hockey player book is "Second Chance Romance" by Asrai Devin. I have the second book on my Kindle app waiting to be read.....
May 28, 2011
I don't know why I'm addicted to the hockey romances, but I am. I liked this book overall, but there were a few areas that bugged me.
It was mostly related to the characters' attitudes regarding work/career. I understand that there need to be disagreements/misunderstandings before the HEA, but it was more annoying to me than an actual obstacle, IMO.
Really, enjoyed Anthony's input/advice about the relationship during the book. Gotta love a friend who just tells you how it is.
It was mostly related to the characters' attitudes regarding work/career. I understand that there need to be disagreements/misunderstandings before the HEA, but it was more annoying to me than an actual obstacle, IMO.
Really, enjoyed Anthony's input/advice about the relationship during the book. Gotta love a friend who just tells you how it is.
December 14, 2011
3.5 stars.
Really liked this one. The first New York Blades book was my fav, then Chasing Stanley, but I think that because Adam was SO similar to Ty, in my opinion, that it's kind of a tie for me on being the best book of the series. Adam and Sinead were such a great pairing and boy, was Adam appealing.
Really liked this one. The first New York Blades book was my fav, then Chasing Stanley, but I think that because Adam was SO similar to Ty, in my opinion, that it's kind of a tie for me on being the best book of the series. Adam and Sinead were such a great pairing and boy, was Adam appealing.
May 28, 2011
3.5/5 - Super cute, fast read. Loved Adam and Sinead together, and if I had one tiny complaint, I wish the book was about 100 pages longer (I don't ask for much, right?), just to have more of their relationship. Fun story!
October 20, 2011
the only problem i had was how is it she did not know the Dantes? Her sister-in-laws sister is married to one of them!!!
July 24, 2022
Cute, fast read. It's been a very long time since I have read anything in this series so the side characters and their stories were not exactly fresh. But, since they were not the main focus it was okay. This focused on Sinead O'Brien and Adam Perry. She is a high powered attorney how has been hired to defend Adam in an assault case; he is being charged for a hard hit on the ice. The case is being brought by the Philly DA, who just so happens to be in an election year. The NHL is publicly supportive of Adam, but privately the commissioner wants Adam to tone it down and for hockey to be less violent. Both Sinead and Adam are intensely private and extremely focused on their careers which causes a few communication problems. She learns a lot about him from her interviews and the more she learns the more she likes him. She is the only female partner at her firm so she has to work twice as hard and the rules that don't apply to her bosses and co-workers very much apply to her so when there start being rumblings about her potential relationship with a client she asks Adam to break it off until the case is over and he calls her gutless for not standing up to them. By this point Adam has become friends with Anthony and he talks about it with him and Anthony sets him straight; he is team Sinead on this one. Adam apologizes and they get back together. She takes him to Sunday dinner to meet her family and it goes well. Afterwards he mentions the commissioner and the changes he wants to make which gives Sinead an idea of how to wrap up this case. Then the conversation turns toward more serious things, namely why her marriage didn't work. She lays it all out for him, about her ex wanting her to quit and being a stay at home mom, about how he wouldn't compromise, and Adam agrees; he thinks she should be a stay at home mom. So she breaks up with him. While broken up she meets with the commissioner and lays out that she is going to push for the case to be brought to trial and that she is going to focus on him and his harassment of Adam and would you look at that, suddenly the case has been dismissed. So it wasn't so much that the DA was using it for election purposes it was that the commissioner was using it to try to strong arm the league into changing. Sinead shows up to the victory party and she and Adam are cool to each other but that is it. Later, Adam realizes that he can't live without her and that he was being unreasonable by asking her to quit, that he's almost at the end of his career and he could be the parent. He bribes her doorman to let him in and they get back together. He and the Blades win the Stanley Cup and he retires. Fast forward, they are happily married with a daughter. He is a stay at home dad and she works 4 days a week. During the week she lives in Manhattan and on the weekend she lives in her cabin with them and it works out for them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2017
I wonder if it's just me... it's my 2nd Deirdre Martin book and I'm not fully into her books still. Or maybe her books are not just for me. For some reason, I just can't connect to her characters. And I feel that there's something missing. Though I liked Icebreaker than The Penalty Box. And the case felt that it became a backstory and it wasn't much of a conflict than I was kinda thinking that it would be. Hmm... I wonder if I should try one more book? After all, there's 9 of them in the series and I've read only 2. Maybe I'll hit one that would just be right for me ;)
September 26, 2021
The Blades won Stanly cup, Sinead won Adam’a case and she had a baby name Nina. Adam retired and became stay at home dad while Sinead work part time lawyer. The story was nice and funny because they broke up twice but at the end they got knocked up.
November 3, 2024
Enemies to lovers between a lawyer and her hockey playing client.
I liked Adam the hockey player, but unfortunately I really struggled with the Lawyer character. I'm glad it was short. I think if I'd have read this back in the day it was published I might have enjoyed it more.
I liked Adam the hockey player, but unfortunately I really struggled with the Lawyer character. I'm glad it was short. I think if I'd have read this back in the day it was published I might have enjoyed it more.
June 5, 2018
Entretenido, hace rato no leía esta serie pero la verdad las novelas de deportes son buenas para pasar el tiempo, uno no tiene que pensar mucho
May 23, 2021
I can not wait for the follow up book. If not, I will read more from Deirdre Martin.
March 18, 2025
What a fun little book. Glad to see a strong female lead breaking traditional female gender stereotypes. Nice cute story. Fast read.
January 17, 2011
Deirdre Martin has done it again! I think my love of hockey romance is well documented, and I love the New York Blades!
Icebreaker is the story between Sinead O'Brien, a workaholic attorney, and Adam Perry, the new captain of the NY Blades. Adam is being sued for assault after he knocked out another player on the ice and his "hockey people" have asked Sinead to defend him. Sinead doesn't know anything about hockey but agrees to take the case.
Part of Sinead's research is to get to know everything there is to know about Adam. He's a very close person; he doesn't have much to say and is very succinct when he does. Sinead is frustrated by his lack of forthcoming information. She runs into him at her parents bar and they have an interesting conversation - she learns more about him here than she has in the office, so she decides to try meeting in a less "businesslike" atmosphere to see if he'll open up a bit more. Adam wants to know more about Sinead, so he won't give without her telling him something about herself too.
They begin dating, but even though the male members of the firm often "entertain" their female clients, Sinead is called to carpet about her relationship with Adam, but Adam doesn't understand why it's such a big deal for Sinead, and Sinead is upset that Adam doesn't understand how difficult it is for her.
I really enjoyed this latest installment of Ms. Martin's NY Blades series. Sinead is a woman working in a predominantly man's world (law), and she's worked hard to get where she is. She was married, but eventually disagreement about raising kids ended the marriage - raising children, not having children. Although she really wants children, Sinead knows her career will falter and die if she takes time off to raise a family. She's very driven and is constantly thinking ahead about the repercussions of her actions at all times. Adam is focused on his career too - he knows he only has a year or two left on the ice and he wants to win the Stanley Cup. The lawsuit is hoey and he knows it, but it could end his career and change the way hockey is played if it succeeds.
I love the way Adam's history is slowly revealed to Sinead. There are some surprises in his background that she (we) did not expect. Reading them getting to know each other in tiny increments, Sindad debating with herself and her co-worker Oliver about her attraction to Adam, and Adam's interest in Sinead growing each time they meet set a nice pace. Sinead and Adam's romance slowly boiled into an inferno - once they let it ignite, their chemistry was hot.
If you're a fan of the series, you'll be happy to know we see a lot of familiar faces in Icebreaker: Ty Gallagher, Michael Dante, Quinn O'Brien, Sinead's parents and the Wild Hart Bar, Anthony and Vivi Dante and Dante's Restaurant, and a few of the players. We see a lot of Anthony Dante, the hero from Just A Taste, and I still like him - he was integral in helping Adam see that Sinead was not making up worst-case scenarios but that her workplace issues were real. We're also introduced to Sinead's best friend, co-worker, and resident horn-dog, Oliver - he steals the show! I love him - he's the kind of wingman every girl should have.
I identified with Icebreaker in that Sinead had real-life career issues that Adam, as a man, didn't understand. I find this to be true in Real Life too. Because they were both so private, sometimes they didn't communicate well and it took a friend (Anthony in Adam's case and Oliver in Sinead's case) to see the other side of the story.
I'll say this about the ending: At first I was disappointed, it didn't work for me, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. Then, I realized that was my problem - it didn't work for ME - but it worked just fine for Sinead and Adam. Once I sat back and thought about it, I realized it was actually a very happy ending ;)
I thoroughly enjoyed Icebreaker, Ms. Martin, and will keep reading your NY Blades stories as long as you keep writing them!
Icebreaker is the story between Sinead O'Brien, a workaholic attorney, and Adam Perry, the new captain of the NY Blades. Adam is being sued for assault after he knocked out another player on the ice and his "hockey people" have asked Sinead to defend him. Sinead doesn't know anything about hockey but agrees to take the case.
Part of Sinead's research is to get to know everything there is to know about Adam. He's a very close person; he doesn't have much to say and is very succinct when he does. Sinead is frustrated by his lack of forthcoming information. She runs into him at her parents bar and they have an interesting conversation - she learns more about him here than she has in the office, so she decides to try meeting in a less "businesslike" atmosphere to see if he'll open up a bit more. Adam wants to know more about Sinead, so he won't give without her telling him something about herself too.
They begin dating, but even though the male members of the firm often "entertain" their female clients, Sinead is called to carpet about her relationship with Adam, but Adam doesn't understand why it's such a big deal for Sinead, and Sinead is upset that Adam doesn't understand how difficult it is for her.
I really enjoyed this latest installment of Ms. Martin's NY Blades series. Sinead is a woman working in a predominantly man's world (law), and she's worked hard to get where she is. She was married, but eventually disagreement about raising kids ended the marriage - raising children, not having children. Although she really wants children, Sinead knows her career will falter and die if she takes time off to raise a family. She's very driven and is constantly thinking ahead about the repercussions of her actions at all times. Adam is focused on his career too - he knows he only has a year or two left on the ice and he wants to win the Stanley Cup. The lawsuit is hoey and he knows it, but it could end his career and change the way hockey is played if it succeeds.
I love the way Adam's history is slowly revealed to Sinead. There are some surprises in his background that she (we) did not expect. Reading them getting to know each other in tiny increments, Sindad debating with herself and her co-worker Oliver about her attraction to Adam, and Adam's interest in Sinead growing each time they meet set a nice pace. Sinead and Adam's romance slowly boiled into an inferno - once they let it ignite, their chemistry was hot.
If you're a fan of the series, you'll be happy to know we see a lot of familiar faces in Icebreaker: Ty Gallagher, Michael Dante, Quinn O'Brien, Sinead's parents and the Wild Hart Bar, Anthony and Vivi Dante and Dante's Restaurant, and a few of the players. We see a lot of Anthony Dante, the hero from Just A Taste, and I still like him - he was integral in helping Adam see that Sinead was not making up worst-case scenarios but that her workplace issues were real. We're also introduced to Sinead's best friend, co-worker, and resident horn-dog, Oliver - he steals the show! I love him - he's the kind of wingman every girl should have.
I identified with Icebreaker in that Sinead had real-life career issues that Adam, as a man, didn't understand. I find this to be true in Real Life too. Because they were both so private, sometimes they didn't communicate well and it took a friend (Anthony in Adam's case and Oliver in Sinead's case) to see the other side of the story.
I'll say this about the ending: At first I was disappointed, it didn't work for me, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. Then, I realized that was my problem - it didn't work for ME - but it worked just fine for Sinead and Adam. Once I sat back and thought about it, I realized it was actually a very happy ending ;)
I thoroughly enjoyed Icebreaker, Ms. Martin, and will keep reading your NY Blades stories as long as you keep writing them!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews