My Icebreaker Book Review - No Spoilers

Plot Summary

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace is the first book of the Maple Hills series, centered around Anastasia Allen, a competitive figure skater who’s dedicated her life to chasing an Olympic dream. She’s fiercely driven and on a scholarship at Maple Hills College, training with total focus and determined to stay away from distractions—especially hockey players. But things change when the campus hockey team, captained by Nathan Hawkins, loses access to their rink, forcing Stassie and her fellow figure skaters to share precious ice time. Tension rises between the teams as personalities clash, but when Stassie’s skating partner is injured, Nate offers his help. Through forced proximity, shared practice, and the drama of college life, an unexpected romance kindles between them. Both carry past hurts and stubborn pride, and their friends add layers of humor and chaos as the couple wrestles with ambition, vulnerability, and the thrill of first love.

Why I Love This Book

I love how this book blends laugh-out-loud banter and deep emotional beats. Stassie’s ambition and tough exterior aren’t just for show—you can feel her anxiety about letting people down and her real struggles with self-worth and body image. Nate is the ultimate golden retriever hero—steady, thoughtful, loyal, and the perfect counter to Stassie’s prickly independence. Their relationship has a reverse grumpy-sunshine energy that’s so satisfying to read. The chemistry is explosive, and the romance never gets overshadowed by the sports elements. I appreciate how the book doesn’t rely on third-act miscommunication or cliché drama; instead, it’s about real challenges, honest mistakes, and slow-building trust. The friend group, especially the found family dynamic, draws me in and makes the world feel alive. There are plenty of spicy scenes, but I stay for how caring and sweet the story is beneath the steam. This is a comfort romance that left me grinning, swooning, and wishing I could hang out at Maple Hills myself.

Who Will Like This Book

If you love college sports romance with found family energy and open-door steam, you need to read this. It’s perfect if you like tough, complex heroines; golden retriever, loyal heroes; and enemies-to-lovers with tons of witty banter. If you crave a story that’s equally about friendship, personal ambition, and falling for someone despite your best intentions, you’ll find a lot to love. The book is heavy on spice and adult themes—come for the romance, but stay for the complicated, real emotional journeys. Be aware:

⚠️ Trigger warning for disordered eating, toxic friendships, family tension, and references to past trauma. Always check the full content warnings if you have triggers or sensitivities.

Tagged As

hockey romance, college romance, figure skater, found family, enemies to lovers, reverse grumpy sunshine, golden retriever hero, strong heroine, open-door romance, slow burn, steamy romance, sports romance, friends to lovers, emotional journey, angst, contemporary, dual pov, mental health, body image, mature themes, comfort read, series, spicy romance, indie romance, kindle unlimited

Steam Level

This book is very steamy, with frequent, graphic open-door scenes. The heat matches the playful, intense energy between the leads and runs throughout the story—perfect for readers who want their comfort romance spicy, not sweet.