The relationship he had with his family, particularly his father, was very complicated, and I loved how that was explored. Mickey was an authentic protagonist, and I really engaged with his struggles. Everything progressed so slowly, and they hit all the right milestones in their rivalry before finally getting together.

Jaysen and Mickey had the perfect romance. I liked how several characters openly discussed their mental illnesses and helped each other cope. I particularly appreciated the descriptions of dissociation and depression. It had all the good rivals-to-lovers action you could wish for, and excellent representation of mental illness. When I read romances, I always look for a good combination of fun and lighthearted, and serious and thought-provoking. The writing was so breezy and easy to read. This is the sort of book you know you’re going to love right away. I was really hoping this would be good, and apparently there is something about hockey romances that just satisfy me.

I remembered reading the Check, Please graphic novel series, which follows a hockey team, and was excited for the release of Icebreaker when I first heard of it. I’ve tried reading sport romances before, and none of them ever felt right, even though I loved the idea of them. Icebreaker has awoken something inside me. It puts into perspective what is important. Maybe I wished for a different outcome and I wouldn't have minded a couple more sentences, but I get why it ended the way it did. The ending might seem a bit rushed and the epilogue unsatisfying, but I'm actually quite happy with how the story ended. I feel they were all well written and well balanced with the rest of the story. The story focuses a lot on hockey, so there are a lot of scenes that take place on the ice. While realistic, it did feel a bit too much at times. The only thing I could have done without is the excessive drinking. The friendships were really wonderful in this one.

I also have to mention Mickey's sisters who are a big part of this story, too, and Mickey's friend Nova.

I loved their whole team, especially Darian and Barbie. I absolutely loved Jaysen and I liked the connection between him and Mickey. The side characters are really great in this story. While I didn't fully understand the reasons behind the decisions made by some family members, I appreciated how everything worked out in the end. I liked how his issues with depression and anxiety were handled and I loved watching him grow throughout the story. Mickey's character was very interesting to read about. For a debut novel, I think this was really good.

Icebreaker graziadei