[ad/gifted - I received an eBook copy of the book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
Title & Author: Icebound by Meredith Trapp
My rating: 5/5
Publication date: 20th February 2024
Blurb:
Rhode Tremblay is Nashville’s Naughtiest Hockey Player—at least, that’s what everyone believes after the Tenerife Incident.
With a thigh tattoo that’s catnip for women and a wicked smirk that needs a warning label, everyone flocks to the NHL’s resident bad boy. Sure, Rhode accidentally set a yacht on fire while bringing a woman to the brink of ecstasy, but that happened over a decade ago. Now, at thirty-three, Rhode’s searching for something real. He’s ready to get down on one knee for the right person, but he has one rule—no dating anyone under thirty.
Philomena “Nina” Alstyne has sworn off men who look like fallen angels on skates.
The feisty art student is done molding herself to fit someone else’s life after her relationship fiasco. At twenty-two, Nina’s last semester of college is about her pottery dreams. Except, when one fateful accident forces Nina into a faux situationship with Nashville’s (Supposed) Naughtiest, all her curated plans crumble like a fragile sculpture.
Rhode falls first, and he falls hard.
There’s only one problem… Rhode thinks he’s fake dating a thirty-year-old doctor. As secrets get revealed, his biggest temptation quickly becomes off-limits, but Nina soon realizes the cross-stitching cat daddy is what the chaos in her soul craves—and Nina’s fiery passion might burn hot enough to melt Rhode’s icy boundaries.
Review:
Rhode Tremblay is the thirty-three-year-old ice hockey goalie for the Guardians. He'd done all his partying in his twenties and can feel his age and the fact that he has yet to settle down creeping up on him. He is adamant that it is time to stop with the meaningless relationships and only date someone in the same stage of life as him. He is ready for marriage and kids. Absolutely no one under the age of thirty.
Enter Rhode's Uber driver, twenty-two-year-old art student Nina. Of course during their first encounter, she doesn't want to share her personal details so Rhode believes she is a thirty-year-old medical student. Until the truth comes out but he can't stop his attraction.
I've read quite a few hockey romances but this has to be up there as one of my favourites. It is an age-gap romance with plenty of spice but it is also so much more.
The characters of Rhode and Nina are perfectly developed, right down to their quirky personality traits. Humour jumps off the page but most importantly, the tougher subjects are handled fantastically. Nina suffers with anxiety and I have never read a more accurate depiction.
Communication was key and I loved how they were both so honest with what they wanted, always a must for any romance novel I read!
Nina and her sister's relationship was interesting and a little sad at times but I especially adored the male friendship between Rhode and his teammates. It was very sweet when Nina started to slot in with them. A found family of sorts!
A beautiful read and perfect if you like:
• He falls first
• Fake dating
• Hockey romance
• Dual POV
• Age gap
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A massive thank you to Love Notes PR for supplying me with an eARC of this book for review.
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