fanboyriot's review
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I absolutely devoured this book. It was nice being able to get lost in the pages and fall in love with the characters and their world. Rivals to lovers is always the best but adding it to a queer sports book it is downright perfect. It was seriously amazing. The friendships were so wholesome. The friendship between Dorian and Barbie was so comforting to read. The way Mickey was an absolute simp and idiot when it came to Cauler. It was both funny and aggravating at times when he would think one thing and say the other. Delilah and Jade were so wholesome and cute and I loved them both separately and as a couple. Not to mention any of Mickey's sisters, they were all so kind and I loved them all dearly.
The mental health rep was SO good. Some parts were really relatable and it was really comforting in a way to read about it. I really liked the paragraph in the epilogue: "Honestly, don't be ashamed. A lot more people deal with it than you think, and the best way to cope is to acknowledge it and ask for help. Don't suffer alone." (page 307) it was so nice to see how far Mickey had come with his mental health. Such a good read that now I have no idea what I'm going to do. I need more. 10/10 will read again.
Queer Hockey
Mild Hurt/Comfort
Wholesome Friendships
Amazing Mental Health Rep
Mickey's Sisters (so damn wholesome)
The mental health rep was SO good. Some parts were really relatable and it was really comforting in a way to read about it. I really liked the paragraph in the epilogue: "Honestly, don't be ashamed. A lot more people deal with it than you think, and the best way to cope is to acknowledge it and ask for help. Don't suffer alone." (page 307) it was so nice to see how far Mickey had come with his mental health. Such a good read that now I have no idea what I'm going to do. I need more. 10/10 will read again.
Queer Hockey
Mild Hurt/Comfort
Wholesome Friendships
Amazing Mental Health Rep
Mickey's Sisters (so damn wholesome)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Homophobia, Sexual content, Vomit, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
ridesthesun's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Hockey boyfriends 🥺🥺🥺
This is such a fun rivals-to-lovers story. Even if you don't know much about hockey (I like to watch but I don't know all the rules/intricacies) it's really easy to follow all the ins and outs of it through the story. I wasn't expecting such a deep and genuine dive into mental illness, but I was really impressed by the accuracy of it. It wasn't like so many YA books that are just "depression=sad." The apathy, the exhaustion, the things that really take you out at the knees when you're depressed.
My only complaint was how quickly/abruptly everything wrapped up. I wanted to see them navigate a relationship as teammates, growing and healing together. It just felt like so little pay off for all the work they did.
This is such a fun rivals-to-lovers story. Even if you don't know much about hockey (I like to watch but I don't know all the rules/intricacies) it's really easy to follow all the ins and outs of it through the story. I wasn't expecting such a deep and genuine dive into mental illness, but I was really impressed by the accuracy of it. It wasn't like so many YA books that are just "depression=sad." The apathy, the exhaustion, the things that really take you out at the knees when you're depressed.
My only complaint was how quickly/abruptly everything wrapped up. I wanted to see them navigate a relationship as teammates, growing and healing together. It just felt like so little pay off for all the work they did.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Biphobia, Cursing, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Minor: Blood and Suicidal thoughts
grimm_bear's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
!!!!!THIS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS DEPENDING ON HOW YOU DESCRIBE THEM READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!
this book covered two things im struggling with right now (falling back in love with my sport and feeling alone) it was so relieving to see someone in similar conditions as me get better and find a way out
the only harp i have on this book is the ending, we didnt get to see mickey and jaysen be together in their relationship, i think an epilogue would have been nice, but over all the ending was rushed
this book covered two things im struggling with right now (falling back in love with my sport and feeling alone) it was so relieving to see someone in similar conditions as me get better and find a way out
the only harp i have on this book is the ending, we didnt get to see mickey and jaysen be together in their relationship, i think an epilogue would have been nice, but over all the ending was rushed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Mental illness
Moderate: Biphobia, Mental illness, Sexism, and Alcohol
Minor: Classism, Gaslighting, Sexism, Alcohol, Biphobia, Cursing, Racism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, and Outing
urlocalvocaloidstan's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is an amazing rivals to lovers book, and there was tension between the two characters in the very first chapter. There was also a lot of diversity and the Mickey knows that he is privileged, being white and growing up in a rich family. The mental health struggles also said a really good message, about how being privileged doesn't mean you can't have your struggles. All of the characters were really big comic reliefs and were shipping Mikey and Jaysen even before they started having romantic feelings for each other.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, and Alcohol
Moderate: Biphobia, Classism, Homophobia, and Racism
Minor: Lesbophobia
lavender_lores's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
!! a really loveable lighthearted romcom book with good representation of mental illness and good representation of queer people ^_^
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Vomit
paperbrownies's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
- lgbtqiap+, ya contemporary, sports gays, ice hockey, romance, rivals to lovers, mental health, sports rivalry, disaster bi, sibling and team shenanigans
- m|m, f|f, f|m|m
- white half italian bi mc with depression and anxiety, gay black li, white half italian lesbian sc, black lesbian sc, white half italian polyamorous bi sc, polyamorous bi sc(s), polyamory, latinx sc(s)
wow!! i enjoyed this book so much!! 🤩
-mickey was such a fun protagonist to follow, his teammates and their shenanigans has to be one of my favourite things about the novel!! i am biased okay?? so yk i love dorian, barbie and zero!! 😌
-this is more of a rivals to lovers and not an enemies to lovers book
-the author does not shy away from addressing the lack of inclusivity, the sexism and the stigmatisation of mental health and queerness in professional sports!!
-i believe mickey is a character who is still figuring himself out. his feelings are all over the place, he has a hard time in class and also has trouble reaching out to people, not forgetting the pressure he is under in order to live up to his family’s legacy. a lot of it stems from his depression and anxiety and watching him get the help and support he needed was everything to me!! (honestly it's the coolest and downright most scariest thing when you start relating to a character so much!!)
-"it’s not even sadness. it’s nothingness."
i loved the mental health rep!! it was done extremely well so i deeply appreciate the time and effort the author put in to do the research and come up with such authentic representation!!
overall it was a solid 4☆ read for me and i would recommend it to anyone who's looking for a sports rivals to lovers romance book with beautiful representation, friendship and familial bonds that are sure to melt your hearts!!
cw: cursing, violence, sexism, brief mention of blood, alcohol, vomit, mental illness
- m|m, f|f, f|m|m
- white half italian bi mc with depression and anxiety, gay black li, white half italian lesbian sc, black lesbian sc, white half italian polyamorous bi sc, polyamorous bi sc(s), polyamory, latinx sc(s)
wow!! i enjoyed this book so much!! 🤩
-mickey was such a fun protagonist to follow, his teammates and their shenanigans has to be one of my favourite things about the novel!! i am biased okay?? so yk i love dorian, barbie and zero!! 😌
-this is more of a rivals to lovers and not an enemies to lovers book
-the author does not shy away from addressing the lack of inclusivity, the sexism and the stigmatisation of mental health and queerness in professional sports!!
-i believe mickey is a character who is still figuring himself out. his feelings are all over the place, he has a hard time in class and also has trouble reaching out to people, not forgetting the pressure he is under in order to live up to his family’s legacy. a lot of it stems from his depression and anxiety and watching him get the help and support he needed was everything to me!! (honestly it's the coolest and downright most scariest thing when you start relating to a character so much!!)
-"it’s not even sadness. it’s nothingness."
i loved the mental health rep!! it was done extremely well so i deeply appreciate the time and effort the author put in to do the research and come up with such authentic representation!!
overall it was a solid 4☆ read for me and i would recommend it to anyone who's looking for a sports rivals to lovers romance book with beautiful representation, friendship and familial bonds that are sure to melt your hearts!!
cw: cursing, violence, sexism, brief mention of blood, alcohol, vomit, mental illness
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Mental illness
Moderate: Cursing and Violence
Minor: Blood and Vomit
ofbooksandechos's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
What may seem like a rivals to lovers romance at first, is actually a story about depression and how mental illness affects both the people who are ill, and those around them.
I think the story would have benefited from being a little longer, however it’s still a book I’d recommend.
I think the story would have benefited from being a little longer, however it’s still a book I’d recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Mental illness
Moderate: Cursing and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Cw: depiction of depression and anxiety, mentions of medications,dododenise's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
There’s this thing with sports stories. Even though I personally do not care for sports at all, whether that is doing it myself or watching others, sports stories can drag me in. The passion that rolls off these people sucks you into their world as well. I might not know a single thing about hockey, but I care about these characters and, therefore, also care about what they love. Which is hokey. So i start to care about hokey.
Reading stories about people who are so passionate is part of what makes reading so much fun. That’s what makes sports novels so much fun. And all of these things absolutely apply to Icebreaker.
I’ve seen other reviewers compare this novel to the all for the game trilogy and I certainly see it. The fun team dynamics and passion for sports give both of the stories a similar feeling which I really enjoyed.
But sports is just a small part of this story, really. It’s about Mickey. As he’s going through so much, so are the moods in the story shifting. One moment you’re all giddy and excited with the tension between Mickey and James. The next your throat is tight as you watch Mickey sink into his depression. And right from the start you root for Mickey. Not for his success. But for his happiness.
His character is beautifully crafted and feels so alive. Right from the beginning I was attached to him. He has glorious depth that you almost seem to unveil his layers together with him as he is exploring his own feelings.
The cast of characters is rather big, which I struggled with a bit at times. I feel like a lot of thought was put into these characters but because there are so many of them, they don’t get the time they deserve. I kept mixing some characters up or not remembering what they did previously in the story. I feel like the novel needed to be longer in order to be able to handle this big cast of characters.
And then there’s the romance of course. That was some supreme enemies to lovers and was exactly what I want to see from this trope. The tension between Mickey and James is off the roof. It was genuinely one of the most electrifying relationships I’ve ever read. You could perfectly sense how they could barely keep away from each other. I kept craving to see more of them and keep exploring their relationship, which gets mixed up with so many emotions and struggles. Yet, their love is not diminished by those struggles. Instead they are pulled closer together. It was beautiful to see.
I didn’t want this novel to stop. When I saw that I only had 20% left on the audiobook I had so many questions on how it would wrap everything up. As I was afraid at that point, the ending was rather rushed. While I think it managed to wrap it up, some things still felt a bit underdeveloped. For example the topic of homophobia in the industry was ignored by the end which was really unfortunate. I also wanted to accompany Mickey along his journey at the end and I wanted to see the relationships evolve. It also made me crave for a sequel, as I’ve gotten so attached to Mickey and the other characters that I want to see where they’ll go from there. This ended up being my only more major complaint I have about the novel as because of these things, the ending unfortunately wasn’t all that satisfying. It wasn’t a bad ending, but I had hoped for more.
The fact that it was an audiobook didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book at all. A very average audiobook with nothing special to say about it.
Overall Icebreaker was wonderful ride. I had a glorious time and it gave me everything that I had hoped for when first reading the description of this book.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
Reading stories about people who are so passionate is part of what makes reading so much fun. That’s what makes sports novels so much fun. And all of these things absolutely apply to Icebreaker.
I’ve seen other reviewers compare this novel to the all for the game trilogy and I certainly see it. The fun team dynamics and passion for sports give both of the stories a similar feeling which I really enjoyed.
But sports is just a small part of this story, really. It’s about Mickey. As he’s going through so much, so are the moods in the story shifting. One moment you’re all giddy and excited with the tension between Mickey and James. The next your throat is tight as you watch Mickey sink into his depression. And right from the start you root for Mickey. Not for his success. But for his happiness.
His character is beautifully crafted and feels so alive. Right from the beginning I was attached to him. He has glorious depth that you almost seem to unveil his layers together with him as he is exploring his own feelings.
The cast of characters is rather big, which I struggled with a bit at times. I feel like a lot of thought was put into these characters but because there are so many of them, they don’t get the time they deserve. I kept mixing some characters up or not remembering what they did previously in the story. I feel like the novel needed to be longer in order to be able to handle this big cast of characters.
And then there’s the romance of course. That was some supreme enemies to lovers and was exactly what I want to see from this trope. The tension between Mickey and James is off the roof. It was genuinely one of the most electrifying relationships I’ve ever read. You could perfectly sense how they could barely keep away from each other. I kept craving to see more of them and keep exploring their relationship, which gets mixed up with so many emotions and struggles. Yet, their love is not diminished by those struggles. Instead they are pulled closer together. It was beautiful to see.
I didn’t want this novel to stop. When I saw that I only had 20% left on the audiobook I had so many questions on how it would wrap everything up. As I was afraid at that point, the ending was rather rushed. While I think it managed to wrap it up, some things still felt a bit underdeveloped. For example the topic of homophobia in the industry was ignored by the end which was really unfortunate. I also wanted to accompany Mickey along his journey at the end and I wanted to see the relationships evolve. It also made me crave for a sequel, as I’ve gotten so attached to Mickey and the other characters that I want to see where they’ll go from there. This ended up being my only more major complaint I have about the novel as because of these things, the ending unfortunately wasn’t all that satisfying. It wasn’t a bad ending, but I had hoped for more.
The fact that it was an audiobook didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book at all. A very average audiobook with nothing special to say about it.
Overall Icebreaker was wonderful ride. I had a glorious time and it gave me everything that I had hoped for when first reading the description of this book.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Racism, Misogyny, Homophobia, and Violence
booksofastoria's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Mental illness
Moderate: Abandonment and Cursing
Minor: Biphobia and Homophobia
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