On Thin Ice – Julie Cross – Juniper Falls #3 – Entangled: Teen – Published 26 February 2019
♥♥♥♥♥
Synopsis
Brooke Parker never expected to find herself in the tiny town of Juniper Falls, Minnesota. Of course, she also never expected to lose her dad. Or for her mom to lose herself. Brooke feels like she’s losing it…until she finds Juniper Falls hockey. Juniper Falls girls’ hockey, that is.
Jake Hammond, current prince of Juniper Falls, captain of the hockey team, and player with the best chance of scoring it big, is on top of the world. Until one hazing ritual gone wrong lands him injured, sitting on the sidelines, and―shocking even to him―finding himself enjoying his “punishment” as assistant coach for the girls’ team.
As Jake and Brooke grow closer, he finds the quiet new girl is hiding a persona full of life, ideas, and experiences bigger and broader than anything he’s ever known. But to Jake, hockey’s never just been a game. It’s his whole life. And leveraging the game for a shot at their future might be more than he can give.
My thoughts
On Thin Ice is the romantic and sensational third book in the Juniper Falls series. Ice hockey, scintillating romance, heartbreaking family troubles, strong friendship and a soul searching story about standing up for what’s right, On Thin Ice has all the pieces to create a captivating story which I devoured.
When Brooke has to move to a new town to escape her father’s incarceration and her mother’s breakdown, she planned to stay invisible. The last thing she expects is to connect with the town’s most popular guy, hockey star Jake. But after saving Jake’s life in a hockey hazing incident gone wrong, she finds herself working with Jake. Neither could imagine the connection they find with each other, nor how it will change their lives.
The romance. Oh, the romance. Be still my beating heart. As soon as I finished reading On Thin Ice I had to go back and read all my favourite bits (some, okay, a lot were kissing bits) again. Brooke and Jake’s connection and chemistry is absolutely captivating.
Yet alongside this story of love, is a story of challenges and making big sacrifices to stand up against them. Brooke is dealing with a family breakdown that has thrown more challenges at her than she is sure she can bear. Her father is in prison, her mother a zombie, her own past decisions weigh on her, and moving to a new town away from her passions is daunting. Jake has waited all his life for his senior year, the year he can finally show what he has on the ice. But a hundred-year-old hazing ritual goes bad, leaving him doubting his place in the structure of the town’s history and love affair with hockey, one that is now costing him his future and almost cost another his life. But choosing to stand up against that hierarchy and history will have even further challenges and costs. Despite what Brooke and Jake face they are both there for each other. They make a fantastic team, supportive and understanding and this deeper layer makes them a fantastic couple, going so far beyond fantastic chemistry.
I really loved On Thin Ice. It is by far the best book in this series and I enjoyed the first two books, as well. While each book can be read as a standalone, following this group of characters and the Juniper Falls icy hockey team has been wonderful and so much fun. I highly recommend On Thin Ice to readers who love YA contemporary romance and sports books.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
More information
Category: Young adult fiction.
Genre: Contemporary.
Themes: Ice hockey, romance, hazing, bullying, small towns, teams, high school, coming of age, family, friendship.
Reading age guide: Ages 14 and up.
Advisory: Sexual references and sex scene with some details. Coarse language, f*** (29), sh** (36), as***** (7), pi** (9).
Published: 26 February 2019 by Entangled: Teen
Format: Paperback, ebook. 340 pages.
ISBN: 9781640634107
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Aaaaahhhhhhhh, must read! What is the first book in this series? Sounds like a sweet and intense romance- exactly my type of book.
Off The Ice is the first book. Julie Cross writes such great romance. I think you will really like her books.