Thrown Off the Ice

It started out so funny. Mike fighting a losing battle against resisting Liam. I was so excited. A fun, lighthearted grumpy x sunshine, I thought. God. Have I ever been more wrong? The hits start coming and they don't stop coming.

I figured out how it would likely end about 80% in, and it was like watching a car crash. You know you'll get traumatized but you can't look away.

This broke my heart in so many ways. I haven't cried over a book since 2019. My heart broke for Liam. My heart broke for Mike.

The funny thing is, I knew I'd downloaded a book with no HEA, but I'd got about 20 books that lot, and I couldn't keep track of which one it was. Read about 16 and had forgotten all about the landmine. It hurt even worse because I wasn't expecting it.

I loved this book SO MUCH. SO MUCH. And I can never read it again because once in a lifetime is more than enough pain for me to endure.

This book deserves a better review than I think I'm currently capable of writing. I loved it and hated it so much.

I can not recommend this book more highly.

A couple of weeks ago I started seeing this book popping up in my feed, all raving stars. Quite frankly I was already a goner for the cover, it has a certain pop art appeal that's unusual in romance. My mistake was starting it late on Friday night. I got a chapter in and knew I was in the hands of an author with heft and an original voice. I also felt an immediate kinship with Mike. What I forgot was that weekends are generally filled with RL activities. I've never hated a weekend so much. Finally this afternoon was all mine and was able to dive in and finish. I'm so glad I read this and yet I wish it would've gone on forever. My bones are still aching from the raw beauty of this story.The particulars are irrelevant, but if you must know it's about 6'4” Mike Brouwer, professional NHL enforcer, and Liam Fitzgerald, who at 5'8”, is one the smallest players in the league. They meet when Mike is 30, on the tail end of his career, and Liam is an 18 y.o. rookie with lots of promise. What follows is a LOVE story in the real sense of the word. One devoid of the usual romance window dressing, sometimes raw, never sugary, but always authentic. [a:Taylor Fitzpatrick 14742909 Taylor Fitzpatrick https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] refuses to follow genre conventions or follow the beats of generic romance. This is a story that will linger in my veins, and which has had my eyes brimming with tears, even as I write this. I can honestly recommend it to anyone. Good writing, realistic storytelling, and characters who burrow deep under your skin, it's an embarrassment of riches. Absolutely one of the best romances I've ever read. Full stop.