Book Review: Fire and Ice by Carly Robyn

Official Synopsis: One fake relationship, a dash of chemistry, and a recipe that's bound to get messy....

Kennedy Caplan bakes the best cakes in town, but taking her business to the next level requires more than butter and grit. She’s determined to turn her dreams into something bigger, even if the odds—and her bank account—are stacked against her.

Cameron Davies, NHL goalie and resident grump, has perfected the art of shutting people out. He’s content with his small circle, until life throws him off balance: a toxic ex back in town, teammates who won’t stop hovering, and a spotlight that refuses to dim.

His solution is as practical as it is risky: a fake relationship with Kennedy—his sister’s friend and the one person he can’t seem to ignore. The arrangement gives her business the financial investment it desperately needs, and provides Cameron a buffer from his ex and overprotective teammates.

But what begins as a strategic arrangement soon blurs into late-night calls and sparks neither of them can deny. And the more they lean into the lie, they’re forced to face the question they’ve both been avoiding: what if this isn’t fake anymore?

I'm not sure how to explain how some of my favorite hockey romances are the ones written by indie authors and this book is no different. As the sequel to Ice, Ice, Baby this book follows Cameron Davies and Kennedy Caplan, who only really know each other because of the events of the first book. Kennedy is Maya's best friend, a law school drop out who is trying to secure a loan to get her own commercial kitchen for her bakery. Cameron is the starting goalie of the Boston Bobcats and best friends with the captain Cole, who is dating Maya. When Cameron's toxic ex comes back to Boston and starts to actively pursue him again, he needs a way to get her off his back. Kennedy is desperate for a loan, but when the bank rejects her she feels a bit lost, that is until a tall, tattooed hockey player asks her to be his fake girlfriend. In return he offers to be a silent investor in her bakery, even offering to come up with a whole contract on how she'll pay him back. The offer for the investment doesn't hinge on her saying yes to dating, but it would definitely help them both.

Now Cameron and Kennedy have to convince their friends they are dating, while keeping the investment a secret. Luckily, it seems like their friends were cheering for them to get together all along. What Cameron doesn't expect is to catch real feelings for Kennedy quite early on. She looks out for safe foods for him, as he has celiac, and bakes him foods he hasn't been able to have in years. She also makes him laugh with her fiery personality and drive to own her own business. Now he finds himself looking for her in the stands and helping her go to the store to buy baking supplies, even if that amount of people is his personal hell.

As their fake relationship trickles on, things start to change for both of them, and when Cameron sees Kennedy in a jersey that is most definitely not his, he can't help but have a response that leads them to falling into bed together. (Also the 'my girl my name on her back thing? -swoon- every time). Though neither of them want to complicate things anymore, they get along in all the ways that matter, and if they just don't talk about the whole thing being fake than it will work out ... right?

I have to state that one of my favorite parts about this book was the almost seamless transition from the fake dating to the real dating, and how there is no dramatic third act breakup from miscommunication. Cameron and Kennedy have great communication overall, working through their issues quickly and with conversations that show how much they care about each other. I think this is important for Cameron especially since his last girlfriend cheated on him then tried to gaslight him into thinking she had changed. Even though we know that Gigi (the ex) is pulling a lot of shit in the background, neither of them fully let tat tear them apart and I honestly found that refreshing.

The background characters of this novel are also great, each bringing a fun personality to the story. There is a lot of chaos when it comes to having a hockey team being the focus in certain chapters, but I liked knowing that Logan was always good for an inappropriate joke and a good laugh.

Were there parts of this book that fell completely into the sports romance/hockey romance trope? Absolutely. Did I really enjoy it either way and want more from this group and characters? Also yes. I enjoy that way Carly Robyn writes and have really enjoyed all of the books I've read by her. I was excited to be put on the ARC team for this book as well!

I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars!

Fire and Ice comes out April 23, 2026!

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