Book Review: Ice Ice Baby By Carly Robyn

Official Synopsis: He's the plot twist she didn't see coming...

Maya Silver doesn’t believe in happily ever afters, nor does she want one. She’s too busy managing the Book Nook, a cozy Boston bookstore where romance novels fly off the shelves. After one too many disappointments, she’s learned that love is unpredictable, and most promises don’t last. So love in real life? That’s a story Maya’s shelved for good.

Enter Nicholas “Cole” Barrett, the Boston Bobcats’ star player. He’s built his whole life around the game, and it’s paid off. He’s got his routine perfected until Maya crashes into it with stories, sarcasm, and a smile he can’t stop thinking about. She’s not chasing a puck or a paycheck, and for once, he’s not thinking about the next practice or game, he’s thinking about her.

Maya’s not interested in being won over, but Cole is used to pursuing things worth winning. And as they spend more time together, the harder it is to ignore the fiery pull between them and the way their connection feels like something more. But having spent her whole life believing true love was only found in books, will Maya be brave enough to begin a love story of her own?

My introduction to Carly Robyn was an F1 romance titled Drive Me Home, which I picked up after learning the main female character had Type 1 Diabetes, which I love seeing done well in romance novels. Ice Ice Baby is the newest book by Carly Robyn and the first in a new hockey romance series that follows players on the Boston Bobcats.

We are first introduced to Cole, Nicholas, Barrett, the star center for the Boston Bobcats who is working his way through a sponsor party and looking for an escape from the intimate questions about his life. When he stumbles into what he thinks is an empty table, he ends up finding Maya, who is tucked into the booth reading on her e-reader (ha). As they start to talk, he realizes that she has no idea who he is and he doesn't hate that. They talk about books and Maya's disinterest in hockey, stating she is only at the party because her best friend made the cake. By the end of the night, Cole is determined to see her again, but she leaves without telling him anymore than her first name.

Maya is still thinking about the hockey player she met at the dinner, especially after her friend filled her in on who she was talking to most of the night. What Maya doesn't expect is for Cole to show up in the bookstore she works in, then asking for a book recommendation and to take her to dinner. After their dinner, they share a steamy kiss...then Cole disappears. As Maya tries to figure out why he stopped responding, or if he's evening interested anymore...after he apologizes, Maya decides to keep him at arms length, saying they are better off as just friends. Friends who get each other box seats to hockey games, show up with food and talk almost every day. After Maya has to last-minute watch Cole's dog before an away game trip, Maya starts to weigh if 'just friends' is even an option anymore.

But both Maya and Cole have a lot going on in the background, and sometimes its hard to juggle their relationship with the work and family. Maya has been the main caretaker for her family for a while, continuing to put her younger sibling before herself. Cole has a chance to be traded to his hometown team, a dream that he shared with his late twin brother, and he starts to wonder if that is still his dream or if it's time to find a new one, that may include Maya in the plan.

Overall, I really enjoy Carly Robyn's writing and this book had a lot of moments that made me laugh out loud. Cole and Maya are both disasters in a funny way, but also a way they have to figure out together. I enjoyed Maya's brother being with Cole's teammate Logan, and how they had commentary for everything going on around them. I think the book had a good mix of romance, dates but also the hockey parts we all love in sports romance. This book definitely has some spice, so keep that in mind when picking it up. I also enjoyed that all the teams in the book are fictional, which is one of my favorite things during sports romance books personally.

Outside of Heart Check, it has been a minute since I've read an adult hockey romance and I think that really allowed me a chance to look at this book without being overwhelmed. Hockey romance definitely took over the world for a bit there. I liked how it was written, I think the plot beats made a lot of sense and the third act breakup didn't last an obnoxiously long time.

I rated this book 3.5 / 5 stars!

Ice Ice Baby is out now!

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