Even though I’m not a sports fan, I’ve always enjoyed watching figure skating. I remember watching different shows with my grandmother when I was younger, so a book with an ice skating show kind of like Dancing with the Stars? Sign me up! Today I want to tell you all about On Thin Ice and what I thought.
A big thank you to Netgalley and Bantam Dell Books for providing me with an eARC for me to read and review. This doesn’t affect my opinion in any way!
An actor hoping to fix his bad-boy reputation and a professional figure skater determined to win an ice-skating show begrudgingly team up in this sizzling, grumpy/sunshine romance.
Luca Vasvault thought he was finished with show business. A former child star now labeled the disgraced has-been of Hollywood, he moved to the UK to care for his dying mother. Until an opportunity surfaces that Luca can’t resist—the leading role in a remake of his mother’s favorite film. The catch? He needs to straighten out his image first.
His agent has the perfect plan to win the public’s vote: sign Luca up for Stars on Ice, a figure skating competition where celebrities are paired with professionals. To give him his best shot at redemption, Luca’s partnered with the show’s sweetheart, Matilda Stevens, a woman known for her unwavering composure, whistle-clean record, and winning smile.
Competitive figure skating was always Matilda’s mother’s passion, not hers. Secretly, she hates the show, and the last thing she needs is to spend sixteen weeks with Hollywood’s most notorious bad boy. Especially when Luca seems determined to make her life miserable with his surly looks and annoyingly handsome-even-when-scowling face. But victory comes with prize money that will let Matilda quit Stars on Ice once and for all.
With everything on the line, the two strike a deal: They will cast their differences aside and put on the showmance of a lifetime, both on and off the ice. After all, they’re both performers for a living. How hard can it be?
Review
On Thin Ice basically seemed like Dancing with the Stars but on ice and that’s all I needed to know. Add a grumpy/sunshine romance and I was definitely sold. I have to be honest and say that I wasn’t sure about this one while reading the first few chapters, because I really didn’t like Luca in the beginning and them just not communicating got on my nerves.
That’s when everything changed though. The tension between these two was there from the start and I felt like there was so much more than they were letting on. I was right! I loved that they talked about their weekly choreography and certain things going on in the show, but it wasn’t the main story. Maybe Luca isn’t the bad boy everyone was saying and the media was just getting it wrong and maybe Matilda is tired of being the composed woman who does everything others want.
We get a slow burn romance that I loved! An instant romance wouldn’t have worked in this story at all and Olivia Belle gave us the development we really needed between these two. Luca and Matilda getting to know each other and opening up was just what I needed! Luca was so protecting and wasn’t going to let anything or anyone get in her way. Matilda also shows a lot of development in this story! She really starts realizing she doesn’t have to take the way her mother and sister treat her. I also appreciated that therapy was looked at in a positive way!
There are also some great side characters! Lily was a great best friend to Matilda. Luca’s mom plays an important part in this story and his agent/best friend, Jack, was so much fun! I really think Jack should get his own book. On Thin Ice was a book I couldn’t put down and I loved how everything played out. I need Olivia Belle to give us all the books.
After reading On Thin Ice, I’ve decided I need more figure skating sports romances. Are you a fan of sports? Or sports romances? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!
