Mini-Reviews #29: Icebreaker, When in Rome & Wreck the Halls

Mini-Reviews is a blog series where I’ll be sharing mini reviews of the books I’ve been reading lately.  Each post will include 3 books I’ve recently read and will be grouped by genre (though we’re bound to get a hodgepodge post every once in a while!).  Let me know if you’ve read anything I’ve talked about or if you feel inspired to pick anything up after hearing my thoughts!  I also want to note that I’m attempting to do away with half stars this year and I’m going to use the official goodreads rating system which is based on enjoyment level (1 star = didn’t like it, 2 star = it was okay, 3 star = liked it, 4 star = really liked it, 5 star = it was amazing).

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace (Maple Hills #1) – It’s nearly impossible to scroll through instagram on any given day without coming across a photo of this book!  I initially felt like I wasn’t the target market for it since sports romances are not usually my thing, but the cute cover finally won me over and I decided to give it a shot.  And folks, I’m obsessed! We’re following the most lovable friend group at Maple Hills, but we focus on Anastasia, a figure skater working toward competing in the Olympics, and Nathan, the Maple Hills hockey team captain. The pair get off to a rough start when they’re forced to share the same ice rink for practices but they quickly fall for each other upon subsequent interactions.  When I tell you that I love this book!!! This is definitely one of the spicer romances I’ve read (again, which I wasn’t expecting based on the cover), but what I love most is the friend group and seeing Stassi and Nathan work toward their goals and protect the ones they care about.  While there was a lot of spice, there was also a ton of substance and each character felt like a three dimensional person that I would adore in real life.  I loved the positive portrayal of therapy and how well the characters communicated their feelings with one another (something rare in romance)! The epilogue was definitely on the cheesy side, but overall I enjoyed this book so much from start to finish. I can’t wait to read Wildfire and Daydream when it comes out later this year!

When in Rome by Sarah Adams (When in Rome #1) – Fun fact, I absolutely love celebrity romances and When in Rome totally delivered.  More often than not, we’re following a normal girl who meets a famous guy and the pair fall in love, but in When in Rome, Amelia Rose aka Rae Rose is the famous one and while fleeing her demanding schedule (and manager), her car breaks down on normal-small-town-guy Noah Walker’s lawn resulting in an adorable meet cute.  Sarah’s writing is addicting and I loved getting to know Amelia and Noah.  This book made me laugh out loud on several occasions. As a huge small town romance fan, I love the interactions with the quirky townspeople, and how this tight knit community of people stick up for one another and welcome Amelia with open arms.  I especially love the relationship between Noah and his three sisters, as well as the relationship Amelia forms with Noah’s three sisters.  There’s a companion novel that I’m looking forward to reading following Annie, but I wish we could get a book for each sister! Also, did I mention that Noah owns a pie shop?! He’s like Ned from Pushing Daisies reincarnate (minus the whole no touching thing). Noah is sweet, caring, an excellent cook and baker, a stellar older brother, and all around good guy.  He and Amelia vow to stay platonic, but that obviously doesn’t pan out.  I love how he helps Amelia recognize what she wants in life, reconnects her with her love of music, and fully supports her. This book is such a win!

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey – I can always count on Tessa Bailey for a good time and her latest Christmas in New York City novel is no exception! Wreck the Halls is one degree of separation from a celebrity romance- we’re following the adult offspring of a once very famous band who’s been gaining traction again because of TikTok but had broken up in their heydey without explanation.  Melody and Beat are offered a very lucrative deal to team up for a live streamed reality show attempting to get their mothers to reunite for one last show on Christmas Eve.  Having turned down numerous proposals like this in the past, Beat finds himself in a position to agree as a result of being blackmailed for more money than he can afford to pay.  Melody on the other hand has harbored a crush on Beat since they were young tweens when the media would tear her apart during her awkward years and Beat would stand up for her.  They haven’t had any contact with one another in years, but when they interact again, sparks fly.  The show becomes an instant success, largely because of their on-screen chemistry.  Beat has some hangups about getting involved that the pair need to work through, and Melody has some unresolved issues with her mother to confront.  There are so many Christmas in New York experiences packed into this novel that it made for a really fun reading experience.  I love reading books set in places that I’m intimately familiar with and there are few places I know better than NYC.  I really loved the banter between Melody and Beat, as well as the banter between their producer and cameraman.  Overall, this was a really fun holiday romance and I would highly recommend checking it out!