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Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Iced Out by CE Ricci

32 reviews

krhart's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I love reading. I love reading m/m books. I love CE Ricci. This book was amazing. As much as I read these types of books, I need to know that when the other show drops, I HAVE TO TRUST THE PROCESS. I love the angst and enemies to lovers. The gay for you...love it all. Quinton and Oakley have been major rivals, on and off the ice since high school. playing together in college, Quinton approaches Oakley with a superstition practice that could put them both in a really tough spot. 

Meeting to do their "superstition ritual" leads to strong feelings and confusion as their hearts tangle along with their lives and friends. Through their meet ups, they learn things about each other that they didn't know and feelings grow. 

A twist (of course) throws everything into a tailspin and tests them and the team. I laughed and teared up. I cheered and my heart swelled. Trust the process.
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cielosiluminado's review

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

a good 'ol enemies-with-benefits-to-lovers story.

this book had a lot of potential but there were many things… off.

my biggest gripe with the book is that even though quinn and oakley had some cute moments, everything felt too insta-lusty and rushed.

He smiles at me like I hung the goddamn moon for him.

the lack of actual relationship progression was disappointing. i wanted to see them go on actual dates and hangout without them always getting naked. their banter was impeccable though.

the first half of the book was boring. there were some plot holes i couldn't overlook, i.e. quinn's family or the tampered drug test results BUT! the second half of the book was far more captivating, redeeming the storyline, but not enough for me to give this a higher rating.
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waywardcrow's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I did not come for the plot but the plot definitely was what made me fall in love with this book in the end. I ended up rooting for Quinn and Oak and their relationship way more than I anticipated. This is one of those books that doesn’t necessarily have the best writing but still has the ability to make you feel a lot of emotions.
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sienasummerrreads's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

“I want to bottle this entire moment up in a single heartbeat and cherish it in all its glory” 

This follows Oakley and Quinton in college at Leighton U playing on the same Hockey team butting heads at everything. Things change and flip on an axis when they really see each other for the first time. Lots of tension and angst with some betrayal unravel through this book. 

Wow, I have been missing out all this time on reading MM. My brain chemistry is obsessed. The hate was seeping through this book and the tension. It was delicious. I will say there was more spice than I thought there would be but it was perfect. I will say we have graphic spicy scenes but also some fade to black which I didn’t mind it was brilliant either way. I loved the superstitions, the socks and the puck storyline. My heart loved but also hurt throughout this book. Quinn is my favourite and this man deserves the world but I also love Oakley.

I will say I loved these two together but I honestly thought Quinton would be a bottom. That man gave me domination feels, I was surprised when the roles were reversed but still loved it! 
I honestly just wanted more and a little more plot but other than that a fantastic start into MM. 

If you love: 

🔹Sports Romance 
🔹Hockey Rivals 
🔹Hate To Love 
🔹Angst & Tension
🔹Betrayal 
🔹Incredible Spice 

Genre/Type: Sports Romance 18+
APK: Paperback 
Pages: 394
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5 
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5 ( Maybe 🌶️🌶️🌶️ as there are quite a few scenes
Series or Stand Alone: Book 1 In The Leighton U Series 
Tropes or Themes: Hockey, Hate To Love, MM, Rivals, Forced Proximity, Enemies With Benefits, College, Agreement, Angst, Tension, Grovelling, Chemistry, Betrayal, Lies, Cursing, Sexual Content, Bi Awakening, Dirty Talk, Some FTB, Shower Scene & Library Scene. Mentions: Drugs 
Check Triggers ⚠️ 💫 

All Round Romance Reader 
Sienasummerrreads 💕📚
TikTok | Instagram | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Everand | Amazon | Audible Reviews 💫

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madscientistcat's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

4.75

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negs's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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jessicalifornication's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
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ink_mon's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

many time skips (weeks, months), doesn’t feel like a continuous storyline/ storytelling 
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akirokis's review against another edition

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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galleytrot's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

READ: May 2023 
FORMAT: Digital 
 
BRIEF SUMMARY: 
In this contemporary sports romance, hockey rivals Oakley and Quinton never expected they would wind up as teammates throughout their university years. At year four, there is animosity in the team over the captain position falling into Quinton’s lap, especially considering the circumstances that caused Oakley to miss his chance at it. When the pair's fighting comes to a head, bursting past sexual tension and right into a steamy encounter the night before their first win of the season, the superstitious duo form an agreement: no-strings-attached sex on the nights before their games, for as long as the wins keep on coming.

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 4 / 5⭐ 
As far as sports romances go, I don’t think it’s difficult to get the formula wrong. Athlete falls for someone, performance either suffers or excels in the face of it, something-something Big Tournament, agents/scouts are watching... this book hits all of the typical beats without adding much of anything new. I haven’t seen the superstition angle used before, though; turning relationship-development into a ritual with rules and stipulations is admittedly a new one to me, which has made this book stand out a little among others. 

Oakley is your typical hockey-is-in-our-blood prodigy whose father and uncle each went pro in their time, and he’s set up (and working hard) to follow in their footsteps. He’s a stickler for the rules and for playing his best game, but Quinton’s short temper and flying fists have put multiple road blocks in his path throughout the years. Quinton has the natural talent, having took to the rink like a fish to water as a child, but his parents have the family business in mind for his future and they’re waiting for the day he gets bored of the sport so that he can step up. He’s damn good at the game, and he feels his happiest out on the ice, but he was raised in a world where cunning and deception were the prime method of crushing the competition. In Quinton’s eyes, Oakley’s family ties put him at an infuriatingly unfair advantage while he is forced to put in the hard work and effort it takes to play among the best. 

TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 3.25 / 5⭐ 
This book was my introduction to Ricci’s work. While I wouldn’t say there was much here that would stand out among other authors of similar works, I still enjoyed this story well enough to give her her due. Critically, there were a lot of awkward or strange phrasing choices made in this book. It happened often enough for me to take note of it, but clunky wording is fairly low on my list of offenses compared to inconsistencies, typos, and grammatical errors. 

FINAL THOUGHTS - OVERALL: 3.75 / 5⭐ 
I wanted a spicy hockey rivals-to-lovers, and that’s precisely what I got. If it’s what you’re looking for, I see no reason to pass this one up. The spice in this book is its strongest asset– our guys have got chemistry. No complaints from me on that front. 

This book has representation for gays and bisexuals. There is otherwise little in the way of diversity. 

The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail.
This book contains: sports injuries, fighting; mentions of drug use (performance enhancing drugs, opiates); strained family relations (unsupportive parents); and, alcohol use.
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