I had to sit with this one a while. I was really excited for this book, especially seeing the author’s writing journey, the tropes, and teasers. But, unfortunately, I didn’t love Icebound as much as I had hoped to.

Overall, I thought it was a good debut, however, I was left feeling a bit disappointed by the end.

Icebound started off of strong. I really enjoyed the introductions to Rhode and Nina, and the way they met. But as it progressed, my enjoyment of the story and connection with the main characters dwindled. One of the areas I was let down was with some of the tropes promised. For example, I went in expecting a fake dating romance, but it wasn’t that. There was a hint of it but almost as an afterthought. Furthermore, the ‘I’m too old for you’ argument got very repetitive and tiring. As the story went on, it began to feel a little disjointed and underdeveloped. Lastly, I found the ending a bit rushed, where the story could have benefitted from an epilogue.

Having said all that, there were aspects I really enjoyed. The bromance between Rhode and his teammates was a highlight. On the topic of side characters, I instantly fell for Wyatt and Rowyn and I’m looking forward to their respective stories should we get them. I thought the mental health rep was very well written - there were a number of times I resonated with Nina and her anxiety. There were some moments between Rhode and Nina that did tug on my heartstrings.

Maybe we don’t fit together from the outside, but our souls are a perfect match.