Book: Ice Ice Baby by Carly Robyn
Reviewed by Maggie Hayes
📚✨ ARC REVIEW ✨📚
Ice Ice Baby by Carly Robyn
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)
Thank you, @valentine_pr_, for the free ARC!
Cole, a professional hockey player, has devoted his entire life to the rink, chasing his dream of playing for his hometown team in San Diego. Until then, he’s the star center for the Boston Bobcats. When he meets Maya at a work event, he’s drawn to her bookish charm, but she has no idea who he is. For the first time, Cole is seen as more than just a hockey player… and he’s surprised by how much he likes it.
Maya’s life revolves around caring for her younger siblings. Love isn’t on her radar—real men could never compete with the book boyfriends she has in her head. When Cole asks her out, her walls go up… but Cole pursues her with the same determination he shows on the ice. Can his steady devotion break through? Or will hockey keep them apart?
I really loved this touching romance. Maya is so relatable—a bookish woman, a little scarred from past relationships, fiercely protective of her siblings (eldest sisters, unite!). I cheered when she realized that letting Cole in meant having a partner to help navigate life. Finally, someone to take care of her!
And Cole… I completely get why Maya fell for him. Any man willing to read alien smut just to get closer to a woman? That’s the kind of guy you want in your corner. Add in his genuine sweetness and attentiveness, and I was totally hooked.
I also appreciated that their journey wasn’t perfect. The slow burn felt realistic, and even the miscommunication later on made sense—it all felt authentic and easy to root for.
For fans of: 🏒 Hockey romance | 💥 Opposites attract | 🐈⬛ 🐕 Black cat x golden retriever | 🔥 Slow burn | 💘 He falls first
ARCReview #IceIceBaby #CarlyRobyn #HockeyRomance #SlowBurn #OppositesAttract #BookishHeroine #RomanceReads #Bookstagram #RomanceBookRecommendations #HeFallsFirst