Ice Cold Chemistry by Kendall Ryan, narrated by Connor Crais and Rose Dioro, is the second book in the Off the Ice series, but I read it first, which basically means you don’t have to read them in order. I didn’t.
Ah, fake relationships that turn steamy. It’s a trope everyone knows when reading a romance, but Ryan gives us a glimpse of the real motivations behind this fake romance.
Winnie Garrett is a woman healing from a long-term toxic relationship where she was never a priority, but her friend helps her find a fresh start as the New York Knights’ new yoga instructor. When her new job puts her right in front of the hockey players who treat her like a sex object, she struggling to maintain professionalism and brush off their advances.
It’s the all-business, unemotional Banks Callahan who comes to the rescue. His idea to be in a fake relationship stems from his position as the enforcer on the team and the fact that most of his teammates already don’t want to be on his bad side, but there’s more than meets the eye with this character.
What could possibly go wrong?
The sunshine personality of Winnie permeates Banks’ brooding silent nature, as she teaches him what being in a real relationship means. There’s hand holding, kisses, nicknames, conversation, and so much more. Can she melt his heart?
What I loved about this book is Banks’ backstory and how it plays into who he is on and off the ice. Winnie is an antidote for the darkness, and despite her own walls, she can’t help but see the goodness in him. Both of these characters grow throughout the novel and in good ways, but they also face stumbling blocks and get in their own ways.
Ryan’s second book was a solid, steamy romance, and both narrators were fantastic in terms of inflection and in conveying emotion. I really felt the pain they each had borne and how they began to see a future, even if they didn’t believe they deserved it. Ice Cold Chemistry by Kendall Ryan was a fun, romantic read.
RATING: Quatrain
About the Author:
Kendall Ryan is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of flirty, feel-good romance filled with heart, heat, and plenty of banter. An American author who has lived all over the world, her books have sold millions of copies and been translated into multiple languages. She writes swoony heroes, bold heroines, and stories that make you laugh, blush, and fall in love. When she’s not dreaming up new plotlines, she is a proud mom to two amazing sons and the wife of her real-life hero.
