Review: Holiday on Ice

Holiday on Ice (Play-by-Play - Book 8.5) by Jaci Burton

Publication Date: 11/18/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: InterMix
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
File Size: 1118 KB
ASIN: BOOISEOKLA

(Received for an honest review from InterMix)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo

Jaci Burton on the WEB: website, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Play-by-Play

   1. The Perfect Play
   2. Changing the Game
   3. Taking a Shot
   4. Playing to Win
   5. Thrown by a Curve
   6. One Sweet Ride
6.5. Holiday Games
   7. Melting the Ice
   8. Straddling the Line
8.5 Holiday on Ice

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

WARNING: This book may be inappropriate for readers under the age of 18.

Synopsis:

Superstar hockey player Patrick “Trick” Niemeyer and dancer Stella Slovinski have picked up where they left off a year ago, resuming their hot, uncomplicated affair. Stella refuses to call it dating, or a relationship. But lately, Trick is looking for more…

Stella’s been burned before—in a relationship she never talks about—not with her family, not with her friends, and definitely not with Trick. But now it’s the holiday season and Trick is determined to give Stella his heart wrapped up in a bow. He knows Stella is the right woman for him, but he’ll have to melt the ice surrounding her heart to keep her from walking away.

Thoughts:

The Play-by-Play series by Jaci Burton continues with a short novella just in time for Christmas. Holiday on Ice is packed full of sweet romance, scorching chemistry and the spirit of the season. Burton always impresses whether it's with a quick holiday read or a full length novel. Fans of the series will love this one and want to see what happens with some new characters introduced in this one, as well as, checking in with some old favorites. If you love Hockey and steamy romance, you can't go wrong with this one!

What I liked:

Jaci Burton is one my favorite erotic romance writers. She just has a knack for knowing when to make the moment hot and steamy and when to make it romantic and sweet. Her Play-by-Play series is one of my favorites for just that reason. Her stories never seem forced or paced to quickly. Even with this shorter novella format, she still makes the flow of the story seem so natural and organic. I love the holidays and Holiday on Ice really hit the spot for me and started getting me in the Christmas mood. Seasonal books are some of my favorites and readers are sure to love this one.

I'll be the first to say that I don't usually go for sports related romances, but the Play-by-Play series is an exception to the rule. Holiday on Ice centers around Patrick "Trick" Neimeyer, a hockey player and Stella Solvinski, a dancer who has just landed a Broadway lead. They already share a past and have hooked up on several occasions before and that helps with the pacing of this story. Because they already have a foundation it did not cause the novella to take on that insta-love feeling. It made it seem natural that it was time to take their relationship to the next level. It was surprising that it was Trick's idea and not Stella's. I enjoyed the role reversal aspect of the book as well.

These two really steam up the pages when it comes to the bedroom but the best parts of the story for me were the tender moments, like decorating the Christmas tree and skating in Central Park. The chemistry between them was amazing in and out of the bedroom. With such a short format to work with Jaci Burton did a fantastic job of showing the love that was developing between these characters. They have work issues and some past hurts to work through but it's obvious to the reader from the time the reconnect that this one was meant to be.

Bottom Line:

If you are fan of the series, you can't miss this novella, it's simply wonderful. Burton once again reminds me of why I enjoy a good romance. Just enough passion and tenderness to make me warm and fuzzy. And enough Christmas spirit to make me want to sing Christmas songs and drink cocoa. I loved this one and can't wait for the next full length novel in the series!

Holiday on Ice is available NOW from your favorite ebook retailer.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Jaci Burton is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of over 60 books. She lives in Oklahoma and when she isn't on deadline, she can usually be found trying to convince her husband to remodel some room or another in their house (she blames HGTV for this). She loves gardening, sports, casinos and getting lost in a great book. She's a total romantic and longs for the happily ever after in every story, which you'll find in all her books.