Off the Ice (Juniper Falls #1)
by Julie Cross
Publication Date: February 27, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen
The NY Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Whatever Life Throws at You kicks off a brand-new series perfect for fans of Miranda Kennealy and Abbi Glines.
All is fair in love and hockey…
Claire O’Connor is back in Juniper Falls, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be. One semester off, that’s what she promised herself. Just long enough to take care of her father and keep the family business—a hockey bar beside the ice rink—afloat. After that, she’s getting the hell out. Again.
Enter Tate Tanley. What happened between them the night before she left town resurfaces the second they lay eyes on each other. But the guy she remembers has been replaced by a total hottie. When Tate is unexpectedly called in to take over for the hockey team’s star goalie, suddenly he’s in the spotlight and on his way to becoming just another egotistical varsity hockey player. And Claire’s sworn off Juniper Falls hockey players for good.
It’s the absolute worst time to fall in love.
For Tate and Claire, hockey isn’t just a game. And they both might not survive a body check to the heart.
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Review:
I think I have a new favorite series. How fast can Julie Cross write the rest of these books, do you suppose? 😉
(No, really, Julie. Take your time and do it right. I. Can. Wait.
Really.
Probably.
Sigh…)
Where to start? I loved this book. Claire and Tate were just fantastic, full stop. And yes, he’s her best friend’s little brother, and two years younger, and that was a part of the story, but not really, if that makes sense. They both had so much other stuff going on here, though, that made those details pretty much just that…details. They were way more than their troupes.
(Not that I’m dissing troupes. I <3 troupes. But this story? Goes so far beyond them.)
Claire’s home from Northwestern for a semester, maybe more, because of her dad’s health problems. Tate, a junior who’s pretty much planned on being second string to the senior goalie, suddenly finds himself thrust into the top spot, which intensifies the already scary-a$$ relationship between him and his dad. (That guy? I wanted to pound him into the ground for what he was doing to his kid.) They’ve both had to grow up fast, and take on more than any teenager should have to. As a mom of teens, it made my heart hurt.
But together–when they finally let themselves be together and lean on each other (and their good friends)?–they were absolutely fantastic. Seriously, the last 25% of the story had me in such a state–tears, cheers, and ready to burst into song (so not my fault; Claire talks about trying out for Eponine! And singing “On My Own”! I am helpless to resist!)–I was torn between dying to get to the HEA and never wanting it to end.
But end it did, and it was so, so good.
So…how soon until book 2? 😉
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
About the author:
Julie Cross is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, Timestorm (St. Martin’s Press).
She’s also the author of the Letters to Nowhere series, Whatever Life Throws at You, Third Degree, Halfway Perfect, and many more to come!
Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She’s a former gymnast, longtime gymnastics fan, coach, and former Gymnastics Program Director with the YMCA.
She’s a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres.
Outside of her reading and writing cred, Julie Cross is a committed–but not talented–long distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar weather survivor, expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym shoe addict.
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