Crossing The Ice by Jennifer Comeaux: Book Review

There’s something so intriguing to me about a figure skating romance that I love, and Crossing The Ice by Jennifer Comeaux checked all of my boxes. I’ll be going through the pros and cons of this book (although the cons are very slim) and there will be a few spoilers so you’ve been warned! P.S. Thank you Jennifer for generously gifting me a copy of the book, you’re amazing!

Pros of Crossing The Ice by Jennifer Comeaux

The Sport

Of course, one of the main reasons I was intrigued by this book was the plot centering around the sport of figure skating. Since I was a kid, I loved watching Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir represent Canada at our Olympics, and this book brought me back to it. The book takes place mostly in 2009 and as the year ends and 2010 begins, so do the Olympics in Vancouver. I remember watching those Olympics and being so enamoured by the figure skaters, I just loved the way the author wrote their experience as if they were really in the actual Olympics; I felt like I was reading an athlete's memoir, and it was amazing.

The Romance

There are so many romance novels on the market these days going viral, and I don’t necessarily like them all for one reason; the romance is replaced by spice. This book, however, was refreshingly wholesome with swoon-worthy moments all the same. I believe a romance can be romantic without chapters upon chapters of descriptive consummation, and this book is the testament to that. The way Josh and Courtney take the time and put importance on creating an emotional connection is really mature of them, I can really appreciate it. The sweet words and actions between the two show so much more than lust and indulgence but rather love, appreciation and respect. It’s also note-worthy that when Courtney brought up the fact of not wanting to go the extra mile just yet with Josh, he didn’t pressure her nor make her feel poorly about the situation, but rather made a surprising admission…you’ll just have to read the book to see what I mean by the romance between these two, this book is not to be skipped out on. The two of them made me squeal with excitement, I cannot wait to read the second and third instalments!

Josh and Courtney

For a couple in their early twenties, they were very believable. I can’t stand when a romance has two inexperienced twenty-somethings as the main characters and all of a sudden they become these hyper sexual beings, as if they’ve gained years of experience in the one week they’ve met. These two took things slow and smart - yes, there can be romance in being practical - and it’s very admirable.

Family Dynamic

Not everyone has a storybook childhood, and seeing a bit into Josh’s home life cements that idea. His mother is unaffectionate and judgemental, and his father sets insane standards for his son as well as being demanding; not to mention Josh’s unbearable sister Stephanie who can’t stand Courtney or anyone else for that matter. Courtney, however, has supportive parents and no siblings, but surrounds herself with her coach’s family who’s “adopted” her into their own family in a sense. I like the way the author wrote the dynamics between parents, children, siblings, and romantic partners.

Soundtrack

I’m a sucker for a soundtrack to a book, it just immerses me even deeper into that book’s universe. This book - although it didn’t have a written playlist at the beginning - had many musical references throughout the book, some of which I recognized and loved such as Remember When It Rained by Josh Groban. Music for me just helps with visualisation of a scene even more than without, especially when figure skating goes along with music it was like the scene played in my head so realistically.

Pros of Crossing The Ice by Jennifer Comeaux

Mark Phillips & Stephanie Tucker

Okay, he wasn’t that bad, but he pissed me off just a bit. I know figure skating partners can get very close with each other, especially after such a long time, but I found Mark too protective over Courtney. It’s not necessarily a critique of the author's writing, because she did a great job at making Mark a character I loved to hate, in a way. As for Stephanie, I didn't love to hate her, I just hated her. She was the worst sister anyone could hope for, I really felt for Josh. Although sometimes siblings don’t see eye to eye, ultimately they’re on the same team, but these two were just polar opposites. She was overbearing - especially when she went through his phone…not cool - and completely obnoxious to Courtney and everyone else on the ice. Again, the author made a great villain for us to hate and for that she’s brilliant.

Like I said, there wasn’t much about this book I didn’t like and even then my complaints are minimal. I cannot wait to continue this series, I’d definitely want them on my Keeper Shelf - the first at least for sure - and have them as comfort books to reread anytime I please. I read the book on my iPad, which is great but my eyes do get tired faster when I read online compared to paperback, but if you get the chance to look into this book, it’s available on Amazon Canada!

Have you read Crossing The Ice? Are you planning on it? Let’s have a conversation here in the comments or send me a message on Instagram at @cozyannotations.

For PR inquiries, please email me at melissa.diaferia@gmail.com or send a DM at @cozyannotations.

A presto,

Melissa