A review by bribreez
Through the Ice by Jaqueline Snowe

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

*Thank you to Jaqueline Snowe for providing me an E-ARC for this book, greatly appreciated. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.25⭐️/ 3🌶️

You can never go wrong with a sports romance, but with the way Jaqueline wrote Audrey and Theo’s story, it was unique and entertaining. An enemies to lovers storyline where the two main characters are forced to work together in a clinical program for their nursing major. Not only that, but Theo wasn’t just a hockey player on his way to the NHL, but also studying for a nursing degree was impressive! Both, Audrey and Theo had to juggle a lot of responsibilities, and despite their initial discomfort around each other, they actually shared some similarities. This story stood out to me with the way both Audrey and Theo ha their own struggles they were dealing with behind closed doors. As always, please be sure to check trigger warnings before reading this story. 

The last thing Audrey needed to deal with on top of her upcoming clinical program, juggling family issues, and financial problems, was being partnered up with the guy who single-handedly ruined her brother’s NHL prospects, Theo Sanders. From the beginning, it was clear that Audrey wanted nothing to do with Theo, but surprise her professor had other things in mind by pairing the two together. Audrey was studious, quiet, and a bit introverted especially compared to her loud brother. While Audrey usually kept to herself, and was by no means a mean person, but with Theo she couldn’t help the fury he brought out in her. 

On the outside, Theo seemed like a cocky hockey player who everyone adored, and breezed by in life, but there was more to him than even Audrey realized. Behind closed doors, Theo was not only trying to balance his school and hockey life, but also trying to care for his family after his mom suffered a stroke. As the oldest sibling in his family, Theo took on the role of being a parent to his younger siblings since his dad was more focused on working than helping out. I think if you love the, “older sibling caretaker” trope or are even an older sibling yourself, you’ll like Theo’s character as well as find some things you can relate to. Theo’s was an amazing big brother and that was highlighted throughout the story. Theo was doing a lot and for that I appreciated his dedication to everything he did, he was just an overall great guy, and I really liked him.

For this story saying it was going to be an enemies to lovers, I would say it was more dislike to friends to lovers. At the beginning, Audrey wanted nothing to do with Theo, but with them being partners in clinicals, Theo gradually found ways to soften Audrey’s ice cold exterior, as well as Audrey seeing that Theo wasn’t the bad guy she had always thought. I liked seeing the progression in Audrey and Theo becoming friends to lovers, and how they opened up to each other. Audrey kept things close to her, didn’t allow her weaknesses to be seen by others, and yet with Theo she let him in by knowing all that she truly felt. Even Theo revealed his struggles to Audrey which was a big deal for him. Both Audrey and Theo shared similarities from being the older sibling, balancing many responsibilities, and trying to do their best overall. Throughout the book, Audrey and Theo not only got close, but became each other’s support system in a way they hadn’t received in the midst of all they were trying to do for their respective families.

I’m not going to lie, Theo totally caught me off guard in the best way possible. I had high hopes for this story, and it didn’t disappoint! Theo was truly an endearing, lovable, sweet, and amazing guy! For a guy whose love language was touch, Theo was very physically in showing his affection for Audrey which I thought was cute. Plus, the way Theo would pay such close attention to Audrey’s body language and notice right away she was upset showed how much Theo cared about her. Audrey had been so use to pushing her feelings on the back burner, but Theo was determined to get her to be honest with him no matter what. Get yourself a guy who listens and pays attention to the smallest details, and you’ll get Theo. I also loved seeing the way Theo would light up whenever he made Audrey smile and light, (sigh) talk about a guy who was wholeheartedly falling in love! 

This was such a great story! Jaqueline did such an amazing job writing Audrey and Theo’s story! Even when I wasn’t reading this story, I still thought about Theo and Audrey. The way Audrey and Theo went from classmates who didn’t necessarily know each other to falling head over heels in love was sweet, and romantic. Audrey and Theo shared similar struggles which I think helped in them recognizing that they weren’t alone in feeling the kinds of emotions they felt throughout the story. Audrey was an introvert who focused on studying and trying to support her family, but never had anyone truly support her. Theo became a parent to his siblings and between all his other responsibilities he never experienced to fall for his teammates sister. I really enjoyed Audrey and Theo’s romance from the way they supported one another, to Theo’s understanding and loving approach to Audrey especially since she was unfamiliar with dating and all that it entailed. The chemistry was spot on, and wow even I was falling for Theo more and more in this story. This is probably another one of my favorite stories from Jaqueline Snowe. You’ll fall in love with Theo, adore Audrey’s quiet side, as well as seeing her take charge of her life. This was a lovely sports romance with two individuals falling in love, working through difficult circumstances, and ultimately becoming stronger alongside each other. Highly recommend reading this book! 
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