When I’m taking the train home from Grand Central Terminal, you can usually find me scrolling on TikTok to pass the time, or catching up on some much-needed sleep. Last month however, I was buried in the novel Icebreaker by Hannah Grace. When I finally arrived in Norwalk, Connecticut, I was surprised to discover that I had basically devoured 100 pages of this book; it’s no wonder Icebreaker is BookTok’s latest obsession, and a New York Times best-selling novel!
Icebreaker follows University of California student Anastasia Allen on her journey to competitively figure skate at the Olympic games. Nothing will get in her way, not even when a prank gone wrong results in Anastasia having to share a practice rink with the UCMH hockey team. But when Anastasia’s skating partner faces an injury, she may have to form an unlikely partnership to still have a chance at making Team USA. As the book description states, “Sparks fly, but Anastasia isn’t worried… because she could never like a hockey player, right?”
I have Icebreaker to thank for getting me out of a long reading rut. Hannah Grace is a self-proclaimed “fluffy comfort book” writer, and I think a fluffy comfort book is exactly what I needed to get myself back into reading again. Something else I loved about Hannah Grace’s writing style in Icebreaker is the narration alternating between the two main characters. Getting inside both Anastasia and Nate’s heads really enhanced the story. Grace is also an expert at writing witty banter; the platonic and non-platonic relationships in Icebreaker really came to life with her creative use of dialogue.
I’ll be honest, I was terrified to start reading her second book Wildfire. I was afraid that like many series, or sequels that come after the first version is very well-received, that the second book would be really disappointing. I’m happy to report that wasn’t the case at all. Wildfire recounts a wild one-night stand between protagonists Aurora and Russ, with neither expecting it would ever become anything more than just that. This arrangement works well for Aurora, who’s learned not to expect much from any man. But, days later, they’re both surprised to find each other working at the same summer camp, desperately trying to uphold the “no fraternization” rule.
I loved that Wildfire was more of a slow burn than Icebreaker. It starts out with an incredibly steamy scene, and then the author takes it all away and mellows out the story, leaving you wanting more. Hannah Grace masterfully builds the tension between Aurora and Russ, which had me unable to close this book. As with any discipline, practice makes perfect, and I think Hannah Grace made some improvements in Wildfire, one of which is demonstrating really healthy communication between the characters. The author depicts mature adults navigating both familial and romantic relationships, and not older teens. As a college student, I can learn a lot from the way Aurora and Russ communicate.
Both Icebreaker and Wildfire embrace the theme of chosen family, which is a trope that I find to be really engaging, and Wildfire offers a closer examination of the UCMH family that I love from Icebreaker. I really enjoy that this series is focused on the same friend group so that you really get to know and love the characters. I will definitely be reading Daydream, Hannah Grace’s highly anticipated third novel, when it comes out next summer. As Henry is such a beloved secondary character in both Icebreaker and Wildfire, I look forward to learning more about his story.