Review: On Thin Ice (Julie Cross)

On Thin Ice
Series: Juniper Falls, #3
Author: Julie Cross
Publication Date: February 26, 2019
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Sports
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:

Brooke Parker never expected to find herself in the tiny town of Juniper Falls, Minnesota. Of course, she also never expected to lose her dad. Or for her mom to lose herself. Brooke feels like she’s losing it…until she finds Juniper Falls hockey. Juniper Falls girls’ hockey, that is.

Jake Hammond, current prince of Juniper Falls, captain of the hockey team, and player with the best chance of scoring it big, is on top of the world. Until one hazing ritual gone wrong lands him injured, sitting on the sidelines, and―shocking even to him―finding himself enjoying his “punishment” as assistant coach for the girls’ team.

As Jake and Brooke grow closer, he finds the quiet new girl is hiding a persona full of life, ideas, and experiences bigger and broader than anything he’s ever known. But to Jake, hockey’s never just been a game. It’s his whole life. And leveraging the game for a shot at their future might be more than he can give.


Can I just start by saying how disappointed I am in myself for not reading a book by Julie Cross until now? I have seen several rave reviews for her Juniper Falls series in the past. I always wanted to read one of those books, but never did. Shame on me! I absolutely adored On Thin Ice. On Thin Ice is one of those young adult novels that digs deep but leaves you feeling all happy and bubbly inside. Or at least that is how it made me feel.

Brooke is a quiet sophomore new to Juniper Falls. She’s had a rough couple of years, and she longs to take back her life in a new town. On a calculated whim, she joins the new high school girls’ hockey team. Joining the team puts Brooke in direct contact with the boys’ team’s hockey star, Jake. Being around the cute and charismatic senior is tough enough as it is, but the two share a secret. The more the two get to know each other, the harder it is to stay away from each other and the truths they have to deal with.

Brooke and Jake were characters I couldn’t help but love. Brooke was intense and sweet. She was also a mess. Jake was strong and had the best of intentions, but he was also a mess. Somehow their individual messes faded when they were together. They were the support system the other needed to make the big, important changes in their lives. I loved them as a couple and as individuals.

I greatly respected where Julie Cross took this story when it came to the hazing incident. There have been so many gone wrong in the news in the past couple of years, and it’s never close to home until it is. On Thin Ice tackled it in a way that gave young readers options to look at if they ever encounter a similar situation. I liked that it wasn’t a quick and easy decision or fix for the characters.

I have a feeling Julie Cross is going to be joining my list of go-to YA authors like Kasie West, Katie McGarry, Emery Lord, and Morgan Matson (just to name a few). I am so excited to go back and read the rest of the Juniper Falls series.

14 thoughts on “Review: On Thin Ice (Julie Cross)”

  1. Great review! I have this one from NetGalley and I’m looking forward to it. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it so much. I liked the first book a little more than the second book, so I’m hoping this one is more like the first for me.

    1. Hmm….I think it is probably more like the first than the second. I can’t decide if I liked this one or the first more. Both I liked more than the second, so hope that means you will too!
      Thank you! 🙂

  2. Yay for your first Julie Cross! I love this series from her and I’m excited to read this one. I’m glad you enjoyed the characters and the way she handled hazing. You should read her baseball romance. It’s one of my favorites!

    1. Really? I need to check out that book! I think I might have actually already requested it from my library…

  3. Oh, I have seen rave reviews for this series, as well. But I still haven’t read it. Shame on me. I didn’t even know about this one! Glad you enjoyed it!

    1. This one is on NetGalley right now. Or at least it was. If you’re on there, maybe you could give it a try! It made me read the rest of the series.

  4. I keep looking at this series and one of these days I know that I am going to read it and love it! There are so many things about it that draw me to it. Hockey and romance? Yes, please! I am so happy that you have enjoyed it so much and that she is up there with some of my favourites. 🙂

    1. You really should! It was so good! I have found a new YA author to love. I got this one off NetGalley, so it might still be available on there…

  5. I waited to read your review because I knew I would be reading it too! You nailed it though, Ms. Cross did a great job with the subject matter! And I loved Jake more than I anticipated!

    1. Thank you! I just read your review and it had me swooning all over again. I really, really hope she writes more in this series because I need it now.

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