So, I did not expect to love this lol. Mostly because Iced Out didn’t work for me AND Chelsea talked about how she HATED this book while writing it. Which I should’ve known would mean I’d love it because girlie hates Don't You Dare and that’s one of my all time faves. I really enjoyed their shared mutual attraction. Both Holden and Nix struggle with their feelings for each other. Although the push/pull is constant within the story, I loved when both Holden and Nix are in sync with one another because they are so sweet and swoon-worthy when they accept their shared attraction. Turns out, there is one more thing they have in common that they discover at one of the Leighton U parties and Quinton tries to strike a bargain of sorts, but Oakley isn't having it. Yet, days later Oakley is still thinking about the bad boy with a temper and his crazy idea is starting to hold merit. That brings me to my second point. All the characters in the beginning are very unlikable. There's a difference between a frustrating character and a really unlikable one, and while Quinn bothered me for his nonsensical temper, Oakley pissed me off even more. All we were told was that the team mostly didn't like Quinn as captain because Oakley didn't like him, and yet Oakley still turned his nose up at him, not realizing that his attitude towards him was getting him in trouble with the other team members.

Next rule,” I grind out, rather than letting him bait me into retaliation. “No one can know about this. Especially not Coach or the team.” Then Holden starts trying to hook up with/date Phoenix is best friend who Phoenix is very protective of. Phoenix could tell Kason his best friend about what happened with Holden, but he doesn't. Instead he starts a prank war with Holden to keep them apart. Over the next few weeks, Kason and Holden hang out a bit but don't have sex. Kason catches feelings. But Holden is getting more and more obsessed with Phoenix as their prank war escalates. As you can see from this quote my boy Phoenix is the king of MESSY. He had me wanting to smash my head into a wall at one very specific point but I'll forgive him because of the way it ended up...... I guess.

Customer reviews

Oak and Quinn have great tension that is amplified due to their insane chemistry. Eventually, everything boils over in a classic enemies-to-lovers fashion. The encounter is electric as both Oak and Quinn realize they are possibly more than enemies. This creates the enemies-with-benefits dynamic, which I was excited to read because I don't see this trope very often. This concept is definitely one I haven’t read much of before and I thought it was really well done. From the very beginning I was interested and didn’t want to put it down! Holden and Phoenix were so good together. Their starting was not great. There were a lot of lies that ended up hurting a lot of people including them and it was a lot. But life is messy and people don’t make great choices sometimes. This book was about these two learning to make the choices that are right for them! In time, Holden and Phoenix both verbalised that they were going to be exclusive, just to see where it goes, they felt like there was something more going on between them and it was palpable, the tension was there, they were pretty hot together, although I do admit I expected much more, but I honestly thought more was coming in the second part of the book. As it stands, the writing is really, really, really not good, in my opinion. It's repetitive, a lot of lines and phrases are worded really weird, and a lot of conversations just drag on for no reason. I think this book is one of the fewest I've ever highlighted in a ku story because the banter was just soooo bad. It wasn't funny or witty or romantic at all, and it kept alluding to this rivalry they have which, like I said, never made any sense. I absolutely loved the end of Holden and Phoenix’s story. It was beautiful to see Phoenix's grand gesture and the way he finally let Holden know how he felt. I even loved the epilogue, which was perfectly Phoenix and Holden.

A bark of laughter burst from me. “Again with the gay jokes, huh, de Haas? Couldn’t come up with something to make you sound any more like a bigot?” Overall I thought Iced Out was a fun, medium-angst story that works in the classic CE Ricci fashion where you will probably shed a tear, but love every angsty moment of it. So happy to have a new book from her after her hiatus. She has been greatly missed. Holden and Phoenix were exactly what I'd hoped for. There was fire between them from the start, since they were enemies of a sort. Their pranks to try and antagonize each other were hilarious, mixed with an intense sexual tension. When the relationship between the two began to develop, I was transported by the intensity of their desire, but also by the underlying emotions. If I’m being honest, at some point, my interest in Kason became less about him in general and more about riling Phoenix up. Getting Phoenix to pay attention to me. Messing with him and crawling under his skin, just like he digs under mine, now more than ever." I will say, I really liked the reveal at the climax, I liked the way Oakley was not let off the hook for what he'd done, because that had been bothering me since the beginning. I liked how hard he had to work for it, how much he longed and yearned for Quinn because I think Quinn really deserved it, and I liked those last few chapters.I had high hopes going into this because the premise had promised a fun rivalry, heated moments, and delicious angst. Unfortunately, that wasn't really what I got. My rating is pretty low, so let’s move to the things that didn’t worked out for me in this book. Only at the beginning. These are my thoughts and opinions, so of course not everyone will agree. Someone likes to dig a hole for himself in every occasion that presents him, I have never seen anyone that crazy and stupid, falling for such obvious provocations... (in a good way, he's adorable) 😅🤣 The amount of angst in the story was perfect. It was enough for my heart to hurt for these characters and I was rooting for them so hard. This story is about how these two come together, but you get to follow them try to win a championship and there’s also some family drama with Quinton…..so lots to keep one interested in the story 😉 Now, after this conversation takes place, one or two chapters before the confession one, above ⬆️...

The next thing, Kason and Phoenix's friendship. He and Kason were best friends/ family/ brothers since they were kids. They were supposed to be their favorite human beings, but they lied to each other. Not once. Imagine you have a best friend who invites his hook up to your trip, or sees that you're in a relationship with a shitty person and doesn't tell you to end it even though he sees that it could end in heartbreak. Plus, I'm not even talking about Phoenix judging Kason for not going to a university that was better for him because of the baseball program. Kason was "begging him" to come to Leighton instead of going off to Foltyn for college. The problem is that it was still Phoenix’s choice and final decision. He could say no. At least in the end, he chose his happiness and put himself first. Finally. You have to stop looking at me like that.” My eyes follow the lines and planes of his face as I murmur, “I wish I knew how.”The story was about Holden, Oakley's bestie, who's a playboy, so he's going around having fun, doesn't hurt anyone, since everyone knows up front that he doesn't want anything serious with anyone, and Phoenix, who's from a wealthy family, has a younger adopted sister and is a really nice guy. He has a very co-dependent friendship with Kason since they were kids, since Kason's had a terrible childhood and spent the majority of time growing up with Phoenix at his home. About this weird love triangle, or whatever it was. It might be me, but I thought it would be done a little differently. If you don't have a problem or like, when the love interest tries to date/ hook up (no exclusively) with the other MCs bestie, calls him handsome, goes on a date, s*x-texts with him, kisses him or the bestie him and dances in everyone knows what way with him, you will probably like it. It ends with Holden catching feelings for Phoenix in the middle of the book, but everything I mentioned happens. So be aware, if you don't like it. I never imagined that drive would lead me to do the unthinkable: falling into bed with my not-so-straight rival.

So what I’ve been looking forward to was an easy, hot (despite the ice 😬) enemies/rivals to lovers book I could listen to while driving, or while sweating on my sunbed, listening with my eyes closed. It's times like these I wish Goodreads had a half-star option. Now, if you know me, you know I am C.E Ricci stan and I was super excited about this release. It probably has some of the most tender moments I’ve read in any of her books, and the banter was top-tier. The little nose brushes, them resting forehead to forehead, LIKE PLEASE I AM UNWELL. Don’t even get me started on the tension and angst between these two. It was ✨️immaculate✨️ When they win their first game of the season the next day after a handful of losses, they're convinced that what happened in the bathroom had something to do with it. When you're a sportsman, your superstitions are law.. so they decide to test their theory with a repeat experience. i was very invested in these characters and their journey. the love these two had was unmatched and there was no way they could survive without each other. i really enjoyed the roller coaster CE Ricci put us through plus with the amazing hate to love, sizzling chemistry, hot sex scenes that involve a shower and an outdoor lounge chair, i couldn't help but love it even with how messy it was. phoenix and holden are now characters i will defend with my life, especially phoenix 🥺 i’m not too sure how I’m feeling about kason’s book next, but i’m still going to give it a chanceThis book is wonderful. I truly couldn't stop reading it! I was wondering if I should read this or Don't You Dare first and it was Ki Stephens who told me this one was better. So, I obviously got it. Thanks to Ki for telling me because I would have not experienced this book otherwise. And oh boy, would I have been missing out HARD.