For college sophomore Mitch Greyson, determination and persistence are the name of the game if he wants to make it as a professional hockey player. A busy schedule of practices, games, classes, homework, two part-time jobs—and now, working with a tutor to help him pass the class he’s failing so that he can keep his scholarship—shouldn’t leave him with enough time to flirt with the NHL player in … in town. But that doesn’t stop him.
Placed on the injured reserve list until his broken arm heals, NHL defenseman Alex Dean is using the time off to be with his ailing grandfather and get a head start on the book he’s been commissioned to write. He doesn’t expect to get roped into a tutoring gig, especially not for cocky, smart-ass Mitch.
But Alex soon discovers that there’s more to Mitch than meets the eye…and he really likes what he sees. Only Alex doesn’t dare risk his NHL career by coming out, and a relationship between them would jeopardize Mitch’s chances with the organization too.
It looks impossible. Then again, the best things usually do…
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I loved this book. The slow burn emotional growth of the two heroes was amazing.
I had a short moment when the only woman character was evil, but then another woman was introduced who was amazing, which fixed that issue.
It made me cry in the best ways.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars
This book wrecked me in a good way. The powerful emotions that it evoked in me as I read are still heavy on my heart.
The story of college student Mitch and NHL player Alex is about so much more than hockey. It’s about love and finding real love and being friends before you’re lovers. Even without diagnosing anything, I think the way they came to be in love is so richly told that I can’t imagine anyone not loving their story.
I feel like Alex and Mitch are my friends and I want to reach out and see how they are today. How the trades are going and what they’re thinking of doing next. Seriously, this book is amazingly written and the story and characters pulled me in and aren’t letting me go even after the book is finished! I only hope there are more stories in this series and I can devour them like I did this one!!!
*** I voluntarily read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ***
I really loved this story of Mitch and Alex. Mitch had been let down by his mother and brother, and he only really trusted his father and his best friend. He also lived for his dreams of playing hockey in the NHL and then retiring to work with injured athletes. Alex was already a pro hockey player, and he and Mitch immediately clashed when Mitch wouldn’t stop hitting on him. Alex wanted someone real in his life, not someone hiding behind a cocky facade. The two began a friendship that grew stronger over time, and the story was lovely. Their ups and downs were so realistic, my heart was involved completely. I loved the characters, the subject matter, and the writing. This was a fantastic book, and I’m so glad to have it on my Kindle. I’m sure I’ll be re-reading it many times.
I loved this story!
When reading “Risking the shot”, Alex and Mitch had caught my interest because of the wonderful and balanced relationship they seemed to have, so I wanted to read their story and I was not disappointed!
At first the 19-year old Mitch seemed pretty annoying, but he quickly shows his true colours, also thanks to Alex patience and perseverance, and he becomes a wonderful man, thoughtful, trustworthy, selfless and dedicated.
I loved how the author described Alex and his being demisexual. I think we should all be a little bit more demi, spend more time getting to know the other person before jumping under the sheets! This would for sure prevent many heartbreaks, and avoid misunderstandings on where a relationship is going. Friendship and intellectual connection are great foundations for a lasting romantic relationship and Mitch and Alex showed how strong their couple was when facing long periods apart.
Can’t wait to read the next book (I am binge reading this series because I really like Amy Aislin’s writing style and the background world of these couples)
New to me author. This is a mm contemporary story set in the college ice hockey world. MIn characters are college student Mitch and NHL player Alex. Alex is demisexual and so this is not your typical mm story. GFY with a twist. Great secondary characters. I’ll read more from this author.
This books gets all the stars! I fell for Mitch and my heart broke when you heard his backstory and why he had so many walls in place. Then you had Alex, who broke those walls down one by one until their relationship formed and turned into love. This was a beautiful story about finding true love and the work it takes to make a relationship last.
Aw man, this was awesome. Amy managed to create some unique and stellar characters. I identified a lot with Mitch. His drive and tenacity are legendary- as are his gaffes. The slow burn of their relationship was appropriate and Mitch’s best friend, Cody’s observation about Mitch’s one big flaw is on point. “Man, he’s going to be so good for you. He’s going to turn you inside out and upside down. I can’t wait to see it.” Woo hoo and boy does Alex turn him out! Alex is wonderfully stable and yet vulnerable and so good for Mitch. Sigh. And Cody is an enigma. I am so ready for the sequel. Gimme more!
* Advanced copy was provided for an honest and voluntary review.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Sarah –
What a brilliant story! Alternately funny, sweet, and sexy, this hockey romance has surprisingly complex characters and wonderful emotional resonance. I was expecting entertaining fluff and while this is very entertaining, it is also a satisfying and beautifully crafted romance.
Mitch is the heart of this book. The college hockey star and maths genius is working two jobs to cover his tuition. Estranged from his mother and brother, he’s emotionally vulnerable and socially awkward. Mitch flirts to cover his vulnerability and to get his own way. At first, he doesn’t quite know what to do when Alex refuses to respond to his overtures.
Alex is almost Mitch’s opposite. The NHL player is older. He is calm and sure of himself – but he is also grieving the loss of his grandfather to Alzheimer’s. Alex is also demisexual and he challenges Mitch to be real with him, so they can build a genuine emotional bond.
I loved Alex and Mitch together. They seem to make each other better. The romance is slow to build as Alex is almost more Ace than Demi at the start but the friendship they build is really special. In some ways, this is as much a coming of age story for Mitch as it is a romance. I loved watching him grow into himself, stand up to his mother, and build relationships to carry him into adult life.
There isn’t much hockey action in this hockey romance. I loved the camaraderie between teammates and the banter between the players is good fun. I really enjoyed the contrast between Mitch’s college career and Alex’s NHL experience.
Veronica –
Alex is a pro hockey player, a patient, laid back, really good guy. Alex is also demisexual, so Mitch repeatedly hitting on him when they barely know each other doesn’t get him anywhere. The two men keep up ending up in each other’s paths and when Alex unknowingly agrees to tutor Mitch, they finally start to get to become friends.
For me, it was Mitch that won my heart. He has a partial scholarship playing hockey at college, is studying kinesiology, and works two jobs to pay the rest of his tuition and living expenses. He is driven and has a plan for how his life is going to go. But Mitch has a disapproving mother and a brother who cut him out of his life and it has left him with deep scars. On the outside, Mitch is confident, but on the inside, he has a fragile heart and I just fell so in love with him.
This is such a wonderful romance. A story where we truly get to know the characters and their lives, see them meet, become friends, and fall in love. With every page I was pulled deeper into their story and any time anything remotely emotional happened, I had tears in my eyes I was so invested in their story. This is a slow burn romance and it is so worth it because Alex and Mitch together are just magical. Five stars from me.
Ruthie –
This is the first book in a new series, but there isn’t any excessive world building. A large part of the book is set in 2008/09.
Mitch is a young, ambitious college hockey player, who is working like crazy to prove to his rich but harsh mother that he can have a good career in the sport. He has no family support and works extra hard at everything. And whilst he is geeky at times, he comes over as a really good guy. He has the most supportive best friend in Cody that anyone could ever want.
Alex is a pro hockey player, benched due to a broken arm, and in town to visit his grandpa, who is in the late stages of Alzheimer’s. By a couple of strange coincidences, he ends up tutoring Mitch, and dealing with Mitch’s strong come-ons. They both want to keep their private life out of the papers, for obvious reasons, but for Alex there are also other issues in play. He needs a real emotional connection before he feels any sexual attraction – and he doesn’t think he will be in town long enough for that to possibly happen, even if he finds Mitch interesting.
As Mitch slowly reveals more of the private man he has hidden away under protective layers of bluster, and Alex’s stay is extended, they spend more time together, becoming close. It is beautifully written and truly engaging. I loved how the romance developed, alongside a genuine friendship, from the figure skating sessions to the cross-country Christmas escape. The epilogue is delicious.
I look forward to seeing who gets his story told next!
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of On the Ice (Stick Side #1) by Amy Aislin to read and review for Wicked Reads.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Mitch is working two jobs to put himself through college, and get himself in the NHL league. He puts on a front for everyone and anyone who pays him any attention. But Alex sees Mitch, like SEES him, as he really is and Alex wants more. But both young men are fully aware that coming out might jeopardize both the positions in the league.
I made a new shelf, just for books like this! It’s title?? Kinda-creeps-up-on-ya!
Because that is just what this book did! It creeps along, slow, slow, fast, fast, slow. The emotions build along the same, and then, THEN?? I ran out of book!
You get sucked in so far, you can’t see a way out, except to keep on going and see how it all turns out!
I loved Mitch, with all his fronts and faces he presents to everyone else. I loved that Alex saw, immediately, past those fronts and faces. Loved that Alex makes it clear to Mitch, while he finds him attractive, there can be nothing between them without the EMOTIONAL connection. And Mitch would rather take the nothing, and have Alex in his life, than just the sex, and lose Alex along the way.
I find myself: me, a middle aged English woman, connecting with Alex on a much deeper level than I expected to. Alex is demisexual: he loves people, not genders. But he won’t have sex with just anyone, he needs that emotion connection that Mitch is chasing with Alex. And I think THATS what I connected to, the fact he needs that emotional connection.
I did love the epilogue! Loved that, even though these guys could have lost their league places, they followed their hearts!
There is a little bit in the front of this book, that tells you Mitch and Alex pop up in another book by Aislin. They are already married for 6 years in that book, and this is the story of how they got together. I’d like to read that one too.
From what I can see, the first I have read of Aislin, another new to me author who blew me away.
5 stars, that creep up ya!!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
My feelings for On the Ice ended up mirroring the slow burn romance portrayed on the pages. I was a little nervous through the first few chapters because, while the characters were detailed and developed on their own, I wasn’t quite feeling that spark for the characters, the couple, or their story. Yet, without me even realizing it, the story took hold and I was completely engrossed in Mitch and Alex.
On the Ice details a romance between a college hockey player and a current NHL player. I love hockey and enjoy many hockey romances, but I was pleasantly surprised at how different this book was from most in the trope. Not only did the author develop the characters as complex people outside their sport, but the path of their romance was both believable considering today’s professional sports environment and so different from the norm – especially within the m/m genre. Additionally, On the Ice features a demisexual hero. I really liked how the romance shifted to respectfully portray Alex’s sexuality, as well as touch on the adjustment’s Mitch made in order to acknowledge Alex’s needs and boundaries. And I loved that this slow burn romance capitalized on the more relaxed timeline and pacing, developing a palpable chemistry and highlighting the bond between Alex and Mitch. By the time these two officially got together, I was incredibly invested in them, making the romance more memorable.
So what kept this from being 4+ stars? Unfortunately, a lot of the details about collegiate hockey simply didn’t work or were inaccurate enough to niggle at me. While I understand creative license, when things don’t add up, it pulls me out of the story. I still really enjoyed the book and loved the characters but those particulars sometimes make the difference between 4 and 5 stars. That said, this title is the first of the Stick Side series and, considering how much I enjoyed the book and the secondary characters, I definitely plan to keep up with the series. If you’re a fan of slow burn or sport romance and want a unique set of characters and storyline, On the Ice is worth the read.
*eARC received via LesCourt Author Services. The PA and author had no influence over this review*