Colby Fischer is a bad boy with attitude and a chip on his shoulder. As a senior at a Southern California college, he knows this may be his last shot. He doubts he’ll ever become the hockey legend he dreamed of being as a kid, but he definitely doesn’t want to be an accountant. Things get interesting when he’s asked to train the new intern at his step-dad’s firm, who happens to be the … troublemaker from his econ class. And the one guy Colby can’t stand.
Baseball is Sky Jameson’s life. He’s happy to be back at Chilton for his senior year, but he’s burned a few bridges and has a bit too much free time off-season. He could use the money and something to keep him busy until his season begins. But his accidental crush on his prickly coworker could be a problem. Colby is straight and Sky is in the closet. Their timing isn’t great, but the intense attraction is hard to deny. With his final season on the hockey team in the balance, Colby may have to decide if he’s ready to come out on the ice.
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I will be the first to say I did NOT like Sky in the previous book. He was a colossal jackass. He played games and he was selfish. I wasn’t entirely sure he’d changed at the beginning of this book. Then his life crossed paths with a hot head, and after a bit, the cracks became visible. The hothead cooled off, and the jackass became more human, remorseful, and aware of where he went wrong. He wasn’t perfect, but he was trying to be better. That’s all any of us can really do. So, I forgave him, too. I loved that it was a hothead that became his person. Colby had his own demons to deal with. I loved their relationship when they hated each other, and I loved their relationship when they loved each other. Never say never, because life will say ‘Oh yeah? Just you watch.’
This book can be read alone, but it will enhance your experience if you read/listen to the previous books. The previous characters show up in the books that follow them. This one is no different. I highly recommend you read/listen to this book. It’s really good. All the feels, with minimum angst.
Lane Hayes scores a hat trick with this book!! What a remarkable series! Sky and Colby make a great couple but getting there was no picnic. Colby is straight, so he thought until he met Sky. Like stomach floppy, hand tingling, forget what you are doing kind of feelings. Sky, my heart breaks for him, he has no one, no family to turn too, he’s alienated his friends but meeting Colby turns things around.
The story of two guys, one a hockey player and one a baseball player, neither are out, both are scared but want to live their truth. It takes mending fences with family and friends and doing what makes you happy!
This book is definitely a 5 star plus plus!! It’s got some hockey (A+ for me), family angst, friendship, opening up and learning you aren’t as alone as you think. Lots of feels in this one!!
This is a sports romance with a bit of ‘I-like-him-but-I-really-don’t-want-to’ vibes in the beginning. I love these tropes and Colby and Sky made me so happy. The entire book is from Colby’s point of view and while I prefer dual POV, I totally enjoyed reading how whipped he is from the beginning.
Sky and Colby are hot and sweet and just adorable together. I loved their conversations, how comfortable they are with each other. And Sky’s past broke my heart. It’s never easy reading about it especially since it’s one of my fears. That it would happen to me if I ever come out to my parents.
I love Lane Hayes’ writing and while I haven’t read the previous books in the series, I plan to remedy that soon.
Totally recommend it if you are looking for a low angst sports romance with out for you themes!
*ARC provided by the author via Indigo Marketing and Design in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
Edited to add my comments on the audiobook:
Performance – 5
Story – 5
Michael Dean gives another fantastic performance!
Michael Dean (FKN Michael Pauley) is one of my favorite audiobook performers. His performance of Out on the Ice really added to my enjoyment of the book. He has done an outstanding job with all of the books in this series.
Below is my original review from when I first read the story.
So many feels; I loved it!
I have loved every book in this series and Out on the Ice is no exception. Each book stands alone, and can be read in any order, but characters from other books make appearances. This story is about Sky and Colby, told from Colby’s POV. Sky was not so nice in a couple of the others books and I love it when a hated character gets redeemed in his own book.
Colby is a hockey player with a lot of stuff from his past that causes him pain and anger. He’s pretty much learned to control the anger but every now and then he slips. When he catches Sky cheating off his paper during a test, he kind of loses it and ends up being the one accused of cheating by the TA (teaching assistant).
Sky tries to tell Colby that he wasn’t cheating but he doesn’t want to hear it. Colby is really confused by his reaction/attraction to Sky because he’s straight and has never reacted this way to a guy before. Tempers flare and the next thing Colby knows he’s kissing Sky and he’s never kissed a guy before.
At first Colby thinks he’s just bi-curious but that doesn’t last long and he admits that he has feelings for Sky. But he’s scared to come out to his parents and his hockey team and Sky isn’t out either.
I loved this story so much. We learn all of the reasons why Sky was such a jerk in the earlier books he appeared in and I really felt bad for him. Colby runs a little hot and cold. One minute he hates Sky and the next he’s kissing him. His feelings about his attraction to Sky really have him confused.
I could feel the connection between these guys so much. There were so many feels in this story and by the time I got to the end I was bawling my eyes out. They were mostly happy tears but there were a few sad ones, too.
I was so happy to learn that there will be more stories in this series and I can’t wait to read them.
A copy of this book was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
5 Stars!
We met Sky in previous books in the series and frankly, I wasn’t sure he was a redeemable or even likable character. I should’ve known if there was someone that could make me love him, it’d be Ms. Hayes.
Sky and Colby meet during summer school and they don’t exactly hit it off, despite Colby having a sort of kind of crush on Sky, even if he’s never been interested in men before. When Colby’s stepdad hires Sky to be Colby’s replacement at his firm, they become closer. However, with Colby being supposedly straight and Sky being gay, they will have to decide if coming out is even an option for them.
I loved Colby, he was so much fun when he was freaking out about having a crush on Sky. I was trying to stifle my laughs at 1am when I started listening to the audiobook. And while he had some anger issues, especially with his stepfather—which I felt was a bit OTT, considering Harry seemed so nice—it only showed us that Colby was a flawed but adorable character. This book is told from Colby’s POV, yet I felt we got to know Sky pretty well through his talks with Colby. I felt so bad for all he had to go through with his parents and I was happy that he was trying to turn his life around. Colby and Sky had explosive chemistry and I loved their banter and overall interactions. While Sky was the first man Colby was attracted to, and of course, it wasn’t too easy for Colby to accept, it felt very realistic and I loved the way their relationship progressed.
The narration was amazing and Michael Dean did a fantastic job with all the characters, especially Colby and Sky. Other than a few moments in which I was so anxious about what would happen that I wish I could’ve skimmed through the book to get a sneak peek, I had a lot of fun listening to this audiobook. I think it’s my favorite in the series so far. Highly recommendable!
5 stars
Heat Level: 4
Narration: 5
Just wonderful!
Lane has such power with words and there is just something about her writing the draws you in and truly makes you feel, love and live along with the characters. Her writing is so REAL and poignant and this one is no exception.
I loved Colby. He dives headfirst into his attraction and doesn’t shy away from these new emotions, feelings, and attractions. I found these elements so refreshing! His care and chemistry with Sky were off the charts and I’m loving seeing them embrace each other, faults and all. I loved Colby’s honesty throughout. It was refreshing to read about a character who was honest, upfront and not afraid of emotions, even though he’d never thought about a guy being attractive before Sky.
I loved these two so much and think they might be my new favorites of the series!!!
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I’ve been looking forward to this release since the author first announced she’d include a hockey romance in her Out in College series. Out on the Ice is the fifth book in the series and despite including a few character crossovers, it can read just as well as a standalone. I’ll admit there wasn’t quite as much hockey details/scenes as I prefer in my sports romances, but I did enjoy the sweet heat in this gay/out-for-you romance which paired two collegiate athletes.
I think many who have read this series in full will remember Sky from the previous books (probably not so fondly). However, I thought the author did a wonderful job redeeming Sky and explaining his missteps and less savory actions in the previous books, and I truly enjoyed Sky and Colby as a couple. With both young men being in unique and difficult positions, it lent understanding to each other’s frame of mind and allowed both the time to really embrace themselves and what they wanted for their future. I enjoy when characters support one another through difficult circumstances, and I liked that Sky and Colby had each other to lean on as they faced coming out to their families, peers, and teammates. As always, this author pairs lower angst with good characters you can root for, then layers in a healthy amount of heat to make Out on the Ice an easy recommendation for readers who enjoy college-aged or gay-for-you romances.
An enemies to friends/lovers love story. After reading some intense stories, it is nice to read something not too angsty and just enjoy oneself with something like the books in this series.
I like how Colby and Sky interact with each other, how they first met, how they eventually learned about each other. I understand how Colby can be confused as to how he feels with his sort-of attraction to Sky, and how he is silently panicking. But the fact that he is not totally denying what this could all mean shows how much he feels for Sky and how confident he feels about his own person and his family’s!
I love Ms. Lane’s books, they leave you with the feeling of falling in love again and again!
Well, this series is an auto-grab one for me. Whenever a new book appears, I put it on my TBR automatically and I am glad to say I was not disappointed yet! This new installment also provides all the best features: intriguing and well thought out MCs, plenty of strong feelings and emotions, and a story that hold you interested until the very end. Nothing more necessary in my kind of book.
Out on the Ice, a sweet and sexy coming out story, features two fabulous characters who were easy to root for and journey with.
Following Colby and Sky’s journey was easy to do. Not only are both characters three-dimensional, but they’re so very likeable.
Between the great balance of angst, heat, and romance, Out on the Ice offers escapism that had me reading this book in one sitting.
This is one of my favourite series so was very excited about a new book coming out, and this one didn’t disappoint, I devoured it in one sitting. Now I can’t wait for the next one 🙂
This is book #5, in the Out In College series. This story can be read as a standalone novel. For reader understanding, and to avoid spoilers, I recommend reading this series in order.
Colby meets Sky in a summer class. They start as enemies, or so Colby thinks. Once they do get to know each other, the attraction intensifies and nearly burns him up.
Sky has no idea how to fix this confusion with Colby. It does not seem he will ever have a chance to be more. Is what he is feeling enough to take a chance on someone for a future?
This was a solid addition to the series. In the long awaited Hockey version, the MC’s are both busy with their own sports and schedules when they meet in class. I loved the banter. I found the pace good, the heat at a good level, and the story read so good I could not put it down.
I love this series and I went into it expecting a lot and it delivered for me. It’s a great, college-aged enemies to lovers’ tale. One of the things I particularly liked was that Colby and Sky were both very similar guys; very equal in the fact that one wasn’t emotionally or physically stronger than the other, but they were both carrying a ton of baggage and hurting due to events in their past. As things developed between them the author did a sterling job of showing the rightness and joy of discovering something new about your sexuality and how wonderful it can be, and it was so good to see Colby revel in it. I could genuinely feel the bond between these two men growing and their feelings deepen as they spent more time together and it was that same bond that gave them both the strength to face the hurdles and the hurt that they’d been carrying for so long. This was a really great addition to the series—probably my favourite—and I devoured it in one sitting.
ARC kindly provided by IndiGo Marketing to OMG Reads for an honest and unbiased review.
March has been a month of redemption stories for me it seems. Some of my favorite authors have taken characters who really didn’t make the best first impressions as side characters and have turned them into ones I really care about- Sky being one of them! I love when what we thought we knew about a character is turned upside down, once we really get a chance to know them.
I really liked Colby and Sky. I thought they were so good with each other and for each other. They were both struggling with family issues and I loved how they were able to lean on each other and be there for the other. There were some emotional parts in this story that really tugged at my heartstrings. I liked that there wasn’t a whole lot of angsty drama, even with some of the things they both had to deal with.
I love this series of books and characters Lane Hayes has created. A lot of the characters overlap and it’s nice to revisit some of the couples. Out of any of these books, though, I think Out on the Ice is one that can be read as a standalone. Yes, you do meet Sky in Out in the Field, and his ex does pop up in this one, but this book really does stand on its own.
Very enjoyable story…….Lots of smiles while reading
This book is Excellent….as is the whole series!I
(3.5 stars)…This book is the 5th in the Out in College series. Each book is a standalone so you can read this without having read the others. Some characters from previous books appear but they don’t really have an impact on this story.
The book is told from the POV of Colby, a college hockey player who discovers he is attracted to a fellow student, Sky, who he really can’t stand. When Sky is hired by Colby’s step-father to work as his accounting firm, Colby has to train him and he discovers that he can’t get Sky out of his mind.
I really liked the way the story unfolds and how the relationship between these two damaged characters unfolds. It is at various points, funny, heartwarming and heart wrenching. It is sensitive in its portrayal of Colby’s coming to terms with and learning about his sexuality. I really liked the characters and was totally invested in the relationship. The crisis moment is so emotional and I felt the emotions deep in my gut. I wanted to throat punch the instigator, cry along with the MCs, and rage at whoever I felt deserved raging at. The ending was sweet and perfect for the characters. The epilogue is a bit abrupt and I think I would have liked to have seen a bit more depth…more of a HEA than a HFN.
There were two problems for me. First, I’d like a sports romance to actually have more sports in it. Sky being a baseball player is a key element of the story and yet we never get any action of him playing baseball. But an even bigger problem is the lack of accuracy in portraying college athletics. The timing of the seasons is wrong. Fall baseball is a fact of life for college baseball teams so Sky would have been playing while this story was taking place. The schedule is wrong for the hockey too. A team plays other teams in their conference. There is a limit on the number of games they can play. They don’t play in other leagues (“local leagues” whatever the heck that is supposed to mean!) during the week and then games on weekends. Additionally, there is quite a bit in here that doesn’t conform to NCAA regulations or the way scholarships work. It all took my head out of the book and that’s a cardinal sin for me. And the errors are things that could have been remedied with a little research and minor adjustments to the story.
So in summary, I really liked the characters and the story was good but would have been better with some holes plugged but the obvious lack of research took my head out of the story which is a big no-no for me.
*I voluntarily read an ARC, and this is my objective review *
Oh my! This book was soooo cute! Lane Hayes is a new to me author and I was super excited to read this one. Can I say that I loved Colby and Sky! Out on the Ice was the perfect mix of sweet, funny with a punch of heat. Colby is a 22 year old hockey player who is straight (or so he thinks) until he starts to have unexplained feelings for Sky, the boy who is in his summer class that he can’t seem to get off his mind. Not only was the character development really good, I felt their chemistry jump off the pages. Sky is sweet and once Colby comes to terms with his bi-awakening, Sky carefully and thoughtfully, guides him through his feelings. So so good!
Swoon…. I loved this book so much! So good I read it in a day. I couldn’t stand Sky in last book or at beginning of this book but my heart opened up for him & I loved him so, love Colby too of course since the beginning. It was an awesome story & I cried some but happy tears at the end & big smile reading epilogue. A Must Read!
Sky and Colby were a delight! We’ve met Sky before but here we finally got to know this man, he was sweet, kind, funny and I really, really liked him. This story was really about Colby finding himself and being comfortable with who he really is and falling in love along the way. In true Lane Hayes fashion there was fabulous dialogue, witty banter, wonderful romance, steamy scenes and a great cast of supporting characters. Harry stole the show for me, sweet, understanding and compassionate Harry, he was just wonderful!