Blog Tour-Review: “Strictly on Ice” by Helen Buckley

About The Book

When falling in love comes with the risk of falling flat on your face …
Former Olympic skating champion Katie Saunders is well known for her ‘ice queen’ persona in the press. On the face of it, perhaps Katie should have forgiven her former skating partner and ex-boyfriend, Alex Michaelson, for the accident that shattered both her ankle and their Olympic dreams – but she just can’t seem to let it go.
When Katie reluctantly agrees to take part in a new TV skating show, it’s only because she’s desperate for cash. What she didn’t count on is the drama – not only is she partnered up with infamous love rat rugby player Jamie Welsh, but one of the judges is none other than Alex Michaelson himself.
As the show progresses, will Katie be shown the hard way, once again, that romance on the ice should remain strictly off-limits?

Purchase: UK | US

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Review

Strictly on Ice pairs, a championship ice skater named Katie with a former rugby player named Jamie. Though they come from different backgrounds they have fallen on hard times. Both are hurting from past mistakes and trauma which is explored in the narrative and hopefully through this experience they can learn to heal. That is if they can actually get along.

Despite the odds, Jamie and Katie make a good skating pair. Since Jamie is new to figure skating Katie has to learn to open up and have patience despite the chaos of the competition. Having to work with Alex as a judge is draining on her as she still holds a lot of bitterness from the past. Jamie is trying to not only get his body in shape but his mind too. He’s still reeling from his divorce and this competition is a way for him to put himself back on his feet.

Behind the scenes, we see that the competition is not all glitz and glamour. Readers see the raw spirit of competition and even those that act out with catty behavior. Ice skating is my favorite winter sport to watch and I am always eager to pick up more ice skating romance books which drew me to this novel. I like how it focuses on relationships and the constant shift between the past and present.

I think this is a novel that expresses the artistry of figure skating and the hard work that goes into the sport. It also discusses speaking up for yourself and raising your voice above the noise. The characters deal with a lot of trauma and the strong character development shows how they grow into stronger more confident people. It also touches on the competitiveness of the sport. It was an enjoyable read with characters that really had you hooked into the story.

TW: Physical Abuse

Final Verdict:

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About the Author

Helen Buckley lives in Bedfordshire with her husband and two sons. After working in the charity sector in the UK and abroad, she turned her hand to writing and her first novel, Star in the Shadows, was published in 2019.

She writes any moment that she can, enthralled by stories of fame, romance, and happy ever afters. Apart from being addicted to writing and enjoying soft play with her sons, she’s an avid reader, action-movie fan, and chocolate addict.

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Twitter: @HelenCBuckley

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