Thin Ice [Paperback]

Jaxine Daniels (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 10, 2004

Mattie Kincaid was looking for writing credits, not love. How could she know she'd get both--and risk losing the one that was most important.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...I found it very difficult to put the book down before I had finished reading it. I would happily recommend the book to readers of any age, any gender, whether hockey fanatics or not." - Kelly Ferjutz, AMAZON.COM . . ."THIN ICE is an engaging comment on the impact that biases, mistrust, and poor communication can have on two otherwise normal adults—and is even more convincing because it’s exactly the sort of thing that might happen!" - Melinda Stanners, NOVELSPOT . . ."...a fast-paced romance with losses thrown in to prove that, without the bad, one would never recognize the good they have. The characters in this story are a hard-reality bitten, close-knit family unit as any team family would be. They don't allow insiders in easily, so the writing behind the character of Mattie had to be forceful and yet gentle in the shove to join into that family. Daniels did a wonderful job with that mix." - Rita Porter, QUILL & SCRIBE --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 194 pages
• Publisher: Zumaya Publications (June 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554100607
• ISBN-13: 978-1554100606
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,458,035 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ice Hockey & Romance - why not?, October 18, 2004

By 

kellytwo "kellytwo" (cleveland hts, ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thin Ice (Paperback)

There aren't too many romance novels set around the world of ice hockey. Too bad. The sport provides an abundance of action, characters of all kinds-good and otherwise-of all ages, and settings that can vary from local to international. THIN ICE encompasses all of these.

Mattie Kincaid is an athletic young woman who wants to combine her love for sports with writing, and gets a dream assignment-covering the Seattle NHL team for an on-line magazine. Of course, the first player she meets-the one sent to pick her up at the airport-is the team's superstar, Grant Alexander. From the beginning, sparks fly between these two, in a mostly believable way.

There is one major problem with this assignment, however, and that is Mattie's total lack of knowledge about the sport of hockey. It doesn't take long for Grant to discover this, and while he teases her a lot for this lack, he decides to at least teach her the basics.

What Mattie doesn't tell him right away is about the sort of boy-friend she left back home in Colorado Springs. Bryce is a know-it-all, totally convinced that only he knows what is best for her. He also `knows' she isn't good enough to fulfil her dream, and tells her so at every opportunity. Mattie almost, but not quite, believes him.

It doesn't take long for Mattie to discover that the team is hiding a secret: the trainer, a young woman named Jamie, whose twin, Jeff, is also a player, had been kidnapped the previous year. When her fiance (the team's goalie, A. J. Charbonneau) traces her to the mountain hideway, he is also captured. Only after the villain falls down a flight of stairs, breaking his neck, are Jamie and A.J. able to secure their freedom. The team has embraced the young couple, and while certain details have been made public, the entire story is kept within the family.

As well as learning about hockey, Mattie displays her skill at softball, providing the winning home run in the annual intra-team game. She travels with the team, and the relationship with Grant builds, while she begins to see Bryce for what he really is.

Websports, Mattie's employer, then decides now is the time for her to provide the gritty details about the tragic scandal of the previous year. Unfortunately, the letter is seen by others, including Grant, who promptly shuts Mattie out of his life.

Bryce, of course, knew she'd fail, but suddenly discovering the back-bone that Grant had reinforced, and she didn't know she had, Mattie breaks with Bryce. She flounders a bit before being offered a job with the Seattle team.

It takes a while, but finally, at the urging of Jamie, Mattie and Grant overcome their differences and reconcile in a most improbable place. You'll have to read the book for all the details. I don't think you'll regret doing so.

Note: While I did give this book 5 stars, truly, I think it's a 4 ½ star book. Since my only other option was 4, I chose not to go that low. The reason is some very crude words here and there which jarred me from the story, temporarily. They served no good purpose, seldom being of any benefit to the story. The writing otherwise is very good; the plot, the characters, the settings all held my interest to the point that I found it very difficult to put the book down before I had finished reading it. I would happily recommend the book to readers of any age, any gender, whether hockey fanatics or not.