Sunday 8 January 2017

Book Review - Sugar and Ice by Aven Ellis - Fab Firsts



Fab Firsts is my new regular Sunday feature, that is going to be highlighting books that are firsts. When interviewing authors, it will be about their first book, as well as other firsts in their lives. When reviewing books for this feature, there will be a mix of debuts, first books in a series, the first time I read an author, and possibly other firsts depending on what I can think of! 

If you are an author wanting to take part in Fab Firsts then please do email on gilbster at gmail dot com and I'll whizz the questions over to you. 

I hope you enjoy this look at a variety of hopefully fabulous firsts, while making some sort of dent in my review and paperback TBRs which are my current main focus! 


I have picked Sugar and Ice to be my debut book review on Fab Firsts, as it is the first book in a new series, Rinkside in the Rockies. 

Amazon UK
Title: Sugar and Ice
Author: Aven Ellis
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Author supplied review copy
Publisher: Self Published
Publication Date: 28th December 2016
Rating: 5 Stars

Josephine Rossi has recovered from a broken heart, but has vowed that she's all about the desserts now as a recipe tester for Bake It! Magazine. Cheesecake never breaks your heart. Unless it cracks on the top, but still, it tastes amazing if you bake it just right. She knows what to do in the kitchen as far as making luscious desserts. Men? Apparently she's not so good at figuring them out, so she refuses to bother. Josephine knows it is safer to stay in the kitchen than to take another chance with her heart.

Denver Mountain Lions forward Cade Callahan is passionate about hockey, but is also about finding love. He thought he had it once, but a disastrous romance last holiday season has him keeping his heart in check. While he’s fearless on the ice, he’s guarded with his heart. Cade is determined history won’t repeat itself again. He won’t let his guard down until he’s certain he’s met The One.

However, Cupid's arrow might just strike when these two least expect it. When an oven goes out, and a cheesecake for testing has to be baked, and Cade just happens to live in the same building with a working oven...Well, things other than cheesecake might just heat up in the kitchen. Can these two passionate people learn to trust their hearts again? Can love override fear for Josephine and Cade? And will they find the combination of sugar and ice is the sweetest one of all?

Part of me wants to just copy and paste all the superlatives from my previous reviews of Aven Ellis book reviews, into one mega gush fest, as I loved Sugar and Ice as much as all the others by this supremely talented author. However that probably wouldn't be fair, but I can't guarantee how original this will be if you have seen my thoughts on previous Aven Ellis titles. 

Sugar and Ice is a warm and cosy romance, which has provided me with a new book boyfriend in Cade. He is so much more than just an ice-hockey player, and its all his other qualities plus his good looks that have drawn both me and Josephine Rossi to him. 

Josephine has a brilliant sounding job, she is a recipe taster, and some of the desert descriptions are to die for. They sound mouth wateringly delicious, and once I googled what funfetti was, I can say that I loved the idea of a funfetti cupcake, even if Josephine's boss wasn't so keen. 

There is a great sense of humour with this story, and the fishing trip will stay with me for a while, although if I was ever in that same situation, my reaction would probably be identical to Josephine's.  The writing is warm and welcoming, and it was great to see two characters who have been burned by love before, try to take things slowly despite the amazing chemistry between them. 

I was slightly surprised there wasn't huge amounts of hockey in this book, but we are introduced to a couple of the other players on the Denver Mountain Lions, who I suspect may feature in future books in this series. 

Cade has a love of the great outdoors, and with a Rockies backdrop, the scenery was breathtakingly gorgeous. From their first proper meeting very early into the story, I was hooked, and despite knowing pretty much what the overall outcome would be, I loved reading about the journey, and the various dates, especially the Halloween party. 

Sugar and Ice is another wonderful romance by Aven Ellis, and it was refreshing for it to be set in a new location with a whole new team of gorgeous hockey players to be introduced to. 

Thank you so much to Aven Ellis for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily. 

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