Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway: Cracks in the Ice by Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood

Cracks in the Ice By Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood

Genre: Contemporary Sports Romance, GLBTQ, MM

Tropes: Age-gap, opposites attract, instant connection, second chance, hurt/comfort

Released: September 14, 2022

Publisher: Wainscott Press

Series: Mohegan U Hockey, Book 1

Length: 297 Pages

Cover Design: Cate Ashwood Designs

Synopsis

How can they trust love not to hurt them again?

Benny
I’ll never fall in love again.

I had my chance, and I was the happiest man you can imagine. One day, it all came to an end. The only thing left was playing hockey, but it wasn’t enough, and I became my own worst enemy.

When my old school offered me a lifeline, I took it. As a coach, I could at least be miserable in a different place.

But when I arrived, there he was—bright and warm, like sunshine. I’d lived in the dark for so long my soul was frozen, but he thawed me out. I started feeling things again, wanting things. For the first time since the dark times began, I wondered if there was a chance. I’d never thought about being with another man, but so what? Could I be lucky enough to find love twice?

Cole
I was done. No. More. Men.

I’d always made the worst possible dating choices, and one guy after another took advantage of me. Invariably, I thought I was falling in love. Once I told them, they’d show their true colors and run.

Worn out and unable to stand another heartbreak, I swore off love. I almost had my master’s degree, and playing the piano was a much safer route to happiness.

No sooner had I made up my mind than there he was—hot as a forest fire, yet very sad. When I found out why, I understood. Someday, he’d love again, but there was no reason I shouldn’t be a friend.

Then he kissed me, and everything turned on a dime. I needed to protect myself from getting pulled in again, but the harder I tried, the more I believed in him. Was I making another horrible mistake? Would this time be different, or was I setting myself up for the biggest letdown of all?

Cracks in the Ice is a gay sports romance featuring hurt/comfort, sensitive men, unexpected connections, first times, an age gap, faculty/student romance, explosive chemistry, hard-earned happiness, and a very satisfying HEA.

Content warnings for partner deaths, traumatic accidents, and alcohol abuse. While these issues happened in the past, they may still be difficult for some.

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Review

Reviewed by ButtonsMom2003

A great start to a new series; I love Cole and Benny!

Cracks in the Ice is another great story from the writing duo of Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood. It pulled me in right from the beginning and didn’t let go until I finished it – all in one session.

There were a few times when I had to hold my breath while reading but everything worked out. Cole and Benny really clicked, almost right from the beginning. It wasn’t insta-love; they built on friendship first and then their attraction for each other. I liked how accepting Benny was when he realized that he was attracted to Cole; it was refreshing that he didn’t have a big internal or external freak out.

It was great to visit with characters from the Bethesda Barracudas Hockey series. You absolutely don’t need to have read those books to enjoy this one but I do highly recommend them because they are great books (and they’re available in audio, too).

I am so not a sports fan but I seem to really love reading MM romances that have a sports theme. I appreciated that there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of hockey jargon and yet I think hockey fans will probably be satisfied with what hockey talk there is and with the scenes that take place while games are being played.

I was happy to learn that this is book one of a new series. There were several really great secondary characters that I hope get books of their own. In particular, I want to read more about Cole’s ex-boyfriend, Eckie; he needs a redemption story.

♥♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Scorcher

Reviews for Ryan Taylor

Reviews for Joshua Harwood

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Available to borrow with Kindle Unlimited.

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Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card

Direct link to giveaway.

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About Author

Ryan Taylor met his husband and co-author, Joshua Harwood, in law school. They live in a suburb of Washington, DC, and share their home with a big, cuddly German shepherd. Ryan and Josh love to travel. In addition, Ryan also enjoys swimming, and Josh likes to putter in the garden whenever he can. They began writing to celebrate the romance they were so lucky to find with each other, and the sharing soon developed into a passion for telling stories about love between out and proud men.
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