My love for sports romance led to me choosing Freezing the Puck. I knew nothing about the author, but the premise intrigued me leading to this moment.
Title: Freezing the Puck
Author(s): T.D. Lua
Series: Ballad University #1
Narrator(s): Christian Black, Verla Bond
Published by Tantor Audio on December 24, 2024
Length: 6 hours 11 minutes
Genre(s): Contemporary Sports Romance
Source: Publisher
Format: audio book 
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
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Liam had everything figured out, finish school, and secure an NHL contract. It all seemed so simple until he met Charlotte. The girl who was supposed to be just one night of fun that led to so much more. Now Liam will have to choose to follow his dreams or listen to his heart. They always say everything happens for a reason, but what if it just wasn’t meant to be?
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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“Freezing the Puck” was an adorable read. It caught me off guard to discover that this book featured the accidental pregnancy trope. While I don’t mind this trope, it would have been helpful to have a heads-up.
The story introduces Liam and Lottie. Liam is hockey player who shies away from serious relationships. That changed, however, when he met Lottie. He intended for their initial encounter to be a one-off situation, however after spending time with her he wanted more. However, the appearance of one of Liam’s former hookups that night led to Lottie giving him the cold shoulder. Then she discovered that despite using protection she was pregnant tying both their lives together.Â
Liam’s decision to step up to his responsibility despite the changes to his goals such a choice would make was admirable. He was all in from the get-go. I liked Lottie for the most part. However, there were a few instances where she acted immaturely.
The romance failed to wow me. It didn’t take long for them to fall in love and the whole process lacked authenticity. Liam pulled out all the stops to prove to Lottie how much he cared. Despite this she had trust issues and her insecurities aided in making the situation worse. All these issues contributed to the third act break up which never add value to the story. The drama could have been avoided if Lottie gave Liam a chance to explain. It took the intervention of his friends to turn things around.
Verla Bond and Christian Black narrated the audiobook. This was my first experience with the work of both narrators. They did a great job with the narration. They complimented each other and their collaboration brought life to the story. Their voices for the characters sounded authentic and one could feel the emotions rippling through the story. I would listen to them again.
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