Blog Tour: Breaking the Ice - Julie Cross

Breaking the Ice
Julie Cross
Series: Juniper Falls, #2
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

The second book in the Juniper Falls series from NY Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Julie Cross, perfect for fans of Miranda Kennealy and Abbi Glines.

Haley Stevenson seems like she’s got it all together: cheer captain, “Princess” of Juniper Falls, and voted Most Likely to Get Things Done. But below the surface, she’s struggling with a less-than-stellar GPA and still reeling from the loss of her first love. Repeating her Civics class during summer school is her chance to Get Things Done, not angst over boys. In fact, she’s sworn them off completely until college.

Fletcher Scott is happy to keep a low profile around Juniper Falls. He’s always been the invisible guy, warming the bench on the hockey team and moonlighting at a job that would make his grandma blush. Suddenly, though, he’s finding he wants more: more time on the ice, and more time with his infuriatingly perfect summer-school study partner.

But leave it to a girl who requires perfection to shake up a boy who’s ready to break all the rules.

REVIEW

I read and really enjoyed Off the Ice, which was my introduction to the world of Juniper Falls. So, obviously, I jumped at the chance to visit again, and I have to say, it was fun being back in town, and I couldn't have asked for a better couple to spend my time with.

Who?

Haley was the reigning princess of Juniper Falls. Super popular, super social, and seemingly, always in the middle of things.  She was still feeling the pangs of rejection following her breakup with Tate and unsuccessful foray into meaningless fling territory. Haley was trying to put all romantic entanglements behind her, as she worked on improving herself and reaching for her goals. 

Fletcher was the quiet boy, who kept a low profile away from the spotlight. After his family became a main source of Juniper Falls gossip, and he was the victim of an almost deadly bullying incident, Fletcher developed some trust issues. He had no friends in town and kept himself emotionally detached when it came to romantic relationships. He was a nerdy loner with a goal of leaving Juniper Falls behind. 

What?

Neither Fletcher, nor Haley anticipated what would happen when their paths crossed in summer school. Initially, Haley was just looking for a project partner, who could help her achieve her scholastic goals, but eventually, the feelings simmering beneath the surface came to a full boil, and when the sparks flew, Fletcher and Haley reacted in very different ways. 

Why?

There are so many things I loved about this book, but since we don't have all day, here are my top five reasons I loved this book. 

1. I found Haley to be quite a wonderful character. She started to redeem herself in the first book, but in this book, we get to see what is really so special about her. She was loyal and often put aside her own feelings in order to help other people. She often showed a lot of maturity, that she really didn't get credit for, and she had a heart of gold. I was really elated when she was able to figure out some of her academic issues with the help of Fletcher, because I couldn't help but want her to achieve her goals. I also admired that she acknowledged her shortcomings, and she was addressing them and striving to be a better person. What more could I ask of her?
2. Wow! I don't even know where to start with Fletcher. First, there were all the wonderfully nerdy t-shirts. I couldn't wait to see what he would wear next. Then there was the double life he was leading. There were so many things swirling around in my head, and I liked the way Cross slowly revealed those parts of Fletcher's life, piece by piece. Oh, and he was swoony too. 
3. This romance was a slow burn and at times, confusing, but I loved every second of it. I was excited every time Haley and Fletcher were on page together. Sometimes it was because the tension between them was delicious and palpable, but other times, it was because I thought they really pushed each other to be better versions of themselves. There was a lot of push and pull, but because the drama was kept to a minimum, I rather enjoyed it. 
4. Fletcher's world was sprinkled with some very interesting characters, but his family won my heart. His grandfather, father, and brother were all fiercely protective of Fletcher, but they were a lot more then just manly men. These guys were real men, who had experienced epic love, and passed on some really sage advice to Fletcher regarding how to treat and respect a woman. 
5. This book was fun, and filled with some great banter. I audibly laughed often and grinned a whole lot. 

Overall: This was a really great trip back to Juniper Falls, where I got to know the gang a little better. I loved that Haley and Fletcher challenged the tropes with all their hidden layers and sort of kept me guessing in the best way. Fun, flirty, swoony, and a little bit spicy too. 

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

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BOOK LINKS

 AMAZON | AMAZON AU | AMAZON UK | AMAZON CA  

B&N | ITUNES | KOBO 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie Cross is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, Timestorm (St. Martin's Press). She's also the author of Letters to Nowhere series, Whatever Life Throws at You, Third Degree, Halfway Perfect, Chasing Truth, Off the Ice and many more to come! Julie Cross was a longtime resident of central Illinois but has recently moved her entire family across the country to continue her academic studies at Stanford University.

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FOLLOW THE TOUR

Week 1:

January 1, 2018 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – Guest Post
January 1, 2018 – WS Momma Readers Nook – Spotlight
January 2, 2018 – Latte Nights Reviews – Review
January 2, 2018 – A Dream Within A Dream – Spotlight
January 2, 2018 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – Guest Post
January 2, 2018 – Chapters Through Life – Review and Interview
January 3, 2018 – What Is That Book About – Spotlight
January 3, 2018 – Stuck In Books – Spotlight
January 3, 2018 – Once Upon A Twilight – Review
January 3, 2018 – Cindy’s Love of Books – Review
January 4, 2018 – Read. Eat. Love. – Review
January 4, 2018 – Confessions of an Exballerina – Spotlight
January 4, 2018 – Wishful Endings – Spotlight
January 5, 2018 – Postcards for Ariel – Spotlight
January 5, 2018 – Peace Love Books – Review

Week 2:

January 8, 2018 – Closet Geeks and Slow Mo – Review

January 8, 2018 – Between Books – Review
January 9, 2018 – The Avid Reader – Spotlight
January 9, 2018 – More Books Than Livros – Review
January 9, 2018 – Indie Wish List – Interview
January 10, 2018 – Writing Pearls – Review
January 10, 2018 – bookhounds ya – Interview
January 11, 2018 – Confessions of a YA Reader – Review
January 11, 2018 – Diane’s Book Blog – Spotlight
January 12, 2018 – Books Direct – Spotlight
January 12, 2018 – Smada’s Book Smack – Review
January 12, 2018 – Reading for the Stars and Moon – Review
January 12, 2018 – Swoony Boys Podcast – Review

Week 3:

January 15, 2018 – Haddie’s Haven – Review
January 15, 2018 – Chapter by Chapter – Guest Post
January 16, 2018 – Sascha Darlington’s Microcosm Explored – Review
January 16, 2018 – June Reads Books – Review
January 17, 2018 – The book slayer – Review
January 17, 2018 – SERIESous Book Reviews – Review
January 18, 2018 – KatyaRath – Review
January 18, 2018 – We Live and Breathe Books – Review
January 18, 2018 – kimberlyfaye reads – Review
January 19, 2018 – Becky on Books – Review
January 19, 2018 – lovely reads publishing – Review
January 19, 2018 – A Book Addict’s Bookshelves – Spotlight

TOUR HOSTED BY

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