Title: Frozen Hearts
Author: Teegan Loy
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel Plus (258pgs)
Publisher: Silver Publishing (2nd March 2013)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4½Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: Forced to live a lie for an image, the best college hockey player in the nation is quitting the game. Can Erik make peace with his past and the boy he left behind, or will he fold under the pressure?
The best college hockey player in the nation is hanging up his skates because he’s tired of living a lie. Five years ago, Erik Fox was forced by his father to change schools in the middle of the night when his father found out about his indiscretion. Erik had a boyfriend and hockey players do not date boys.
With his college career over, Erik is determined to change his life. Can Erik make peace with the boy he left behind and find the life he wants to live, or is he going to fold under the pressure from his father and everyone else who thinks he is defined by the game of hockey.
Purchase Link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/frozen-hearts-ebook-p-1408.html
Review: Erik is giving up one of the things that he used to love because it no longer gives him joy and because it helped cost him the only one he has ever truly loved. Now, wanting to be honest with himself and the world, he is hanging up his skates and breaking away from his father’s control. Living life by Erik’s own rules is all that he wants now; even if he can never get back the one man he loved. Facing his past mistakes and gaining forgiveness from Tyce is something he never thought to have, but the dangers he now faces are harsh and unfair. Just what will he do to keep Tyce safe?
This is an excellent story of standing on your own two feet and taking control of your life, facing the challenges that are thrown at you and hopefully becoming stronger for it. Erik has just finished his college hockey career and everyone is expecting him to sign for the Pros, but he wants to live honestly and if he is honest with himself he long ago lost his joy in hockey. Walking away from hockey is just the beginning and when his first love is brought back into his life by his wonderful, but interfering sister, Arielle, Eric admits to himself that he has always wanted Tyce, but his own fears kept him away.
There is so much going on in this story that it takes your breath away with the sheer amount or stuff that Eric and his friends have to cope with; strangers turning on Eric for giving up hockey, friends and strangers turning on him for coming out and his father turning on him for everything, the threats, the assaults and the stalking. It’s all scary stuff. When Eric and Tyce do meet up again there are a lot of regrets and recriminations that they have to get through and none of it is brushed over, and when Eric tries to protect Tyce, their friends try to make Eric realize his mistake. There are some moments when we are taken to the past, as Eric relives moments when he was truly happy, those moments when he and Tyce have their first kiss, and discover their love for each other.
There are many great characters in this story and they act like true family and friends, telling you like it is and trying to smack sense into you when you are being stupid, and Eric needs quite a bit of both. Tyce is a wonderful man who even though he was hurt in the past still opens his heart to Eric. Arielle is a great big sister and friend. Sam, Dix and Marshy are friends that can be counted on and are true friends. I must admit there are times that you think that Eric is getting the rough end of the stick and is being blamed for things he has no true control over, you wish that someone would just hug him and tell him it will all work out.
I recommend this to those who love first loves finding each other again, of facing difficulties head on, of staying strong in the face of hatred, finding forgiveness and love and finally a happy ending.