Review Detail

IT’S A LOVE/SKATE RELATIONSHIP is a sapphic YA sports romance. This book follows Charlie, a hockey star who has an unfortunate incident off the ice that lands her in hot water at both her school and at the ice rink. Now thrust into working a job at the ice rink and attending a school full of kids that either ignore her or hate her, Charlie is a fish out of water. One of the kids that hate her is Alexa, a pairs figure skater whose partner was hurt in the incident Charlie caused. Tensions escalate when Charlie is brought in to be Alexa’s new partner, despite having no experience in figure skating. As the ice thaws between them, the two realize that there may be a deeper connection there.

What I Loved:
Despite having multiple plot points going on, this book manages to pace itself well. Charlie dealing with school, figure skating, her friends, her family, and her rivalry are all given the appropriate amount of time to fully understand and develop. The book doesn’t rush to a conclusion nor does it drag the plots.

Charlie’s emotional depth and emotional unawareness were both written in extreme detail by the author. At times Charlie is aware of her issues. But slowly the cover is peeled back and she is forced to confront that there are some issues she hasn’t been dealing with over the years. Corson’s writing manages to entangle the reader in Charlie’s feelings. Whether she’s feeling high off a win, desperately trying to push down a crush, or emotionally torn open, the reader feels it too. There’s no sugarcoating. Teenagers have these complicated feelings, whether they are fully aware of it or not, and the author makes sure that readers can understand that.

The romance in this book was paced and developed well. The tension between the two characters was there from the beginning, even when it wasn’t positive tension. Readers are taken along as the two begin to thaw and grow closer. There are some minor time jumps, but never at the cost of an important milestone. It also fits in well within the YA genre. It has scenes of teens being teens in love without being too serious or too loose. Teenagers can be serious about their relationships, but they're still teenagers.

What Left Me Wanting More:
The ending was well-paced and developed and I found that it was truly enjoyable. I did wish for a bit more time before the epilogue. There was one specific conversation that I wish had happened that just didn’t. It was the only plot point that felt a bit skipped over in the rush to end the book.

Final Verdict:
The cover of IT’S A LOVE/SKATE RELATIONSHIP presents a charming romance novel between a hockey player and a figure skater. While that is true, there is more to this book than meets the eye. This young adult romance doesn’t shy away from tackling difficult topics such as parental abandonment, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation. The sapphic romance is a great hook to this book and the chemistry between the characters is enough to keep readers hooked. But the additional depth added by Charlie’s emotions and growth is where this book truly shines.

A charming young adult sports romance on its face, IT’S A LOVE/SKATE RELATIONSHIP, is a novel that paces itself well, engaging readers in the romance and the character’s emotional growth.