Rating: 4.25🌈
I don’t know how I missed this the first time it was released but I’m all caught up now on a new favorite pair within the Arizona Raptors. That’s Tate Collins and Captain Vladislav Novikov. I do love me a Russian goalie ! If not Stan than definitely a Vlad!
Vlad with a potty mouthed parrot and a need to dominate? So hot. The scenes with Tate just about fog up the room. This is a couple who’s chemistry is wildly successful and off the charts because they are able to connect emotionally too.
Sugar and Ice is a story that I wish was actually longer in length because both characters have issues that could use deeper scrutiny as well as I just wanted more time with them.
For Vlad, he’s got a twin who plays professionally who’s as talented a hockey player as he is in Russia, along with the rest of his family. For a gay Russian , it’s safer politically, legally for his family in Russia for him to stay closeted. A sad and painful state of affairs.
For Tate, it’s a ex wife with mental health issues who’s determination to hurt him in the media that’s damaging him and his future.
Neither issue is examined to the extent it could be or as it was with Stan. With Tate , in fact, it was resolved extremely quickly. Both aspects of their pasts and story deserves a more detailed explanation.
However, this pair and their romance is so amazing that you take them to heart. I’d love a follow up novel after Vlad’s retirement. Or whenever. They are just that couple.
Colorado is a big character here and that’s because the next story is his. What a flamboyant, adorable man he is! Emu’s indeed!
Sugar and Ice (Arizona Raptors #4) by R.J. Scott and V.L. Locey is a terrific story with an incredible couple at its center.
It’s one I’m definitely recommending!
Arizona Raptors series:
✓ Coast to Coast #1
✓ Across the Pond #2
✓ Shadow and Light #3
✓ Sugar and Ice #4
✓ School and Rock #5
https://www.goodreads.com › showSugar and Ice (Arizona Raptors, #4) by R.J. Scott | Goodreads
Synopsis:
When love is on the line, the worst decisions can end up having the best endings.
Tate Collins, an all-American hockey phenomenon, was the highly marketable face of Dallas hockey. Loaded down with endorsements and playing his best game, he was a superstar and a household name. No one ever expected him to fail, but overnight, after the worst decision of his life, everything spirals out of his control. Abruptly, his reputation is in tatters, and he’s traded to the Arizona Raptors in a shocking move. Brushing off the wild and unfounded accusations that he faces on social media, and stuck on the second line, he keeps his head down and works hard to earn his spot. Tate knows he can make a difference if only his teammates would let him. Something has to change for him to earn their respect, but falling for the captain might not be his best move.
Vladislav Novikov has been called many things over his long and illustrious career, but the new nickname of Iceberg seems to fit best. Perhaps it’s due to his icy blue eyes, or the way he rams into opposing players as he defends his goalie. Or maybe it’s because of his cool demeanor when not playing the game he loves. Whatever the reason, it’s why he’s the perfect team captain for this wild bunch of puck-pushers. His perfectly controlled life is smooth as ice until Tate Collins rides into Tucson with his apple pie ways and those damn dimples. The young superstar immediately catches his eye. Despite knowing better than to start something with a teammate, the big, bad Iceberg is about to have that chilly veneer around his heart melted away by Tate one sweet kiss at a time.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 