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Cold Day in the Sun
Holland Delviss wants to be known for her talent as a hockey player, not a hockey player who happens to be a girl. But when her school team is selected to be featured and televised as part of HockeyFest, her status as the only girl on the boys’ team makes her the lead story. Not everyone is thrilled with Holland’s new fame, but there’s one person who fiercely supports her, and it’s the last person she expects (and definitely the last person she should be falling for): her bossy team captain, Wes.
307 pages, Hardcover
First published March 12, 2019
About the author
Sara Biren
3 books250 followersSara Biren lives in eastern Wisconsin with her husband, their two children, and two cute schnoodles.
A true Minnesotan, she is a fan of hockey, hotdish, and hanging out at the lake. She enjoys seeing live bands, watching movies , and drinking coffee. Her love of cheese knows no bounds, so moving to "America's Dairyland" wasn't a horrible idea.
Sara is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Duluth and earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She works as a part-time copy editor for a Minneapolis marketing firm in addition to her freelance editing business.
A true Minnesotan, she is a fan of hockey, hotdish, and hanging out at the lake. She enjoys seeing live bands, watching movies , and drinking coffee. Her love of cheese knows no bounds, so moving to "America's Dairyland" wasn't a horrible idea.
Sara is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Duluth and earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She works as a part-time copy editor for a Minneapolis marketing firm in addition to her freelance editing business.
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July 7, 2021
This YA book took a while to get into, but my patience was well rewarded. Holland Delviss is the sole female hockey player on her high school all male team. Holland has to endure the prejudice and disapproval of many of the townsfolk of Halcyon Lake. She also has her own inner battles: she worries that other people think that she is not good enough - although she is constantly being reassured by her teammates and coach that she is in fact better than many of the other players on her team.
During an important media interview she is accused of:
1. believing that she is too good to play on an all-female team - which implies that there is something "less" about an all female team.
2. taking the spot of another deserving male player
3. potentially causing conflict among, or becoming a distraction to, the other male players because she is an attractive female - (her response is to refuse to date any of her teammates)
4. being a liability because she will get hurt since boys are rougher than girls, etc.
All of these pat excuses serve as a means to exclude women from mixed sports. Not all men, no matter how strong or well-built, are skilled at sports. Not all women are physically frail. Excuses of this sort have been used throughout history to perpetuate racial and ethnic discrimination. Even Holland was buying into some of the warped thinking by adapting her response to these criticisms: her whole life became one huge effort to prove her naysayers wrong: she was "giving over way too much power" to her opponents.
One by one, her inner demons are addressed and exposed: even her rule of not dating a teammate is eventually broken. The Delviss family were priceless, and although I was not fond of how the team's co-captain, Wes, yelled at all of the players when he caught them slacking off or giving less than their best to the game, when Wes was off the ice he seemed pretty decent. (You can tell I am not a sports fan, right?)
In her acknowledgement at the end of the book, the author reveals that she used to manage her varsity hockey team, and this familiarity lends realism to this engaging story about a young girl who finds herself (and love) once she stops worrying about how others perceive her. Highly recommended.
Read
January 27, 2019I don't know who told Sara Biren that hockey, female athlete heroines, the Foo Fighters, glam rock, and smoldering romance are all keys to my heart, but whoosh, I devoured this one. Happy birthday to me!
March 10, 2019
Full Review on The Candid Cover
Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren is a book that is cute but also contains an important message. It is a story about sports with a hint of music, which is an instant win for me, and the main character is so strong. This is an empowering read that I was sad to put down.
This book tells the story of Holland, the only girl on the boys’ hockey team. She is forced to work twice as hard to show that she’s worthy of her place, and her life becomes even more difficult when she finds herself falling for the team captain. Cold Day in the Sun is so empowering for female athletes, but it is also absolutely adorable. I also found the music blog to be a fun addition. This is an entertaining novel that is perfect for sports fans, and fans of the contemporary genre.
❀ INSPIRING CHARACTER
I loved Holland’s character, and she is so inspiring. Even though she deals with a lot of pressure, she is strong and unafraid to stand up for herself. She is so talented, and it is easy to her her genuine passion for hockey. Holland also has such an engaging voice which is visible in both her narration and her blog posts. I found it interesting how Holland has the option of the girls’ team, and when she is questioned about her reason for joining the boys, the answer is simply because she wants to. The fact that she shouldn’t need to justify her actions is influential and drives the book’s message home.
❀ MOTIVATIONAL
Cold Day in the Sun is a book that is both sweet and motivational. I loved the blend of sports and music and the strong main character. I would definitely recommend this one to curl up with on a cold day.
Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren is a book that is cute but also contains an important message. It is a story about sports with a hint of music, which is an instant win for me, and the main character is so strong. This is an empowering read that I was sad to put down.
This book tells the story of Holland, the only girl on the boys’ hockey team. She is forced to work twice as hard to show that she’s worthy of her place, and her life becomes even more difficult when she finds herself falling for the team captain. Cold Day in the Sun is so empowering for female athletes, but it is also absolutely adorable. I also found the music blog to be a fun addition. This is an entertaining novel that is perfect for sports fans, and fans of the contemporary genre.
❀ INSPIRING CHARACTER
I loved Holland’s character, and she is so inspiring. Even though she deals with a lot of pressure, she is strong and unafraid to stand up for herself. She is so talented, and it is easy to her her genuine passion for hockey. Holland also has such an engaging voice which is visible in both her narration and her blog posts. I found it interesting how Holland has the option of the girls’ team, and when she is questioned about her reason for joining the boys, the answer is simply because she wants to. The fact that she shouldn’t need to justify her actions is influential and drives the book’s message home.
❀ MOTIVATIONAL
Cold Day in the Sun is a book that is both sweet and motivational. I loved the blend of sports and music and the strong main character. I would definitely recommend this one to curl up with on a cold day.
January 25, 2020
Query: Am I aging out of YA if my favorite character in this very teeny-bopper novel was the Mom for putting boundaries around her teenage daughter's dating life?
Because if so...I am okay with that.
Anyway, I have a lot of super strong feelings about this book and they are mixed up inside my head right now so hopefully I can sort them out
Here is the 5 second version: the story tackles a topical and controversial subject with guts and gusto but then buries it in predictability and teenage lust.
Long version:
The story follows Holland "Dutch" Delviss, a high school girl who plays for the boy's team of her local high school. She works her butt off every day to earn her spot on the ice and puts up with a lot of crap about it, particularly from the older generation in town. But the pressure builds when her team is selected to compete for HockeyFest, a televised, statewide event, and she is the leading story. Meanwhile, the team captain, Wes, won't cut her any slack. She is pretty sure she hates him. And he hates her...right?
SO THERE. You read the synopsis, you know what will happen. And it does happen. Exactly as you are thinking right now.
But that is not bad! I'm a fan of YA for a reason. Sometimes you just need that sugary-good squeeeeeeee. Ya know?
And adding the "political" drama (I cannot think of a better word but I am sure there is one out there) of Holland and her team dynamics really adds to it. She's tough as nails and doing it for the love of the game. It totally rocks. I love her family dynamics. I love her friend group. I love that this book takes place in Minnesota and how chill everyone is about snowstorms.
So much of this book was done so well.
The problem is...the political drama takes a back seat to the romance. And that is where it loses me.
Let me be clear, I like the idea of Holland and Wes. Heck, they were adorable. I can totally picture them like, twenty years from now with a family of their own, coaching another generation of hockey players.
But they aren't going to make it twenty years.
Because....say it with me:
And before you jump on me for being a total buzz kill, yes, I know. They can last. My brother married his middle school sweetheart. But this one won't last. It is way too charged way too fast. Someone needs to tell them to...
But you're like, "AMY. TRUE LOVE."
And I'm like..."No."
And here is why.
Wes.
The boy does not listen to Holland.
Spoilers to follow.
Now you might be thinking, "But he does listen to her! Remember how every time they touch he asks her permission before going any farther on her body?"
Yes, yes he does. But you see, that distracts from the main problem here. Holland had a rule about dating teammates. A VERY GOOD RULE. A rule she was entirely proven right by, incidentally, when it got out that they were dating.
But Wes wouldn't listen to her. He had to push it. He had to not believe her. But lets be blunt. Did he get any of the fallout when their relationship came to light?
No.
She bore it all. And it is WEIRD that the story tries to ignore that fact and give us a happily ever after when it has been delightfully blunt up until that point about everything else Holland faces being the only female on the team.
But you might say, "she shouldn't have to get any flack for dating a teammate!"
GRANTED.
But she does. And any insistence otherwise by Wes is demeaning. He shouldn't just acknowledge her desires when they're enjoying themselves. He should acknowledge it from the start when she recognizes what it could mean for her role on the team.
The story avoids the chick-lit, She's The Man vibe. And it continues to do so right up until it asks me to buy their relationship.
So...mixed feelings. I like a lot of this book but the last quarter just goes too YA for me to swallow it.
March 11, 2019
Rating: 4.5 Stars
You know what I love? I love when I cannot stop smiling while reading a book, and that was EXACTLY what happened to me as I read Cold Day in the Sun.
Holland had spent her whole life as one of the boys, and when it came time to try out for her high school's hockey team, she opted to stick with the boys' team, since they already had a well established dynamic in place. Needless to say, she was constantly dealing with naysayers and those, outside of the team, who believed she didn't belong playing with the guys. She had to constantly prove herself, because she felt like they were all just waiting for her to fail. Suddenly, she seemed to be noticing, that her team captain, Wes, has been noticing her, and Holland was forced to mediate a battle between her head and her heart.
I love sports romances, and this one featured so many amazing components, which sum totaled to an incredible reading experience for me.
Holland was such an easy character to root for. She was driven and focused, and had to wear some armor being the lone woman on a men's team, but she was also sensitive to other people's needs and had a vulnerability, which she was hesitant to reveal, but was still authentic. I empathized with her feeling some pressure and the weight of all eyes always being on her, and it pained me that these people made her doubt herself, but she was so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family. They believed in her and supported her. They gave her that little lift, when she needed it, and it all really warmed my heart.
Wes made me smile, A LOT. My initial impression of him was the same as Holland's - not great, but I started seeing these bits and pieces of him, which made my love for him grow exponentially. He was a good captain, who deftly walked that line between tough and encouraging. He was a fantastic brother, who doted on his little sister. He was a good friend, who listened when you needed him to, and he made an effort to see things from your point of view. It was really all the little things he did, which won my heart, and made me believe that he was perfect for Holland.
And, OH, what a sweet and lovely romance these two had. I had so much fun spending time with them, and kept hoping Holland would give in to her feelings. Seriously, the tension between these two was palpable, and their interactions ranged from too adorable to swoony. The date at the a-frame, the popcorn, the sharing of hot sauce, the fence, those phone conversations, and even the blog interactions just made me ship them more. Yeah, I was totally onboard with these two.
There were so many other fun and wonderful things in this story, such as:
• Holland's brothers and her present and supportive family
• The inclusion of actual hockey
• Hair bands! This really brought me back
• Holland's blog
• The playlists
• Food references, especially Holland's mom's food
• An ending that put a perma-smile on my face
I wish I had photographic evidence of myself reading this book, because I wore an expression of genuine bliss, and another testament to the happy-inducing power of this book, is the grin I am sporting as I write this review.
Overall: Cold Day in the Sun delivered that feel-good vibe I expect from sports books, but I also got an adorable romance, a strong and determined heroine, a swoony hero, and a wonderful and supportive family.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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You know what I love? I love when I cannot stop smiling while reading a book, and that was EXACTLY what happened to me as I read Cold Day in the Sun.
Holland had spent her whole life as one of the boys, and when it came time to try out for her high school's hockey team, she opted to stick with the boys' team, since they already had a well established dynamic in place. Needless to say, she was constantly dealing with naysayers and those, outside of the team, who believed she didn't belong playing with the guys. She had to constantly prove herself, because she felt like they were all just waiting for her to fail. Suddenly, she seemed to be noticing, that her team captain, Wes, has been noticing her, and Holland was forced to mediate a battle between her head and her heart.
I love sports romances, and this one featured so many amazing components, which sum totaled to an incredible reading experience for me.
Holland was such an easy character to root for. She was driven and focused, and had to wear some armor being the lone woman on a men's team, but she was also sensitive to other people's needs and had a vulnerability, which she was hesitant to reveal, but was still authentic. I empathized with her feeling some pressure and the weight of all eyes always being on her, and it pained me that these people made her doubt herself, but she was so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family. They believed in her and supported her. They gave her that little lift, when she needed it, and it all really warmed my heart.
Wes made me smile, A LOT. My initial impression of him was the same as Holland's - not great, but I started seeing these bits and pieces of him, which made my love for him grow exponentially. He was a good captain, who deftly walked that line between tough and encouraging. He was a fantastic brother, who doted on his little sister. He was a good friend, who listened when you needed him to, and he made an effort to see things from your point of view. It was really all the little things he did, which won my heart, and made me believe that he was perfect for Holland.
And, OH, what a sweet and lovely romance these two had. I had so much fun spending time with them, and kept hoping Holland would give in to her feelings. Seriously, the tension between these two was palpable, and their interactions ranged from too adorable to swoony. The date at the a-frame, the popcorn, the sharing of hot sauce, the fence, those phone conversations, and even the blog interactions just made me ship them more. Yeah, I was totally onboard with these two.
There were so many other fun and wonderful things in this story, such as:
• Holland's brothers and her present and supportive family
• The inclusion of actual hockey
• Hair bands! This really brought me back
• Holland's blog
• The playlists
• Food references, especially Holland's mom's food
• An ending that put a perma-smile on my face
I wish I had photographic evidence of myself reading this book, because I wore an expression of genuine bliss, and another testament to the happy-inducing power of this book, is the grin I am sporting as I write this review.
Overall: Cold Day in the Sun delivered that feel-good vibe I expect from sports books, but I also got an adorable romance, a strong and determined heroine, a swoony hero, and a wonderful and supportive family.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
May 3, 2024
Recensie werd oorspronkelijk gepubliceerd op: https://bazarow.com/recensie/recensie...
Momenteel zijn ijshockey romanceverhalen een grote hit op BookTok en Bookstagram. Uitgeverij Best of YA komt dan ook op het perfecte moment uit met een heruitgave. IJskoude rivalen is sinds februari in een budgetversie te koop voor slechts €10. Het boek werd eerder met een andere cover en titel uitgegeven, namelijk Op glad ijs.
Stoere meid in ‘mannenwereld’
IJskoude rivalen gaat over Holland Delviss. Haar hele leven draait om ijshockey en ze speelt al samen met haar broers sinds ze kan lopen. Holland wil graag bekend staan vanwege haar ijshockey talenten en niet, zoals nu het geval is, vanwege het feit dat ze als meisje in een jongens ijshockeyteam speelt.
Het schoolteam waar Holland in speelt wordt geselecteerd voor HockeyFest, een groot evenement dat op televisie wordt uitgezonden. Het schoolteam komt hierdoor volop in de schijnwerpers te staan, wederom omdat er een meisje in een jongensteam speelt. Niet iedereen is blij met Holland’s onverwachte roem, en een aantal stijfkoppige mannen schuift dit niet onder stoelen en tafels.
Holland schrijft graag en zit eraan te denken om de journalistiek in te gaan. Ze vindt het echter niet prettig om vol in de schijnwerpers te staan en is daardoor ook flink nerveus voor HockeyFest. Maar dan krijgt ze steun uit onverwachte hoek.
Wes, haar irritante (maar aantrekkelijke) teamcaptain, is de laatste persoon van wie Holland verwachte steun te krijgen. Maar toch doet Wes zijn best om Holland op haar gemak te laten voelen. Holland heeft één regel: niet verliefd worden op teamgenoten. Maar of ze die regel nog kan hanteren wanneer ze alsmaar meer omgaat met Wes, is de grote vraag.
Inspirerend karakter
Holland laat zich niet het kaas van haar brood eten en staat haar ‘mannetje’ in een sportwereld waar met name mannen de hoofdrol spelen. Direct aan het begin van IJskoude rivalen lees je over een personage die vecht voor haar dromen en niet bang is om haar mening te uiten. Dat maakt Holland een inspirerend karakter en tegelijkertijd ook een hoofdpersoon waar je graag meer over leest.
IJskoude rivalen is natuurlijk geen ‘IJshockey romance’ zonder romantiek en zoals lezers aan de achterflap al kunnen lezen gebeurt er het een en ander tussen Holland en haar teamcaptain Wes. Al vanaf het begin van het boek hangt er een spanning tussen Holland en Wes die zeer vermakelijk en meeslepend is. De relatieontwikkeling is geen verrassing, maar wel zeer vermakelijk om over te lezen.
Holland en Wes gaan van ruziemakende teamgenoten naar een schattig droomstelletje. De titel IJskoude rivalen vind ik niet helemaal passend, gezien Holland en Wes niet letterlijk rivalen zijn maar samenwerken in één team. De vorige titel past in mijn ogen beter bij het verhaal.
Auteur Sara Biren woont in Minnesota en staat bekend om haar Young Adult romance boeken. Zelf is ze ook een groot ijshockeyfan. Ze haalde haar MFA in Creative Writing aan de Mankato State University in Mankato, Minnesota. Naast haar drie Young Adult boeken schrijft Biren ook volwassen rom-coms. De schrijfstijl van Biren is prettig en toegankelijk. Door het pittige karakter Holland kom je terecht in een meeslepend verhaal, dat je het liefst in één ruk uit wil lezen. Ook voor niet-ijshockeyfans is IJskoude rivalen een goed te volgen boek, er worden weinig tot geen onbekende ijshockey termen gebruikt.
IJskoude rivalen is een leuke Young Adult en geschikt voor lezers van vijftien jaar of ouder. De relatieontwikkelingen zijn voorspelbaar en passen qua omschrijvingen goed bij de doelgroep, er komen namelijk geen expliciete seksuele scènes aan bod. Buiten het sterke karakter van Hollands zit er weinig vernieuwends of unieks in dit boek, het is daarom een fijne ‘no-brainer’ voor tussendoor.
Momenteel zijn ijshockey romanceverhalen een grote hit op BookTok en Bookstagram. Uitgeverij Best of YA komt dan ook op het perfecte moment uit met een heruitgave. IJskoude rivalen is sinds februari in een budgetversie te koop voor slechts €10. Het boek werd eerder met een andere cover en titel uitgegeven, namelijk Op glad ijs.
Stoere meid in ‘mannenwereld’
IJskoude rivalen gaat over Holland Delviss. Haar hele leven draait om ijshockey en ze speelt al samen met haar broers sinds ze kan lopen. Holland wil graag bekend staan vanwege haar ijshockey talenten en niet, zoals nu het geval is, vanwege het feit dat ze als meisje in een jongens ijshockeyteam speelt.
Het schoolteam waar Holland in speelt wordt geselecteerd voor HockeyFest, een groot evenement dat op televisie wordt uitgezonden. Het schoolteam komt hierdoor volop in de schijnwerpers te staan, wederom omdat er een meisje in een jongensteam speelt. Niet iedereen is blij met Holland’s onverwachte roem, en een aantal stijfkoppige mannen schuift dit niet onder stoelen en tafels.
Holland schrijft graag en zit eraan te denken om de journalistiek in te gaan. Ze vindt het echter niet prettig om vol in de schijnwerpers te staan en is daardoor ook flink nerveus voor HockeyFest. Maar dan krijgt ze steun uit onverwachte hoek.
Wes, haar irritante (maar aantrekkelijke) teamcaptain, is de laatste persoon van wie Holland verwachte steun te krijgen. Maar toch doet Wes zijn best om Holland op haar gemak te laten voelen. Holland heeft één regel: niet verliefd worden op teamgenoten. Maar of ze die regel nog kan hanteren wanneer ze alsmaar meer omgaat met Wes, is de grote vraag.
Inspirerend karakter
Holland laat zich niet het kaas van haar brood eten en staat haar ‘mannetje’ in een sportwereld waar met name mannen de hoofdrol spelen. Direct aan het begin van IJskoude rivalen lees je over een personage die vecht voor haar dromen en niet bang is om haar mening te uiten. Dat maakt Holland een inspirerend karakter en tegelijkertijd ook een hoofdpersoon waar je graag meer over leest.
IJskoude rivalen is natuurlijk geen ‘IJshockey romance’ zonder romantiek en zoals lezers aan de achterflap al kunnen lezen gebeurt er het een en ander tussen Holland en haar teamcaptain Wes. Al vanaf het begin van het boek hangt er een spanning tussen Holland en Wes die zeer vermakelijk en meeslepend is. De relatieontwikkeling is geen verrassing, maar wel zeer vermakelijk om over te lezen.
Holland en Wes gaan van ruziemakende teamgenoten naar een schattig droomstelletje. De titel IJskoude rivalen vind ik niet helemaal passend, gezien Holland en Wes niet letterlijk rivalen zijn maar samenwerken in één team. De vorige titel past in mijn ogen beter bij het verhaal.
Auteur Sara Biren woont in Minnesota en staat bekend om haar Young Adult romance boeken. Zelf is ze ook een groot ijshockeyfan. Ze haalde haar MFA in Creative Writing aan de Mankato State University in Mankato, Minnesota. Naast haar drie Young Adult boeken schrijft Biren ook volwassen rom-coms. De schrijfstijl van Biren is prettig en toegankelijk. Door het pittige karakter Holland kom je terecht in een meeslepend verhaal, dat je het liefst in één ruk uit wil lezen. Ook voor niet-ijshockeyfans is IJskoude rivalen een goed te volgen boek, er worden weinig tot geen onbekende ijshockey termen gebruikt.
IJskoude rivalen is een leuke Young Adult en geschikt voor lezers van vijftien jaar of ouder. De relatieontwikkelingen zijn voorspelbaar en passen qua omschrijvingen goed bij de doelgroep, er komen namelijk geen expliciete seksuele scènes aan bod. Buiten het sterke karakter van Hollands zit er weinig vernieuwends of unieks in dit boek, het is daarom een fijne ‘no-brainer’ voor tussendoor.
December 4, 2020
“This is my favorite time of the day, early morning. I was up long before anyone else, out on the frozen lake. It’s just me and my skates, my stick, the puck, the net. The only sounds: my breathing and the sharp edge of blades on ice.”I'm a bit on the fence about this one. On one hand, I flew through it, on the other hand, it didn't quite deliver the feelings promised by the cover. It wasn't sweet or cute (with the exception of a few moments), but rather angsty and even heavy at times. It's as if the author couldn't quite decide on a tone: she wanted to tug at your heartstrings and make you ponder about the issues brought up while providing cute, fluffy moments through teenage love. I personally felt the issues were quite serious and I found it unsatisfying to see them kind of brushed off. Sure, the message/moral of the story was in a good place but I was hoping to see it fleshed out more.
The characters were not bad, though I would have liked to see more character development. Holland is a resilient girl, athletic and smart, but maybe a little too much on the defense. She plays hockey on a boys' team because that's what she's used to. She grew up with three brothers playing the same sport, one of them being the co-captain of her team. I felt for her not knowing how to deal with this. Judged by some girls who believe she thinks she's better than the rest of them and by men and boys who either think she's not strong enough and will endanger herself and her team or that she would serve only as a distraction for her teammates. But I think in the end, the harsh reality is that ney-sayers will always be around. No matter how much you try to open their eyes, there will always be a lot of people who think the world needs to fit their views and they will make a big stink of it, including saying very hurtful words and slurs.
Maybe I was expecting to see more about how she could process all of that in a way that would not make her fearful and sick to her stomach all the time, even though it's hard to do that. The people around her were sort of supportive, however, none of them said, "You know what, his opinion does not matter, he's just some random person who knows nothing about you". Anyway, this is just my bone to pick.
Wes was okay but rather bland. I wanted to know more about him and his motivations. Got some insight into Holland but wanted to know more about him too other than he was a good player, handsome and he struggled with how to motivate a teammate as a captain while wanting to be protective of her because of his crush.
Their relationship development felt kind of rushed. They seemed to be crossed with each other one moment and crushing hard and taking action the next one. Didn't quite find plausible Wes's need to go public. She has some legitimate fears about how their relationship will impact what goes on on the ice so I don't get why he had to brush them off so quickly. Why was it that important to go on an "official date" instead of hanging out privately. The conflict resolution was not very satisfying. The other characters were also superficially there, it was hard to get a feel for Holland's support system because I couldn't tell who they were and what they were thinking. Their encouragements were very generic "You can do it, you are the best" kind of thing.
Overall, not a bad story.
October 19, 2020
sometimes it takes some time and a different perspective for your rating on a book to change. I think this was one of those instances. Three months later, while I haven’t reread this book, what I do remember is that the characters, especially the main love interest, fell a bit flat. Ice Hockey contemporaries don’t really flow that well with me probably because no one plays ice hockey where I live lol 😂 and I don’t understand the sport :)
4 stars
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OH MY GOODNESS THANK YOU SARA BIREN FOR THAT BOOK!!! This is hands down one of the best contemporary books I have ever read. It was so deep and had such a good lesson. Now, I’ve read a lot of sport contemporary YA novels like this. The girl plays on a boys sports team, faces backlash but is still awesome at the game, and she falls in love with the mean dude on her team. In other books, the main topic that is featured in this book is not executed as well as it was in this book. I’m talking about gender equality in sports. Other books similar to this, they don’t explore this issue very much or even at all. But part of the reason I loved this book so much was how it showed gender inequality in sports realistically. Holland, who plays on a boys hockey team in a small town in Minnesota, gets a lot of backlash just because she plays on a boys team. A huge issue of the story was this, and it was written so wonderfully. Understandably, Holland is under loads of pressure to prove herself and at points, cracks under the pressure. This is so realistic, and even through I’ve myself never had an experience like this in sports, I really felt for Holland. She was actually a girl in a contemporary novel who I could get behind. She was not afraid to do anything, which I admire. I honestly felt that even in times when she was portrayed to make the wrong decisions, she was smart and kept her head and made sense. She was focused and worked hard. What else could you want? She was just such a good person overall. Wes is our love interest and didn’t have much depth overall, but I get why the author didn’t explore him much. The book was about Holland and her character development, not about really anything else and I sort of get that. I would have liked for Wes to have a story of his own, but I’m okay with how this book turned out in the end.
5 stars because I loved and adored this book!
4 stars
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OH MY GOODNESS THANK YOU SARA BIREN FOR THAT BOOK!!! This is hands down one of the best contemporary books I have ever read. It was so deep and had such a good lesson. Now, I’ve read a lot of sport contemporary YA novels like this. The girl plays on a boys sports team, faces backlash but is still awesome at the game, and she falls in love with the mean dude on her team. In other books, the main topic that is featured in this book is not executed as well as it was in this book. I’m talking about gender equality in sports. Other books similar to this, they don’t explore this issue very much or even at all. But part of the reason I loved this book so much was how it showed gender inequality in sports realistically. Holland, who plays on a boys hockey team in a small town in Minnesota, gets a lot of backlash just because she plays on a boys team. A huge issue of the story was this, and it was written so wonderfully. Understandably, Holland is under loads of pressure to prove herself and at points, cracks under the pressure. This is so realistic, and even through I’ve myself never had an experience like this in sports, I really felt for Holland. She was actually a girl in a contemporary novel who I could get behind. She was not afraid to do anything, which I admire. I honestly felt that even in times when she was portrayed to make the wrong decisions, she was smart and kept her head and made sense. She was focused and worked hard. What else could you want? She was just such a good person overall. Wes is our love interest and didn’t have much depth overall, but I get why the author didn’t explore him much. The book was about Holland and her character development, not about really anything else and I sort of get that. I would have liked for Wes to have a story of his own, but I’m okay with how this book turned out in the end.
5 stars because I loved and adored this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2019
Adorable (albeit predictable) story about a girl on an all-boys hockey team who falls for one of her teammates. Loved the girl power vibe of the whole story, really enjoyed all the characters, and even the hockey aspect too. Very cute and easy read.
July 11, 2019
Well, the first 1/4 of the book was fantabulously adorable. The rest of it was... fine. I LOVED the empowerment, but the pacing and the heroine did not come through, y'all.
Full review soon!
more reviews on Aimee, Always
Full review soon!
more reviews on Aimee, Always
March 14, 2024
Een gemiddeld YA Romance boek. Er valt niet veel over te zeggen. Maar echt van genoten heb ik niet, maar het is ook niet slecht. Het is dat soort boek, ken je het?
![Profile Image for Namera [The Literary Invertebrate].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1647896333i/31792110._UX200_CR0,96,200,200_.jpg)
November 17, 2018
ARC received in exchange for an honest review – thank you!
(3.5 stars) There’s really not much to say about this book: it was short and sweet, and although the ending was good it was slightly unsatisfying. If you liked Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally, you’ll love this too.
I don’t want to talk much about the ending, though. Not just because of spoilers, but also because I recognise that not all books HAVE to be escapism and have that perfect, unshakeable HEA. Especially a YA novel! I’m the first person to loudly say that 99.999% of all high school couples break up, so it would be unfair and unrealistic of me to expect my teenaged book couples to be perfection. It just felt like there were a couple of issues left unexplored – by the end of the book, Wes and Holland have barely agreed to become a couple, let alone discussed their plans for university (and we already know they’re going to different universities).
But I don’t want to give the impression that the romance in this book is unsatisfying. It isn’t, it’s really cute! Wes was awesome, and although Holland messed him around a little, he never gave up on them. The family dynamics were also awesome. Unlike Catching Jordan, Holland’s dad is 100% behind his daughter doing whatever she wants, which was very refreshing to see. Holland’s relationship with her mum and three brothers was also TOTAL GOALS.
Now for the crux of the story: Holland being the only girl on her school’s boys’ team for ice hockey in Halcyon Days, Minnesota. I understand that school and university-level sports is a MASSIVE thing in America, which I personally find a little weird because the only thing in England that comes remotely close is the Oxbridge boat race. And that’s barely. But anyway, there’s a lot of media attention on Holland for her position – is she saying she’s too good for the girls’ team? Her two older brothers were captain – does she think she deserves to be captain too? There are a whole lot of people out there who think she’s taking a spot away from a more-deserving male player.
Holland also has a lot of supporters. Sometimes a few too many: it felt like everyone and their dog was telling her to ‘hold her head up high’, even when they didn’t even know her. It started to feel a little didactic and made Holland look weaker than she really is.
While the ending was slightly unfulfilling on the romantic front, its open-endedness in terms of Holland’s life (like, does she ever make captain?) definitely means the book will stick in my head for a while longer than it otherwise would have done.
(3.5 stars) There’s really not much to say about this book: it was short and sweet, and although the ending was good it was slightly unsatisfying. If you liked Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally, you’ll love this too.
I don’t want to talk much about the ending, though. Not just because of spoilers, but also because I recognise that not all books HAVE to be escapism and have that perfect, unshakeable HEA. Especially a YA novel! I’m the first person to loudly say that 99.999% of all high school couples break up, so it would be unfair and unrealistic of me to expect my teenaged book couples to be perfection. It just felt like there were a couple of issues left unexplored – by the end of the book, Wes and Holland have barely agreed to become a couple, let alone discussed their plans for university (and we already know they’re going to different universities).
But I don’t want to give the impression that the romance in this book is unsatisfying. It isn’t, it’s really cute! Wes was awesome, and although Holland messed him around a little, he never gave up on them. The family dynamics were also awesome. Unlike Catching Jordan, Holland’s dad is 100% behind his daughter doing whatever she wants, which was very refreshing to see. Holland’s relationship with her mum and three brothers was also TOTAL GOALS.
Now for the crux of the story: Holland being the only girl on her school’s boys’ team for ice hockey in Halcyon Days, Minnesota. I understand that school and university-level sports is a MASSIVE thing in America, which I personally find a little weird because the only thing in England that comes remotely close is the Oxbridge boat race. And that’s barely. But anyway, there’s a lot of media attention on Holland for her position – is she saying she’s too good for the girls’ team? Her two older brothers were captain – does she think she deserves to be captain too? There are a whole lot of people out there who think she’s taking a spot away from a more-deserving male player.
Holland also has a lot of supporters. Sometimes a few too many: it felt like everyone and their dog was telling her to ‘hold her head up high’, even when they didn’t even know her. It started to feel a little didactic and made Holland look weaker than she really is.
While the ending was slightly unfulfilling on the romantic front, its open-endedness in terms of Holland’s life (like, does she ever make captain?) definitely means the book will stick in my head for a while longer than it otherwise would have done.
May 1, 2019
Well this was such a sweet, adorable book with a badass main character, I had such a great time reading it, definitely my kind of contemporary <3
Read my full review of Cold Day In The Sun on the blog.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC of this book. This did not, in any way, influenced my thoughts and rating.
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bloglovin'
Read my full review of Cold Day In The Sun on the blog.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC of this book. This did not, in any way, influenced my thoughts and rating.
My Blog - Drizzle & Hurricane Books - Twitter - Bloglovin'
March 24, 2024
Holland Delviss leeft voor ijshockey. Opgegroeid in een echt hockeygezin is de liefde voor de sport haar met de paplepel ingegoten, ze heeft talent, traint keihard en ze voelt zich volledig thuis op het ijs, maar ze heeft altijd het gevoel dat ze zich extra moet bewijzen omdat ze in het jongensteam speelt. Ze heeft zichzelf dan ook de regel opgelegd om nooit met een teamgenoot te daten, om niemand het idee te geven dat ze haar plek in het team niet eerlijk heeft verdiend.
Als Halcyon Lake wordt uitgekozen als een van de HockeyFest-steden, een enorm jaarlijks evenement dat het team veel kansen kan bieden, komt Holland in de schijnwerpers te staan, waar ze niet blij mee is. Er zijn mensen die hun vooroordelen niet voor zich kunnen houden en ondanks de volledige steun van haar familie, vrienden en teamgenoten raakt dat haar erg. Maar dan schiet Wes – Hot Sauce – Millard, haar irritante teamcaptain met een groot ego, haar te hulp en als ze meer tijd met elkaar doorbrengen, moet ze haar eigen regels misschien nog eens heroverwegen…
Holland is een leuk, stoer, gedreven en levendig neergezet personage dat niet op haar mond is gevallen, naast ijshockey houdt van schrijven en hardrockmuziek, haar blog gebruikt als uitlaatklep en haar mannetje staat op het ijs, maar ze heeft ook terugkerende onzekerheden waar ze mee om moet leren gaan zodat ze haar niet langer tegenhouden. Wes kan lomp en grofgebekt zijn tijdens de training, maar hij heeft gevoel voor humor, deelt haar interesses en motiveert haar, hij heeft een realistische kijk op het commentaar dat Holland over zich heen krijgt, hij is lief en valt al lang voordat zij dat doorheeft voor haar. Langzamerhand begint Holland te beseffen dat haar gevoelens veranderen, en omdat het verhaal vanuit haar perspectief wordt verteld, word je helemaal meegenomen in haar bezigheden, gedachten en verwarring. Is Wes een droomvriendje of moet ze toch afstand nemen om zichzelf te beschermen?
In de kern is dit een verhaal over druk van buitenaf, bewijsdrang, doorzettingsvermogen en de moeilijkheden en ongewenste situaties waar (jonge) vrouwen in een ‘mannensport’ mee te maken krijgen, wat de auteur krachtig heeft overgebracht. Daarnaast is het ook een lief en meeslepend verhaal over verliefd worden en persoonlijke ontwikkeling, verteld in een vlotte en luchtige stijl die ervoor zorgt dat je blijft doorlezen. Het verhaal moet even op gang komen omdat je in het begin veel informatie krijgt voorgeschoteld, maar al snel zit het tempo er goed in, leer je de hoofdpersonages steeds beter kennen en blijven de sport, activiteiten met vrienden en georganiseerde evenementen een grote rol spelen, waardoor het geheel niet te zoetsappig wordt.
De weg richting de ontknoping zit niet vol verrassingen, maar hij bevat leuke momenten, grappige hersenspinsels, mooie dynamiek, liefdevolle gebaren, eerlijke bekentenissen, chemie en het besef dat je obstakels alleen kunt overwinnen door in jezelf te geloven, hulp te accepteren en er vol voor te gaan, waardoor dit echt een fijn boek is om heerlijk mee te ontspannen!
3.5⭐️
Als Halcyon Lake wordt uitgekozen als een van de HockeyFest-steden, een enorm jaarlijks evenement dat het team veel kansen kan bieden, komt Holland in de schijnwerpers te staan, waar ze niet blij mee is. Er zijn mensen die hun vooroordelen niet voor zich kunnen houden en ondanks de volledige steun van haar familie, vrienden en teamgenoten raakt dat haar erg. Maar dan schiet Wes – Hot Sauce – Millard, haar irritante teamcaptain met een groot ego, haar te hulp en als ze meer tijd met elkaar doorbrengen, moet ze haar eigen regels misschien nog eens heroverwegen…
Holland is een leuk, stoer, gedreven en levendig neergezet personage dat niet op haar mond is gevallen, naast ijshockey houdt van schrijven en hardrockmuziek, haar blog gebruikt als uitlaatklep en haar mannetje staat op het ijs, maar ze heeft ook terugkerende onzekerheden waar ze mee om moet leren gaan zodat ze haar niet langer tegenhouden. Wes kan lomp en grofgebekt zijn tijdens de training, maar hij heeft gevoel voor humor, deelt haar interesses en motiveert haar, hij heeft een realistische kijk op het commentaar dat Holland over zich heen krijgt, hij is lief en valt al lang voordat zij dat doorheeft voor haar. Langzamerhand begint Holland te beseffen dat haar gevoelens veranderen, en omdat het verhaal vanuit haar perspectief wordt verteld, word je helemaal meegenomen in haar bezigheden, gedachten en verwarring. Is Wes een droomvriendje of moet ze toch afstand nemen om zichzelf te beschermen?
In de kern is dit een verhaal over druk van buitenaf, bewijsdrang, doorzettingsvermogen en de moeilijkheden en ongewenste situaties waar (jonge) vrouwen in een ‘mannensport’ mee te maken krijgen, wat de auteur krachtig heeft overgebracht. Daarnaast is het ook een lief en meeslepend verhaal over verliefd worden en persoonlijke ontwikkeling, verteld in een vlotte en luchtige stijl die ervoor zorgt dat je blijft doorlezen. Het verhaal moet even op gang komen omdat je in het begin veel informatie krijgt voorgeschoteld, maar al snel zit het tempo er goed in, leer je de hoofdpersonages steeds beter kennen en blijven de sport, activiteiten met vrienden en georganiseerde evenementen een grote rol spelen, waardoor het geheel niet te zoetsappig wordt.
De weg richting de ontknoping zit niet vol verrassingen, maar hij bevat leuke momenten, grappige hersenspinsels, mooie dynamiek, liefdevolle gebaren, eerlijke bekentenissen, chemie en het besef dat je obstakels alleen kunt overwinnen door in jezelf te geloven, hulp te accepteren en er vol voor te gaan, waardoor dit echt een fijn boek is om heerlijk mee te ontspannen!
3.5⭐️
February 20, 2020
For reviews and more, please visit my blog: What's She Reading?
TL;DR – Main character has a HUGE chip on her shoulder and that makes the overall story less enjoyable.
I always have a hard time when I feel like characters have too many “things”. I think authors do that to try to create an authentic and well-rounded character, but in reality I think she would just be over-scheduled and wouldn’t have time to be good at any of her things. That was the case for me with Holland. She plays varsity hockey, she’s on the school newspaper, AND she’s super into music and has a blog. I felt like the author just needed to pick two of those three extra-curriculars and focus on those. I think the story still could have been the same, pretty much.
Holland as a character was just okay for me. She was overly defensive about everything. Anytime someone said something remotely misogynistic, she would bite their heads off. For example, if someone were to say, “Good hustle, guys!” she might say, “What? Only guys can hustle? Just because you’re a boy means you’re better at hustling?” Literally. That is a reaction she would have. It was super off-putting. Obviously, I thought it was important to stand up for herself, but…let’s have a little common sense here. I just kept thinking about Jackie Robinson. As the first black player in the Major Leagues, it was important for him to keep his cool and not freak out at people every time they said something negative. I think this is (a small) part of why we remember him in such a positive light today. Holland? Not so much.
Secondary characters were okay. I liked Holland’s brothers but her parents were really non-characters. It seemed like there should have been a point in time where one of her parents (probably her dad) sat her down and just talked to her about hockey and being a girl on the team, etc. I also had an issue with her best friends Cora and Morgan. I liked them as characters, but there was absolutely no backstory as to how they became friends. With Holland spending so much time playing hockey, it didn’t seem like a natural friendship unless they grew up together? But that’s never explained.
As a love interest, Wes was decent. But I didn’t like that he wouldn't respect Holland’s wishes. Firstly, I thought her reasons for not wanting them to date/their relationship to be public were SUPER valid. But he just kept pushing and pushing. Secondly, even if her reasons weren’t valid, they’re still her wishes! If he really cares for her, he should respect that. Holland had no reason to apologize to him, in my opinion.
My last thing is just a couple of things that didn’t site quite right with me. First, wouldn’t the obvious solution to Holland and Wes’ problem be to just…wait until the season is over to date? Are your hormones that strong that you can’t wait a couple of months? But they never bring up this possibility. It’s either right now or never. Second, Holland is obsessed with Old Donnie’s letter to the editor because he claims she’ll be a distraction. But she completely ignores the fact that he’s essentially saying he wouldn’t care if something happens to her because she’s pretty much asking to be sexually assaulted (with the whole girl in the boy’s locker room thing). Like, what? How is that not the issue for her?
At the end of the day, I thought the premise for this book was pretty solid, but it needed both more and less. That’s not super helpful to say, but I thought it needed more developed relationships with secondary characters and just less…Holland.
Overall Rating: 3
Language: Moderate
Violence: Mild
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Sexual Content: Moderate
Note: I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
TL;DR – Main character has a HUGE chip on her shoulder and that makes the overall story less enjoyable.
I always have a hard time when I feel like characters have too many “things”. I think authors do that to try to create an authentic and well-rounded character, but in reality I think she would just be over-scheduled and wouldn’t have time to be good at any of her things. That was the case for me with Holland. She plays varsity hockey, she’s on the school newspaper, AND she’s super into music and has a blog. I felt like the author just needed to pick two of those three extra-curriculars and focus on those. I think the story still could have been the same, pretty much.
Holland as a character was just okay for me. She was overly defensive about everything. Anytime someone said something remotely misogynistic, she would bite their heads off. For example, if someone were to say, “Good hustle, guys!” she might say, “What? Only guys can hustle? Just because you’re a boy means you’re better at hustling?” Literally. That is a reaction she would have. It was super off-putting. Obviously, I thought it was important to stand up for herself, but…let’s have a little common sense here. I just kept thinking about Jackie Robinson. As the first black player in the Major Leagues, it was important for him to keep his cool and not freak out at people every time they said something negative. I think this is (a small) part of why we remember him in such a positive light today. Holland? Not so much.
Secondary characters were okay. I liked Holland’s brothers but her parents were really non-characters. It seemed like there should have been a point in time where one of her parents (probably her dad) sat her down and just talked to her about hockey and being a girl on the team, etc. I also had an issue with her best friends Cora and Morgan. I liked them as characters, but there was absolutely no backstory as to how they became friends. With Holland spending so much time playing hockey, it didn’t seem like a natural friendship unless they grew up together? But that’s never explained.
As a love interest, Wes was decent. But I didn’t like that he wouldn't respect Holland’s wishes. Firstly, I thought her reasons for not wanting them to date/their relationship to be public were SUPER valid. But he just kept pushing and pushing. Secondly, even if her reasons weren’t valid, they’re still her wishes! If he really cares for her, he should respect that. Holland had no reason to apologize to him, in my opinion.
My last thing is just a couple of things that didn’t site quite right with me. First, wouldn’t the obvious solution to Holland and Wes’ problem be to just…wait until the season is over to date? Are your hormones that strong that you can’t wait a couple of months? But they never bring up this possibility. It’s either right now or never. Second, Holland is obsessed with Old Donnie’s letter to the editor because he claims she’ll be a distraction. But she completely ignores the fact that he’s essentially saying he wouldn’t care if something happens to her because she’s pretty much asking to be sexually assaulted (with the whole girl in the boy’s locker room thing). Like, what? How is that not the issue for her?
At the end of the day, I thought the premise for this book was pretty solid, but it needed both more and less. That’s not super helpful to say, but I thought it needed more developed relationships with secondary characters and just less…Holland.
Overall Rating: 3
Language: Moderate
Violence: Mild
Smoking/Drinking: Mild
Sexual Content: Moderate
Note: I received a copy of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 2, 2018
Reading a Sara Biren book is like hanging out with an old friend — you think you know what to expect with good laughs and a lot of heart. Yet, sometimes, that old friend can surprise you by filling you up with such unexpected emotions. Her storytelling has done it again — it snuck up on me & pulled so delicately, yet urgently, on my heart strings. This book may come across as just a sports YA, about a girl trying to play hockey among the boys. But it delivers something so much deeper, so much richer, about the injustices of sexism & unfairness when it comes to gender bias among sports. I really felt myself standing up, right alongside the main character, urging her to fight for her rightful place. There’s power in this story & so, so much glory. There’s also a very sweet, & very swoony, love story that’s woven throughout. And let’s not forget the beautiful scenery of what winter brings to the beautiful lakes of Minnesota. I fell in love with Sara Biren’s debut & have found myself falling again, once more, with this novel, too. The Foo Fighters sprinkled throughout may have a little something to do with it, too. What can I say? This author knows how to write exactly to my heart.
March 13, 2019
This book! OMGosh it's so "ducking adorable!" I don't read YA Contemporary Romance as often as I'd like to and I've been in the mood for one for a while. Cold Day in the Sun really hit the spot for me. I loved Holland "Dutch" Delviss. She was so spunky and determined. I just can't think of anything I didn't like about this book. I loved the way the author rounded out Holland's character with her love of glam metal, journalism, and her blog entries. All of the characters were so very well fleshed-out. I fell in love with Wes "Hot Sauce" Millard right along with Holland. Everything progressed at just the right pace. I couldn't put this one down. In fact this is the quickest I've read a book in quite a while. I loved that it tells the story of a girl playing on a boy's hockey team and proving she deserves her place there to not only doubters but to herself. This was so much more than a Romance. I highly recommend picking this one up. Especially during Women's History Month!
*Thanks to Abram's/Amulet for the ARC for review*
*Thanks to Abram's/Amulet for the ARC for review*
September 13, 2021
This book was...fine. The romance moved too fast and came out of nowhere. Holland hates Wes aggressively until he gets dressed up for a dance and then she is automatically obsessed with how hot he is. She goes from 0-100 in like 2 seconds. I also just really don't understand how she ended up on the boys hockey team when there is a girls team at the school. That makes absolutely no sense. I could see her being able to play on the guys team if there was no girls team, but all the drama she dealt with in the book was super preventable. All of that just seemed silly to me. I know the author was trying to make a feminist statement, but in doing so, she really did make it seem like girls teams are not as good or respected as boys teams. This enemies to lovers story would have worked just as well if they had just been competitive captains of different teams. Wish I could have liked this one better, but this is not a book I would pass on to my students.
March 11, 2019
I adored Sara's debut, THE LAST THING YOU SAID, and I ~hoped~ her follow-up, COLD DAY IN THE SUN, would be equally fantastic. Wow, was it ever. I absolutely adored this YA hockey novel full of amazing music references, yummy food mentions, and steamy kisses. It puts its own spin on two of my favorite tropes (hate-to-love and secret romance) and its ending is incredibly satisfying, but open-ended enough to feel realistic. Holland is an amazing protagonist--a hockey badass with a passion for the Foo Fighters, blogging, and her family. Love interest and hockey team captain Wes is super sweet, but also he swears all the time and accepts nothing but the best from the players on his team, including Holland. COLD DAY IN THE SUN was nearly impossible to put down; I think fans of YA romance will LOVE this book. <333
January 25, 2023
This was a pretty good book, great binge. Holland annoyed me though.
Also why did they keep referring the the Suburban as a truck? Confusing!
Also why did they keep referring the the Suburban as a truck? Confusing!
November 28, 2018
Thank you to Netgalley, ABRAMS Kids/Amulet Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review early!
Give me a story about a girl on an all boy sports team who's feisty, strong willed, and determined to not only prove to herself, but to everyone that she deserves her place while hitting me with a delicious slow burn of hate to love and I am weak. Give me that same girl throwing out playlists every few chapters or so of some of my favorite music genres including '80's hair metal (thankyouverymuch!) and not only name dropping my favorite movie of all time - The Cutting Edge (Bless!), but also discussing the movie's soundtrack and I am putty in your precious hands. Do with me what you like. I cease to exist.
Holland Delviss - hockey player and avid Foo Fighters fan - is "living in a man's world" so to speak and using the negativity that comes along with it to fuel her fire. She uses their ridicule as a mantra to keep her focused and on track, to show all the naysayers that the conversation shouldn't be about how she's on a boy's hockey team, but about how she's a hockey player, period. She soon has her chance to do just that when she is chosen to be the lead story as part of a team feature for the annual HockeyFest. But as the interview nears, Holland's once frayed and tenuous relationship with team captain Wes (who she sees as her biggest enemy) starts to shift into something different and completely unexpected.
I loved (loved, loved, loved) Cold Day in the Sun. It was everything that I need and want (and neeeeed!) in my book world - characters to connect to and root for, a thought out and well executed story, angst (gimme all day!), conflict (yes, please!), and swoon worthy chemistry that will melt your face off and make you wish it was part of long, drawn out series. Ugh, I'd hate it if I didn't love it so much! And if you couldn't tell by my first long winded paragraph the music aspect of this book is top notch for me. I mean, even the title of the book is a title track from the Foo Fighters! This is one of those where I will reread my arc until I have my hands on the finished copy...and then reread that until my little heart's content. I only hope that there is preorder swag! *bats eyelashes*
I can not recommend this book enough! If this isn't necessarily your scene..yolo!..and try something new. Don't miss it!
Give me a story about a girl on an all boy sports team who's feisty, strong willed, and determined to not only prove to herself, but to everyone that she deserves her place while hitting me with a delicious slow burn of hate to love and I am weak. Give me that same girl throwing out playlists every few chapters or so of some of my favorite music genres including '80's hair metal (thankyouverymuch!) and not only name dropping my favorite movie of all time - The Cutting Edge (Bless!), but also discussing the movie's soundtrack and I am putty in your precious hands. Do with me what you like. I cease to exist.
Holland Delviss - hockey player and avid Foo Fighters fan - is "living in a man's world" so to speak and using the negativity that comes along with it to fuel her fire. She uses their ridicule as a mantra to keep her focused and on track, to show all the naysayers that the conversation shouldn't be about how she's on a boy's hockey team, but about how she's a hockey player, period. She soon has her chance to do just that when she is chosen to be the lead story as part of a team feature for the annual HockeyFest. But as the interview nears, Holland's once frayed and tenuous relationship with team captain Wes (who she sees as her biggest enemy) starts to shift into something different and completely unexpected.
I loved (loved, loved, loved) Cold Day in the Sun. It was everything that I need and want (and neeeeed!) in my book world - characters to connect to and root for, a thought out and well executed story, angst (gimme all day!), conflict (yes, please!), and swoon worthy chemistry that will melt your face off and make you wish it was part of long, drawn out series. Ugh, I'd hate it if I didn't love it so much! And if you couldn't tell by my first long winded paragraph the music aspect of this book is top notch for me. I mean, even the title of the book is a title track from the Foo Fighters! This is one of those where I will reread my arc until I have my hands on the finished copy...and then reread that until my little heart's content. I only hope that there is preorder swag! *bats eyelashes*
I can not recommend this book enough! If this isn't necessarily your scene..yolo!..and try something new. Don't miss it!
August 19, 2022
This book is just the book I needed to make my day. I, as a softball player, have felt that baseball has always been the sport to take control. Nobody considers the females and their abilities. This book demonstrates the importance and struggles of a female player trying to keep a good reputation surrounded by male players. Everybody thinks females are weak, but I will take down any day of the week, no hesitation. Since the beginning of time, it has always been about men. Don’t believe me?? We marry in to the MEN’S LAST NAME! Somebody has to take charge of what is right. For anybody who feels underestimated as a female, read this book, and spread the book until everybody respects us a individuals. I will stop at nothing just like Holland. Will you??
July 8, 2020
Отново тиин история, леко романтична, но и леко скучна. Очаквах повече. Краят беше щастлив, но недостатъчен. Почти половин книга се говори за щатския шампионат и всичко да приключи точно в началото му е нелогично.
December 13, 2020
Очаквах малко повече, въпреки че е тийн история.
March 6, 2019
I received a copy of this title from the publisher. It does not impact my review.
I really enjoyed this book. I’ve really been in the mood for cute contemporary stories lately and Cold Day in the Sun gave me that, plus a little more substance.
Holland is the only girl on the boys varsity hockey team. She’s a great player, but there’s obviously a lot of pressure that comes with her position on the team. A lot of people don’t think she should be allowed to play with the boys and she spends every game trying to prove them wrong. What I thought was an interesting twist on the situation is that there is a girl’s hockey team she could play on. Holland really makes a point of saying her decision isn’t about the girls team not being good enough for her, but that she has always played with her brothers and their friends growing up and she wanted to keep playing with them. While at first I didn’t think it was a good narrative decision for there to be both a boys and girls team, giving Holland a choice really is important to the plot. Other than to satisfy my preconceived ideas, why should she have to justify her decision? Why can’t her explanation be “because I want to”? I liked that this situation challenged my thinking a bit.
Feminism is obviously a strong theme of the story. While it did hit on a lot of important topics, there were a few things that didn’t work for me. Any time someone uses a common, but male-centered expression (like “that takes balls” or “man down”) Holland goes off on them about it. Yes, I understand the reasoning for wanting to correct this kind of rhetoric, but honestly it just comes across a little petty to me. And I don’t think yelling at people when they say it is really the way to get people to change the way they speak.
While there were sexist remarks made about Holland by some people in their community, I loved that her teammates didn’t act like that. None of them seemed to be angry about having a girl on the team, even when she was better than some of them. While a few players were a little over-protective at times, they mostly just treated her like any other player and I liked that. I also really liked her relationship with her brothers and that none of them were threatened by her, either.
And then there is Wes. I absolutely adored him. He is so sweet and I loved how much he supported Holland. Besides hockey, they also share a love for glam metal. I am not really familiar with the music and bands that are mentioned (a lot) so I feel like some of the impact that might have had was a little lost on me, but I did like how they texted each other about it. I absolutely shipped the two of them together and I was glad to see Holland finally wise up when it came to him.
Overall, I really enjoyed Cold Day in the Sun. I liked the characters, the hockey, and the romance – especially Wes. While I didn’t always appreciate the way in which some points were made, I did like that it challenged the way I think about some things and thought it had a good overall message. This was definitely the cute read that I wanted it to be, plus more, and I’m looking forward to reading more from Biren.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars
I really enjoyed this book. I’ve really been in the mood for cute contemporary stories lately and Cold Day in the Sun gave me that, plus a little more substance.
Holland is the only girl on the boys varsity hockey team. She’s a great player, but there’s obviously a lot of pressure that comes with her position on the team. A lot of people don’t think she should be allowed to play with the boys and she spends every game trying to prove them wrong. What I thought was an interesting twist on the situation is that there is a girl’s hockey team she could play on. Holland really makes a point of saying her decision isn’t about the girls team not being good enough for her, but that she has always played with her brothers and their friends growing up and she wanted to keep playing with them. While at first I didn’t think it was a good narrative decision for there to be both a boys and girls team, giving Holland a choice really is important to the plot. Other than to satisfy my preconceived ideas, why should she have to justify her decision? Why can’t her explanation be “because I want to”? I liked that this situation challenged my thinking a bit.
Feminism is obviously a strong theme of the story. While it did hit on a lot of important topics, there were a few things that didn’t work for me. Any time someone uses a common, but male-centered expression (like “that takes balls” or “man down”) Holland goes off on them about it. Yes, I understand the reasoning for wanting to correct this kind of rhetoric, but honestly it just comes across a little petty to me. And I don’t think yelling at people when they say it is really the way to get people to change the way they speak.
While there were sexist remarks made about Holland by some people in their community, I loved that her teammates didn’t act like that. None of them seemed to be angry about having a girl on the team, even when she was better than some of them. While a few players were a little over-protective at times, they mostly just treated her like any other player and I liked that. I also really liked her relationship with her brothers and that none of them were threatened by her, either.
And then there is Wes. I absolutely adored him. He is so sweet and I loved how much he supported Holland. Besides hockey, they also share a love for glam metal. I am not really familiar with the music and bands that are mentioned (a lot) so I feel like some of the impact that might have had was a little lost on me, but I did like how they texted each other about it. I absolutely shipped the two of them together and I was glad to see Holland finally wise up when it came to him.
Overall, I really enjoyed Cold Day in the Sun. I liked the characters, the hockey, and the romance – especially Wes. While I didn’t always appreciate the way in which some points were made, I did like that it challenged the way I think about some things and thought it had a good overall message. This was definitely the cute read that I wanted it to be, plus more, and I’m looking forward to reading more from Biren.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars
March 23, 2019
Cold Day in the Sun is about a tough heroine who isn’t afraid to show the world what she’s made of! This story is for the readers who have felt like they must work extra hard to prove themselves to the world.
Cold Day in the Sun is a book ensured to make readers smile. It’s short and sweet with the perfect blend of sports, family, and even music. Plus, Holland, is one of the best heroines ever! She’s fierce yet vulnerable. Being the only girl on the boy’s hockey team makes her the subject of many conversations. Holland lives in a town that breathes hockey, so naturally there are many people who are opposed to her making varsity.
What I enjoyed most about this book is how respectful Holland’s character is. She has her reasons behind why she decides to try out for the boy’s team and not the girls. She never discredits the girl’s team, though. The girl power in this book is fantastic and I applaud the way Sara Biren portrayed it! I think a lot of readers will be able to see themselves in her even if they don’t play sports. Despite the road blocks she faces, she never backs down, and continues fighting for what she believes is right. She works hard when everything should make her want to give up.
The story moves along quickly and flowed nicely. All of the characters, especially Holland’s brothers, were a lot of fun! The other main character is Wes, her team co-captain. For readers who enjoy some angst in their romance then you’ll love Holland and Wes! Their love story was super cute and made this book much more enjoyable.
Overall, I really enjoyed Cold Day in the Sun! I always love sports themed books and this one was perfect. Sara Biren’s writing reminded me a lot of Miranda Kenneally’s. Which is a total compliment because her Hundred Oaks series is one of my favorites! So, if you’re looking for a quick and sweet sports read then Cold Day in the Sun is for you!
| review originally posted on Bookstacked |
Cold Day in the Sun is a book ensured to make readers smile. It’s short and sweet with the perfect blend of sports, family, and even music. Plus, Holland, is one of the best heroines ever! She’s fierce yet vulnerable. Being the only girl on the boy’s hockey team makes her the subject of many conversations. Holland lives in a town that breathes hockey, so naturally there are many people who are opposed to her making varsity.
What I enjoyed most about this book is how respectful Holland’s character is. She has her reasons behind why she decides to try out for the boy’s team and not the girls. She never discredits the girl’s team, though. The girl power in this book is fantastic and I applaud the way Sara Biren portrayed it! I think a lot of readers will be able to see themselves in her even if they don’t play sports. Despite the road blocks she faces, she never backs down, and continues fighting for what she believes is right. She works hard when everything should make her want to give up.
The story moves along quickly and flowed nicely. All of the characters, especially Holland’s brothers, were a lot of fun! The other main character is Wes, her team co-captain. For readers who enjoy some angst in their romance then you’ll love Holland and Wes! Their love story was super cute and made this book much more enjoyable.
Overall, I really enjoyed Cold Day in the Sun! I always love sports themed books and this one was perfect. Sara Biren’s writing reminded me a lot of Miranda Kenneally’s. Which is a total compliment because her Hundred Oaks series is one of my favorites! So, if you’re looking for a quick and sweet sports read then Cold Day in the Sun is for you!
| review originally posted on Bookstacked |
February 17, 2020
Трудно ми тръгна тази книжка, типично тийнейджърска е. Беше ми странно, че момиче играе в отбор по хокей, а че е единственото момиче в отбора, беше още по-невероятно. Не бях чувала, че момичета могат да играят хокей и то с момчета. Та темата, както разбрахте, се върти около този спорт и трудността на момичетата в такива отбори. Подлагани са на подигравки и дискриминация. Романът ми напомни леко на "Огън на леда" от Мариана Запата.
Холанд и Уес се влюбват постепенно, но Уес е капитан на отбора, а Холанд се притеснява да не каже някой, че не умее да играе хокей и че се възползва от това, че е момиче. Полага много усилия, за да е в този отбор и да не се влюбва в съотборниците си и най-вече в един красив капитан. Книгата ми допадна не само заради романтиката, но и заради Холанд, която намери сили в себе си да отстоява това, в което вярва.
Холанд и Уес се влюбват постепенно, но Уес е капитан на отбора, а Холанд се притеснява да не каже някой, че не умее да играе хокей и че се възползва от това, че е момиче. Полага много усилия, за да е в този отбор и да не се влюбва в съотборниците си и най-вече в един красив капитан. Книгата ми допадна не само заради романтиката, но и заради Холанд, която намери сили в себе си да отстоява това, в което вярва.
January 8, 2023
MAGNIFICENT! A YA hockey romance you need to add on your TBR! I’m so happy I’ve read this that I’m still smiling and have all the feels too while writing this review! If you love YA, hockey, and a enemies to lovers romance, then pick up COLD DAY IN THE SUN today! Holland Delviss is part of the boy’s hockey team, and some people aren’t happy she’s in it. So to keep her spot, she has rules. She practices even if that means 5 a.m. training sessions and keep a low profile, even if that means ignoring trolls calling her a distraction or worse. But when her team is selected for HockeyFest, Holland becomes the lead story. Not everyone is thrilled with Holland’s new fame, but there’s one person who fiercely support her, and last person she expects: her bossy team co-captain, Wes. And Wes keeps surprising her as they are both into ‘80s metal music. With the camera set to roll, Holland is close to breaking yet another of her rule: No dating teammates, ever. A empowering and sometimes funny novel about shutting out the noise, and listen to your heart! A wonderful book!
February 7, 2021
Може би, няма да изненадам никой, като кажа че, книгата много ми хареса, но е факт. Имам книгата от по-миналата година и просто се случи така че, когато я получих вече бях прочела няколко на зимна или коледна тематика и просто прецених че, няма да успея да я оценя както подобава и съответно остана за вече миналия декември.
Историята която Сара Байрен е написала има от всичко по-малко. Както смешни и забавни моменти, така и много сериозни и каращи читателя или поне лично мен да се замисля. Харесва ми винаги когато, даден автор създава история в която се повдига някой от така наречените "наболяли въпроси". Тук, авторката е обърнала внимание на предразсъдаците че, жените не може да са равни на мъжете и да се занимават с "мъжки неща".
Холанд е момиче, което обожава хокея и по-една или друга причина, тя е в отбора на момчетата. Всичко започва когато нейният училищен отбор е избран да го представят по телевизията, всичко което иска момичето е да бъде известна като много добра хокеистка, а не че е единственото момиче в отбора.
Напрежението върху Холанд нараства със всеки изминал ден, след като научават новината за телевизията и освен това се оказва, че искат да вземат и интервю от нея. Злото само че, не идва само и освен това, не всички в училище и извън него са съгласни с това че, има момиче в момчешки отбор. Холанд се сблъсква с негодуванието на двама от жителите на града, след един мач, тя ги чува да казват че, едно момиче може само да пречи и да разконцентрира момчетата и най-вече голямата звезда на отбора - Уес.
Разбира се, през всички трудности които очакват Холанд, тя няма да бъде сама, противно на всички очаквания или пък не, най-голяма подкрепа получава от капитана на отбора - Уес.
Изключително мил (но извън пързалката), имаше моменти в които, Уес вярваше много повече в Холанд отколкото тя с��ма трябваше да го направи. А когато се случеше да са на пързалката, било на тренировка или пък на официален мач, така я навикваше, но отново за да и покаже че, тя може много повече и че не трябва да се подценява дори и за момент и далеч не трябва да слуша приказките на хората, които не виждат по-далеч от носа си. Разбира се освен подкрепата на капитана, на среща за помощ винаги е голямото и семейство в лицето на Хънтър - най-големият й брат, Картър е по-малкият. Приятелите й Джес, Кора и Морган - когато имаш истински приятели, всичко може да се преодолее.
Холанд си има едно правило и то е Да не излиза с момчета от отбора. Само че, както най-малко е очаквала подкрепа от капитана си, така й най-малко е очаквала да осъзнае че, всъщност си пада по-него и не стига това, ами се оказва че е взаимно. Тук мисля че, ще се съгласите с мен че, най-логичното е че положението и става още по-напечено и трудно. Напрежението започва доста осезаемо да й влияе, думите които е чула и я карат да си мисли, че може би наистина не е за този отбор, макар и в същия момент да осъзнава че, не е спирала да тренира усилено за да бъде точно там, а сега и тези нови чувства към Уес.
Какво ще се случи и дали ще обори всички, а й себе си? Дали ще си позволи да даде шанс на това което се задава между нея и капитана Уес и какво бъдеще ще избере Холанд, ще оставя да разберете сами. Историята е страхотна, аз обожавам такива, тъй като силно вярвам и никой не може да ме убеди че, има "Женски и мъжки работи". Смятам че, всеки без значение от пола, може по-един или друг начин да свърши дадена работа и съответно да бъде спортист в даден спорт, колкото силов, динамичен или пък мисловен да бъде той. Смятан че, наистина живеем във време в което такива предразсъдъци са вече остарели и не на място, като се има предвид че, може сами да си извадим било от интернет или от други места, реални примери за жени постигнали толкова неща в различни сфери. Макар че, защо едно такова нещо трябва да се приема за нещо невероятно, тъй като за мен - жени и мъже сме равни. Живота не е само една сила... много повече е!
Още като прочетох анотацията, историята имаше всички предпоставки да ми хареса, но докато не я прочетох, не подозирах че ще се влюбя толкова в нея. Никога до сега не бях срещала, главна героиня в която да намеря толкова общи неща - силната любов и връзка към музиката и спорта и факта, че и двете не обичаме да сме в центъра на вниманието, а да останем по встрани.
"- Не им позволявай да те засегнат - повтаря ми той. - Бива си те. Тренираш усилено. Отстояваш позицията си пред група момчета, които са по-големи и по-силни. Така че не позволявай на двама дъртаци да ти попречат да излезеш на пързалката и да дадеш всичко от себе си."
"Ето накъде бия. Аз съм момиче в мъжки свят, свят, в който да покажеш емоции, различни от гняв (или въодушевление след добро спасяване или страхотен гол), е признак на слабост. Никога - нито веднъж - не съм плакала на леда. (Сама в съблекалнята след мача? Да, няколко пъти.) Откакто се помня, съм се справяла с чувствата си с помощта на музиката. Да, текстът ми говори, но понякога някой риф или удар на барабаните е онова, което наистина ме докосва и остава в сърцето ми."
"- Продължавай да тренираш. Когато паднеш, изправи се отново на крака. И продължавай напред. Това е най-важното. Помоли за помощ, ако имаш нужда. Останалото ще се нареди."
"- И още едно нещо, ако е от значение. - Тя млъква за малко. - Всеки, който смята, че не си достатъчно добра да играеш в мъжкият отбор, е пълен кретен. Заслужаваш това място и не позволявай на никого да ти казва нещо различно."
"Не се предавай. Каквото и да ти коства."
--- --- --- --- ---
Благодаря Ви, за отделеното време!!!
Историята която Сара Байрен е написала има от всичко по-малко. Както смешни и забавни моменти, така и много сериозни и каращи читателя или поне лично мен да се замисля. Харесва ми винаги когато, даден автор създава история в която се повдига някой от така наречените "наболяли въпроси". Тук, авторката е обърнала внимание на предразсъдаците че, жените не може да са равни на мъжете и да се занимават с "мъжки неща".
Холанд е момиче, което обожава хокея и по-една или друга причина, тя е в отбора на момчетата. Всичко започва когато нейният училищен отбор е избран да го представят по телевизията, всичко което иска момичето е да бъде известна като много добра хокеистка, а не че е единственото момиче в отбора.
Напрежението върху Холанд нараства със всеки изминал ден, след като научават новината за телевизията и освен това се оказва, че искат да вземат и интервю от нея. Злото само че, не идва само и освен това, не всички в училище и извън него са съгласни с това че, има момиче в момчешки отбор. Холанд се сблъсква с негодуванието на двама от жителите на града, след един мач, тя ги чува да казват че, едно момиче може само да пречи и да разконцентрира момчетата и най-вече голямата звезда на отбора - Уес.
Разбира се, през всички трудности които очакват Холанд, тя няма да бъде сама, противно на всички очаквания или пък не, най-голяма подкрепа получава от капитана на отбора - Уес.
Изключително мил (но извън пързалката), имаше моменти в които, Уес вярваше много повече в Холанд отколкото тя с��ма трябваше да го направи. А когато се случеше да са на пързалката, било на тренировка или пък на официален мач, така я навикваше, но отново за да и покаже че, тя може много повече и че не трябва да се подценява дори и за момент и далеч не трябва да слуша приказките на хората, които не виждат по-далеч от носа си. Разбира се освен подкрепата на капитана, на среща за помощ винаги е голямото и семейство в лицето на Хънтър - най-големият й брат, Картър е по-малкият. Приятелите й Джес, Кора и Морган - когато имаш истински приятели, всичко може да се преодолее.
Холанд си има едно правило и то е Да не излиза с момчета от отбора. Само че, както най-малко е очаквала подкрепа от капитана си, така й най-малко е очаквала да осъзнае че, всъщност си пада по-него и не стига това, ами се оказва че е взаимно. Тук мисля че, ще се съгласите с мен че, най-логичното е че положението и става още по-напечено и трудно. Напрежението започва доста осезаемо да й влияе, думите които е чула и я карат да си мисли, че може би наистина не е за този отбор, макар и в същия момент да осъзнава че, не е спирала да тренира усилено за да бъде точно там, а сега и тези нови чувства към Уес.
Какво ще се случи и дали ще обори всички, а й себе си? Дали ще си позволи да даде шанс на това което се задава между нея и капитана Уес и какво бъдеще ще избере Холанд, ще оставя да разберете сами. Историята е страхотна, аз обожавам такива, тъй като силно вярвам и никой не може да ме убеди че, има "Женски и мъжки работи". Смятам че, всеки без значение от пола, може по-един или друг начин да свърши дадена работа и съответно да бъде спортист в даден спорт, колкото силов, динамичен или пък мисловен да бъде той. Смятан че, наистина живеем във време в което такива предразсъдъци са вече остарели и не на място, като се има предвид че, може сами да си извадим било от интернет или от други места, реални примери за жени постигнали толкова неща в различни сфери. Макар че, защо едно такова нещо трябва да се приема за нещо невероятно, тъй като за мен - жени и мъже сме равни. Живота не е само една сила... много повече е!
Още като прочетох анотацията, историята имаше всички предпоставки да ми хареса, но докато не я прочетох, не подозирах че ще се влюбя толкова в нея. Никога до сега не бях срещала, главна героиня в която да намеря толкова общи неща - силната любов и връзка към музиката и спорта и факта, че и двете не обичаме да сме в центъра на вниманието, а да останем по встрани.
"- Не им позволявай да те засегнат - повтаря ми той. - Бива си те. Тренираш усилено. Отстояваш позицията си пред група момчета, които са по-големи и по-силни. Така че не позволявай на двама дъртаци да ти попречат да излезеш на пързалката и да дадеш всичко от себе си."
"Ето накъде бия. Аз съм момиче в мъжки свят, свят, в който да покажеш емоции, различни от гняв (или въодушевление след добро спасяване или страхотен гол), е признак на слабост. Никога - нито веднъж - не съм плакала на леда. (Сама в съблекалнята след мача? Да, няколко пъти.) Откакто се помня, съм се справяла с чувствата си с помощта на музиката. Да, текстът ми говори, но понякога някой риф или удар на барабаните е онова, което наистина ме докосва и остава в сърцето ми."
"- Продължавай да тренираш. Когато паднеш, изправи се отново на крака. И продължавай напред. Това е най-важното. Помоли за помощ, ако имаш нужда. Останалото ще се нареди."
"- И още едно нещо, ако е от значение. - Тя млъква за малко. - Всеки, който смята, че не си достатъчно добра да играеш в мъжкият отбор, е пълен кретен. Заслужаваш това място и не позволявай на никого да ти казва нещо различно."
"Не се предавай. Каквото и да ти коства."
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Благодаря Ви, за отделеното време!!!
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