When fire and ice meet…

Synopsis

He’s the fire I was never meant to touch.
I’m the ice prince who can’t seem to stay frozen.

Artemis: 

Graduate. Dominate. No distractions—especially cocky sophomores like Xavier Martinez. Every stolen kiss in the shadows, every brush of his hand, sends cracks splintering through the walls I swore would never break.

He sees the mess underneath the ice prince. And now the sight of him across the rink feels less like rivalry and more like self-destructive obsession.

He’s bad decisions in gray sweatpants, sin-slick confidence, the rival team’s golden boy.

My antithesis. My counterpoint. My favorite chaos gremlin.

One slip, and I hand my father the proof he’s always wanted—that I was never enough to bear the de la Peña name. I can’t afford to want him, but he’s determined to prove that imperfection tastes better than any win.

Xavier: I’ve spent my life chasing light—now I’m falling for the man who makes the dark feel like home. Artemis makes me feel chosen, but at the rink, I’m still just the enemy.

When it all comes crashing down, I won’t walk away. I’ll stand there, bare and unguarded, and dare him to love me anyway. Artemis has to choose—between his fear of failure and the reckless, messy love that might finally set us both free.

You can’t be the ice prince when your lover is the fire.

My review

Artemis de la Peña has decided that he has absolutely no time for distractions. He needs to graduate, complete his plan to bring his own father down, play as a beast on the ice and honour his nickname as the Ice Prince. An Ice Prince that makes everyone think that he is truly as cold as ice, and has everything what he wants and all under control. But nobody, not even his own family, knows what is truly going on in Artemis his mind, and how self – doubt and the desire to prove his worth, is crushing him on the inside. The last thing Artemis needs, is to feel the impossible attraction for Xavier Martinez, his enemy on the rink. Xavier seems to see Artemis for real and with his confidence and his understanding, Artemis somehow cannot keep ignore his nemesis. But Artemis slowly starts to understand that just like himself, Xavier is searching to no longer stand in the shadow of his famous brother, but to have the spotlight on him through his hard work. Xavier and Artemis seem to be a perfect match for each other, weren’t it that in real life they are rivals and that Artemis’s life can be falling apart any minute. But with Xavier’s determination to stand by Artemis his side, can their combination of fire and ice be stronger than the curveballs of life?

I don’t think it was humanly possible to be more eager starting this book. Each book that Lasairiona writes, makes me just want to grab it and dive into her world and her lovely, amazing, extreme hot characters!

There is one thing I was a bit afraid of. Not that I doubted about Lasairiona’s writing skills. But like she was a bit scared of writing a story about Artemis and Xavier, I was a bit scared of reading it. I absolutely believe that everyone is allowed to love whoever they want, the heart cannot be commanded and love is just a wonderful thing. But I was scared that the same – sex – story would be too much about the characters being of the same sex, overusing clichés and that because it is a same – sex – story, I would find it more difficult to connect with either one of them.

But once I started to read, I quickly understood that shame on me that I even doubted a little bit. Because this story is just *wow*…

Being a fan of the series, and just the author in general, from the previous books I already knew Artemis a little bit. But in this book, I had the opportunity to really get to know Artemis and understand him.

And right from the start, my heart went out to him. It is obvious to us readers that Artemis truly feels that his last name is a burden rather than an asset. Not only is he being compared with his siblings (that he adores, let there be no doubt about that!), but being a de la Peña made it also a fact that Artemis does not know who he truly is. He has lost himself in his name in a way. And let’s not forget the d*ckhead of a father he has… a father that is only all too pleased to make Artemis (and his other children too) feel like a complete failure.

So of course it makes sense that Artemis is not allowing any distraction in his life at the moment. He has too much to fight for and too much to prove. And of course he has his walls built so high they are practically impenetrable.

It makes sense, but it broke my heart, because Artemis *IS* an amazing young man, he *IS* more than enough and he *DOES* deserve to be loved, even if he is the Ice Prince…

An Ice Prince that finds himself drawn to the heat of Xavier Martinez…

While it may seem that Xavier is acting a little bit like a stalker, following Arte, sending gifts, not giving up, I could understand his actions. It is not because he is an actual stalker, but he knows that Artemis is a hard nut to crack. And if Xavier would give up that easily, firstly we wouldn’t have this amazing story, and secondly, it would actually seem that Xavier isn’t worthy of Artemis’s heart…

The contrast between Artemis and Xavier couldn’t be any bigger. Fire and ice is an understatement…

However, they also have so many similarities, making their connection more obvious.

Of course there is the fact they both spend a lot of time on the rink, and they have a reputation, s it should as they excel in the game. But they also both share the burden, as they both have siblings that have just *made* it on a national level. So they for sure understand how it feels to have the need to stand out for yourself, and not being compared to any of your siblings.

And Xavier just gets Artemis, even when Artemis has his walls higher than the Great Wall… he knows how to let Artemis open up, how to let Artemis understand that he isn’t on his own, that he has Xavier, but also his own mother and siblings who will help him. If he finds the courage to ask for help…

If he would be straight, Xavier would for be someone I could be falling for myself. But as he is not ashamed of his own sexuality, I believe that he would become my best friend in real life! 😊 Because he is the kind of person that truly cares, worries and doesn’t give up after a first hurdle.

And hurdles there are in this story. Hurdles where I don’t know if I would have Xavier’s patience and forgiveness. Artemis isn’t an easy character, and his need for self-protection is so high, that he even hurts people that matter the most. But changing isn’t easy…

Change that culminates in a realization when tragedy strikes. Change where Artemis is finally showing his real feelings, isn’t afraid to come clen about it and shows this caring, worrying side that he has kept hidden…

Sides that Xavier is able to unleash, and something wonderful is there to be read by us. I can understand that it hasn’t been easy for Las to write this story, but the love between Xavier and Artemis, struggles notwithstanding, is just a wonderful things to read, to experience. I was rooting for this pair, as they both deserve to be loved and to love with all their hearts.

I absolutely ADORED this book! It shows us how people can hide themselves for others, be afraid to open up to others, about anything. But also, how persistence can be the key to unlock a heart. How persistence can be just what is needed. And let’s not forget how absolutely indispensable love is.

Because let’s be honest, without love, life is bland, unexcited and how love can bring down the highest walls, how it can bring you someone that understands you better than you could ever imagine. And how that love, with patience, can be exactly the missing piece that you were missing in your life.

I have said it before, and I will say it again, and I will keep on saying it, Las has this ability, this talent to write difficult stories, with not the easiest of characters, yet she makes you fall for them, no matter what who they are falling for, no matter what struggles they are facing in their lives.

I cannot say that I devoured this book. Because is there a superlative of devouring? Because that is exactly what I did with this book! I just found it literally impossible of putting it away, I needed to read more, I needed to know more, I needed to have more love!