His team demands everything from him, his body is just the beginning.
Hockey is all Kallen has ever wanted, but as an omega, his role is to keep his hockey team together. His body is his team’s both on and off the ice. It’s a price he is willing to pay to play, but when he is finally accepted into a professional team, all his expectations of team as family are shattered.
He still wants the ice badly enough to stay, even knowing one day he will be asked to breed with his team to produce a new generation of players. But no matter how hard he tries; he cannot help but wish for something more… Something an omega in his position can’t ever have.
An alpha of his own.
He knows that if he opens his heart, he won’t be able to do what needs doing, but when offered kindness amidst the chaos and the cruelty, he might not be able to deny himself anymore.
“The Price of Ice” is a standalone dark hockey romance with a clear happy ending.
N.J. Lysk (pronouns: whatever) is a queer one—in almost every sense of the word—for whom stories have always been their one true home. She studied linguistics and literature (which is to say, someone offered him a genuine excuse to read professionally) and ended up teaching, but writing is their one true love.
Addicted to angst, enamoured of mpreg and always ready to try a new kink (in a book, that’s it!) she became hooked into the Omegaverse through fanfic (but he doesn't have the patience to write other people's characters) and has recently expanded from werewolves to hockey players.
Check out my shelves if you want some recommendations, including books that inspired me ;)
Books can be acquired directly from the website at a reduced rate—new releases also become available there earlier.
Kallen is the 'team omega' of his hockey team, which means that part of his duties to assist in team bonding is to sleep with 3 of his teammates during each of his heats. He wants to play so badly that he thinks it's worth it- until rough and callous treatment from several of his teammates shows him how he yearns for true connection and intimacy. At the same time, he is growing closer to one of his alpha teammates named Levy. Levy encourages him to take a stand against the poor treatment of omegas in sport and teaches him about omega 'lure'. After a teammate assaults him, Kallen decides to leave the team and embark on a journey of therapy and healing, while seeking out ways to change the system that treated him like a whore.
After some back and forth, my rating is 2 stars. I really did not enjoy reading this book and found myself making excuses to do things like organize my pantry or restock the fridge instead of read. The writing wasn't bad and the premise of the book sounded very interesting, but as I read I felt increasingly angry and misled. I am getting very irritated lately with what I consider false advertising in blurbs. I read the blurb 5x to see if I had misinterpreted what the book was about, and I genuinely don't feel as though I did. I expected a dark MM hockey book where the omega character was forced to have sex with members of his team in order to stay on the team. I was not expecting- because it wasn't mentioned in the blurb- an extremely long, protracted book about the omega character's recovery and healing from that situation. The majority of the book covered Kallen's reactions to, and recovery from, events that occurred when he was playing hockey. There were a few dark elements but that part of the plot line was wrapped up pretty quickly in my opinion. The rest was very long, unfocused and dare I say rambling. Hockey itself was a very minor part of the book, and games mostly occurred off-page, although there were frequent mentions of working out and eating a healthy diet. While the author's writing style is not for me, as an ARC reader I feel a responsibility to review the book fairly, which includes mentioning the lack of consistency between the blurb and the book itself.
I have read one other N.J. Lysk book before and recall that it was similar- an interesting hook at the beginning, followed by an extended amount of character development (involving unnecessary side characters and lengthy amounts of dialogue for the majority of the rest of the book), ending with an unsatisfyingly rushed wrap-up of plot points. The book ends abruptly and almost completely skips the 'main event' we've waited for for around 400 pages (the resolution to Kallan leaving the team, which happens in a paragraph). There were also 2 draft notes that should be removed from the book during editing and proofing, which does not appear to have happened yet. Overall, the book was a miss for me. I don't think I would have enjoyed it either way, but I do wish the blurb had emphasized recovery and healing rather than hockey and dark themes.
Rating: 2 Angst: 3/5 Steam: 1/5
I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review
To indirectly quote another reviewer: I was expecting dubcon hockey gangbangs and instead I got therapy?
This isn’t dark and it’s barely a romance imo but I did enjoy it so idk how to rate.
Kallen becomes the “team’s omega” meaning in order to play hockey professionally he has agreed to share his monthly heats with three team members of his management’s choosing. Otherwise he’s largely ignored by the team. A few of the alphas are rough or abusive and management gaslights Kallen into thinking it’s his fault. Thankfully his one friend on the team, Levy, helps him see how fucked up it all is and the majority of the book is Kallen recovering from SA, gathering evidence to take his team captain to trial for rape, and moving on from playing professional hockey.
I really liked Kallen and the book on the whole was interesting to me but the blurb is incredibly misleading!!
Kallen and Levy kind of have a situationship at the start, but eventually put the brakes on because more important shit is going on and Kallen is leaving the team. They stay in touch a fair bit but purely as friends until Levy also quits the team and moves to Kallen’s hometown with no expectations of a relationship. Kallen hasn’t wanted to let him go so when the opportunity comes again he knows he has a second chance with the sweet alpha. The last bit that focuses more on them was really sweet but kind of too little too late for the book as a whole to read like a romance.
I’ve been burned by this author before so I probably won’t read any more from them.
Strongly emotional, full of high tension, with atavic social mores in contrast with modern enlightened norms, depths and heights of internal psychological and external physical pain and despair, fear and love. An A/B/O universe with male and female omegas, although this story is strictly MM (or MM +more M). The hockey on ice setting creates a particularly exacting set-up between the various alphas and the one omega on a hockey team, and while it might be seen as steamy or even pO4n, there's so much more, and worse than one would imagine, going on in this world. Trigger warnings are to be taken seriously, but the inner strength of the omega protagonist helps the reader overcome the frankly terrible circumstances forced on him because of social norms. As the young hockey player gradually matures, and his understanding of the world he undergoes allows him insight into how retrograde the price is that he must pay to follow his passion for the sport, the horror worsens before it gets better. But it will, in the end, lead to the promise of much better, and more - although the price will be higher than he would ever have wanted.
Kallen is an omega, hockey is his life, his role is to keep his team (all alphas) together. As his contract says, they will take care of his heats, only approach him in those moments. But, lines are blurred, and not in a good way, it’s in a very bad way.
He had to fight for his rights.
He has one friend, his teammate Levy. An alpha, one of the better ones. Kallen feels safe with him, that’s unique. Some feelings aren’t allowed, imagine the jealous alphas from his team. They keep it friendly with a touch of more.
When things with the team got badly out of control, and Kallen got afraid, he had to make a decision, a hard one. As an omega, you’re helpless when the fvcked up alphas use their demanding power. But he knows what to do, even though It’s a very hard, difficult and complicated road. With therapy, lawyers, and discussions, but also meeting new people, finding his own strength and power, having choices, and helping others. Watch Kallen rise!
The alpha-omega dynamic, and Kallen’s journey, were impressively presented. It’s all entertaining, but also quite harsh. The romance was mildly present. It’s a slow-processing story, widely written. The outcome was very satisfying! Overall I enjoyed reading this journey, the author has a pleasant way of storytelling.
I adored the premise for this book and I was super interested in how it would play out. There were some super heartbreaking parts of this story that were on the rougher side to get through. I did end up pretty confused at one point for where exactly this was taking place. I'm still unsure. I enjoyed the relationship between the two MCs as well as some of the side characters. For me, the resolution did not work well. The book itself was very long and drawn out but the resolution to everything (and there was a lot) was a chapter at the end. It felt incomplete and rushed. Overall I enjoyed the story though.
I wanted to love this book so so badly, but it’s impossible. When reading the blurb, I was like OH MY GOSH I NEED THIS STORY MORE THEN I NEED AIR. I’m a sucker for a good dark omegaverse romance.
The beginning was promising and it started of strong, but went downhill pretty darn fast after that. I was expecting a dark hockey romance, but the hockey was such a small part of the story. And in the end it was more about Kallen’s healing journey blabla.
So the blurb felt a bit of a catfish situation 🥲 I received an ARC copy by GRR and this is my honest opinion. I’m always honest in my reviews and i’ve read many Omegaverse books. And this one just didn’t cut it, sorry.
What in the bait and switch was that?!?! I signed up for a dark MM with hockey... I got 30% dark, 5% peripheral hockey, and 65% of recovery and move on... even the "therapy" was peripheral.
Single POV where most of it was internal monologing and VAGUE. The spicy scenes were minimal and other than one facetime session, they were all VAGUE and ambiguous.
There were some typos throughout, mostly the wrong word.. like "off" instead of "of". Annoying, but not enough to be a deal breaker. Why did I need to get through THAT many pages of boring to get to an ending that shot forward into the future and then I had to get through 90% of the epilogue just to figure out what they were even talking about!
Thanks, but no thanks on any future books from this author for me.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Okay, buckle up because this is going to be a long review. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and I'm really happy that the result was this great, it's now been added to my "favorite books" piles. There were a lot of things done here that worked for me, a couple of details that didn't do it completely, and overall it was long ride - but very worth it.
The story is about Kallen, a young omega that is part of the White Cats, a hockey team full of alphas. His contract controls big part of his life, one of the major aspects being his heats with every alpha in the team rotating to take turns to assist him. What he believes is something he can handle turns out to be a nightmare. In the middle of chaos, Kallen starts becoming closer to Levy, an alpha from their team that treats him differently. Kallen is faced with hard challenges where his autonomy comes into play. But he isn't alone, and he'll realize sooner or later there are people on his own team too.
This was a beautiful journey following a dark omegaverse setting -which is this author's expertise- with a hopeful ending. I have to admit that I might be a bit biased because I've loved all the works I've read from this author before, which are much darker than this one. I really love how they go deep into the MC's psychology through such difficult experiences, and this book wasn't the exception. I wasn't sure what I'll find this time even when the blurb said it had a happy ending, so I was still nervous, but I found a lot of good surprises.
First thing to highlight is the well established dark setting and its themes. I think one of the things this author does best is presenting a really fucked up world and making their characters go through trials and tribulations. The whump was really well done, it's one of my favorite elements ever and I loved how the "hurt" part from the hurt/comfort element is actually painful, but eventually there's so. There's also resiliance as a theme I've found in most of their works, and I really loved how Kellan had this quality. It wasn't easy, the narrative makes that very clear, however it is satisfying to see his character development.
Speaking about character development, the growth both MCs had was fantastic. I really loved how the book took the time to show many different experiences and it never rushed in making them find their own footing, it feels beliavable and even admirable that they were able to get to that place being young.
The prose/writting style is another aspect I was a big fan of. I've always loved how this author writes, so I knew I wouldn't have any problem with that. It helps that the book follows only Kellan's POV and it's written on third person, my favorite type. Personally, I really like it when books are written like this because to me it feels more realistic and I'm able to connect more with the characters. This author has something in their words that make me feel a lot with their works, and that's something I always look for in books.
Now onto the dynamic, I was really into the whole "Kellan pulls and Levy follows his lead. It's a high contrast versus the unhealthy relationships Kellan has had with many of the alphas in his life and their treatment towards him, and it's one of the reasons both work so well together. The chemistry was there from the first second, and I liked that the book didn't rush things between them, having them starting as friends and then something more but not yet lovers. Also, I don't say this easily because very few books can pull this off but - this one totally nailed and showed an ACTUAL slow burn. It's very important to me that the development between a couple is taken at a slow pace and is made to feel organic.
I also wanted to give kudos for the amazing pacing regarding the relationship. I love when authors give the MCs time and space, figuratively or literally. Here it was a good display of both, and I think it's exactly what both needed to be able to meet in the middle. It made Kellan find out what he wanted to do, his stance towards everything in his life, and get new experiences such as making friends or reuniting with people that love him and creating a community. All of that was showed in a beautiful way, as it is part of his healing journey, which isn't definitive, linear, perfect or magically done because none is.
There's one more thing I wanted to speak about and that's Levy. He was an absolute delight during most of the book, but I admit I had mixed feelings during the reveal. However, I eventually noticed that the narrative conveyed it was something Levy will always carry with himself, even after the talk he had with Kellan. While I wasn't super into Kellan making peace with it too fast, I could still understand his perspective, because their world is really fucked up, plus they were young thrown into such awful arrangement. It's something Levy will always regret no matter if he was sort of forced into his decision. I liked that he took responsability and both his actions and words spoke for him, showing that he truly cared for Kellan and will always put him first on every aspect - and that's the clousure I needed as a reader too.
Besides all of these really good positive things, there was one thing that I would've wanted executed a bit better: the pacing about the plot from the start of the second half felt draggy. I totally understand the point of showing Kellan discovering new things, which I was totally on board, but I feel like maybe 50 pages could've been cut and the message still could have come across. Also, part ofme wanted this to be an even darker book, but I'm fine with the result as well.
Ultimately, this was an insanely gripping ride, with dark themes underneath but a hopeful outcome between the couple. The epilogue was really satisfying as well, I love it when books show more from what came after the events at the end time later. I really liked the conclusion, and as I always say: hard-earned HEAs are much more fullfilling.
-This was an ARC review.
Tags: (might miss some of them) -POV: third person -Content warnings: -Elements: -Kinks: -Sexual act(s): -Dynamic:
I would like to thank GRR for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
At first i thought this book was going to be 2457623567 pages of omegaverse heat dynamics, tons of slick and sex, with some hockey thrown in for hypermasculine-arena reasons. What surprised me the most was that The Price of Ice was about Kallen's healing journey after paying a much higher cost beyond his contractual obligations!
This story got me in my feelings a few times, and i'm sure anyone who would be triggered by this book's triggers would have big feelings as well. And though this was a fairly easy read -in terms of narrative style- this book was still 300 pages too long for me.
There was just too much time spent feeling squirmy for this 19yo and not enough time spent being romanced by Levy (and vice versa) which would have offset the miniscule amount hockey, and the bouts of discomforting narrative that kept me pretty tense from page 1.
So yeah this was a much more serious story than i thought i was getting into, and i do feel like my heart's been in a vice for the length of time i'd been reading this book. I think my biggest criticism is the length due to extraneous characters/plot. and while i do get why the author felt it was a substantive enough inclusion, i just think N.J. Lysk has significant talent and that this could have been two books without compromising anything. This tome felt both stuffed and not enough at the same time, if that makes sense.
The biggest compliment i CAN give is that i did not DNF when the going got tough. I think there's something here for sure and N.J. Lysk is absolutely on my radar from this moment on. Omegaverse isn't my usual thing, and while i would not classify this as "dark" per se, it was really challenging to read at times and it broke my heart.
Overall, Kallan and Levy were lovely and sweet stars, and because i was impressed by their characterizations i'm looking forward to more from N.J. Lysk in the future!
**I was provided an electronic ARC via GayRomanceReviews.**
Actual Rating: 3.5
NJ Lysk presents The Price of Ice, a dark MM+ omegaverse hockey romance. Readers follow Kallen, an omega who has beat the odds and made it as a professional hockey player and is the sole omega on his team of alphas. His contract stipulates that he will accept three of his alpha teammates to assist with his heat each time, though it is team management that decides who on the team will be assigned that rotation. Kallen builds a connection with teammate Levy who treats him with tenderness and respect- not at all what Kallen is accustomed to. When his team captain sees fit to approach outside of his heat, Kallen begins to suspect that, for him, the price of ice is just too high. Kallen must choose what's most important to him: Levy, hockey, or making lasting change to how omegas are treated in professional sports via legal testimony.
In case the plot summary wasn't a clue, this is absolutely a dark romance. The building relationship between Levy and Kallen is fragile but good. The treatment of Kallen by the rest of the team and team management is absolutely toxic. The legal process concerning sexual assault is covered in this book as well as psychosomatic symptoms of trauma. Please read with care.
All content warnings out of the way, NJ Lysk handled the subject matter in a way that was both raw and with appropriate care. The exchange of support between Kallen and Levy was admirable and healthy even while acknowledging the imperfections of their relationship.
If the subject matter of the book appeals, this is a solid delivery of the premise. If the premise raises red flags for you, best to skip this one because the flags are absolutely there for a reason. I look forward to diving into Lysk's backlist and am eager to have a new author in this genre to follow.
Brutal, bold, and beautifully written—Price of Ice is a dark omegaverse hockey romance that pulls no punches.
NJ Lysk delivers a hard-hitting story that centres on Kallen, the only omega in a league dominated by alphas. Despite breaking barriers as a pro hockey player, Kallen’s contract forces him into heat rotations with teammates—chosen not by him, but by team management. It’s dehumanising, and it only gets more complicated when Kallen begins to form a fragile but genuine bond with Levy, one of the few who treats him with care and respect.
As his connection with Levy grows, so does Kallen’s awareness of the system’s toxicity—especially when the team captain crosses boundaries outside of heat. The story explores Kallen’s impossible choice: protect his career, stay with Levy, or fight for change through legal testimony that could shift how omegas are treated in pro sports forever.
Make no mistake, this is a dark romance. Themes of sexual assault, coercion, trauma, and psychosomatic responses are front and centre. But Lysk handles them with raw honesty and sensitivity. The emotional weight is real, and the healing, though imperfect, feels hard-earned. Levy and Kallen’s dynamic is a bright thread in an otherwise heavy narrative—imperfect, but full of care and mutual support.
If the premise intrigues you and you’re comfortable with darker themes, this is a bold, thoughtful, and uncompromising read. If it gives you pause, those warnings are there for a reason.
Lysk has definitely earned a spot on my radar—I’m excited to explore more of their work.
I'm really sad that this book just wasn't for me. What I do want to make clear is that I thought Levy was such a sweet character and he did have a good relationship with Kallen- I'm glad they got their HEA by the end of the book. I was also completely aware going in that there was going to be the 'forced' element where Kallen was shared by his team so this wasn't a reason for my rating. Sadly, it just felt unbalanced. It was an absolute mammoth read but there was so much of it that didn't really feel like it moved things on. I completely understand that the aim is to show the healing process and forgiving yourself (which of course takes time) but there were parts of the story that I felt needed more time given to them as opposed to every single meeting he had with people helping him. It became quite repetitive and for the second half of the book I missed Levy. I don't think it was a mm romance with 2 main characters, I think it was Kallen's story and Levy just played a small part and at times was a bit forgotten. Even at the end with Levy's job choices, it didn't feel meaningful because I don't think that we were able to truly invest enough in him, his backstory and his reactions.
There were some good moments in the book, it was an interesting idea and from the blurb I'd been excited to read it and ultimately know there was a HEA waiting. Sadly, just not for me but others may of course feel differently.
I really enjoyed this one! It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention the entire time. It is a darker story and definitely deals with some heavier things. I would highly suggest paying attention to the trigger warnings just to make sure that you are on board and comfortable with where this story goes. Kellan loves to play hockey and he believes he is ready to pay the price to play professionally as he will be the only omega on the team full of alphas and he will belong to them both on and off the ice. At first, he believes that they will be a family but things quickly go sideways for him. He has to juggle what is happening and how much he wants to play. I enjoyed the development of the story and watching the characters adjust and adapt with events. Kellan has to figure out how much he is willing pay and when the price gets too high. He starts to develop feelings for one teammate but with the situation it doesn't really let him just be with the one he wants. Levy also has to figure out what he is going to do and how much he is willing to stay with status quo or back Kellan. I enjoyed the story and while on the darker side I enjoyed it and found it entertaining and engaging. The story was on the longer side which gives time for the story and characters to develop. It didn't drag out or feel long but I loved the details that we got due to the length. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
The warnings about the dark themes were no joke – from page one, a sense of unease and disquiet is very obvious and it grows as each chapter passes. What was fascinating was how Kallen justified and accepted things simply because he was expected to – he blamed himself for so many things that were most definitely not his fault, it was heartbreaking.
Quite a bit of the story was relatively slow-moving and in that time, the author explored themes of discrimination and prejudice, omegas discovering their power and found family with a deft hand and an interesting slant. It was a very interesting read and to some extent, the romance aspect of things took a backseat to the politics and aftermath of what Kallen suffered through. It’s given me quite a lot to think about and I very much enjoyed the way that things ‘ended’, with Levy and Kallen having what could be considered a relationship that was out of the ordinary but which worked for them.
A very thoughtful, affecting read with some good characterisations, some lovely relationships and a new slant on the whole alpha/omega/beta dynamics but I would say take heed of the trigger warnings.
I thought I was picking up a low-angst gay harem smutfest book. What I got instead was a much heavier, medium to high angst, bleak and gray omegaverse world with slow burn, teammates to friends to lovers, trying to fight against the world and the ways omegas have been so oppressed in society, and especially in sports where they found loopholes to abuse the omegas they get on their teams.
The title was so aptly picked for this book. The dilemma of Kallen being an omega hockey player in a team of alphas (contracts only allow one omega per team), and sacrificing things he didn't even know he was giving up, just to play the sport he loves--just to be an athlete. He slowly comes to the realization about the actual abuse he's taking, disguised as his teammates "helping" him with his heat, then having a panic attack when he realized he was assaulted.
The aftermath, the journey to recovery (physical and mental) and discovery of what happened, learning about the world outside his bubble, helping to spread the word but also helping others that have the same ambitions as he did, and trying to make the world a better place even though it seems impossible.
Levy was such a darling and amazing character/friend/alpha/teammate. I also felt bad for Benny, who was such the opposite of an alpha, and wished he had a deeper friendship with Kallen in the beginning as well. He seemed so harmless, so not sure why Kallen let Levy in, but not Benny (besides the obvious loveline with Levy).
Why in the world does this have a terrible overall rating??? I went into this thinking it would be horribly written or something but no. This is a complex, lengthy story about SA, the society that allows it, and the power each person has to make a difference.
At the heart of the story are two people who want to make a difference and maybe fall in love while doing so. This book 10000% has an audience- for fans of extreme hurt/comfort. Yeah there are mentions of mpreg but thankfully not ever seen or experienced in this book. But other than that? This is was great! The author clearly had something to say.
My only real gripe was the length. I read the synopsis and thought maybe 300 pages max? But 564 is a bit too much. Only other thing I can see people not liking is the “feminization” of the omega role but I think the fact that you meet all different genders per designation helps with not falling into that. But would recommend for people that want tough on page situations and the full fallout of what comes next.
This was such an interesting concept, as soon as I saw the blurb I knew I had to give it a try. The world building was great and I found myself intrigued by it all. I felt for Kallen. He knew what was happening wasn't right, but since it was all he ever knew and was brought up to believe this was the way it should be, he didn't know he should be fighting against it. He thought being the team omega was the only way he could get to play hockey, and didn't know how to fight against it. Levy was great and I loved seeing their friendship develop into something more. I do feel like it was a little long and dragged a little. There were a lot of heats without much in between in the beginning and middle and I kind of found myself skimming through some of it toward the end. I love how it ended in an HEA and with hope for change for the future.
I liked the blurb for this book and thought I'd give it a shot. Turns out it wasn't what I expected, but that's not necessarily bad. I'm not usually into sports romance because sports aren't really my thing. While hockey did play a major role in this story, it was more focused on the treatment and political/social aspect of organizations such as these and elsewhere in the world. Really, it felt like a retelling of gender equality issues that we face today.
There was sweet romance and spice, but there is also triggering content. Abuse in all its forms and not just hinted at. We go through it with the MC. Overall, it was a decent book and definitely makes the mind think about current issues outside that we experience ourselves. I'm glad I read it. However, I didn't fall in love with it to the point I'd read it again.
"It was stupid, because the exciting part had just passed, he’d scored and had two assists, and they’d won. But then he stepped outside the locker room and Levy got an arm around his neck and dragged him into a one-armed embrace and Kallen inhaled deeply into his neck, his sandalwood and apples scent like a hit of home and safety to ground the exhilaration still rushing through his veins."
This was my first omegaverse hockey romance, and a dark one at that! I don't generally read omegaverse but I enjoyed this one - it made a real change from my usual read. I did think that it was probably too long for the genre though.
What To Expect:
🖤MM omegaverse 🖤Alpha/omega 🖤Hockey romance 🖤Dark themes 🖤Dub con/non con 🖤Angsty 🖤Hard won HEA
Kallen really loves hockey and thought he knew what he was signing up for to be a team omega serving the alpha's and keeping them happy. What actually happened is a study in power imbalances, and marginalized people. Kallen really went through a traumatic experience and had to decide whether to live with it or sacrifice everything he's ever wanted for justice, happiness and the opportunity to potentially help others like himself find the same courage to break free. I loved how his relationship with Levy slowly developed from friendship into something much more and how Levy took accountability for his own actions and made the choice to support Kallen and not continue the cycle of harming more omegas.
In a different take on Omega/Alpha culture, Kallen is the hockey team Omega. He's good enough to play but when he has a heat, three teammates will get him through it according to their team stats. He feels he's the soul of the team and proud of it but wishes he could have just one Alpha. Your mind and heart cry for the attitude and idea that this was even right. This is Kallen's long journey to fight for justice and fairness against the system and with few friends on the team to help. His pain, his anguish, the love he felt for a teammate and finally the exhaustion and crushing of his dream to play along with assaults force him to fight back. I wish his final fight had not been glossed over. I received a copy of this through Gay Romance Reviews and this is my voluntary opinion.
I don't know what I expected, but this surpassed all expectations. The price of ice is such a fitting title, as Kallen truly paid for his desire to skate, and it almost cost him his very being. Be sure to check the trigger warnings, as this book is heavy, but really forces you to think about what decisions cost and how much one is forced to unfairly sacrifice. We do get a bright happy ending. The sun peeks out of the clouds around halfway through and gets brighter throughout the ending. I loved the fact that Levy was forced to confront his own part in Kallen's situation, and made the choice to follow him, instead of perpetuating the cycle to another team omega.
3.5 stars This is a very long book and it takes you on quite the journey. It deals with some very heavy topics and you should definitely read the trigger warnings before reading it. It is a story about power, friendship, broken systems, mental health and the strength you need to choose your soul over your dreams. Reading this was an emotional roller coaster and although the ending seemed realistic it didn't really leave me satisfied. The world-building was well done, it felt real and horrible at the same time. The writing itself could use a little bit of a clean-up. There were some small issues and confusing time jumps/memories/references to the future but nothing major.
When I agreed to review this book, I was not sure what I was expecting as it is not my typical read. I do not read omega/alpha books but this one was got under my skin and I was hooked. It is a book with a hockey setting but it is really about romance, love and hope. The main characters are written reallistically and in such a relatable way that draws you in. Be sure to pay attention and take seriously the trigger warns. A deep book but also a book about hope. A great story about what we are willing to sacrifice, the impact of decisions we make, and finding hope. I did receive an ARC and leave this honest review.
I dislike leaving average reviews, but I found it really difficult to read this book. I normally read a book in a couple of days; this one took me five days. It was a struggle. I received this book as an ARC and I hate to DNF as I see that as giving up, but it was a close thing. To me this was supposed to be a book about the difficulties of an Omega playing ice hockey. In reality it was more about the recovery of said Omega and how he moved on from the abuse that he was subjected to. I was emotionally invested in parts of the book but at no stage was it a I can't put down book.
Thank you for the book, here is my honest opinion: 2.5⭐️This sounded like a promising premise, plus I love hockey romances. I liked both main characters, and the relationship between Kallen and Levy was ultimately satisfying and pretty sweet. I was missing the hockey though, as it is very minimal here unfortunately. I also found I’d quite long and a bit of a downer to get through all the damage from the team’s mistreatment of Kallen. Liked the couple, but the plot was my favorite.
Don’t normally read this type of stuff but I loved it
To be clear I DO NOT read sports novels but I read the premise of this book and thought I would try it. It went in totally different directions than I thought it would and I loved it. N.J. Lysk has come up with some interesting ways to take the omega/alpha trope and has produced a compelling story about the way omegas are treated in sport in this imaginary world.
This blending of hockey with omegaverse had a unique twist to the hockey aspect that I found heartbreaking for Kallen. The book makes you question when the price for something you love becomes too high to pay. I raced through this one hoping we'd get that HEA and I loved it that I couldn't see how the author could give that to us. A wonderful read.
This was a hard read for me. I'm no stranger to why choose, if you could call it that...it doesn't seem like thats accurate to me. This was BRUTAL. I almost DNFd it but ended up taking a break by reading something soft every 15% or so. I'm glad I finished it because the end healed my heart for Kallen.