yes yes yes. I havent read the first book, but i was able to enjoy this one without it. I will definitely be picking up the first book after reading this

I don’t really know how to rate this because on the one hand, it’s a season of hockey game by game but on the other, I’m invested in Sophie Fournier. This is Sophie’s second season with the Condors and while some things have changed, many haven’t. She’s still booed by opposing teams’ fans but her own team has come to value her as a player and person. However they still have no cognisance of how much she still has to deal with in terms of bigotry, sexism and what she needs to do for simple self-preservation.

There’s a lot of ice hockey in this novel but strangely I enjoyed the pace and the tension even though I don’t know what half of the terminology meant. I think that in itself is testament to how well it’s written. What Sophie has to go through on a daily basis is what held me in the story though. Not even legal drinking age, she has the weight of sports politics, women’s rights, public relations and a fan base of young girls’ dreams on her shoulders. And she still has to out-perform all the men on the ice just to retain her spot in the team.

It’s not a dramatic story building up to a singular incident. It’s the daily grind with one small incident after another that portrays the power Sophie has as a young woman. I’m looking forward to the next.

Book received from Netgalley and NineStar Press for an honest review.

This is purely a matter of taste, but this book really wasn't for me. I generally like sports in books, but I'm not a big enough sports fan and I'm not invested enough in hockey to stay interested in this book. I was just bored for most of it.

Something I felt let down by personally is that Sophie is very clearly on the asexual & aromantic spectrums, if not aroace. But instead of making this explicit, she's called "hockeysexual" and it's never dealt with. I think this was a missed opportunity, and it would have been lovely to have actual rep. Honestly, the term "hockeysexual" felt insulting, and I wish it was handled with more care, at least.

ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first Sophie book, and was excited to read this when it popped up on NetGalley. But this just felt like a retread of the first book, because the storyline mirrors the first book pretty much exactly. The first book focussed on how Sophie felt as the only woman playing in the league, but set up two other women joining the league, so I was interested to see how that would work, one on her team and the other in opposition. But like Sophie, I was immensely disappointed with how that (and pretty much everything else in this book) played out. It also felt like there was more hockey in this one, and frankly, I was bored by it by the half way mark.

I can’t say more without spoiling the book, and other reviews have touched on most of it anyway. I did assume book 2 would at least set up some sort of romantic interest for Sophie, or that it would state that she’s asexual/demisexual or something. That may happen in book 3, though now the intrigue is if there is a relationship, who it will be (I had assumed Elsa, but maybe Gabrielle?). I guess book 3 will be what I was hoping book 2 would be. I hope so anyway. 2.5 stars.

Like with Breaking The Ice, I have a lot of feelings so there will be a short version and a long version of this review. The short is: as a follow up, this does well to build on the themes and characters set forth in the first novel. Again, the conflict is mostly internal, but the quick pace keeps the narrative from being ponderous and the highly relatable nature of Sophie and her supporting cast brings a level of realism to the book that is not often seen in sports themed stories.

Now for the essay portion.

This is like the sports version of a coming of age story. Because the first book had Sophie so focused on being a model minority, we didn't get to explore her as a new adult in a professional world. With Sophie feeling more secure in her place in the team and the league, Collins takes the time to explore Sophie's relationship with the other players on a deeper level. The subplot with Matty and X is brilliant and showcases both Sophie's youth and how her team has become a family as she desperately tries to hold everyone told. Honestly, it's written almost like she is the child of divorcing parents and I love it. Sophie has had to grow up so fast because of her dominance in hockey and media visibility, so it makes sense that this is where she stumbles.

Once again, Collins handles the double standards for minorities very well and does an even better job of showing how her team has her back by having them not get defensive when she shares her experiences or when she calls them out of their behavior. The writing has the characters grow and learn in a very natural, organic way that I very much appreciate.

Lastly, (for now - I'll probably add more as I reflect on the story) I once again love that there isnt a romance subplot and I love that everyone else is very concerned about her love life as that feels realistic. In the first book, Sophie came off as Ace but in this one she is more clearly Demi and that means that whatever romance we may have to going to be the ultimate slow burn. Collins is definitely setting something up, but honestly I would be completely okay if the only ship to take off is the friendship.

Loved this. I didn’t know if K.R. Collins could pull me back into the continuing saga of Sophie Fournier, the first female ice hockey player in the NAHL but she won me over once again.

Breaking the Ice introduced us to Sophie as she is drafted last by one of the worst teams in the league. She has to prove to her coach, the management and her teammates that she deserves to be there. No weakness is allowed.

If you love a sports story with emphasis on the sport this is a wonderful series.
There is potential for romance but Sophie is far too busy trying to survive in a male dominated sport to spend a lot of time dwelling on her personal life. She is under constant pressure to prove she deserves to play at this premiere level yet she is held to a higher standard. . She is not permitted to fight back when taunted by other players on the ice. She’s earned the right to share the men’s dressing room but is still reluctant to drink at the after game parties or be seen alone with other players. She must be a better player and a better person than everyone else on her team. Like women in leadership positions in many walks of life, she must never show an emotional response or be declared a hysterical female.

Sounds heavy handed but this book was a pleasure to read. I love how the author dropped characters and situations from the first book into dialogue making it easy to remember the key players in Sophie’s life. Great for those of us who can't be bothered/don't have time to reread the first book in the series.

The secondary characters are well drawn and add depth to Sophie’s dream of more women playing at the highest level her sport has to offer. You come to care about her teammates as much as Sophie. The game action is easy to visualize and pulls you in like you are at the game and close enough to hear the swearing. Yes, it helps to be a hockey fan and my Canadian roots might show my bias. This book is worth a look if you like to see women fight for their place in a man’s world. Sophie Fournier is the real deal.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

The 1st in the Sophie Fournier series was so fresh. I didn't even know I needed to read a new style of writing until I read K.R. Collins.

When I stumbled across this on NetGalley, I was thrilled to be approved so I can get the same clear-eyed, visceral play-by-play style Collins uses to write.

So why #2 gets 2 stars when #1 got 5 out of me? This one was just flat out lacking. It didn't have as much personal struggle or character insight as the 1st. There wasn't a much character growth, not enough drama to intrigue.

I wasn't bothered by the lack of "romance" -- it was refreshing to not have it in #1. I also like the hockey details -- duh, if you don't like hockey, why even pick this up?

Hoping we can get out of the sophomore slump and score another goal with the next one.

I usually like books about sports, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I had a hard time reading and finishing it. There are too many characters with too many nicknames. I couldn’t keep track, might also be because the book didn’t speak to me.
Sophie, the main character, doesn’t show any development and the plot is super thin.

This just isn’t for me I guess.

I read Breaking the Ice and Sophomore Surge back to back and enjoyed both books immensely. The story is about Sophie Fournier, a very talented hockey player who becomes the first women to be drafted and play as a professional in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). As a teen (19) starting off, not only does she need to perform at a professional level, but she needs to grow into a tough and mature women playing in a man's world. Both books describe how she grows into a leader on her team -- Breaking the Ice describes her first year and Sophomore Surge (as indicated by the title) tells the story of her second year. Although similar to her first book, K.R. Collins provides enough complexity in Fournier's growth that Sophomore Surge is still engaging. The story shows her relationship with male team members, being accepted and a leader. The story provides a window into her embracing being a role model for girls who want to play hockey and a glimpse of her angst at being the only one. Well worth the read.

Many thanks to NineStar Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review

Despite not being a huge fan of hockey, I can safely say that Collins' debut novel, Breaking the Ice, quickly became one of my favorite books of the year. Not to backtrack too much, but it's important to understand that in that first novel in this series, we watched our MC Sophie as she struggled against a number of difficult obstacles in her quest to prove herself worthy of being the first ever woman drafted into the (fictional) NAHL.

To get the elephant out of the way first, since for some reason lesfic readers seems to want a romance in most novels, there's no romance in this second book once again. That did surprise me, since I thought book 1 was leading us in that direction, but once again, it didn't bother me one bit to see no romance once again!

There's inklings of the media beginning to question Sophie's perpetual single-ness, with their labeling of her as "hockeysexual", but no real discontent. To be honest, once we learn early on that the things from the end of book 1 that had us thinking would lead to a romance for Sophie in book 2 start to fall through, I was actually beginning to think that Collins would lead this towards showing Sophia as an asexual character, but once again, that's not the case either. I'm actually really intrigued at this point by this whole situation and wondering when Collins will bring this to the table just because it hasn't happened yet at this point! Actually, I'm wondering how long she'll be able to keep lesfic readers interested in the series without the romance aspect, but that's a whole other topic and social experiment and I'm getting off topic at this point.

Anyways, we're treated to the same wonderful storytelling style from Collins in this second novel. It's packed with hockey action, on and off court tensions, and we're also treated to more and more about Sophie as she learns who she is as a person. To be blunt, there's not much of a change in the storyline overall from what happened in book 1, but it feels like the change is within Sophie herself this time. We get to see how she struggles through loneliness, works to gain respect from her fellow teammates and others around the league, and we watch as she begins to stand up to her overbearing father. It's subtle and very internal, but I really enjoyed watching Sophie begin to grow and mature.

This did feel more like a transitional book rather than a massive plot development for Sophie and the team, but I'm very much invested and can't wait to see what happens next! This can be read as a standalone novel by the way, but I do highly suggest starting with book 1 for maximum enjoyment and understanding. 4 stars.

**Many thanks to NineStar Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.**

At the end of Breaking the Ice, many reviewers, myself included, wondered whether we’d get some romance in the next book. It made sense that there wasn’t any in the first one: Sophie was eighteen, the first woman drafted into the NAHL, very focused on her first season and not giving anyone reason to get rid of her, which would have been a disaster not only for her but for any other female player hoping to join the league.

I guess we weren’t the only ones wondering, since right from the beginning of Sophomore Surge, Sophie has to answer questions from journalists asking if she plans on dating at all. The answer is clear: no. Moving on.

Now that that’s out of the way, the story can go back to focusing on what’s really important (at least for Sophie): hockey. I’m not going to lie, this sequel is a lot like the previous book, there’s not a lot of new stuff happening. While that might sound boring, I enjoyed it just as much. Despite not being interested in hockey at all. The games, the tension, the strategy, it all kept me on the edge of my seat pretty much the whole time.

The real changes happen inside Sophie. She can repeat that she’s not a kid all she wants, she was one in book 1 and at the start of book 2. Probably more mature, more driven and more aware than other young people her age, but still. She grows a lot over the course of her second season as a Concord Condor, working toward her goal of taking her team to the playoffs for the first time in history. She becomes more herself, in a way. She takes responsibility, she shares her experience, she’s on her way to becoming a leader, with all the added pressure the role entails. There are truly sweet scenes, heartwarming friendships and incredibly tough times. Sophie is holding her own with all the men in her life who think they know better than her, be it her father, her coach, her teammates (who fall into the trap of patronisingly trying to protect her, best intentions and all) or opponents who won’t stop at much to break her.

In Breaking the Ice, Sophie had to stay focused so as to prove she deserved to be in the NAHL. In Sophomore Surge, while still focused and as “hockeysexual” as ever, she allows herself to feel more, express more and show more. Her intensity becomes inspirational, and it’s pretty beautiful to watch.

In other good news, there’s a third book coming up.

I received a copy from the publisher and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

This was a great sequel to Breaking the Ice, and I'm so so excited for the next book. I love Sophie a lot, and I love that this book is so hockey and friendship heavy. It feels like a warm hug, even when I'm so angry on behalf of Sophie.

Sophmore slump.

The first book in this series surprised me in the best way. We got to know Sophie Fournier and take a journey with her as she experienced her first year in the NAHL. She had to overcome all of the obstacles that come with being the first and only woman player in the league. It was a book about more than just hockey. It had the perfect balance between hockey and relationships. We grew to love Sophie because we saw her softer side as she became friends with her should-be rival Dima. The bond she created with the young girls who shared a roof over their heads. How she had to win the trust and respect of her teammates.

Unfortunately, book two didn't have the same careful balance as the first one. Sophmore Surge had too much hockey. It felt like we played through all 50+ games in the season. The game-play scenes were longer than they were in book 1 and felt repetitive.

While Sophie continued to maintain those relationships she developed in the first book, there was nothing really new or developed. In the beginning, I was excited to see what would happen with the other two female players that were drafted. But none of that led anywhere.

I know books exist with no romance. But the first in the series was tagged with LGBT and this installment with Demisexual. However, there is absolutely nothing that would indicate LGBT or demisexual. Sure, there may be a throwaway reference to a maybe crush on a girl at some point in her life. But nothing. I was really hoping that after the first book, we would be headed toward some kind of romantic interest for Sophie.

The first person present tense narrative really bothered me, too. I don't recall having that issue with the first one, but I didn't feel like things flowed as well this time around.

Overall, I'm a little disappointed. I was excited for this follow up and wanted to see new developments. All we got was more hockey.

I highly recommend book one. I can't say I recommend this. But I will read book 3 in hopes that this was a transition book to get us to the good stuff.

The second book in this series (and it will be a series, I believe) has just as much breathless, on the edge of your seat hockey action plus more. Sophie is more accustomed to her situation and the nonstop hockey focus pulls back to include even more relationship tension within her team, and also outside it.

This is a slight spoiler so be warned. This book doesn’t feature a romance, but we discover Sophie isn’t ace. There are hints of some possible interests for her in the future, but for the present, Sophie is “hockeysexual”. She has a lot of physical bonding with the guys on her team and in her life, but all of it is completely platonic.

The second book is even better than the first (if that’s possible!). Collins maintains the same intense pitch and the addition of more human interaction really adds a layer of interest and detail. Sophie has hit her stride and we see her acting more than simply reacting as she did in the first book. She has some completely kickass moments that had me cheering for her with all my might. The cast changes a bit from the first book, but the core characters are visible.

I can easily see this becoming a series. The voice it’s written in is so immediate and real that I felt almost overwhelmed at times. The second book of this series didn’t disappoint and ended on a bittersweet but hopeful note.

Rating: five pucks hitting the net at the speed of sound for five well-deserved stars.


I received this ARC via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.