Ice Devils

De: Ryan Taylor, Joshua Harwood

Narrado por: Nick J. Russo

How can they get past old wounds to find their perfect happy ending?

When winger Blake Conti signs with the national champion Bethesda Barracudas, he isn’t looking to get involved with anyone. Still bruised from an old relationship, his focus is on playing hockey. But when one of his new teammates turns out to be the hottest man he’s ever met, Blake wonders if he should reconsider his aversion to romance.

Mark Sakamoto—Sako—one of the Barracudas’ rising young stars, is immediately smitten with Blake. Deeply closeted because he fears revealing his sexuality to his family, Sako resists his attraction by using scorn and insults to push Blake away. Hurt by Sako’s behavior, Blake reacts in kind, and the two men are soon at war.

Just as their fighting threatens to disrupt the team, the unexpected happens, and Sako and Blake bond over a silly prank. Their newfound camaraderie soon develops into a relationship, and the men become inseparable. With “ice in public, heat in private” as their motto, they keep things secret, but as they fall for each other, Sako knows he has to tell his family the truth. He dreads their reaction, but it’s the only way he and Blake can live happily ever after.

Ice Devils is a low-angst, enemies-to-lovers romance featuring scorching athletes, light-hearted comedy, riveting hockey, sweet-steamy romance, and a beautiful HEA.

©2022 Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood (P)2024 Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood

For fans of enemies to lovers

Note:  This book is part of a longer arc series.  As such there are spoilers for prior books in the series, but it can be listened to as a standalone.

I enjoyed this addition to the Bethesda Barracuda Hockey series.  In this one, Mark Sakamoto and Blake Conti start off as something less than friends.  It's clear that this animosity is really the flipside of attraction.  Mark's obviously got some issues though since he basically attacks Blake after hours and kisses him at the practice rink and then runs away.  It's clear he's having a lot of trouble with his sexuality.  But he's terrified of his dad's expected reaction, so he's kept his sexuality WAAAAAY under the radar.  Blake is really pissed off at Sako's hot and cold act. They bond over the pranks that Sako has been playing on the team. Thus Blake and Sako become the Ice Devils - pranksters who keep the Barracudas on their toes.  When Sako finally confesses his issues, Blake gives him the benefit of the doubt because he is really attracted to Mark anyway.  Sako doesn't want anyone to know about them, so they agree to continue their animosity in public despite the heat behind closed doors ;)  They also find it harder and harder to keep their relationship secret.  Their captain has already caught on and others suspect.

When Sako almost makes a really bad judgement call not being honest with Blake about a misunderstanding involving a past hookup, things look like they might go totally sideways.  Thankfully Blake gets talked off the ledge by cooler heads ;)  Sako still is struggling, but he realizes until he comes clean with his family, he won't be able to move on with his life or be truly happy with Blake.  As much as he dreads it, he has to forge ahead and tell his parents his truth.  Regardless of their reaction he has to do it so that he can live his life out with Blake.

I really enjoyed this audiobook and especially Nick J. Russo's narration.  He must be a hockey fan because his narration of the games are filled with drama and action!  As usual, his performance levels up the material.  There is nothing too new or groundbreaking in this story but Sakamoto learning to accept his sexuality was well done.  Both he and Blake are sympathetic characters and I liked how their relationship evolved.  It was fun revisiting the guys from the previous books too :)  This is another good addition to the series and if you're a fan of enemies to lovers, hot sexy times, pro hockey players coming out of the closet and HEAs, you'll enjoy this one too.

Fun and Sexy

I loved reading this book. The characters are so much fun. The narrator does an awesome job and brings another dimension to this fun and sexy story.

Awesome addition

Loving this series. each book and couple brings so much to the series. Outstanding group of men. Nick J. Russo did a remarkable job bringing this book of characters as well as the entire series of characters to life. you really feel the emotions through his voice. Keep writing these awesome stories gentlemen and I'll keep buying and listening to them. well worth the credit and your time to listen.

Blake and Mark

I absolutely loved Conti and Sako's story so much. This is an enemies-to-lovers story written by the talented writing duo and husbands, Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood. It is book #5 in the Bethesda Barracudas hockey romance series, but each book can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend this audiobook.

Absolutely Blown Away!

I fell in love with this book the moment I read it, but listening to it narrated by Nick J. Russo made me fall in love with Blake and Sako all over again - times ten! Russo absolutely nailed the snark, the emotions, the voices, and every aspect of this wonderful book. I found myself grinning the entire time! I kid you not - big, goofy grin. I didn't even try to hide it.

These authors created something extraordinary when they wrote this book. This is enemies-to-lovers at its absolute best. I had no idea they had such snark in them! I need more, and I needed it yesterday. Blake and Sako are unforgettable characters. Their hatred was palpable even though it wasn't hatred at all. Just writing this review has me ramped up all over again. I'm telling you, this is an incredible book and an outstanding performance by Russo.

I felt every emotion from dislike to love, humorous to heartfelt, and lighthearted to serious. Everything poured from the page and felt incredibly real. This book pulled me in, and it still hasn't let me go. I promise you that this is one of those books you can't stop thinking about. It will easily become a comfort listen, and you will never grow tired of it. Never.

Ice Devils

"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘵." 𝘔𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘳𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸. "𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘐 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘸."

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Ice Devils (Bethesda Barracudas Hockey 5) by Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood
Narrated by Nick J. Russo
5 Maple Leaf Review

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Blake and Mark have butted heads with each other from the moment Blake was traded to the Barracudas. When Blake catches Mark pulling some pranks on the team, they end up becoming unlikely partners.

I loved the banter and tension between Blake and Mark. Their chemistry is hot is enough to melt ice. I love the banter and friendships between all the teammates.

Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood have a way with their words and make all of their books entertaining and heartwarming.

Nick J. Russo does another amazing job making the story so much more with the way that he brings all the components of the story and characters to life.

Ice Devils is an mm, sports (hockey), enemies-to-lovers, teammates-to-lovers, out-for-you, gay romance told in the dual first-person point of view.

Snarky sexy fun

I already knew I loved this book but the audio only made it better! One great listen!!

GOOD ENEMIES TO FRIENDS TO LOVERS STORY

Another enjoyable book from the Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood duo, This book revolves around two hockey players that have only been mentioned in passing in previous books... namely Mark Sakamoto and Blake Conti. Mark and Blake appear to deeply dislike each other at the start, however, this animosity fades and turns into a sweet and tender true love. The story has great character development, and lots of fun pranks perpetrated on Barracuda team members. You'll become invested in the blossoming romance between Blake and Mark, and as with previous books in this series it is highly recommended that you read the books in order... the story will make more sense that way.

Loved it.

Melting the Ice

Audio: Narrated by Mr. Nick J. Russo

I love the strong clarity of Mr. Russo's recordings. His voice pulled me in right away, and I became so invested in this action-packed hockey romance. I just adored the tension between Blake and Sako. The narrator absolutely nailed the initial animosity between the two teammates. Their constant sniping and snarky behaviors were so realistic. He made each character distinct, and it was so easy to follow along. I loved the progression from enemies to so much more, and this audio did a wonderful job presenting it. I so strongly urge you to listen to this top notch presentation that will have you grinning from ear to ear. Happy Listening!

Story Line: A sweet and full of good-feels romance from the married duo of Taylor and Harwood. They write down-to-earth stories centered around the theme of men finding their soulmates and tons of ice hockey. You don’t need to enjoy the sport of hockey to appreciate their work, but you must be a fan of a good HEA with very little angst involved.

Blake has just signed on to the Barracudas and has found himself with a very obnoxious teammate. Mark, better known as Sako, just knows how to push his buttons with a constant stream of put-downs and insults. Blake gives as good as he gets, and the pair are openly hostile towards each other.

Underneath the fury lies a whole ton of desire. The two men eventually join forces and play some pretty hysterical pranks on their teammates. Soon they find their dislike fading, being replaced with attraction and respect. In private, they could melt the ice they skate on. However, in public, they keep up the pretense of disgust and anger. Sako is fearful he might lose his parents if he comes out, and Blake understands. The men soon realize staying secret isn’t an option the longer they are together. They give each other strength that helps guide them to make the right decisions.

Humor, heart, HEA

Ice Devils has so many elements that I love in a book. It has snarky humor, hockey, and sweet and sexy characters. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and this book did not disappoint. Blake and Sako are such fun and likable characters and the banter between them had me laughing out loud. If I could give it more than five stars I would. I highly recommend this audiobook! The narration is fantastic!