Icebound

Boundless Players, Book 1

De: Meredith Trapp

Narrado por: Duncan Cole, Amelie Griffin

Rhode Tremblay is Nashville's Naughtiest Hockey Player—at least, that's what everyone believes after the Tenerife Incident.

With a thigh tattoo that's catnip for women and a wicked smirk that needs a warning label, everyone flocks to the NHL's resident bad boy. Sure, Rhode accidentally set a yacht on fire while bringing a woman to the brink of ecstasy, but that happened over a decade ago. Now, at thirty-three, Rhode's searching for something real. He's ready to get down on one knee for the right person, but he has one rule—no dating anyone under thirty.

Philomena "Nina" Alstyne has sworn off men who look like fallen angels on skates.

The feisty art student is done molding herself to fit someone else's life after her relationship fiasco. At twenty-two, Nina's last semester of college is about her pottery dreams. Except, when one fateful accident forces Nina into a faux situationship with Nashville's (Supposed) Naughtiest, all her curated plans crumble like a fragile sculpture.

Rhode falls first, and he falls hard.

There's only one problem… Rhode thinks he's fake dating a thirty-year-old doctor. As secrets get revealed, his biggest temptation quickly becomes off-limits, but Nina soon realizes the cross-stitching cat daddy is what the chaos in her soul craves—and Nina's fiery passion might burn hot enough to melt Rhode's icy boundaries.

A sizzling laugh-out-loud age-gap hockey romance full of spice, smooches, and swoons!

©2024 Meredith Trapp (P)2025 Podium Audio

Loved

This is spicy 🌶️. Was a bit slow but the burn is so good. Love the characters and story.

Age gap, hockey romance, great mental health rep!

3.5 stars! I really expected to love this one more than I did. It is the author’s debut so I definitely will read the next book out and give it a try too.

This is an age gap, hockey romance, reformed player x college student, with mental health rep and found family. Rhode is a 30-something hockey player who cross-stitches and is a cat dad, love to see it. Nina is a 22-year old college student, has tattoos, and lives with her sister who is dating her ex! Rhode and Nina are in very different places in their lives because of their ages and that really is a big conflict/factor for him, it’s brought up a lottttt. I just could not with Nina’s sister and her ex, like excuse me whatttt. Now the anxiety and panic attack rep was so well done, easily my favorite parts seeing that on page with the character. The relationship and the rest was fine, he’s very smitten and does sweet things but is also sooo quick to push away again because “she’s just so youuuung compared to him and he wants to settle down”.

CW: anxiety, panic attacks (on page)

Needed update (old version, different than e-book)

I'm giving this book 3.5 ⭐

Yes, it's the author's first book, and I definitely felt it.
There were many things I liked, and parts I liked less.
I'll start with the things that didn't work for me:

1. I bought the audiobook and downloaded the Kindle ebook, only to find out that the audio is different from the ebook. I highly recommend downloading the ebook and reading it. Hopefully they'll re-record the audiobook, because whoever did the edits did an amazing job.
2. There were moments when the book didn't flow well. There was a problem, and then it felt like the solution was skipped straight to “after.” I really don't like that in books.
3. I felt like the resolution of the sisters’ relationship wasn’t what I expected. In my opinion, it was too easy.
4. For some moments I didn't like that the FMC was too forgiving, in my opinion. When the MMC shared an emotional and super sensitive trauma, she immediately went with, “You should forgive him. You wouldn’t want to be judged for your past actions.”
GIRL… no. It’s not always like that. Sometimes you just need to be there with him and listen, without saying anything.

And now for the moments that made me smile, laugh, and cry like a b¡tch:

1. The found family… 🥹🤌🏻 The MMC and his two amazing teammates. Oh God, I like them, I love them, I FREAKING LOVE THEM!!!! Especially the unique bond between Rhode and Cruz. My little baby boy 🥹🤍🫶🏻
2. When the MMC realizes that he needs to live for himself and HIS dreams. I loved that for him.
3. The romance between the MMC and FMC. I seriously enjoyed it. Sunflowers and cross-stitches, the adorable ties, their chemistry. Sweet, unique, colorful characters, I loved that.

Even though this book was far away from perfection, I adored it so much and I can't wait to listen to the next one. Hopefully this time the audiobook will match the ebook.