✫✫ 4 Stars ✫✫

This was my first delve into FF Romance and this was probably the lowest steam book I could have picked. I have a serious love for books set in Alaska so I picked this book based on that and a recommendation from the Audible Editor podcast Audicted to Romance. I was captivated by the setting and the story immediately. I loved that the author took the time to let the story happen and let the characters get to know each other, I can't get on board with Insta-love so this was a huge plus for me. I will be honest, I was a little surprised at the low steam level of this book but that's not a complaint, I actually enjoyed that this was more about family, love and finding a place in the world. I loved the family dynamic of this story, sisters getting to know each other for the first time and they fall right into the relationship sisters should have. I also love the survival & helping others aspect of this book, that's probably why I love Alaskan books. The love story was sweet and left me with a very happy heart.

The narration was ok. TBH I don't love author narration. In this case she wasn't bad, probably better than I expected but she still wasn't great. She was a little too monotone and honestly showed very little emotion in her narration. Maybe with a little more work she could be a great narrator, she had the potential for sure.

11 people found this helpful

My Hat's Off to Kim Baldwin

Over the past few years, it seems that every romance I read has left me disappointed and uninterested, until listening to this one. For the first time in ages, I was listening to a romance with characters that not only held my attention, but that I can picture so fully, it is hard to believe they are not people I know. From the first description of Bryson, her association with the wild elements around her, turned her into a romantic hero who drew me like a magnet, from the first chapter to the last. I won't rehash the story line, but it is well worth the price, and fascinates on so many levels, I cannot recommend it to you highly enough.

One thing I personally connected with and followed closely throughout the book was the serious health problem that loomed over the lives of some of the characters. As a person with a long standing health problem (try five decades), I followed this part of the story with great interest. When I married, everyone, from my husband to my in-laws, and everybody else, assumed I would be the first to go. Over the years, this came to truly irk me, and I became a tad fanatical about my diet, working out, and the like. I read this book as a widow of some years, and I am not gloating, as I am far from over the loneliness, but I have to say so much for assumptions regarding such things, and so much for allowing them power over your whole life, which I did for far too long. Genetics are one thing, but there is also will and the human spirit, or maybe it is more like the old Ofra Haza song, "Mystery, Faith and Love." I truly appreciate the heroic dimensions of the Bryson character, in both how she lives her life, and how she lives her love, I found the romance completely satisfying, and the book wonderfully upbeat. I have already downloaded another, and I am fully planning to click each of Kim Baldwin's titles off my wish list, one by one.

2 people found this helpful

A complex enemies to lovers lesbian romance novel

What did you love best about Breaking the Ice?

It deals with difficult themes like grief and hereditary disease but still delivers a satisfying romance.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bryson is not your typical lesfic lead, but everything about her is interesting and wonderful. She loves her cabin without running water or TV/internet, she’s a woman in a typically male dominated profession, and she’s a perfect blend of pragmatic and kind.

Which character – as performed by Kim Baldwin – was your favorite?

I didn't have a favourite. She did a great job with all of them.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I wouldn't say I laughed or cried, but I enjoyed it very much and had a hard time pausing it.

Any additional comments?

If you’ve ever talked to me about lesfic or taken a peek at my Goodreads shelves, it’ll be no surprise to you that I’m a huge fan of Kim Baldwin’s books, and Breaking the Ice is one of my very favourites. I love her Alaska books because she perfectly balances action with romance, giving enough detail that I can imagine the setting, but not so much that I get bored. How she does it, I don’t know, but I admire it every time I pick up one of her books.

I received a free copy from the publisher for an honest review at The Lesbian Review.

2 people found this helpful

Amazing

I would recommend this book to anyone. It was exactly what I need to listen too. This is the first book I have read that has touched on losing a parent, since I lost my mom, in a way that hasn't brought me to tears. When that happens I usually put the down and never pick it up again, I tend to do that with tv shows or movies as well, but not with this one I couldn't get enough of it.

Thank you very much Kim Baldwin

2 people found this helpful

great story, marginal narration

Really a great story but I have found authors shouldn't narrate their own books. There was very little emotion conveyed and I found it hard to picture the characters. Narration was too monotone...too robotic. It hugely took away from what could have been an A+ book with the right narrator.

1 person found this helpful

Loved this

I loved the story, and the way it was nearated. Think having the inclusions of personal feelings and emotions included, made for an overall more realistic experience with the story. As it actually brought tears to my eyes as I read the story. Even while I was spending time, doing some wood working for personal items.

1 person found this helpful

Flying Alaska Skies

Bryson Faulkner loves live in a remote town in Alaska where she built her own cabin and is one of several bush pilots. She would welcome the chance to share it with a woman but knows the opportunity isn’t there.
Karla Edwards, an ER nurse in Atlanta, has lost her partner and her mother died after a long battle with Dementia. In a letter to Karla, he mother revealed a daughter she had at sixteen. She lives in Alaska and Karla takes a sabbatical to find her and her husband in the bush.
Two women who immediately clashed move to make a friendship. A story of life in the wild, survival, family and friends. Wonderful story development and depiction of Alaska. I enjoyed the author narration. Recommend.

Thumbs up

This was just as good the second time around! I'd recommend it. Good story, well developed characters.

Incredible! Heartwarming!

Not only is this book a wonderful love story, but the outdoor adventure was incredible. It was as if you were walking in their shoes. The story of the mother and daughters was touching beyond any words that I can say here. I had tears in my eyes many times, for so many reasons, this book touched my heart.

great book!

It was very realistic! I lived in Alaska for 3 years and I appreciate the authenticity that was conveyed in the book. The single isolated, but community feel of the Alaskans came through . The difficulty of dating up there is so different from the lower 48 is really portrayed correctly. Great job!!