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Off Ice #1
What It Was
What happens when the hot-as-sin boy next door returns home for the summer, and he finally sees me as more than just his little sister’s best friend?
McKenna:
It was my last chance for a hot girl summer before I left to play college volleyball. But when my best friend’s older brother decided to come home from college, my plans quickly shifted.
Griffin Turner was a divinely sculpted hockey player who had held my heart for as long as I could remember. It only took one summer for us to fall fast and hard.
When tragedy struck, Griffin shattered what was left of my already broken heart, leaving me to face a future that was far from what I had envisioned. Two years later, I’ve picked up the pieces and built a life I’m proud of. That is until my brother’s first NHL game, where I am forced to watch as my past, present, and future collide.
Griffin:
It’s been two years since I walked away from the love of my life, and since then, I’ve worked my ass off to become the best forward in the NHL.
When McKenna Wilder's aquamarine eyes connect with mine once again, the overwhelming emotions hit me like a slapshot to the chest.
I wasn’t the man she deserved when I walked away from her—I’d become only a shell of the man she once knew. But I’ve poured everything I have into overcoming my demons. And now that I’ve discovered the truth, I’m determined to prove I’ll never let them go.
What It Was is the first interconnected standalone novel in the Off Ice series. Readers will love this spicy romance featuring a hot-shot hockey player and a tempting volleyball player and their journey through love, loss, heartbreak, and second chances.
McKenna:
It was my last chance for a hot girl summer before I left to play college volleyball. But when my best friend’s older brother decided to come home from college, my plans quickly shifted.
Griffin Turner was a divinely sculpted hockey player who had held my heart for as long as I could remember. It only took one summer for us to fall fast and hard.
When tragedy struck, Griffin shattered what was left of my already broken heart, leaving me to face a future that was far from what I had envisioned. Two years later, I’ve picked up the pieces and built a life I’m proud of. That is until my brother’s first NHL game, where I am forced to watch as my past, present, and future collide.
Griffin:
It’s been two years since I walked away from the love of my life, and since then, I’ve worked my ass off to become the best forward in the NHL.
When McKenna Wilder's aquamarine eyes connect with mine once again, the overwhelming emotions hit me like a slapshot to the chest.
I wasn’t the man she deserved when I walked away from her—I’d become only a shell of the man she once knew. But I’ve poured everything I have into overcoming my demons. And now that I’ve discovered the truth, I’m determined to prove I’ll never let them go.
What It Was is the first interconnected standalone novel in the Off Ice series. Readers will love this spicy romance featuring a hot-shot hockey player and a tempting volleyball player and their journey through love, loss, heartbreak, and second chances.
349 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2024
196 people are currently reading
2462 people want to read
About the author
Grayce Rian
6 books121 followersGrayce Rian is a contemporary romance author from the Midwest. Her stories perfectly combine spice, angst, and sweetness to make readers swoon. When she’s not writing about your new, favorite book boyfriend, you can find her with her high school sweetheart, chauffeuring their three kids to every activity imaginable, or with her nose buried in a book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
June 19, 2024
1.5 ⭐️
I was going to skip writing a review but then I figured I better leave evidence for future me to know why I did not like this book.
First, it is too cheesy and corny. The whole scenarios. All of their dialogues. They’re like model citizens. Model boyfriend/girlfriend. Model family and siblings and of course model athletes.
Second, for being an 18 year old girl she’s pretty experienced and comfortable being a vixen and sexually straightforward 🙄
And don’t get me started on all that PDA and groping and making out, not to mention sleeping over, in front of their families 🤔
Third, I am literally done with authors’ obsession with Taylor Swift songs 😁
Fourth, the breakup! 😳 unjustified.
Fifth, another MFC who has forgiven too easily. Make him sweat it girl. For a badass athlete you’re a bit boneless in relationships.
And lastly, she is not to blame for him not knowing. Not even 0.01% and to allude that she should have tried more! Done more! NOPE. Not on my watch.
My only saving grace is Carson, her twin brother 😍
I was going to skip writing a review but then I figured I better leave evidence for future me to know why I did not like this book.
First, it is too cheesy and corny. The whole scenarios. All of their dialogues. They’re like model citizens. Model boyfriend/girlfriend. Model family and siblings and of course model athletes.
Second, for being an 18 year old girl she’s pretty experienced and comfortable being a vixen and sexually straightforward 🙄
And don’t get me started on all that PDA and groping and making out, not to mention sleeping over, in front of their families 🤔
Third, I am literally done with authors’ obsession with Taylor Swift songs 😁
Fourth, the breakup! 😳 unjustified.
Fifth, another MFC who has forgiven too easily. Make him sweat it girl. For a badass athlete you’re a bit boneless in relationships.
And lastly, she is not to blame for him not knowing. Not even 0.01% and to allude that she should have tried more! Done more! NOPE. Not on my watch.
My only saving grace is Carson, her twin brother 😍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2024
I read this in a DAY. My heart went through the stages of heartbreak and came out stronger, all within the pages of this incredible debut novel by Grayce Rian. ❤️
I am not an accidental pregnancy trope girlie but this book proved me wrong.
What hooked me from the start was the prologue - I've never been so captivated by the beginning of a book! I was completely drawn in and couldn't put it down until I'd devoured over 50% of the book 😭 iykyk.
McKenna has a massive crush on Griffin, her best friend's brother. After high school, she finally decides to do something about it. Griffin isn't just her best friend's brother, though; he's also their neighbor and bestie to McKenna's twin brother. Talk about tropes on tropes - and I loved every minute of it! 💖
As their relationship shifts from friends and neighbors to lovers over the summer, you can feel the intensity between them building. But then something happens, and you're left on the edge of your seat, desperate to know how they'll get back to where they started. No spoilers here, I promise!
If you enjoy seeing the raw, emotional complexities of a genuine relationship - one where love runs deep but life gets in the way - then you absolutely must read this book. It had me crying, laughing, and feeling every emotion in between. I can't wait to see what Grayce Rian writes next!!
Favorite Quote:
“You’re going to be the fucking death of me, McKenna.” “But what a way to go,” she quips. What a fucking way is right.
Tropes:
✨Sports Romance (MMC hockey & FMC Volleyball)
✨Accidental Pregnancy
✨Friends to Lovers
✨Second Chance
✨Past and Present Timelines
✨Dual POV
✨Witty Banter
Thank you Grayce Rian for letting me read your debut novel as a eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I can't wait to follow you and read the rest!
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.post-reading vibes⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
I AM PROCESSING BUT THIS BOOK made me cry in the car and i had to awkwardly explain to my parents why I was crying happy tears😭
I am not an accidental pregnancy trope girlie but this book proved me wrong.
What hooked me from the start was the prologue - I've never been so captivated by the beginning of a book! I was completely drawn in and couldn't put it down until I'd devoured over 50% of the book 😭 iykyk.
McKenna has a massive crush on Griffin, her best friend's brother. After high school, she finally decides to do something about it. Griffin isn't just her best friend's brother, though; he's also their neighbor and bestie to McKenna's twin brother. Talk about tropes on tropes - and I loved every minute of it! 💖
As their relationship shifts from friends and neighbors to lovers over the summer, you can feel the intensity between them building. But then something happens, and you're left on the edge of your seat, desperate to know how they'll get back to where they started. No spoilers here, I promise!
If you enjoy seeing the raw, emotional complexities of a genuine relationship - one where love runs deep but life gets in the way - then you absolutely must read this book. It had me crying, laughing, and feeling every emotion in between. I can't wait to see what Grayce Rian writes next!!
Favorite Quote:
“You’re going to be the fucking death of me, McKenna.” “But what a way to go,” she quips. What a fucking way is right.
Tropes:
✨Sports Romance (MMC hockey & FMC Volleyball)
✨Accidental Pregnancy
✨Friends to Lovers
✨Second Chance
✨Past and Present Timelines
✨Dual POV
✨Witty Banter
Thank you Grayce Rian for letting me read your debut novel as a eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I can't wait to follow you and read the rest!
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.post-reading vibes⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
I AM PROCESSING BUT THIS BOOK made me cry in the car and i had to awkwardly explain to my parents why I was crying happy tears😭
May 5, 2024
So thankful to have been able to read this ARC! This book was so much fun to read. I laughed, cried, blushed, got angry and almost threw my phone. It broke me and put my heart back together again. Perfect mix of plot, spice, heartache and hope. Tropes were amazing, boy next door, second chance romance, surprise pregnancy, etc.. loved all of the characters especially Grif, Kenna & Carson. 5/5 for me ❤️ 🌶 🌶 🌶
May 20, 2024
This was intensely emotional!
The opening sets you up knowing part of what is to come, but it's such a journey seeing Kenna and Griffin come together. It's a sweet and passionate romance, with the girl next door vibes, and swoony yearning. It's truly heartwarming and the spice is just right. I also love all the banter their group has, and Katie and Carson are the best siblings.
Then tragedy strikes and it comes out of nowhere, it was truly devastating, and it changes everything.
The story then focuses on second chances, reconnecting, and character growth. It explores teenage love, angst, chemistry, facing demons, finding purpose and growing into adulthood in such a compassionate way.
This story covers so much and I couldn't put the book down!
❤️"Can you blame me if I don't want this summer to be all work and no play? I will be playing with more than just volleyballs"
❤️"If you take a chance on me, I won't stop until you're mine"
❤️"You're going to be the fucking death of me, McKenna" "But what a way to go"
❤️"I'll love her more and more with each breath I take for the rest of my life"
The opening sets you up knowing part of what is to come, but it's such a journey seeing Kenna and Griffin come together. It's a sweet and passionate romance, with the girl next door vibes, and swoony yearning. It's truly heartwarming and the spice is just right. I also love all the banter their group has, and Katie and Carson are the best siblings.
Then tragedy strikes and it comes out of nowhere, it was truly devastating, and it changes everything.
The story then focuses on second chances, reconnecting, and character growth. It explores teenage love, angst, chemistry, facing demons, finding purpose and growing into adulthood in such a compassionate way.
This story covers so much and I couldn't put the book down!
❤️"Can you blame me if I don't want this summer to be all work and no play? I will be playing with more than just volleyballs"
❤️"If you take a chance on me, I won't stop until you're mine"
❤️"You're going to be the fucking death of me, McKenna" "But what a way to go"
❤️"I'll love her more and more with each breath I take for the rest of my life"
September 20, 2025
♾️⭐️ I have no words yet for this one but in the best way possible🥺
McKenna and Griffin have been family friends forever. They’ve both secretly been pinning for each other so when Griffin returns home from college for the summer and finally admits his feelings McKenna fell and she fell fast. Griffin was right there with her and McKenna became his world. After summer McKenna and Griffin’s sister…McKenna’s best friend…are headed to college to play volleyball. They are determined to make long Dianne work so they do everything they can to make time for one another. When tragedy strikes though everything comes crumbling down. Both of their worlds are in ruin but instead I holding her close Griffin pushes McKenna away. Little does he know his world would completely change again just nine months later…but Griffin is in a cycle of ruin and heading down a bad path that won’t end well. He won’t listen to anyone and very well may miss out on the best thing to ever happen to him. Will Griffjn be able to rid himself of his demons and when the truth finally does come out will he forgive himself for missing out on the past two years??
This is hands down my favorite read of the year. All of my favorite tropes in one book and I couldn’t get enough. I couldn’t put this one down but I also didn’t want it end. McKenna and Griffin were EVERYTHING. They pulled so much on my heartstrings and I’ve never loved crying during a book more than I did with this one. I really loved the way this one was set up too instead of flashbacks having the story from start to finish! Grayce Rian may very well be my favorite author now…I’m obsessed! McKenna proved how strong she was after dealing with so much past trauma and then one of the greatest gifts. She is so inspiring and I just love everything about her. Griffin broke my heart and healed it/made it whole by the end. I felt for him when he was spiraling and just a string of unfortunate events that lead him to missing out on so much. But he made sure that he proved to McKenna that he was on this for the long haul and never stopped loving her. UGH I JUST LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. You should 1000% so read this one!!
Tropes:
✨Second Chance Romance
✨Hockey Player x Volleyball Player
✨Brother’s Beat Friend
✨Accidental Pregnancy
✨Friends to Lovers
McKenna and Griffin have been family friends forever. They’ve both secretly been pinning for each other so when Griffin returns home from college for the summer and finally admits his feelings McKenna fell and she fell fast. Griffin was right there with her and McKenna became his world. After summer McKenna and Griffin’s sister…McKenna’s best friend…are headed to college to play volleyball. They are determined to make long Dianne work so they do everything they can to make time for one another. When tragedy strikes though everything comes crumbling down. Both of their worlds are in ruin but instead I holding her close Griffin pushes McKenna away. Little does he know his world would completely change again just nine months later…but Griffin is in a cycle of ruin and heading down a bad path that won’t end well. He won’t listen to anyone and very well may miss out on the best thing to ever happen to him. Will Griffjn be able to rid himself of his demons and when the truth finally does come out will he forgive himself for missing out on the past two years??
This is hands down my favorite read of the year. All of my favorite tropes in one book and I couldn’t get enough. I couldn’t put this one down but I also didn’t want it end. McKenna and Griffin were EVERYTHING. They pulled so much on my heartstrings and I’ve never loved crying during a book more than I did with this one. I really loved the way this one was set up too instead of flashbacks having the story from start to finish! Grayce Rian may very well be my favorite author now…I’m obsessed! McKenna proved how strong she was after dealing with so much past trauma and then one of the greatest gifts. She is so inspiring and I just love everything about her. Griffin broke my heart and healed it/made it whole by the end. I felt for him when he was spiraling and just a string of unfortunate events that lead him to missing out on so much. But he made sure that he proved to McKenna that he was on this for the long haul and never stopped loving her. UGH I JUST LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. You should 1000% so read this one!!
Tropes:
✨Second Chance Romance
✨Hockey Player x Volleyball Player
✨Brother’s Beat Friend
✨Accidental Pregnancy
✨Friends to Lovers
June 22, 2024
Wrote a long ass review and then exited before saving and I'm too lazy to do it all again. The grovel was non-existent, and if it was present in any acceptable way before she was willing to take him back, this book could have been great.
June 28, 2024
Book Review: What it Was by @graycerianauthor
Rating: ♾️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
💭 Thoughts:
This book is my favourite read of 2024 so far. I have so many things I could say about it but there isn’t enough space to really express everything I felt while reading. I went into this book completely blind and it was totally worth it!
Kenna and Griff are the definition of soulmates! Their connection and chemistry is off the charts. I was not prepared for what broke them a part and needed to know how their story would unfold. How were they going to get back to where they started? I just NEEDED to know! I laughed, cried, and swooned so many times throughout the book. These two show the real, raw emotions of a true relationship.
Not only were Kenna and Griff amazing, I think it’s important to shine a light on Kenna’s brother, Carson. He is EVERYTHING! He is there for Kenna when her life is falling apart and stands up for her when she needs it. He is the perfect brother and supports her through absolutely everything! I can’t wait to read his story and watch as his character develops.
I am blown away at the fact that this is Grayce Rian’s debut novel. I can’t get over the roller coaster of emotions I felt while reading this book… I couldn’t put it down! EVERYONE needs to read this!
🏐 Volleyball & Hockey Player
🏒 Best Friend’s Brother
🏐 Surprise Pregnancy
🏒 Second Chance
🏐 Summer Romance
🏒 Boy Next Door
🏐 Chronic Illness Rep
#romancebooks #secondchanceromance #romance #romancereader #bestfriendsbrother #boynextdoor #summerswoonchallenge #sportsromance
Rating: ♾️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
💭 Thoughts:
This book is my favourite read of 2024 so far. I have so many things I could say about it but there isn’t enough space to really express everything I felt while reading. I went into this book completely blind and it was totally worth it!
Kenna and Griff are the definition of soulmates! Their connection and chemistry is off the charts. I was not prepared for what broke them a part and needed to know how their story would unfold. How were they going to get back to where they started? I just NEEDED to know! I laughed, cried, and swooned so many times throughout the book. These two show the real, raw emotions of a true relationship.
Not only were Kenna and Griff amazing, I think it’s important to shine a light on Kenna’s brother, Carson. He is EVERYTHING! He is there for Kenna when her life is falling apart and stands up for her when she needs it. He is the perfect brother and supports her through absolutely everything! I can’t wait to read his story and watch as his character develops.
I am blown away at the fact that this is Grayce Rian’s debut novel. I can’t get over the roller coaster of emotions I felt while reading this book… I couldn’t put it down! EVERYONE needs to read this!
🏐 Volleyball & Hockey Player
🏒 Best Friend’s Brother
🏐 Surprise Pregnancy
🏒 Second Chance
🏐 Summer Romance
🏒 Boy Next Door
🏐 Chronic Illness Rep
#romancebooks #secondchanceromance #romance #romancereader #bestfriendsbrother #boynextdoor #summerswoonchallenge #sportsromance
June 18, 2024
Grayce Rian’s “What It Was” is a compelling read that captures the essence of youthful aspirations and the complexities of first love. What I particularly enjoyed was the depth of the characters—McKenna’s resilience and Griffin’s journey of growth are both relatable and inspiring.
Rian’s narrative is engaging, blending humor, romance, and drama seamlessly. The dialogues are sharp and the emotional depth is striking, making the characters’ experiences feel incredibly real. The book’s portrayal of second chances and the power of love left a lasting impression on me.
In short, “What It Was” is a beautifully written story that’s both heartwarming and thought-provoking. It’s a must-read for anyone who cherishes a good romance that speaks to the trials and triumphs of the human heart.
Rian’s narrative is engaging, blending humor, romance, and drama seamlessly. The dialogues are sharp and the emotional depth is striking, making the characters’ experiences feel incredibly real. The book’s portrayal of second chances and the power of love left a lasting impression on me.
In short, “What It Was” is a beautifully written story that’s both heartwarming and thought-provoking. It’s a must-read for anyone who cherishes a good romance that speaks to the trials and triumphs of the human heart.
November 8, 2025
Just as I think every person should have to work at least one customer service job in their life, I truly believe that every author should have either a fanfiction or wattpad phase to get all their bad writing habits out of their system before they get published. Maybe if Rian had had a wattpad phase this book would have been posted under an anonymous username and I wouldn't have been tempted by a well edited instagram reel. Unfortunately, that didn't happen and now we're here. I made it to the end of the book, but at what cost?
Beware: spoilers
Characters - 3/10
McKenna and Griffin weren't really characters if I'm being honest, they were marketable tropes shoved into human outlines who had sex with one another and said shit dialogue from time to time. They're both athletes but I can't think of a single scene or even line that tells us why they like their respective sports and for Griffin in particular it's so obvious that Rian just wanted to write a leading man with the aesthetic of a professional athlete and didn't give a single thought as to what drives him. McKenna suffers from a chronic illness (endometriosis) but aside from a single (sex) scene and a mention in the epilogue we get zero exploration as to how this impacts either her day to day life or her sports career. And speaking of, her BIG dream is to be on the olympic volleyball team and yet this isn't mentioned once in the second half of the book except for a mention in the EXTENDED EPILOGUE! Perhaps the only part of either of their characters that's explored in any sort of depth is their trauma after Katie (Griffin's sister) dies, and even then, we only ever hear about Griffin getting therapy, we never see it played out on page. Truly some of the most flat and underdeveloped characters I've ever had the misfortune of reading about. Carson is potentially the only character I have any sort of interest in, but I'm not convinced I'll stick around for his book.
Atmosphere - 2/10
Atmosphere? Simple, the book doesn't have any. Maybe don't write a sports romance if you don't know how to use the natural atmosphere of a sporting event to build some tension and excitement.
Writing - 3/10
The writing was almost comically bad. And this is what I was getting at at the start of this review. Maybe if Rian had had a wattpad phase this book wouldn't be full of cringe, stiff dialogue that people would never, ever say. She was writing characters who were in that teenager/young adults transition, but it's not even that teenagers don't talk like that, it's that no one talks like that. I really think she would have benefited just from reading some of the conversations out loud to hear how formal and ridiculous they sounded. An example:
“Merry Christmas, hun. How did you sleep?” Mom asks me when she comes out of the butler’s pantry.
“Good. I always get my best night’s sleep when I’m home. I miss Ranger so much when I sleep in my dorm. I’m excited to get to sleep with him every night over winter break.”
People. Don't. Talk. Like. This.
But going beyond that, so many sentences were just not structured well and were often repetitive. McKenna and Griffin jump into a relationship (and a raunchy sex life) in like 5 seconds with zero build-up and are weirdly sexual in front of their siblings and parents in a way that made me uncomfortable. Even though McKenna had already graduated by the start of the book and Griffin was in college, I think having McKenna be that young was a mistake as she didn't come across like a fresh graduate, I think the entire book could have easily been set in college. The fact that the majority of the sex scenes were in this part of the book also didn't help.
Oh, and this is more a personal pet peeve, but I abhor when dual POV books change perspectives mid-chapter, just stick with one character for ten pages. Multiple perspective changes within the same chapter? Jail!
And so many scenes just weren't realistic, like McKenna being told her best friend had died by her boyfriend and brother while her parents were nowhere to be found? Not to mention, we were introduced to a bunch characters who were irrelevant and never popped up again. This book honestly needed a harsh edit.
The biggest thing holding this book back was definitely it's structure. The book was divided into two parts; part one (chapters 1-19) was set during the summer after McKenna graduated high school and covered her and Griffin's early relationship, including their break-up, her getting pregnant and giving birth. Part two (chapters 20-33) jumped ahead eighteen months to when they're reunited and get back together. It was just such a poor structure for this kind of storyline, because it felt like we spent so much time with McKenna and Griffin at that age, setting up their relationship, covering the trauma of losing Katie, and their subsequent breakup, so by the time we jumped ahead, we had just 13 chapters to reunite them, have Griffin learn of his daughter and build back their relationship. It made the entire thing feel rushed and shallow. I think it would have been a much better idea to set the entire story after the time jump and cover their history in flashbacks. It would have given Rian time to deepen their relationship and develop the characters.
Plot - 3/10
Again, something that felt held back by the structure, because both parts ended up with virtually nothing driving the plot. In part one, McKenna and Griffin are just messing around in a relationship until Katie dies and they break up. Then Griffin finds out about his daughter fairly early on in part two and there's very little narrative disruption there because they fall into a fairly easy co-parenting situation almost immediately. There's no overarching sports plotline, besides Griffin wanting to trade teams to be closer to McKenna and bub, and that's barely covered and is resolved off-page. So we're left to just kind of wander along with McKenna and Griffin until the inevitably end up back together. There's not even a third-act breakup to spark some interest.
Intrigue - 2/10
If I weren't determined to finish this book so I could write this review, I probably would have DNF'd.
Logic - 3/10
As I said, so many things were just unrealistic and completely took me out of the book. As an example, the book just completely glossed over the way that Griffin had an alcohol and prescription pill problem for a while, even though I'm like 99% certain that college athletes would be subjected to fairly regular drug testing.
Enjoyment - 3/10
Unfortunately, I just really didn't enjoy this one, which is a massive shame because it has been on my radar for a while, and I'd been looking forward to starting it. I didn't appreciate that part of it's marketing that I had personally seen on instagram had been highlighting the chronic illness part of it, and then this was such a minor part of the book; I'm certainly not advocating for it being McKenna's entire character, but it needed more than two mentions in over 300 pages. I was pretty determined to push on despite the bad writing but I won't lie, I nearly DNF'd in the last few chapters when the term "dickmatized" was used, it really nearly broke me.
Overall - 2.71/10 - ⭐⭐
Beware: spoilers
Characters - 3/10
McKenna and Griffin weren't really characters if I'm being honest, they were marketable tropes shoved into human outlines who had sex with one another and said shit dialogue from time to time. They're both athletes but I can't think of a single scene or even line that tells us why they like their respective sports and for Griffin in particular it's so obvious that Rian just wanted to write a leading man with the aesthetic of a professional athlete and didn't give a single thought as to what drives him. McKenna suffers from a chronic illness (endometriosis) but aside from a single (sex) scene and a mention in the epilogue we get zero exploration as to how this impacts either her day to day life or her sports career. And speaking of, her BIG dream is to be on the olympic volleyball team and yet this isn't mentioned once in the second half of the book except for a mention in the EXTENDED EPILOGUE! Perhaps the only part of either of their characters that's explored in any sort of depth is their trauma after Katie (Griffin's sister) dies, and even then, we only ever hear about Griffin getting therapy, we never see it played out on page. Truly some of the most flat and underdeveloped characters I've ever had the misfortune of reading about. Carson is potentially the only character I have any sort of interest in, but I'm not convinced I'll stick around for his book.
Atmosphere - 2/10
Atmosphere? Simple, the book doesn't have any. Maybe don't write a sports romance if you don't know how to use the natural atmosphere of a sporting event to build some tension and excitement.
Writing - 3/10
The writing was almost comically bad. And this is what I was getting at at the start of this review. Maybe if Rian had had a wattpad phase this book wouldn't be full of cringe, stiff dialogue that people would never, ever say. She was writing characters who were in that teenager/young adults transition, but it's not even that teenagers don't talk like that, it's that no one talks like that. I really think she would have benefited just from reading some of the conversations out loud to hear how formal and ridiculous they sounded. An example:
“Merry Christmas, hun. How did you sleep?” Mom asks me when she comes out of the butler’s pantry.
“Good. I always get my best night’s sleep when I’m home. I miss Ranger so much when I sleep in my dorm. I’m excited to get to sleep with him every night over winter break.”
People. Don't. Talk. Like. This.
But going beyond that, so many sentences were just not structured well and were often repetitive. McKenna and Griffin jump into a relationship (and a raunchy sex life) in like 5 seconds with zero build-up and are weirdly sexual in front of their siblings and parents in a way that made me uncomfortable. Even though McKenna had already graduated by the start of the book and Griffin was in college, I think having McKenna be that young was a mistake as she didn't come across like a fresh graduate, I think the entire book could have easily been set in college. The fact that the majority of the sex scenes were in this part of the book also didn't help.
Oh, and this is more a personal pet peeve, but I abhor when dual POV books change perspectives mid-chapter, just stick with one character for ten pages. Multiple perspective changes within the same chapter? Jail!
And so many scenes just weren't realistic, like McKenna being told her best friend had died by her boyfriend and brother while her parents were nowhere to be found? Not to mention, we were introduced to a bunch characters who were irrelevant and never popped up again. This book honestly needed a harsh edit.
The biggest thing holding this book back was definitely it's structure. The book was divided into two parts; part one (chapters 1-19) was set during the summer after McKenna graduated high school and covered her and Griffin's early relationship, including their break-up, her getting pregnant and giving birth. Part two (chapters 20-33) jumped ahead eighteen months to when they're reunited and get back together. It was just such a poor structure for this kind of storyline, because it felt like we spent so much time with McKenna and Griffin at that age, setting up their relationship, covering the trauma of losing Katie, and their subsequent breakup, so by the time we jumped ahead, we had just 13 chapters to reunite them, have Griffin learn of his daughter and build back their relationship. It made the entire thing feel rushed and shallow. I think it would have been a much better idea to set the entire story after the time jump and cover their history in flashbacks. It would have given Rian time to deepen their relationship and develop the characters.
Plot - 3/10
Again, something that felt held back by the structure, because both parts ended up with virtually nothing driving the plot. In part one, McKenna and Griffin are just messing around in a relationship until Katie dies and they break up. Then Griffin finds out about his daughter fairly early on in part two and there's very little narrative disruption there because they fall into a fairly easy co-parenting situation almost immediately. There's no overarching sports plotline, besides Griffin wanting to trade teams to be closer to McKenna and bub, and that's barely covered and is resolved off-page. So we're left to just kind of wander along with McKenna and Griffin until the inevitably end up back together. There's not even a third-act breakup to spark some interest.
Intrigue - 2/10
If I weren't determined to finish this book so I could write this review, I probably would have DNF'd.
Logic - 3/10
As I said, so many things were just unrealistic and completely took me out of the book. As an example, the book just completely glossed over the way that Griffin had an alcohol and prescription pill problem for a while, even though I'm like 99% certain that college athletes would be subjected to fairly regular drug testing.
Enjoyment - 3/10
Unfortunately, I just really didn't enjoy this one, which is a massive shame because it has been on my radar for a while, and I'd been looking forward to starting it. I didn't appreciate that part of it's marketing that I had personally seen on instagram had been highlighting the chronic illness part of it, and then this was such a minor part of the book; I'm certainly not advocating for it being McKenna's entire character, but it needed more than two mentions in over 300 pages. I was pretty determined to push on despite the bad writing but I won't lie, I nearly DNF'd in the last few chapters when the term "dickmatized" was used, it really nearly broke me.
Overall - 2.71/10 - ⭐⭐
July 30, 2025
😭❤️♾️
What It Was
By: Grayce Rian
“One day at a time, I will prove myself to her by continuing to show up for them and support her. I meant what I said, I’m not going anywhere ever again. My world now revolves around my Sunshine and Little Ray.”
I went into this read completely blind, and I was absolutely not disappointed! I love Griffin and McKenna’s story of young love, devastating heartbreak and personal growth. There were moments I was so smitten with Griffin and then wanted to smack him so hard across the face and yell at him.
I liked the way this book did the second
chance trope by showing us the future in the prologue and then the story starts out in the past, instead of getting flash backs. It just made the build and tension so much more addicting. Just an amazing read that will have you in your feels, crying one moment and so giddy and happy the next. And the epilogue, my goodness, perfection!
Tropes:
Second Chance
Best Friend’s Brother
Accidental Pregnancy
College Hockey
Secret Pining
Friends to Lovers
Spice Starts at: 15%🔥
Spice: 3/4🌶️
Stars: 5/5⭐️♾️
Available on Kindle Unlimited
What It Was
By: Grayce Rian
“One day at a time, I will prove myself to her by continuing to show up for them and support her. I meant what I said, I’m not going anywhere ever again. My world now revolves around my Sunshine and Little Ray.”
I went into this read completely blind, and I was absolutely not disappointed! I love Griffin and McKenna’s story of young love, devastating heartbreak and personal growth. There were moments I was so smitten with Griffin and then wanted to smack him so hard across the face and yell at him.
I liked the way this book did the second
chance trope by showing us the future in the prologue and then the story starts out in the past, instead of getting flash backs. It just made the build and tension so much more addicting. Just an amazing read that will have you in your feels, crying one moment and so giddy and happy the next. And the epilogue, my goodness, perfection!
Tropes:
Second Chance
Best Friend’s Brother
Accidental Pregnancy
College Hockey
Secret Pining
Friends to Lovers
Spice Starts at: 15%🔥
Spice: 3/4🌶️
Stars: 5/5⭐️♾️
Available on Kindle Unlimited
May 15, 2024
4.5/5
ARC REVIEW
I was not prepared ...
I knew going in this wouldn't be a fluffy romance because the author talked about including chronic illness on her IG. But I wasn't prepared for all of that!!!
It is a lot more emotional than I thought it would be. Is there an HEA? Yes, of course. But you have to get through a lot of tough situations first (purposely not saying what they are to avoid spoiling).
I loved that this one was split into 2 parts. The beginning of Griffin and Kenna's love story until their separation and then 2 years later when they reconnected.
The first part of the story is so heart warming and full of so much love. Not just Kenna and Griffin's relationship but also the dynamic between the families. Kenna is best friends with Griffin's sister and in turn Griffin is best friends with Kenna's brother. Add in that they're neighbours, you get years of friendship that is just so wonderful.
Then their whole world is turned upside down. I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't ready for this. We know something happened from the prologue but I was shocked.
Part 2 focuses on Griffin and Kenna reconnecting. Griffin is back in Minnesota for a hockey game playing against her brother. He plans to just leave the arena immediately hoping to avoid everyone. That is until he lays eyes on Kenna and she's not alone ....
This debut novel was absolutely wonderful. I think everything that happened needed to happen in order for Kenna and Griffin's journey to feel fulfilled.
🌶️🌶️.5
Tropes/themes
✨childhood friends
✨boy next door
✨chronic illness rep
✨Sunshine FMC
✨golden retriever MMC
✨brother's best friend
✨second chance
✨it's always been you
✨accidental pregnancy
Check TW/CW - I purposely left out a couple things so as not to spoil.
ARC REVIEW
I was not prepared ...
I knew going in this wouldn't be a fluffy romance because the author talked about including chronic illness on her IG. But I wasn't prepared for all of that!!!
It is a lot more emotional than I thought it would be. Is there an HEA? Yes, of course. But you have to get through a lot of tough situations first (purposely not saying what they are to avoid spoiling).
I loved that this one was split into 2 parts. The beginning of Griffin and Kenna's love story until their separation and then 2 years later when they reconnected.
The first part of the story is so heart warming and full of so much love. Not just Kenna and Griffin's relationship but also the dynamic between the families. Kenna is best friends with Griffin's sister and in turn Griffin is best friends with Kenna's brother. Add in that they're neighbours, you get years of friendship that is just so wonderful.
Then their whole world is turned upside down. I'm not gonna lie, I wasn't ready for this. We know something happened from the prologue but I was shocked.
Part 2 focuses on Griffin and Kenna reconnecting. Griffin is back in Minnesota for a hockey game playing against her brother. He plans to just leave the arena immediately hoping to avoid everyone. That is until he lays eyes on Kenna and she's not alone ....
This debut novel was absolutely wonderful. I think everything that happened needed to happen in order for Kenna and Griffin's journey to feel fulfilled.
🌶️🌶️.5
Tropes/themes
✨childhood friends
✨boy next door
✨chronic illness rep
✨Sunshine FMC
✨golden retriever MMC
✨brother's best friend
✨second chance
✨it's always been you
✨accidental pregnancy
Check TW/CW - I purposely left out a couple things so as not to spoil.
August 14, 2025
1.5/5
What I liked:
•the prologue
•the emotional twist
What I didn’t like:
•mediocre writing
•a lot of cringey lines
•one dimensional characters (I honestly couldn’t tell them apart sometimes.)
•awkward (no page break) for some transitions (example: it would be one scene, then the next paragraph, it would already be a day or more later.)
•mentioned Taylor Swift way too much
I probably should have DNF’d this early on, but I I’ve been on the hunt for a new favorite secret baby book & thought this had potential, given the concept, prologue, & the emotional twist, but I just don’t think it was executed well. Definitely found myself just skimming through the last couple of unnecessary chapters.
Also, is it me, or did it seem like there were so many tropes/microtropes & they were obviously being labeled as each one came up?
What I liked:
•the prologue
•the emotional twist
What I didn’t like:
•mediocre writing
•a lot of cringey lines
•one dimensional characters (I honestly couldn’t tell them apart sometimes.)
•awkward (no page break) for some transitions (example: it would be one scene, then the next paragraph, it would already be a day or more later.)
•mentioned Taylor Swift way too much
I probably should have DNF’d this early on, but I I’ve been on the hunt for a new favorite secret baby book & thought this had potential, given the concept, prologue, & the emotional twist, but I just don’t think it was executed well. Definitely found myself just skimming through the last couple of unnecessary chapters.
Also, is it me, or did it seem like there were so many tropes/microtropes & they were obviously being labeled as each one came up?
June 1, 2024
(1.75 ⭐️) Personajes sin sazón ni personalidad, romance plano y sin distintivo, historia genérica y sumamente ABURRIDA. Que triste.
May 21, 2024
Oh my , that plot twist in the prologue left me speechless . And it all starts with this ? What it'll take for them to end up together ? Excuse me while I read it till the end and listen to the playlist to mend my broken heart .
💍☀️💍☀️💍
What It Was put me through an emotional whirlwind and I'm still recovering. What It Was made me smile and laugh , broke my heart and made me cry . You see , I cry rarely . But you have to know that Griff and Kenna's story made me cry a few times . A Colleen Hoover type of cry , if you know what I mean. Heartbreaking and cathartic.
Kenna was so loveable and sweet and at the same time a true fighter and survivor. And she was so strong willed and determined to achieve her goals and at the same time to have the love of her life. Griff was the perfect book boyfriend, swoon worthy cinnamon roll with a dirty mouth and soft spot for Kenna. They were so good together and their chemistry was of the charts. And their young love was so sweet and endearing and they have the best of what was in store for them. And then the worst happened and broke them and then rearrange them in such a way that they couldn't continue as before. And in a time of loss and despair they fight their battles alone and brokenhearted. And Kenna was so strong and made it to the other side and she became a better version of herself. I loved the connection that she had with her twin brother , Carson . Griff was fighting with his demons and changed a lot in his life in order to change the bad ways he coped with his grief. And after a meeting with Kenna he has a new purpose in his life. And he proved to Kenna every day that he's changed and ready for the next chapter of their lives. And their happily ever after was so deserved. That bonuses were so good and made me smile. Now I can't wait for the next book in the Off Ice series.
Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book.
💍☀️💍☀️💍
What It Was put me through an emotional whirlwind and I'm still recovering. What It Was made me smile and laugh , broke my heart and made me cry . You see , I cry rarely . But you have to know that Griff and Kenna's story made me cry a few times . A Colleen Hoover type of cry , if you know what I mean. Heartbreaking and cathartic.
Kenna was so loveable and sweet and at the same time a true fighter and survivor. And she was so strong willed and determined to achieve her goals and at the same time to have the love of her life. Griff was the perfect book boyfriend, swoon worthy cinnamon roll with a dirty mouth and soft spot for Kenna. They were so good together and their chemistry was of the charts. And their young love was so sweet and endearing and they have the best of what was in store for them. And then the worst happened and broke them and then rearrange them in such a way that they couldn't continue as before. And in a time of loss and despair they fight their battles alone and brokenhearted. And Kenna was so strong and made it to the other side and she became a better version of herself. I loved the connection that she had with her twin brother , Carson . Griff was fighting with his demons and changed a lot in his life in order to change the bad ways he coped with his grief. And after a meeting with Kenna he has a new purpose in his life. And he proved to Kenna every day that he's changed and ready for the next chapter of their lives. And their happily ever after was so deserved. That bonuses were so good and made me smile. Now I can't wait for the next book in the Off Ice series.
Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book.
May 17, 2024
Thank you so much to Grayce Rian for giving me the opportunity to ARC read What it was!
✨RATINGS✨
✨✨✨/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
✨REVIEW✨
This was a pretty good read! I loved how we saw them as a couple, then saw them apart and then read about how they came together again! There were some really cute moments.
The characters are amazing and I loved cadence so much. She was absolutely adorable. They way Kenna and Griff are together was is so cute. And Carson is amazing and definitely one of my favourites.
The only reason why I gave this book 3 stars was because it was way to fast paced for me as I enjoy more slower books where we see a lot more of the characters building a relationship. I also feel like we missed out on some cute moments that I feel would have made the book abit more.
Like I would have loved to see cadences birthday party etc. I also think at the start of the book there was way more spice than plot so it was kind of hard to get attached to the characters, but if you love spice than you would probably like this.
It’s also a sports romance, teen pregnancy, boy next door and best friends brother! So if you like any of those tropes I’m sure you will really like this.
Overall this was a really cute read. It was just abit to fast paced for me and I feel like the start was to spicy so I couldn’t really connect with the characters. But the last half of the book was really worth it. I loved all the cute scenes
✨RATINGS✨
✨✨✨/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
✨REVIEW✨
This was a pretty good read! I loved how we saw them as a couple, then saw them apart and then read about how they came together again! There were some really cute moments.
The characters are amazing and I loved cadence so much. She was absolutely adorable. They way Kenna and Griff are together was is so cute. And Carson is amazing and definitely one of my favourites.
The only reason why I gave this book 3 stars was because it was way to fast paced for me as I enjoy more slower books where we see a lot more of the characters building a relationship. I also feel like we missed out on some cute moments that I feel would have made the book abit more.
Like I would have loved to see cadences birthday party etc. I also think at the start of the book there was way more spice than plot so it was kind of hard to get attached to the characters, but if you love spice than you would probably like this.
It’s also a sports romance, teen pregnancy, boy next door and best friends brother! So if you like any of those tropes I’m sure you will really like this.
Overall this was a really cute read. It was just abit to fast paced for me and I feel like the start was to spicy so I couldn’t really connect with the characters. But the last half of the book was really worth it. I loved all the cute scenes
May 19, 2024
Honestly, what a debut!
I won’t drop any spoilers in this review on top of tropes already announced, but this book was so much more than I was expecting. I’m really going to thinking about Kenna and Griff for a while.
I mean, I can’t think of a time a prologue has hooked me in as quickly as this one did. I had SO MANY QUESTIONS 🤯😧 It was executed perfectly.
The first part of the book was giving me The OC and TSITP vibes. Their lives were so idyllic and perfect, and comfortable, and that’s what made what follows so freaking powerful, and why I was rooting for Kenna and Griff.
Kenna was an incredible FMC. I admired her from the start but how she handled her accidental pregnancy and relationship with Griff was so selfless, continuing to put her baby girl first despite her own feelings. Aaand she was bossing it on the volleyball court throughout. What a Queen 👊🏼
I can’t recommend this sports romance enough, it’s got plenty of sweet, swoony moments ❤️ tonnes of spice 🔥 and it’ll have you tearing up. Pick it up! 📖
Oh, and if it’s your jam, it’s heavily Swiftie coded too! 🤍
If you like:
🏒 College hockey and volleyball
🏐 Best friend’s older brother
🏒 Childhood friends to lovers
🏐 Accidental pregnancy
🏒 Love, loss and heartbreak
🏐 Second chance
🏒 Cinnamon roll/dirty-mouthed MMC
🏐 Physical and mental health rep
🏒 Forehead kisses
🏐 Nicknames
I won’t drop any spoilers in this review on top of tropes already announced, but this book was so much more than I was expecting. I’m really going to thinking about Kenna and Griff for a while.
I mean, I can’t think of a time a prologue has hooked me in as quickly as this one did. I had SO MANY QUESTIONS 🤯😧 It was executed perfectly.
The first part of the book was giving me The OC and TSITP vibes. Their lives were so idyllic and perfect, and comfortable, and that’s what made what follows so freaking powerful, and why I was rooting for Kenna and Griff.
Kenna was an incredible FMC. I admired her from the start but how she handled her accidental pregnancy and relationship with Griff was so selfless, continuing to put her baby girl first despite her own feelings. Aaand she was bossing it on the volleyball court throughout. What a Queen 👊🏼
I can’t recommend this sports romance enough, it’s got plenty of sweet, swoony moments ❤️ tonnes of spice 🔥 and it’ll have you tearing up. Pick it up! 📖
Oh, and if it’s your jam, it’s heavily Swiftie coded too! 🤍
If you like:
🏒 College hockey and volleyball
🏐 Best friend’s older brother
🏒 Childhood friends to lovers
🏐 Accidental pregnancy
🏒 Love, loss and heartbreak
🏐 Second chance
🏒 Cinnamon roll/dirty-mouthed MMC
🏐 Physical and mental health rep
🏒 Forehead kisses
🏐 Nicknames
May 20, 2024
What It Was was a beautiful, heart wrenching, emotional, gripping, redeeming and special love story. This book will make you swoon, will make you sweat, will make your heart shatter in a million pieces, throw your kindle but I can guarantee you @graycerian will put it back together. This was just a beautiful story of love, loss, grief and second chances.
I was completely and utterly enthralled by McKenna & Griffin. These two were just so perfect for each other. Let me tell you Rian knows how to write spicy scenes, hot damn those scenes 🥵🥵 Griffin is a dirty talking hockey player, but the way he loves and cares for his Sunshine. McKenna is just a super strong FMC that I absolutely fell in love with.
I am completely obsessed with this book, I will read anything this author writes. Forever fan right here. Her writing is immaculate, beautiful and her storytelling skills are absolute perfection. She knocked it out of the park, this book right here is PERFECTION. I could honestly go on forever.. just read it !
✨️ Thank you to @graycerian for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was completely and utterly enthralled by McKenna & Griffin. These two were just so perfect for each other. Let me tell you Rian knows how to write spicy scenes, hot damn those scenes 🥵🥵 Griffin is a dirty talking hockey player, but the way he loves and cares for his Sunshine. McKenna is just a super strong FMC that I absolutely fell in love with.
I am completely obsessed with this book, I will read anything this author writes. Forever fan right here. Her writing is immaculate, beautiful and her storytelling skills are absolute perfection. She knocked it out of the park, this book right here is PERFECTION. I could honestly go on forever.. just read it !
✨️ Thank you to @graycerian for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 2, 2024
ARC Review w/o Spoilers✨
First I would like to say a big thank you to Grayce Rian for letting me be apart of this ARC Team!
Rate: 5/5⭐️
Spice: 2.5/5🌶️
One word EMOTIONAL rollercoaster, but in a good way! You get to follow the spunky McKenna🏐 and dirty talking Griffin🏒 and when I tell you their story gives you so many feels, I wouldn’t even know where to begin. The chemistry between all the all of the characters was amazing. The story line was beautifully written with love, loss, heartbreak and second chances. I will say check the trigger warnings this isn’t a dark book but it does involve topics that may be hard for some.
Over all make sure you get the book when it releases on May 21st💙
First I would like to say a big thank you to Grayce Rian for letting me be apart of this ARC Team!
Rate: 5/5⭐️
Spice: 2.5/5🌶️
One word EMOTIONAL rollercoaster, but in a good way! You get to follow the spunky McKenna🏐 and dirty talking Griffin🏒 and when I tell you their story gives you so many feels, I wouldn’t even know where to begin. The chemistry between all the all of the characters was amazing. The story line was beautifully written with love, loss, heartbreak and second chances. I will say check the trigger warnings this isn’t a dark book but it does involve topics that may be hard for some.
Over all make sure you get the book when it releases on May 21st💙
May 21, 2024
I was very lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book and I loved it!
Ok where to start! Firstly solid 4 star read for me!
The prologue on this bad boy, ooohhh lordy. She really said here’s your attention grabber folks 😂 Makenna and Griffin will make laugh, smile, maybe throw your kindle a couple times, and just love them to pieces. I feel like getting both POV’s you get to see both sides of learning to grow and cope with grief as well, which is not something you always see.
This book is for the ones who love deep, who have struggled, have felt grief grasp so tightly you didn’t know if it would ever let go. You’ll get a second chance romance here, disability rep, and both our main people are sports players!
Ok where to start! Firstly solid 4 star read for me!
The prologue on this bad boy, ooohhh lordy. She really said here’s your attention grabber folks 😂 Makenna and Griffin will make laugh, smile, maybe throw your kindle a couple times, and just love them to pieces. I feel like getting both POV’s you get to see both sides of learning to grow and cope with grief as well, which is not something you always see.
This book is for the ones who love deep, who have struggled, have felt grief grasp so tightly you didn’t know if it would ever let go. You’ll get a second chance romance here, disability rep, and both our main people are sports players!
May 21, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
♥ 𝓜𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼:
I don’t even know where to begin, I am obsessed with this book! I adored it, it was so good!
This book destroyed me, but then put me back together again. I was not ready/ expecting the roller coaster of emotions I felt while reading this book! Some parts had me full on sobbing while others I was laughing. Like, from the prologue this book had me shook.
Kenna and Griffin have been next door neighbors since they were little and Griffin is also the big brother to Kenna’s best friend Katie. Kenna just graduated high school and Katie and her want to have one last carefree summer before going off to college. Finally after years of secretly (or not as secret as she thought) pining after him, Kenna finally realizes that Griffin reciprocates her feelings. They are just so cute and swoony together! I love them so much!
Everything is going well until a tragedy changes everything and Griffin cuts off contact with Kenna.
I was SO mad/ disappointed at Griffin and how he acted towards her during this part. But it was so real, the way Griffin and Kenna handled grief. Griffin bumps into Kenna two years later and he realizes he made a huge mistake pushing her away and he missed out on a big part of her life and he will stop at nothing to make it right and get her back.
I loved how everything came together in the end and to see how both Kenna and Griffin had to grow separately so they could be together. Loved it and can’t wait for the next book in the series! I am so excited to read about Kenna’s twin Carson!
Ok but the nicknames Sunshine and Little Ray 🥹😭 the cutest.
Thank you to Grayce Rian for the arc! 💛
☀️ Hockey/ volleyball romance
💫 Best friends brother
☀️ Boy/ girl next door
💫 Second chance
☀️ Love, loss & heartbreak
💫 Accidental pregnancy
☀️ Summer romance
💫 Dirty talking MMC
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
♥ 𝓜𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼:
I don’t even know where to begin, I am obsessed with this book! I adored it, it was so good!
This book destroyed me, but then put me back together again. I was not ready/ expecting the roller coaster of emotions I felt while reading this book! Some parts had me full on sobbing while others I was laughing. Like, from the prologue this book had me shook.
Kenna and Griffin have been next door neighbors since they were little and Griffin is also the big brother to Kenna’s best friend Katie. Kenna just graduated high school and Katie and her want to have one last carefree summer before going off to college. Finally after years of secretly (or not as secret as she thought) pining after him, Kenna finally realizes that Griffin reciprocates her feelings. They are just so cute and swoony together! I love them so much!
Everything is going well until a tragedy changes everything and Griffin cuts off contact with Kenna.
I was SO mad/ disappointed at Griffin and how he acted towards her during this part. But it was so real, the way Griffin and Kenna handled grief. Griffin bumps into Kenna two years later and he realizes he made a huge mistake pushing her away and he missed out on a big part of her life and he will stop at nothing to make it right and get her back.
I loved how everything came together in the end and to see how both Kenna and Griffin had to grow separately so they could be together. Loved it and can’t wait for the next book in the series! I am so excited to read about Kenna’s twin Carson!
Ok but the nicknames Sunshine and Little Ray 🥹😭 the cutest.
Thank you to Grayce Rian for the arc! 💛
☀️ Hockey/ volleyball romance
💫 Best friends brother
☀️ Boy/ girl next door
💫 Second chance
☀️ Love, loss & heartbreak
💫 Accidental pregnancy
☀️ Summer romance
💫 Dirty talking MMC
May 3, 2024
This book was absolutely AMAZING! I have to say I let that cover fool me! This book pulled every heartstring that I had in my heart. There are some parts where I wanted to punch Griffin, but he was really going through it and I felt for Kenna. She really went through a lot as well, but I’m so glad that there was character development and and Griffin found their way back to each other growing in ways they needed for themselves as people, for their relationship and for their baby! 😭😭 damn I sobbed for a good minute there too. Good job Grayce on your debut novel, you rocked it!
May 23, 2024
5 ⭐️
2 🌶️
@graycerianauthor literally blew my mind with this debut. Holy guacamole I was entranced from the very start. The twists and turns, the highs and lows. I was balling through half the book at 1 am but I couldn’t put it down. I needed to know where Griff and Kenna would end up and boy Grayce did not disappoint 🩵 also that flashback scene right at the end?! TORTURE OF THE BEST KIND!
Such a beautiful book with amazing characters. I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens next 🥹
2 🌶️
@graycerianauthor literally blew my mind with this debut. Holy guacamole I was entranced from the very start. The twists and turns, the highs and lows. I was balling through half the book at 1 am but I couldn’t put it down. I needed to know where Griff and Kenna would end up and boy Grayce did not disappoint 🩵 also that flashback scene right at the end?! TORTURE OF THE BEST KIND!
Such a beautiful book with amazing characters. I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens next 🥹
December 11, 2024
This Grayce Rians novel is the first I’ve read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It seems like a cross between a gradual burn and an insta love story. The plot was well-crafted by the author, Rians. I would definitely recommend the novel to romance readers who enjoy the tropes of sports romance (hockey and volleyball), chronic disease representation, summer romance, dirty taking MMC, best friend's brother, boy next door, accidental pregnancy, second chance, and more. If you're looking for something more serious, consider What It Was!
May 3, 2024
i gotta be honest the beginning started out a bit slow for me so i was scared i wasn’t gonna love this but i was SO wrong
grayce wrote mckenna & griffin’s story so well <3 it was so beautiful and so heartbreaking. i cried so much (shocker). i really just loved everything about this
this was such an amazing debut & i’m so excited to see what grayce writes next!
thank you grayce for the arc!!
grayce wrote mckenna & griffin’s story so well <3 it was so beautiful and so heartbreaking. i cried so much (shocker). i really just loved everything about this
this was such an amazing debut & i’m so excited to see what grayce writes next!
thank you grayce for the arc!!
June 21, 2024
WOW WOW WOW.
This is the best book of 2024.
A DEBUT book. Incredible.
I laughed. I cried. I felt ALL THE FEELS with this book.
I can’t say enough. I’m so excited for the next books.
Spice - 🌶️🌶️
5️⃣ +++++++ ⭐️
This is the best book of 2024.
A DEBUT book. Incredible.
I laughed. I cried. I felt ALL THE FEELS with this book.
I can’t say enough. I’m so excited for the next books.
Spice - 🌶️🌶️
5️⃣ +++++++ ⭐️
July 6, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Griffin & McKenna (&Cadence)
Absolutely loved this book!
Tears and all.
Griffin & McKenna (&Cadence)
Absolutely loved this book!
Tears and all.
May 26, 2024
I read this book in one sitting! It was so freaking cute but ripped my heart out at the same time. Plus, I’m a sucker for an accidental pregnancy.
December 7, 2024
I normally don’t like a pregnancy trope, but I think they did it really well. I love the banter and I think this book is gonna get me through finals week
June 11, 2024
So emotional
November 20, 2024
So, this was my “get away from the pain other books have caused me” BUT THIS ONE ALSO HURTS.
I really didn’t expect that plot twist to be so real and hard, I was so devastated when I found out the reason why they broke up because it was also a big moment for all of the other characters in the book😭😭😭 I love you Katie, I wish your death wasn’t the reason this book is called second chance romance, but it is.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this one, besides that thing it was very light and sweet, they’re all the tropes I absolutely LOVE but i’m not giving this a 5 because I hated Griffin when he broke up with Kenna, not because he pushed her away but because he treated her like shit and became an drunk asshole.
But then yeah he finds out about the pregnancy and he began to vindicate himself and gain Kenna’s trust again. But for me she gave him an easy way out of what he said to her, I would like him to grovel more.
But who am I kidding I really loved younger Griffin and after he found out about Candace he really became his old self and loved Kenna like she deserved.
ALSO, shout out to Carson, my man you carried the show, I love him, best brother and best man💘💘💘
4🌟
I really didn’t expect that plot twist to be so real and hard, I was so devastated when I found out the reason why they broke up because it was also a big moment for all of the other characters in the book😭😭😭 I love you Katie, I wish your death wasn’t the reason this book is called second chance romance, but it is.
Anyway, I really enjoyed this one, besides that thing it was very light and sweet, they’re all the tropes I absolutely LOVE but i’m not giving this a 5 because I hated Griffin when he broke up with Kenna, not because he pushed her away but because he treated her like shit and became an drunk asshole.
But then yeah he finds out about the pregnancy and he began to vindicate himself and gain Kenna’s trust again. But for me she gave him an easy way out of what he said to her, I would like him to grovel more.
But who am I kidding I really loved younger Griffin and after he found out about Candace he really became his old self and loved Kenna like she deserved.
ALSO, shout out to Carson, my man you carried the show, I love him, best brother and best man💘💘💘
4🌟
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