On Thin Ice

by Sade Rena

God of Malice meets Pucking Around in this spicy hockey romance where one freshman becomes the twisted obsession of three university hockey players.

I only have one shot to make a life for myself, and more than just my future is on the line. My baby brother is still back in the dump I escaped from, still living in a house of cigarette butts stuffed in beer cans and slurred arguments. So now that I've gotten to Sovereign Kings University, I have to make it worth it. I'll keep my eyes down, ignore the rich kids’ taunts, and graduate.

At least that was my plan before I busted the knee of a hockey player. Having possibly ruined the team’s chance of a championship, I'm now the target of the players. The golden boy captain, Alexander, is the ringleader of my popular bullies. Every day Kane—the tall, dark and perpetually pissed-off defense—finds a way to humiliate me. Yet, being painfully ignored by the huge, reserved goalie they call Mountain may just hurt the most.

When the guys aren’t making my life a living hell, they’re twisting me up inside with desire and giving me glimpses of the real them. But can I risk losing my heart to one hockey player—let alone all three? I’m certainly in for a long, hard season.

Genres: Hockey, Romance, Dark Romance, Sports

416 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 14, 2026

About the author

Sade Rena is a USA Today Bestselling Author of Contemporary and Multicultural Romance.

A lover of all things romance, Sade enjoys spinning tales that are angsty, emotional, and sexy. Stories that sometimes blur the lines and test the limits of love. She writes diverse characters who are flawed, and maybe even a little broken, but either way, the men in her books will worm their way into your heart.

If you enjoy dark contemporary and dark paranormal romance, please be on the lookout for titles under S. Rena!

Visit www.saderena.com
Join the mailing list for updates- https://www.saderena.com/email-list
Facebook and Instagram -@saderenawrites

Reviews

[Kursed Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

When 19-year-old Sam Collins arrives at Sovereign King’s University, she is surprised to see a familiar face. Met with a scowl instead a smile, she’s saddened by Everest Kane’s reaction. To make matters worse, with one frat party gone wrong, she’s become a social pariah across campus.

Each passing day with the Sovereign King’s University Kings hockey team and its star players is a conundrum. Alex Williamsburg lusts after and loathes her in equal measure. Bryden “Mountain” Montour is drawn to her, but is desperate to avoid distraction. Meanwhile, she holds a past that Everest is hellbent on leaving there. Yet he is inexplicably drawn to her.

First things first, I like this darker edge to Sade! The characters all had independent personalities and carried the weight of their own trauma and histories. Likewise, the secondary storyline kept me flipping pages as quickly as I could to unravel the past and how it intersected with the present.

Y’all know that I’m a slow reader and don’t like overly lengthy books. That said, I feel like things were a smidge rushed, particularly with the development of Sam’s relationship with each of the guys. Perhaps we needed a few more pages to really have had it all fleshed out. All in all, a great read that I would easily recommend to friends who enjoy these tropes! Looking forward to more of Sade‘s darker side!!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🩶🩶
Heat: 🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 🥺😳🤫😡😍
Ending: 💗 {HEA}

POV: 👫🏻 {Multiple | Present}

🗄️ Genre: Contemporary Romance
🗂️ Subgenre(s): Dark, Mystery/Suspense, New Adult, Sports

✨ Tropes: Bully, Enemies-to-Lovers, Heroine in Danger, Insta-Obsession, Rich Boy x Poor Girl, Secret Society, Why Choose
 
💫 Microtropes: Interracial/POC, Jersey Moment, Pet Name, Reformed Player, Secrets & Lies, Tragic Past/Trauma Bonding, “We’ll Make It Fit”

🔆 Character: Athlete

💋 Kinks: Biting/Marking, Finger Licking Good

🤰🏻 Pregnancy: n/a

🚩 Red Flags: Alphahole

⛔️ Safety Squad: Attempted Assault, Child Abuse, Suicidal Ideations/Attempt, and other potentially triggering elements. Triggers may appear both on- and off-page, and in the past and present. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!

📍 Setting: College

⚠️ Warning: This sweet and steamy read will leave your panties damp and your cheeks flushed.

📣 Type: On Thin Ice is a standalone.

🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ “Secrets have a way of spilling over if you keep them bottled up too long.”

This is my first book by Sade Rena and I loved it! I had no idea going into it how many different levels of mystery we were going to get.

I love mysteries so getting that mixed with a forced proximity, enemies to lovers, why choose, had me kicking my feet!

The guys are going to start off having you yelling at your kindle. This is bully lite in my opinion, the guys don’t necessarily do any of the bullying, but they don’t stop it at first either. Mind the TW’s and protect your mental health!

“Maybe it’s because of the way he’s looking at me, something in his gaze telling me that he needs this. Maybe I don’t stop him because, deep down, I need this, too.”

The mystery was great in this story, I loved all the clues and the ultimate ending was definitely something I didn’t see coming.

“Yeah, well, I’d rather be hated than to hate myself.”

Sam was a seriously strong and resilient FMC. She is on a mission to build a better life for herself and her brother. I loved her personality and how she stood up for herself.

“You like this?” His voice drops lower. “Like me touching you even though you hate me.”

The guys were each unique and they each built relationships with her separately before ultimately evolving into a group dynamic. I felt like the spice was a perfect amount and definitely didn’t overpower the plot!

“Mm. You even taste like Sunshine.”

If you are a why choose lover, I definitely recommend picking up this story when it releases!

Tropes:
👊🏼 Bully-Lite
❤️‍🔥 Enemies to Lovers
🤭 Why Choose
💖 Multicultural Representation
⛸️ Hockey Romance
✨ Forced Proximity
👀 Secrets, Lies & Plot Twists
🥵 Slow Burn + Spice

[Sade Rena]

Hey. It's me, Sade. I thought I would take this time to leave a note. While this wasn't my first darker romance story (all of my S. Rena books are darker), On Thin Ice was a lot of firsts for me—my first traditionally published book, a brand-new subgenre, new tropes that I've tried and, in my personal opinion, failed until this one. It was a labor of love for me; it challenged me and pushed me to grow as a storyteller. It's because of these characters that I was able to redefine my voice as a writer. It was these characters that revived my love for the craft, because, fun fact, I was burnt out, and on the verge of retirement. But Sam, Alex, Kane, and Bryden brought me back. And I love them for it, and I do hope you love them as well.

So, thank you for reading my words and for allowing me to share their story. I can't wait for you to read their journey on April 14, 2026.

PS. They might piss you off, and that's intentional. Be sure to check the very detailed content warning in my author's note, as this book touches on themes that may be triggering for some.

[helyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Genre: romance
Publication Date:4/14/26
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Format: eBook
POV: First Person
Highlights: why choose, hockey, mystery, multiple POVs

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
On Thin Ice was an interesting read. Being that this book is a why choose, I expected more spice than plot but I was pleasantly surprised that there was a solid mystery to unravel and just the right amount of spice.

When Sam gets a surprising acceptance letter and full scholarship to the prestigious Sovereign Kings University, she jumps on the opportunity so that she get change her life and get her and her younger brother out from under the thumb of her abusive stepfather. At a party thrown by the Knights, the university's champion hockey team Sam breaks the knee of one of the players effectively ending his season and potentially costing the team the championship. While balancing the consequences of that with her studies, she begins to look into and unravel the mystery of her scholarship, unearthing secrets long buried. It's not just the secrets that get her blood pumping though. Golden boy Alex, broody Kane, and silent but steady Bryden are all in her orbit in differing capacities and Sam has to navigate her feelings for each, good and bad.

The plot in this book had me hooked and I couldn't put the book down in favor of finding out the mystery surrounding SKU and Sam's scholarship. I did guess some things but still enjoyed reading how Sam and company found out for themselves. The mystery was intricately woven and not overly convoluted. Instead, it was pieced together slowly throughout the book. I was happy with how it all came together in the end.

The character arcs in On Thin Ice felt like they were done really well. The guys were angry but not abusive before starting to succumb to their attraction to Sam, which I appreciated. The gradual change in feelings felt realistic and reading about the guys and Sam slowly falling for each other while unraveling the mystery surrounding the school was rewarding. I really enjoyed reading about their different relationships. Each character had decent depth and background but Sam and Kane's were probably the most fleshed out. Bryden was probably the most flat of the main characters but even he had enough background to be understood.

The spice. I felt like the spice was really well done in this book. It wasn't overwhelming and didn't take away from the plot. Instead, it felt like the spice was there to show the progression of the relationships between Sam and the guys. The wording in the scenes wasn't cringe worthy or awkward like it can sometimes be.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It was a surprising balance between plot and character that meant I had a hard time putting this book down. It didn't hit my right in the feels like some other romances do, which is why it isn't quite a four star read for me but I felt like this book was well written and the story was compelling. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys why choose books with a solid plot and medium spice.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

I'd like to thank Forever Publishing for the gifted galley as well as the eARC of this book!

I love all things hockey romance, or any sport romance if I'm honest! This is a dark romance (check the triggers!) that takes place between 4 MCs, we have Sam (our FMC), Alex (golden boy hockey captain MMC), Kane (ex-friend from her past MMC), and Bryden (aka Mountain and the team's goalie MMC). Each character gets their own POV chapter, so we get a glimpse inside each of their heads at different moments throughout the story.

Sam mysteriously gets a fully paid scholarship to an exclusive university in town, which is just the ticket she needs to help make a better situation for her and her little brother. After Sam is attacked by a member of the hockey team, she is sent to work as the team's equipment manager (and naturally none of the powers that be believe her side of the story) where she continues getting harassed by members of the team. The whole time, Sam has a weird feeling about exactly *why* she received a full scholarship after originally being rejected from the university, so she begins to look for further information. That information could prove to be incredibly dangerous for her, and for many others.

I enjoyed how complex the relationships between the characters was, and getting to see how different each of the MCs was with Sam was interesting.

I did feel like the conflict was resolved both too quickly and easily with it having been found and done with in a matter of chapters. The build-up for the conflict was great, but I felt like we needed to spend more time on the resolution as it had such a huge part throughout the rest of the novel.

I'd love to read more by this author!

[Abbygaily · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review

Reverse harem/why choose
🌶️🌶️🌶️
1st person POV from all 4 MCs

I read this quickly and it kept my interest. I liked the extra layer of a little mystery and suspense. I also found this to be a bit of a slow burn considering we have multiple love interests and they were all quite unique.

This is a hockey college romance but on both fronts (the hockey and the college) they are sparse lol especially the further we get into the mystery. I liked the romantic development and the journey towards the actual relationships.

There were a lot of elements and I felt like some got pushed to the back and forgotten or very briefly wrapped up. the story could have benefited from a little less going on since it’s not very long. Also I have to deduct for word overuse which is just a pet peeve.

Overall, solid 4⭐️! I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of RH/why choose. I would also gladly read other works by this author!

Final thought that is spoileresqe !!
*
*
About 40% through I felt SURE at least 3 of the love interests were going to be siblings and by the end I was shocked no one questioned this because it was a very real possibility the entire time!!! I truely thought I was about to be reading the most taboo book I’ve come across to date! Hahaha

[Alexia · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want some black representation in your hockey-bully romance, then "On Thin Ice" may be for you. Being black myself, I was pleasantly surprised that I came across descriptions like braids, cornrows, and brown skin. A+ in this area.

Now, on to the plot and whatnot. This is your typical university bully romance just w/ a splash of hockey up in there. However, instead of one male interest there are three. Outside of the omega verse I am always wondering how a MFMM would play out in reality. I've enjoyed why choose but at the end I always want her to choose. I like my men possessive; he can't be cool with me share my goodies with the whole team.

Also, why are the characters always so sexed up during the climax? At this point, tensions are high, people getting hurt and the plot is plotting but y'all over here all freaked out. C'mon. Gotta remind myself sometimes that this is fiction and not real life. If they want to get freaked out while trying to solve a mystery that's their prerogative.

"On Thin Ice" isn't revolutionary, it won't change your life, but if you can get pass the clunky beginning and just read for pure entertainment it'll be like, not looking away from a trainwreck ... in good way. Sorta.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

[Michi Evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this was a case of the pacing emphasis being placed on the wrong things in this book? I found the secondary plot of the 'mystery' really interesting but it didn't start to get really developed until a little later into the book, and then it was resolved in a way that left me feeling slightly unfulfilled. i wish there had been a better balance of it along with the romance.
I liked the dynamic between the 4 characters - I loved that they all had their own flaws and traumas that played into what everyone was dealing with, and i liked that i could really see why Sam liked each of the men on their own and why she didn't want ot pick just one of them.
to be totally honest this also wasn't as spicy as i feel like i was lead to believe it would be?? and maybe that's on me and my expectations.
i know i was reading an advance copy but there were enough copywrite errors that it often took me out of the book, especially from a bigger publisher.

overall a bit of a mixed bag for me, and definitely check the trigger warnings. but i mostly had a great time while reading so if you're looking for a why choose hockey romance with high stakes outside the romance this is a great one to pick up
thank you Forever for the advance copy in exchange for this review

[BookishAgenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tantalizing slow burn, dark academia, why choose hockey romance with plot twist that leave you gasping. Best advice? Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Sam arrives at Sovereign King’s University completely alone, no friends, no allies, and a complicated past with one of the school’s star hockey players, Everest… aka Kane.

One single night changes everything. When Sam chooses to stand up for herself, the fallout is brutal, causing the entire University to turn against her. She’s forced to become the equipment manager for the Sovereign King’s hockey team and, it just so happens, all three MMCs play on the hockey team.

There’s Alex, who wants nothing to do with Sam unless pleasure is involved. Bryden…aka Mountain (my favorite) who’s drawn to her and can’t fight his feelings no matter how hard he tries. And Everest, the blast from her past, battling emotions he’s buried for far too long.

Beneath the tension, chemistry, and slow burn is a dangerous mystery. Why is Sam really at Sovereign King’s and how did her scholarship get approved after being denied before? As Sam and the boys start to unravel the dark secrets the truth comes out, and no one is safe.

[Kathleen Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the ARC of, “On Thin Ice”. Woooo…. This was a whirlwind and definitely not what I expected…. In a good way.

This is a dark polyamorous romance and I’ll be honest, it’s usually not my thing…. the dark romance part and the polyamorous part, however this was HOT. I also liked all the characters individually and collectively so it just worked all around. Plus, this is hockey dark romance and anyone who knows me or simply views my “read” shelf on Goodreads can see I’m a sucker for hockey romance, dark romance included.

What I wasn’t expecting was the thriller/mystery in this book. That came out of left field. It added a whole other level to this book and made it that much better in my opinion. It almost became like a series within one book where these characters are solving crime 😂, (it’s much deeper and intricate than that statement implies, I swear).

Anyway, overall I really enjoyed it. There was a tiny part of the book about midway through, I felt dragged a little, which was the reason for 4 stars, but it was a fun time nonetheless.

4 stars!

[Krystin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Solid read if you are in the market for the why choose trope on a less than average spice scale. There is definitely more plot than spice in this book (which is a nice change up, honestly).

As far as the bully trope, this is like Bully UltraLite - are they mean to her a bit? Yes. But they kind of cave really fast and switch into protective mode. She’s bullied more by side characters than the MMCs.

Pacing wise, it was fairly fast paced. There was quite a bit of buildup on the secret society front but it ended up being so incredibly anti-climatic. The ‘plot-twist’ at the end became predictable the minute you learn the dynamic between two of the other characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

[Coco (Channel) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why have one, when I can have all three?

It’s something about a dark bully romance but make it why choose— OMGGGG. This book was messy and raw but that made it more enticing. I love the suspense plot that was entwined with the romance. Samantha having so many unanswered questions about her mother’s past really drives the storyline. Her attraction to each of the boys is based on a different quality and despite it being opposite of the cultural norm— she was certain that she wanted all 3 of them. She seems to be comfortable with her sexuality and unafraid to say what she wants💪🏾.

Overall the book was paced fairly well. However the ending felt a tad rushed/ unfinished— hence why I gave the book four stars. The epilogue did help to close the loop. I devoured this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

[Kelli Matthews | SighingOurPleasure · Rating 4 out of 5]

One girl. Three hockey players. A secret society mystery keeping things interesting between the drama. Honestly? Not a bad time.

The characters are well-developed, the pacing moves fast, and the spice level, while lighter than you might expect from a why choose, actually fits the story. The secret society subplot is a highlight and adds a layer beyond the usual college romance chaos.

That said, a few scene transitions made the narrative harder to follow than it needed to be, and some loose ends never quite got tied up. Also, college setting… your mileage may vary.

It’s not destined for the favorites shelf, but if you’re in the mood for a quick, entertaining why choose with more substance than expected, this one’s worth lacing up for. Get it? Lacing up?

3.5, rounded up to 4.

[Treasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

DARK TWISTED SHOCKING SECRETS
A slow burn dark academia with some shocking twists and dark secrets that get under your skin and are hard to get a grasp on. The past and present make this story come to life with dark heavy secrets and emotional burdens. The chemistry is hot with plenty of spice. You feel the rawness of the crippling emotions as they play out through the words that at times it's hard to step away and at others I felt like it would never end. All in all it's a good read with a HEA.

[Annee Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc


I thoroughly enjoyed this. It was one of those where I sat and read about 5% one day and the next read another 60% in one sitting. It did feel a little rushed at times and the relationships with the guys could have used more build-up, but I was able to look past it. I also wouldn’t categorize this as why choose, but reverse harem. I’ll definitely be looking into more titles from this author.

[Mylene Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

All is not as it seems at SKU. When outsider Sam gets a scholarship to attend, she thinks it's the answer to her future and that of her brother. But the secrets and lies within keep her busy trying to solve them and her unique relationship with the three MVP's on the school's coveted Hockey team. Really good read read and mystery.

[Karly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first S. Rena read and it definitely won’t be my last. Why Choose is one of my favorite tropes and although the characters were frustrating to no end at some points (which, fair warning she disclaims this in the Author Notes!) I did love and feel for them all the same. The underlying plot line weaving across characters was unique and kept me guessing as well.

ARC via NetGalley

[Kate]

Pub. date: Apr 14 2026

[andie z (amzreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rtc

[BarnKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come closer to pub.