How Embrace delivers yearning, emotional depth and a love story that feels beautifully real.
I started reading Embrace without having read the first three books in the Off the Ice series and I figured that was a small risk . The good news is that it is easy to settle in. This was such a vivid, emotionally honest story about Kian Ishida and Scarlett Kilner that I found myself quickly caught up in it and rooting for them.
This is the story of Kian, a hockey star who is graduating and about to enter the NHL. He is low on credits and running out of time, but determined to fulfil a promise to his late father and finish his degree. Meanwhile, Scarlett is trying to rebuild her reputation after years of others judging her for the choices she made when she was younger. So she’s thrown herself into her studies and found a tight-knit study group, hoping to keep her head down and move on. Kian asks her to help him tutor and she refuses at first, but he will not take no for an answer, and his gentle charm slowly breaks down her walls.
The softness of their relationship is what really worked for me. Their friendship develops in quiet moments, study sessions, and banter that shows how comfortable they are with each other. Their chemistry feels organic because it’s based on trust and patience, not instant fireworks. I loved Kian’s sunny disposition and the grief he bears and Scarlett’s confidence based on the fear of being hurt again. They can’t hardly see themselves, but they see each other clearly.
The book tackles heavier topics such as grief, caregiving and the complex yearning for a parent who has inflicted harm. The author handles these moments well, adding emotional depth without weighing down the romance. There were times I felt I had arrived in the middle of a conversation, and I would have loved to have read the previous books first.
But Embrace is a sweet, heartfelt romance that made me smile. There’s so much to love here, especially for readers who love slow-burn yearning, soft intimacy and characters who grow thru love. It feels warm and satisfying as a conclusion to the series, and even as a standalone, it still delivers a beautiful story about being seen, being held, and finally allowing yourself to be loved.
I received this book as part of #TandemCollective #BloomsburyPublishing’s #2026BloomsburyBigNight in, as read on #NetGalley
