Skating On Thin Ice

I recently finished reading Unsteady by Peyton Corinne. This is book #1 in the Undone series.

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT

  Rating: 4/5 stars

"Rhys Koteskiy is back — at least, he's supposed to be.

During last year’s Frozen Four, the Waterfell University hockey captain, and NHL legacy, took a brutal hit that left him with a concussion and a new discomfort on the ice. Plagued by nightmares and panic attacks every time he attempt to skate, Rhys wonders if he’ll ever play again — if he’ll ever want to.

Sadie Brown is staying focused this semester — no matter what.

Currently drowning in debt, custody hearings for her younger brothers and skating practices, she's just trying to make it to the next day. A spitfire figure skater known for her bad attitude and frequent disappearing acts, she has a reputation on campus. And it’s not a pretty one.

When she accidentally witnesses one of the golden boy hockey captain’s panic attacks and attempts to help him, a strange sort of understanding strikes up between them.

No questions asked. Just comfort.

But Rhys finds himself drawn to Sadie. Where he feels empty, a shell of the man and player he was before, Sadie is so full of everything it bursts from her; every emotion she feels seems like it’s blasted at max. Rhys is desperate to feel anything, Sadie wants to stop feeling so much.

But healing doesn’t mix with secrets, and they’re both skating a thin line, unsteady."

A breathtaking debut from author Peyton Corinne, Rhys and Sadie’s story was a magnetic pull that left me desperately yearning for more. 

Let me tell you, Peyton nailed it with Rhys, our male protagonist. His sentimental nature was genuine and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen authenticity shine through the pages the way he did. Despite coming from a wealthy family with a former NHL star for a father, to his core Rhys was humble.

I will always be an advocate of mental health representation in books, and only if, done properly. Rhys’ experiences with panic attacks and depression were portrayed in a way that felt relatable. It’s what we all long for when we use reading to escape, isn’t it? Someone to see the parts of our souls we wouldn’t dare bear to anyone else. The most vulnerable aspects of our being. 

Moving on (before I get too sappy)...the nickname hotshot?! Why aren’t we normalizing that?! We need to normalize that. So hot and for what?! 

As for Sadie, while she isn’t a character that I vibed with too much, her abrasive nature being a bit too much, there’s no way I couldn’t respect her. 

Rhys’ character existed within a fine line that could’ve swayed my perception of him either way, but I’m proud to say, he lived up to (most of) my expectations. His love for Sadie was unfiltered and showed through his actions, not just his words, a trait I consider near and dear. Don’t even get me started on their joint playlist. I do think the constant name-dropping of songs was double-edged. It gave the scene another layer but also created an awkward tone of writing. But overall the meaning behind it ultimately dominated any discomfort. 

I need a Paloma and Bennett book like…yesterday. I don’t think you understand how much of me they’ve consumed. Bennett is my man, my man, my man. Claiming him now. He’s just so…UGH! I can’t even explain it. I’m getting a sneaky suspicion that their story is going to be a secret romance perhaps? Very much giving opposites attract with lots of angst to fill the void.

Ro and Freddy are also an adorable match made in heaven. She is secretly all of us. Smutty little rom-com reader…we see you.

All of that being said, there are still some alternate approaches to certain elements of the story I wish the author would’ve explored more. 

I usually enjoy the end of a series as opposed to the beginning, and I’ve got an inkling I won’t deter from my ways with this series either. While I sought comfort in the brokenness of Sadie and Rhys’ unconventional lives, there wasn’t an emotional connection that made their story an unforgettable one to me. When I initially picked up the novel, it almost seemed as though I was beginning in the middle. It wasn’t confusing, just…odd. The attraction between Rhys and Sadie wasn’t instant, but it did seem to come out of nowhere. Sadie’s lack of knowledge about Rhys’ injury just wasn’t within the realm of believability to me purely because of the severity of the incident and their circles intertwining due to sharing a rink. 

It also seemed as though there wasn’t too much going on, everything just got lost in a sea of what-ifs. The story would’ve come across with more clarity and purpose if it mainly orbited around Sadie’s home life and the upbringing of her brothers alongside Rhys’ PTSD. They both lead drastically different lives and it wasn’t pointed out until what I considered to be too late into the process. There were some side plots that took the attention away from those distinguishing moments, leaving them with less impact. 

Even the sub-plot of Sadie's relationship with her coach could've still been included while also contributing to the moral of the story. I wish with everything in me that we got to see more of her ice skating journey since it seemed fundamental to her as a character. It came across as though the author wasn't sure whether to include it or not, so it ultimately did nothing to move the story in a particular direction. 

That being said, I am so beyond excited to see this author grow and garner the attention her caliber of writing deserves. She’s got so much potential building up, just bursting at the seams. It makes me giddy thinking about all of the stories she’s yet to tell.

Check out Unsteady, and discover what happens when you skate on thin ice. Don't forget to check out book #2 Unloved in stores on February 4th, 2025.

Happy Reading :)