A slow burn contemporary hockey romance about home being more than a place; it can be a person who silences the alarms instead of setting them off.
She spent two years feeling violated in her own body. She wasn’t expecting a quiet Finnish goalie to be the one who changed that.
Vanessa Starkovich left everything behind; her college hockey team, her degree… and spent two years coaching and rebuilding herself in Germany. Now she’s back in her home city of Detroit. Back with her twin brother, the only person who knows what happened to her. She’s not sure she can trust someone again.
Then she meets Kasperi Karjalainen. The Motor City Pogues’ quiet Finnish goalie who makes her nervous system feel… calm. He’s a cuddler, a coffee addict, and has a funky pajama collection. Plus, he’s good with kids. But there’s a subtle sadness in his eyes that Vanessa can’t quite figure out... He’s also her overprotective twin brother’s teammate.
Vanessa wants to find the courage to fully trust someone again. She also needs to tell her brother before he finds out himself. Or she risks losing the two people that make her feel the safest.
On Home Ice is for anyone who loves a slow-burning romance, one that is trauma-informed, about finally finding your people, and that little voice in your head telling you to be brave.
And there’s a cat.
Reader notes, questions, or just want to talk hockey romance? Alyssa would love to hear from you.
On Home Ice is out now in paperback and on Kindle, and free to read with Kindle Unlimited. Loved it? A Goodreads rating helps Alyssa more than you know. Follow along on TikTok and Instagram for more from the Home Ice series.