Adam Perry is one of the veterans in the hockey rink. He comes in and does his job then goes home. His job involves hitting his opponent hard but when that gets him in hot water he has to put his job in the hands of a woman who know nothing about hockey.

Sinead O’Brien is a workaholic lawyer. She works and then she works some more. To her, her newest client Adam Perry is just that, a client. But during their first meeting Sinead is surprised to find Adam so tight-lipped, when most are willing to give any information that may help them. Adam is the opposite. He is a very private person and the last thing he wants is Sinead snooping into his personal life.

Despite being annoyed at Sinead for talking to his family and friends, he can’t deny his attraction to her. Sinead is all about being professional and even though the other partners at the firm have affairs with clients, she has never thought about it, until she meets Adam. As he tries to get her out of the office, she finds herself considering the possibility of a relationship with Adam.

Adam and Sinead dance around their attraction to each other, which leads to some funny and awkward situations. My favorite was when they went to the karaoke bar and decide to shed their usual reserve and have fun. It was great seeing them trying to figure each other out and watching as they went through the awkwardness of starting a relationship.

From the start Adam and Sinead were perfect for each other, both focused on work but as their relationship continues, they just couldn’t get it together. Just when things are going great, something happens causing one of them to blow up and end the relationship.

At first, it is easy to classify Adam as someone who only cares about himself but as the story unrolls, you discover just what kind of guy he is. He is generous and while he may not have many friends, the people in his life are very important to him. And Sinead is just not some workaholic, she wants to have a family and a life but she’s been hurt in the past, which makes her skittish around Adam.

I had such a good time reading Icebreaker that I read it in one day—not an easy feat. I was just so captivated by story and character that I didn’t want to put it down. This is the first book I’ve read by Deirdre Martin and I plan to read more by her.

Reviewed by: Jamie