HOLIDAY ON ICE is a lovely and easy holiday read. At 139 pages, this Play by Play series novella is just right for a quick peek into the life of Patrick "Trick" Niemeyer, a professional hockey player with the Travelers in New York. At a favorite NYC bar, Patrick runs into professional dancer Stella Slovinsky after rehearsal for an upcoming Broadway show where she has a lead role. Trick and Stella enjoyed an uncomplicated brief fling a year ago, before their crazy work schedules pulled them apart. The sex was hot, and their chemistry off the charts, but Stella has been burned before and vowed to not become involved with a man again. Stella keeps her emotions locked up and walks away before her heart gets involved. Can Trick tempt her into breaking that rule?

I was annoyed with Stella's adamant refusal to become involved with a man after her first serious boyfriend's betrayal. I don't have a lot of patience for characters who continue to make poor life choices a decade after some trauma that I think they should have let go and moved on from. Despite Stella's lack of personal insight, however, she was a fairly likeable character. And since Trick likes her so much, I found myself rooting for her more than I might have otherwise.

Trick is a marvelous man! Secure in his sexuality without being too over-the-top domineering or overly alpha. He's the kind of friend you'd like to have, and a great teammate too, so we get to see him being an all-around good guy. I enjoyed the sports scenes in Burton's novella without the sports talk becoming overwhelming- I thought the brief glimpses of Trick's sports career add great spice to the story. Likewise, seeing Stella's commitment to her career and being the best dancer she can be feels very positive and reaffirming, but not at all preachy.

The bedroom scenes are fantastically steamy- classic scorching Burton writing! I love how they've already hooked up previously, so there's a sense of a shared history that makes it easy for Trick to believably jump headlong into pursuing a relationship. We also get some pleasing glimpses of Carolina and Drew from Melting the Ice, by Play book number seven, which is one of my favorites by Burton. HOLIDAY ON ICE is just the thing to get you in the mood for some hot holiday loving.