Breaking the Ice
Portland Evergreens, Book 4
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to wishlist failed.
Please try again later
Remove from wishlist failed.
Please try again later
Adding to library failed
Please try again
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
£0.00 for first 30 days
LIMITED TIME OFFER
Get 3 months for £0.99/mo
Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.
Breaking the Ice
Narrated by:
Darcy Stark
Buy Now for £18.99
-
Narrated by:
-
Darcy Stark
-
By:
-
Beth Bolden
About this listen
Coach Gavin Blackburn has been through hell.
Three years ago, he was on top of the world, courted by the best teams in the NHL to coach their players.
His wife’s unexpected death destroyed him, and sent him running from hockey. He thought he’d left the sport behind forever, but when his ex-player shows up at his remote cabin, begging him to return to Portland University to coach the Evergreens again, he agrees.
The last thing Gavin expected was their mentor-student relationship to turn into something entirely different now that Zach is grown up. He certainly never expected to feel attraction again, or to feel it for a man. For Zach.
Or for Zach to want him back, with a passion Gavin couldn’t deny even if he wanted to.
He’s too old, too washed up, too destroyed by grief, and has no intention of dating ever again, but maybe it’s own assumptions that need to be broken and re-made.
Maybe it’s Zach who needs to be the one who break him down and make him into something new. Give him something new: a wild, unexpected and unprecedented love affair.
Listeners also enjoyed...
Listener received this title free
Wonderful performance by Darcy Stark!
I loved Coach and Zach’s story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Listener received this title free
Zach Wheeler, former NHL star and now assistant coach of the Portland Evergreens, approaches his former coach, Gavin Blackburn, to ask him to come to Portland. Gavin dropped off the radar four years earlier after his wife died, and all the approaches that have been made by other teams hoping to tempt him back to hockey have failed. Gavin refuses the offer – so Zach is incredibly surprised when Gavin calls him a week later to accept the job.
Breaking the Ice is the slowest of slow burn romances, but I am so HERE for all the pining and the yearning and the sexual tension stretched to breaking point and so thick you could cut it with a knife. Zach had a massive crush on Gavin when he was in college which he thought had died for good when Gavin wasn’t his coach any more, but seeing him again makes him realise that he’s as far gone for him as he ever was – perhaps even moreso.
Zach is almost sure the attraction is mutual, but Gavin insists that friendship is all that’s ever going to be on the table, whereas in reality, Gavin is struggling to squash his growing attraction to Zach. He knows he’s giving out mixed messages, but he can’t bring himself to cut out the shared meals and late-night calls, not when Zach – kind, endearing, loveable Zach – is everything Gavin didn’t know he wanted.
It’s heartbreaking to listen to Zach’s hopes being raised and then dashed – and I can’t deny that I sometimes got frustrated with Gavin, because he knew how Zach felt about him. But I also understood his reluctance; he’s scared of being hurt again and is torn between loyalty to his lost love and the undeniable thrill of finding a new one. The author does a great job of realising all the messy, complicated emotions underpinning their relationship, as well as with the many moments of harmony and quiet companionship they share.
Darcy Stark is a terrific voice actor and he once again delivers an excellent performance all round. There’s a fairly large secondary cast here with most of the main characters from the previous books making appearances, and as far as I can recall, they’re voiced consistently so they sound pretty much the same as they did in their own stories. The vocal characterisations and character differentiation are superb throughout, and the portrayal of the two leads is fabulous. Zach’s even-tempered good-humour and warmth come through very strongly, and the moments, later in the book, where he reaches his breaking point are extremely well done and may even bring a tear to the eye. Gavin’s dialogue is deeper in pitch so there’s a good contrast between the two in their many scenes together, and the strong emotions he’s wrestling with are frequently evident in his voice.
Breaking the Ice brings the Portland Evergreens series to a very satisfying conclusion with an emotional story about love, loss and the journey back to life and happiness – all wrapped up in a delicious slow-burn romance.
Lovely slow-burn romance
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Listener received this title free
There's a lot of healing and a lot of personal growth in this book, and I really did enjoy the journey!
Narration: Brilliant job as usual!
Holy smokes
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Listener received this title free
Even though he'd shut down anything physical between himself and Zach, Gavin was much more open emotionally, setting up cozy nightly phone calls and frequent meals out for the two of them to spend time together. Of course, he'd fooled himself into thinking he was just a friend enjoying another friend's company, but I saw right through that and so did Zach. When Zach finally reached a breaking point (because no one can be a patient saint forever), that served as a catalyst for Gavin to wake up and realize what he'd been about to let slip away. Though I wish it hadn't been so hard for the two of them, I was thrilled to find out that their romantic chemistry was even better than I thought it'd be. Hockey-wise, I really enjoyed seeing all of Zach and Gavin's coaching insights throughout the season, and it felt like getting a behind the scenes look at how their strategy had unfolded in the previous books. Hockey was a core part of both men's lives, and that came through in their passion for the game and their dedication to making their team the best it could be. My heart felt so full as I watched the Portland Evergreens step up to the challenge and make a play for the national championship, and it was even better knowing that Gavin and Zach had already won each other's hearts. Now all that's left is to wrangle Morgan into a relationship, and I can't wait to see what twists and turns Beth Bolden has in store for him.
Gavin and Zach!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Listener received this title free
Coach Gavin suffered a tragic loss and he’s holed himself up in a cabin in Michigan. Several of his old friends and colleagues have tried to approach. Most leave when he points a shotgun at him. Zach, however, isn’t cowed. He challenges Gavin. He makes Gavin see that, after five years of grieving his wife, it might be time to return to the land of the living.
More particularly – coaching the Portland University Evergreens hockey team.
Zach’s the assistant coach, and damn good at his job. As a former NHL player, he knows his way around the arena. But he knows the Portland team needs a knowledgeable leader at the helm. Against all odds, he convinces Gavin to join the team.
It’s not all hearts and flowers. Gavin has never revealed his bisexuality. Zach’s afraid if he makes a move, he might lose Gavin forever. Misunderstandings. Player drama. It’s all mixed in.
Eventually Gavin gets his head out of his butt and realizes what he’s missing when he turns Zach away. Eventually Zach finds a way to secure Gavin’s affection. Then they make a run for the Frozen Four.
Okay, loved everything about this book. I love watching people overcome debilitating grief. I love watching couples come together with the support of family, friends, and therapists. I love a little power play action as well.
Beth did a great job with this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Can’t wait for the next one. Darcy Stark narrates these books and I have to say I adore him. Just waiting impatiently…
From heartbreak to second chance
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.