'He’s the fire I was never meant to touch.
I’m the ice prince who can’t seem to stay frozen.Artemis:
Graduate. Dominate. No distractions—especially cocky sophomores like Xavier Martinez. Every stolen kiss in the shadows, every brush of his hand, sends cracks splintering through the walls I swore would never break.
He sees the mess underneath the ice prince. And now the sight of him across the rink feels less like rivalry and more like self-destructive obsession.
He’s bad decisions in gray sweatpants, sin-slick confidence, the rival team’s golden boy.
My antithesis. My counterpoint. My favorite chaos gremlin.
One slip, and I hand my father the proof he's always wanted—that I was never enough to bear the de la Peña name. I can’t afford to want him, but he’s determined to prove that imperfection tastes better than any win.
Xavier: I’ve spent my life chasing light—now I’m falling for the man who makes the dark feel like home. Artemis makes me feel chosen, but at the rink, I'm still just the enemy.
When it all comes crashing down, I won’t walk away. I’ll stand there, bare and unguarded, and dare him to love me anyway. Artemis has to choose—between his fear of failure and the reckless, messy love that might finally set us both free.
You can’t be the ice prince when your lover is the fire.'
So, I want to start this review of Splitting the D by confirming that I am an ARC reader for this author; however, all opinions in this review are entirely true and my own.
This is the seventh and final book in the Cedar Rapids Raccoons series. Although I am sad to see this series come to an end, I have enjoyed every moment of reading these books. I have loved meeting all of these characters, following their stories, and watching them grow. Reviews of the previous books can be found on the Lemon Nail Fiend blog.
Book seven focuses on the last De La Peña sibling in the series. Artemis is one half of our favourite pair of twins: a family-oriented, hardworking, and, of course, ice hockey-loving man. He has many layers to his personality, and throughout this book readers get to watch those layers slowly stripped away to reveal the true man beneath—and what a man he is.
Artemis’s love interest in this book is his ice hockey rival, Xavier Martinez, who is also the brother of Roman from My Brother’s Teammates. Xavier is a finance major who is determined to go after exactly what he wants—or, in this case, who he wants.
The story begins with Xavier very much pursuing the man he wants, even though Artemis is trying his hardest to resist the temptation. You see, Artemis has a plan for his life this year in order to achieve his goals—not only in hockey, but also in life and with his family. What Artemis did not plan for was a hockey rival who proved a little too tempting for his liking.
Throughout the story, readers get to witness the back-and-forth between these two before they finally commit to a relationship. Whether through texts, phone calls, or care packages filled with sweet treats, readers will love every exchange, already knowing that these two were made for each other and just waiting for them to figure it out themselves.
This story was very easy to get stuck into, and this reader found that her emotions became involved very quickly. So when it looked as though the Ice Prince might never thaw, I was ready to shed a tear or two.
One of the things I loved most about this book is that Xavier does much of the initial pursuing. This really sets the story apart from the previous books featuring the De La Peña siblings. In the earlier novels, the siblings were more than happy to take charge of the chase from the very beginning, whereas Artemis’s goals for the year prevents him from doing that.
This is the first time this author has delved into the world of MM romance (at least as a writer), and as an avid MM romance reader, I have to say they have done a remarkable job. This book contains everything you could want in an MM romance: heartfelt emotion, compelling characters, and just the right amount of spice to grab hold of your emotions and keep you hooked until you have devoured every last word.
Final Thoughts
Although this is the last book in the series—which I am very sad to see end—it could not have been a better story to finish on. It was gripping and kept me turning the pages until the very end. Just when you think, “This is it—they’re finally together,” a curveball (or perhaps there is a better hockey reference!) comes along and makes you rethink everything.
I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to see what this author releases next. I sincerely hope there are more MM romances in their future releases. Whatever comes next, this avid reader will be along for the ride and will be revisiting Cedar Rapids the moment she gets the chance. You can get your copy HERE when it releases on 21st May
From my cozy corner to yours,
📚✨
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