It’s a Love/Skate Relationship

Subtle romance blossoms between a hockey player and a figure skater in this frothy debut sports rom-com. High school junior Charlie Porter is suspended from her Vermont private school and benched from her hockey team following her involvement in a brawl with a rival player. While working at the rink to pay off the damage she caused, she’s coerced into helping figure skater Alexa Goldstein practice her pairs routines while Alexa’s partner recovers from a broken ankle. Alexa’s intense, Olympic bronze medal–winning mother promises she can use her connections to ensure that Charlie gets seen by college hockey scouts. Charlie assumes the gig will be a breeze until she learns that figure skating is more physically demanding than she anticipated. Once she gets the hang of it, however, her and Alexa’s natural chemistry on the ice heightens their mutual attraction and blossoming feelings. Then a serious misstep at a competition makes Charlie retreat. The white-cued girls’ lighthearted romance feels rote and somewhat rushed. Via Charlie and Alexa’s struggles with and dedication to their individual passions, Corson nails the tension and pressure of sports competition. Alexa is Jewish. Ages 13–up. Agent: Claire Friedman, InkWell Management. (Jan.)