The Definition of Icing by Aven Ellis ~ Review

Kenley Hunter finally has everything sorted out. Fresh from studying chocolate making in Europe, she's gambling everything on her new business, Confection Consultations.

All Kenley wants in life is people to take her seriously, to see the person on the inside rather than the blonde beauty on the outside. While pursuing her passion of chocolate, Kenley discovered people seek her knowledge. They see past the exterior and fall for the chocolate delights in front of them.

So with work as her focus, Kenley is ready to start her career in Dallas. Men are out of her recipe, because she fears that once they get past her looks, they’ll be disappointed in what they find. Kenley decides she's all about the chocolate now.

Or is she?

Because a chance meeting with new Dallas Demon hockey star Nate Johansson might change everything.  Sent to Dallas in a blockbuster trade, Nate is somewhere he doesn't want to be, for reasons that have caused him heartbreak on multiple levels. Nate knows he will never trust a woman again after what happened to him in Minnesota.

But when he meets a woman with an intriguing name and a passion for chocolate, Nate isn't so sure about his theory. And he might just learn a definition of icing other than the one used in hockey with Kenley as his guide...

At First Sight

I absolutely LOVE the cover of this book.  It is so fitting and I love the type of cover where we don't see the actual people and we can leave that up to our own imagination.  It is a nice switch from what has become the normal these days.

Characters and Relationships
Nate and Kenley are both wonderful characters.  From the very first chapter I loved how Kenley stood up for herself and how Nate backed her up because he didn't agree with what she was trying to be pushed into doing.  As Nate and Kenley got to know each other better, it was apparent that both Kenley and Nate were the type of people that would do anything for someone they cared about. What better quality could you be looking for in a person?

I like it when characters don't expect others to change for them.  People need to be accepted as they are and Kenley and Nate both had this quality as we all should in life.   Kenley was very involved in getting her business going strong, which was something he liked about her.  Their interactions were often times filled with laughter and I loved how both of their personalities came through in the writing.  I sometimes have a hard time with one character or the other, but Aven made me fall in love with both Nate and Kenley from beginning to end.

There were some wonderful supporting characters in this book as well, including Harrison and Kylie from Aven's book Waiting For Prince Harry.  I look forward to hopefully seeing some of these faces in books to come.

Is This A Kissing Book?
We have some definite hot, swoony kisses going on in this one!  What more would you expect from a super hot Dallas Demon hockey player?  I have to mention that one of my favorite things about this book (and the other books of Aven's I have read) is that her sex scenes are all fade to black at just the right time.  I know I may be alone in this, but I don't need every detail of what's happening in the bedroom and I love it when I don't have to bother skimming over a chapter because of it.  I am always looking for clean NA/adult books so thank you Aven for that.

Don't Leave Me Hanging
There is no cliff hanger to this book and although it is in a series, you don't need to read the other book first to read this one.  In fact, I read them out of order and they were both wonderful.

The Best Gems

• Dallas Detials
• The Definitions
• Chocolate With Curry
• Fancy Smores
• Hot Arms (Love those arms Nate!)
• Coffee House
• "You Betcha"
• Hockey
• Chocolate
• Tumble

The Sum Up
The Definition of Icing is a book that I enjoyed from start to finish.  Aven's writing is delightful and funny and I devoured every page.  Nate and Kenley were both adorable and fun and I loved sharing time with them while reading their story.  If you love a smart, funny, romantic book, this is definitely one for you.  I cannot recommend this book enough.