Netflix is set to bring another romance drama series to its platform following the success of “Heated Rivalry.” The streaming service revealed plans to adapt the popular book “Icebreaker” by Hannah Grace into a college romance drama series.
“Icebreaker,” a young adult romance novel published in 2022, tells the story of ambitious figure skater Anastasia Allen and hockey team captain Nate Hawkins. The two characters fall in love after being forced to share the ice at the fictional University of California, Maple Hills campus. The book became a bestseller, selling nearly five million copies and translated into 24 languages.
Describing the plot, Netflix stated, “She’s the transfer gunning for Olympic gold. He’s the campus star chasing the NHL. But when an accident forces their teams to share one rink, Anastasia Allen and Nate Hawkins collide — and discipline gives way to obsession, because the only thing more dangerous than wanting to win is wanting each other.”
Jinny Howe, Netflix’s head of scripted series for the U.S. and Canada, made the announcement about the upcoming series at the Banff World Media Festival. Howe expressed the excitement for bringing beloved romance novels to the screen, highlighting the global appeal of such stories.
Following the success of Crave’s “Heated Rivalry,” which focused on a relationship between two male hockey players, the new series based on “Icebreaker” aims to continue the trend of sports romance books gaining popularity. The show “Heated Rivalry” received critical acclaim, winning a Peabody Award and being praised as a Canadian content success by Culture Minister Marc Miller.
“Icebreaker” is the first book in Grace’s Maple Hills series, which also includes “Wildfire” (2023) and “Daydream” (2025), all set at the University of California campus. The series will bring together romance, sports, and drama for viewers to enjoy on Netflix soon.