Breaking Point by Mads Rafferty

Breaking Point by Mads Rafferty

Breaking Point (2025) by Mads Rafferty is a massive hit on BookTok, serving as the explosive first installment in her IceHawks sports romance series.

While it hits all the satisfying, high-heat beats of a modern hockey romance, it distinguishes itself by being a deeply emotional "healed hearts" story. The author notes that beneath the sports aesthetic, the book carries significant emotional weight, directly tackling grief, substance abuse, depression, and coping with severe chronic illness.

The story revolves around Grayson Crawford, a professional hockey star whose life and career are rapidly spiraling out of control. Deeply grieving the devastating loss of a family member, Grayson has turned to alcohol to numb his pain. After a string of public incidents puts him in hot water with his team's front office, he is given an ultimatum: fix his public image or risk losing the sport he can't live without.

The team's solution? A carefully orchestrated public relations (PR) relationship to show the media he has changed.

Grayson agrees, but he has only one woman in mind for the job: Bella Stratford. Bella is his personal assistant, a reserved and fiercely guarded woman who only took the demanding job to pay for her mother's escalating medical bills. Dealing with puck bunnies, scheduling, and cleaning up Grayson's messy personal life is already exhausting enough—not to mention she has severe trust issues when it comes to men.