Beneath The Blue Ice

starring: VICTORIA ANDRUNIK & KAHIAU MACHADO

A college transfer student discovers her best friend’s older brother is her new roommate, and her long buried crush is very much alive. As stolen glances and jealous rivalries threaten to unravel everything, Tasha and Layson must choose between protecting the people they love and surrendering to the feelings they can never quite shake.

REVIEW

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Yes I know it can feel like there is too much YA on @watchcandyjar and a lot of you are missing a wider range of stories

But they do YA so well, and this one feels better as it is set in college. And it is just another little slice of perfection, yearning, first love and two people finding each other

@victoria.andrunik has to be one of the best and most likeable girl next door vertical stars. She is gorgeous but not intimidating. Does that make sense? Hoping you know what I mean. Could just watch her endlessly in all the things

And fab to have @kahiaumachado back on Candyjar. It's all about the stillness and the yearn and he delivers. Best yearn of the year so far. You feel the hurt as he longs to be with Tasha but doesn't want to overstep

And because it is Candyjar it is well written so the BFF Evie is most concerned about Tasha not having time to work out who she is (um also a bit too invested in her virginity but anyhoo) and @amanda_troya23 has super scene when she finds out about the pair, and then also realises she may have got it all wrong

@justin_stanek Aaron is well written enough that he is just a jerk rather than full on vertical villain

And have a lot of love for Harry @ryangray as he does sort everything out for everyone. A good man!

Yep you know what is going to happen here, and it is another YA one, but it is so well done. Watch for the cast, enjoy the quiet moments and a reminder that you can be hooked and mesmerized without needing a shock factor every episode.

💖 Top swoonworthy moment:

The beauty of giving actors the luxury of time and not needing to fill every second with dialogue. This is all about the yearning and the looks from Layson. And then the perfect response when Tasha is crying - how could I be happy if you are crying - a stark contrast to…

🦹🏼‍♂️ Top villain award:

Mr red flag Aaron. Appreciate that the nastiness is not attempted SA, but just the fact he is using her to get a starting spot. But all revealed when he tells Tasha she is getting all emotional and asks if she is still on her period. Peak level boo hissery.

😂 Comedy gold:

Not really comedy, but Tasha does have a few, whoops can’t believe I said that moments.

🎺 Unsung hero:

It’s all about Harry - gets Layson to admit how he feels, warns Tasha about Aaron, and then gets our two leads together. Very happy he has his own happy ever after with Evie :)

✍🏼 DETAILS

Director: Bo Youngblood | 2026

Available on Candyjar