My rating scale:
5☆ - I loved this book and it brought out true emotion in me (laughter, anger, a good cry, etc)
4☆ - I loved this book.
3☆ - I liked this book.
2☆ - I didn't really care for this book.
1☆ - I did not like this book at all and probably did not finish it.

This one was cute, but not necessarily my favorite. I really love a good sports romance, and I also really enjoy a YA with real-life issues. The problem for me was that this one just seemed SO jam-packed with drama that it ended up feeling pretty unrealistic in the end. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the drama was turned down just a notch.

Other than that though, I found it to be a cute story, and worth the read.

Many thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

A great little sports romance that is good for what it is. It's not anything special. The story's been told before. But if you're looking for a Teen hockey romance to cheer you up, this book is perfect.

Love a great sports romance and this one is really good. Aimed at the YA crowd it has some great stories and characters throughout the book that you just fall in love.
Thanks for my free ARC.

I didn't really like this one. It felt like every other cliche romance to me if I'm being honest. Very... Hallmarky. (I like Hallmark Christmas movies, don't get me wrong. Just not in a book.)

I absolutely adore a good sports romance story! Injured ice skater joins boys hockey team and it heats up from there. This is age appropriate even though they do talk about sex
Some. The lead female is absolutely perfect and a badass and the lead male has the best background story to make you fall in love and have all the feels. You won’t be disappointed!

A YA sports romance between a hockey player and a figure skater. One chasing family expectations and obligations, the other discovering what life could be like if you just let go and embrace your desires.

A sweet look at high-school small town romance in a world where everyone breathes hockey and family comes first. Love is complicated and unexpected.

Great collaboration.

I've always enjoyed finding new sports contemporary romance to read. So I definitely had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, I could barely get through the first half of the book. Eventually, I decided to take pity on myself and had to call it quits.

DNF @ 10%

I enjoyed the heck out of Willow and Brodie's story! To be honest, the blurb had me at "hockey"--but throw figure skating in there too? Cue the grabby hands. Honestly, I couldn't even begin to guess how many times I've seen The Cutting Edge, so a YA book that turns it on its end and has the recovering-from-an-injury figure skater rehabbing by taking up hockey? Yes, please!

In the Penalty Box did not disappoint. Willow and Brodie are strong characters, and their chemistry together is great. I enjoyed the heck out of watching them together--whether on the ice, texting, or hanging out with the team--and think I might have been more broken up than even Brodie at the thought of Willow going back to figure skating and leaving hockey (and him!) behind in the end. I mean, States were coming up! Plus, you know--Brodie... ;)

Ms Rush and Ms Blount did a nice job of keeping their characters on the edge of will they or won't they for just the right amount of time, and having them act like actual teens who have a reasonable amount of intelligence and don't need to get bogged down in drama. Even when Brodie's life could have arguably made him a bit angsty, they resisted the urge to go OTT with it. (And can I just say how much I loved reading about a high school athlete who wasn't 100% sure that going pro was in his immediate future? Brodie was all about getting to play in college, and I freaking loved that.)

Though parts of the story were a tad bit predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed the world that the authors created here. If they decide to revisit any of the other players on the team in the future, I. Am. Here. For. It. (Fingers crossed!)

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

What a fun YA book! I enjoyed the playfulness you feel with these characters as they enjoy their early stages of flirtation and romance. The build up of conflict from family life or trying to get back to being an elite athlete or the angsty build up of teenage emotion. This was an entertaining read!

Teenagers are going to love this one!

Read my full review here: https://booksteahealthyme.home.blog/2021/01/04/book-review-in-the-penalty-box-by-lynn-rush-and-kelly-anne-blount/

I picked up on The Cutting Edge reference right out of the gate. But this story is even better than that one. Granted, it's partially because this story is more modern, with the movie being almost 20 years old. But Willow is also much more tolerable than Kate. Yes, she is a figure skater, but she isn't a prima donna. She is coming off of a devastating injury that cost her a spot on her Olympic team.

Brodie may be the star hockey player, but life has not been super kind to him. His mother was killed in an accident by a drunk driver. His father, unable to cope, has become an absent alcoholic. And now Brodie is also serving as a surrogate father to his kid brother. But he wants to go pro and follow in his family's footsteps.

So the two of them have had a lot of trauma in their young lives. Perhaps that is part of why they seems so much older than seniors in high school. Between their traumas and dreams, they have lost a good chunk of their innocent childhoods.

So Willow ends up joining Brodie's hockey team and becomes one of the greatest goalies they have ever had. Willow and Brodie, who are essentially training together, of course fall for each other, but have to keep their romance a secret.

They complement each other well, able to be supportive of each other through the difficult times, but also able to push each other to do their very best. It isn't easy, but their determination just may make it work.

I loved that this book put a girl on a boys hockey team. It's empowering to read about a strong girl who isn't necessarily following the traditional gender roles. This provides a chance to demonstrate some of the gender bias that persists in our society.

These two also show how to follow your dreams without needing to trample everyone else along the way. Plus they show how persistence pays off. And while it is typical for teens to be somewhat self-centered, these two show how you have to look beyond just yourself to really be successful at life.

If you like sports romances, I think that this is a good one to add to your list. If you're not as into hockey and figure skating, you may not enjoy this as much because there is a lot of technical focus as part of the story. For me, it worked and I loved it. I may have even learned a little.

I've enjoyed what I have read from each of these authors individually in the past. I liked this collaboration and hope they consider more in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a requested review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Huge thank you to Entangled for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved this sweet story. This is my first dip into the hockey romance genre and I can't wait to try more. I loved the Cutting Edge vibes and how the main characters had to work through some really tough real life issues including dealing with the death of a parent, substance abuse, poverty. This was a wonder, very readable, and enjoyable read.

I want to say thank you to the Netgalley for sending me a copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.

5 Stars

Blurb:
Willow
Figure skating was supposed to be my whole world. But one unlucky injury and now I’m down...but I’m definitely not out. I just need to rehab—a boatload of rehab—and who’d have thought I could do it on the boys’ hockey team?
Brodie
Hockey is my whole world. I’ve worked my tail off getting my team in a position to win the championships—hopefully in front of major college scouts, too—so what’s a guy to do when a figure skater ends up as our new goalie?

Willow is trying so hard to get back to skating on her team. Brodie wants to focus on hockey so he can get into the same college as his dad. Willow was out skating during free time. She was trying to get better with rehab so she can go back to her skating team. Anyway the hockey team shows up for scheduled practice. That's when everything changes. The hockey teams goalie get hurt and they ask Willow to fill in for practice. Turns out Willow is a really good goalie. The hockey team asked Willow to fill in until their old goalie gets better. Willow agrees because she thinks it will help her get stronger. Willow and Brodie make an agreement, He would help her train for skating and she will play hockey.

I really enjoyed this book. I found it to be a really fun winter read. I was very cute, fun story. Ice skating has always interested me so when I got a chance to read a book with Ice skating I was all for it. I really liked the banter between Ice skaters and the Hockey players.

I would recommend if you enjoy romance, banter, and skating on the ice.

I loved this book. I like the new take on the figure skater hockey player romance I got from this book. Usually the figure skater ends up just working super hard to over come their injury while falling for the hockey player and while both of those are true for this story there is an interesting twist that absolutely works for this story and these characters. I also enjoyed the the story was told from 2 povs which definitely added to my enjoyment of this story. Also the side characters in this story really are just like family from Gramps to Jessa to Preach they were all so much fun to read about. I can’t wait for the Twin Rivers books.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

In the Penalty Box sees injured figure skater, Willow, recuperate and train with her local hockey team. Back in Wisconsin, and at risk of losing her place on her Olympic squad, Willow knows she needs to train, and train hard, if she has any chance of coming back after her Achilles tear. Joining the local hockey team was a way for her to have more ice time, but being a girl on a boys’ team is not without its difficulties, and especially when her feelings for the team captain, and new friend, Brodie, start to complicate things. For Brodie, he’s known as Wind, the captain of the team, and on track to go to Boston College and play professionally, just like his dad, and grandad before him. However, his home life isn’t perfect. His mam was killed by a drunk driver a few years ago, his younger brother has asthma and is ill, and his dad is slowly becoming dependant on alcohol.

This was a book I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I enjoyed it. Willow is on track for the Olympics, until an injury caused her to tear her Achilles’ tendon, and her to be dropped from the team. She’s gutted, and needs to recover, and fast, if she has any hope of achieving her goals. Playing in goal for the hockey team was a lark at first, but soon became really important to her. Some of the team members, like Pax and Eric, were misogynistic and angry that she had taken the spot of one of their friends, but for the most part, people really respected and were glad she was playing for them. The only real issue was the no fraternisation rule, as Brodie and Willow are interested in being more than just friends. I really liked Brodie, too, and felt for him after what was happening at home, and the pressure he is under. Okay, some parts were really over the top, and I was rolling my eyes at times, but all in all, I enjoyed the book.

Toe Pick.

I'm old enough for that to be romantic and adorable before reading Kelly Anne Blount's and Lynn Rush's In The Penalty Box.

After a horrendous injury, Willow Covington is home nursing her wounds. She's doing what she can to work her way back to the Olympic Figure Skating Team she was on before getting hurt. It just isn't going well. Going to open ice time at the local ice rinks is giving her practice and keeping her sane.

Puck Head.

Brodie Windom is the wealthy and athletic 'It-Guy.' Girls want to know him, and guys want to be like him. What does he want? He wants someone who doesn't fall for the Windom name and doesn't care about the legacy with which it comes. The girl who just checked him where the sun doesn't shine looks like his next new mistake. She's beautiful. And he learned last year beautiful ruins hockey. But when she makes an unlikely save from the stands that put their goalie to shame, he starts thinking of her in a new light.

In The Penalty Box is a cute love story with a lot of baggage. I was halfway in thinking that this was all sweet and precious when the poop hit the fan. There is some brutal reality in In The Penalty Box that many kids will, unfortunately, be able to relate to, and that is a shame.

I recommend this book to fans of Sara Ney's Kissing in Cars.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advance copy of this book.

Who could pass up a story about a female figure skater who plays a hockey goalie? Certainly not me.

Willow Covington’s passion is skating. It’s her calling. After getting injured, the rehabilitation is slow and her skating team has dumped her. So when her bestie Jessa and the high school hockey players at the ice rink encourage her to fill in as goalie, she goes for it. After all, her experience playing field hockey as a kid was legendary as well as her added Olympic-bound ice skating. It didn’t hurt that the hunky Brodie “Wind” Windhom asked her to give it a try. But she can’t get involved with a boy because she will be leaving once she finds a new ice skating team.

Brodie Windhom’s family life is a shit show what with the responsibility for his little brother, Caleb, who has severe asthma and his dad who is rarely home and sober at that. It’s hockey that gives him peace and it’s his ticket to get a scholarship to Boston College. However, he has more distractions than just his home life. It’s the beautiful and determined Willow Covington. She is fearless and not at all like any other figure skater. She is a badass as a goalie and hard to resist. But the coach has rules. No fraternizing on the team.

I love Brodie and Willow’s story. They are very dedicated athletes who are working hard toward their dreams, but their dreams are getting in the way of hurting the ones they care about. Brodie is a kind and loyal friend and big brother who has a lot of weight on his shoulders. It is heartbreaking to watch his home life crumble as his relationship with Willow becomes complicated. Willow’s whole life has been figure skating and it is part of her psyche to want to succeed at something she is good at. But she’s grown to love hockey and her teammates as well. Her decision is difficult.

As for the supporting characters, her besties Jessa and Erika are Willow’s lifeline, and Preach and his family are wonderful to Brodie in his time of need. The hockey teammates are an assortment of funny, encouraging, and sexist to which Brodie and especially Willow fabulously set them straight.

I recommend this heartwarming forbidden YA sports romance for those who enjoy fantastic characters, drama on and off the ice, and a HEA ending.

Thank you to Ms. Rush and Ms. Blount for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

3.5 stars

In the Penalty Box by Lynn Rush & Kelly Anne Blount is a sweet and entertaining read.

I enjoyed the storyline, it held my interest from start to end, I enjoyed watching the friendships and I loved watching the relationship between Willow and Brodie develop.

Overall, In The Penalty Box is an enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.

*Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy.*

Willow Covington dreamed of being an Olympic figure skater, worked hard, and she and her family sacrificed a lot to bring that dream to fruition until an accident hurt her Achilles tendon and almost ripped apart her dream. She has returned to her childhood town to live with her grandfather while she rehabilitates and tries to make it back on her skating team. Unexpectedly, she gets the opportunity to play goalie on a boy’s team, whose captain is Brodie, the boy who seems to have everything.

In the Penalty Box by Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount is pretty much a gold medal winner in my opinion. It has everything that you could want in a YA sports romance: a cute couple made up of a strong pretty girl and a handsome though vulnerable boy, lots of exciting on the ice (and off the ice) action, angst, drama, fun and flirtation. I loved that Willow, despite her fragile-sounding name, didn’t back down from bullies who tried to intimidate her and that she gave as good as she got.

Like all romances, whether they’re adult or young adult, there’s always a decision that needs to be made. While I agreed with the general outcome, I wish that it had been achieved in a different way. The big decision, the big sacrifice, could have been written so that it felt like it was a harder choice than it seemed to be for Willow. I am really trying to write this so that there are no spoilers but without being too vague–I’ve probably succeeded on the first and failed on the second. Ah, well.

Regardless, I loved this sports romance. I was always one of those little girls who dreamed of being an Olympic figure skater so for me this was a very fun read. The hockey scenes were well done with me rooting Willow on to block all of the shots. I loved Willow and Brodie’s victories on the ice. And then off the ice.

There’s a lot going on in In the Penalty Box, enough to make most YA romance readers happy. Rush and Blount make a wonderful writing team and I hope to read more of their collaborations in the future.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.