I really enjoyed In the Penalty Box by Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount. I thought the romantic tension between the two main characters was believable and strong. I loved how they both challenged and supported each other through their life's circumstances. I would absolutely read this book again. It was a great read for a snowy day.

I really tried to love this book. Truly! After many attempts, I'm unfortunately unable to connect with the characters. In all honesty, I don't think there is anything wrong with the book. I just think this one is not for me.

I read about 40% of the book and I really wasn't into the sports romance aspect. I also didn't feel the chemistry between the characters, I normally like it, but for some reason, it didn't do it for me this time. That rarely happens to me, but once in a while, I'll find myself struggling to read a story.

Please read it for yourself. I do know readers/bookstagrammers who truly enjoyed it.

In the Penalty Box is a fun high school romance by Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount. I love a good young adult romance, and the story of Brody and Willow hits all the marks.

It took me a little while to truly access whether or not I liked both characters. It has some slow sections, including the beginning, but I am glad I kept reading.

Brody's a rich hockey player who meets the injured former figure skater, Willow. What follows is a tale of some boys not wanting a girl on their team. There's also some issues with an opposing team.

The injury aspect is the leading factor here, as Sabrina can't figure skate after being injured. When Brody wants her on his hockey team, it affords them a chance to grow closer, as well as a chance to keep getting stronger in hopes of figure skating again.

The forbidden romance aspect is ever looming over their heads, as their coach has installed a no fraternization rule. It's a romance with some tough decisions and angst.

Overall, I enjoy In the Penalty Box and I love the ending. This Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount tale is an entertaining read and a good choice when you're in the mood for a m/f young adult romance.

DNF at 25%. The main reason I did not finish is because of the amateur writing and cheesy, stilted dialog. The author kept trying to tell me what to feel using the characters cheesy inner dialog instead of actually using her writing to make me feel something.

From Lala’s Book Reviews

If you like:

YA Contemporary
Sports Romance
Determined MCs
Hockey and Figure Skating
Then this is the book for you!

From the time that I read the synopsis several months ago, I knew that In the Penalty Box was a book that I had to read from the sports romance (let me live vicariously through these characters ok) to the forbid romance type situation, I was hooked way before I had even picked up the book. And then, when I was actually able to read the book, I was a goner.

Both Willow and Brodie have bright futures on the ice as a figure skater and hockey player, but Willow’s injury to her Achilles’ tendon would have left some skaters hanging up their skates for good. But, Willow is determined that even a year after the injury, she would continue to train to make it to the Olympic figure skating team.

After she gets the news that she lost her scholarship and her coach had filled the spot that was for Willow during her recovering, Willow decides to do the thing that she does best and that’s getting back on the ice and prove that she still has it in her.

Here’s where Brodie (did you her the swoon when I typed his name?) comes into play. He’s the star player on his small town’s hockey team by breaking records and being the fastest player on the ice. He sees the fire that Willow has on the ice (was that a bad choice of words?) and the way that being on the ice rink gives her life and purpose. Brodie realizes that this girl who wears sparkly skates and outfits while performing has talent when she fills in as the goal for a practice game, and he comes up with the proposition of help training her on the ice to get in better condition if she tries out for the open goal position for the team.

It’s a win-win for both of them. Brodie gets a great skater who learns quickly and doesn’t back down from a challenge while Willow gets an ice training that is different from the one she has from her normal figure skating.

But there’s the thing about wanting the forbidden fruit. Willow is trying to up her game so she can get on the Olympic team while Brodie doesn’t want any type of relationship that could hinder his ability to play with high school ending so close. Yet, there’s this pull that was between the two from the very beginning, and they just get one another.

In this book following two people having to put together the pieces of their lives both on and off the life and decide what they’re willing to risk in the process!

When I started In The Penalty Box I was hooked. I think the immediate chemistry between Willow and Brodie and just the general awesomeness of Willow sucked me in.

I really enjoyed Willow. She is hardworking and tough. Even though she hurt her achilles, even though she was taking longer to rehab then she wanted. She kept at it and was absolutely determined to get herself in shape. No matter what it takes. I find people like that amazing because I would consider myself on the lazy side.

Brodie is also a great kind hearted guy. He has some struggles in his personal life but he is a devoted brother and good friend. Sometimes though I felt a little frustrated with him when he was making some of Willow’s things about him. He’s also 17 though and that is what you do at 17. I also liked that there are some things in his life that are not magically fixed. Like it’s something that is a process and is going to have to take beyond the book.

The romance is cute and I did really enjoy the banter and chemistry between characters. Again towards the end I had some frustrations. I’m still not sure how I feel about it but I guess if that’s what the characters wanted that’s what they wanted.

It also addresses discrimination against girls and what people think figure skaters are like. Figure skaters are hard workers, just because they wear sequins and make up doesn’t make them any less so. I was a dancer and I remember when there was a whole football team that would come in for a class to help with their balance. I think you see the same thing here with figure skating and hockey crossover. I really enjoyed that part of it. I also enjoy sports in books even though I rarely watch sports in life. It’s kind of funny.

So this is a great quick read. I’m still conflicted about the end but it doesn’t take away from what the story is at all.

I adored this book but I don’t feel like my library community would feel the same way. This was purely a selfish read as I was a competitive figure skater myself. It’s rare to find books that actually talk about figure skating properly. This was one of those rare ones. I am recommending it to all my skating fans and my boyfriend is now calling me ToePick cause I loved the nickname. Thanks for a great read for someone who misses the ice!

First time reader of this author & I can say I am already looking forward to more from her! In The Penalty Box was a very cute read & I loved every bit of it! Anything hockey and I am game for it (no pun intended) ;) I loved Willow & Brodie!

When I started reading this book I went through it very slowly, but when I hit the 20% mark, I flew through it and came to really enjoy the read! I loved loved loved that this book its main theme is ice hockey. Willow, one of the main characters, was a professional figure skater but because of an injury, she is at home, trying to build up her strength, which she tries to do by being the goalie for the local ice hockey team. Her joining an all-boys hockey team leads to several sexist comments from two of the boys and her abilities are doubted several times throughout the novel. However, Willow is a strong female character who does not let these comments slip and shows the boys that a girl can be as good a goalie as a man. Also, she does not let love stand in the way of her goals/dreams which is a trait I strongly admire. Further, while some of the men were pigs, there were also some great male characters present in the story who supported Willow, stood up for her and acknowledged her talents. It was great to see the team bond and the friendships grow. Lastly, the struggles of the other main character, Brodie, were discussed very well. The book dealt with grief over the loss of a dead parent, alcoholism and child neglect. The only reason why I rated this book 3 stars instead of 5 is that, for a romance story, I felt it was lacking. Sadly, I was not very invested in the romance and I thought it lacked some spice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

After being injured, Willow’s back home from her Olympic training program to finish her rehab as quickly as possible, even if that means sometimes sharing ice with the local high school hockey puckheads. When a goalie injury – and a stray puck – bring her to the hockey team captain’s attention, Willow suddenly finds herself spending time with Brodie and agreeing to act as his team’s goalie – just until she recovers enough to go back to training, of course. But as she spends more time with the team, and especially Brodie, she starts to love hockey, and, well, maybe Brodie, too. But any sort of relationship is against team rules, and she’s got her eyes on the Olympics anyway. What could possibly be worth losing that dream?

“Everything falls into place when I’m on the ice.” She straightened up a little, slowing the pace. “I can’t think clearly anywhere else.”
“Same,” I said.”


One of the things I loved about both Willow and Brodie was how much they loved their respective sports, and just being on the ice. Willow’s been focused on her ice skating career to the exclusion of everything else for years, and it’s a relief that her best friend from home is willing to forgive her for that. Willow initially joins the hockey team for the extra ice time and team workouts, both things that’ll help her recover more quickly so she can get back to ice skating. She’s a bit surprised how much she likes the teamwork aspect of hockey (minus some seriously misogynistic nonsense) as opposed to the mean girls aspect of figure skating. She’s definitely portrayed as “different from the other girls” – she’s not an ice princess like the other skaters Brodie has dated or that he’s used to encountering at the rink. While Willow’s dealing with conflicting feelings, Brodie’s also got a lot on his mind. His mom died two years ago and ever since then his dad has struggled with alcoholism. He’s been left to fend for himself and his eight year old brother, who has bad asthma, while at the same time being the hockey team captain. It’s lot on his shoulders, and I think that’s partly why he respects Willow’s own hard work and determination so much.

“Everything about us broke the rules, yet, while I skated on this uneven ice with the splash of the setting sun bouncing red rays of light through the air, everything about her felt right.”


Some of the book felt repetitive. Both Willow and Brodie are continuously reminding each other that it would be violating team rules to date, that Willow’s planning on leaving, that Brodie has enough on his plate, etc. It felt like they kept circling back to these issues without actually addressing them, and then they sort of ignored them because they couldn’t resist kissing each other.

And on top of that, there was just a bit too much going on – the family issues, the rival team player (this plot line sort of just fizzles out) – plus a large cast of characters. It never felt like there was enough time focused on any particular thing – we’re ricocheting between Willow’s failed attempt to date a rival team player to her friend back in Colorado getting hurt to Brodie’s issues with his dad to his little brother’s sickness to hiding their relationship from everyone to worrying about not hearing back from the Boston College coach to a teammate being a misogynistic idiot to… well, you get the idea. Honestly, most of my bookmarks weren’t for bits of dialog that I loved but for more things to add to the content warnings.

And I know this is some serious nitpicking, but it’s annoying that the book frequently refers to Willow’s long black hair which she usually wears down her back in braids (Brodie is really, really into it) while the cover model is a short-haired blonde.

Overall, I enjoyed the book – I love YA hockey books for whatever reason – but it felt a bit too jumbled for me.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I’m a HUGE hockey fan, so any book having to do with hockey, count me in! I’m also a sucker for a YA romance. So this book fit me perfectly.

This book was the perfect mix of emotions. I liked the conflict & journey that both characters experienced. The book was a little slow to start and took a while for any real depth to take place, but overall, I enjoyed the storyline & the characters.

I'm a sucker for YA sports reads and have had tremendous luck with them in the past. So when I read the synopsis about a figure skater trying to make it in the world of hockey AND a forbidden romance, I was so on board.

I grew up in small towns where there weren't always enough players to have separate boys and girls teams and so girls would be on the "boys" hockey time all the time. But it is naïve to think that there aren't barriers in place or assumed gender roles from those who play in the sports, even today.

So I really liked the added dimension of people pushing back against Willow playing with the boys. I thought it provided great material for her character development and highlighted the fact that preconceived notions can literally stop you from winning or being the best team you can be.

I think Willow had the most obvious character growth in the pair thanks to the challenges her injury presented her and her family life. But Brodie had a very heavy storyline as well. I think some of it could have been hashed out a littler earlier but I appreciated his struggles and how his reactions to everything were grounded in realism.

It took me a while to get into this book. It is really slow at the start as Willow orients herself in her new town and with her new limitations. That's why I think more flirting or tension filled moments between her and Brodie at the start would have kept the pacing up. It just made the latter half of the book feel rushed and top-heavy with drama and developments.

My Review 4 Stars*

In the penalty box was ticking all the boxes right from the start. I love hockey romances, it’s by my favourite publisher and it’s a sweet teen romance.

Willow is a figure skater with an injury. She can no longer do the twists and jumps. She needs to find a new way to love the ice.

Brody is the ice king. He’s rich, popular and a great hockey player but none of those things define him. When his puck finds Willow sparks fly both on and off the ice.

Can these two people from different walks of life find love on the ice.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The perfect mix of ice hockey and figure skating. The love child of The Cutting Edge and The Mighty Ducks! Filled with humor, romance, sports and drama - this book can do no wrong, except reek havoc on your emotions. My heart broke for Caleb and Brodie, with everything they had to face. I wanted to reach through the pages and slap some sense into their Dad. Willow has her own tough decisions to make, and this was the first time I struggled while reading, since I wasn't sure which dream I wanted her to follow. Make sure you read about "Toe Pick" and "Puck Head", I promise it'll entertain you from start to finish!

Actual Rate: 3.5 stars.

A sweet and super cute reading with a few of my favorite elements:
Hockey!
Ice Skating!
Romance and friendship!

Overall I enjoyed the story, I like the conflict and the journey that both characters need to take in order to pursue their own gaol, Also I liked the growth from both MCs, and as a reader that is one of my favorite parts of any story.
However, I have some issues with the writing style, and I think is one of the reasons why it took me so long to finish so easy ready. The dialogues are too forced, like trying too hard, and there are too many repetitions of the same words over and over. It is the same with the telling and the unnecessary explanation. And even when I love a good book about sport, sometimes is too much to describe play by play. the story is not about the sport itself is about the characters.
Do I recommend this book?
Yes, If you like a lovely story and a quick read, this book is for you.

I received an ARC from Entangled Publishing, LLC through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. And I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I picked this because the synopsis sounded good to me. If you like a sweet sport romance this would be a book for you. Brodie and Willow both have goals to achieve during their senior year of high school. Brodie wanted to win state championship in ice hockey and Willow wanted to reclaim her spot on her ice skating team after her horrible injury. They worked together to hopefully make their dreams come true. Now to my question, how does an ice skater learn to play goalie in a matter of weeks when these guys play for years?! It was like she was super woman. The teammates on the team were amazing and I absolutely loved them. The team work and friendship between them was great to read. Now the romance between the two leads took a while and I wanted more from them. Unfortunately, the epilogue was a bit disappointing for me, I wish I could read what happens to these amazing characters a year in the future. Overall, it was a good sweet sports romance.
I received this Arc from the publisher and Netgalley for my honest review and opinion.

I really like the storyline of this story- an injured figure skater getting stronger by joining a hockey team. Lots of female empowerment also really added to the story. I was also a bit confused at times as there was a bunch of things that were happening and it did take you away from the story at times.

First off I would like to thank Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. I love quick happy ending romances. This one nailed it. I don't ice skate but have been drawn to figure skating all my life. I think it is the coolest thing and love to read and watch things about it. I loved Brodie and Willow the 2 main characters in the book. I loved their banter with each other and that Willow was not a snooty, stuck up figure skater bit was strong willed and determined. I also like how the authors threw in some not so happy real life situations that happen to both characters. It made you feel closer to them. I also liked all the boys on the team and how they each grew into to their characters. My only disappointment was there wasn't much spice in the relationship but if you are looking for cookie cutter romance then pick this one up.

In the Penalty Box

Thanks to Netgalley for this copy!! I did not expect this book to be YA but I ended up really enjoying this cute romance between a hockey player and a figure skater. Willow is a figure skater who tore her achilles and needed to take some time off to rehab it. She runs into Brodie and his hockey team on the ice and when their goalie gets hurt, they need someone to fill in. Willow ends up playing goalie and it goes from there. It was super fun to see Willow and Brodie fall for each other while playing on the same hockey team. It was a little bit forbidden since as teammates they weren’t allowed to date. This book is a little long for a romance at 400 pages but it was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it!! Super glad to have read this one.

This book was really adorable and eye opening. Eye opening in terms of sometimes you just don't know what you have until you try something else. When Willow suffers an injury that sends her back home to recover she is pleasantly surprised to find a new hobby to dive into, hockey. As a figure skater this is definitely something that is close enough to her comfort zone that she embraces it.

I really enjoyed watching her friendship with Brodie grow and her love for something new expand. Things are always so much more when they are within a group or a team. It's good to expand your horizons and experience new things. I even learned some new hockey terms, not that I knew any to begin with.

The team was great, they are loyal and dedicated to one another. Definitely people you can count on and that is something that both Willow and Brodie need in their lives. They are both going through a lot and help lean in one another.

Overall I enjoyed the characters, their love felt like young joy and the dedication and loyalty they have for one another is aspiring. Great quick read.