okay so the synopsis for this book wasn't very clear but the premise still sounded interesting! it reminded me of the iconic disney channel movie "go figure"

i honestly thought this would be a fun, lighthearted read and while most of it was, it also dealt with serious matters.

willow had a dream of going to the olympics as a figure skater since forever, but an injury set her back. she ended up joining a hockey team while she healed and the rest was history! it was very interesting to see how fast (almost) everyone adapted to having a girl on the team.

brodie has my whole heart. i truly felt for him. i adored the relationship between brody and his little brother, caleb.

what i liked most about this book was the time skips. it didn't waste any time on unnecessary things and got straight to the point while still making focusing on the hockey aspect. i believe the romance was very well made and i just love willow and brody so much.

This was a cute read! I do feel that the characters read older than they were described to be. I had to continue to remind myself that they were in high school, because I kept thinking the setting was in college.

This was a fun, easy read and I really enjoyed it. It was sweet and predictable, but it had me giggling to myself and smiling silly.
A great contemporary romance to break up some fantasy or dark heavy reads.
I really liked the banter. I enjoyed the drama. I loved that it had a figure skater stepping into some hockey skates and touched on some sexist views, but it also had heartwarming friendship and teamwork.
The only disconnect I had was it’s their ages. I had to remind myself they were in high school. This would have taken it one notch farther with me if it was more college based and a little spicier, but that is personal preference and didn’t take away from the story I read.
Super cute ending!

This book would be perfect for fans of Tijan or Elle Kennedy.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled publishing for a chance to read this novel. All thoughts are my own.

I received a copy of IN THE PENALTY BOX by LYNN RUSH AND KELLY ANNE BLOUNT. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

FIVE Stars and here’s why:

I LOVED IT! I’m a sucker for sports romances with a strong heroine and this story did not disappoint! Willow and Brodie have chemistry in spades – sparks fly from the get-go. But what kept me turning the pages was the heartwarming story of love, friendship, and the will to persevere.

If you love excellent writing with strong, savvy women and sexy guys with heart, then this book is for you. Highly recommend.

I love a good sports romance and this was definitely a solid read.
In the Penalty Box follows Willow, a competitive figure skater who joins the boys hockey team after an injury. Brodie, a boy on the team, doesn't want to be distracted by anyone and is focused on his goal of playing hockey in college.
Some parts were pretty predictable but it was still very entertaining. I think that through most of the story it felt like it should have been taking place in college as the characters were pretty mature and I'm not really sure why the author didn't write the characters at that age instead of as high schoolers.
I love girls breaking boundaries in predominantly male sports so I really appreciated that aspect of the book. I liked her character and could connect with her struggle with sustaining a sports-related injury and having to adjust her previous plans.
Lovers of the sports romance genre will definitely enjoy this book!

In the Penalty Box by Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount an enjoyable four-star read. This has all the makings, its sweet, its about a couple of opposites and its hockey. I liked the opposites and the characters felt like people you would know when you were younger, they all seem great, I really liked how they weren’t always sweetness and light and stood up for themselves and had things going on under the surface, it just seemed to make this a deeper story.

They both needed to stay focused this year. Willow had to concentrate on her recovery and getting back on track for the Olympics, while Brodie had to sharpen his hockey skills and secure a college scholarship. When a wild puck and a fast hand brought them into each other's orbits, would Brodie and Willow allow romance to distract them from their goals?

I never get tired of reading books, where a girl dominates on a boys' team, and this one came with a great twist. Willow was an elite ice skater, who had suffered an injury. She returned home to rehab, but was struggling until she temporarily joined the hockey team. I have seen the figure skater on the hockey team here and there, but I liked the Olympic dream angle in this story and how Willow was torn between the two worlds.

I think many will appreciate Willow's story arc, but Brodie's was one I didn't quite expect. It was rather heartbreaking, and I was surprised with how all his personal drama escalated. I did feel it was a good way to help me understand why the relationships he built were so important. When he lost his mother, his girlfriend could not deal with his grief and left, while his father became more or less absent. He felt abandoned, and it made me more invested in him and Willow. It had me rooting for them to overcome every obstacle put in their path and get their HEA, because Brodie needed someone to not abandon him.

Accompanying the romance, hockey, and figure skating was a great big dose of friendship. Many of the friendships enjoyed by both Brodie and Willow were showcased throughout the story and were very important parts of their lives. These people served as their sounding boards and support system, and let me tell you, both Brodie and Willow needed the support. I especially loved the bromance between Brodie and Preach, and Preach really stepped up in a big way when Brodie needed him.

I am often let down by the endings of books, but Blount and Rush did a spectacular job tying up all those loose ends. Those who know me understand how this is of the utmost importance. I love when an author allows me to see a bit into the future. I need that peek to put any concerns or reservations I have about the characters aside. I got that here, and I felt fantastic about what was next for Willow and Brodie.

Overall: This was the right book at the right time for me. It was a celebration of love and friendship, which highlighted the strength and determination needed to reach one's goals and overcome adversity, and left me with a smile from ear to ear.

In The Penalty Box is a sweet YA -hockey romance.

Willow is a figure skater with an injury. She was on a path to win gold metal in Olympic games. Now she doesn't know what to do, when all she knows and loves has taken away from her. So she joins in hockey team to rehab her achilles. Not all of the players want her to in their team, but Brody sure wants to. I liked how strong Willow were, both mentally and physically.

Brody is the hockey star, the one player all adores. Even the arena has his name on it. On the outside everything seems to be perfect and in place in his life. But that couldn't be more wrong. Brody has his own battles that no one knows about. I liked Brody's way of living, I liked how he put his little brother on first place.

Willow and Brody meet and sparks fly. Hockey teams coach has stated "no fraternizing" -rule that Willow and Brody do their best to follow. You can guess how well they manage to follow that rule. They had to make decisions that affected people around them.

This is a sweet YA-romance with little drama. You can read this book in one sitting, just like I did. Or you can read few chapters now and then, but I guarantee that you'll enjoy this book.

I liked the characters, I liked how much hockey there were in this book, I liked how their life were presented in; their feelings and actions truly felt teenagers. But still being teenagers these characters knew what they wanted and what was important in life, it was wonderful to read about these two. I liked the side characters. I just liked this book, okay?

Disclaimer: I received this copy in exchange for a review from Net Galley.

Willow and Brody remind me of Jess and Rory but there's ice skating involved instead of a small town romance. I really enjoyed it, but I was hoping for a deeper meaning behind brody's cold exterior.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Lynn Rush, Kelly Anne Blount and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review"

All hail the cute sports romance!!

In the Penalty box is an adorable book about a Figure skater who has had a life changing injury and a Hockey player going through a terrible time in his life. They meet on the ice and fall into a beautiful friendship which leads to a tiny bit of Romance. This is an easy read that about two teenagers with different issues who find comfort in each other.

I was surprised when I started reading this that they were high school students. This is definitely a college romance. Though they are both athletes, I was surprised at their maturity levels for 17 year olds. The ending was very cute and sweet. I am looking forward to more books from these two authors!

Willow Covington was on her way to competing in the Olympics, but then a devastating injury dashed her dreams of competing for a gold medal. Now she is slowly rehabbing herself back to normal and trying to adjust to the fact that she won't be the same ice skater that she was before.

While at the rink practicing her skating she meets a hockey player that makes her smile, and also gives her the chance of a lifetime. Their goalie has just been injured and they need a new one, and that is where she comes in. Oh a whim she agrees to join their pick-up game and winds up discovering a love for a new sport. And also catches the eye of their star player while doing it!

In the Penalty Box was a story of healing, hope, perseverance, friendship, and making dreams come true. In this story we meet two young athletes who have come together by chance and wind up hitting it off all while honing their skills on the ice. When Willow met Brodie she was a bit taken with the hockey playing hunk, but also a little put off by his arrogance, but little by little he worked himself into her good graces. Both have big dreams of playing hockey at the college level, but their drive to achieve said dreams come between them at times. I loved watching these two come together on the ice and off, they were so sweet together. Their story came brimming with all those young love feels that squeeze your heart, and their banter on the ice brought many smiles too. I really enjoyed this one, the words were engaging and emotional, and the characters were quite entertaining! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

Very cute romance with a ice twist. I enjoyed this book, and thought it was a cute read. We all go through things, and it’s those things that we go through that we need the people around us to help get better.

If you love contemporary romances, this is definitely for you. Will and Brodie, will warm your heart with the flirting and kisses. You’ll be rooting for Willow and Brodie the whole time.

The Penalty Box was a cute and fun read. I am usually not that interested in romantic books but this was a actually kind of sweet. I think cheesy romance is good every now and then.

The author did a good job of building up the interest in the different characters. They could have had a little bit more depth to them, but I did not outright dislike any of them, which is something I think authors sometimes struggle with.

The overall plot was fun and quirky. There was a big build-up. I believe anyone who enjoys a good romance will like reading this book.

In the Penalty Box sounded like it would be right up my alley: hockey romance, enemies to lovers, etc., and it was a cute romance. It just wasn't a favorite.

Willow and (especially) Brodie both had multiple issues and conflicts to deal with beyond figure skating and hockey, and I appreciated they had to work through those things. On the other hand, while I realized this was YA and the characters were high schoolers, there was a lack of maturity in many instances that made me feel they were even younger. I also didn't feel like there was much character growth or development from beginning to end.

The romance aspect itself was cute, as I mentioned earlier, but sometimes the descriptors used by Brodie and Willow about the other person seemed juvenile. In fact, some of the word choices in general and how repetitive they were could have been improved upon.

The indication that this was an enemies to lovers romance (with Brodie being frigid toward Willow) was misleading. I never got that vibe. They were always drawn to each other, and if anything there was only slight animosity underlying the attraction at the beginning.

Overall, it was a sweet story. I just had issues with some things, but it will definitely be a story others will enjoy more fully.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

I am SO SAD that I didn't like this book. It was set up to be a great sports romance book that just flopped for me.

The main reason I didn't enjoy this book was that the two main characters felt like the same person! Let me explain. The book alternated between the POVs of Brodie and Willow. I'm glad each chapter was labeled because otherwise, I think I would have thought it was the same person. The way they talked and their thoughts and everything sounded the same. Other than the fact that one was a hockey player and one a figure skater, they had the same voice.

Also, all they could really say about each other was that the other person was "hot". I needed more from them than that! The romance was lacking, to say the least. There were some cute and heated moments, but in the end, it just fell short.

I enjoyed the storyline. I liked seeing Willow grow as a hockey player and both develop as people. I wish the above issues could have been resolved because then the storyline would have really shined.

Overall, I am super disappointed by this one. I've enjoyed books by both authors and so I had hoped for more.

This was an easy read that was fairly predictable but still fun. Willow is a figure skater who suffered a big injury and is trying to get back to her full strength. Brodie is a hockey player who's team needs a goalie and Willow happens to have some talent. They fall for each other, but have to keep it a secret from their teammates and Willow is still holding on to her skating dreams.

I thought this took place in college and it felt like it through most of the story. It barely mentioned the high school and I think the authors should have bumped this up to the college level. Either way, I liked the romance between Willow and Brodie and the way they both care so much for their families and friends. The plot has a good amount of drama and hockey action and it was cool seeing Willow get better at goalie.

I enjoyed reading this and I'm looking forward to more books from these authors!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In the Penalty Box was a pretty likable and predictable book for me. The one thing that I just couldn't wrap my mind about: the fact that these kids are in High School. Not sure why my brain was thinking this would be a college type romance but it did.

In it, you will meet Willow and Brodie. She used to be one of the best figure skaters in the nation until the day she hurt her Achilles. He is a hockey star for his league and school team. So them meeting on or around the ice rink was going to happen one day. It was all kinds of awkward but they seem to make it work.

After some bantering and messing around, she winds up playing goalie for his league team. Most of the guys are on board with it but two of them just don't like it. They think they will be the laughing joke of Hockey. Or maybe they are just sexist pigs because they don't realize that girls are capable of doing anything that their heart desires. Guys also.

Of course there's a forbidden romance that doesn't really go too far. Then there's plenty of drama on and off the ice. But have no fear, the end is coming near and it's predictably cute. Definitely enjoyed this nice and easy read and I look forward to the next book by this author!

This book was received as an ARC from Entangled Publishing, LLC - Entangled: Teen in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love a good teen romance story and while I was reading on, I could not help but let the movie THE CUTTING EDGE pop up in my head instead this time it's vice versa. A figure skater turned into a hockey player and not just any hockey player but the best goalie on their team. I loved the story of how at first Brodie and and Willow first met in having a little resentment towards eachother to always having eachother on their minds and wondering what will happen when either Willow's rehab is complete or the hockey season is over? A wonderful teen romance novel that is sure to put a smile on your face and we all need that during this time.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Cute YA romance with hockey and figure skating. I enjoyed the relationship between Brodie and Willow for the most part. Willow was so single-minded about figure skating it did get irritating. The rapport between most of the team members and Willow was good and realistic. Although the book didn't have any major surprises it was a good read

I had higher hopes for this story. I enjoyed the hockey aspects of the story and thought I’d enjoy the figure skater/hockey player romance but the story felt really drawn out and there wasn’t anything “special” to keep me engaged. It felt a little long and could have been sharper.