ARC REVIEW
I really really enjoyed this, I'm glad we got to see Willow and Brodie and other memorable characters from In The Penalty Box as this was centered around Preach. I also loved how some of the choices and passions and struggles Preach and Grace faced were opposite to typical romance with her being panicked about her armed forces career and him being panicked about education while both also revolving around their families. I loved the development in this book and im so thankful to receive an ARC even if my review is late.

Grace and Ryan, aka Preach meet in an unfortunate way. A slip on black ice sends these two into each others orbits. Grace a new kid in town, Preach, a hockey player, both are injured in this accident. Both motivated in their lives to succeed, they have hopes and dreams but will this put a halt to everything they planned for their future?

This book is following a group of high school hockey guys, In the Penalty Box is the first in the series. This was a bit different than I expected from the first. The characters are high school kiddos who were trying to figure out their life after an unexpected occurrence which threw a wrench in their plans. I liked the book, Grace was a bit tough to like, Preach was a nice character to read. I enjoyed seeing their change in growth when they finally realized they needed each other to get through their inner battles with one another. Interesting to see where else this series is going to lead.

Overall this was an easy enjoyable story but I preferred the first in the series. I didn't like the characters in this one quite as much as Brodie and Willow in the first. There was a lot of moaning and blaming each other for what had happened and it repeated alot. I liked the side stories with both the main characters and the families and I enjoyed how the romance progressed.

This was a nice read. Grace wasn’t one of my most favorite character but she got better as the story progressed. It took awhile to warm up to her.

This ended up being an entertaining read, after a pretty rough start. The story begins with an accident that has lifelong consequences for two high school seniors - Ryan/Preach and Grace. Grace is new to town and is looking forward to starting Air Force Basic Training after graduation to honor her older brother Emmett who died less than a year ago. Ryan is looking forward to attending college on a full ride hockey scholarship.

The accident leaves both of the reeling when their plans and dreams are threatened. The first 20% of the book has these Ryan/Preach going off the rails and turning into Evil Preach and Grace being snippy. The emotional consequences are realistic, but not exactly enjoyable to read. Since I wasn’t invested in any of the characters before the accident I questioned if I wanted to keep reading after several chapters of YA acting out in overly emotional tantrums.

I decided to give the book a other couple chapters, and I’m glad I did. The story lightens up when Ryan/Preach gets a kick in the butt from someone and he starts to turn himself around. The story is sweet and addresses some real life challenges - death of a sibling, broken dreams, picking yourself up and coming up with new dreams/goals, anxiety, overcoming a significant injury and more.

The group of friends who surround Grace and Ryan/Preach are supportive and willing to step up for each other. The relationship between Ryan/Preach and Grace is extremely bumpy. They have a sweet, puppy love like relationship.

This was my first book by these authors and I’m intrigued by Brodie and Willow’s story which is the focus of the book before this one and is referenced several times in this book.

I received a free ARC from the author and Valentine PR via NetGallery(and I am voluntarily leaving an unbiased review.

Grace and Ryan

The first meeting of Grace and Ryan “Preach” isn't under the best circumstances, if you want to call it like that. They literally crash into another. But not without consequences for both. While there is still hope for Grace and her future career, Preach's is shattered. He didn't cope very well. The contrary. All he does is very atypical for his behavior. And he blames it on Grace.

Grace is pushed back in her career timing. And she blames Ryan for it and so it comes that these two are not at the best terms. But after a while, same circle of friends and the same hobby, they get by.

And get close, till a, for Grace, unexpected news brings her world crashing down. Did she suffer from a loss before, she is now desperate. While Ryan tries to be there, she pushes him away. But is it justified? And will they overcome this? Is there a chance for them?

Both characters have deal with many different things in their life. Things that have influence in their futures. Their families. Ryan suffers his career and discovers a family secret that has the ability to rip him apart. Grace suffers from a big loss. And now her future is on the line. The pressure of a promise she made and will not be able to hold seems to weigh her down.

Here we see how different people, or in here, young people cope with loss in different forms. And how one single event can turn life completely upside down. And how to handle new situations. We learn how important friendships are and that a relationship contains to let go to love. And as always don't forget to talk. Doesn't matter to who. Never go through heavy times alone.

This is within the same world of The Penalty Box, this is Preach and Grace's story which is a sweet romance, with great characters and with an emotional side to the story that will have you reading it in no time. I love their relationship, how each character complemented the other, their story is not easy, but I loved how it was all written. A story that will have you dealing with all sorts of emotions. Looking forward to reading the next one.

Now it's been awhile since I read book one of this series but I was only a few pages in when I remember how much I love Preach. This book was, at times, so heartbreaking that I needed to pause to get it together before I could pick it up again. But more than the heartbreak, this book felt like hope. Hope for a new start, a new dream, a new path. I felt like underneath everything else was the message that it's all going to be ok, whatever that looks like.

This series is amazing and I have all the fingers crossed that there's more to come

Crossing the Line is the next book after In the Penalty Box. It’s a slow-burn, enemies-to-more-than-friendship, sweet YA contemporary romance. But you don’t have to read In the Penalty Box to enjoy this one. There are some character crossovers; however, it’s nothing that will have you confused as the relationship between characters is explained well as the story moves along. I will say, though, that I loved the first book, so I highly recommend In the Penalty Box for your reading enjoyment as well.

The theme of this book is grief in several different forms. It’s pretty heavy from the beginning, but it lightens up as the story moves toward the end. A grief journey isn’t linear in real life, so if you expect it to be like that because this is a book, you might be frustrated with how the plot unfolds. But if you’re looking for something more realistic, I felt the authors did a good job keeping it real for this age group. And my favorite part of the story was how Preach floundered in his faith but didn’t lose his way entirely.

I enjoyed my time back in this world, but I have to say I enjoyed the first book a little more. I can’t quite put my finger on why, though. Both books dealt with heavy emotional situations and journeys of grief. But I was slightly more riveted my first time in this world over this one. With all of that said, it was still a very good read.

Ryan / Preach and Grace, who is a new student, have their dreams shattered because of a car accident which had consequences for both. Preach had dreams of playing hockey, while Grace was looking forward to start training for the Air Force after graduation. These two are now both doing community service, and they certainly know how to push each other’s buttons. There is engaging and supportive friendships for them both. This is a well written story which is an emotional roller coaster, with redemption, challenges, loss, grief, healing, heartbreak, friendships, humor, witty banter, and love, which leads to a sweet and entertaining page turner.
I received a free copy of this book via Valentine PR and the author’s and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Sarcasm, frustration, and hard-feelings are chipped away as a budding romance brings along the light of new hope with a couple to cheer for.

Grace's family has just moved to the small town, and she's already had her life basically destroyed. In a few months, she's supposed to be heading off to basic training, but those dreams might be shot thanks to an idiot, who can't keep his car under control. Now, she'll be lucky if her wrist ever works properly again. At the same time, Preach, the guy who hit her thanks to black ice and her determination to 'save' a dog from the middle of the road, is watching his own future implode in front of his eyes. That accident meant his third concussion in a couple years...which also means that he's banned from the ice for good. His guaranteed hockey scholarships are swished down the drain, and the girl, who's responsible, refuses to realize it's her dumb fault.

This romance is written in first person from two points of view: Grace's and Preach's. Each chapter starts with the character's name at the beginning to keep confusion at bay. Still, for some unknown reason, I was convinced the first chapter's voice was the girl's (it did state Preach but my brain!) and this kept throwing me the whole way through...although I never figured out why.

Anyway, this is a wonderful, enemies-to-friends romance, in which tons of sparks fly. The opening scene with the accident, throwing both sides completely out of their life's games, starts everything out in a great upset. This allows the characters to let their nastiest sides shine, when interacting with each other, and the flood of insults and bickering begins. It's fun, it's even humorously grabbing, and when the first signs of interest between them spark, it's that much more exciting. Both sides are right. Both sides are wrong. And it works magically.

There are quite a few heavier moments in these pages as well. While Preach is working out his future and such, Grace has some deeper issues, which don't come to light right away. So, while there is romance...tons of that...character growth is also key. Both sides need to learn to step into new possibilities and find hope as well as peace. This gives them needed depth and makes them easier to relate to. And this is where the sport aspect filters in perfectly and gives even more reason to root for them and cheer until the very end.
I received a DRC and enjoyed the story.

Another sweet teen romance I've read this month! Preach and Grace starts off their story in a shocking first chapter with Preach running into Grace with his car. As a result of their respective wrongdoing, they are both required to serve community service at their high school in lieu of receiving a ticket. Suddenly, they are running into each other everywhere even though they both blame each other for the accident.

As the community service continues, they realize they are very similar, and they start to bond and become friends. Naturally, that friendship turns into a sweet teen romance that blossoms into love. However, with all the blame they both have for each other and the personal hits that don't stop coming, is their relationship able to survive?

One thing about this book is that it probably has one too many traumatic events that happen at the beginning of the book. Both of these kids went through multiple traumatic life experiences in a short-time period and I think some of the plots were just added for shock value rather than adding a good storyline.

After an nighttime accident, Preach and Grace are forced to do their community service together. Grace is mad at Preach for busting up her wrist and delaying her ship date for the Air Force. Preach blames Grace for being in the middle of the road and causing the accident that gave him his third concussion and ruined his ability to play hockey. As they do their community service together, they begin to realize their attraction to each other.
Opinion
If you have never had the privilege to read a Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount book, you are missing out. Though it is not titled as part of a series, we see some characters returning from In the Penalty Box that came out last year. Both book focus on hockey players and on players who must change their sport due to injuries.
For teens, this book is a great introduction into the romance field. Innocent enough for younger adults, the ebb and flow of the animosity and then love between the characters keeps the story going at a great pace. I will never not read a book by these two and highly recommend it (them) to anyone who enjoys similar books.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book.

This book was absolutely amazing! I adored In The Penalty Box, and fell in love with Preach in that book. It made me incredibly happy to see that he got his own book, and this story did not disappoint. My heart broke when Preach got into the accident that leads to everything falling into place the way it did. The dynamic between Preach and Grace was really enjoyable to read. The growth that they both experience was realistic, and pulled on the heart strings more than once. Both of them nearly lost more than they expected from the accident, but they also gained so much by coming into each others lives. Thank you Lynn, Kelly and NetGalley for the arc of this story. It made me really happy to be able to read an advanced readers copy of this.

I feel so bad but I did not enjoy this at all. From the word go I couldn’t stand Grace. First of all who stands in the middle of the road knowing a car is coming! She just stood there & then had the audacity to be mad at Preach for 3/4 of the book about it. Because he hit ice! She only ever seen what she lost not Preach & what he was going through or could no longer do because of the accident. Why wasn’t he mad at her longer? Why did he have guilt towards ACCIDENTALLY hurting her vs her having no guilt about him after standing in the road? The only reason she started liking Preach was because every one told her he was a really good guy & then boom she was in love with him. Their whole dynamic just didn’t work for me. The book was slow. Yes they each had things going on but there was wasn’t enough romance to keep it entertaining. It was missing something.
If this wasn’t an arc, I wouldn’t have wrote a review but I have to. Normally my 3 star & below, I don’t review because I don’t want to hurt the authors feelings after working so hard. For that, I am sorry but I had to be honest & leave one.

This is a contemporary High School romance
Which starts with a crash and ends with a dance!
Black ice and a lost dog were the start
But injuries sustained tore dreams apart.

Ironic that black ice wrecked Ryan "Preach" Armstong's dream
Of going to college as part of their Ice Hockey team.
Now he's not sure what he's going to do
And family secrets put him in turmoil, too.

Grace was rescuing a dog but got injured, too,
Her crushed hand feels strange, what should she do?
These two have community service to do together
But both blame the other, will they get on? Never!

This competitive pair have injuries and pain,
For neither of them will life ever be the same again.
But forced to work together and joining the track team
Could lead to the chance for a different dream!

A story of coping with disasters and more
Whilst looking at life and options to explore.
Sometimes the best of plans can be thwart
But things can work out better still than they thought!

A story with all the pressures of High School dreams
Needing rethinking, or so it seems.
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

For me, reading a Kelly and Lynn book is a safe place, a comfort read, and this book did not disappointed, I love how they always treat serious problems and gives you something to learn from it. this book follows Ryan (Preach) and Grace, that after a car accident their future that they thought they had already planed was threatened, and now they have to decide what to do with their futures, and how to face life after it.

Just like Brodie and Willow in “In The Penalty Box”, Preach and Grace here are adorable and these characters are so lovable from the instant I started reading them. The story started with an accident and it was a rough start that made everything chaotic. Characters had to learn about life in a very hard way but nonetheless, it’s very enlightening. The story has a steady pace not fast nor slow and the writing is beautiful with some amazing moments. Many people can learn a few things about life itself from reading it. Preach and Grace has an aura that grows on you as you go ahead in the story and their characters made some good level of improvement in terms of the emotions they held in due to their circumstances. Definitely worth the read.

This book was such a good representation of how you can do everything perfect and life will still slap you in the face. showing you can either flourish in the hands you’ve been dealt with, or succumb to the pain of the “what ifs” and “if onlys”. it’s a story about two people who had a set idea on what their future would like, what their career would be and in a matter of seconds, all of that changed. they had sooo much potential in their respective futures. there was resentment, anger, and sadness, but there was also healing, learning, and progress. it’s weird bc in a way this felt like an adult romance with the topics at hand and then you remembered they’re still in high school (seniors). i think I’ve read too many adult romances lately bc i was fully expecting spice and the tantrums Preach had in the beginning felt a bit childlike. but you couldn’t help but feel bad for both Preach and Grace over what they went through and we’re currently going through. overall, it was a cute read! it didn’t bring out a ton of emotions for me but i enjoyed the characters in general, especially Brodie & Willow!! i may need to read their book as well 🫶🏼

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, all thoughts and opinions are of my own. Thank you Lynn Rush & Kelly Anne Blount and Valentine PR & Literary Management for providing me with a copy of this book to read!

I really enjoyed this book! I really enjoyed In the Penalty Box by this writing pair so when I found out that this book was a sequel to that story I knew that I needed to read it. This story could definitely stand on its own but it was nice to see the characters from the first book again. I thought that this was a very well-done romance and I had a hard time putting it down once I started reading.

I loved these characters! This was a really nice romance and I loved the chemistry between Preach and Grace. They met when he crashed his car into her and they both blamed each other for a lot of the things that went wrong in their lives as a result. I thought that this would be a hockey romance but it was really more of a track romance which was just as fun. Both of these characters lost a lot and were working to move on with their lives.

Preach and Grace were really good together. I thought that they did a wonderful job in supporting each other through some pretty difficult situations. They weren’t perfect and didn’t always make the most mature decisions but I thought that was realistic since they are high school students. I liked the secondary characters and thought that they added a lot to the story. I was really eager to see this pair figure out a way to make things work.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a wonderful story with great characters and a lot of chemistry. I hope that we see more stories featuring this group of teens someday soon.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Entangled Teen.