I have followed KAB on Wattpad for years but this is the first published book of hers I've read and it's amazing.

Willow and Brodie are going through so much but it seemed like they could get through anything together. Watching their friendship grow was so fun but even better was seeing how fierce Willow is. There's not a single person that she won't stand up to and I was totally here for it. I shed more than a few tears for these two and cracked up a lot too. I would love to see more from this group!!

In the Penalty Box by Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount is a sporting romance. It is narrated from the dual POV of Willow a figure skater and Brodie who is a hockey player. Willow has moved back to the place where she grew up and is focusing on getting better after an injury has temporarily stopped her dream of going to the Olympics. Brodie is focused on training his hockey team so they win the championships and hopefully impress the college scouts. This is the first book by these authors that I have read and I found it to be very cute.

The chemistry between Willow and Brodie was there right from the moment they literally ran into each other on the ice. I found myself rooting for them from the very start because I just knew that they needed to be together. I found myself forgetting that they were in high school because I don’t think that it was mentioned that much and all of the characters seemed a lot older than what they were.

I found this story to be cute, funny, sweet and enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this to those who like sporting romances and young adult books.

I recieved an advanced copy for free, and this is my honest opinion.

Thank you to Entangled Teen for the complimentary arc of this book.

In the Penalty Box by Lynn Rush is the perfect YA romance for people missing Olympic sports, in particular winter Olympic sports. The book centers around Willow, an injured figure skater rehabbing from an achilles injury, and Brodie, a hockey player whose ultimate goal is to win the state championship and make the Boston College Hockey Team. The major plot point is that Willow used to play street hockey as a kid and gets recruited to play goalie when the local team's goalie gets injured.

I really enjoyed the sports aspect of the book. Learning about the training processes for both figure skating and hockey. I suspect it wasn't 100% realistic but it was fun to read anyway. Willow and Brodie were also both interesting characters, if a bit entitled. The friends and teammates were interesting characters as well that I wouldn't mind seeing follow up romances for.

Overall I think this is a solid YA romance. If I were a teen I would have ate this one up for sure. As an adult with teen children, I thought it was an entertaining read.

I usually love sports romance – however, this one just wasn’t for me; I’m just not the target for this one. At first, I thought it was a new adult because of the cover, but this is pretty much young adult.

For me, there was only plot development, the characters were left behind and their relationship fell flat. It took so long for something to happen, the hockey plot pretty much took control of the book.

The authors have the opportunity to touch on so many important topics but they let it slide. Plus, the fact that the female character is “one of the guys” sort of bothered me and got very cringy at times.

The thing that I did enjoy was a girl playing hockey, I’ve never read a hockey romance where the main female character played it, so I liked the lesson that girls can really do what they want. How Brodie also got her back was pretty nice and refreshing out of of all the cringe moments.

This might work for hockey fans! If you love it, you’ll definitely love this.

In the Penalty Box is a mix of The Cutting Edge meets Friday Night Lights in this steamy hockey romance by Kelly Anne Blount and Lynn Rush. A sizzling romance that is sure to check all the boxes right from the start. Can two people from different walks of life find love on the ice? I did not want to put this one down and had to finish it in one sitting!

Title: In the Penalty Box
Authors: Lynn Rush & Kelly Anne Blount
Pub. Date: January 5, 2021
Rating: 4.5

This will be a spoiler free review. Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled: Teen for providing a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book, it kept me up reading and I couldn’t put down. It was such a cute romcom and I highly recommend it.

I’m in such a romcom mood, and this book is part of the reason why. I initially requested this because it seemed wintery and just adorable. I’m a sucker for a fluffy romcom. I’ve been hitting the high fantasy really hard lately and I just wanted some lighter, fluff books and In the Penalty Box definitely delivers. It also gave me light Spinning Out vibes and I’m still pissed that Netflix cancelled that show, so this filled that hole in my life.
I would 100% honestly read a whole series based on these characters. Legit just go down the line of hockey players and give me their stories, them falling in love. I fell in love with just about all of them as they slipped into *almost* big brother roles towards Willow.

Speaking of Willow – fucking badass over here! I loved her. Loved her dedication, willingness to put people in their places and go after her dream. Did I love it when shit hit the fan and things started falling apart, nope. My heart broke, but I get why she does what she does. You can’t live with “what if’s” in her situation. It would have eaten her alive.

Brodie. Sigh, I’m in love. I might need to go find the closest ice rink. I didn’t think I’d ever care about hockey, but this book had me utterly enamored. Maybe I’m just missing people, but I’d totally take Willow’s place to be surrounded by the team. I need myself a Brodie, and let’s talk about the emotional vulnerability! Ugh, I love me some male characters that actually express emotions and aren’t ashamed. I loved how he came across grown up but had these heartfelt (and heartbreaking) moments of just pure broken emotion. He turned into a kid in those moments and I just wanted to hug him and tell him that things would get better.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this book, the writing was decent, kept you engaged and emotionally involved. The pacing was good – had me turning the page continuously and wrecking my sleep schedule, but that’s okay. You care for the characters, fall for them, and go on this journey with them. The attraction Brodie and Willow feel for each other goes further than just physical, and it’s the things that make them up that draw them together.

I loved this book and already pre-ordered my copy. I cannot wait for it to arrive. Lynn and Kelly wrote an amazing book and I can’t wait to shove it at all my friends. I want them to read it so I can talk about it. And like I said, I would gladly read a whole interconnected series where each of the teammates fall in love. I would devour those books. Especially if there was one about Preach. I loved him and thought his friendship with Jessa was wonderful. Their whole arrangement was just perfect.

You should definitely pick this book up if you’re in a romcom mood!

This was a sweet, romantic read with just a hint of drama to round it all out for me. I enjoyed it very much. And although it was a bit predictable, it also had many other elements that stood out to me.

I found Willow and Brodie refreshing in their maturity. Knowing this was a Young Adult story, I expected these characters to be more in the immature side and the dialog to be more predictable. Yet, Willow and Brodie were different. I attributed this to the circumstances that shaped them--Willow having to move out of state, away from her family, to pursue her skating career and Brodie's family life. Although their circumstances put more challenges in their paths than your average teenager, I liked that Willow and Brodie were optimistic, instead angsty and wallowing in misery.

This is the first book I've read by these author and I truly enjoyed how they went about telling the story. There were fun times with the usual banter and camaraderie you get in an ensemble of characters, then there were the candid moments between two young individuals that although affected by some past experiences, still open themselves up to the wonder of that first real connection with somebody else. I loved that Brodie and Willow started up as friends and that their romance was slow in coming but most of all I appreciated that the authors showcased their connection throughout.

I really enjoy these sports romance books.

Brodie is a star hockey player trying to get a scholarship to Boston College. His family has a lot of money and they own a hockey rink. Brodie's mom died over a year ago from being hit by a drunk driver. Brodie doesn't touch alcohol any more because of it, but his dad became a huge drinker. Brodie has a little brother with bad asthma. Their dad is always on business trips or drunk when home, so the care of Caleb mostly falls to Brodie.

Willow moved back home after living in Colorado where she trained to be an Olympic figure skater. She had an Achilles injury and her sponsors weren't paying for her anymore. She needed to get back into perfect shape by January to be picked up by a team again. Willow stayed in touch with her best friend, Jessa, for years. So she doesn't feel totally alone. Willow has been training by herself when the hockey players aren't there. She and Jessa were watching the hockey team when a puck came flying at them. Willow blocked it and saved Jessa. When the team's goalie got hurt, Brodie thought that Willow would be a good fit. He decides to help train her in hockey with the promise that she'll get extra workouts to help her skating. Not all the guys on the team are ok with a girl, but Willow won the spot. Brodie knew she wouldn't stay, but his main goal was to make sure the team won and made it to state again.

Brodie and Willow spend a lot of time alone together and they are attracted to each other right away. Brodie doesn't want to date anyone and Willow won't be sticking around. Also, the coach made a rule that no one could date. But Brodie and Willow grow closer and can't help the feelings. They date in secret. Brodie starts to hate that Willow will leave him and he pulls away at times. Willow starts to love hockey and being part of a team. She's conflicted about her dream and how she's currently feeling. Brodie's life starts to fall apart and he needs Willow to be there. He knows she needs to follow her dream and he's proud of her. But he also can't imagine being away from her.

I loved the friends in book. The romance was sweet and a standout. Being a part of a team was a big focus, but there was also focus on dreams, friendship, and family.

I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to Entangled Teen and Netgalley for my earc.

Warnings for alcoholism, drunk driving, death, illness, parental relationship issues, and sexism.

I am very pleased to say that my first review of the year is a five star rating review. However, this wasn’t my first book of 2020, I was just on a hiatus in December when I first read this.

I absolutely loved In the Penalty Box. It was the exact kind of hockey romance that I love. I love that it had a girl goalie in it and she was originally a figure skater. I loved all the smack talk in this book and the character growth between the teammates and the forbidden secret romance. That’s also another one of my favorite tropes.

I would most definitely recommend this book to anybody who loves hockey romances. Again, this was a five star rating review. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me the chance to read and review this. I enjoyed every minute of this and my thoughts and opinions are my own.

So, this didn't turn out to be my cup of tea. There are some good things and some bad things. Mostly, it's a 50-50 read for me. The best thing about the book is that it has likable characters and interesting enough story that I was able to enjoy it. There some angst and family drama that was well executed. Especially the last half of the book is quite entertaining.
Overall, I liked the story, but it's more for sports fan than people like me who have zero interest in any kind of sports. Basically, I skipped many things because I really couldn't care less about hockey stuff. I have read sports romance before and the only time I love it is when it's more about romance and less about sports. Anyhow, I'm sure this book is perfect for sports fan. They'll definitely enjoy it far more than I did.
The second thing that I really struggled with is that main characters are teenagers. Honestly, up until we get to see Brodie's family life, I just assumed that they are college students. It's hard to say exactly why, but I think it's because that the characters don't talk or act like teenagers. At least, it's not like any YA fiction I have read. But I guess these kids are serious athletes so maybe they are more mature. Anyhow, I just wanted to point that out because it really confused me, especially in the first 25% of the book when I was still wondering is it NA or YA? ;)

After an injury benched her from figure skating, Willow came home to recover. To help build her back up, Brodie suggested she play hockey and fill in for their injured goalie. With a series of other distractions, the two fall for each other.
Opinion
This is a really cute read. I’ll admit to looking up several terms, both in hockey and figure skating. I enjoyed Willow switching sports and proving that girls can be as tough as guys.
I think, with all the side plots, this book does a good job of representing real life. Both Willow and Brodie had things going on that would be devastating to a teen. They persevered though and became stronger for it.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

A cute read that feels like the exact opposite of the Cutting edge movies, but set in high school. A girl who needs to learn to slow down and a boy who needs to learn how to deal with more than one thing at a time.
I enjoyed the banter and the cute slow burn but it just felt like the girl was a bit too obsessed and couldn't see past herself.

I'm loving Hockey romances atm. This was a really cute read and I loved the figure skater twist to the usual sports romance.
Willow is a figure skater recovering from a career threatening injury. Forced to go back home for some rehab she wasn't expecting a practice session on the ice to change her life.
Brodie is captain of the hockey team and is focused on getting a scholarship to fulfill his dreams of playing hockey professionally. He's going through a really heavy time at home and loves the escape he gets from hockey. Who would have guessed that a rouge puck would have such a huge affect on him.
I really liked Willow and Brodie. Willow was a tough cookie and didn't take any nonsense. She goes from delicate figure skater to tough nut hockey goalie with ease and style. Brodie was such a sweetie. You'd think being the captain and such a well loved player he would be a jerk but he was the total opposite.
This was such a sweet easy read I really enjoyed it.

Willow is recovering from an injury that might've cost her her figure skating career and Brodie is the hockey player that helps her get back on the ice. This is the very definition of a cute, young adult, sports romance! I love when romances have dual POV's for the main couple so that was an immediate draw for me. I liked these characters from the beginning, especially how supportive Brodie was of Willow and seeing him defend her from other hockey players' sexist comments after she joins their team. The scenes of him training her to be a goalie were so sweet. The issue I had throughout the story was just how slow it seemed to me. There's not too much action besides the short scenes of hockey games. I also noticed how childish the writing was at times. I know this is a young adult novel, but there were plenty of lines that felt out of place for modern day teens, including calling Willow a "chick" and lines like "Oh, it's on!" started to feel cringey right away. Overall, just a sweet little romance story that I think young adult romance readers would easily enjoy, and it was a great winter-time read as well!

This is comparable to the 2020 YA football themed book Throw Like a Girl. There is a LOT of hockey in this one - very sports driven. I really liked that this was told from both characters POV and it added to their chemistry. They both had some tough stuff to work through. I did think one character had a lot of life issues that he dealt with a little too easily... these situations likely would require some family therapy as well as Child Protective Service involvement. In this book, his life issues were fixed a bit too easily to be realistic. Outside of that, I did enjoy the story and would recommend to YA sports romance fans.

This was a really cute teen-focused romance with a unique and fun storyline but the length of it was a big downer for me. There were a number of scenes that I felt were unneeded or could have used some trimming. I don't mind a predictable ending honestly but it took too long to get there with this one.

I liked the addition of the family drama when relating to Brodie but at times it felt a little one dimensional and overly forced. I really loved the character of Willow though, as her thoughts and actions were realistic given the circumstances she found herself in and I love the way she handled having to confront sexism in her daily life. The relationship between Willow and Brodie was cute and adorable, everything a teen romance should be, but I think the book would've felt less long if they had gotten together a bit earlier and the reader could've been witness to how they handled their relationship in everyday life.

The biggest missed opportunity was the lack of presence of Willow's grandfather. I am a sucker for a great grandparent/grandchild relationship and, when he was introduced very early, I thought I would seen that relationship a lot more than I did and was disappointed that Gramps flew under the radar too much. He was a character that I believe could've lent a lot more soul to the story.

Could have been better. It was a cute story but it didn't gel with me. There wasn't enough background and the characters seemed a bit cocky.

Thank you to Kelly Anne Blount, Lynn Rush, and Entangled Teen for an eARC of In the Penalty Box. I'm a part of Kelly's "Street Team" so I had access to an eARC. All opinions are my own, as usual.

I've been tuning in to Kelly and Lynn's Instagram Lives almost every Friday this past summer. I kept hearing bits and pieces about this book and couldn't wait to start it. And it did NOT disappoint!

TW: Misogyny, alcoholism, discussions of death

Willow and Brody are two well-developed characters who have a natural relationship development over the entire book. They each have their own personalities that work together really well on and off the ice. Willow is a strong and independent woman who shows all the doubtful misogynists in her town that anyone can play hockey "with the guys." Brody is a respectful and comforting presence for all of the characters in the book. Though Brody's home life is very difficult, it's never an excuse for any bad behavior which, is so important to demonstrate in a YA romance. Brody and Willow have an instant spark from their first meeting, but Kelly and Lynn keep you on the edge of your seat for more romance. In the Penalty Box will make you want to put on some skates and soar alongside a wonderful icebound OTP.

This first thing I thought of when I read the premise for this book was a line from D2: The Mighty Ducks “Ken Woo. What can I say? I convinced him that hockey had more of a future. We put a stick in his hands and no one has been able to touch him”. No?! It’s just me who was able to quote this line without looking it up?

Willow and Brodie are sweet. They are the definition of young first love when the butterflies flutter over the sweetest smile or faintest touch. I liked how both Willow and Brody used their individual strengths in their own specialty to help bring out the best on eachother.

I love how great Brodie was throughout the whole story. He didn’t have any qualms with a girl on a hockey team and saw Willow for her talent instead. He defended her and try to encourage others to see her as a teammate rather than a girl on a team. Willow doesn’t back down against those who doubt her because of her gender. Instead of cowering she wants to let her actions and natural talent speak volumes.

The author did an excellent job embodying what pressures and expectations young athletes have to not only excel in their field for others but also the self imposed pressures they place upon themselves. It takes a lot of determination and strength to not only figure skate, but rehabilitate yourself back to your prime after a devastating injury. Not only will Willow persevere through this difficult time, she also decided to take on a new endeavor of playing hockey. It was great to see a character take this opportunity as a way to further strengthen herself in the sport she is trying to get back too.

The sexism was beyond irritating. I didn’t appreciate the snide comments that were written immaturely. Pax was an irritating character and though I understand his role in this story, I felt his juvenile behaviors made it hard to read his words. I think because I am an older adult reading this story, I don’t have the patience for his puerile attitude and misogynistic tone.

At times the languages used confused me because the dialogue would read like young middle schoolers, but then there would be surprised phrases that felt more proper for their age range. The family drama of this story made my heart hurt for these characters and the pain and struggles they went through on a daily basis

This was a real easy read. The chapters are short which I think played well for this book and myself as an adult reader reading a YA story. The author's writing is really well done with this story. It incorporates specific details that make the imagery of the story come to life like the small scar on a hockey player's face to the trajectory of a puck flying into the crowd.

This book took me back to my childhood where I wanted to play hockey but obviously I had no skills whatsoever and reminded me why I love and adore my Mighty Ducks and why Connie was one of my fave pyre characters. Willow embodies a lot of her determination , sassy attitude, and her tenacious spirit. Because like Connie, Willow is ““no lady, I’m a Duck” #ducksflytogether… well in this case a Falcon.

After reading the synopsis this book sounded perfect to me and I was quick to request it.

Whilst I liked the premise and the writing style I found myself struggling the find myself interested in the story.

This could be because I'm finding it hard to connect to YA books at the moment which is honestly so upsetting because some of my favourites are teen/YA.

Please do not take me DNF-ing this book as a sign you shouldn't read it. What I did read was good but then I ended up just not finding myself motivated to carry on.