I honestly could not put this book down. I read it in two days!!! The dynamic between the main characters and the relationships built. UGH SO GOOD!

Insert willow, a figure skater that acquired a career ending injury. Insert Brodie a hot marbled star hockey player. Their relationship blossoms into him helping her get her groove back and him having a goalie for his hockey team.

Things steam up between them secrets were kept, lies were told.

Overall this book was amazing young adult/teen read!! Thank you for the publishers for my eARC

This was an easy to read book. I liked reading Willow & Brodie's perspectives, and seeing all the drama that was happening off the rink. It was a fairly predictable story but fun.

While rehabbing from a potentially career-killing ankle injury, teen figure skating gold medalist Willow gets the opportunity to man the goal for a local hockey team. She finds fulfillment in stopping pucks and a team camaraderie she hadn’t experienced in the individual competition circuit. Another perk is team captain and center Brodie, who get her heart hammering.

IN THE PENALTY BOX is a solid young adult sports romance. The plotting is great and I love the idea of a female goalie who rules on the ice. In a couple of scenes, youngsters are shown as being inspired by Willow, which is wonderful. The message of the power of female friendship shown with long-term friend Jessa and speed skater Ericka and nicely contrasts with the mean girl figure skating crowd. The hockey teammates are a tight knit group and having Willow become accepted by the town and her teammates is satisfying.

Several things kept this book from being a four star read for me. Brodie and Willow’s points of view read very similar, making me have to confirm who was narrating. Both characters frequently deal with hammering hearts and were often reduced to tears. The conflict that kept them apart never seemed insurmountable. I became more interested in wanting Brodie’s friend Preach to get together with Willow’s friend Jessa.

Many of their problems get worked out behind the scenes without the protagonists actively resolving them, for example both of their troublesome family situations. One of the conflicts with a player on a rival team fizzles out. The cast of characters is huge, which makes it hard for them all to be fully developed. I also expected more story and conflict in a four hundred page book. However, a gentle read may be just the thing during these stress-filled times.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Teen, an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC., for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

I adored these two characters! I couldn't put it down! I loved it! it kept me on the edge of my seat!

The concept of this one is amazing. It's basically <i>The Cutting Edge</i> only sport-swapped, so it's an injured figure skater who joins a hockey team as a goalie as a form of physical therapy. The book definitely skews cutesy (oh my gosh is used 18 times) and sweet, but I think it works for the intended audience. It's a quick, easy read for fans of sports romances. Though I'll admit I was a little bit bummed <spoiler>she gave up figure skating for hockey</spoiler>, but I think that might be my adult, finance-minded self kicking in.

I recieved an advance readers copy of this book from Entangledteen and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I dnf-ed this book @ 10%. I didn’t enjoy what I’d read. None of the characters seemed real, they didn’t even talk like real teenagers. I’ve never heard a teenager describe anyone as “strapping”. I thought maybe this wasn’t targeted for people my age but I read a little bit too my little sister who is 16 and she through it was cringy. The main characters was very much “I’m not like other girls” and the love interest seemed very basic, like I’d read 15 versions of him before. I had too many negative thoughts about the book to keep reading it.

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?

In this book, you read in both perspectives of Willow, an ice skater and Brodie, an ice skater. Together, they play hockey on the same team while going through their own problems and catching feeling for one another. I was obsessed with this book. It really satisfied my craving for a good teenage love story.

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.

In the penalty box is definitely a cute romance read. The characters are very likable and the hockey plot is very enjoyable. The book was a bit predictable but overall I enjoyed it.

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.