TW/CW: Death of a sibling (off page but is mentioned), mentions of addiction, life changing injuries,

THE GOOD 😀

I’ve not read anything by either of these authors before, so I was going in blind regarding their writing style and storytelling. I wasn’t disappointed. This was an incredibly sweet story about love, loss and dealing with change during that all important time between the end of school and starting college (university to us Brits).
Preach and Grace meet in the most unexpected way when he accidentally hits her with his car after skidding on black ice. Rescuing a dog that was in the middle of the road, Grace ends up with a crushed wrist for her troubles. Both having dreams beyond the small town they live in, these are called into question when the severity of their injuries are confirmed. Angry at each other and the fact that they have to complete community service together, Preach and Grace do not get off to the best of starts. I loved their snappy comebacks and the fact that Grace didn’t take any prisoners, letting Preach know exactly what she thought of him. Even though Preach didn’t deal with his change in circumstances in the best of ways, he was still an unbelievably sweet and caring hero, always considerate of Grace and her feelings. Dealing with immense grief after the death of a loved one, Grace was a strong heroine, with a hidden vulnerable side she only showed to a select few people.
This sweet and heartfelt story was an enjoyable read, and I loved the small town feel to it. Low angst and loads of heart, Crossing the Line gets a thumbs up from me.

THE BAD ☹️

I found myself taking a bit longer to warm up to Grace as I felt that she was placing blame on everyone else for her change in circumstances, rather than dealing with it head on. Although, people deal with change in different ways, so I could understand why she acted the way she did to an extent.

Thank you to the author and @valentine_pr for providing me with a copy of this to read. This is my honest review.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: A sweet and swoon worthy low angst love story

**Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. This review is my opinion**

I don't remember much about this book, but I do know I DNFed it because I felt the romance was just meh. I needed more spark, more passion, and that is a MUST for romances!

Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount light the lamp with CROSSING THE LINE. After hitting a patch of black ice, hockey star Ryan “Preach” Armstrong, gets into an accident with new Woodhaven high-school student/ track star Grace Milner. The accident injures both students shattering their dreams. To make matters worse the two are forced to doing community service together. This story takes place in Wisconsin.

CROSSING THE LINE is a heartfelt and emotional read. Ryan and Grace have worked hard to achieve their dreams. They are in their senior year of high school. The accident causes them to have to reevaluate their futures. They want to blame the other for the accident, but as they get to know each other, they help each other.

Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount do a nice job with this story. It is believable and has great life lessons. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

This was a cute follow up to In the Penalty Box. I loved seeing old friends and new characters. I would say that you could read this one alone or along with the other book. This is definitely for young adult readers. But if you are looking for something sweet and great then this one is for you.

I really enjoyed the romance between these two characters and how they overcame their personal struggles and broken dreams after the accident. It is a sweet story of hope, healing and love.

🥰really liked
🤟forced proximity, sports injury, emotional

What I loved about this was the synopsis and the characters.

Grace is lovely. A new girl in town who gets hit by a car while saving a puppy. Grace is more concerned for the puppy and angry at the driver. Love it, puppy first and her feisty side is just great.

Preach, the one who hit Grace with his car. Not on on purpose though. He did try to avoid her and well her car took the most damage of all.

After the accident, they are both pretty angry. Grace has an injured wrist that means a delay in going to the Air Force. While Preach has took another hit to the head and lost his ability to play hockey again.

These two go back n forth with bickering, anger and so much stubbornness. Eventually they stop the blame game and learn to get along.

Up until the point of their first kiss, I loved the booked. It was then that the pace dropped and a lot seemed to be dragged out. It eventually got back on track but the drop in pace at such a good point was a bummer. It was worth pushing though.

When they finally get along and start acting on their feelings it falls along well. They take things slow, talk and really care for each other. Its great to see them bicker like crazy to falling for each other and finally forgiving about the night of the crash.

A great ending and wonderful intro to this authors work. I can't wait to read more by Lynn and Kelly.

Grace and Preach's story is such a sweet one! A perfect compliment to In the Penalty Box , though it can absolutely be read on its own. (But you're gonna love Brodie and Willow too, so do yourself a favor and read them both ;))

Grace and Preach might have had the worst meet-not-at-all-cute ever, since the accident that introduces them has truly life-altering consequences for them--consequences that end up affecting them both all the way through to the end of the book. This book could have been a major bummer, honestly, but somehow Ms Rush and Ms Blount manage to balance out the serious stuff with some more lighthearted moments--and through it all give us a really cute romance between two truly likable and relatable characters. Things get really heavy there for a while, for both Preach and Grace (and the reader!), but they still get to their HEA in a believable and totally satisfying way.

Dare I hope that there will be more Woodhaven books to come? I'll be ready for them if there are!

Not going to lie, Grace's situation with her brother had me tearing up more than once near the end. So amazingly well written! Dare I hope that the online support group that Grace found out about was TAPS? They literally saved me 20+ years ago when I was struggling on my own journey, and I know they're still doing as great a job today as they were then (a link at the end of the book would have been nice, but at least it's here for anyone who needs it. Maybe they even made up a group entirely? But TAPS is real and the work they do is phenomenal, for anyone who needs it)

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Loved this book and loving this series so far! Can there be more books please! These characters are so lovable and I want more. I also love the innocence of the books it makes the love story even sweeter.

A book about teenagers acting normally - it was lovely. Two kids who were doing a good thing, but wound up in trouble with major consequences... a story with hope, friendship, and a little bit of romance.

I really enjoyed the story of Preach and Grace. I could have enjoyed it more if all the foul language had been left out or limited. I did not know this book was part of a series until after I finished reading it - I did not feel like I missed anything.

This was a sweet story that was mostly innocent, but still realistic. It was great to see a group of friends who support each other even when things are not going well. The epilogue finished the story off nicely.

If there is another book in the series, I would enjoy reading it to see where the group of friends are now.

Crossing the Line is a sweet enemies-to-lovers YA sports romance taking place in the same town as In the Penalty Box. It’s a story about grief, resilience, and learning how to move forward when life throws you a curveball. Grace and Preach start off on the wrong foot but watching the two grow closer as they learn to lean on each other was an emotional and ultimately uplifting read. Both characters were dealing with so much and I just wanted so badly for things to work out for them in the end. While this is the second book in a series, Crossing the Line can be read as a standalone so don’t hesitate to pick it up!

I loved In the penalty box so I was pleasantly surprised that there was a second one coming out but I loved visiting this world again.

Crossing the line was a young adult romance about high school stars. Preach was on the hockey team but he ended up joining the track team again as his first sport after he got into an accident.

This was a dual point of view and Grace was also involved in the accident and they had to work together after they got assigned community service. I like how they overcame their differences.

Crossing the line was a five star rating.

I voluntarily read and reviewed Crossing the line. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing the chance to read and review.

I loved the first book in this series and Preacher's part in that story. I knew there had to be more to him that what was brought to the page.

Preacher's story not only gave me insight into his real persona but also showcased what a great friend, son and all-around guy he was, especially when faced with multiple obstacles. I came to admire his resilience and cheered him on as he dealt with an uncertain future and his feelings for Grace.

Grace was also a great character to get to know. She could be a bit too rough around the edges, but I came to understand where she was coming from and thought she complemented Preacher's sweeter side with her wit and sarcasm.

Grace and Preacher were great together. Their camaraderie and connection jumped off the page as they continued to get to know each other. I enjoyed their flirty banter and their bickering. Their journey from friends to "lovers" was sweet and funny while still touching upon other serious themes.

All in all, a charming little read with a bit of angst and a whole lot of sweetness.

Where were all the guys like Preacher when I was in High School? This story is about pain, loss, forgiveness and finding love in the mix becoming an adult. I thought each character was relatable, when your dreams are perfectly set then in just a few minutes all that changes? How do you move on and discover new dream?

Preacher and Grace's love story is complex as Preacher hits Grace with his car, that leaves them gripping with realization of what their future holds.

Is their love strong enough to move past the pain? This story kept me engaged the whole time, hoping there will be a second book about what is next for these two and their incredible friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for a copy of this book for my honest review.

I was not able to really get into this book. As a person in her mid-30's, it is really hard for me to get into books about teenagers. I got through the first couple chapters and it seemed just very repetitive and self absorbed. I think this book would do very well marketed as Young Adult.

Hockey Romance Lovers! This one is for you. Highly recommend you read In the Penalty Box first, but this can definitely be read as a stand-alone book as well. This is the dual POV story of Grace and Preach (a.k.a Ryan). This was a emotional rollercoaster of stubborn characters coupled with grief, personal injuries and romance. Kelly Anne and Lynn are such a dynamic writing duo.

An enjoyable YA sports high school read. I really liked the first book and this was a great follow up.

After an accident Grace and Preach are paired together for community service. Can they get over the one thing that put them together or will it drive them apart.

I loved In The Penalty Box and will happily read anything Rush and Blount co-write. And this book is no exception. Sport romances are a genre I'm starting to get into, and I've wanted Preach's book since reading In The Penalty Box, so I was super excited for this - it definitely doesn't disappoint. He and Grace are such good characters, the plot was fantastic and I loved the angst, drama and the baggage they each had. And the story Rush and Blount created. I want more, so much more, give me more books in this world,

This was my first read by Rush and Blount. And, I can I just say this YA, enemies-to-lovers, small town, sports romance starts off with a bang. Both Preach and Grace are faced with hard truths, and hurdles through out the book.
Due to an accident and unforeseen circumstances they are being thrown into the fire and have to battle to come out on the other side. Preach looses his hockey college scholarship and Grace losses her chance to be in the Air Force due to injuries. As the story goes on we see how they are both lost and slowly start to confide and trust each other. They were starting to help each other heal, fall in love, and help each other cross the finish line. This sweet romance was full of roller coasters, push, pull, witty banter, and I liked their competitive nature. Loved the ARC that both Preach and Grace had in the book. This book does contain some strong topics such as death, panic attacks, anxiety, depression, alcoholism and addiction. I commend the authors on how they approached the subjects. They were written in a manner that were very real life and relatable. Good read I definitely recommend this quick read.

When I requested the arc for Crossing the Line, I hadn’t realized that it is part of a series. But after starting to read, some of the characters seemed familiar. Especially the nicknames Wind and Preacher. And yep, I met them before in the book In The Penalty Box last year. And although you can read this as a perfectly standalone story, it is so much better if you also know the stories of the other characters.

Brodie and Willow are still a couple and Preach is still Brodie’s best friend. And together, they play hockey. Until Preach gets into a car accident, where he hits his head. Since this is his third concussion within two years, his future in hockey is now officially over. Because of her: Grace, the new girl in town. The girl who was rescuing a dog on the road. The girl who he crashed into with his car.

Grace has always moved around a lot. Because of her father’s carreer in the Air Force. And she always hated the small villages. Like the one she is stuck in now. With her hand crushed thanks to some asshole who totalled her car. And with whom she has to serve several weeks in suspention, because apparently you are not allowed to drive after midnight in this town as a minor.

Grace and Ryan have an instant-hate relationship. And while Ryan goes off the reails when learning his hockey career is over, Grace tries her best to speed up her recovery, so she can start her enlistment in the Air Force. Until then, she is stuck in high school and suspention, while everyone seems to be shocked by Preach’s behavior. A great story about loss, friendship and second chances.

Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.