Willow Figure skating was supposed to be my whole world. But one unlucky injury and now I’m down…but I’m definitely not out. I just need to rehab–a boatload of rehab–and who’d have thought I could do it on the boys’ hockey team? Of course, the infuriatingly hot captain of the team seems to think I’m nothing but sequins and twirls. What’s a girl to do but put him in his place? Game on. Brodie place? Game on.
Brodie
Hockey is my whole world. I’ve worked my tail off getting my team in a position to win the championships–hopefully in front of major college scouts, too–so what’s a guy to do when a figure skater ends up as our new goalie?
Of course, the distractingly sexy skater thinks I’m nothing but a testosterone-laced competitive streak. And surely she’s only biding her time to heal, then she’s gone. Game over.
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Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost from the publisher/author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.
I have read and enjoyed Kelly Anne Blount’s writing before so I knew that I had to pick up this book. And if I said that I didn’t have a secret obsession with hockey romance I would be lying. A hockey star and a figure skater falling in love is like one of the tropes of my dreams.
I really loved the story. The plot was interesting and intriguing. I was so compelled to know more and to find out what was going to happen to the characters. I really loved the depth of the story. These characters had so much going on in their lives and I thought that the authors did a great job of crafting their lives. I like how the authors didn’t really shy away from the more triggering parts of these characters’ lives. They told these parts of the story with grace. It also felt very realistic, which I loved. The storytelling was great for the most part. There were a couple of times that I felt the plot slowed down and things got a little boring but I was never fully disinterested. I felt fully immersed in this world as if I could step right into the story.
These characters were so complex. I loved how realistic they were. Willow and Brodie both had real-world problems and their characterizations felt real. These characters, especially Brodie, had to deal with some serious and sensitive issues and I really loved the emotion that the authors packed into these characters. These characters were so relatable because they felt so real. They had flaws and goals and wants just like anyone. I have to say, my heart really hurt for Brodie in this book. I literally teared up in a few places in this book for that boy. I really loved the character development for both Brodie and Willow. I also loved the secondary characters in this book, especially Willow’s hockey teammates. Those guys really grew on me. I honestly would love to read books dedicated to their characters.
I think that the blurb for this book was a tad bit misleading. By the sound of the synopsis, you would think that this is an enemies-to-lovers story but it really isn’t. Brodie was supportive of Willow pretty much from the start. He was supportive of her playing hockey and of her being on the hockey team with the other guys. He actually helps her train for it. That point aside, I really enjoyed Brodie and Willow’s love story. They come together with a love of skating, even though his love is hockey and hers is figure skating. They have a very natural rapport with one another from the start and it was easy to see their obvious chemistry. Their love story starts out with a beautiful friendship and blossoms from there. Their affection for each other is very genuine, which I really loved.
Overall, this was an adorable sports love story. This book has excellent characters and a plot that you just can’t help but want to see unfold. After doing a little research, I found that this author duo also has a three-book series that appears to be set at Twin River High, which is the rival school in this book. I am excited to pick up the Twin River High series and give it a go!
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I enjoyed the heck out of Willow and Brodie’s story! To be honest, the blurb had me at “hockey”–but throw figure skating in there too? Cue the grabby hands. Honestly, I couldn’t even begin to guess how many times I’ve seen The Cutting Edge, so a YA book that turns it on its end and has the recovering-from-an-injury figure skater rehabbing by taking up hockey? Yes, please!
In the Penalty Box did not disappoint. Willow and Brodie are strong characters, and their chemistry together is great. I enjoyed the heck out of watching them together–whether on the ice, texting, or hanging out with the team–and think I might have been more broken up than even Brodie at the thought of Willow going back to figure skating and leaving hockey (and him!) behind in the end. I mean, States were coming up! Plus, you know–Brodie… 😉
Ms Rush and Ms Blount did a nice job of keeping their characters on the edge of will they or won’t they for just the right amount of time, and having them act like actual teens who have a reasonable amount of intelligence and don’t need to get bogged down in drama. Even when Brodie’s life could have arguably made him a bit angsty, they resisted the urge to go OTT with it. (And can I just say how much I loved reading about a high school athlete who wasn’t 100% sure that going pro was in his immediate future? Brodie was all about getting to play in college, and I freaking loved that.)
Though parts of the story were a tad bit predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed the world that the authors created here. If they decide to revisit any of the other players on the team in the future, I. Am. Here. For. It. (Fingers crossed!)
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
In the Penalty Box is a standalone young adult contemporary book written by Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount. This is the first book I’ve read from these authors and won’t be my last. I love being introduced to new authors. This book is full of unlikely friendships between a figure skater and a hockey team and a forbidden romance that may end up causing issues. Be prepared for some drama at a high school level.
My Thoughts: First, let me say that this book’s cover doesn’t fit the way the characters are described, but that’s okay. Some readers may be bothered by this, but it doesn’t bother me. I was intrigued already to read this book before the cover, thanks to the synopsis. Young Adult is one of my favorite genres, even at my age of 30+. I enjoyed this book by Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount. Here you have a figure skater, Willow, who has been injured and is home on rehab, but instead of figure skating, she starts playing hockey. She never expected to play hockey, but she has a cute hockey player to help her along the way. The same hockey player that doubted her skills since she’s a figure skater. The star hockey player, Brodie thinks of Willow as a sequins and twirls girl at first until Willows proves she can play goalie for the all-boys hockey team. Brodie should be focusing on his goals for getting a full-scholarship to the school he wants to go to but finds himself fascinated with Willow because of her determination. This is when problems start in the story.
A reminder that this is a book based in high school, so it’s going to have typical high school drama. The characters come off as more mature than their age because they are dealing with grown-up stuff. Brodie is dealing with family drama, and Willow is dealing with her injury. Both characters have their own goals and are determined, which makes these two characters connect well together. Forewarning: there are some foul language and under-age drinking in the book.
The only reason why this book is not getting five stars is due to repetition. There was constant talk about how Brodie and Willow could not be together. There was also the issue of secrets. Friendships could end up breaking due to secrets.
Standalone or Part of Series: Standalone
HEA: Yes.
Trope/Theme: Sports Romance; Forbidden Romance; Small Town Romance
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you are a fan of Young Adult Contemporary with a Sports (Hockey) theme romance to it, you will enjoy this book. I give this book four stars, and I hope that the authors write more hockey romance books. If not, then I will be checking out the other books the authors have written.
All the ice skating and romance and figure-skater vs. hockey-player banter…I was getting all the old Cutting Edge feels and loving it!
I really adored this one! It kept me turning pages as fast as I could to find out what would happen. Willow and Brodie were both characters that were very likable and had a lot of depth. Their behaviors were exactly what you’d expect from teenagers. I liked how they were definitely loyal to those around them, but also weren’t afraid to voice their opinions, or do what they think was right. Even if at times their loyalty may have caused the other one an issue with others, that is normal in my opinion, for how people really behave.
They had the spark between them for sure, and it was fun to follow along with them and see where they let it take them. I loved how much Willow really got into hockey and gave it her all. The way the other team members either accepted her as soon as they saw her skills, or if it took them some time, at least they realized that she was there based on her talent eventually. There was one betrayer in the story that I really didn’t see coming. But in a way, I am a little glad how that turned out, because I like the way it all wrapped up. A great story, and I will be sharing with the students in my school library!
Oh, I just loved this book! I have found that I have a bit of a soft spot for hockey romances so this was a book that caught my attention right away. All of the hockey romances that I had read prior to picking this one up targeting adult readers but I was eager to try this Young Adult title. This book grabbed my attention in the opening scenes and never let go. I am so glad that I decided to give this book a try.
Brodie and Willow are both amazing characters. I liked them both right away and loved how much chemistry there was between them. I felt like these two were very good for each other and I loved the way that they pushed each other to be their best. Both have been through some really rough things but they both are able to pick up the pieces and move forward doing the best that they can.
As a figure skater, Willow’s injury has been devastating but she is working as hard as she can to get into top condition again. Brodie is the town’s star hockey player who works hard to stay at his best. Brodie and Willow start working out together and eventually, she ends up as his team’s goalie. I loved seeing these two work together and deal with the challenges Willow faced playing on the boy’s hockey team. Brodie’s story was really heartbreaking and I was amazed by how much responsibility he has been able to carry. I really liked seeing good things come for both of these characters.
Nick Mondelli and Bailey Carr did a fantastic job with the narration of this book. I really felt like they were able to bring Brodie and Willow to life. They added a lot of emotion to the story and excitement when it was warranted. I think that their voices worked very well together and I found myself wanting to listen to this book for hours at a time. I think that their narration added to my overall enjoyment of this story.
I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a very well done romance with fantastic characters, just enough romance, and quite a bit of hockey. I definitely plan to read more from this pair of talented authors.
I received a copy of this book from Entagled: Teen and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.
*I received this book from YA Bound Tours for my honest review*
From page 1, I couldn’t put this book down. I fell in love with Brodie and Willow and was rooting for them all the way through this books. I don’t skate, but I felt that the authors both did a lot of research on figure skating and hockey. I also found Brodie and Willow family situation and backstory to not feel generic and it helped move the plot, their characterization, and affect the way they acted. All the secondary characters didn’t feel like backdrops, but actually moved in and out of the scene with purpose.
I really like Brodie and found him to be a sweetheart. Both of their reasons for why they don’t want to be a couple in the beginning made sense, and I felt as if I was in high school dealing with the drama of that age all over again :P. The characters were believable and I felt connected to my younger self. The trials they both go through, and how they come out on the other side, is very inspiring. It is great to have characters that are caring and grow from challenges.
All in all, I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves YA romance! Rush and Blount did a fantastic job!
The love child of The Cutting Edge and The Mighty Ducks! Filled with humor, romance, sports and drama – this book can do no wrong, except reek havoc on your emotions. My heart broke for Caleb and Brodie, with everything they had to face. I wanted to reach through the pages and slap some sense into their Dad. Willow has her own tough decisions to make, and this was the first time I struggled while reading, since I wasn’t sure which dream I wanted her to follow. Make sure you read about “Toe Pick” and “Puck Head”, I promise it’ll entertain you from start to finish!
Oh how I missed the cute YA books by Entangled!
This stole my heart. First for bringing the story of a girl playing hockey (my oldest daughter’s dream) and then for creating a beautiful and passionate guy, captain of the team and super dedicated.
A beautiful story of overcoming, representativeness and love. My heart was tiny in many scenes and sighed in others.
Willow has always lived for Figure Skating but after an injury that took her off the ice, she is struggling to make the famous jumps that the sport requires and compete again to go to the Olympics. When she helps Brodie’s team after the goalie got injured, she never imagined that this team of big guys would steal her heart.
I loved the plot and each character mainly the protagonists, Preach and Jessa and I already want a book for this duo.
4,5/5 stars
I’m always on the hunt for my next new favorite author. I’d never read anything by either of the authors of In the Penalty Box, so that, along with the cover and the blurb, had me wanting to dive headfirst into this contemporary young adult romance. I used to be able to say that I wasn’t a huge young adult romance fan. However, after the crazy year that was 2020, I found myself looking for something different from my usual romance and romantic suspense reads. So, I delved into quite a few young adult romance reads throughout the last ¾ of the year, and much to my surprise, I have been really impressed with the majority of them.
NICUnurse’s Rating: Years ago, I was a huge fan of the movie The Cutting Edge. I’d often wondered what it would have been like had the roles been reversed and the figure skater had to turn to hockey. Well, now I know! But unlike the spoiled rich girl in the movie, Willow comes from a hardworking family and is trying desperately to return to competitive skating after a devastating injury. She’s feisty and more than a little determined to come back on top. Enter Brodie, the adorable hockey star. He’s amazingly talented on the ice and comes from a privileged family. But despite his family’s wealth and privilege, he’s a hard-working young man attempting to carry on his family’s legacy of being a Boston College hockey star. When Brody’s team’s goalie is taken out by a severe injury, he invites Willow to fill in temporarily. What starts out as temporary morphs into a beautiful story of friendship, young love, and self-discovery. Add in some high school drama, along with more than a dash of twists and turns, and it all comes together to form a wonderful concoction that quite literally had me not wanting to put this book down. And in the end, In the Penalty Box was among my top reads for 2020.
I give In the Penalty Box by Lynn Rush and Kelly Anne Blount 5 out of 5 stars!
I love the cutting edge so I wanted to read this story that seemed similar, I liked the turn around I found in the story, it is a YA sweet sport romance story, where Brody and Willow find themselves competing for something more than a sport, how they started developing a friendship that became more. Definitely a good read for anyone that enjoys YA romance, with a dual POV giving you more insight to their story.
In the Penalty Box is one of those books I would have devoured as a teen, and I’m not ashamed to say as a grown woman I absolutely did!
Willow and Brodie are such likeable characters, you can’t help but fall for both of them. Brodie is the epitome of a good guy, strong and protective, and Willow is one cool chick, independent and kickass. I really enjoyed their “meet-cute”, and the slow build of their relationship. I’m so glad this book was told in dual pov. I liked being in both Willow and Brodie’s heads and getting to know them that way.
While this was, for the most part, a fun, light-hearted read, both Willow and Brodie were dealing with some things that added a little more depth to the story. The story really amped up towards the end, with some of what happened taking me by surprise. Without going into detail, I do wish additional time had been spent on Brodie’s past, particularly getting to know more about his parents.
Sweet, fun, and a little bit heart-tugging, In the Penalty Box was a wonderful story of love, family, and friendships.
Figure skater Willow is back at home to recover from an injury. She is determined to rehab, get back to 100%, and return to the elite training facility where she has her eye on the Olympics. But not only is her recovery taking longer that she wants, it seems like her parent’s are arguing all the time.
Brodie lives for hockey and, going into his senor year of high school, the pressure is on to take his team to the championships and become a third generation Boston College hockey player. But things at home are falling apart. Since the death of his mom, his dad is gone all the time, and he’s trying his best to be there for his little brother.
I really enjoyed my time with Willow and Brodie. It was great to read about two athletes who were so focused and dedicated. Willow’s take-no-prisoners attitude had me silently cheering her on and I was so impressed with her tenacity and determination. But it was Brodie’s story that really engaged my emotions. I have a soft spot for characters who shoulder a lot of responsibility at a young age and that certainly fit Brodie. This was a young man who was still grieving the loss of his mother, living without the emotional (or even physical) support of his father, and taking on the burden of care for his sick little brother. Rush and Blount did a great job at showing Brodie’s struggle to keep all the balls in the air as well as his inevitable breaking point.
Watching as Willow became more entrenched in the hockey team, and formed bonds with her teammates, was a real highlight for me. For the most part she was judged on her talent and what she brought to the team, and most of her new teammates welcomed her with open arms. There were a few holdout’s, however, and I appreciated how Willow handled herself when faced with opposition. The team was a tight-knit group of friends, both on and off the ice, and it was fun to be a part of their banter and ribbing and support. If I had any quibble at all it would be that the dialogue didn’t always ring true. Granted, I don’t spend a lot of time with teenage boys, but it seems unlikely they use terms like “what’s the tea” when it’s just the guys.
In the Penalty Box was a sports romance that was heavy on the sports – and I loved that! As a hockey fan, I enjoyed the training scenes, the pick-up games, the trash talk, and the mental and physical strength that was required. The romance aspect was definitely on the slow-burn side and rated-PG. This was a great YA contemporary with a strong focus on friendship, loyalty, and overcoming hardship. Definitely recommended!
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.
I really enjoyed this story. The writing was smooth and sucked me in with all the descriptions. The characters had distinct and interesting personalities and I absolutely adored Willow’s spirit and spunk. The banter between the characters was great and their chemistry was explosive. The romance was clean and sweet (though there were a lot of innuendos) and had the just the right amount of drama. The plot was actually really good for a romance and I loved how I could feel all the feelings throughout the story. I was really impressed by the writing and everything and can’t wait for more by these 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 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.***
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
In the Penalty Box is a sweet, fun YA sports romance that captures a lot of those fluttery high school feelings.
When Willow and Brodie literally run into each other on the ice, neither would predict that rehabbing figure skater, Willow, would become the newest (temporary) hockey goalie for Brodie’s team. And neither of them expected to be attracted to each other, even though the team has a no-fraternization rule. Can they ignore the spark they feel, or will it be too big to ignore? And what happens when Willow returns to figure skating?
I enjoyed the nostalgic feelings that this book evoked. It’s definitely a high school story with characters who are trying to navigate through that often confusing time of life. So it might read a bit juvenile to some, but it didn’t really bother me too much. There are hints of more depth to each protagonist’s backstory, which I thought was effective, though we never really delve into either character’s pain to the point of really feeling a connection to the loss they’ve experienced. It was kind of like reading about tragedy through rose colored glasses.
There are also some secondary characters whom I would love to read more about, and hope this becomes a series. I’d also say that the ending is definitely a HFN, which is fine for YA because they’re so young. But don’t expect a giant leap into Willow and Brodie’s futures.
Thank you, NetGalley and Entangled for the opportunity to honestly review this ARC.
I really enjoy hockey books, and this one was no different. When I saw it on NG, I didn’t check too much and didn’t know that it was YA but that was okay. Both of the characters seemed pretty mature, especially Brody.
I think what I liked most about this book was that it was a little different than most hockey romances, instead the guy trying to figure skate, we have her on the hockey team. An all-boys team. Though he does do some figure skating as well.
We get a little of both world, which was fun.
I also loved the friendships in this book and the team spirit, well for the most part.
I liked both main characters and thought they were easy to relate to. They both have their issues to deal with. They dealt with them in their way which not always was the right way.
I like Willow, I loved how she stood her own, in the team even though not everyone was for her being on a boy’s hockey team. Some were just plain mean and rude, but she never gave up. That includes her dream to get back to figure skating. She definitely had spunk. But she also had some pretty selfish moments.
Brody, what was not to like, I liked him right from the start and he always knew what he wanted and fought for it. He definitely had a lot on his plate to deal with. Almost a little too much, so just seemed a bit too piled up for dramatic effect.
Together I thought they were cute and I liked the training moments and the on the ice and game parts as well.
While it was easy to tell how it would end, I was curious half way through, because at that point it could have gone either way. Of course, with most contemporary some of the stuff was pretty predicable, but I still really enjoyed it.
Overall. I really enjoyed it and hope to see more in the series and this author duo. I’m really hoping we will get a book about Preach, you know maybe a friends to lover/hockey romance
I rate this 4