Back of Book: 

There’s one thing that Hailey Reed won’t do, and that’s become distracted. She doesn’t have the time for it. Between classes, her barista job at Brewed Beginnings, and being president of the chess club, Hailey must stay focused on her goals and keep her guard up. The last thing she needs is to get dragged into the drama that is Levi Jamison, the captain of Crestwood University’s hockey team.

On the surface, Levi has it all. As the son of millionaires and one of the Crestwood Red Wolves’ star players, he has a golden image to uphold. Struggling to maintain the façade of having a perfect life, he is crumbling under the pressure until he stumbles into Brewed Beginnings the morning after a long night of partying.

Levi can’t get Hailey out of his mind, but Hailey says she would rather scorch the earth than be dragged into the chaotic life of a star athlete. So Levi skates his way into chess lessons from Hailey, forcing them to face off in more ways than one.

Book Number: One 

Genre: Adult | Contemporary | Romance | Sports 

Review: ? 

Back of Book: 

So far, nothing is going to plan for Isla Johnson, but she’s determined to navigate her new reality on her terms. After being forced to cut her semester abroad short due to her overprotective parents, Isla can’t help but be devastated. Her vow never to attend her hometown’s college because of a certain someone is thrown up in flames once her father pulls a few strings to get her transferred to Crestwood University. The only thing that makes her feel whole is her camera, which helps her look at the world through a different lens—one without pain.

Asher Bennett’s focus needs to be on hockey. Between helping his mother and sister financially, his studies, and his commitment to his teammates, his schedule is packed. But with Isla’s unexpected return to town, his whole world is flipped upside down, and all he can think about is the summer fling they had years ago.

Isla is pretending she doesn’t want anything to do with him, and he shouldn’t want to be involved with her, either. After all, Isla is now the new team photographer for the Crestwood Red Wolves, and she’s the coach’s daughter.

But they could have an encore before he finally lets her go.

Challenge: Accepted.

Book Number: Two 

Genre: Adult | Contemporary | Romance | Sports 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟

A second chance college romance featuring a star hockey player and the coach's daughter. 

Isla Johnson's college career isn't going exactly as planned. After a health scare cutting her semester abroad short, Isla is back at her hometown university so she can be close to her family as she figures out her diagnosis. Luckily, Isla still has photography no matter where she is. However, she didn't expect that her photography skills would lead her back to her ex-boyfriend, Asher, who is on her dad's hockey team. But that's exactly what happens when she is given an opportunity to work as the team's photographer. Forced to reconcile with their messy past, Isla and Asher may just have one final chance at love. 

I really enjoyed the first seventy-ish percent of this book. Isla and Asher both deal with plenty of realistic, complicated issues that made both of their lives interesting to follow. Isla is diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), which sounds incredibly uncomfortable and inconvenient. The fact that the author also has this syndrome made this feel super personal and gives me comfort that Isla is an authentic representation of this condition. Asher loves hockey more than anything else, but he also feels the burden of supporting his family financially. These two have known each other for many years prior to the main bones of the story, which made their relationship seem pretty intense from the very beginning of the book. 

I found many aspects of Isla's character to be relatable. She's quite anxious about many different things, she doesn't thrive in social scenes, and she cherishes the arts. Also, she likes "The Princess Bride" and I always give characters kudos for that. Her passion for photography is also cool to follow. This is the third romance I've read in the last couple of months in which one of them is a photographer, and I think it's such a fun hobby/career. 

I always love the close bonds that the team has when it comes to hockey romances. This holds up at Crestwood University. I really like Asher and Levi's relationship (I'm not surprised to learn that Levi was the male love interest in the first novel) and the complexity that Knox added to the group was much appreciated. Asher's coach and Isla's dad only has the team's best interest at heart, and I always love seeing strong familial relationships across sports teams in books. 

However, this book took a turn and went into a very sexual place. I wasn't exactly surprised by this, but several of the scenes took it a bit too far for me to say that I enjoyed reading this entire book (especially the scene with the whipped cream *shudder*). I appreciate that Isla's and Asher's relationship didn't feel like it was moving too fast due to the fact that this was their second time dating each other. I think this is a really smart way to approach steamy scenes without them feeling too rushed. It still too much for me to comfortably palate though, and I was slightly bummed that the last forty percent of the book was so sexually charged. 

I did appreciate that the conflict happened earlier in the book rather than at the very end. However, the ending seemed too easy and perfect. There was little tension despite all of the events that could have held a bit more suspense. The epilogue also didn't add much to the story, which was a bummer, because I often love the future glimpse we get of couples in epilogues. Alas, it just didn't do much for me in this one. 

Overall, I enjoyed seeing Isla and Asher work through their complicated second chance romance in "Penalized Love." Learning about PCOS was intriguing due to the fact that I've never heard about this condition before. If the last forty percent of the book would have been utilized for more than smut I would have liked this one more. I'm interested to see how the romances are going to play out for some of the other side characters, but I don't think I'm going to read the rest of the series due to the level of steam these books include. This series may not be for me, but I would definitely point romance readers towards this series if they are fans of steamy college/sport romances! 

Back of Book: 

Selene Davis has always been known as the confident, carefree one—the friend you could count on for a good time. But beneath her bold exterior, she hides insecurities about her curves and wonders if she'll ever truly be enough. The last thing she needs is to get tangled up with Knox Sanchez, the emotionally unavailable, smoking-hot hockey star who’s made it clear he isn’t looking for anything serious. But despite her better judgment, a one-night stand leaves Selene wanting more, only for Knox to remind her it’s just casual.

Hurt and frustrated, Selene ices him out, determined to focus on school and her job at the library. But when their friend groups overlap, staying away from Knox proves impossible.

Knox knows he should keep his distance. With his demanding schedule on and off the ice and a disastrous breakup that left him emotionally guarded, relationships aren’t on his agenda. But no matter how high he builds his defenses, Selene is the one person who makes him want to break them down.

But she won’t give him the time of day. The more she pushes him away, the more he’s determined to win her over. With nosy friends, unresolved feelings, and undeniable chemistry, Selene and Knox are headed toward a faceoff.

And it will change everything for them, forever.

Book Number: Three

Genre: Adult | Contemporary | Romance | Sports 

Review: ? 

Back of Book: 

Willow Sanchez has one rule: avoid athletes at all costs. Ever since her high school heartbreak with a popular football player turned streamer, she's steered clear of jocks. That includes hockey players like her older brother Knox's teammate and best friend, Blaise Dalton. Blaise might be blond, blue-eyed, and annoyingly charming to everyone else, but to Willow, he's the definition of annoying as hell wrapped in a nerdy, athletic package.

Blaise knows how to keep his cool on the ice, but beneath his polished exterior, routines and love of videogames, lies a secret battle with anxiety. His life is carefully planned until Willow storms into it once more. She’s fiercely independent, and impossible to ignore.

When a winter break group trip to Puerto Rico throws Willow and Blaise into closer contact than ever before, the tension between them ignites, but their connection through her brother still lingers in the background. Arguments transform into deep conversations, and Blaise discovers that the spontaneity Willow brings into his life might be exactly what he needs to help face his anxiety. But just as they begin to grow closer, a scandal linked to Willow's ex-boyfriend threatens her emotional wellbeing, forcing her to retreat from the world. Blaise is determined to show her that facing the past is the only way forward, and the connection they’ve built is worth fighting for.

Soon, they’ll both realize it’s time to embrace the chaos and press start because it’s game on.

Book Number: Four

Genre: Adult | Contemporary | Romance | Sports 

Review: ?