Penalty of Love

Glaciers Hockey #1

by Kristine W. Joy

She’s a fiery social media specialist. I’m a hockey star with a hothead reputation. But her determination to salvage my career is melting my defenses…

Being a professional hockey player means I’m no stranger to fights.

But when a run-in with a fan threatens my spot on the Atlanta Glaciers, everything is on the line.

Enter Nila, the social media guru my managers hired to combat this PR crisis.

The fiery bombshell has a clever little plan to “salvage my reputation.”

And now I’m forced to play nice on the platforms I’ve always avoided.

Her sunny disposition clashes with my gruff exterior.

Yet her fierce resolve intrigues me more than I care to admit.

Given my reputation, she keeps me at arm's length.

But I’m determined to tear down her carefully guarded walls.

With the playoffs looming, winning her heart might be my toughest battle yet.

Penalty of Love is a closed-door, grumpy sunshine hockey romcom. It’s the first standalone story in Kristine W. Joy’s Glaciers Hockey Series.

Genres: Romance, Sports, Hockey, Sports Romance, Hockey Romance, Clean Romance, Contemporary

316 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 25, 2024

About the author

Kristine W. Joy is an Amazon Bestselling Author who loves creating sweet and swoony stories full of sizzling chemistry and laugh-out-loud banter. She prefers her coffee iced and her kisses hot. When she's not dreaming up romance novels or writing from a cozy coffee shop in Northern California, she is spending time with her hubby and two young sons. Becoming a published author was a lifelong dream. Becoming a momma was the inspiration to make it a reality.

To stay updated on all upcoming releases, subscribe to her newsletter.

Reviews

[Katie (hiding in the pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I wonder what she’d look like wearing my jersey…”

I was enthralled with this enemies-to-love sports romance. Cameron is forced to work with feisty Nila to help his bad boy, hotheaded image and he isn’t happy about it. Their interactions ooze with chemistry and their flirtatious connections are full of sparks.

It was a blast watching them forge through the necessities, while allowing themselves a few romantic indulgences. These are two opposites, yet pull together like magnets. They’re characters who have depth and heart, and I loved every moment.

I loved the secondary characters, the hockey moments, and everything else that made up this delightful romcom.

Content: kisses; light innuendo

*I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given*

[Kacey Daniels {hiatus} · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. But it was just like really fast and there wasn’t any depth to the characters or their story and then at the end it was kinda cringe and felt like something you write as a middle schooler deciding to write a romance book I don’t know. And then this Brittany chick came out of nowhere and was suddenly her best friend? It was just odd. Felt like there was a lot of missing chapters.

[Elisa ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was cute

[lolacannotread · Rating 1 out of 5]

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹ ⭑ ˖ 1.0 stars .ᐟ ⋆౨ৎ˚˖
𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆: 2hrs 41mins (i'm including the several laps around the house i took and also a lot of zoning out mid-chapter😭)

for a clean romance, this felt very sexual. every other second, we hear one of the two leads sexualize each other, and then one of them does something totally normal (like when she was kind to his dad) that snaps them out of horny mode and then suddenly they're looking at one another all sweetly and softly and wholesome-ly?? there were a lot of really fast tone changes that left me feeling jarred, to say the least. i know that technically it WAS clean and i don't want to sound like i'm clutching my pearls in horror at the slightest mention of noticing each other's bodies, but it just really did not feel like "a sweet hockey romance," so i feel like i went into this book so unprepared when i should have been mentally bracing myself 😭

brittany was suddenly her best friend after they met up ONCE in several months? what does this girl (nila) do all day other than literally just sit on her phone by herself and manage her social media??? she had no hobbies and no support circle, even by the end of the book, and it just made me sad to see:( she seemed to really dislike being on her phone, and seemed so much happier when she was off of it- i wish we'd seen her discover some new passion, maybe something that her & her nana shared, to give her personal character arc a bit more development and growth and give her a career to pursue that wouldn't burn her out the way social media seemed to:)

i'm sorry, i get the concept of suspension of belief and that we needed a phones-free place for them to fall in love, but i still don't understand so much of the underlying logic that this book rests on. why was she even sent to accompany him in the first place?????? initially, i quite liked nila, but after she tried to RECORD part of an anger management retreat for his social media profiles? it feels so distasteful of his management team to send a social media influencer who barely knows him along to a THERAPY RETREAT full of people working through a lot of issues. and yes, i'm saying social media influencer. i remember that there was a bit in the book where she seemed somewhat offended by that title, but... it's literally what she is. she has a million followers. she posts pictures of her life & interacts with fans. she puts work into managing her own online presence on a large scale. that is what an influencer is.

i also didn't feel like we really saw her bring anything new to the table in terms of repairing his image- her work is described like it is masterful and incredible handling of the situation, but all they did was post some pictures of a handsome hockey player in an attempt to dispute the (what was implied to be) domestic abuse allegations placed on him by an ex-girlfriend. it felt honestly like a pretty awful way to dispute what was clearly just an ex-girlfriend levelling accusations for revenge- they should've had him release a genuine statement and maybe work with a charity that helps women in at risk situations 😭 it just felt like such a confusing way to justify the two being alone together.

also, they never went on any proper dates??? or seemed to have real conversations about themselves as people?? i kept waiting for the sweet moments and the chemistry but i just felt like they never came. i just felt like i walked away from this with so many questions. i like a hockey romance from time to time, and i normally find it really sweet to see these big brawny guys be all sweet and emotional and romantic with their girls but i just did not find that here and did not feel like the two of them fit together at all. i hate to say it, but i just didn't really like them as individuals OR as a couple:(

𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒅-𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈:
one page in and WHY IS HIS BEST FRIEND NAMED BLAZE I'M CRYING

"𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯, 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘩, 𝘴𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺? 𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢. 𝘕𝘰 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴."
BECAUSE ITS HER J O B I AM ACTUALLY THIS CLOSE TO REACHING INTO THIS BOOK AND SLAPPING THIS MAN ACROSS THE FACE

twelve chapters in and i am blinking incredulously because why is it looking like this entire romance is going to be set in an ANGER MANAGEMENT FACILITY i'm crying laughing again

"𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵," 𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘴. "𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵."
𝘪 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴. "𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵?"
𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥. "𝘯𝘢𝘩."
GIRL WHAT. if you have to ask.... i'm sorry this dialogue just had me ROLLING😭 was this supposed to make me swoon because this just feels like the absolute bare minimum. "do you see me as an object?" ????? i cannot. actually almost dnf'ed at this bit.

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐢'𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐢'𝐦 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐚𝐩 >:(

[Hala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another amazing read from Kristine W. Joy I was OBSESSED with this book. And when I say obsessed I mean it. I was reading this book in the car, at the grocery store, and even in the doctor’s office😅 It felt as if I couldn’t get enough of being around the characters built in the book! I love how Cameron (mmc) has his dedication to his hockey team and father. He is seen as such a loyal person. Nila (fmc) has a fierce personality and is dedicated to herself and her career. When the two clash it’s mesmerizing! This book also tackles topics of grief, loss, and presence of social media in everyday lives. Past those topics the books uplifting energy is contagious.

Thanks again for giving me the opportunity to receive the ARC of Penalty of Love.

[Megan Crofton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this one more than 5 stars! I loved it! I'm a sucker for an enemies to more romance!! Cameron and Nila were so great! Kristine W Joy has really grown so much!! I've always loved her books, but this one may be the best yet!

Cameron and Nila were adorable and so great together! They had some great tension and flirting. Loved seeing the attraction Cameron had toward Nila even though he was so irritated with being forced to interact with her. Loved the flow and pace of this story and the tension was so well-written. Their story was fun but they also had so much character depth. Seeing them overcome their differences and work through their grief with each other. It was fun to see the story unfold, enjoyed the unexpected twists.

I loved everything about this one, the romance, the laughs, the drama, all of it!! And I hope this becomes a series because those side characters were so fun, they deserve their stories too!! Hint, hint ;)

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the story between Nila and Cameron. I’ve never been big on sports romance, but this book definitely sold me on hockey love. 🩵🏒 I truly enjoyed this book from cover to cover. There are steamy kisses that make you swoon, but nothing beyond that which is totally my favorite kind of book.

The main tropes are:
🏒one bed/forced proximity
🏒protective hockey MMC
🏒career vs love
🏒workplace romance
🏒 social media specialist

CW: Some mentions of grief, but not overwhelming.

I received an ARC in trade for an honest review. This is my second book by Kristine W. Joy and I can truthfully say I love her writing style. I definitely recommend.

[Amanda Walston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another clean romance ARC by this author! This book had some of my favorite tropes: grumpy sunshine, sports romance, forced proximity, etc.
Cameron is a professional hockey player and Nila is hired to help with his social media to clean up his hot head image. They are forced to go on an anger management retreat where there’s only one cabin available 😏 Super cute romance story you should definitely check out when it releases in a few days!

[Lissa Ruck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Cameron & Nila's fiery, sweet caring, loving, swoony story!!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

i have one word for this book: meh.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐️

[Amber Harms (Fox) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, easy read. There was a few heavier undertones but all in all the vibes stayed lighthearted.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kisses only.

Pretty sure Cam only liked Nila because she was hot. I also don’t think people put that much stock in hockey players’ lives.

[Amy Lourens · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story line of this book but some situations seemed very unrealistic.

Spoilers below with an example of this -

The guy's ex-girlfriend accuses him of having anger issues and even though they're not true, the team owner sends him to an anger management retreat and he misses multiple games. Doesn't seem like a team would send a starting player away during the season for baseless accusations 🤔

[Evie!! ౨ৎ˚₊ · Rating 2 out of 5]

“I’ll always see you, Nila,” I murmur, pressing my forehead against hers. “We could be in a sea of a million people, but it’s always going to be you.”


MAIN CHARACTERS' NAME
Nila Christianson | Cameron Hastens


FEATURES
• Forced Proximity
• Third-act fling break up
• Grumpy / Sunshine
• Slow Burn
• Golden retriever / Black Cat
• Protective MMC
• Found family
• Reverse Grumpy / Sunshine mid book


REVIEW
I like it at first but more I dive in, more I got bored. Mainly because of how Nila kept everyone at her arms' length and it's becoming tiresome for me.

Cameron really doesn't portray the 'Grumpy' one actually. The more I read it, the more I think it's a reverse grumpy x sunshine because I feel like Nila is the grumpy one here and not him. He fights for her, his efforts and all even when Nila strictly wants to keep things professional and all makes me feel like he's the sunshine right now.

Yet the way Cameron describe her is very ethereal. I love Cameron.

I hesitate, my mind filling with the image of Nila. The way she looks stunning in anything. The way the freckles splash across her skin like a painting. The way her eyes crinkle when she laughs. The way she looks at me when she’s challenging me.
Gosh, I miss her.
She’s so quick-witted and funny. But above all, she’s smart, driven, determined … and she continues to put on a smile and show up every day despite all the challenges she faced growing up. She’s just so … impressive. She checks every box and then some.
I realize no matter how I try to slice it, I’m not ready to go out and date someone else.

Even after their annoying fling third act breakup, he still can't go out with someone else.

Nila 'this is unprofessional' Christianson is honestly ANNOYING. if I get paid everytime she mentioned wanting to keep things professional, I'd be rich by now. Like I get it, you don't want to risk your career. Yet, you gave Cameron hopes! You implied it, you made the moves first, you kissed him first! One second, she was admiring him and kissing him. And then another second, she said it's professional. God, she's annoying!

I get it, she's traumatised from her past of being betrayed and not trusting anyone again bla bla. Then she should stay away from Cameron, instead of giving that poor man hope! She changed him, okay!

Yet, I still understand her I guess.. Yeah, but she kept everyone else at arm’s length, always assuming they had some ulterior motive, while maintaining a facade that everything was great on social media. The reality is she never been more lonely. And she guess it took everything that happened between Cameron and her to finally realize that she really do crave to be loved— romantically. For the first time since losing her gran, she crave connection … in all the ways. So yeah, I forgive her for being annoying.

Their therapy camp is supposed to be cute, but Nila's annoyingness definitely made me didn't enjoy those long chapters.

And my heart stops.
I’m met with a pair of beautiful jade eyes in my white and blue jersey.
I know those eyes.
I know that fiery red hair.
My jaw drops.
And Nila gives me a smile.
“You got this,” she mouths to me, stopping in the middle of the stairs to raise up a white poster board sign. I almost pass out as I read the bold block letters.
I LOVE YOU, TOO.

That definitely makes me forgive her. Thank god for that scene to be a cute one, okay!

But overall, this book isn't really for me..

I still think Cameron deserves better HONESTLY. and he's so cute for bringing her favourite band to propose to her in the epilogue!


OW / OM DRAMA no
CHEATING no
THIRD-ACT BREAKUP they had a fling break up
ENDING HEA──cute proposal epilogue


POV dual / first person POV
SPICE LEVEL 0.7 / 5
RATING 2.4 / 5

[DayDreamer8912 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5
Genre: Sweet Rom Com
🚨TW: mention loss of love one, loneliness, step on someone to achieve what they want.

Read it if you like:
🏒Dual POV
🏒 Workplace
🏒Grumpy MMC
🏒 Fiesty FMC
🏒He Falls First
🏒Forced Proximity
🏒Closed door.

Favourite Moments
🏒 The first time they met
🏒 Her helping him to make content in his social media
🏒 The dinner with his dad
🏒 His teammates and coach always have his back.
🏒 Moments during the retreat (can’t spoil it)
🏒 Their romantic picnic together
🏒 Her grand gesture (can’t spoil it)
(lots more)

Swoony Moments
🏒 He falls for her first
🏒 He respects her.
🏒 He protects and cares for her and also protects his family and friends.
🏒 He made breakfast.
🏒 He is there for her and also supports her dreams.

Synopsis
Cameron
A hot-headed ice-hockey player who is passionate with what he does and hates to be in the spotlight.

Nila
She helps people to make contents on social media to help boost their popularity. Very career driven.

Cameron protected his teammate and couldn't help himself and next thing he know he was in the news which tainted his reputation. His manager hired Nila to help him in his social media to help save back his reputation. But one thing Cameron hates most is being in the spotlight. Can Nila handle him? And what will happen to him? Read Penalty of Love to find out!!

Review:
When you are popular it’s hard to not have cameras everywhere practically checking out your every move so that they can make headlines that will either ruined your career or make you successful. Though it is wrong to use violence to protect someone you love but as a popular person people will start bashing you in social media. Just a mistake and your reputation went downhill. Love the way Nila never give up on helping Cameron (who doesn’t like to be in the spotlight) to get back his reputation. She tries her very best to help him to be at ease in making content on his social media. They don’t see eye to eye at first but slowly as the get to know each other they get along pretty well. As they get to know each other, they open up to each other and give the comfort and support to each other. Love how his father also supports him and also giving him the push that he needs. And also Nila who realised that she had true friends that help her too. And love their time together during the retreat it was really sweet although there were drama in the retreat. (can’t spoil it) This book made me smile, swoon, laugh and sometimes frustrated (read then you will know).

P.S Her friends are such a scene stealer though they don’t appear much but hopefully Kristine will write their love story too and also his friends too who are also scene stealers.

Can’t wait to read her other books. It will be interesting too. Thanks @kristinewjoy for the ARC .
You can buy this book from Amazon and it’s available on KU.

[Shayla Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'LL ALWAYS SEE YOU. WE COULD BE IN A SEA OF A MILLION PEOPLE, BUT IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE YOU."

“There’s no time frame on love.”

Nila is a fiery social media specialist. Cameron is a professional hockey star with a hothead reputation. But Nila’s determination to salvage Cameron’s career is melting his defenses... When Cameron has a run-in with a fan that threatens his spot on the Atlanta Glaciers, everything is on the line. Nila’s sunny disposition clashes with Cameron’s gruff exterior. Yet Nila’s fierce resolve intrigues Cameron more than he care to admit. But Cameron is determined to tear down Nila’s carefully guarded walls. With the playoffs looming, winning Nila’s heart might be Cameron’s toughest battle yet…

“I protect the people I care about. It’s who I am. And I care about you.”

Penalty of Love is a standalone contemporary, grumpy/sunshine closed-door hockey romcom with heart. It is filled delightfully with humor, drama, friendships, and with flawed, vulnerable, and endearing characters, that will hold your attention. Both Cameron and Mila are characters that have kept much of themselves inside hidden from the outside world, in order to protect their hearts. I loved seeing their walls slowly come down and letting the possibility of love in, with more trust and confidence. There’s something special about the camaraderie and friendship weaved between characters in this story too! This story won’t leave you disappointed! It’s worth the quick, great read! 🙌🏻📚🏒

“There’s no one I’d rather spend the rest of my life with, build a family with, and grow old with. I love you more than life itself.”

-Content: loss of a parent/grandparent in the past, themes of grief, loneliness, some big emotions, and makeouts.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt more seen in
my life.”

#penaltyoflove
#kristinewjoy
#allaboutthebestreads

“I see you for what you are.”

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

“I could go back and do life all over again, I somehow would've found you and made you mine sooner.”

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reader’s Notes:

– this is told from Cameron & Nila’s points of view

– Nila’s grandmother (who raised her) passed away 2 years ago

– it is mentioned that Nila’s parents aren’t really in her life (one dealt with substance abuse in the past & the other she doesn’t even know the identity of)

– Cameron’s mother passed 7 years prior from breast cancer

– kisses mention tongue

– both characters accidentally see each other in a state of undress (wearing underwear) once

Review:

From chapter one I knew I’d be hooked & love these main characters! I adored Nila & Cameron so much! Their banter was hilarious and I loved that they had a bit of an annoyed by each other start to their relationship. I loved that there was also another storyline mixed in about how a character was holding social media ‘connections’ as if they were actual relationships, but comes to realize that they aren’t/they’re lonely despite how many followers they have. I loved how it mixed in with the romance storyline and grew the character!

I really hope we get another story to find out what is going on between the two best friends in Cameron’s friend group!

Summary:

Cameron will always stand up for those he cares about, but his most recent protection lands him in some majorly hot water. Hitting a hockey fan certainly does not go over well with the team owners or with any of the media stories of the event. It’s so bad that they insist on Cameron having a social media specialist follow him around and getting his socials up to snuff for fans to follow. If the specialist, Nila, can make people see the heart behind the man, maybe she can save his career. Cameron supposes he has no other choice but to follow Nila’s lead. And he supposes it could be fun if her fiery reactions to him are any indication…

Nila has been building her company from the ground up & getting an opportunity to fix a PR nightmare for a prominent hockey hothead could only help her grow into new areas. But first, she’ll have to convince him to cooperate. Cameron is completely averse to the idea of having a social media, but Nila isn’t about to back off. As she gets to know the man behind the media’s portrayal of him, Nila finds herself falling for him. Which is an issue between him being her client & her aversion to being tied down…

[Char (1RadReader59) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cameron Hastens has played center for the Atlanta Glaciers for nearly five years. Getting under the skin of their opponents is all part of the game of hockey, so getting put in the penalty box is not unusual for Cameron. They skate their hearts out always so when a heckler decided to go after Blaze it was Cameron who jumped to his defense. By calling out the heckler who was bolder than most. So when Cameron’s punch landed and the hecklers didn't, Cameron took the flak. It's when his ex who was trouble with a capital “T” came out with an article saying he had anger issues. Which was false.

Since out of the six months they were together she lived out of town, and when they were supposed to get together she bailed on their plans. The team, trying to mitigate the problem, hired a social media specialist to boost its image and content. Of course, he hated the idea since he hated everything about the social media platforms. He considered them living life in a fake reality. Therefore, Nila Christianson has her work cut out for her. Nila is an independent contractor who charges a high price for her services.

What she does is a specialty, and she was in high demand. Both Nila and Cameron are young and fit. They were both naturally attracted to one another from day one, but the situation that brought them both there kept them level-headed. But when his ex came into play his management doubted him without reason, and this was with only one. The one incident of the fan where he defended his teammate, for proof of bad behavior, in five years. They decided to show good faith by sending him for a couple of weeks to an anger management in-service treatment program.

Which Cameron was not too happy about because he didn't feel he had anger issues. Nila didn't think so until the article from the ex-girlfriend went public. So, then the team made her go with him to the treatment center. But, they forgot to tell them, so they had to share a room and a bed. See how these two handle everything, everyone, and their team. Can they make a relationship work long-distance?

[Tammy Lunsford - Escape to Books By Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not just another hockey romance. The characters are special and will steal your heart. You better find a comfortable place to sit down and read this book in one sitting.

Cameron is a professional hockey player who only cares about playing hockey. He has no use for social media. The only spotlight he cares about is on the hockey rink. One night everything changes when he gets in trouble at his hockey game. The owners insist the only way they will keep him on the team is to hire a social media specialist to clean up his public image. His hot temper and need to take up for those he loves have gotten him in some very hot water.

Nila is the social media specialist the team hires. She is really good at her job, but she will have her hands full with Cameron. He is happier in the penalty box than in front of a camera. She comes up with a plan to be his shadow. He is pleasantly surprised when he sees the beautiful woman who will be following him around, but he still grumbles. When another thing happens to mar his public persona, they are yanked from the frying pan into the fire.

The chemistry between these two sizzles. Cameron hides behind his hockey stick, and Nila hides behind a phone. However, as they spend more time together, they learn to trust one another. This was a delightful story to read, even if you do not like or care for hockey. The characters in this story make this book a delight to read. I really liked the fact that Cameron had a hero complex and was always ready to fight for those he cared about. Nila needed someone to pull her back to real life, instead of living her life in the world of social media with her nose buried in her phone.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. That ending was beyond swoony and romantic. This one will fit the bill for anyone who loves romantic comedy and/or sports romance because there is plenty of both.

Thank you to the author for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Bailey Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penalty Of Love: A Sweet Hockey Romance is a breathtaking, adorable, hilarious, awe-worthy, sweet, swoon-worthy, and endearing story! This sweet romantic comedy is written by one of my all time favorite authors......and she has done it again! This book had me giggling at the cuteness, fanning my face during the intense moments, and dropping my jaw in surprise. This book is completely clean and appropriate for teens to read too. Yet, somehow it still turns on the heat with its swoony kisses and intense moments. It is a he falls first, sports romance, dual pov, one bed, witty banter, forced proximity, grumpy vs. feisty, and closed-door romcom! This book is a definite MUST read romance!

I am unsure if this book is a standalone or the first in a series, but I truly hope it is the latter. I fell in love with these characters. The strong friendships, ambiguous past/current  relationships of side characters, the unique and fun personalities, the hockey setting, plus the fact that I love seeing characters reappear as side characters in another book all has me wishing for more!!

Cameron is a famous NHL player who cares little what others think of him and fiercly protects those he loves. When those traits backfire and a media massacre begins on his character, Cameron is forced to compromise in order to stay on the team. The compromise comes in the form of a headstrong determined woman who is a social media specialist. Nila is offered the biggest break of her career from the NHL......but it comes at the cost of being Cameron's shadow day in and day out who clearly doesn't want her there documenting his life. Things become even more confusing as Nila sees Cameron is not the raging hothead everyone has made him out to be. Between seeing each other for who they truly are and sharing grief over losses will Cameron and Nila win each other's heart?

[Kaci Bonar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the last thing I expected to read from Kristine W. Joy, but I’m not complaining by any means!  This is book currently serves as a standalone… wouldn’t object if it became a series – there are enough characters who could be written if she so chose!

Upon opening of this story, we are dropped right into the penalty box along with our male protagonist, Cam[eron].  While it might not always be smooth sailing for him, one thing is certain his dedication to the things/people cares about as he gets himself into hot water after defending a close friend/teammate to a half-cocked fan!  This is where our FMC comes in and she brings a certain vulnerability out of him, I didn’t know a man of his profession could potentially have! 

Nila is a social media specialist – the girl has it down to a science and her follower count proves it!  However, numbers aren’t everything as we discover there is more than meets the eye to this lady!  As she starts working to help Cam, the pair discover that there is a stronger connection than they ever realize!  Despite being drawn to each other, they must maintain their professionalism (at all times), which is easier said than done!

This was a breath of fresh air and made me not think about how hot Arizona is right now!  One thing seems constant in Kristine W. Joy’s stories, the sweeter the private moments are, the more horrible the exes are, but the tradeoff is worth it!  I continue to enjoy her writing even when these projects seem to come out of nowhere!

[Mackenzie Flakus · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m so sorry i hate giving poor reviews but I absolutely have to right now. This book actually was just not it at all to me. The writing felt so rushed and I didn’t feel attached to either of the characters. Their dialogue felt sooo poor. The only time it felt like the author spent time going into detail was when the two were kissing and it felt so unnecessary and uncomfortable to read bc it was so intense and sexual for a clean romance. Pretty sure Cameron only liked Nila for her looks which was so annoying but also he didn’t have a ton to work with because Nila was always on social media and always keeping people out. Annoying. Also weird that the point was that she was growing away from social media and trying to be real but then also was still really caught up with it and hung out with a girl once and posted her best friend, like that looks to me like you’re still doing the facade. Lastly, several cringe moments and the sports aspect was really bad like not good writing in terms of the hockey and the games which made it all a lot more unrealistic and unbelievable. Alllll this to say that I did still read it fast and finish it so. Truly I just was hoping to read a book as good as the last ones I read and it really really let me down. One more word is that the whole book the side characters were not developed at allllllll and did nothing for the main characters (with the exception of Cameron and his dad) Just thought of something else and it’s how absurd it is that the hockey team made Cam go to anger management like am I crazy that that is so insane??

[Maggie | TheeReadingRedhead · Rating 3 out of 5]

📚 Series: Glaciers Hockey (Book 1)
🎭 Genre: Romcom

🥜 In a Nutshell: A hotheaded hockey player gets help from a social media specialist to improve his image after an altercation and some bad press. He attends a therapy retreat with her where they spend time together and feelings develop.

✅ Forced proximity
✅ Only one bed
✅ More romance than hockey

Coming off of two other hockey romcoms, I was definitely in the mood for another. However, this one fell a bit flat for me. Don't get me wrong, it's a perfectly fine hockey romcom. It just didn't give me anything extra so it was sort of forgettable. It mainly took place at a therapy retreat which gave the forced proximity that I enjoyed. But that also limited the hockey to the very beginning and the end. I typically like more hockey and more with the team interactions. This one focuses more on the romance so if you don't like a whole lot of hockey and want a more romance centered story, this one is for you. As for the characters, they didn't really draw me in and lacked the depth to make me root for them. The romance seemed more focused on their physical attraction and while no lines were crossed, I would have liked to see the romance go a little deeper than superficial feelings. There was also one moment that was supposed to be fun and playful but it made me roll my eyes and cringe. So basically, while I didn't have any major problems with this story, I had hoped for more hockey and more depth to the characters/romance. It was fine, just nothing that blew me away.

[Randi Sampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always adore Kristine W. Joy's books, so when I saw that she'd written a hockey romance (which happen to be a current favorite), I was thrilled... and this story absolutely did not disappoint. It was such a fun read! The story starts off with a bang! Cameron gets into a little bit of trouble, so his team has to bring in a social media specialist- Nila- to help him build a social media presence and fix his image. Nila has a rule against dating clients, but the chemistry between them is evident right from the very start and absolutely flew off the pages. And when they finally kiss!? Oh my goodness! What a kiss! I really just couldn't get enough of these two together. They had some issues that they had to work through, and I definitely wanted to shake some sense into them at a few points, but of course, it all worked out in the end, and I absolutely loved it.

Beyond the romance, I also really appreciated all the other relationships in this story. The contrast between his friendships and hers really added a lot to the story, I think. I also found myself really loving several of the side characters nearly as much as the main characters... and would honestly love to see them get their own books too!

Penalty of Love is a closed-door romance with kisses only with some of the kisses a bit more on the detailed side. It definitely brought some sizzle, but no spice.

**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penalty Of Love is a contemporary, grumpy/sunshine hockey romance featuring Cameron Hastens and Nila Christianson.

Cameron plays center for the Atlanta Glaciers. He loves his job and his teammates are his family. When a fan says some unkind things to one of his teammates, Cameron punched him. Nila, a social media specialist, was brought it to help fix the situation by improving his public image. Cameron hates social media and doesn't want a public profile. He wants to keep his private life, private. Unfortunately if he wants to keep his job, he is going to have to accept Nila's presence in his life for the foreseeable future. Nila needs to shadow Cameron, taking photos and videos which she can upload to his accounts. Cameron hates it, but over time comes to see that maybe she isn't that bad to have around.

This sweet, closed-door romance is exactly what I've come to expect and appreciate from Joy. Her stories always have heart. What we see on the outside doesn't usually reveal the truth of what is going on inside. This is definitely true of these characters. Both Cameron and Nila keep a lot hidden from the world to protect themselves and their hearts. As their respective walls come down, and they can be open and honest with one another, we see their truth. Those moments of vulnerability are touching and help readers fall for these believable and flawed characters.

If you enjoy sweet romances, this one is worth checking out.

[Coffeenbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

- Hockey romance
- Protector vibe
- Wary of love
- Workplace romance
- Pining
- Miscommunication

I. Am. In. Love! This book was so wonderful and relevant to today's world. I fell for the whole Glaciers team and hope many of them feature in future stories!

When NHL hockey center Cameron has a PR incident, the team's management decides he needs to clean up his reputation by way of social media. They hired Nila to help turn Cameron's dismal social media presence into a positive reflection of him. He has been known to be a bit of a hothead, but mainly only for those he cares deeply about.

Nila has the social media following, but her IRL friend group is sorely lacking. She finds herself longing for more connections after seeing how Cameron interacts with his father and friend group. She and Cameron feel a connection, but she keeps him at arm's length using the excuse of keeping things professional. How can Cameron show her that love is worth taking a chance?

Favorite quotes:

"The man makes me feel like a queen, and no one has ever made me feel that way."

"I'll always see you, Nila," I murmur, pressing my forehead against hers. "We could be in a sea of a million people, but it's always going to be you."

"You've been everything to me from the moment I met you, and if I could go back and do life all over again, I somehow would've found you and made you mine sooner." (I mean, SWOON!!)

[Korkoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Healing Their Longing -
Nila was hired to help with Cameron image, as he usually didn’t like his life spread across the public and everything was going well, until he was involved in a couple of incidents that caused media scandals. Cameron had given up on relationships after his recent disastrous relationship, but spending time together in close proximity with Nila, led to their attraction for each other growing. Whilst Cameron wanted to pursue a relationship with Nila, the baggage she was carrying made it difficult for her to accept his pursuit.

Even though Nila and Cameron tried to return to their regular lives, the breakdown of the friendship caused both of them to be unhappy and nothing their friends tried helped them get out of their funk. However, everything changed when Nila’s friends made her realise she was actually in love with Cameron, which gave her the the confidence to do something big to get Cameron to give them a chance at getting the happy life they both deserved.

Wow! What a story! I was hooked from the beginning until I read the final word. The camaraderie between all the characters was incredible, combining it with the drama and romance made this a captivating story to read. This book is a definite must read.

I received an advanced copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Alicia (aliciasalwaysreading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: sports romance
Content: makeouts, loss of a parent/grandparent in the past, themes of grief

Cameron is a hockey player and a protector. When someone comes after someone he cares about, he stands up for his friend. This leads to him punching a fan in the face, resulting in a PR disaster. Nila is hired to come in and improve Cam’s image via social media. The more time they spend together, the more each of them opens up.

This might be my new favorite Kristine W. Joy book! It releases on Thursday, July 25th!

Favorite Quotes:
👩🏻‍🦰 I mean, who doesn’t want a beautiful woman hot on their heels? Especially a fiery redhead.

😍"Why didn't you answer what your perfect date is?" I shrug, meeting her eyes. "Because it's not the activity that makes the date perfect, it's the person."

📱 “You end up missing out on the life happening right in front of your face when you're wrapped up in technology."

⭐️ "You're not looking at the stars," she cuts into my thoughts, her expression softening. I hold her gaze and let out a deep breath. "Probably because you're way more electric than the night sky."

🏠 I can go anywhere with him, and I still feel like I'm home.

❤️ “If I could go back and do life all over again, I somehow would've found you and made you mine sooner.”

Thanks to the author for the gifted copy!

[Tatum - nuggetybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cameron Hastens & Nila Christianson
- Dual POV
- Workplace romance
- Forced proximity
- Feisty, Social media consultant FMC
- Grumpy, Hockey player MMC
- Found family
- He falls first
- One bed

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow chemistry. Cameron and Nila have crazy chemistry, despite trying to maintain a professional working relationship. They are naturally pulled toward one another, yet they fight like hell to ignore their feelings at every. single. turn.

Cameron is a softy, who loves his people to a fault. He would risk everything for the people he loves. Nila has had a pretty hard couple years lately and has absolutely no idea what to do with herself after a hard loss. Both MCs are coping with grief and it was really sweet to watch them bond over that shared experience.

I struggled when Nila had lots of doubts about herself and would take them out on Cameron. But I appreciated that it didn’t get swept under a rug. The characters talked about their problems (mostly) and tried to own their mistakes.

Two themes of this book that I really loved and stood out to me are 1. social media is not all it’s cracked up to be. It hurts people. It’s not good for our health. It can be a great tool. But don’t let it consume your life. 2. careers are great but that is not all life is meant to be about. What’s the point of having success if you come home to an empty house?

Overall this was such a fun read that left my jaw on the floor, made me feel giddy, and left me teary-eyed at their HEA.

This is a clean, closed door rom com with some descriptive makeouts.


Songs:
“Face to face” by Kenzie ??????
“Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter
“Like that” by Bea Miller
“Weatherman” by Zach Hood
“Real friends” by Camilla Cabello
“Come close” by Jake Scott
“Maybe” by Jake Scott
“Sucker” by Jonas Brothers
“You don’t see it” by Jake Clark
“A little more” by Alessia Cara
“Before you go” by Lewis Capaldi
“Someone you loved” by Lewis Capaldi
“Don’t make it easy” by Jake Scott
“One number away” by Luke Combs
“CWJBHN” by Jake Scott & Josie Dunne
“In the stars” by Benson Boone
“Solo” by Myles Smith
“Beautiful as you” by Thomas Rhett
“Lie” by Jake Scott
“Shut me up” by Nicky Youre
“King of my heart” by Taylor Swift