The Penalty Box

by Rebecca Zorg

He doesn't remember ruining her life. She's going to ensure he does.

IVY
Seven years ago, Gabriel Castellano took the best night of my life and turned it into a punchline, costing me the national team and the only future I'd planned.

Now he's back. Traded to Whistler, parked in my booth with his new teammates, telling me to "surprise him" like he's never seen my face before.

As far as he knows, he hasn't.

So I did what any professional would do. I "accidentally" poured a pint of our worst IPA straight down his six-hundred-dollar shirt.

Surprise!

Here's the problem: his team just bought the sponsorship keeping my late father's bar alive—which makes the man I've spent seven years hating a fixture on the wrong side of my taps. And the longer he keeps showing up, the harder it gets to remember that "I hate you" was supposed to be the whole story.


GABRIEL
People have told me who to be since I was fifteen, and I've never once disappointed them. Golden boy. Franchise face.

So I can't explain the bartender.

She hates me—openly, specifically, like she's been waiting years to do it to my face.

The worst part isn't that I don't know why.

It's that I'm starting to think I should.


The First Line, Book One. A slow-burn, high-angst, second chance, enemies-to-lovers hockey romance with a grovel that draws blood.

Genres: Hockey, Second Chance, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Sports Romance

447 pages, ebook

Published August 31, 2026

About the author

Rebecca Zorg writes slow-burn, high-angst, enemies-to-lovers hockey romance with character-rich casts and plots that hit back. Her Vancouver-set standalone, Breakaway Baby, is available now. The Penalty Box—a small-town grudge seven years in the making, and the first of The First Line—arrives September 15, 2026. Rebecca lives in Vancouver, BC, and holds a BA in Publishing and an MA in Creative Writing.

Reviews

[Veronica]

ARC REVIEW







Okay, I really wanted to love this one because the setup had SO much potential. Hockey, second chances, enemies-to-lovers, a bartender who has spent seven years hating the golden boy who ruined everything for her?? YES. Sign me up. 🍻🏒

And honestly, the Whistler setting was one of my favourite parts. Being from the Lower Mainland, I loved all the little references to places around Whistler and BC. It made the story feel familiar in a way I don’t usually get from books set here. I could actually picture the mountains, the town, the bar, the whole atmosphere. It gave the book that cozy-but-still-snowy-and-dramatic Pacific Northwest feeling. 🏔️❄️

Ivy and Gabriel also had some really good chemistry. I loved the whole “you broke my heart seven years ago and now you’re sitting in my bar like nothing happened” situation because… GIRL, I would’ve poured the beer on him too. 😂

There were definitely moments where I was completely invested, especially when the past between them started coming to light. I wanted to know what happened, why Ivy hated him so much, and whether Gabriel was actually the villain she remembered him as.

BUT… I do think some parts carried on longer than they needed to. There were moments where I found myself thinking, okay, I get it, can we move this along now? 😅 Some of the tension worked really well, but other times it felt like the book was circling the same feelings and conflicts for a little too long.

Still, I really enjoyed the setting, the hockey element, the small-town feel, and watching these two slowly work through seven years of resentment and unresolved feelings.

And honestly? Give me more books set in BC. I will ALWAYS be here for it. 🏔️💙

A fun, angsty hockey romance with a setting that felt surprisingly close to home. If you love second chances, complicated history, forced proximity, and a little bit of “I hate you… wait, why do I still like you?” energy, this one might be for you. 🏒❤️

Thanks @booksirens and @rebeccazorg for the opportunity to be an advanced reader.

[JP18267]

You can immediately feel the tension building when Ivy and Gabriel collide—I desperately need to know what their history was.

She had me cracking up when she picked the worst beer for him, and what happened after was just pure poetic justice. Ivy is feisty, sarcastic (I had some serious hero worship going on), while Gabriel comes off as... well, an arrogant ass. I definitely could see why she was so bitter towards him. I absolutely loved how she slowly tortures him all while getting under his skin!

My heart did break for them both when everything came crashing down. It seriously felt like everything was closing in—a train wreck that you can't look away from. The pressure was almost suffocating as you watched them desperately try to navigate.

Seeing their dynamic shift from disastrous banter to understanding was the best, and I also really enjoyed the balance between the technical hockey scenes and their slow building romance. This book was grounded, authentic, and raw; it far exceeded my expectations and I'm looking forward to reading more!

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

[Sydney Estabrooks]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I will start off by saying I love this book! I love the dynamic between the two main characters. I liked the fact that both main characters had their things they needed to work through. It wasn’t just focused on one main characters problem and then the other was just there to support them. Instead they both had things to work through get better on and grow from and they also stood beside each other the entire time.

I do wish their actual relationship dynamics and feelings were shown a little more.

[Steph Spone]

This was pretty good. I'm a sucker for hockey romances, so this fits the bill. I liked the MMC and FMC - the character development was good. There was some hockey and some romance. I also liked the multiple timelines. This was a good story and I want to read more.

[Stacy1312]

What an opening book for the new series of Whistler Hockey - The First Line, by Rebecca Zorg! I had the pleasure of receiving this ARC through Pen Pinery, and it did not disappoint.

7 years ago Ivy was on her way to stardom with Ice Hockey. By the next day it was all over. Gabriel doesn't remember ruining Ivy's dream, yet here he sits, in her bar acting like he doesn't know her. Well, Ivy plans to rectify his little memory slip, all whilst trying to save her father's bar from closing.

Ivy and Gabriel had me hooked from the first chapter. I loved how strong Ivy was as the FMC, and how she fought so hard to keep her dads legacy and memory alive 🩷
I enjoyed Gabriel's growth as a character throughout the book, though it took him a while to finally find his backbone. But Ivy definitely gave him a push in the right direction.

The push and pull, and the banter with other characters had me laughing out loud at times.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of the hockey team throughout the series 🏒

Good, enjoyable, fun read, with enough spice to make you sweat 😉

[Kristy]

Whistler Hockey Romance one town with a hockey team that has potential especially with its new star Gabriel Castellion he's bringing bad memories for one wolves hockey fan owner of the Penalty Box her dad's legacy one that's barely getting by but now she's forced to work with the man who who crushed her 7 years ago laying ashes to her life and what could have been and he doesn't remember any of it but one spilled drink will lead Gabriel down a path were he sees just who he's become and the man that made him into the worst version of himself but he's ready to make things write if Ivy can move forward and stop letting her anger and pain rule her life. There's hockey with a touch of romance but watching Ivy and Gabriel re-write themselves and move forward seeing there changes was worth the read and I look forward to more in this series.

[Miri]

I really enjoyed reading “ The Penalty Box” as an ARC read. The banter and character buildup between Gabriel and Ivy was really believable. Especially with some spice added to it!

You could really feel the tension between the characters, especially when Ivy was struggling to forgive Gabriel because he didn’t remember her.

I enjoyed the side characters and The hockey scenes, especially being a hockey lover myself. Looking forward to reading future books. Hopefully one with Brock!

ARC provided via Pen Pinery
https://penpinery.com

[Tasha]

This enemies to lovers book, received through Pen Pinery as ARC, will draw you in right from the start. The story flips from present day to the past to weave the history of the FMC and MMC. The story builds the evolution of the MMC who has to overcome the events of his past while building the relationship between the FMC and MMC. This is a hockey romance with a robust backstory that allows great character development. All in all a great read!

[Brooke]

I liked the beginning. The tension you feel between Ivy and Gabriel. He has no idea why she hates him so much. When it clicks for him, he does change his tune and tries to make amends. Ivy isn't having it at first but she needs help with her bar.

Most of middle and end of the book fell flat for me. It took me almost a week to read. I just kept picking it up and putting it back down. Once Ivy and Gabriel get together, the romance between them was pretty much nonexistent. Just a bunch of inner monologues. Then there's a weird time jump from New Year's Day to May. You don't get to see the shit from the code inspection on January 5 or the guys getting materials from Europe, you're just told it did and everything ended up hunky dory.

I'd like to have known more about the hockey team owner's relationship with Gabriel's dad. That seemed to be why Gabriel was willing to sell his soul to the man. Same with the Braxton Hicks (unfortunate name if there ever was one) ordeal. You're told it resolved itself.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cozy Bound Reads ✨]

Disclosure: If this book was provided as an Advance Review Copy (ARC), it was received in exchange for an honest review. Receiving an ARC never influences my rating or opinions.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed getting to see this story unfold. It really showed that sometimes our words and actions (small to us) have such a lasting impact on others sometimes.

We really got to see both of the characters change and come together between fall and New Years.
Ivy’s character had more depth to me, we got to see her struggles, how she overcomes them and what drives her to be who she is. With Gabriel, I feel like we got less of that from him. I really think his character would have benefited from more history being shared to show what things happened to shape his character.

[Karen Hunter]

I really enjoyed this book. An enemies to lovers that feels worked for.

It had a story line that I haven’t seen before so I really enjoyed the twists and turns.

Ivy is such a strong character and I loved her way of dealing with the situations that come up.

Gabriel is the hockey golden boy and doesn’t remember ruining her life. I love the confusion from him and also the conflict with his father figure it just added another layer to the story.

Some spice but focused on the tension and build.

ARC provided via Pen Pinery
https://penpinery.com

[Nathalie Mariaud]

📚 ARC Review

The Whistler NHL team has managed to recruit Gabriel Castellano, a star forward, and with him on the team the playoffs are within reach. Everyone in town is celebrating.

Well… almost everyone.

Ivy, the owner of the Penalty box, the local hockey bar, isn't exactly thrilled. Gabriel ruined her life seven years ago. And the worst part? He doesn't even remember it.

But she's struggling to keep the business afloat. Becoming the Wolves' official bar is an opportunity she simply can't afford to miss, even if it means having to deal with her nemesis.

I really enjoyed how complex both main characters were. Gabriel is more than the perfect hockey star image he presents to the world, while Ivy's past has shaped the woman she has become.

I particularly loved their enemies-to-lovers dynamic. Their relationship wasn't rushed, and I appreciated that they were both given time to deal with their own failures, flaws, and past at their own pace. Their feelings developed slowly, as they gradually learned to lean on one another.

The side characters were also genuinely part of the story rather than simply being there in the background. I would have loved a little more about Brock, though, Gabriel's best friend since childhood. Maybe in the next book ?

✨ NHL Romance
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Complex characters
✨ Slow burn
🌶️ Spice included

An enjoyable hockey romance with a great emotional dynamic and two characters who have to heal before looking toward their goal.

#ARCReview #Bookstagram #HockeyRomance #NHLRomance #EnemiesToLovers #SportsRomance #RomanceBooks #BookReview

📚 Chronique ARC

L’équipe de NHL de Whistler a réussi à recruter Gabriel Castellano, un joueur vedette, et avec lui dans l’équipe, les playoffs sont désormais à portée de main. Toute la ville est en fête.

Enfin… presque toute la ville.

Ivy, la propriétaire du Penalty Box, le bar de hockey local, n’est pas vraiment enthousiaste. Gabriel a ruiné sa vie il y a sept ans. Et le pire ? Il ne s’en souvient même pas.

Mais Ivy peine à maintenir son bar à flot. Devenir le bar officiel des Wolves est une opportunité qu’elle ne peut tout simplement pas laisser passer, même si cela signifie devoir côtoyer son pire ennemi.

J’ai beaucoup aimé la complexité des deux personnages principaux. Gabriel est plus que l’image du parfait joueur de hockey qu’il renvoie au monde, tandis que le passé d’Ivy a profondément façonné la femme qu’elle est devenue.

J’ai particulièrement apprécié leur dynamique enemies-to-lovers. Leur relation n’est jamais précipitée, et j’ai aimé qu’ils aient chacun le temps de faire face à leurs propres échecs, leurs défauts et leur passé, à leur propre rythme. Leurs sentiments se développent progressivement, alors qu’ils apprennent peu à compter l’un sur l’autre.

Les personnages secondaires ont également une vraie place dans l’histoire et ne sont pas simplement là en arrière-plan. J’aurais toutefois aimé en apprendre un peu plus sur Brock, le meilleur ami de Gabriel depuis l’enfance, peut être dans le prochain livre ?

✨ Romance NHL
✨ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Personnages complexes
✨ Slow burn
🌶️ Spice présent

Une romance hockey très agréable, avec une belle dynamique émotionnelle et deux personnages qui doivent guérir de leur passé avant de pouvoir avancer.

#ChroniqueLivre #BookstagramFR #RomanceHockey #RomanceNHL #EnemiesToLovers #RomanceSportive #RomanceContemporaine #AvisLecture

[Emily Pennington]

🏒 Ivy and Gabriel . . .

The crowd at the bar Wednesday night is extremely light. Ivy Hayes can actually hear the jukebox's shuffling through its digital storage after someone had drowned it in beer years ago, playing the same song for the third time in a row. But it's getting on her nerves tonight, just one more expensive repair. A bar stool with a wobble scrapes at the far end. She looks at the guy who sat there and he seems familiar somehow. He orders Ulf's elk stew which was not on the menu, but he knew about it. She knows him from somewhere, but she just can't come up with the name. A waitress complained about the "slow night", but Ivy reminded her it was just pre-season. But the post-victory spillover will arrive soon and make up for it. The TV sportscaster breaks in to announce a trade where the Wolves have just acquired star right-winger Gabriel Castellano! Sources say he could be in the lineup as early as Friday's preseason match! They splash his picture across the screen and the bar cheers. But Ivy is speechless. Seven years ago, Gabriel Castellano took the best night of Ivy's life and mortified her. She lost a spot on the national team, losing the future she had planned. She worked so hard to forget him, but now he's here in Whistler. She heads back to the storeroom to "check inventory", asking Delilah to cover for her. The post-game crowd filters in, buzzing with excitement about the trade so she has to return to work behind the bar. But when the door opens and the bar goes quiet, left-winger Brock Thompson ducks through first with Swedish defenceman Elias Andersson... and after a pause, Gabriel Castellano steps into her bar.

Gabriel scans the room, the worn wood, the staff. His gaze sweeps over Ivy without a flicker of recognition, no sign he knows her or what he did to her. And Delilah is busy with another group, so Ivy has to take the Wolves' table. He still doesn't acknowledge her, so she poured him a Filthy Nasty, a hoppy IPA so bitter even Marco didn't like it. It should at least get his attention. Unfortunately, before he gets a taste, his elbow knocked her wrist and the beer soaked his $600 white Henley. It took awhile before he realized she was not going to apologize. She offers to waive the $20 and comp him a bar t-shirt. When the phones are raised to capture the drama, he calms and asks for a towel. He didn't even recognize her. (For an outspoken female like Ivy, I kept waiting for her to tell him why she is so angry. Communication is crucial in all relationships!) With his team now partnered with The Penalty Box, keeping Ivy's late father's bar going, and her having repairs too costly for the bar to cover, she has to deal with Gabriel. He is used to being idolized. But he can't understand why the bartender hates him from the start. He frankly admits he has no idea what's bothering her... but he's wondering if maybe there is something overlooked in his past he may have forgotten? Will those important memories come back? Or will it by then be too late?

[BooksBooksandmoreBooks69]

Ivy’s voice in the opening of The Penalty Box hits hard and stays with you.

Seven years of carefully tended resentment poured into a single deliberate act, the “accidental” dumping of the worst IPA in the house down Gabriel Castellano’s expensive shirt, sets a tone that feels both petty and completely earned.

What sold me almost immediately was how the blurb (and the story it promises) refuses to soft pedal that anger. Ivy isn’t nursing a mild grudge, she lost her place on the national team and the only future she had mapped out because of one night Gabriel treated like a punchline.

That kind of personal devastation rarely gets this much space in hockey romance, and I appreciated the willingness to let her bitterness sit in the room like another character.

Gabriel’s half of the dual perspective works just as well, mostly because he is not the typical arrogant golden boy who needs a lesson in humility. He is the golden boy who has never been allowed to be anything else, and the confusion he feels when this bartender clearly hates him specifically is quietly compelling.

The fact that he genuinely does not remember her makes the whole thing more interesting than a simple enemies to lovers reset. (It raises the question of what it means to be the villain in someone else’s story when you never even realized the chapter existed. 🤔)

A bar in Whistler that is both Ivy’s inheritance and her burden, now financially tangled with the very team that brought Gabriel to town, creates a pressure cooker of proximity and obligation.

Every night he comes back is another night she has to weigh the cost of her hatred against the cost of keeping her father’s place open. That economic reality undercuts any easy fantasy of pure revenge and makes the slow erosion of her defenses feel more complicated and more human.

I am a sucker for second chance setups that actually involve a real injury rather than a misunderstanding, and this one delivers on that promise.

The chemistry is set up to be inevitable and inconvenient in equal measure, and the fact that the town and the partnership keep forcing them into the same space means neither of them can simply walk away.

What I most want from a book like this is the slow realization on Gabriel’s side that he owes her something, and the even slower realization on Ivy’s side that the man in front of her may not be the same person who ruined her life.

I was totally invested in watching them play it out.

Highly recommend 👍🏻

🦋

[Catherine Noel]

“Congratulations… You discovered Consequences.”


I went into The Penalty Box and learned that Ivy and Gabriel had some serious history, and whew… these two had some things to work through. Their relationship definitely wasn’t sunshine and hockey kisses from the start, especially considering what happened when they were teenagers. Ivy’s extremely cold attitude was driving Gabriel crazy. He just couldn’t figure it out.

Once he was able to discover the problem, he quickly manned up. Watching him slowly earn Ivy’s trust again was probably my favorite part. I loved seeing him grow and, more importantly, actually respect Ivy and her choices instead of just bulldozing his way through everything. And Gabriel and his hockey buddies came through SO hard at the end. I was genuinely impressed by the way Gabriel handled everything and the respect he showed Ivy. THAT was the redemption I wanted to see.

I also really loved Ivy. She’s strong, independent, and absolutely not afraid to stand her ground, which made watching her navigate her feelings for Gabriel that much better. And owning a hockey bar called The Penalty Box? Honestly, iconic.

There were definitely moments where I wanted to shake both of them a little, but overall, I had such a fun time with this one. The hockey, the history, the second-chance romance, the drama, the found-family vibes… it all worked for me. I closed this book feeling very satisfied with where Ivy and Gabriel landed, and I’m officially adding Gabriel to the list of hockey men who made me forgive them for their questionable decisions.

One of my favorite reads of the year, honestly. I ate this up and finished it in one day. I can’t wait to see more from Rebecca. This is a five star read for me.


* these are my own personal opinions and not a reflection of BookSirens or anybody else.

[Maria]

Ivy is a really interesting character, and I liked that she isn't easy to figure out. She has a lot of unresolved baggage from her past, and the way it continues to shape who she is in the present gives her a lot of depth while still leaving room for growth. I also loved her dry sense of humor and the sarcastic remarks she always seemed to have ready.

Compared to Ivy, Gabriel felt a bit flatter as a character. Part of that is probably because there aren't many chapters from his POV, so I never really got to know him on the same level. And from what I did see of him, he just didn't stand out to me that much.

As for the story itself, I had a hard time getting into it from the beginning. It only really started to hold my interest once I learned more about the shared past between Ivy and Gabriel. The plot twist around the middle of the book also made me more curious to see where the story was going. Even then, though, I never felt fully invested.

A lot of the chapters also felt slow to me. Some were even a little boring because they spent too much time on descriptions or scenes that didn't really move the story forward, or kept circling back to the same thoughts. Because of that, I never got that "just one more chapter" feeling. Instead, I'd finish a chapter and feel like I needed a little mental break before picking the book back up.

Like I mentioned before, I also wish there had been more chapters from Gabriel's POV. I understand why there weren't, since the main conflict affects Ivy the most, but I think seeing more of the story through his eyes at different points would've helped me connect more with the story as a whole.

I wanted to love this book so bad, but unfortunately, this sports romance just wasn't for me.

[rochelle]

I did not like Gabriel at the beginning. He was far too full of himself, and when you learn what he did to Ivy in the past, it feels impossible that she could ever fall for him. However, as the author gradually unravels the story, you begin to understand the dynamics of what happened all those years ago and how those events continue to influence the present. You watch two people fighting their attraction to one another until it finally spills over and slowly deepens into something more.

I loved that the author focused on Ivy and Gabriel's current interactions—particularly how brilliantly Ivy handles Gabriel—while also weaving in his reflections on the past and the issues surrounding the pub in the present. This foundation is carefully built before the steamy scenes arrive, making their impact even stronger. That focus gives the story real emotional depth against a backdrop of manipulation, both in the past and in the present.

Every scene between Ivy and Gabriel draws you in further, revealing a little more about what drives them and shapes their actions. As a result, you come to understand them with greater empathy and appreciation. The teammates and Ivy's work crew add another layer to the story, helping to uncover what is really happening and still having to deal with their dynamics.

I loved the way the author brings everything together. By the end, you find yourself falling in love with Ivy and Gabriel as a couple. Their journey is not an easy one—you have to work hard to forgive Gabriel because of his past actions—but it is incredibly rewarding. In the end, these two truly deserve the happiness they fought so hard to earn.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jocelynne Diaz]

I’m always a sucker for a good hockey romance, and The Penalty Box definitely delivered! I really liked Ivy and Gabriel, especially the way their past shaped everything between them. Ivy has spent seven years carrying around the hurt and anger from what happened, while Gabriel doesn’t even remember her or understand why she hates him so much. That made their situation so much more interesting than a typical enemies-to-lovers setup.

I really enjoyed the character development throughout the story. Ivy’s resentment felt understandable, and I liked watching her slowly have to question whether the Gabriel in front of her was really the same person who ruined the future she had planned for herself. Gabriel was also a great MMC because he wasn’t just the typical cocky hockey player. Seeing him try to figure out what happened and eventually face the consequences made his side of the story really compelling.

The bar setting and the connection to the hockey team added another layer to the story, and I loved the forced proximity between Ivy and Gabriel. There was definitely some angst, tension, hockey, and romance, and the slow burn worked really well for their story.

I also really liked the multiple timelines because they gave more insight into what happened seven years ago and why Ivy felt the way she did in the present. It made the emotional parts hit a little harder.

Overall, this was a really good hockey romance with great characters, plenty of tension, and a second-chance feel that I enjoyed. I’m definitely interested in reading more from this series!.

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

[MoonWillowArchives]

The Penalty Box ended up being a great story.

I loved Ivy. She just keeps pushing through, and honestly, she has a lot to push through throughout this entire book. She struggles, she gets knocked down, and she keeps fighting anyway.

Gabriel was great too. At first? No. 🤣 But by the end, we love him. I also loved Delilah and how supportive she was of Ivy, especially how protective she became when Ivy couldn't even fully see what was happening herself. The found friendships in this were great, and I genuinely liked most of the characters.

I think the deeper part of this story for me was the way it showed how men can tear women down by using our own bodies against us as a weapon, and how hard that can be to endure. Ivy struggled. She pushed. She fought as hard as she could. But through all of it, she made sure to take back what was hers from the very beginning.

I wouldn’t call this a fast-paced story, but it never really feels slow either. The story keeps moving, and I was genuinely happy to keep reading and see where everything was going. This really felt like a redemption arc for Ivy, Gabriel, and The Penalty Box!

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with this ARC!

[Tanja R]

ARC Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this one! I especially liked the main characters, and that plot twist in the middle?? 👀 I definitely did NOT see that coming, and it was probably my favorite part of the book.

The writing style was easy to get into and made this a really smooth and enjoyable read. I do wish there had been a bit more description throughout the story, though. I would have loved more details about the settings, the outfits, and what the characters actually looked like. Sometimes I felt like I was missing a little bit of the visual picture in my head.

Also… I needed MORE Gabriel. 😭 I really enjoyed his POV and would have loved to get more chapters from his perspective. I wanted to know what was going on in that man’s head!

Overall, I had a really good time reading this. The characters and the twist definitely kept me invested, and it was an easy book to fly through. 💕

Also genuinely surprised by who the next book is about, since my bet was on Delilah. Loved her character and want to see more of her! Queen!

[Amanda]

This book is interesting in that each chapter actually tells you what day it is, the bulk of it is in the fall. And then the last 10 chapters are the week between Christmas and New Years.

Ivy and Gabriel have a shared history but it seems that Ivy is the only one that remembers it and definitely is the only one holding a grudge. Gabriel is confused about why a random woman is so upset with her and does not figure it out for a long time and that sort of makes the story one sided for a while. Gabriel is carrying a lot with his team. While Ivy is shouldering a lot with her bar and the loss of her dad. They are forced to work together and orbit each other resentfully. Until finally the dam breaks and they talk about what happened. Fortunately through the process Ivy has people to lean on. Gabriel is not sure if he does but he does have a moment where people will either have to stand with him or against him. Hockey teams always seem to have an element of found family and this proves no different, but is Gabriel on the inside of it or the outside of it? Can he make amends with Ivy or is he just working from the hole he dug forever?

[Candice Farnsworth]

I’m a day late on this review since I signed up for the ARC day before the deadline.

I have mixed feelings about this one. Gabriel doesn’t recognize Ivy from their past. Ivy is angry about the direction her life took thanks to Gabriel’s actions. When Gabriel realizes what he did, he shuts down. Eventually, they work together to bring down the people pulling Gabriel’s strings and live HEA.

I feel like this book was more narration than anything else. I skimmed chunks of pages at a time. The dialogue was limited and what was there was stilted. Other than a few heated exchanges, the main characters had very little interaction before Gabriel realized he was in love with Ivy. The book doesn’t even really say why he loved her particular after a 20 minute interaction years prior and the hatred she directed at him all the time. Gabriel had little to no personality. Ivy, while understandable, was just mean to him most of the time.

Not my favorite hockey romance.

ARC provided via Pen Pinery
https://penpinery.com

[Tasha]

The Penalty Box by Rebecca Zorg was a fun, entertaining hockey romance with plenty of chemistry, tension, and emotional moments. I really enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers dynamic between FMC Ivy and MMC Gabriel and watching their complicated relationship develop. Their history added an extra layer to the story, making the slow-burn romance even more satisfying. Ivy is a strong heroine, and Gabriel has plenty of charm to keep things interesting. The combination of hockey, romance, angst, and forced proximity made this an easy and enjoyable read. I especially liked seeing the characters work through their past while figuring out what they truly wanted. Overall, The Penalty Box was an enjoyable hockey romance with great chemistry, emotional baggage, and a satisfying romance.

I received an ARC copy from Pen Pinery. Thank you for giving me the chance to read this novel and share my honest review of the novel

[Brooke]

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book but unfortunately it just didn’t really deliver for me. I found the story to drag on in parts and some of it felt really repetitive. I also didn’t really care for the TikTok and Instagram references. I don’t mind social media mentions in a story, especially one like this where that world is intertwined with the hockey world but there’s a way to do it without naming specific sites - which I personally find prevents a book from aging well. The characters were okay, I liked Ivy more than Gabriel and felt she was more developed than him and I liked the setting of her bar but I really did not buy their connection. The romance was severely lacking in this story, they went from barely interacting to him being suddenly in love with her and then when they do start forming more of a bond the book just ends.

I received a free copy of this book via BookSirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Josephine Larkspur]

Received a copy of this through BookSirens for an honest review.

Ivy was such a wonderful, well-written, and honest character who had a lot of baggage that I couldn't help but feel warm towards her, and that is so refreshing to read. I am so over reading romance books with mediocre female leads; however, on the other hand, the male lead, Gabriel, was so flat that I couldn't understand their relationship, nor did I really root for them. The story itself is great, but unfortunately I am such a character-driven girly when it comes to my romance books, and I didn't feel that way.

I also think this book would have benefited from a faster pace, which is a very rare thing for me to say. I did enjoy it, and this is the type of series that I can see myself getting into; I'm just a little bit too focused on character development.

[K T]

Gabriel & Ivy's story is interesting! There are some unexpected plot twists & it keeps you coming back to find out what happens!! There are parts that seem complicated & hard to follow along, but it's well written & an enjoyable read.

I like the characters... Ivy is spirited & fiesty... and Gabriel is sweet.

This is book 1 in The First Line series.

The book is told in a dual 1st person POV.

Spice level: 3/5 (there are 2 open door scenes - not until the last act)

*hockey romance
*sports romance
*she used to play & now runs a bar that her dad started 23 years ago
*scandal, NDA
*extortion
*enemies to lovers
*second chance
*slow burn
*7 year grudge
*small town romance
*revenge romance
*forced proximity


Thank you to the author (Rebecca Zorg) & Booksprout for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[neus.dreamybooks]

Gabriel doesn't know/remember it but he has as past with the beautiful and fierce owner of "the penalty box", the sports bar where his new team spends their free time.

Ivy can't believe her bad luck when Gabriel enters her bar thinking he is God's answer to hockey and womankind. She is fighting for her bar with all she has, and her new contract with his team is her last chance.

But while Gabriel tries to know why she hates him, she has to fight her attraction to him and get more money because everything she does doesn't seem to be enough.

I loved how their now relationship grows and how it and his new friendship with the other players makes his change .The side characters play a very important part in this plot.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lemon Loser]

Plot: 4/5 • Spice: 2/5 ➡️➡️➡️ Contemporary • Second Chance • Hockey Romance.


The fact that the MMC makes up and (what I interpret) grovels, swoon. I love a man that eventually finds out what’s missing in his life and turns it all around. And she’s at the center of it.

FMC: stubborn, determined, scorned, hot headed. All the things we love in a bad ass. She doesn’t let her past define her, and she makes Gabriel work.


Favorite scene: The storm. The power outage. — so tense. 🔥
Slightly predictable at some points, but still very much enjoyable. Loved the ending. It’s like both cold hearts finally defrosted.


I received an advance copy, and leaving my own opinion

[Patrizia]

Penalty Box is an engaging, slow‑burn, enemies‑to‑lovers hockey romance that delivers far more than its tropes promise. The characters are written with real depth—damaged, determined, and full of potential—and that emotional complexity is what makes this story shine.Ivy is a standout heroine: strong, loyal, and vulnerable in a way that feels beautifully human. Gabriel’s redemption arc complements her perfectly, giving the story a sincere emotional backbone that elevates every moment they share. Their dynamic is layered, tense, and ultimately rewarding.The writing is heartfelt, sincere, and genuinely well crafted. This isn’t just a romance—it’s a story about resilience, trust, and choosing to grow.

I received a copy of this book through Pen Pinery.

[Barrie Mac]

Ivy has hated Gabriel for 7 years. She hasn't seen him for 7 years. When he walks into her bar, though, he doesn't understand or remember what happened. As he searches for the truth, someone is trying to close down Ivy's bar. Ivy is a strong, FC, and we learn a lot about her. Gabriel is harder to get to know and honestly, I had a hard time believing they fell for each other.

Although I received this book for free from Pen Pinery, this has not influenced my review.