Penalty of Love by Kristine W. Joy: Book Review

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

The Book

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 standalone closed-door hockey romcom.

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 toddler. Becoming a published author was a lifelong dream. Becoming a momma was the inspiration to make it a reality.

Get Connected: https://linktr.ee/authorkristinewjoy

Book Review

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. 

You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4cJYBqo