Penalties and Proposals by Anne Kemp: Book Review

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

The Book

It only takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch. When life hands me reformed hockey star Noah Beaumont, AGAIN, am I supposed to make cider or is there a sweeter surprise in store?

Willa: I never wanted to see Noah Beaumont again. EVER. When I kicked him off my set after he showed up intoxicated, his PR team tried to blacklist me. I made it over that hurdle, made a name for myself, and I’m heading to Maple Falls to cover a charity ice hockey team that’s making headlines...only to find out I have to work with HIM.

But this Noah seems different. He’s reformed and seems to be determined to show me he’s changed. Can I trust him, or will he be the same disaster I remember?

Noah: I’ve spent years trying to make amends for my past mistakes, questioning if I still belong in the world of hockey or if it's time to step back, be ‘normal’. But seeing Willa again brings everything into sharp focus. She’s the woman who’s haunted my thoughts since the day I met her.

Now, she’s here in Maple Falls, and I’m determined to prove I’m not the same man she remembers. I want her to see the real me, the man I’ve worked so hard to become. Can I convince her to give me a second chance?

Penalties and Proposals is part of the Love on Thin Ice sweet small town hockey romcom series. It's a second chance enemies to lovers story with forced proximity in this small town romance with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.

Content warning: This IS a lighthearted and fun romantic comedy, but there are subjects mentioned in this book like parents passing away and former substance abuse.

The Author

Anne Kemp is a bestselling author of romantic comedies. She loves reading (and she does it ridiculously fast, too!), gluten-free baking (because everyone needs a hobby that makes them crazy), and finding time to binge-watch her favorite shows. She grew up in Maryland but made Los Angeles her home until she encountered her own real-life meet-cute at a friend's wedding where she ended up married to one of the groomsmen. For real.

Anne now lives on the Kapiti Coast in New Zealand, and even though she was married at Mt. Doom, no…she doesn’t have a Hobbit. However, she and her husband do have a terrier named George Clooney and when she’s not writing, she’s usually with them taking a long walk on the river by their home.

You can find Anne on her website - come say hi! She’d love to hear from you: www.annekemp.com

On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest: @missannekemp

On TikTok: @annekempauthor

Book Review

Penalties and Proposals is the seventh book in the Love on Thin Ice series. This is a multi-author series with all books taking place along the same timeline with the same charity hockey team. They can be enjoyed in order or as standalones... though I definitely feel like you'll get the most out of the series if you read them all-- I personally loved seeing things through all the different perspectives! 

I must admit, I'm a little sad to see this series end---hockey plus all the fall vibes, what could be better than that!? But it most certainly is ending on a high note with this one! To say that Noah and Willa didn't get off on the right foot when they first met years earlier would be a complete understatement. Years after he showed up to her photoshoot drunk before she kicked him out and his people had her blacklisted, the two once again find themselves having to work together. Things were different this time around with him having made a complete 180 in his life. I loved seeing his comeback nearly as much as I loved the romance between the two--- and I most definitely loved that too. Despite the initial tension, they had a really great chemistry together! I enjoyed them so much. While the story does take on some tougher topics like substance abuse, it still felt like an overall lighthearted read and I enjoyed every minute. I also really enjoyed the little nod to the other authors that took part in the series too and thought that was a really fun addition! 

Penalties and Proposals is a closed-door romance with kisses only.


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/40m4PK3