Reviews with content warning for Animal cruelty - The Penalty Box

Mica Petrov seems to have found himself in a pickle as he unexpectedly gets linked to a Russian friend who is notorious for his underground nefarious activities. In order to save his hockey reputation, his agent suggests a marriage of convenience with a ‘good girl’, aka sports-hating, anti-hockey player PA Charlie, who happens to be involved in a sticky financial situation herself. What was agreed upon as a mere roommate arrangement ventures into a more physical relationship, which eventually morphs into one involving romantic feelings. This story with a modern marriage of convenience mixed with suspense focuses on Mica being reluctant in admitting his growing love due to his painful past as well as Charlie being faced with potential danger considering the creepy and terrifying events randomly being thrown her way.

I must admit that I had very high expectations going in since the previous book easily became one of my favorite reads of this year. While it didn’t quite live up to my love for Home Game, I still really enjoyed this one!

Mica, as reluctant as he is, turned out to be a fantastic hero. He was sweet, protective, and oh so loyal despite the temporary nature of their arrangement. Charlie was a heroine with a bite, yet she displayed so much care towards the people around her. Mica and Charlie’s romance burned pretty slowly but remained enjoyable to watch especially during moments where they were forced to face their feelings head on.

In my opinion, the most notable feature of this book has to be the suspense. The identity of the villain was quite obvious but understandable since this book isn’t technically a thriller. I loved reading the buildup of the villain’s chilling actions and the climax had me on the edge of my seat that I had trouble putting the book down. The events towards the end were truly captivating and they cemented the fact that this series is slowly inching its way to my most favorite romance series of all time.

Despite my overall enjoyment of this book, there were still some things that made me drop my review from a 5 to a 4 stars. First, I really wish that the book didn’t end as abruptly as it did. I personally would have loved to see an extended glimpse of Mica and Charlie’s happily ever after. Second, there were some sexual scenes

(involving booze and one person being asleep)

that made me question their consent. Even though they ended up being consensual, the way they were initiated had me raising an eyebrow all the same.

Nevertheless, despite not being done with it myself, I still highly suggest this sports romance series if you’re looking for one with a little something more. I loved Mica and Charlie’s story and I’m very excited to dive into the fourth (and sadly last) book!

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lightlessxo's review

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fast-paced

3.0

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lea_talisa's review

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

Great book!

(the next part contains some minor spoilers)
————————————————
I always enjoy the

fake marriage/ marriage of convenience

trope, so I knew from the start I was probably going to like it.
Through a ton of misunderstandings and other incidents Charlie and Mica end up

in marriage

mainly to protect Mica‘s career.
While sharing a home the characters get to know and finally love each other. Together they manage to get through police trials, crazy ex‘s, childhood trauma and a mysterious stalker.
————————————————

Overall I liked the connection between Charlie and Mica, yet sometimes in the middle of the book in my opinion Mica‘s possessiveness got a bit out of hand when being intimate. But Charlie liked it so I guess that’s just my personal view. Above all they are both very protective and caring with each other no matter how hard the times are at the moment.

I also really liked Mica‘s background in Russia with his friend Andrusha and the trauma he had to live through gave the story more depth.

So far I enjoy the Vancouver Wolves series a lot and I'm excited to read the next book.

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