A review by bribreez
Penalized Love by Emery Paige

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

4.25⭐️/ 3🌶️

*Thank you to LoveNotesPR and Emery Paige for providing me with an ARC of this book, I greatly appreciate it. 

*Check Content Warnings before reading 

We are back in the world of Crestwood University and with new characters to fall in love with. The last book centered on, Levi and Hailey, but this time it was all about Asher Bennett (Levi’s teammate and best friend) and Isla Johnson, Coach Johnson’s daughter! Asher and Isla had a bit of a past together as they once dated when Asher was a freshman at Crestwood and Isla was in her senior year of high school. Though the two of them dated in secret, they had a love that was serious and meant a lot to them. Unfortunately, due to some inexplicable things on Asher’s part, he broke up with Isla and left her heart broken. Fast forward to the present where the book starts and it’s been a few years since Isla and Asher have last seen each other, but now with Isla being a student at Crestwood University and the hockey team’s newest photographer, Isla and Asher were going to be seeing a lot of each other. With a second chance romance, Coach’s daughter, kind of forbidden romance, found family, and invisible disability representation, this book covered a wide range of tropes and themes that will intrigue you to read. 

The last time Isla saw Asher she was heartbroken and determined to move on from him, but now seeing him again brought back those feelings that never truly went away. Right from the beginning, Isla’s story was one that made me see all the different sides of how her life wasn’t going in the direction she had hoped for. From a breakup that actually hurt her to dealing with health issues, and trying to balance some sense of normalcy and peace, Isla was really going through it in this book. Although, with everything that Isla had going on, there was still strength and determination to push forward which I really admired about Isla. Even when it came to Asher being back in her life, Isla took her time to ensure she did what she felt was right for her. Needless to say, once Asher was back in Isla’s life, she couldn’t deny that those feelings built back up with a vengeance.

Asher was a fellow team player, dedicated to his work, and helped his family in whichever way possible. An all around great guy, but even Asher had his moments where he felt immense pressure to maintain balance in his life. I could tell that Asher was the kind of guy who didn’t like to leave things unsaid or tense such as, seeing Isla again and having her not wanting to speak with him. Asher was determined to set the slate clean between him and Isla, but that didn’t take away from how he still felt strongly about her even years after he broke up with her. The one thing I will say that really cemented Asher as the guy who genuinely still cared for Isla was when he admitted that Isla was the one that “got away”, and he regretted it. 

Emery Paige did a wonderful job writing Isla and Asher’s romance. With a second chance romance set within a sports romance storyline, and not to mention Isla being Asher’s Coach’s daughter, there was some obstacles in the way of Isla and Asher reigning their relationship. The thing I loved seeing between Asher and Isla was how they seamlessly reconnected again and felt natural. Never once did I think that Asher and Isla weren’t a good match, in fact I think they balanced each other out perfectly. Asher was a man on a mission to have a second chance with Isla and he did a pretty good job of showing all the ways he was still serious about Isla. Also, once you read this book and get to see how Asher was around Isla you’ll swoon a bit and go “AWWW” at the thoughtful and sweet things he did for her. I once again loved seeing the found family in this story expand to include new characters, and seeing familiar faces like, Levi and Hailey! This book ended on the perfect note with Asher and Isla being back together again, but more importantly setting the crumbs out for the next couple in the series!!!! I cannot wait to see how the next book will play out! Definitely recommend reading this book and the previous one if you’re looking for a college hockey romance with second chance romance, Coach’s daughter, and found family!