One Old, One New: The Skating Edition

One Old, One New features two books - one old, one new, which are connected in some way. Today, I am sharing two books featuring ice skaters and hockey players. 

In the Penalty Box
Lynn Rush, Kelly Anne Blount
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

The Cutting Edge meets Friday Night Lights in a sizzling new hockey romance from bestselling authors Kelly Anne Blount and Lynn Rush.

Willow Covington has conquered every obstacle thrown at her to become one of the best figure skaters in the nation, until a devastating injury shatters her Olympic dreams. Instead of hanging up her skates, she switches to hockey; blocking shots and slapping the puck around takes her love of the ice to a whole new level, and suddenly she has a new goal—earning a hockey scholarship to Boston College. If only the team, especially the super talented (and, okay, hot) Brodie Windom, wasn’t so frigid toward her...

Hockey sensation Brodie Windom has one goal for his senior year: to win the state tournament, which would secure a spot on the famed Boston College hockey team. His eyes are on the prize and there’s no room for distractions—until figure skater Willow Covington joins the team and throws him off his game...

They both needed to stay focused this year. Willow had to concentrate on her recovery and getting back on track for the Olympics, while Brodie had to sharpen his hockey skills and secure a college scholarship. When a wild puck and a fast hand brought them into each other's orbits, would Brodie and Willow allow romance to distract them from their goals? 

I never get tired of reading books, where a girl dominates on a boys' team, and this one came with a great twist. Willow was an elite ice skater, who had suffered an injury. She returned home to rehab, but was struggling until she temporarily joined the hockey team. I have seen the figure skater on the hockey team here and there, but I liked the Olympic dream angle in this story and how Willow was torn between the two worlds. 

I think many will appreciate Willow's story arc, but Brodie's was one I didn't quite expect. It was rather heartbreaking, and I was surprised with how all his personal drama escalated. I did feel it was a good way to help me understand why the relationships he built were so important. When he lost his mother, his girlfriend could not deal with his grief and left, while his father became more or less absent. He felt abandoned, and it made me more invested in him and Willow. It had me rooting for them to overcome every obstacle put in their path and get their HEA, because Brodie needed someone to not abandon him. 

Accompanying the romance, hockey, and figure skating was a great big dose of friendship. Many of the friendships enjoyed by both Brodie and Willow were showcased throughout the story and were very important parts of their lives. These people served as their sounding boards and support system, and let me tell you, both Brodie and Willow needed the support. I especially loved the bromance between Brodie and Preach, and Preach really stepped up in a big way when Brodie needed him. 

I am often let down by the endings of books, but Blount and Rush did a spectacular job tying up all those loose ends. Those who know me understand how this is of the utmost importance. I love when an author allows me to see a bit into the future. I need that peek to put any concerns or reservations I have about the characters aside. I got that here, and I felt fantastic about what was next for Willow and Brodie. 

Overall: This was the right book at the right time for me. It was a celebration of love and friendship, which highlighted the strength and determination needed to reach one's goals and overcome adversity, and left me with a smile from ear to ear.  

**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Being Sloane Jacobs
Lauren Morrill
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Delacorte
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

Both were in Montreal against their will to participate in elite programs, one for figure skating, the other for hockey. Upon colliding into each other, they discovered they shared the same name, and thus a plan was born. Both Sloanes felt they needed to escape their own lives. What better way than to be someone else? But, would they be ready to return to their respective realities when the summer ends?

I thought this was a really fun take on the life-swap trope. Many readers referenced The Parent Trap when talking about this book, but for me it felt a bit more like The Prince and the Pauper with lots of skating. What are the odds you travel abroad and meet someone with dark hair like you, a scar like yours, with the same name, who can also skate. Yes, that's a lot of coincidences, but I rolled with it, and I was glad I did. 

There's a saying about walking a mile in someone else's shoes, and both Sloanes learned the difficulties of the other's sport. I enjoyed watching them navigate their way through these new and challenging situations. There was some great comedy gold in there, but there was also plenty of room for them to grow as they unpacked their baggage. 

Sloane Devon had been struggling at home. With her mother in rehab, she was expressing herself in negative ways. Sloane Emily was dealing with some family drama as well, while still trying to be the picture perfect daughter. They also felt tremendous pressure to excel at their respective sports, and they had reached their tipping point. The distance from their own lives ended up being very valuable, and I think even they were surprised with their individual accomplishments. 

I was looking for some fun, and the two Sloanes delivered. These young women may have taken part in the switch in order to escape their actual lives, but they managed to find out a whole lot about themselves in the process. 

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