Penalties and Proposals
(Love on Thin Ice #7)
Author: Anne Kemp
Publication Date: October 17th 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Sports
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/215601261-penalties-and-proposals
Synopsis:
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.
Purchase at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3BEVkeo
“I’ll keep apologizing if I have to, Willa. One thing I learned doing my own self-discovery was how far and wide my choices reached when I was acting so destructively. Hearing the pain you were in when we met, it’s no wonder you hated me.”
“Wanted to hate you, but there’s a fine line between love and hate, isn’t there?” She chuckles. “I’m realizing now there is a difference, though, between actually being angry at someone versus having them be a part of the hurricane that is the crapshoot landing in the dumpster fire that was my life. All that to say, I accept your apology.”
“So we’re on a clean slate?”
She smiles, holding out her hand. “Clean slate.”
We’re sitting in the back of the car, the hum of the engine the only sound breaking the silence between us. Yet here we are, about to make an agreement that could change everything.
The gesture catches me off guard, a moment of vulnerability that makes my heart race. Our eyes meet, and for the first time in a long while, I see something beyond the wariness and caution in her gaze. And that pounding in my heart? It’s back.
When I place my hand in hers, the warmth of her touch sends a jolt through me, and suddenly, I’m acutely aware of just how much I want her to see the man I’ve become. Her grip is firm, steady, and her hands are soft, smooth, gentle; in that simple handshake, a rush of emotion floods through me.
This isn’t just a handshake to clear the air—it’s a chance to rewrite my story with her, to prove that I’m not the reckless guy she once crossed paths with. Her hand lingers in mine, and I’m in no hurry to let go. Our eyes lock together, hers bouncing back and forth, looking at me as her lips part and she takes in a breath of air. Once again, that pouty lower lip of hers almost beckons to me.
At this moment, I know. I know that I’m falling for her. It’s more than a need for redemption—it’s a genuine desire to be with Willa, to show her I’m worth her trust. It’s a foreign feeling to me and the body slam it gives is enough to shake me to my very core.
About Anne Kemp
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
Blitz-wide Giveaway Ends October 24th (INT) – $25 Amazon Gift Card
Link to Enter Giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d04251235840/
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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Audrey Stewart
I am a huge fan of Anne Kemp, as well as my daughters. We have all her books on our shelves.
Audrey Stewart
I am a huge fan of Anne Kemp, as are my daughters. We have all her books on our shelves. This is not a duplicate comment and I’m getting frustrated with this comment process.
FranJessca
I’m so sorry you’re having trouble with the comment process. I do have a spam filter turned on, so to filter spam and every comment has to be approved by me. Your first comment was approved.
Anne Kemp is a new to me author and I look forward to checking out her books.