3.5 stars. ( )

Many thanks to Sophia Henry for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars

Auden Birzen just lost her soccer scholarship and she's home for a month during break. Her grandpa has set her up with a great gig, translating for a Russian minor-league hockey player. She's hoping to earn enough money to help pay off tuition and keep her life moving forward without looking back. Everything important in her life has left her behind, so when the Russian guy she's translating for happens to be the douche from the bar and he's got a side to her she didn't expect. Aleksandr Varenkov puts hockey before everything else, he's not one for commitment or putting up with anything not hockey or partying. Auden brings out something in him though, something that makes him want to share his thoughts, go out to dinner, and show her how much she's worth sticking around for. Auden is about to find out a lot about her past, her present, and who she wants to be in the future.

I just want to start this review out by saying this, the summary gives away so much more than it should and it also is a bit misleading. I got both more and less than I bargained for after reading it. However, I liked Delayed Penalty a lot more than I thought I would. Auden is a mixed bag kind of character, she has a lot going on her life and she's also really smart. She's the best kind of female character; she has a lot of drive, a lot of strength as a person, and it's entertaining to read her POV. I enjoyed the flip between English and Russian (it's in English, but lets you know to perceive it as Russian), and I could easily hear and picture who Aleksandr was. The hockey moments were enjoyable, both character's friends bring a lot of life to the book, and I liked reading about Auden's growth in her personal and social life.

There is a lot going on in this book however, I had a hard time keeping track of what was going on and connecting it to the previous scene. I enjoyed that Auden was an individual character with a life before a man and a life after, but she is one busy woman. From singing, soccer, poetry, and her knowledge of the Russian language, Auden has a lot going on. I normally dislike a book dedicated to a relationship only, but I wanted more from the Aleksandr and Auden story. There's a lot of lust and attraction, but only a handful of scenes with relationship development. I needed more emotional investment. Finally, the mid-book twist threw me off, bad. I am not saying I don't enjoy it, as it built up the background story quite a bit, but there wasn't enough time spent to really get anything out of it.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot of Delayed Penalty and I really enjoyed Aleksandr, especially picturing him based on the cover of the book. I am looking forward to reading book two and getting to know more about the Pilots Hockey team and the handsome men who make up the team. ( )

Wow-this wasn't what I expected at all (in a great way!). First, Auden is an amazing character. She is smart and driven and is so aware of her shortcomings and issues. And Alex is just the most amazing sports start book boyfriend. I am really over the man whore athlete trope in books and I was slightly afraid that this book would follow that path. I was thrilled to find out that Alex was not only NOT a manwhore but he was open and loving and not an alpha asshole! I am so excited to have a sports related book that isn't about sleeping with anything that moves and being a douche. The more I think about it, the more I am glad books like this get written! We need more stories like this-with good people who have issues and talk about them instead of jumping in to bed! Thank goodness for Sophia Henry! I can't wait to read more from her!
My full review will be posted on my blog closer to the release date! http://www.thebookdisciple.com ( )

An exciting NA that had me from the beginning! Loved the writing style, the characters, and the unique setting for this story. Not the typical college campus!

After losing her soccer scholarship, Auden Berezin needs cash! To earn enough for her tuition, she takes a job as a translator for a Russian hockey player. Problem is, he speaks English just fine so why does he need her?? Aleksandr Varenkov can't stand dealing with the media. To avoid this he pretends not to speak English hence the need for a translator. Seems like a great plan until attraction and desire come into play.

This is one I highly recommend! ( )

Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Flirt/Loveswept, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts: I am a massive hockey fan and have been having withdrawals now that the season is over. I don’t mind contemporary romance, but something in the book’s description has to immediately capture my interest. The easiest way, so far, is to have one of the characters be a hockey or football player. If you have those elements, I’ll more than likely read it.

When I initially started Delayed Penalty I was a little worried that it would suddenly veer into an erotica story line. So I was pleasantly surprised when that didn’t happen; it was actually pretty clean. Auden and Aleksandr’s story was interesting and they definitely had chemistry. There were moments when the chemistry felt forced, but they worked overall. I also lost my place once or twice because Aleksandr’s English changed between being fluent (with Auden) and broken up (with everyone else) because it wasn’t really specified who was around.

The main character Auden was almost too relatable for me. There were so many parts that had me nodding in agreement and sighing in resignation. When she started talking about what she wanted in a relationship, I’m pretty sure my eyes were cartoonishly wide because it was what I want from a relationship, word for word. That was a little freaky because I like books to be my escape, not a mirror to start self analyzing.

I don’t really know where to start with Aleksandr. I went back and forth on agreeing with Auden’s attraction to him. The hardest part for me was the smoking. Smoking is a huge deal breaker and the fact that she kept sniffing him to enjoying inhaling the scent of cloves (from his cigarettes) was kind of grossing me out. Other than that, I kind of loved Aleksandr. He’s a Russian hockey player with a wicked sense of humor; what’s not to like? I was slightly confused by him at one point though. He tells Auden that it’s kind of a turn on to see other guys hitting on her and then a few pages later punches her band mate in a possessive turn of events. In all fairness, I think he had that punch coming, but it was still confusing.

I truly enjoyed reading Delayed Penalty. Although I was a little annoyed by the very last chapter (it really was unnecessary). I’ll be looking forward to the release of Power Play (book 2) in February of 2016. I’m guessing it’ll be about Landon (just putting it out there). There are sexual situations that are probably not suitable for anyone under the age of 16. If you’re a fan of sports contemporary romance, I would recommend Delayed Penalty.

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