The Penalty Box

Everyone from Didsbury High remembers Katie Fisher as the dumpy brainiac from the poor side of town.

Everyone from Didsbury High remembers Paul van Dorn as the school hockey star—and heartthrob.

But now they’re facing off—and matching up in more ways than one. Katie’s lost the pounds, added some self-confidence, and become a drop-dead gorgeous sociology professor.

And since a series of concussions put an end to Paul’s pro-hockey career, his star has dimmed. Now he hits the ice as a youth hockey coach. But he’s still got the hometown crowd behind him as the owner of a bar called the Penalty Box.

Paul is reliving his glory days. Katie wishes she could put those years behind her. And the battle of wills that ensues just might knock love right out of the game…

In high school, Katie Fisher used to be a dumpy brainiac. Paul van Dorn used to be a hockey heartthrob. But now their lives have changed--and they're facing off in a battle of wills that just might end in love.

Publishers Weekly

In this fun, fast rinkside contemporary romance from Martin (Total Rush), down-on-his-luck hockey jock Paul van Dorn and formerly overweight overachiever Katie Fisher answer the age-old question: can you ever live down high school? Reintroduced at their 10-year reunion, Paul is stunned to find the girl he dubbed "Bubble Butt" grown into a sexy sociology professor. Recently forced to retire from the NHL, Paul has returned to their hometown, tiny Didsbury, Conn., where he stews in post-pro blues at his bar, the Penalty Box. Katie, on a yearlong book sabbatical, has moved home with her mother and nephew Tuck, whose own mom is stuck in rehab. Despite Paul's past cruelty, Katie falls for him after he gives a revealing interview for her project on sports and male identity. What begins as an undercover affair blossoms into a life-changing relationship as the pair discover that living in the present beats living in the past. Martin scores with this witty blend of romance and family dynamics. (Mar.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Deirdre Martin has written scripts for the daytime drama One Life to Live. She lives with her husband and her dog, Molly, in Ithaca, New York.