Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Pucking Around (includes That One Night)

i won’t lie, i’ve been jumping back and forth beween ratings, but i think i’ve settled. yes it is more smut than plot, but i need the break after bawling my eyes out from BoT (even tho i’m still not done yet). but i flew through this like real bad. had the literal time of my life reading this lmaooo. could it have been shorter? yes. do i really care atp? nah not really. boy did i have a time, i read this at literally every possible convenience lmaooooo

rachel, i honestly don’t know how i feel about her. like i see where she’s coming from with not wanting to be in the spotlight because she’s been in it all her life, but at the same time, it’s like, girl, not everything is about you… but then the fact that she’s like 5’0…. um 🧍🏽‍♀️ chile anyways so, but she was okay, not my favorite fmc

jake, he’s definitely my favorite mc in this book (and maybe i’m biased for a few reasons but myb) he’s such a golden retriever, and honestly, i didn’t find him as annoying as i thought i was going to. his jealousy needed some work, like chill out, but other than that, oh i loved himmm

caleb, where do i start? my assumptions about him from the first few chapters diminished almost immediately. based on how jake was in the prequel, i did not think caleb was going to top him (no pun intended) but whewww chileeee 🌚

and ilmari, i won’t lie, it took some time for me to actually like him fr bc he just seemed a little random in the group, but you know what, let’s just say that all my assumptions just flew out the window with this one.

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manjuuu's review against another edition

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funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

0.25

Genuinely why is this even so highly recommended me? The depth of the plot, which can be summarised as "hockey player meets girl, insert several steamy scenes, rinse and repeat" is simply awe-inspiring. The emotional complexity rivals that of my grandma's flower-print curtains. I've never felt myself cringing so hard at a book before.

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seachantys's review against another edition

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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

3.0

It was too heavy on the spice for my taste, in the middle it felt like not even part of the plot anymore. I did finish it. The ending felt a little rushed.

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meowrie's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

I know nothing about hockey. I don't care about hockey. But when a book is this full of MMF+M spicy scenes, I'll read a book about hockey.
Rachel was sweet, had a sensitive side, but was strong and sexy too.
The guys were a perfect blend of everything you want in a man. And there are 3 of them. She has 3 holes so it works out perfectly.
The sex was hot and the scenes were varied. It wasn't 750 pages of the same thing over and over.
This book has been recommended in so many book groups, and I'm glad I finally got to it. Fun summer read 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Edit. The audio is pretty bad. Amy Hall has this halting delivery, Ash Beverly forgets he is supposed to be Finnish, and Alex Kydd has this odd chuckle that he does. It really was hard to listen to.

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briannagriffin567's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

5.0

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cookreadrepeat's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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abidavisf's review against another edition

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funny reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Pucking Around is like nothing I’ve ever read before. I’ve never been interested in exploring the ‘why choose?’ trope, but this book was continually advertised to me and had exceptional ratings so I had to give it a shot. While I think I can safely say that ‘why choose?’ is not for me, I can really understand why so many people love this book and this story.

Jake is a bundle of sunshine. He made his way onto my list of favourite fictional characters almost instantly. If he were real, I think he’d be too good for this earth. I want to wrap him in cotton wool and give him everything he could ever dream of. I truly think that Rachel and Jake are soulmates, that much was clear from the prequel (which I adored). I wish I’d learned more about Jake’s upbringing or personal life in general through this book.

In fact, I wish that for Caleb and Ilmari too, though the latter was covered a lot more than Jake and Caleb. It felt, at times, that these men were dropped into Rachel’s story, rather than them all being equal narrators.

I did spend a large portion of the book wondering why Ilmari was included but, towards the end, I think as the four of them grew closer, I came around to it. It wasn’t the fact that they added a fourth person to their relationship, but rather than I couldn’t understand how Rachel saw so much in him when he gives very very little away. Even the parts he gives to Rachel were, to me, very unsubstantial, but I think that I could feel that way just because I’m comparing him to a loud, extroverted American like Jake.

I’m not sure if I’ll continue with the series, but I did enjoy this book. It wasn’t my typical plot and it honestly shocked me in parts (which rarely happens) but I was intrigued and keen to know more almost throughout the entire book.

Also, I really want to know how Poseidon came about. Why does Caleb feel so insecure about him? We really didn’t delve into that. I need more.

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emotionalsupporthockeyromace's review against another edition

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Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

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