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garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition
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
đ Ugh why is this series so good??? And why isn't there more of it to read yet??? This book did a good job of bringing in events from books 1 and 2 in the series and putting them in a different context, so even if you knew what was happening from the previous books' MCs' perspectives, it felt familiar but still felt fresh.
đ This was a great story. There was emotional vulnerability, there was rivalry, there was love and discovery and tons of sex. And I really liked all three of the MCs in terms of personality.
đ§ All three of the narrators (1 female, 2 male, all first person POV) did an excellent job with the material.
đ¶ïž 5/5 it didn't get into like deep/hardcore kink but other than that, this book (like the others in the series) is constantly on.
đłïžâđâ We of course have the diversity in sexuality involved in a 3 way relationship (and it is truly 3 way). There are also other team members who are queer (some from book 1 and some others). One of the MMCs is biracial: Black and (I think) white. This is a hockey romance, and it does seem like most of the side characters are white. There's diversity in backgrounds: one of the MCs grew up alone and basically on the streets, one had a loving middle class family, and the other comes from a powerful and moneyed (but cold) family.
đ This was a great story. There was emotional vulnerability, there was rivalry, there was love and discovery and tons of sex. And I really liked all three of the MCs in terms of personality.
đ§ All three of the narrators (1 female, 2 male, all first person POV) did an excellent job with the material.
đ¶ïž 5/5 it didn't get into like deep/hardcore kink but other than that, this book (like the others in the series) is constantly on.
đłïžâđâ We of course have the diversity in sexuality involved in a 3 way relationship (and it is truly 3 way). There are also other team members who are queer (some from book 1 and some others). One of the MMCs is biracial: Black and (I think) white. This is a hockey romance, and it does seem like most of the side characters are white. There's diversity in backgrounds: one of the MCs grew up alone and basically on the streets, one had a loving middle class family, and the other comes from a powerful and moneyed (but cold) family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, and Death of parent
waitthisisntproductive's review against another edition
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Toxic relationship
nanastradamus's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-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
3.5
gooped and gagged tbh!! in all seriousness i rly need to know more about that violet and olivia situation đ
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, and Death of parent
Minor: Racism, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
fromthefoxhole's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Child abuse, Infidelity, and Death of parent
roksyreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
4.5
Poppy St. James has landed her dream job. As the Director of Public Relations for the Jacksonville Rays, the NHLâs hottest new team, sheâs got twelve months to prove sheâs worth keeping. The PR part is easy, but the players themselves are proving to be a handful. Brash, bossy partyboy Lukas Novikov is a PR nightmare who seems to find new and creative ways to drag his teammatesâincluding fellow defenseman Colton Morrowâinto trouble that Poppy has to get them out of. But the moniker of PR Barbie doesnât stop Poppyâpoised, powerful, and always professionalâfrom doing her job. Until one phone call from her family knocks Poppyâs carefully balanced life off-kilter. One nightâone mistakeâleads to a web of tangled feelings, and now sheâs staring down at a plus sign with no strategy and no idea whatâs next. All she knows is that nothing will ever be the same.
Diving back into the world of the Jacksonville Rays NHL ice hockey team, Pucking Sweet is a funny, emotional, and engaging story from start to finish. The plot and subplots create a great balance of humour and tension, with some truly epic banter and utterly heartfelt moments. That I wasnât put off by a plot point thatâs a major nope for me (accidental pregnancy) speaks to the quality and depth of Rathâs writing, especially the love she inspires for her characters. Featuring a diverse and fascinating cast, I loved seeing my favourite characters again and getting alternative views of events from the previous novels, as well as getting to know FMC Poppy and MMCs Lukas and Colton better. I especially enjoyed Poppyâs character arc. Strong and empowered in her career, it was rewarding to see her further develop her confidence and translate those strengths to face challenges within her personal life and her family dynamics. Lucasâ and Coltonâs arcs were equally rewarding to experience as they navigated personal challenges, the complexities of their romance with Poppy and growing feelings for each other, and their NHL careers.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Outing, and Gaslighting
Minor: Homophobia and Misogyny
sydcreads's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Gaslighting
tyras_bookshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was super long!
There were two story lines:
There were two story lines:
1. Poppy getting independence from her old money, politically motivated family. Itâs rough and emotional and Poppy hangs on to the idea of a loving family far too long after having proved again and again that her family doesnât treat her right.
2. Poppy coming to terms with her attraction to two men while prioritizing her career ambitions. Also rough, also emotional but then it was sexy at times and they make a baby. Poppy proves that women can âhave it allâ though itâs no easy thing.
While often pretty funny and a decent mix of plot and smut, these characters are hella dramatic and I was over them after a while. I can only take so much cheesiness and melodrama.
Pros: Poppyâs eventual acceptance that she doesnât have to take abuse from the people that are supposed to love her is nice to watch. Colton is my favorite, mostly because heâs not self-destructive and mean but Novi just had some growing to do and thatâs his own journey.
In the end, love healed all past wounds (slightly sweet, slightly noxious) but dragging out the story felt like a disservice to it. Does a book ever need to be 85 chapters?! By the time plot one wrapped up, I had nearly forgotten about those characters! It ranks pretty similarly to me as the other two interconnected standalones.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
rosie_valadez's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Minor: Child abuse, Infidelity, and Death of parent
thisteachreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Itâs Emily Rath⊠what more is there to say?
If youâve read her books in order, you know what youâre in store for.
I enjoyed the easy love between Cole and Lukas, although I did have to question how quickly they become each others person, esport having only known each other for 2 years and those years werenât consecutively prior to coming to the Rays. Then again, I guess itâs silly to question anything in the Rays universe - there is clearly something in the water that makes Florida a place that just accepts polyamory amongst a large swath of its players.
I will say that this book does come with a big surprise pregnancy trigger warning. Definitely not a trope I enjoy reading. In this case, it didnât seem to really become a thing until later in the novel.
Itâs a long read but a light one.
If youâve read her books in order, you know what youâre in store for.
I enjoyed the easy love between Cole and Lukas, although I did have to question
I will say that this book does come with a big surprise pregnancy trigger warning. Definitely not a trope I enjoy reading. In this case, it didnât seem to really become a thing until later in the novel.
Itâs a long read but a light one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent
vettechmama3's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
4.25
I absolutely loved how this book was the same timeline as Pucking Around, and we got to see different points of view. Having previous main characters show up was comforting and reminded me why I love these books/characters so much đ Poppy, Colton, and Lukas were đ„” together and their relationship is beautiful with lots of self reflection and growth. BUT it did sort of feel like I was re-reading Rachel and her guys' story. Same vibes, similar situations. This series is definitely a favorite of mine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Pregnancy
Moderate: Medical content and Medical trauma
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent