Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - Pucking Sweet

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Pucking Sweet by Emily Rath

12 reviews

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

📚 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.

📙 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.

🎧 All three of the narrators (1 female, 2 male, all first person POV) did an excellent job with the material.

🌶️ 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.

🏳️‍🌈✊ 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.

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waitthisisntproductive's review against another edition

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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

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fromthefoxhole's review against another edition

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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

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roksyreads's review against another edition

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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 NHL’s hottest new team, she’s got twelve months to prove she’s 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 teammates—including fellow defenseman Colton Morrow—into trouble that Poppy has to get them out of. But the moniker of PR Barbie doesn’t stop Poppy—poised, powerful, and always professional—from doing her job. Until one phone call from her family knocks Poppy’s carefully balanced life off-kilter. One night—one mistake—leads to a web of tangled feelings, and now she’s staring down at a plus sign with no strategy and no idea what’s 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 wasn’t put off by a plot point that’s a major nope for me

(accidental pregnancy)

speaks to the quality and depth of Rath’s 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 Poppy’s 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. Lucas’ and Colton’s 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.

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allingoodtime's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective 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

The span of this story is from the start of the first book in this series, through the second book in the series, and even beyond that. Yet I’d still say you can read this one without reading those two books. The other characters are in and out of this story, but their backstories are not needed to be fully immersed in this book.

That being said, some things happened in the last book, Pucking Wild, that gave a peek at the polyamorous relationship of Poppy, Lukas, and Colton and I couldn’t wait to find out how it all came to be and how it would play out. Lukas has not been what I would consider a likable character throughout the series. He likes to snipe at everyone, especially Colton. He teases Poppy relentlessly as if they’re in kindergarten and never seems to take anything seriously. Of course, that is all to keep everyone at arm’s length. Lukas cannot afford to form attachments to anyone as he knows those attachments are never real and never last.

Colton is such a lovely laid-back person who is fantastic at being the glue to the frenetic energy of Poppy and Lukas. I love the way he loves them. Not that he doesn’t need affection and care, too. Poppy knows this and eventually so does Lukas. This trio doesn’t work on paper. But when they are alone, when the walls are down, they are perfect. Lukas allows himself to be vulnerable, Colton allows himself to exert his powerful nature, and Poppy gives over her need for control. It works for them. If only they can realize that it can work just as well outside of their secret bubble.

Although Poppy has a lot to deal with in her family and Lukas had a terrible upbringing, there isn’t the same level of angst in this book as there is in the previous stories. There is conflict and confusion and many things to work out, but there never seems to be despair even when things look grim. There is great chemistry all around and I was always rooting for them to find their way to each other.

One final note that is specific to the audiobook: up to this point I have only heard Sean Crisden narrate the Icehome series by Ruby Dixon. In other words, I have only heard him be an alien. It was a joy to hear his voice in another context. I will admit that when Colton would get gravelly I’d think of those aliens! That’s not a bad thing though.

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