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A review by koistyfishy
The Pucking Coach's Daughter by S. Massery
challenging
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
5 Vitriolic Stars โญ๏ธ
Spicy Level: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ/5 (Just fuck me...)
This book left me in a stupor. I am flabbergasted, stunned, amazed, disturbed, uncomfortable and turned on... AND DAMN WELL EXITED. Like what the fuck did I just read and why the hell did I enjoy it so much! All I want to do is jump directly into it again hoping the second pass will give me such a great high and fix again!
You know that feeling when you're buckled into a rollercoaster; that apprehension as you make the climb up. You peer over the edge at your feet dangling 50ft above the air, your stomach is in knots. You can't help thinking (and hoping) you're properly buckled in because it's going to suck if you are not. But you're excited about that climb! You are living for those butterflies and that build-up, that apprehension you feel making your nerves jiggle and your toes tingle...Then you freefall. You are thrown in different directions, your body twisted and turned, sometimes suspended in what feels like a tangled sense of reality. You think you might die, and vow you are never going to do it again. You're scared, you're screaming, you're laughing... It's that moment when your body and brain let go and you just enjoy the ride, moving at 100 miles a second; because all you can do is hold on until you stop. And then you can't wait to join the queue again.
That's what reading this book was like! My brain, body and emotions were on that rollercoaster and all I could do was hang on and enjoy the ride. There were so many twists and turns and unexpected events that I did not see coming. The thrill and suspense of where this book and these characters would end up kept me at the edge of my seat!
This was my first S. Massery book and will not be my last. It gave me everything I wanted all wrapped up into a mix of simple-to-devour but complex amalgamation, a perfect balance of emotional trauma, dark themes and triggers, with a blend of why-choose hockey romance. The SMUT was LITERAL perfection as it had my toes curling, while also putting me in an almost constant state of dangling between horny and excited, and wanting to take things into my own hands. It provided that Hockey fix, with a focus on the games and the boys; which ANY GIRL in her HOCKEY ERA is going to appreciate. AND IT DELIVERED on that DARK! I was constantly questioning if I am just that fucked up because I enjoyed this or if this really is such an epically FANTASTIC DARK ROMANCE!
To be honest I think this is almost the quintessential example of how you do a dark romance and do a dark romance well. S. Massey played with my emotions and she was BRUTAL with them. SHE STOOD ON THEM, stabbed them, squished them and squashed them up. She did not shy away from the themes and triggers experienced or soften their blows at any time. This is a difficult read at times because, like mine, expect your heart to break and burn as you witness and feel the trauma and abuse Sydney goes through. It is not pretty, it is not glamorised and IT IS NOT EASY to absorb. But if you like a dark romance, I bet you'll find yourself addicted to these pages like I was; stuffing it into your mouth like a bucket of popcorn spiced just right. I could not look away, I could not stop reading...I could not stop loving this as it progressed. I loved that this made me question my morals and boundaries, and I loved that this didn't shy away from being dark, twisted and disturbed!
This book follows Sydney. She breaks into the house of Oliver, the hockey captain of her university's rival school trying to retrieve something he has of hers. Whilst looking for said item, she discovers his team's playbook that is going to be used in the upcoming match against her school, so takes photos of it. He comes home early forcing her to abandon her search for that "something" and barely manages to escape. Later that night she ends up at a beach party, where Oliver rocks up, recognises her and accuses her of breaking in for something different. As a big EFF YOU, she gives Carter, her Ex-Boyfriend, and the current Captain of her school's hockey team, the photos of the playbook. Which he ends up using. After the match (in which the rival school loses terribly), it comes out Sydney is the culprit. So she loses her scholarship and is forced to transfer to the school she sold out after begging her father for help. Her father being the Hockey Coach of the school she screwed over...
Sydney has one of the strongest backbones I have ever seen in an FMC. The way she was treated, bullied and victimised was horrific. But she is a champion, determined to survive and not let anything that has happened get her down. I respected this about her, I was in awe of her strength, and while she was close to breaking at times and the effects of her emotional trauma cut deep, I commend her resistance - because I would not have survived what she was put through and make it out in the end with a smile.
The three men are walking red flags. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM... BUT I STILL LOVED THEM! They each bring in their own dirty little kinks (some harder than others), and have their own unique characteristics and appeal. They are all someone who no matter how pretty boy and sweet they can be on the surface, are not someone you should bring home to mama...
Between Oliver, Penn and Carter, my favourite guy is Oliver. He is not the "sweetest" or the nicest - in fact, I think he might be the worst. But there is just something about his addiction to Sydney and his hateful obsession towards her that couldn't keep him away, that made me love him. Penn gave me vibes of a goofball with a darker side - he is most likely going to be the popular favourite due to his ease in forming relationships with Sydney and Carter, and some of his actions are downright sweet (like playing with her hair during class - THATS CUTE DAMMIT). Then there is Carter - who I might have thought could be a cinnamon roll given his blond hair and the initial reason they broke up... and then he started talking a little too much about blood and knives and that GOOD GUY PERCEPTION FLEW OUT THE WINDOW!
Tropes (and some Triggers I would consider Tropes)
**โ๐นโโ๐ญโโ๐ชโโ๐ธโโ๐ชโ โ๐ฆโโ๐ทโโ๐ชโ โ๐ณโโ๐ดโโ๐นโ โ๐ฆโโ๐ฑโโ๐ฑโ โ๐ฆโโ๐ณโโ๐ฉโ โ๐ฎโ โ๐ญโโ๐ฆโโ๐ปโโ๐ชโโ๐ณโโโ๐นโ โ๐ฑโโ๐ฎโโ๐ธโโ๐นโโ๐ชโโ๐ฉโ โ๐ฒโโ๐ดโโ๐ธโโ๐นโ โ๐ดโโ๐ซโ โ๐นโโ๐ญโโ๐ชโ โ๐นโโ๐ทโโ๐ฎโโ๐ฌโโ๐ฌโโ๐ชโโ๐ทโโ๐ธโ โ๐งโโ๐ชโโ๐จโโ๐ฆโโ๐บโโ๐ธโโ๐ชโ โ๐ฎโ โ๐ฑโโ๐ฎโโ๐ฐโโ๐ชโ โ๐นโโ๐ดโ โ๐ฌโโ๐ดโ โ๐ฎโโ๐ณโ โ๐งโโ๐ฑโโ๐ฎโโ๐ณโโ๐ฉโ.
โ๐ฎโโ๐ซโ โ๐พโโ๐ดโโ๐บโ โ๐ฆโโ๐ทโโ๐ชโ โ๐ธโโ๐ดโโ๐ฒโโ๐ชโโ๐ดโโ๐ณโโ๐ชโ โ๐ผโโ๐ญโโ๐ดโ โ๐ณโโ๐ชโโ๐ชโโ๐ฉโโ๐ธโ โ๐นโโ๐ดโ โ๐จโโ๐ญโโ๐ชโโ๐จโโ๐ฐโ โ๐นโโ๐ทโโ๐ฎโโ๐ฌโโ๐ฌโโ๐ชโโ๐ทโโ๐ธโ โ๐งโโ๐ชโโ๐ซโโ๐ดโโ๐ทโโ๐ชโ - โ๐ตโโ๐ฑโโ๐ชโโ๐ฆโโ๐ธโโ๐ชโ โ๐ฉโโ๐ดโ โ๐ธโโ๐ดโ, โ๐งโโ๐ชโโ๐จโโ๐ฆโโ๐บโโ๐ธโโ๐ชโ โ๐พโโ๐ดโโ๐บโโ๐ทโ โ๐ฒโโ๐ชโโ๐ณโโ๐นโโ๐ฆโโ๐ฑโ โ๐ญโโ๐ชโโ๐ฆโโ๐ฑโโ๐นโโ๐ญโ โ๐ฒโโ๐ฆโโ๐นโโ๐นโโ๐ชโโ๐ทโโ๐ธโ
โถ Multi-POV
โถ Reverse Harem Hockey Romance
โถ Forbidden Romance (Coach's Daughter)
โถ Found Family
โถ Bully Romance
โถ Dubious Consent with VERY Dubious Consent (almost Non-Con)
โถ Blackmail
โถ Stalking
โถ Touch her you die
โถ Tending to Injuries
โถ Masked Man
โถ Kidnapping
KINKS: Somnophilia, Knife Play, Primal Play, Blood Play, Voyeurism, Edging, Biting, Spitting, BDSM elements and Anal Play
Overall, as I have said above - do not go into this lightly if you get upset or uncomfortable with dark triggers. You will not really enjoy it. This is problematic, this is questionable and is considered fucked up... BUT... IF YOU THINK OF TRIGGERS AS TROPES and get excited by those "trigger tropes", you're gonna fucking love this! Go in blind - I did and it was EPIC! and makes the twists and turns hit harder
Spicy Level: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ/5 (Just fuck me...)
This book left me in a stupor. I am flabbergasted, stunned, amazed, disturbed, uncomfortable and turned on... AND DAMN WELL EXITED. Like what the fuck did I just read and why the hell did I enjoy it so much! All I want to do is jump directly into it again hoping the second pass will give me such a great high and fix again!
You know that feeling when you're buckled into a rollercoaster; that apprehension as you make the climb up. You peer over the edge at your feet dangling 50ft above the air, your stomach is in knots. You can't help thinking (and hoping) you're properly buckled in because it's going to suck if you are not. But you're excited about that climb! You are living for those butterflies and that build-up, that apprehension you feel making your nerves jiggle and your toes tingle...Then you freefall. You are thrown in different directions, your body twisted and turned, sometimes suspended in what feels like a tangled sense of reality. You think you might die, and vow you are never going to do it again. You're scared, you're screaming, you're laughing... It's that moment when your body and brain let go and you just enjoy the ride, moving at 100 miles a second; because all you can do is hold on until you stop. And then you can't wait to join the queue again.
That's what reading this book was like! My brain, body and emotions were on that rollercoaster and all I could do was hang on and enjoy the ride. There were so many twists and turns and unexpected events that I did not see coming. The thrill and suspense of where this book and these characters would end up kept me at the edge of my seat!
This was my first S. Massery book and will not be my last. It gave me everything I wanted all wrapped up into a mix of simple-to-devour but complex amalgamation, a perfect balance of emotional trauma, dark themes and triggers, with a blend of why-choose hockey romance. The SMUT was LITERAL perfection as it had my toes curling, while also putting me in an almost constant state of dangling between horny and excited, and wanting to take things into my own hands. It provided that Hockey fix, with a focus on the games and the boys; which ANY GIRL in her HOCKEY ERA is going to appreciate. AND IT DELIVERED on that DARK! I was constantly questioning if I am just that fucked up because I enjoyed this or if this really is such an epically FANTASTIC DARK ROMANCE!
To be honest I think this is almost the quintessential example of how you do a dark romance and do a dark romance well. S. Massey played with my emotions and she was BRUTAL with them. SHE STOOD ON THEM, stabbed them, squished them and squashed them up. She did not shy away from the themes and triggers experienced or soften their blows at any time. This is a difficult read at times because, like mine, expect your heart to break and burn as you witness and feel the trauma and abuse Sydney goes through. It is not pretty, it is not glamorised and IT IS NOT EASY to absorb. But if you like a dark romance, I bet you'll find yourself addicted to these pages like I was; stuffing it into your mouth like a bucket of popcorn spiced just right. I could not look away, I could not stop reading...I could not stop loving this as it progressed. I loved that this made me question my morals and boundaries, and I loved that this didn't shy away from being dark, twisted and disturbed!
This book follows Sydney. She breaks into the house of Oliver, the hockey captain of her university's rival school trying to retrieve something he has of hers. Whilst looking for said item, she discovers his team's playbook that is going to be used in the upcoming match against her school, so takes photos of it. He comes home early forcing her to abandon her search for that "something" and barely manages to escape. Later that night she ends up at a beach party, where Oliver rocks up, recognises her and accuses her of breaking in for something different. As a big EFF YOU, she gives Carter, her Ex-Boyfriend, and the current Captain of her school's hockey team, the photos of the playbook. Which he ends up using. After the match (in which the rival school loses terribly), it comes out Sydney is the culprit. So she loses her scholarship and is forced to transfer to the school she sold out after begging her father for help. Her father being the Hockey Coach of the school she screwed over...
Sydney has one of the strongest backbones I have ever seen in an FMC. The way she was treated, bullied and victimised was horrific. But she is a champion, determined to survive and not let anything that has happened get her down. I respected this about her, I was in awe of her strength, and while she was close to breaking at times and the effects of her emotional trauma cut deep, I commend her resistance - because I would not have survived what she was put through and make it out in the end with a smile.
The three men are walking red flags. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM... BUT I STILL LOVED THEM! They each bring in their own dirty little kinks (some harder than others), and have their own unique characteristics and appeal. They are all someone who no matter how pretty boy and sweet they can be on the surface, are not someone you should bring home to mama...
Between Oliver, Penn and Carter, my favourite guy is Oliver. He is not the "sweetest" or the nicest - in fact, I think he might be the worst. But there is just something about his addiction to Sydney and his hateful obsession towards her that couldn't keep him away, that made me love him. Penn gave me vibes of a goofball with a darker side - he is most likely going to be the popular favourite due to his ease in forming relationships with Sydney and Carter, and some of his actions are downright sweet (like playing with her hair during class - THATS CUTE DAMMIT). Then there is Carter - who I might have thought could be a cinnamon roll given his blond hair and the initial reason they broke up... and then he started talking a little too much about blood and knives and that GOOD GUY PERCEPTION FLEW OUT THE WINDOW!
Tropes (and some Triggers I would consider Tropes)
**โ๐นโโ๐ญโโ๐ชโโ๐ธโโ๐ชโ โ๐ฆโโ๐ทโโ๐ชโ โ๐ณโโ๐ดโโ๐นโ โ๐ฆโโ๐ฑโโ๐ฑโ โ๐ฆโโ๐ณโโ๐ฉโ โ๐ฎโ โ๐ญโโ๐ฆโโ๐ปโโ๐ชโโ๐ณโโโ๐นโ โ๐ฑโโ๐ฎโโ๐ธโโ๐นโโ๐ชโโ๐ฉโ โ๐ฒโโ๐ดโโ๐ธโโ๐นโ โ๐ดโโ๐ซโ โ๐นโโ๐ญโโ๐ชโ โ๐นโโ๐ทโโ๐ฎโโ๐ฌโโ๐ฌโโ๐ชโโ๐ทโโ๐ธโ โ๐งโโ๐ชโโ๐จโโ๐ฆโโ๐บโโ๐ธโโ๐ชโ โ๐ฎโ โ๐ฑโโ๐ฎโโ๐ฐโโ๐ชโ โ๐นโโ๐ดโ โ๐ฌโโ๐ดโ โ๐ฎโโ๐ณโ โ๐งโโ๐ฑโโ๐ฎโโ๐ณโโ๐ฉโ.
โ๐ฎโโ๐ซโ โ๐พโโ๐ดโโ๐บโ โ๐ฆโโ๐ทโโ๐ชโ โ๐ธโโ๐ดโโ๐ฒโโ๐ชโโ๐ดโโ๐ณโโ๐ชโ โ๐ผโโ๐ญโโ๐ดโ โ๐ณโโ๐ชโโ๐ชโโ๐ฉโโ๐ธโ โ๐นโโ๐ดโ โ๐จโโ๐ญโโ๐ชโโ๐จโโ๐ฐโ โ๐นโโ๐ทโโ๐ฎโโ๐ฌโโ๐ฌโโ๐ชโโ๐ทโโ๐ธโ โ๐งโโ๐ชโโ๐ซโโ๐ดโโ๐ทโโ๐ชโ - โ๐ตโโ๐ฑโโ๐ชโโ๐ฆโโ๐ธโโ๐ชโ โ๐ฉโโ๐ดโ โ๐ธโโ๐ดโ, โ๐งโโ๐ชโโ๐จโโ๐ฆโโ๐บโโ๐ธโโ๐ชโ โ๐พโโ๐ดโโ๐บโโ๐ทโ โ๐ฒโโ๐ชโโ๐ณโโ๐นโโ๐ฆโโ๐ฑโ โ๐ญโโ๐ชโโ๐ฆโโ๐ฑโโ๐นโโ๐ญโ โ๐ฒโโ๐ฆโโ๐นโโ๐นโโ๐ชโโ๐ทโโ๐ธโ
โถ Multi-POV
โถ Reverse Harem Hockey Romance
โถ Forbidden Romance (Coach's Daughter)
โถ Found Family
โถ Bully Romance
โถ Dubious Consent with VERY Dubious Consent (almost Non-Con)
โถ Blackmail
โถ Stalking
โถ Touch her you die
โถ Tending to Injuries
โถ Masked Man
โถ Kidnapping
KINKS: Somnophilia, Knife Play, Primal Play, Blood Play, Voyeurism, Edging, Biting, Spitting, BDSM elements and Anal Play
Overall, as I have said above - do not go into this lightly if you get upset or uncomfortable with dark triggers. You will not really enjoy it. This is problematic, this is questionable and is considered fucked up... BUT... IF YOU THINK OF TRIGGERS AS TROPES and get excited by those "trigger tropes", you're gonna fucking love this! Go in blind - I did and it was EPIC! and makes the twists and turns hit harder
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Stalking, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Physical abuse and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use and Death of parent