A review by allingoodtime
Pucking Around (includes That One Night) by Emily Rath

emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

For most avid Romance readers, this would be considered a long book. I had initially thought I wouldn’t read this one even though it kept popping up from trusted sources. I finally gave in to give it a go. I’m glad I read this one, but there was bad along with the good.

The novella, That One Night, is a precursor to this story. In the version I read it was included and I think it’s needed to help you understand Rachel. Otherwise, I think she may take some getting to know before you can sympathize with her. With the connection Rachel and Jake have in the novella (basically a long prologue for this main book), I wasn’t sure if I’d like that this was a polyamory story. Once Caleb came into the picture I was fully on board with him being added to the dynamic. It took me longer to feel as though Mars was truly part of the polycule, yet I feel that has more to do with his personality and the difference in his relationship with Rachel. By the end, I think he may have been my favorite.

This story made me laugh quite a bit, and it often gave me that warm-fuzzy feeling I’m always chasing in my reading. It didn’t have a great flow, though. The beginning, after the prologue, was a bit slow. There was a lot to set up, which brings me back to the length of this story. I cannot think of what would be cut to change the length. The relationships Rachel builds with Jake, Caleb, and Mars are truly three separate relationships to start. Although Jake and Caleb are best friends, she has a growing friendship with them each individually before the three of them give in to their pull. Mars is a whole other thread and things need to be established for it all to work in the end. I consumed this book via audio and I honestly cannot say if I’d have had the tenacity to get through the beginning if I had been reading it another way. I’m glad I was able to stick with it as I really did enjoy the story.

One of the things I loved was the building relationship between Jake and Caleb. Jake seemed a bit more clownish overall than he did when he first met Rachel, but his struggle to realize what he was feeling and how that could play out with his career was interesting and touching. Caleb has been through some trauma and his surliness hid a heart of gold that Jake and Rachel could always see, even when he put his walls up. Rachel was an instigator to try to get them to have a real talk with each other, yet she never got too intrusive. She knew they had to come to their own conclusions and discover their love on their own.

Rachel is a hard character to explain. I never hated her, but sometimes I didn’t like her much. I also loved her sometimes. She could be annoying and she could be very perceptive. I guess that means she’s like a real person, but there were times I thought all three guys were way too good for her. To be fair, every single one of these characters had hang-ups that could be frustrating.

As I said, in the end, I enjoyed the journey this story took. The way the HEA happens wasn’t what I expected and I loved it. When all was said and done, I was thinking about this book (in a good way) long after it was over. I’ll be looking for more from this author for sure. 
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