"He's waiting for Zeke to get hit with a lightning bolt of knowledge. November is the wrong time of year for that weather pattern, though."

Did I just read two romance novels in one year? My friends are bad influences.

Lucky Bounce was really sweet. I think what attracted me to this book in the first place was how much it reminds me of Check, Please!, which is one of my all-time favourite comic series. If you liked Lucky Bounce, you'll like Check, Please!, and vice versa.

What I loved most about Lucky Bounce was how fun of a read it was. It wasn't heavy, or super serious, despite having some serious moments in it. It was really just an enjoyable book, filled with tooth rottingly-sweet fluff. As you might've guessed, I'm not the biggest romance reader, specifically because I don't enjoy just 300 pages of fluffy nothing - but I think what makes Lucky Bounce different from some other romance novels are the quiet stakes behind it. It's a cute queer romance story, yes, and there's nothing hardcore depressing or serious in it, no, but there are still really high stakes. On one hand, you've got Spencer's career, and the looming threat that being an openly gay hockey player can be in a very cishet male dominated sport; on the other hand, you've also got the fact that Spencer is a single dad, not only navigating the fact that no one knew he had a daughter until recently, but also navigating suddenly taking on a kid, while trying to explore his sexuality and love life. I do wish that Lucky Bounce had dived in a little bit more to those stakes, and I'd really love to read a sequel about Spencer and Zeke navigating what happens when their relationship goes public.

The only other thing I didn't love about this book was that, while it was very much written in Zeke's voice despite being a third-person POV, it isn't overly descriptive. It sounds sort of like a person's inner monologue, the way we run commentary about things in our own minds. That's great for voice, certainly, but when you're writing a book, you need to have a balance of voice and description. It was very 'this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened.' It spent a lot of time on Zeke's thoughts about a particular situation, without actually delving into what the situation is.

There were also moments when the sex scenes dragged on for, like, way too long. I love good smut as much as the next person, but I swear, some scenes were 15 pages just for a blowjob. Again, that's a lot of Zeke's POV voice at play here, because you get to hear what's going through his mind - how beautiful Spencer looks, and how careful Zeke is being not to trigger Spencer's migraines, and how quiet they're being so as not to wake up Addie - but at some point, I ended up just skimming those scenes, because the running commentary is so irrelevant to the rest of the story.

All in all, this was a really cute queer romance! I do think readers would benefit from having a little bit of hockey knowledge going in, only because Nary drops hockey slang (that I only actually know from reading Check, Please!, thank you Ngozi Ukazu) with absolutely no explanation. If you're a romance reader, I think you'd really enjoy this book!

**Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

This book was really cute. It had all the feels you’d want in a hockey romance and the characters were quite lovable. I loved the wholesomeness of the single dad trope, it worked really well.

The pacing of this book was great in the beginning, Zeke meeting Spencer at the meet the teacher event. The awkwardness from both of them was hilarious, then it became free hockey tickets and some minor flirting. To me the characters kinda became one dimensional after that point. It was like I blinked and they were hooking up. They made a cute couple and it was a good read but still.

This story was really good and I enjoyed it, I just would have loved a few more chapters.

Release Date: 09, January 2024
POV: First Person
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rep: Gay (MC), Gay (LI), Migraine Disorder (LI)

⚠️ Content Warnings:
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Drug abuse and Drug use

Lucky Bounce was a sweet love story between a kindergarten teacher named Zeke and his crush - a pro hockey player, Spencer, with a secret daughter who ends up in Zeke's care. The two went from tentative acquaintances to friends and lovers in time and it was really such a wholesome story! I love the migraine rep and all the discussions regarding inclusivity (or lack thereof) in hockey. Plus Spencer's dedication to his kid - I haven't read many single parent romances yet, but this one was a joy to read (for example Spencer showing up with nail polish on his cuticles cause he was being a good dad? I stan).

I have a couple of small complaints that I saw some other people mention as well - I really wish we got Spencer's PoV as well, since being stuck in Zeke's head meant we didn't really get to know Spencer in all his grumpy glory. I also wish we got more insight into other SCs beacuse there were some real gems there (shoutout to D'Amico, what a man). Plus, I know this is just one book and one story, but I couldn't get past the fact that Spencer was only 24!! And Zeke 25 or something like that. I know there is no age requirement for having kids, but I was excited to read about some older hockey players (ya know, 30ish) after seeing what the book is about. But that's just a me thing.
Other than that, I love how their relationship had some hurdles, but they communicated quite well after they got going and tried to resolve everything without too much drama (also no third act breakup! Which was great, but I could've maybe done with a bit more angst hehe).

The best part of this book? Spencer got his daughter a dog and her name was OREO! I have a dog named Oreo, all the stars for little fury monsters!

I would definitely recommend this one to all my fellow queer hockey romance lovers!

Tropes:
- Single dad
- Grumpy x sunshine
- hockey romance

Thank you to Carina Press and Harlequin - Romance for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Lucky Bounce by Cait Nary was such a delightful little surprise and I read it in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down!

The story is told from Zeke's POV and although, I am often more drawn to dual POV stories, seeing it through Zeke's eyes just really worked for me. Zeke is a little anxious and often unsure of himself and it was honestly impossible not to root for him. The story opens on an extremely surprised Zeke, a PE teacher at a Philly Quaker school, who finds out that not only is he meeting the hockey player who he is a major fan of (a might have a little bit [read:lot] of a crush on), but that hockey player has a daughter that nobody had previously known about. Throughout the course of the story we get to watch this quiet, stoic, beautiful hockey player open up through his relationship with Zeke.

So what is there to love?
- The pining! Absolutely grade A pining!
- Watching Zeke get something that he only dreamed of and never thought he could ever actually have.
- Single dad of the year. Although this is all so new to Spencer, he is such an amazing dad. You can feel his love for his daughter without ever hearing his inner monologue
- The way the accidental pregnancy/surprise child was done worked well as a catalyst in this book. I really appreciate that we were dropped into the mix after this all happened, so that while it was important to the story, it wasn't the primary focus.
- The emails & text conversations had me giggling! Epistolary elements in books are always such a hit for me, and this was no different.
- The spice! I love when a romance manages to be very spicy and still extremely romantic
- The hockey was great and I would expect nothing less from Cait. I appreciate hockey romances that feature the sport correctly and don't just use it as background.
- The amount of emotion I was able to feel for Spencer when I never actually got to hear his inner monologue. Zeke was an excellent narrator!

Overall, I just couldn't get enough. It didn't need to be any longer, but I wouldn't have minded at all because I really loved these two. I think that some people will be bothered but the lack of an epilogue in favor of the more abrupt HFN ending, but I think it really works in this book. Both Spencer and Zeke recognize that it isn't going to be easy for them, but they want to make it work. It's real and honest and sometimes I appreciate that more than the over fluffy endings. This really seals the deal of making Cait Nary and auto buy author for me.

A big thanks to Netgalley and Carina Press for sending me an arc, All thoughts are my own.

I was just thinking to myself that I needed a good hockey romance and BAM! this hit the spot. The story was sweet, with a nice build-up to the romance and almost no drama. Both men were pretty cute with each other, getting embarrassed and shy at times, and falling hard.

I did think the ending felt a bit unresolved, like there should be a sequel or maybe an epilogue to address a few things. Other than that, I very much enjoyed this romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Carina Press and NetGalley for the copy.

1/5

Another day, another hockey romance.

Sigh. I really wanted to like this one; it was set up with so many tropes I love. But this really missed the mark.

I'm never expecting a romance book to be a life altering piece of work, but I at least expect the writing to be decent enough that it doesn't wound me inside. I am not sure what editor proofread this, but they need a new job. Spencer blushes a total of 114 times in this book (yes, I counted). That's almost every other page at that point.

Spencer is meant to be a grumpy guy, but he just straight up wasn't likable to me. I didn't like him. He was mean. He didn't even really seem to be super interested in Zeke to me, either. He was constantly berating Zeke for being "too much" or "too loud." It really just rubbed me the wrong way.

Also, this book was written for the smut. No hate, I can respect that. But it almost read like the smut was written first, and then the plot was poorly crafted around it. Like... what was that ending? It just randomly stopped? There was hardly a conclusion.

Overall, the characters were flat, the plot was barely there, and the smut wasn't even good enough to justify the time I spent reading this.

Zeke is an elementary school teacher at a school for many rich and famous folks. Spencer is Zeke's favorite hockey player who apparently has a secret child who is just starting at Zeke's school.

I agree with a lot of reviewers that this story may have worked better as a duel narrative. I had a hard time through the first 1/2 of the book trying to figure out what Zeke even saw in Spencer, who seemed to lack personality and just seemed crabby all the time, along with both men constantly calling each other "bud" and "dude." Every chapter we had to get some kind of comment about how Zeke just went for a long-ass run, or finished hot yoga etc etc. Like we get it, he works out. Also, most of the secondary characters, including Spencer's daughter, felt under developed.

The story really did pick up the second half. Spencer finally began to show some personality and the boys had some chemistry and banter. I really enjoyed Zeke (other than his gym addiction) as our protagonist. I liked the sweet, quieter moments between our two leads. I do really like the premise of the story and wish it was a little more fleshed out. The ending, although overall satisfying, did seem rather abrupt. Overall it was fun, rom-comy
read.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just finished the ARC of "Lucky Bounce" by Cait Nary.
Overall, this was a fun slow burn that takes place over the holidays, so it was pretty perfectly timed.
I really enjoyed the tension, the yearning, and ultimately the spice that the author serves up here.

I do think you could make a pretty good drinking game out of how many times we are told about Spencer's blushing, which was a little weird. Seriously, it was a lot.

I was a little hesitant about the single POV, but honestly I think it works here. I do wish we'd gotten an epilogue, or something to show a slice of life from how things progressed in their relationship. The ending felt a little abrupt.

All that said, I enjoyed this story a lot, and I definitely appreciate the chance to check it out!

Ezekiel Boehm is a great gym teacher. The kids love him, he's engaging, a great coach, and, unrelated, the absolute best at reading during story time. At the start of the new school year his life is turned upside down when in walks Spencer McLeod (a pro hockey player on the Philadelphia Liberty and Zeke's favorite player) with his daughter.
Zeke is freaking out. He freaks out even more when Spencer reaches out and asks for his help to succeed at his turn at reading time...and then when Spencer leaves him rink-side seats to a hockey game...and when Spencer blushes every time he sees Zeke.
The pair start seeing more and more of each other and build a relationship while Zeke continually feels like maybe he's not good enough to be with this grouchy, handsome, rich, phenomenal hockey player.

I really enjoyed this book. The relationship developing between Spencer and Zeke feels really natural and definitely not rushed. Their sarcastic chirps back and forth that are so obviously dripping with affection are so funny and like a dream relationship for me, tbh. Addie, Spencer's daughter, is realistic little girl and not as annoying as I tend to find kids in books.
I struggled a little with Zeke's characterization at first. He's presented as a manic, rambling guy who has the air of someone who is much more high maintenance than he tells us he is? It took me about half of the book to really nail down who Zeke was and to understand his character.
I also felt like the end was really rushed. This isn't the first time where I've read a Harlequin book that feels like the author was nearing a pre-determined page count and started to wrap up. I'd honestly like to read more about Zeke and Spencer which tells you how charming I found the pair. The ending isn't unsatisfying or anything but it just feels a bit rushed.

All-in-all I think this was a really cute and funny hockey romance and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED this book. I'm a big fan of Cait as an author, and I was sooo looking forward to reading this. It felt like a warm hug, a cup of coffee - slow, warm, satisfying. Usually I don't love single POV third person, but as always, this was an exception. I will absolutely being buying a copy when it is published!!
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

I am so grateful to be given an ARC of this adorable hockey rom-com.

Zeke and Spencer are both well-fleshed-out characters who feel like real people, and their feelings for each other seem very genuine. Spencer didn't feel like an unattainable celebrity which is common in a lot of romance books, and Zeke felt like one of those main characters that you could relate to with his insecurities and actual life problems.

The fact that they had their meet-cute in a bathroom at a meet-and-greet made me cackle, but it still seemed realistic. And when Zeke remained professional about being Addie's teacher, but still allowed himself to be a human being felt right. This romance developed over time, but still kept a comfortable pacing for a book.

There were some grammatical choices I questioned as well as a few spots where the pacing could be tidied up, but overall I enjoyed this as a nice break from all of the fantasy I've been reading recently. Definitely pick this up when it comes out if you need a quick read that will make you smile and laugh.

2.5 stars rounded up.

I am genuinely disappointed and baffled because I don't know where this went so terribly wrong. I had never read either of Cait Nary's other two books before this, but I saw "single hockey player dad" and "his five-year-old daughter's teacher" and was ALL OVER THAT as both an obnoxious hockey fanatic and, you know, a teacher. But this... did not quite reach its potential.

Zeke Boehm is used to teaching the progeny of famous people - he's a PE teacher at one of the prestigious elementary schools in Philadelphia, after all. But then his favorite player from the Philadelphia Liberty, Spencer McLeod, walks in holding the hand of a new student during orientation. And the mumbling, grumpy hockey player is... still mumbling and grumpy. But also charming? And goofy and needs his help figuring out Reading Circle? And is offering him amazing seats to home games? And... maybe flirting with him?

I'm genuinely kind of baffled by this book, because it was so good for most of the story. Zeke is adorable and awkward and it's fun being in his head as the narrator. And Spencer is a fun love interest - gruff and unsure of himself and every uncharismatic but lovable hockey player ever. Even Addie is a delightful secondary character, if a little too overly present and precocious at times. And it is genuinely beautiful to watch Zeke and Spencer go from awkward first meeting to flirtation to love; it's such a believable trajectory of a relationship to the backdrop of hockey games and obnoxious teammates playing Cupid.
The problem is that the book just... Ends? Whole plot threads are dropped (Zeke's family drama, Spencer's struggles with his health and whether or not to be out publicly, what the future holds for them both) with zero conclusion or satisfactory explanation, to the point that it feels like there is a quarter of the book missing. Literally the book ends before we even know how the team does in the season? It feels like an awkward HFN rather than the HEA that the entire story is ramping up to. And the book is also let down for a lack of Spencer PoV; a lot of issues could have been resolved if our stoic love interest had even one singular chapter for us to see into his head and reassure us that he is as deep in this as Zeke.

So overall, this was a fun read that was just... terribly crushed by a lack of real ending (seriously, did we all lose the real ending that was supposed to come with it?) or love interest PoV to answer any questions.

Oh gosh, I absolutely LOVED Lucky Bounce! I have a huge soft spot for single dad romance, and when you add in pro hockey and grumpy/sunshine, I'm pretty much guaranteed to have an enjoyable read. This is my first book by Cait Nary, and I think I've found a new go-to hockey romance author. Definitely worth a read!

Elementary PE teacher Zeke is completely starstruck when he realizes that his hockey idol (and secret crush) Spencer McCleod is the father of the new kindergarten student in his class. He's even more overwhelmed when Spencer seems to seek him out, emailing him for help, chatting with him at school events, and getting him tickets to his games. Though Zeke notices Spencer giving him looks (and constant blushes), he's afraid that the attraction he's feeling from him is only wishful thinking. He knows he's a lot, and Spencer's moodiness makes him hard to read, but could he actually have a chance with the (literal) man of his dreams?

Lucky Bounce is written entirely from Zeke's POV and in third person, so that was a little different from a lot of my recent reads. I didn't mind though because Zeke is a really fun character. He cannot believe his luck - he's been obsessed with Spencer as a player for years (he has more than one of his sweaters - it's a funny plot point) and cannot see why he's pursuing him. And though Spencer seems closed off, I love that he makes it SO obvious that he wants Zeke. I LOVED the spice in this one - a little imperfect, SO hot, and I'm totally with Zeke about being obsessed with Spencer blushing about EVERYTHING. Both of the guys have some pretty painful backstories that had me tearing up more than once - Zeke feels rejected by his family, and Spencer went through a lot on his journey to become a single dad. However, most of the story is really heartwarming, and I love the support the guys receive from Spencer's teammates and Zeke's friends.

Y'all, I think this is going to be another MUST READ MM hockey romance, If you enjoy Rachel Reid's Gamechangers series or M.A. Wardell's Teacher of the Year, you are GOING to like this book. I'm so grateful to Harlequin Books, Carina Press, and Cait Nary for this lovely ARC. Lucky Bounce is out in January, don't miss out!

Lucky Bounce is charming and sexy story. Zeke is a teacher at a private school for kids with important parents and it's never phased him. Until Spencer a pro hockey player enrolls his daughter in Zeke's school. Spencer is Zeke's favorite player on his favorite hockey team and he's had a major crush on him for years. The two are constantly thrown together for school events and their relationship starts to grow. It's fun to watch them find each other. I never really for Spencer's connection to Zeke and I wish I could have gotten to read his side of the story. Overall i really enjoyed it!

I liked this but didn't love it. I struggled to click with the writing, it just didn't work for me. There wasn't a lot of depth in the main character, and I just couldn't get into it. I think the romance was fun and nice, but it wasn't enough to make up for the poor writing for me

I absolutely loved the first half of 'Lucky Bounce,' where super sunshiney gym teacher Zeke has the secret daughter of Spencer, the super grumpy hockey player he's in love with, join his class, and there's an immediate easy flirtation. It checks off many tropes, and does them all in an enjoyable way.

Watching Zeke, Jake, Franky and Spencer, and then Addie, come together and form their relationships in the beginning was really special. There was just the right amount of tension, and I loved that they didn't use fighting between Zeke and Spencer (or really between any of the main characters) as the drama of the book. I'm still feeling the absolute awe of checking Chad Paisley. And of the way Zeke was never hidden.

But once they were together the magic leveled out.

It felt like the book lost its identity about whether it wanted to be a family story or a romance (most of it was fade to black, or just a few steps up from that, but still explicit), and I wish it had been one or the other. It was still cute and worth reading, it just wasn't what it could have been.

My main complaints:<Spoiler>We lost that connection to the team and lost the sense of 'holy shit, this is my hockey crush,' and instead it was just a random grumpy-sunshine relationship. Behind the grump is not surprisingly a teddy bear, but he was so gentle that he lost all personality, and the trope felt ignored. And we don't see nearly as much of Franky, who is the most charming character by far.

I also find one of the best parts of the celebrity trope is eventually coming out to the public, which is something we don't get to see. It felt incomplete. Like, even if it had just been to Samar, that'd be some form of closure.

And I've wanted to throw up at "Fuck, baby, you like it when I play with your tits?" since I first read it. Like a visceral reaction that has stuck with me to how much this line did not work.

HOWEVER. HOWEVER. </spoiler>

HOWEVER.

I still have not recovered from: "You're here, aren't you?"

3.5/5

Ezekiel Boehm is a bright, personable teacher in a private school in the Philadelphia area. He’s also gay, a sports fan, and one of the most energetic characters I’ve ever met. His idea of chilling out is to go for a six-mile run. It does help to calm his racing mind and center him, but we readers get swept up in all that goes on in his head and his life, so I sometimes had to stop for a fifteen minute break to catch my breath and center my focus.

The object of his daydreams is a tall, intense hockey player named Spencer McLeod, a Canadian from Thunder Bay. Zeke and his roommate, his best friend Jake, have a wonderful relationship with plenty of teasing and bantering, especially over hockey. They do not revere the same players, but Zeke holds true to his worship of Spencer and his Philadelphia Liberty team. Imagine his shock when the supposedly single Spencer McLeod shows up at the school meet and greet with his five-year-old daughter, Addie. Shock is probably too mild a word to ever apply to Zeke, whose whole world tips on its axis at the apparently shy and introverted dad who obviously worships his little girl. But Spencer is single! Zeke immediately moves into internet search mode and determines there’s been no mention of a wife or child anywhere. He can only hope Spencer is a single dad, even though he knows there’s no chance he’ll ever be more to him than Addie’s teacher. But a man can hope, right?

All goes well for a while and Zeke gets a peek at Spencer during drop-off or pick-up some days and then learns Spencer has volunteered, aka been strong-armed, into being lead for Addie’s reading circle. In a weak moment, Zeke volunteers to help the mumbling, soft-spoken Spencer prepare for his story-time experience. At this point, about 20 percent in, I made a note to self in my reading app that I am totally hooked! I loved the pacing, the banter between Zeke and Jake, Zeke’s inner turmoil, and then his budding friendship with Spencer.

The story is told completely in Zeke’s POV, which has pluses and minuses. The minus is obvious in that we don’t know Spencer’s thoughts but the pluses are that we do see Spencer’s reactions, including his bright pink blush that often leaves his cheeks and migrates to his neck. The author also gets to continue the fast pace, scattered thoughts, and witty banter and the reader isn’t disrupted by an about-face to hear the story from a shy introvert’s POV.

The author’s use of present tense makes this dialogue very fast and sometimes feels very staccato. Add this to a character who is possibly ADHD or somewhere close to that and the scenes fly by. Honestly, though, I loved it and I rarely enjoy first person or present tense—at least only very rarely. I was swept along in the tide of the plot and found this to be an extremely satisfying and highly recommendable read.

<i>I would like to thank Cait Nary and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.</i>

<img src="https://66.media.tumblr.com/3fb9c7ea65e37c4364bf2e3b3b96fa3a/tumblr_pk0c3yMZud1r2pp2to1_400.gif"/>

I absolutely adored this book and i think it's because Cait Nary narrative simply works for me. I enjoy the way it pulls you along the story, warm and comforting, like a friend I'm catching up with. It feels like autumn to winter, wet creaking branches bare or crunchy overhead and underfoot, chatting while walking the Lakeshore with a coffee, my bestie (in town for the holidays) and a chilled grin because she's entertaining as fk.

i'm pretty simple. i'm a hockey fan and i love hot (hockey) men, so zeke and i were already gonna vibe hard with that baseline in common lmao! his POV, revealing his insecurities and his emotional and financial challenges, i felt enriched this story with a more personal lens, and because i found this story immersive and deeply resonating, the HEA was beautiful and buoyant to read. throw in a cute kid and a furbaby, bff banter that made me laugh out loud, supportive families of both the found and the born-into variety, an inclusive hockey room and most importantly, NO THIRD ACT nonsense, well it was a winner for me!

wonderful work as always from one of my most cherished authors and as always, looking forward to devouring everything else Cait has in store for the world of MM hockey romances in the future!

[arc review]
Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Lucky Bounce releases January 9, 2024

Zeke is a gym teacher to kindergarten students at Rittenhouse Friends School and falls in love with the single father of one of his students who is a professional hockey player.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into the writing style and it read very juvenile.

It would have been nice if this was dual pov so the reader could see the mutual pining firsthand from Spencer as a way to add to the overall believability. Instead, we were given a limited vocabulary of “fuck off”, “whatever”, “shut up”, and were told a copious amount of times that he was blushing. (seriously, did this guy ever stop blushing??)

cw: f-slur

Zeke is a gym teacher at a swanky school in the Philly area, and a big fan of the Philadelphia Liberty, the (made-up) NHL hockey team in town. When his FAVORITE player's daughter shows up in his kindergarten class, Zeke tries his hardest not to go all fan-boy, but with slightly limited success. Spencer is a star player on the Liberty and known for being quiet, reserved, private, and a bit of a grump. Romance ensues.

The fall for these two is really sweet. I don't love that it's a teacher/parent relationship because that definitely can cause ethical issues. But the kid is 5, so it's not like she's going to college on a gym scholarship. But the idea that this guy gets to meet one of those people he's always drooled over, and then gets to love out legitimate fantasies with the guy, well, more power to him.

There's some steamy scenes throughout because it's a romance novel. But honestly, the way they're written feels a little chunky somehow. It's far more clipped and disjointed and un-flow-y compared to the rest of the book. It almost felt like the author couldn't decide between open door scenes and curtains flapping in the wind, and the snips of description were... just awkward.

I really liked the openness of the ending. I LOVED the openness of the ending. I wish more romance novels ended like this, actually. I won't say more about it, just that it's perfect.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!