Christmas in July? I’m a little behind getting caught up on books but I think picking this one up now was fate. It’s a great story and you can easily read it as a standalone. Although it’s a holiday themed book it has an uplifting message that sometimes doing something uncomfortable or unfamiliar is a good thing and you don’t know what you might be missing. Don’t be afraid of change. I needed to be reminded to get out of my shell - a little makeover and trying something new can give you a new perspective.

I love a holiday romance and Merry Pucking Christmas was just the story I needed.
Harley Reid and Nils Axelesson are sweet, funny, have real struggles and find themselves friends for the holiday. When Harley Reid accepts her Aunt Nora's invite to spend the holidays in the city with her the last thing that she expects is to find herself a friend and so much more. I truly loved the way Nils treated her with kid gloves and met her at every turn. He may be a bit of a grouch, but he soon became more than likeable in my book!!
~~Michele McMullen~~

Oh how I love being back in Kelly Jamieson’s Bears Hockey World. Merry Pucking Christmas was a delightful story of two strangers connecting in an unusual way and discovering the joy of the season in New York City.

What I really loved was that small town gal Harley goes to NYC at Christmas and not only gets swept up in the Christmas spirit while visiting her aunt and running into Nils, a pro hockey player. When her Aunt Nora gets injured she enlists the help of her friend in the building Nils to escort Harley to the events she had planned for them. Harley and Nils have chemistry in spades and with Harley returning home after the holidays they decide a holiday tryst with make things even brighter. As they enjoy the sights, sounds, and activities that NYC has to offer, they begin to see each other in a different light.

Merry Pucking Christmas contained everything I want in a holiday romance and everything I expect from a book by Kelly Jamieson. I absolutely loved these characters and the way this story was crafted, it was an absolutely joy to read!

This is a heartwarming Christmas novella about Nils and Harley, two broken-hearted people not interested in celebrating Christmas. When Harley decides to go to New York for Christmas, she meets Nils and as they spend time together, they start to fall in love. I love reading stories about hockey players and Nils is the perfect guy for Harley. I liked both Nils and Harley and they share tons of chemistry whenever they are together. I was cheering for them and hoping they would get the happy ending they both deserve. I enjoyed reading this enchanting novella. It put me in the holiday spirit and left me with a smile on my face.

Extra points for the setting being in New York at Christmas! What a setting, all of the favorite places are in this story if you have ever visited NYC at Christmas, and if you have not, all the places you will want to go! Perfectly done and gets you in the true Christmas spirit. Nils, a loner hockey player who happens to be off for a few days over the holiday and Harley his neighbor's niece who is visiting and needs someone to take her around the city.... what a whorl-win this turns out to be.... holiday love, learning to be confident, finding yourself ... oh, and a lost love that we need the backstory and ending of.... this book had it all! pick up a copy and get the holiday feeling. I loved it!

I don’t usually read novellas because I hate get invested in characters when the story is over too quickly , But when you know it’s a Kelly Jamieson book , you pick it up ! T his was the perfect Christmas novella. How can you not love Harley and Nils . They were great characters , the steam was perfect. They love the reminder of the rest of the Bears players. Well worth reading !!!

Thank you NetGalley and Kelly Jamieson for the ARC !

Harley goes to New York to spend Christmas with the only family she has left, her aunt Nora. While there she runs into Nils, the Swedish hockey god. With a little help from Aunt Nora, Nils and Harley embark on some NY adventures together. Their adventures are giving them both Christmas spirit and joy. The more time they spend together, the more they both feel a bond growing. Once Christmas vacation is over, and Harley returns to Ohio, will they realize it was only a fling or do they belong together?

Fun banter, wonderful story and Nora and Russell were fun side characters.

Nils is a long way from home and is planning on spending Christmas alone. His family can’t make it to the states and he doesn’t feel like going to his teammates celebrations. His neighbor, Nora, asks him for a favor. Since he would do anything for her he agrees and is surprised when he finds the niece he agreed to hang out with is the same woman who ran into him in the elevator.

Harley is reeling. She is recently divorced, after her husband cheated and she is planning a very low key, Netflix without the chill, evening. Until she accidentally hits her ex’s new girlfriend’s car and the cops show up to talk to her. She decides to take her only living relative, her aunt Nora, up on the offer of spending Christmas with her on NYC.

This was so much more than just a romance between Nils and Harley. It was a beautifully written story about second chances- family, friend and loved ones. It is also about heartache and how you move on (you won’t ever forget but you can help each other). In addition, it was about becoming a better you.

As Nils and Harley spend more time together they start realizing that they don’t want their time to end. Unfortunately, she doesn’t live in NYC, so she has to go home. Will he be able to admit how he feels and give her a reason to stay? Will she follow her heart or her head? Will her aunt (her story is heartbreaking) admit how she feels to someone in her life?

I loved this book and can’t wait for more in the series. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable, totally satisfying Christmas hockey romance. Harley and Nils were adorable and I loved the ending. Aunt Nora was great as well and I liked that we got to see depth in her character as well. I loved that we got to see Harley gain confidence and begin making decisions to be true to herself. Loved this book!

Merry Pucking Christmas is the new novella by author Kelly Jamieson. This is the perfect story to kick off this holiday season!

It is an understatement to say that Harley has had a difficult year. She lost her parents in a car accident and she recently got divorced. To make matters worse, she hit a parked car...a car belonging to her ex-husband's new girlfriend. She normally loves her life in the small town of Carson, Ohio...but right now, she's tired of everyone feeling sorry for her. She initially planned to spend Christmas alone, but after the recent turn of events, she decides to go to her Aunt Nora's in New York City.

Nils is a professional hockey player for the New York Bears. He is not looking forward to another Christmas away from his family back home in Sweden. When his friend Nora asks him to take her niece to see the Rockettes show, he doesn't hesitate to say yes. After all, it's not like he has anything better to do. However, he was not expecting her niece to be the beautiful woman that literally ran into him in the elevator. Maybe this Christmas won't be so lonely after all?

The story that unfolds is a well-written and heartwarming story. Both Harley and Nils are lonely...Harley grieving the loss of her parents and Nils missing his family back in Sweden. This is obviously a love story, but it's also so much more. It's a story that perfectly captures the magic of the Christmas season! It is a story filled with love, friendship, family, hope, and having the courage and faith to believe. I absolutely loved Harley and Nils story...and I highly recommend reading this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kelly Jamieson. My views are my own, and are in no way influenced by anyone else.

Where can I find my own Swedish hockey player?!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

I loved this story!! It was such a good insta-love Christmas time read, perfect to get you in the Holly jolly spirit!! So if you’re looking for a cute hallmarkesque holiday romance between a girl down on her luck and struggling to find her way, a hockey player who has a soft spot for those in need, and Christmas fun in NYC then this is absolutely the book for you!!

In this story we meet Harley, a late twenties recently divorced women who is beginning to feel like she’s suffocating in her small hometown. But when her aunt offers her a reprieve in coming to NYC for Christmas looking for a brief escape and a little room to breathe. That is until she plows in the Swedish Stud, aka Nils. A hockey legend who has sworn off women, and is dedicated to hockey and hockey only. But after an accident derails Harleys original holiday plans her and Nils are forced to make the best out of it and begin to realize that maybe the thing they’ve been searching for to fill the missing pieces of their souls is finally right in front of them… if only their brave enough to grab it!!

I will admit as a Christmas lover in all ways it took me a second to warm up to Harley. It’s not necessarily that she hates Christmas but she’s had a rough year and just isn’t feeling the spirit this year especially when it seems her hometown is happier when she’s miserable. But once she was in NY and began to give in to redefining who she is, and becoming the happy and confident person she wants to be I fell in love with her as MFC. She was caring, and warm, not to mention so understanding. And her growth throughout the story was simply amazing to watch! Harleys love interest though was impossible not to love from the beginning! He was caring, and selfless. Going out of his way to help a neighbor in trouble, putting his heart out there even if he felt it was destined to be broke again! He was simply the perfect hockey stud!

Overall I loved this story and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick short read, filled with instalove, reconnecting with family, finding joy in the little things and a little holiday magic!

HAPPY READING 📖

I love this story of holiday magic for two people who deserve it. Harley and Nils were two people who deserved to have love together and this story warmed my heart throughout. It was such a magical story and I could not put this story down.

If you know the author you'll know going in that this will be an engaging story with interesting characters. It's full of Christmas cheer and the perfect thing to get you into the Christmas spirit, even if you're a bit of a grinch about the holidays (like me). Harley and Nils are really cute together and I really liked them both right from the start. I also loved Aunt Nora and liked that she had her own little side story going on.

This isn't my favourite of the authors books (as the competition is stiff and Christmas isn't my favourite holiday) but I definitely enjoyed it. It's the perfect read in the run up to Christmas and is making me want to book a trip to NY again.

Welcome back, Kelly Jamieson! How much we missed you and this series this past year! This was a long-awaited new release and what a darn fantastic book it was - our beloved Bears Hockey boys are back, and the beautiful Nils met the girl of his dreams in Harley, and the one to change his mind about relationships.

Also - an excellent Christmas in New York setting? Discussion of learning difficulties and getting beyond them plus helping children with it now? A thing of beauty! Top it off with a small town girl struggling with her identity after a divorce and losing her family who decided last minute to spend it with her spinster aunt in the city, and this Christmas novella is going to be hard to beat for my favourite of this season.

A definite recommendation from me - you will never go wrong with any book from my girl from Canada and our national pastime of hockey, and this new release after a year is exceptional!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and this is my honest opinion.

I loved this book!! I have been a fan of this author and her writing for many years. I was not disappointed in this release at all. It was an amazing story and the writing perfect. It honestly makes me want to go back and read all of Ms Jamieson’s older books. If you love hockey romances, great stories and writing, I would definitely suggest this author!!

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Harley and Nils should be a Hallmark movie!

Accountant Harley Reid was done with all of the sympathy after her divorce so she jumped at the chance to visit her aunt in New York City for the Christmas holiday for a few days so she could get to know her better now that her parents were gone.

Bear hockey player Nils Axelsson didn’t have enough time at Christmas to visit his family in Sweden so he agreed to help his neighbor and show her niece around during her visit. Nils realized that Harley liked him as a friends before realizing that there might be something more.

I loved seeing how much Harley saw the wonder of the Christmas season in New York City with Nils because it would make a great Hallmark movie.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Puck, yeah!

I really enjoyed this holiday themed hockey read (light on the hockey).
Harley keeps running into the smokin' hot Nils. Nils is very attracted to Harley, who he mistakely thought was a kid when her aunt asks him to take her out. Needless to say, he's super stoked its the grown up Harley.
Recommend.

Love Harley and Nils's story - steamy and sweet with low angst. When Harley's aunt finds herself injured and unable to go on her planned outings with Harley, she wangles her neighbor Nils to take her place and mutual attraction ensues. This story is also about Harley finding her confidence, and forging a relationship with her aunt who she hasn't seen in years. Great addition to the Bears Hockey family!

Love it! It was so good that when I got to the end I wanted to read it all over again! It definitely put me in the Christmas spirit like a holiday romance should! Harley & Nils story is a sweet magical love story that has all the feels. I also enjoyed the secondary story with Nora & Russell!

Kelly Jamieson's newest hockey romance gives us her trademark hockey romance with two people rediscovering joy in the Christmas season.

I loved how Harley and Nils met, how they start off as friends with no expectations, and how Harley's surprised delight in the Christmas of New York ends up changing both of their attitudes. They find themselves discovering the magic of the holiday season all over again, and find each other in the process. I loved how Harley, who sees herself as boring and ordinary, gains confidence thanks to her aunt Nora and Nils, and begins to see herself the way they see her. I loved how the obvious chemistry between them doesn't immediately get acted on- they both know Harley is only there for a few days and nothing can happen. But of course, it wouldn't be a romance if things didn't happen!

As delightful as the hockey romance is, one of the things I liked best about this book was how both Harley and Nils (and Nora and Russell) had to open themselves up to change. Change is scary and uncomfortable and it is way easier to stay in our comfort zones and just regret the 'might have beens'. But Jamieson's characters learn to be brave and take a chance on change and putting themselves out there.

A delightful romance with just enough holiday magic to be the perfect way to step into the season.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review