Puck and Prejudice by Lia Riley
Historical (and contemporary) romance, romcom. Time travel. Marriage of convenience. This was wild and I absolutely loved it. Who knew I needed a romance with a himbo hockey player that time travels back to the regency era??

"Puck and Prejudice" by Lia Riley has got to be one of the most fun retellings I have ever read.

Romantic comedy is definitely an apt description of this book. Throw in some time traveling and chaos ensues as well. This is a great escapism story for readers to enjoy. It was fun to watch the marriage of convenience play out as the romance began to unfold. Lizzy and Tuck was good characters that you wanted to root for.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for gifting me this ARC. I enjoyed it.

This was SUCH a fun time. Like at times so silly, but the writing was decent, so I didn’t get too caught up in the details of time travel. Some of the things near the end were questionable, but fixed with a few sentences that I know an editor was like “we need to clear this up” 😂.

Honestly, that the dude was a hockey player had zero to do with anything and this man could have had any profession, but hockey romance is a thing right now so I get it. It also made for a clever title.

Overall, this was a light, fun read. Lots of historical romance, occasional sports references. Romance lovers should pick this one up, I think you’ll enjoy it.

Puck and Prejudice is a sweet, time travel romance for fans of Outlander and Jane Austen.

After a near death experience, hockey player Tucker Taylor wakes up in 1812, directly in front of headstrong, ambitious Lizzy Wooddash. Lizzy dreams of becoming a writer, but spinsterdom is fast approaching and while a marriage would secure her standing in society, it would also mean losing autonomy over her life. Seizing the opportunity in front of them, Tuck and Lizzy devise a marriage of convenience that will benefit them both. Under the guise of marriage Tuck can ease into Regency Era England and hunt for clues on how to return home while Lizzy will eventually gain her much coveted freedom once she becomes a “widow” after Tuck leaves. What Tuck and Lizzy do not count on are the tender emotions that arise between them that just might deconstruct their carefully laid plans.

What would it mean for a contemporary person to wind up in 1812? Lia Riley does a fantastic job at answering this question. Logistics such as toothbrushes and medicine are addressed through Tucker’s contemporary lens, leading to both humorous and heartfelt exchanges. The medicine aspect was especially interesting after learning about Tuck’s prior cancer battle and what it would have meant had he been diagnosed in an earlier time period. I think many romance lovers look upon the Regency Era with rose colored glasses, often overlooking how important modern comforts are in our lives. Riley calls these notions into perspective and makes it so Tuck’s desire to stay with Lizzy isn’t as simple as it seems.

The stakes of time travel romances are built directly into the trope. How can two people from different eras ever find a happily ever after? I spent the majority of this book trying to figure out how Tuck and Lizzy could reach their HEA, especially as I became more enraptured with their love story. Their chemistry was beautiful as was Tuck’s modern approach to relationships. He was the perfect partner to Lizzy, allowing her to indulge her curiosities and make choices for her own future. The sex scenes were also hot as hell and I love the “sex lessons” trope.

I think Riley was able to strike all the right chords that made Tuck and Lizzy’s romance soar and I especially loved the little nods to Austen and her beloved classics. There’s even a few cameos from the famous author that had me giggling!

Thank you Avon Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Tucker Taylor, hotshot goalie currently benched due to his health, has been trying to keep hockey off his mind by visiting his sister in England. After a patch of black ice lands his car in an icy pond, Tucker finds himself transported to 1812 and face to face with Lizzie Wooddash. Lizzie dreams of life outside society’s expectations — and this strange, wet man might be her ticket to freedom.

A fun, entertaining time-travel rom-com featuring Jane Austen as a bestie (and some excellent boiled potatoes).

**3.5 Stars, rounded up

This one is a wild premise: a hockey player from the 2020s drives into a frozen pond in England and pops out in 1812. Where he meets Lizzy, and there’s a whirlwind “romance” of a wildly concocted scheme and somewhere along the way it gets real. (And very, very, very ^spicy^… ahem.) And then more complicated, as they learn how and why Tuck found his way back in time. I liked the ending, and love that Jane Austen is the one who came up with the solution.

Speaking of Jane… I definitely thought this would be more of an Austenesque book, especially with the title. But other than Jane being a supporting character/one of Lizzy’s dearest friends, it’s not. At all. However I did like the phrases sprinkled throughout that hinted at Austen novels.

Tucker Taylor, a modern-day hockey player, is accidentally transported to Regency England, where he meets Lizzy Wooddash, a woman dreaming of widowhood in order to escape societal expectations. They devise a marriage of convenience to allow them to work together to get Tucker home to his time and get Lizzy the freedom she desires. However, as they grow closer, they realize love doesn’t follow even the most carefully laid plans, and they must confront whether their relationship can survive the test of time.

I didn’t quite know what to expect when reading the blurb of the book, but this ended up being a cute little time travel romance. Tucker and Emma were both fully developed characters with well thought out backstories, and I enjoyed reading how those intertwined together. The inclusion of Jane Austen as a side character was an interesting choice, but I’m not sure that I’m sold on it, as the references to her work were a bit cringe-inducing at times. I personally would have enjoyed more scenes with Tucker, Emma, Georgie, and Nora, but I loved the loophole at the end that allowed Tucker and Emma to have their happily ever after.

4.5/5

This was wild and I absolutely loved it. Who knew I needed a romance with a himbo hockey player that time travels back to the regency era??

I truly had the best time reading this solely because the concept of this story was genuinely so unique and different from anything I've ever read. I loved that there were sprinkling of lines throughout the story that were odes to Pride and Prejudice. They felt like little Easter Eggs and made for such an enjoyable reading experience.

I thought that the audio narration was fantastic. I loved the distinct variation between Lizzie and Tuck's respective voices throughout. I really enjoyed the marriage of convenience aspect and the comparison between the two worlds of the regency era and the 21st century.

Overall, this was just fun. The premise and tension between the MCs kept me engaged while reading and personally I want more books like this!!!

Thank you PRH Audio, Lia Riley, Avon Publishing, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

this was such an interesting twist of historical and hockey. this gave me a few laughs but there was something missing from this story that made it not hit for me

4⭐️

A very unique concept and one done well! It was a really cute read and good plot as well. A little slow at times right in the middle, but overall found the story enjoyable with decent humor. I loved the fact that Jane Austen was an actual character in the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Lia Riley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Cute time travel plot. Pride & Prejudice with Kate & Leopold and a bit of Outlander. Trying to mansplain Hockey to a lady in 1812 was painful, it's such a 20th century sports staple it doesn't translate well. It was cute watching him try and wondering if he was going to change the future. He's watched too many movies. Lizzy is certainly a progressive lady surrounded by equally progressive women. He goal in life is to either be happily single or happily widowed. This leads us into dealings with Tuck. Cute read and well written. Not historically accurate but that's not to be expected in this case.

#NetGalley #PuckandPrejudice #LiaRiley #Avon #timetravelromance #hockey #femaleauthors #contemporaryromance

4 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This one was definitely cute! It felt very kid in King Arthur's Court style story where the sports player falls in to a different time. I loved the regency era setting. The MMC gave the FMC options and ideas she would've never thought of in her time. However, I did have to suspend my disbelief in many places because of the very nature of the story. Overall, it was a cute and quick read.

Closed Door Mods coming soon.

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Puck and Prejudice
Author: Lia Riley
Historical?

Okay what did I just read? There was so much going on in this book. We have a marriage of convenience, time travel, sports, and Jane Austen somehow all wrapped up in one book. A hockey player gets transported back in time to regency era England. He ends up being saved by Lizzy, whose dream is to become a widow so that she can experience freedom. When she meets this strange person that says they are from the future, she decides he will be the perfect person for her plan. Returning him back to his time period will help her fulfill her dream of being free! This book was definitely entertaining, but it was a little too ridiculous for me to give it anything higher than a three.

Lia Riley’s Puck and Prejudice is a delightful homage to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, blending the timeless wit and charm of Austen’s world with the fast-paced energy of modern hockey. It’s an imaginative and entertaining retelling, with a clever storyline that keeps you hooked.

The nods to Austen’s classic are a joy to uncover, and the fresh, contemporary setting makes the story feel vibrant and engaging. The mix of romance, sports, and humor creates the perfect escape—a fun, lighthearted read that’s easy to sink into.

While the ending takes a spicier turn than the rest of the book, which may not appeal to all readers, it doesn’t detract from the overall cleverness of the story. For fans of retellings, hockey romances, or a bit of heat in their books, Puck and Prejudice is a win!

This was a fun quick read. I like the idea of combining hockey, time travel, and a marriage of convenience into a novel. It shows a hockey player, but I feel it does not involve that much hockey in the story overall. But that’s just my personal observation. Thank you Avon Books for providing this via NetGalley for review consideration.

LOVED THIS. The idea is genius and I'm so glad the author is continuing with other Austen novels. Also much dirtier than anticipated.

Bridgerton meets Outlander mushed together into also a hockey romance?? Sign me up!!

Super stoked to get a chance to read this book early!

I really enjoyed the writing and all the little Jane Austen nuggets! I'll def pick up a book by the author again!

I wanted to love this one as I love Hockey rom com and all things Jane Austen. And while I loved the chapters from Tucker's point of view and same of the banter when Tucker and Lizzy. I couldn't stand the chapters from Lizzy's point of view. I mean I know she was a regency heroine but I just couldn't stand her. I just wish author's could write regency heroines like Jane Austen did but that's probably to much to ask for.

However I did enjoy the setting as it did feel like I was in regency England. And I a willing to give the author another try. As maybe I just not a fan of time travel romance. Or time travel books in general. But if you like regency novels, Austen and hockey you will love this one.

Hmmm. Okay, listen. This grasped my attention because two of my favorite things: hockey and regency era. It worked for a while. And then the whole explaining of the time traveling was a reach. 😂

While the book lacked a lot of depth, I did enjoy the overall storyline and the characters. Once it got to the spicier scenes though, Tuck’s dialogue distracted me a lot and made it a bit cringe. 😬

Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

LIA DID HER THING!!! This was such a twist of events. It was a fun new concept, and I had such a fun time reading. I was laughing, I giggled at how adorable Lizzy and Tucker were. I will say this was more emotional than I expected it to be. Like I had to take a pause at moments because some things would just hit me. The character development, the plot, the writing, gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. Truly such an incredible read, also, I loved Jane Austen being one of Lizzy's best friends, it was so cute. ADOREDDDDDDD the way the ending was written, it just worked so well!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Avon and Lia for the arc of Puck and Prejudice, out now! <3

- Time travel
- Road trip
- Hockey mmc
- Writer fmc
- One bed
- Marriage of convenience (ate this uppppp)