This was such a cute concept! I have been excited to read this since I first saw it pop up a few months back. I'm a huge Jane Austen fan and a huge hockey romance fan and the combination is the stuff dreams are made off.

Puck & Prejudice is about a young professional hockey player who, on a visit to England, ends up in traveling back to the 19th Century. Tuck ends up meeting Elizabeth, who is staying in the country with her widowed cousin and their good friend, Jane Austen. In order to help him find his way back without creating a scandal, as well as to protect herself from the marriage mart, Elizabeth agrees to marry Tuck. The two of the have to travel around England, as a married couple, staying in inns (with only one bed).

Overall, the book was cute, but I had some issues with the historical inaccuracies. I try not to be too big of a stickler, but there were several moments that took me out of the book completely. I have spent so much time studying this period, so this may be a me problem. I also wish there was more actual hockey. Tuck is a pro-hockey player, and he uses plenty of hockey metaphors throughout the book, but it's missing the elements that make the hockey romance genre so popular. It was still a fun read, but I had such high hopes and those expectations were not met.

So grateful to have received this ARC from Lia Riley and NetGalley!

When I initially saw what this book was about, I knew I had to have it. Time travel????? Historical romance???? Jane Austen???? Heck yes.

This book follows Tuck Taylor, a famous hockey player who finds himself plunging into a pond and coming out in 19th century England. What!!!! This plot is absolutely amazing. The last time travel, historical romance novel I read was written in probably the 1980’s. I was SO excited to read this and it did not disappoint.

Enter our heroine, Lizzy. She is the lucky duckling who stumbles upon Tuck as he emerges from the pond and she has no idea what to do with him. I loved seeing their banter back and forth and the lingo neither of them understood from each other. This was truly just a great concept for a book.

I thought the execution was good too. Did the characters just accept that Tucker was from the future without question? Yes, they did. However, the entire premise is so ridiculous that I couldn’t dock it for that.

However, I did wish that there was more pull between the two characters. I loved the tension up until the climax of their relationship and then I found the relationship to be… not as exciting. I need there to be a bit of tension once they are together too. Or at least a little bit of yearning. Sure, there was yearning when they were in bed together, but I needed that outside of the bedroom too. I need them to prove to me (as the reader) that they can work well in the real world too. Whether that be in the 19th century or the 21st century.

Overall, I did really enjoy this story. I can’t wait to read what's next from this author!

Thank you to the author and the publisher for a free review copy in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a fun time! When I read the blurb I had my doubts, but this combined a lot of what I love in a romance: whimsy, a very literal opposites attract, a bit of magic, himbos, and Just A Girl vibes. Lia Riley I love your brain for coming up with this!!!

This book was so good! I initially thought it would be more like a take on Pride and Prejudice but it was like a fun spin-off with Lizzy being the inspiration for Pride and Prejudice. And her friend Jane the beloved author Jane Austen. I enjoyed this twist more than I would've just reading the same but different story of Pride and Prejudice. Lizzy is my type of girl. She's smart and gets down to business. I enjoyed the immediate interest in her and Tuck. The switch between modern thought with Tuck and an older historical perspective was well done. I loved the prose in Lizzy's sections more than the modern Tuck sections. Tuck, I enjoyed as well later when we got to know him more but came off a bit too hard dude-ish in the beginning. I loved the marriage of convenience trope and overall, it is just great feel good romance.

Time traveling Austin-ish with a hockey player.

Yep. This one is jam packed with tropes that normally wouldn't be mashed up.
So, props for a fresh take on a classic tale.
Lizzy just Wooddash (so much Austin in a name) just wants to read her books.
Tucker is a modern day hockey player who is sent back in time two hundred years.
Yeah. Never gonna work. But they hatch a scheme for Lizzy to wed and be a widow when Tucker finds his way back to his proper time.
It's a trip.

I received the e-Arc and it was the perfect palate cleanser. I always like adding a romance in between fantasy series and this was the perfect book. I am a fan of both category's, meaning hockey and regency romance. This literally filled both of those needs. If your not a fan of time travel then this might not be for you, but I am the biggest Jane Austin fan and the fact that she was in a good portion of this book was fantastic! Do I think this is for everyone? no. Was it for me? absolutely yes!

I am so sad to DNF, my brain unfortunately cannot read 3rd person POV and I tried about six different times to get into this book but I just could not, I was so excited for this book since I love Pride and Prejudice and I love hockey.

When modern-day hockey player Tucker Taylor accidentally travels back to 1812, he encounters Lizzy Wooddash, a woman yearning for independence in an era defined by marriage and societal expectations. Lizzy sees an unconventional solution in marrying Tucker—who could "die" to return to his time, leaving her the widow she’s always desired. But as sparks fly between them, their carefully planned future collides with the unpredictable nature of love.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Let me tell you, I did not expect Jane Austen to be in so much of this book! She’s not a main character, by any means. Yet she is good friends with the heroine, Lizzy. Not only are they good friends, but Jane is also a great sounding board for the younger woman, as she has always wanted to be a writer, and Jane has already published a book! So, Ms. Austen is not just mentioned in passing in this story, and it was a delight.

Listen, this is a time-travel romance about an NHL goalie and a friend of Jane Austen. Many things happen for “romance reasons.” Don’t be a Debbie Downer and start picking this story apart. If you fancy yourself a “serious reader of literature,” then take yourself somewhere else. This book is fun and flirty. Lizzy and Tuck have fantastic chemistry and enjoy each other’s company immensely.

Tuck is an amazing hero. For the most part, he understands Lizzy’s plight. She wants to do what makes her happy and be seen as herself, not as an adornment on a man’s arm or an extension of her brother’s or stepfather’s life. But even as a “modern” man, there are things Tuck still gets wrong. The thing is, he’s willing to instantly correct himself and apologize once Lizzy points it out to him. It opens his eyes to how much is still so uneven in his time regarding women and men.

In so many ways, this is the book I needed right now. In many ways, it was a grim reminder of where we are. There’s a part where she questions him about women presidents and I read this days after the election in the United States; that hurt a lot. Just keep that in mind if you’re picking this book up soon after it is published. I highly recommend it but take note of your state of mind.

I have read Lia Riley's other hockey romance series and absolutely loved it! So I was very excited to get my hands on an ARC copy of this one.
I sadly was a bit let down. This said entirely way to much and yet nothing at the same time, I found myself skimming a lot just to move the story along. I think it tried doing too many things in one book. We didn't need Jane Austen, hockey and time travel all in one book. The banter and spice was great and I enjoyed the times characters were interacting but we were in the characters heads all too often and that part was boring to me.

"Fate may bring people into our lives, but we're the ones who choose who we refuse to part with."

✨ Time Travel Romance
✨ Regency Romance
✨ Hockey Romance
✨ Marriage of Convenience
✨ Spicy Lessons
✨ Third Person POV

This was such a fun time travel x hockey x regency romance! Tucker Taylor is a professional hockey player who finds himself in Regency era England after a car accident in the UK. Lizzy Wooddash is the one who discovers Tucker (in a pond nonetheless) and despite the inconceivable notion of time travel, she believes Tucker. As fate would have it, Lizzy needs a solution to her marriage and societal situation and believes Tucker is her answer. She just never thought that she would develop true feelings for Tucker as they find away to send him back to the future.

This sounded liked a completely crazy premise but it ABSOLUTELY WORKS!! This was an entertaining historical romance read and unexpectedly and delightfully spicy! I loved that Lizzy and some of the other female characters (notably THE Jane Austen) were fighting back against the societal norms of their times. Lizzy was a strong character and her inquisitiveness about modern times was both comical and endearing. Tucker is an adorable character who waved green flags all over the place. Both Lizzy and Tucker were absolutely fated to be together and I greatly enjoyed reading about their unique relationship.

Thank you so much to Avon Publishing for the advance copy! ❤

3.75⭐
1🌶️
Tropes: Historical, time travel, marriage of convenience, forced proximity, one horse/bed, “my wife”
Single POV 3rd person

Tucker Taylor, a famous hockey player, accidentally travels back in time when he gets trapped in a pond during a car crash. When he emerges from the water in 1812 England he meets Lizzy: bestie to Jane Austen, aspiring writer, hermit and widow, and black sheep of the Wooddash family. Tuck seems to be the way for her to achieve her dreams of freedom from societal constraints. They agree to marry, since when he is able to find a way to return to his time she will effectively be a widow, but they just can’t fall in love with each other first.

The story is cute, but it dragged a little for me. I think the storyline had a lot of potential but the execution fell flat so I’m pretty neutral about it. It didn’t really grab me, but nothing stuck out as being bad.

Puck & Prejudice is a cute and unique spin on a romance set in the time of Jane Austen!

During a near death experience while visiting his sister in the UK, hockey goalie Tucker Taylor finds himself 200 years in the past. Luckily, Lizzy discovers him and actually believes he’s from the future. They band together—Lizzy needs a husband. And when Tucker returns to the future (or “dies”) she’ll be an independent widow. They just need to figure out how to get him there!

I love the connection between these two characters. Yes there’s some awkwardness between them at first, but they soon trust each other and their communication is top tier! There are both laugh out loud and heart melting moments. And Tucker has the most green flags I’ve read in awhile 🩷

Highlights—
🤍 Time Travel
✨ Marriage of Convenience
🤍 Fun spicy times
✨ Unique connection to Pride & Prejudice (not a re-telling)

Don’t miss out on this one friends!

A hockey player ends up in Jane Austen’s time period via time travel. An odd combination but it kinda works, it’s a very fun read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🔥🔥🔥

Quick Breakdown

Hockey Hero
Historical Romance
Magical Realism / Time Travel
Marriage of Convenience
Teach Me
Only One Bed
Himbo / Golden Retriever
Dual POV
Open Door - Moderate

On medical leave from his NHL career, Tucker Taylor travels to England to visit his sister. He accidentally crashes into an icy pond trying to avoid hitting a child & subsequently wakes up in 1812. It’s there, while walking out of the same pond some 200 years in the past, he stumbles upon Lizzy quite shocked at his presence. The pair devise a mutually beneficial plan: they’ll marry to explain Tucker’s presence & then when he eventually returns to the future, Lizzy will finally have her freedom as a widow.

HOLY COW! This was the best escape read. As a mash up of two of my favorite things: Pride and Prejudice & hockey heroes, I’m not surprised. I mean, Jane Austen herself is a secondary character!

Imagine your favorite hockey hero.. I’m talking the lovable himbo, golden retriever variety & drop him smack in the middle of England in the Regency era. It’s delightfully quirky with humor on point & fantastic banter. My favorite piece though, is how it’s sooo fluffing 𝗵ö𝗿𝗻𝘆. Tucker & Lizzy have a palpable chemistry intensified by the forced proximity of long carriage rides in route to Gretna Green, lodging rooms with only one bed not to mention Lizzy’s curiosity & her desire to know about the marital bed before she’s a widow. Suffice to say, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨.

If you go into this fun & spice, I can guarantee you’ll enjoy! IMO, this is a great way to get your feet wet if you’re new to the historical romance genre, too.

Thank you @avonbooks for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Utterly fun and a nice change of pace form the normal trad books being pushed out into the world today. I had such a great time and love a bonkers book!! WE NEED TO NORMALIZE THEM MORE!!!!

DNF at 50%

I loved the premise of this story from the start as I enjoy reading both historical and sports romances, but the execution fell a little short. I thought the writing and language felt genuine in both eras, but the pace was just too slow. At the halfway point in the book, Tucker and Lizzy had barely reached Gretna Green for their elopement, and it felt like the story dragged and very little had happened so far. I skimmed to the end because I wanted to know how their story was going to be resolved, and ultimately I'm glad I didn't waste my time reading all the way through.

It was a cute concept, im a sucker for hockey romances but it wasn't my favorite. Definitely was a cute read if you just need to escape into something out of the normal hockey romance style.

Puck and Prejudice took some of my favorite genres and mashed them up beautifully. I love a good time slip romance, and this threw a hockey player with the best friend of Jane Austen. Lizzy is a 27yo spinster that dreams of becoming an independent widow so she can finally do what she wants without society's pressures. Tucker is a hokey player in remission, having survived Hodgkin lymphoma and visiting his sister in England. He crashes into a winter pond and falls out in a summer pasture next to Lizzy. Her friend's decide this is a great opportunity to elope to Scotland, figure out how to return him to his time, then become the widow. Of course, the forced proximity and fake marriage with a time limit allows them to open up to each other and begin to feel real feelings, against their better judgment.

You can expect:
Regency Romance
Time Slip to 1812 England
Marriage of convenience
Force Proximity
Only one bed
Sick care
Found Family
Family Trauma
Austen Cameos
Late 20s MCs
Dual, 3rdP POV

I love how they were able to work it all out in the end, and just wish there was more in between. If I had a criticism it would be that there are a few times that it jumps weeks and I wish we had some fluff to fill that in more. I appreciate that it discusses the things I think about in time travel novels, like how to fit in with his weird haircut and accent. We get some fun nods to Austen's novels, as she is in her early career and uses the phrases she will later write. This is not a Pride and Prejudice retelling, just set along side it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for providing an eARC for my honest opinion.

3.5 - ⭐⭐⭐ 💫

“Very well, let’s embark on some more bad decisions…”

Puck and Prejudice is a standalone historical time travelling romance following Tucker Taylor, a hockey player who finds himself travelling back in time in Regency England where he meets Lizzy. Lizzy is a young woman burdened by the expectations of her time. Yearning to live her life freely by writing and engaging in discourse, she is desperate to find a way out of a traditional marriage. When Tuck and Lizzy meet, they discover they can help each other out with a simple marriage on convenience...she can gain the title of widow and be left free while he can use her resources until he can get back to the future. Yet what happens when they start to feel more? Can they say goodbye when it's time to leave?

Tucker is a very easy going character. He has had a hard couple of years (cancer) and was taking a vacation with his sister to get things together. I will say he does struggle with communication and likes to assume things but he is willing to listen.

Lizzy is a woman who just wants the freedom to be in an era where that is not easy. I liked seeing her run with the challenges. At times she did just resign herself to things but I felt Tucker was her first chance to really be able to speak freely.

In terms of spice this book is about 2 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. The connection between the characters grows in the first half of the novel with spice happening in the later second half. The spice is more romantic than explicit. It is also Lizzy's first time so there is an element of teaching there that is fun to explore.

“Trust me, you have no problem bewitching a man.”

The story itself is pretty straightforward. It is a quick read and moves along well. There are fun little tidbits with Jane Austen and very little of hockey outside of Tucker acknowledging it is his profession. I enjoyed the side characters adding to the story and some of the external conflict brought in from Lizzy's family that shook things up. The one thing for me was that the romance didn't wow me. It had some fun moments and was easy to follow but it was fairly low key. I also felt the ending was a bit of a cop out with it's happily ever after - admittedly it did do something different.

Overall, if you're looking for a quick low risk historical romance with a sci-fi vibe, this book will do the job.

Thank you Avon for this arc!