Whooooaaaaa. Emily Rath packs a ton of plot into Pucking Sweet—part of me sometimes wishes these Jacksonville Rays books were just a little bit shorter, but then the characters draw me in and I want the story to keep going. Poppy, Colton, and Lukas weave together for a complicated, unexpected, and fulfilling romance, and Poppy’s family drama provides a satisfying side story.

While I’ve enjoyed reading the first three books in this series as a trilogy, I’m also glad that the Pucking Sweet epilogue indicates there will be a time jump for the fourth book—it will be fun to move on and get a fresh infusion of characters and events to work with.

This is one of those books where you kind of buckle in for the ride and step off the 'coaster at the end kind of punch-drunk! In a good way! Since Pucking Sweet's timeline runs parallel to the previous two novels (Pucking Around and Pucking Wild), it's definitely worth reading those first, as you get a real kick from seeing the events of those books from a different angle. But I'd also say it's not a deal-breaker if you're coming to this as a newbie to the Jaxonville Rays world.

This is seriously spicy hockey romance where the author isn't afraid to go for a deep dive into characterisation, and while that perhaps makes the book longer than it strictly needs to be, I can't be mad, as I enjoyed these characters and their story so much. Poppy, Lukas and Colton may be my new faves in the series, and I loved that each of them have a fully developed arc, and that their respective relationships also receive equal billing. Emily Rath's books have a warmth and humour to them similar to other 'grown up' (rather than college) hockey books, but they also bring the angst in a way that sets them apart from the more rom-com takes of (for example) Helena Hunting or Meghan Quinn; in this respect they have a similar drama quotient to some of the college series, but, like, with the spice level dialled up to 11, and a lot of it, too. (Basically, read the content warnings and treat them as either a promise or a threat, depending on what you're looking for!)

Having read this, I'm definitely inclined to go back and re-read the others in light of the new developments (new character POVs unlocked, like) and I'm definitely looking forward to more to come in the next instalment, Pucking Strong. That seems like it's going to be set a few years on from the first three, so in a way Pucking Sweet draws the 'phase 1' of the Jax Rays to a conclusion, while teasing what's to come.

5 ⭐️ 4 🌶️

This book was genuinely fantastic from start to finish. I loved Poppy’s character from the beginning of the series in Pucking Around and I think the men she ends up with are perfect for her in every way. I loved Poppy’s fierce and loyal character. She was confident and didn’t hesitate to ask for what she wanted and I envied that self confidence and assurance. I loved seeing her be utterly herself without shame.

Novy is this impulsive, reckless, jokster player that never wanted to settle down with a woman. He went from one night stand to the next until Poppy. She turned his world upside down in the best way. She brought out the best in him and truly supported him from their first intimate interaction. He had some growing up to do, but he eventually realized his worth and became who he was always meant to be and teaching us the lesson that even with trauma we can overcome our past and be worthy and deserving of love.

Then there’s Colton Morrow. He is this sweetheart hockey player with a dirty mouth and I loved him. I loved seeing his relationship with Novy develop and the start of the MM had me unwell. I also loved how he was the calm to their storm. He knew what they each needed and provided it without hesitation.
Seeing them work through their struggles was hard at times, but so worth it. The relationship between all three of them was so messy, chaotic and beautiful. And don’t even get me started on the smut. It was top tier and I was unwell for almost every scene 🫠😅

The side characters in this book were a range of fantastic to the worst from old faces to the new faces. I hated all of Poppy’s family from her sisters to her mom to her terrible ex, but I loved all the Jax players and seeing the comforting familiar faces of Rach, Ryan and Tess and Shelby had me smiling and TINA was seriously the best 😊

I truly loved the way Emily wrote this story. Teddy and Henrik are next and I CANNOT WAIT 🙌🏼‼️

OMG, soo excited to be back in the Jacksonville Rays world, and "Pucking Sweet" did NOT disappoint!!

Have been craving and maybe even a bit of lusting for Poppy, Colton, and Luckas's story especially as we see them in "Pucking Around", "Pucking Wild", and the novellas. Throughout the first half learning more about our main characters' backstories I kept wondering how is this thruple going to work, will someone get spurned, and will the boy's friendship survive?? So many questions thankfully Emily Rath delivered the best and sexiest outcome possible.

Sidenote read most of this book and finished while on the train to Jacksonville, FL let's just say I was a little disappointed forcing my mid back to reality that the Rays don't actually exist, oh the power of storytelling wishing we could live in our books.

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

4 stars.

This book just HIT. I enjoyed Pucking Around and Pucking Wild but I think I'm obsessed with this one. Poppy, Colton, Lukas; you have my heart.

I loved almost everything about this book. I liked the characters and the dynamics between them. I love the way that we see three different relationships form at the same time. Poppy was just a delight of a character. I thought she was adorable and fun, even if she did wholly lack a spine. The friendship we saw between Colton and Lukas was my favorite and I loved how it blossomed into more. I also enjoyed the plot and the serious themes in shed light on, but it really felt at times that the plot took a backseat to the romance and spice. All in all, this book was just a fun time. I am very excited to see what comes next for the Jacksonville Rays.

Spicy and fun, always a good time when it comes to Emily Rath. Such a fun read, I really enjoyed it!

This book is yet another installment into the world of our beloved Jacksonville Rays. Emily does not disappoint in her spice, banter, and the groups we already love.

Heartfelt, funny, and spicy! This was a quick read and I really enjoyed the dynamic between the main characters.

I enjoyed this story so much. Watching these characters come into their own was really fun. I struggled a little with it being on the same timeline as Pucking Around. I personally felt a little pulled out of the story in the overlapping scenes, but Rath's consistency and ability to write them in the way she did was very good. It's a fun, fast paced, super steamy romance and I really liked it.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was over the moon thrilled to receive the ARC for this third installment of the Jax Rays! Pucking Sweet has readers revisiting the Rays’ first year playing as a team, from the POV of PR manager, Poppy. I often find in books that revisit the same timeline, that there is too much overlap and repetition for me to enjoy; that being said, Emily Rath is a queen and I should not have doubted her. Though there are call backs to scenes we saw from Rachel Price’s POV in book 1, and from Tess in book 2, none of it feels repetitive! Everything that happens from Popp’s POV is only to further reveal the plot of her story, and does not make us revisit plot point from other books. So well done!!

Now the review for readers who are picking this up with no context of the previous books in the series:

Poppy St. James may come from a rich and powerful family, but her career as a PR manager for the Jacksonville Rays NHL team is hard-earned. Despite all her accomplishments, Poppy always feels like she is coming up short with her family. A controlling mother who labels Poppy a disappointment after calling off her engagement to Anderson, a wealthy douchebag her mother views as an “ideal match”; a successful but absent father who stand by as his wife manipulates their children into “staying on the right path”; an older brother who has grown up privileged- and it shows; and last but not least- a younger sister, who is now engaged to Anderson of all people. Poppy, will you be my Majd of Honor? 🥺 YOU MUST BE KIDDING!!

As she navigates her own personal family drama, Poppy also has a storm brewing on her professional front- she is falling in love…with two of her players. Colton Morrow and Lukas Novikov could not be more different, but Poppy is falling in love with them both- and one of them is the father of her unborn child. Can they move past the stigma of how their relationship will be perceived and find peace together as a family?

First book I've read by Emily Rath. It was a fun read and I'd probably read more by her. The relationship dynamic Colton, Lukas, and Poppy had together was interesting to watch. Some moments were a little cringey and dramatic, but then they were all three going at it and I forgot about the bad.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book is a fantastic addition to the Jacksonville Rays series! I devoured this book in practically one sitting and literally could not put it down once I got started! I had so much fun finally diving into all the little storylines we've been getting sneak peeks of in the series' first two books and seeing this teased relationship finally come together. I also loved seeing all the hilarious Price Family moments we didn’t get to see in the first book - like Mars yelling at the guys for chirping Jake and Caleb - SWOON!!

My only gripe with this book was that the last few chapters felt unfinished and slightly rushed. We didn’t get a final conclusion or callback to things that went down; it felt like the book was just over. I wanted a bit more closure to everything they went through and to see them on the other side of it.

This book was so much fun and so spicy, and I loved the little bomb dropped at the end about the next book in the series! I already can’t wait for that to be released!

And why did this book make me low-key want a book about the owner of the Jacksonville Rays, Mark Talbot? The little snippet we got of his life in his conversation with Poppy made me so curious!

All in All, I loved this book. I will most definitely be adding it to my favorites rotation, and I cannot wait for the audiobook to come out because, OMG, some of those scenes!!

Picking up a book by Emily Rath is basically just agreeing to have a fun time. There's not too much plot or character development, but there is PLENTY of spice. Like... SPICY spice.

While it's not a book I would necessarily recommend to friends, patrons, or family members (yikes!), I did have a great time flying through it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such a fun book! i absolutely adored every single thing! the characters, the plot, the writing, the cover! it was such a wonderful book! definitely adding this to my collection

Probably more of a 4.5 overall. Enjoyed it and read it super fast, but felt like there was a little something missing. It had a lot of the pieces of the earlier books and I liked the characters together, but there's just something I can't put my finger on. I think part of it is that it's supposedly a surprise pregnancy romance, except it comes so late in the book that it feels like a spoiler. It also doesn't affect the plot as much as it would in other surprise pregnancy romances.

One thing I did really enjoy was seeing known scenes from another POV. It takes place from the beginning of book one, so we get to see events anew. That's always fun, and helps ground the timeline. And Rath does a good job of setting up the next book both familiarizing ourselves with one of the newer characters and dropping a bomb on us at the end!

Pucking Sweet by Emily Rath is a spicy love story that is like no other book I have read. It's hockey romance meets erotica, complete with queer characters and polyamorous relationships, tied together with some of the most explicit spicy scenes I've ever encountered. Perfect for fans of hockey romances and the Misadventures erotic romance series by multiple authors.

Emily Rath is the QUEEN of writing complex relationships, and Pucking Sweet is no exception. I absolutely devoured this story, and was so happy to be back in the Jax Rays world! Fitting this story into the pre-existing timeline/canon must have been challenging, and there are certain points in the book where the reader can kind of feel that struggle... yet on the other hand, there are certain scenes you revisit from these new POVs and find yourself absolutely screaming in delight at the alternate viewpoint!

Pucking Sweet is my favourite in the series so far. I really liked that this novel was set pre book one and two, as it allowed us to see great character growth, from not only the main characters in this novel but the previous two. I think Poppy, Lukas and Colton are a fantastic throuple, blending together so well. They all lift each other up, bringing out the best version in one another. Colton and Lukas’ story was a sweet touch, and I love that they found each other before they found love together.
This book is fun, steamy, fast paced and so easy to read.
The little snippet at the end was enough to make me desperately want the next book in this series.

WOW. I did not think Emily Rath could fit all of this into one book.

I went into the book being skeptical because from the previous titles in the series, I thought Lukas and Colton were being big dicks to Poppy on top of her being pregnant. Getting the backstory during other events was eye opening and interesting how Emily Rath could keep events in the timelines the same in each book. My head would have been swimming writing this.

I love the little family they built and felt that their dynamics meshed really well. The boys fell first but Poppy fell harder and it was cute seeing her do something she wanted for herself. Her backstory filled me with such anger and I'm glad it got resolved in its own way. Mad Rowan didn't get slapped though. She remained steadfast in her personality and it was cute to see her have her meltdown and forget her professionalism when it came to the guys and her wellbeing. Them nagging her worked out well.

Lukas was the last to come around but it was so satisfying when he gave in and opened up about himself and about his feelings for them. He's team ride or die for those two and truly showed it through action. Colton is 100% the glue holding them all together. In the first book, I was fighting with myself about if it was Mars or Sanders holding that group together but in this one, I can firmly say it's Colton. This man single handedly designed a Lukas' own home for their future and was working on Lukas from the moment he moved in temporarily. Then when he ran away, Colton moved in and wore him down until he literally crawled back to their trio.

I really enjoyed this installment and dare I say they keep getting better! The epilogue had me gasping and cracking up. I cannot wait to read the next one and see what the defraudment is about.

So so so good.
Fun, funny, sweet, spicy, heartfelt and so much love
Novy really stole my heart but they were all so perfect together.
And oh my goodness... it was soooo spicy. Emily does not mess around.. well I mean she does, and her characters have the best time doing it 😉
Her characters just make you happy. They're so likable (well aside from the ones we hate) and they're relatable. I think so many of us can find ourselves in these characters and it's a very good feeling to be seen.
I will never get enough of this world. And pucking sweet was was particularly exciting to read seeing how and when it tied into to the existing timeline.
Poppy getting her happy ending, knowing everything she experienced was SO rewarding. As was novy.. he deserved to be loved and I'm so happy poppy and cole were the ones to show him! He made me laugh so much.. the banter between him and poppy was my absolute favorite. I laughed out loud multiple times. And I absolutely loved it. And Cole, that angel of a man... Such a precious and good human.
Love is love is love. And these three deserve the world.