Emily Rath’s *Pucking Sweet* is a charming, steamy, and heartfelt romance that brings readers into the thrilling world of hockey while exploring themes of love, trust, and second chances. As part of Rath’s ongoing series that blends sports and romance, this novel stands out with its strong character development, sizzling chemistry, and a plot that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

The story revolves around a hockey player and his unexpected romance with a strong, independent heroine. Rath masterfully balances the tension between the fast-paced life of a professional athlete and the emotional depth of a genuine love story. The chemistry between the leads is palpable, their banter sharp and often humorous, but it’s the emotional connection that truly makes the romance shine. Both characters are well-developed, with their own backstories and personal challenges, making their journey together feel both authentic and rewarding.

Rath does an excellent job of weaving in the dynamics of the hockey world without overwhelming the reader with sports jargon. Even those who aren't fans of hockey will appreciate the way the sport serves as a backdrop to the characters' relationship, rather than the main focus. The supporting cast of teammates and family adds richness to the story, providing moments of levity and depth that enhance the overall experience.

One of the standout aspects of *Pucking Sweet* is how it touches on real-life struggles, such as balancing a demanding career with personal life, and learning to open up emotionally after being hurt. Rath's portrayal of vulnerability, particularly in her male lead, is refreshing and adds a layer of complexity to the typical sports romance.

While the novel delivers plenty of heat and romantic tension, it also balances this with moments of tenderness and introspection. Some readers may find the pacing a bit slower in parts, especially when the focus shifts from romance to character introspection, but this allows the emotional connection between the characters to deepen.

In summary, *Pucking Sweet* is a delightful blend of sports, romance, and emotional depth. Emily Rath has delivered a story that will resonate with readers looking for more than just a typical love story. With its relatable characters, sharp writing, and steamy moments, this book is a must-read for fans of sports romance and anyone who enjoys a heartfelt love story with a touch of humor.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ +♾️
SPICE: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Hello favorite book of the year! I have been wanting and begging for Poppy, Novy and Morrow's story from the first moment I fell in love with the Rays universe, and these three were perfection. They were messy and chaotic but still absolute perfection.

Plus someone needs to apologize to Caleb Price, because Colton Morrow might be my favorite thing ever. But then again, I love them all, and in this universe I don't have to choose.

TROPES
✨ Hockey Romance
✨ MMF and Polyamory/ Bi-Awakening
✨ Accidental Pregnancy
✨Friends to Lovers
✨Enemies (who want each other) to Lovers

I really don't have words to explain how these fictional characters have burrowed their way so far in my heart, but this book was an utter delight from start to finish. I laughed and I cried, sometimes at the same time, and I fell in love with the relationship that Poppy, Novy and Morrow formed.

Poppy St James is the Jacksonville Rays resident PR Barbie, and I love this woman's fierce Southern Charm, her feistiness and her resilience. I also loved how Cole and Lukas both brought out different sides of her personality. It was so evident how much she needed them both and how much they needed each other, even if they fought it for eons.

Lukas is the bad boy that you just have to love, he's got a tender underbelly, but in order to get him to show it, you have to go through 10 layers of f*ckery (and I mean this in the very best way). Thank goodness for Cole Morrow, because this man is as sweet and stubborn and they come. He is a Leo through and through and the absolute needed calm in the storm that is Poppy and Novy.

I can't find a single fault with this book, other than I immediately want more. The spice was fan freaking-tastic, the banter was absolute next level and the emotional parts... well I sobbed quite a few times.
I just loved it and had over 400 tabs and highlights, so it’s safe to say this one deserves all the stars in the sky.

I am so obsessed with this series and the whole Jacksonville Rays found family, it's not okay HAHA. This book was everything I expected and more! I absolutely love how Emily Rath builds emotional connections and relationships between the characters, then dives into the spicy scenes. And how her books tend to have emotional subplots as well? Everything is perfection.

Pucking Sweet started off a little bit slower than the other two, but then it really accelerated. I read it in under 24 hours! Novy, Colton, and Poppy all complemented each other so well. I loved how the author developed each character individually, plus spent equal time developing each relationship. Novy/Poppy, Colton/Poppy, and Novy/Colton all had a distinct relationship dynamic and foundation, which was great.

I have to say I think Novy is my favorite character in this entire universe. We love a complex MMC who works through his abandonment and attachment issues. He's so The Bolter and The Archer by Taylor Swift-coded. I liked how he seemed so extroverted and open-book, though that was just a mask so he didn't have to be vulnerable. And Colton was the sweetest friend and his secure attachment perfectly complemented Novy. And I love how Colton was so loyal and always saw the best in him.

And the emotional subplots with each of the characters' backstories? UNWELL. Also the spice. Her spice always hits so hard haha. And accidental pregnancy? Another one of my favorite tropes. Plus Poppy was a great FMC. I loved how go-getter she was, and it was so satisfying when she finally stood up for herself.

I'm already so excited for the next book/novella in this series! And on a final note, this finally pulled me out of my hockey romance reading slump lol.

This sizzling MMF hockey romance had me hooked from start to finish. Poppy St. James, the new PR Director for the Jacksonville Rays, is set on staying professional. However, her resolve crumbles when she’s caught between the wild Lukas Novikov and the charming Colton Morrow. The chemistry between the trio is electric, and Rath does an incredible job balancing humor, banter, and intense romance. What I loved most was how the story delves into finding family and breaking societal norms. The characters are so relatable, and the emotional depth of their journey kept me captivated. If you like MMF, then this one is for you.

I think Lukas might start to rival Caleb as my favorite Ray. This book was utterly enthralling from beginning to end. I’ve never been happier to be a Leo who happened to marry a Scorpio and this book showed me why we’re such a perfect match. You will fall in love with Lukas and Colton will make you! Poppy has so much to deal with and I can only hope we get some more of her showing her family how happy she is in Pucking Ever After Volume 3.

If you loved the rest of the Jacksonville Rays universe you will ADORE this! 😍
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

emily we must have words😩this book did me in! i never know what to exactly expect with miss rath’s books but i am never disappointed

i can’t even lie, at first i was shocked when i realized the timeline of this book starts allll the way before pucking around and wasn’t really feeling the idea, i was trying to get right to the good stuff but getting to see everything slowly develop, seeing other POVs to certain scenes and moments were everything

this book had endless ups and downs (i should not have been gasping for air the way i was at the 97% mark😭)
i laughed, cried, screamed, and hollered, yet it all just made for an amazing reading experience

this little family means EVERYTHING to me and i’m so happy with the story they got

side note: pucking ever after volume 3 is going to hit SO damn hard, i need it desperately

side side note: the set up for the next full length novel????? now THAT is tea

While this is book three in the series, I feel like it reads well as a standalone! This is a great MMF romance with a love triangle vibe, until it's not. It's an emotional ride that I couldn't put down, I just kept flipping page after page disregarding the time. She truly shines in her hockey romances and really brings these characters to life.

I may be the odd person out in that I liked this book, but didnt love it.

Rath writes good characters, I enjoyed reading this book. However, it did drag at times for me. This book is pretty long for what it is, and I feel it could have been a bit shorter.

I did enjoy the hockey aspect of it, and the spice. But I wasn't blown away by this book.

Still, I think others will enjoy it, and I do recommend it!

Emily Rath has done it again - she has written my favorite romance book of the year!

Pucking Sweet is a spicy hockey workplace romance that starts as a love triangle, and then ends up as a MMF why choose.

I am OBSESSED with these characters. Emily Rath excels at creating well-rounded, lovable characters with real-life flaws and situations. Poppy, Lukas, and Colton all experience so much growth over the course of this book. Rath injects so much humor into the pages. I found myself laughing out loud at the banter not just between the love interests, but the whole Jacksonville Rays team.

As a hockey romance lover, I find Rath's series to have the best depictions of hockey games, team structure/dynamic and pro-hockey lifestyle. Rath writes her romance books with so much vivid plot and fun scenes that you really feel like you are there with the Rays. There is nothing repetitive about her writing, even with the spicy scenes.

AND SPEAKING OF SPICE, oh my GOODNESS is the SPICE SPICY!!! I was living for the scenes of Poppy, Lukas and Colton. What I love about Emily Rath spicy scenes, is they are still filled with so much heart. The scenes work because you really fall in love with the individual characters and you really care about them getting together in the ways they do. This is not just a *insert spice scene here* type book. There are so many heart-felt moments in the spicy scenes that do advance the plot.

Poppy is my favorite FMC of 2024. She's a BOSS in the workplace, while also going through so much turmoil in her family life. I thought she had a personality, was funny, loved HARD, and felt like a woman I would love to be friends with.

I love the way Rath writes queer love. I find her love stories so believable, and I am always rooting for the couple in the end.
I absolutely devoured this book and I cannot wait for the next book in the Jacksonville Rays series!

5⭐️ 4🌶️
- MMF
- Hockey Romance
- Workplace Romance
- Love Triangle Until Its Not
- Bi-Awakening

Emily does it again. If she writes it, I’m going to read it. I’d seriously read her grocery list. But luckily I don’t have to because she blessed us with Pucking Sweet instead.

This book was everything! It was laugh out loud funny with amazing banter and oh so spicy. But that wasn’t enough for Emily. She had to give us amazingly complex characters who were flawed and real and so loveable.

Who hasn’t lashed out when trying to protect themselves like Lukas, or been a total pushover when it comes to family like Poppy, or been a little over the top when jealousy like Colton? But watching them grow and find their footing together was so beautiful! The love the three of them found together was so beautiful.

Of course it wouldn’t be an Emily Rath book without scorching spice. Seriously the mouthes on Lukas and Colton were filth! And I loved every minute of it

I’m already anxious to start a reread via audiobook. I just know Desiree Ketchum, Alex Kydd, and Sean Crisden are going to knock it out of the park.

3.5 Stars

The book is some of Rath’s best writing of the series, in my opinion. This book covers Poppy, Colton and Lukas’ lives through events that span from before Rachel lands in Jacksonville to the epilogue, mentioning Rachel’s pregnancy with her third child. While it covers a lot of time + events that we’ve seen through the eyes of other characters, I wasn’t confused with the contexts / needing to read previous books to remind myself of events.

That being said, while the other books really delve into the backstories of all characters (Rachel’s family, Ilmari’s family, etc), Colton and Lukas’ stories don’t fully unpack everything that is referenced, and I wish that this book would have detailed that further.

A solid book overall, and I can’t wait to read Henrik and Teddy’s book next!

4.5 Stars I'm convinced that Emily Rath laces her books with something because damn these books are addictive! Once you start one you cannot put it down--even if it's over 500 pages! Pucking Sweet is the third book in the Jacksonville Rays series and at almost 600 pages there's plenty of action (both action and action 😉).

Poppy St. James is out to prove herself as the head of PR for the newest NHL team, the Jacksonville Rays. It should be easy, PR is practically in Poppy's DNA, but what's difficult is the hockey players themselves. Most especially defenseman Lukas Novikov, the party boy who seems determined to make Poppy's job impossible. Lukas is constantly pulling pranks and dragging his teammates, like fellow defenseman Colton Morrow, into the trouble as well. When Poppy's life is thrown off kilter, it sets her on a new path that puts her in both Lukas's and Colton's orbits. What starts as a love triangle morphs into more, all together. With the addition of a little blue plus sign on a test, Poppy has no strategy to get her out of this PR mess.

There was so much to love in this one! From the characters--Poppy the actual badass PR Barbie, Colton the possessive sweetheart, and Lukas the secret cinnamon roll--to the shifting dynamics between the three of them. I love that the author went from two MF relationships, to MFM, to MMF. Lukas and Colton getting together was the cherry on top of their poly relationship. There's so much happening in this one and we get to see what these characters were up to during the same timeline as the first two books in the series. If you are a fan of hockey romance and/or why choose, you will love Pucking Sweet!

Emily Rath books are fun and emotional and expansive.

I loved getting to know the Jacksonville Rays team throughout this trilogy.

From the Why Choose romcom in the first book, to exploring age differences in the second book to this final book in the trilogy.

We've met and loved Poppy St. James in all the prior books and now it's time for her story. It's a why choose romance, but on a smaller scale.

Poppy and Lukas and Colton's story is sweet and sexy. I love in Rath's books that she realistically opens your mind to different kinds of love and relationships. This book is no different.

It's also so interesting reading scenes from previous books through a different perspective.

Her books are a definite recommendation.

I swear this series just keeps getting better. I stayed up all night to read this book and I don’t regret it for a second. I devoured this book and couldn’t put it down. I loved everything about it. This is full of banter, spice, tension, love, and laughter. I’m obsessed with all 3 of these characters. Poppy is a strong/badass fmc. Colton is so sweet and loves with his whole heart. Lukas was so funny but we also got to see a different side of him. I just wanted to hug him because he deserves the world. These 3 were perfect together and I loved watching them grow individually and together. Overall this series is everything and I will never stop recommending it.

Pucking Sweet is book three in the phenomenal series Jacksonville Rays by Emily Rath.
I am loving this series so much and was so excited to read Poppy, Lukas, and Colton’s story.
This really was a fantastic addition to the series.
This book was legit so good. I did not expect it to be as consuming as it was for me.
I couldn’t stop once I started.

Thank You NetGalley and Kensington for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Listen. Are the books in this series too freaking long? Yes. Do I still rate them 5 stars and devour them in 24 hours or less? ALSO YES. I contain multitudes.

I think Emily really shines in her poly work the most and I am so so glad that she decided that this book needed to be MMF because man did I eat it up with a freaking spoon. The characters here are all really well rounded and complex and I just love seeing how they'll all come together (hehe) and make a relationship work. And boy do they!

I hate myself a little for loving this series but man, I really do. As long as Emily writes it, I will read it!

Cannot believe I just read the 3rd book in the 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘺𝘴 series. It was fantastic and gave readers a fun twist on the love triangle trope when it turned into a full on why choose situation. I loved it 👏🏼 𝙋𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 was a highly anticipated book for me. With all the easter eggs Emily Rath has left in previous books I was beyond ready to have Poppy, Lukas, and Colton’s story. It tugged right at my heart strings. These three had the sweetest relationship and I loved watching them navigate life together. The chemistry between them was explosive, the banter had me cackling, and the spice was hot. I really enjoyed this book and absolutely cannot wait for the next 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘺𝘴 book. Especially after that ending 👀

ᴛʀᴏᴘᴇꜱ:
🏒 Hockey Romance
💘 MMF Why Choose
💼 Workplace Romance
🔺 Love Triangle (until it’s not)
🤰🏼 Surprise Pregnancy

Thank you to Emily Rath, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for the review copy of 𝙋𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩!

4.5 ⭐ 3.5 🌶

I wasn't so sure how I was feeling in the beginning of this story... To be honest, I wasn't feeling Poppy, Lukas or Colton... But as the book went on and I truly got to know them, I fell so hard. And as their relationship grew and their love bloomed, I melted into a puddle at this throuple's feet. They were so dang amazing and their story was too.

I really enjoyed seeing Lukas and Coley fall for each other. I wasn't sure how Emily was going to get us there, but it started falling into place and I was giddy as heck. The shower scenes were so dang hot. And I loved how they each were with Poppy too. They definitely complimented different parts of her and made this perfect little triangle of true love.

The third act and ending had me choking up a bit. It was an emotional ride on so many fronts as two of our three MCs discovered what family truly means. And when the little chaotic lentil made their way earthside, I was a bit of a mess... But it was the happiest of endings. Plus, that little sneak into Pucking Strong has me so excited for what's next. In the meantime I'll be impatiently waiting for PEA Vol III.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

My oh my this book was such a ride. The amount of stuff that happened in this book blew my freaking mind.. the story between these 3 was honestly beautiful. I never read about poly relationships, but when i do I really enjoy how the authors write about the connections the 3 of them end up having. It’s beautifully written in this book. You feel every emotion between these 3 and all they went through. But don’t get me started on the spice!!! God it was so hot. But soooo hot. I very much enjoyed this one😉

Emily Rath knows how to write a great romance! I loved Pucking Around, so I had high hopes for this one and It didn’t disappoint, it was a great edition to the series! I loved Poppy, Lucas and Colton, there relationship was written and developed so well. All the characters were written well, and had great personal growth throughout the novel. Emily also knows how to write spicy scenes! Honestly, I loved everything about this book, and dare I say I might have loved it just as much as Pucking Around! I eagerly await the next book in the series!