I got very invested in the characters. I genuinely sympathized with Dalton’s fear of not being called up to the NHL and was rooting for him to be. I loved Joy’s ambition in her career and her passion for working in a male-dominated field. The premise was different and definitely amusing. The tropes work well together. I especially love the fact that she is a sports journalist and he is a hockey player because I think it creates an interesting relationship. The book was too fast-paced in my opinion, which made me wish that certain scenes were developed more.

There are two things that I can always expect from a Lauren Landish book: humor and spice. This book is no exception.

Joy & Dalton’s meet-cute is as ridiculous as it is hilarious and sets the tone for the entire book. I love a sassy, take no prisoners FMC, and Joy Barlowe is exactly that. Dalton Days is her match in every way. Watching the relationship between these two unfold was entertaining. There’s a lot of spice in this book, but it’s well-written and fits seamlessly into the plot.

I must say, it was an exhilarating experience from start to finish! The story revolves around the world of hockey, blending romance and humor in a way that keeps you engaged throughout. The characters are well-developed, each with their own unique quirks and backstories that add depth to the narrative.

Landish's writing style is both witty and relatable, making it easy to connect with the characters and their journeys. The chemistry between the leads is electric, and their banter is filled with laugh-out-loud moments that had me grinning from ear to ear. The plot twists and turns kept me on my toes, and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to see what would happen next. This is a delightful read that combines sports, romance, and humor in a way that fans of the genre will love. I highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed this follow up book in the Maple Creek series. I loved Joy’s sassiness. She & Dalton had great chemistry. Can’t wait for another book.

It was an interesting concept but there was way too much smut for my liking. Also, the relationship seemed fake and just sexual. I was so excited tp get this book because I love hockey romances but this just wasn't it,.

This wasn't MY perfect romance, but it WILL be someone's - the spice-to-plot ratio was more skewed towards spice, and I couldn't quite find the love for the domineering confidence/arrogance of the MMC.

HOWEVER the plot was fun, it was a quick read, and if you're looking for High Spice Hockey you should check it out.

I just finished The Pucking Proposal and I really enjoyed this book. So much, that I just went online and downloaded the first book in the series! This book follows Dalton and Joy on their journey to a HEA and they take us along for the fun ride. I really loved Dalton, who makes a really good book boyfriend. Does he make a few mistakes, yes, but he is the more stable of our two characters in this book. Joy has a lot of baggage, but at least she is honest with Dalton about the baggage, so he knows he has his work cutout for him. I'm thrilled to give this book 5 stars. It has been a while since I've read a 5 star book, so thank you Lauren Landish and NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Landish clearly knows how to write a hot hockey romance. This would be an easy 3 chilli peppers- spicy no PIV scenes and when it gets there it is pure steam. However, I wanted more spicy scenes from Joy's POV, to show her inner wrestle with passion and love.
I loved how Joy recognised her past relationships shouldn't define her future but I wanted more development of that.
In no way would I call this a slow-burn, however their love was just that. Like most romances , it took time for characters to realise they were in love but I felt that it helped to add to the passion in the last quarter of the novel.

Tropes used:
Secret relationship/forbidden- the brother told his team mates not to mess with his sister
Brother's bestfriend
No strings- at first
Grumpy/sunshine.

I can't wait to find out who ends up with Shep in the third book.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from #netgalley , thank you. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The synopsis of this book intrigued me, I like the premise, but this was not for me.

I felt absolutely zero chemistry between Joy and Dalton, which really just made the story unbelievable. The stream was fine, but if I had to read one more time how big he was I was going to throw my kindle. We get it, he’s huge…let’s move on.

Not sure this author is for me.

This was an excellent book!! I enjoyed the character development as well as how the plot was developed throughout the story. The author was able to to do a good job with all aspects of the story. I would recommend to others.

A sports reporter and a hockey player get up close and personal in an outrageously sexy romantic comedy.

I loved this!!! It was a perfect first read of the year for me with it's mix of heavy spice but also fluffiness between the two main characters. It was so fun and I basically read it all in one sitting. I love a hockey romance and this is a good one!!! I wish I read the first one before but love that it can still be read as a standalone.

I rated this 3.5 stars as I feel there could be some development within the characters, at the beginning it felt very instant and like there was no slow burn vibes.

Calling all hockey romcom fans, this one is for you! Such a fun read with witty banter and enjoyable characters. I've come to really enjoy Lauren's writing and her romcom spice. It's a fun read about a sports reporter and the hockey player getting their HEA with some bumps along the way!

A hockey romance, best friend’s sister trope with an hilarious twist; her seeing him naked is his new superstition before a game. It happens once by mistake - and their team has an incredible game. He’s a hockey player and a winning routine is important. She’s a sports journalist, her brother is in the team, she understand the superstition.

Sure, she’s off limit because of her brother. He has a reputation of a ladies’ man and she doesn’t even like him, really. Except now it just has to keep happening. And it escalates...

It was just absolutely ridiculously fun. I loved Joy and Dalton’s characters, they were a great match. The book had me smiling and giggling for the most part, and the serious and emotional moments were really well written, having the characters show vulnerability and taking the book to a new level.

Cute, but not fresh enough for me to love like I was hoping to. I feel like hockey needs a lot more to it to be original with it getting over saturated. It's starting to feel like it is all the same and something I have read before.

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, romantic, and steamy. I love reading about sports romances, because I never know what to expect. I love this series. I'm grateful that netgalley and the publishers let me read this in exchange for an honest review

The Pucking Proposal is a must read for sports romance fans. I would recommend for fans of Elle Kennedy. Trust me, you have never read a book like this before. I enjoyed this title so much; I plan to read her other books as well.

A secret, best friend's sister hockey romance featuring goalie Dalton Days and sports reporter Joy Barlow. After Joy stumbles upon a naked Dalton in the locker before the best game of his life, he is convinced that she is his good luck charm and convinces her to play along. As they get to know each other, their relationship gets complicated with feelings and becomes harder to hide from other people.

When it comes to hockey, unflappable Maple Creek sports reporter Joy Barlowe is privy to a lot of behind-the-scenes locker room activity. Like stumbling upon Dalton Days in all his unabashed glory. When the muscled goalie goes on to score better than he ever has, he offers Joy a unique proposal. A provocative pregame ritual is born.

Dalton has the best stats in the league, but he’s also superstitious. Now he’s found his good luck charm. Joy is not only game, she’s playing along. She’s also his best buddy’s younger sister and totally off-limits. What happens between them has to be their late-night FaceTime secret. That’s the naked truth. So is the fact that Joy and Dalton are discovering there’s more to each other than meets the eye.

Falling in lust? Easy to hide. Falling in love? Much harder. Now Dalton has one more proposition for Joy. And the fallout could rock Maple Creek.

Loved it. Will recommend to others

The Pucking Proposal is the second book in Lauren Landish's Maple Creek series. I haven't read the first in the series and felt like it could be read as a standalone. Joy is a sports reporter who happens to walk into the locker room and views the star goalie's nether regions. He ends up having an amazing game and blames it on Joy being a good luck charm. Thus, the ridiculous plot ensues.

I could not stand the hero and the heroine wasn't much better. He was just so immature and pompous without being endearing. This is a bananas plot with the entire premise surrounding pregame rituals. It ended up being repetitive. I also wanted to add that the title was a tad misleading. I thought this book would be about a fake engagement but it wasn't at all.

2.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. #netgalley #ThePuckingProposal #montlake

The Pucking Proposal was a really fun sports romance - featuring a strong, sassy sports reporter who has no interest in dating an athlete and a minor league hockey goalie struggling to find his luck in a new season. I loved Joy and Dalton. Joy doesn't take a lot of crap from anyone and definitely has the reputation in her family and with her friends that she is not one to back down. Dalton is a 30-year old goalie who is afraid that he will never get his call to the NHL and will soon be replaced by the rookie goalie new to his team. Hockey players, and a lot of athletes in general, have a lot of pre-game rituals - but after J0y accidentally walks in on Dalton naked in the locker room - Dalton becomes convinced that they will have to continue to repeat the ritual to keep his winning streak going. And of course - they take things steps further and feelings develop. I ended up loving the story line. I'll admit I didn't love Dalton's "ritual" when it first started, but it is easy to fall in love with Dalton. He is so patient with Joy adn loves her sassy nature and quirks, never wanting to hold her back. There were plenty of spicy and funny moments and a lot of heart. I didn't read the first book in the Maple Creek series - but I'm definitely excited to go back and read Hope and Ben's story. Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.