How do you get revenge on the hockey player you thought was more than just hookup? You start fake dating his rival. Elle is blindsided when her hockey star boyfriend (or so she thought) dumps her right before the Stanley Cup playoffs. She is jaded and furious so she decides to get the ultimate revenge by fake dating Preston Lawrence after chasing him down at the first playoff game. They conspire to fake date to get back at her ex but quickly start falling for each other in the process.

Family secrets are revealed and we find out why these rivals really hate each other. This is a HEA and book one of a series. This was my first book by this author and I can't wait for the next one!

Tropes:

ex's rival
grumpy/sunshine
second chance romance
mild spice

Thank you to NetGalley and L.A. Hart for an E-ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Listen, I absolutely love hockey romances, but unfortunately Revenge Puck is just…not it. The characters are immature, the dialogue is stilted and the romance happens at warp speed. Other than finding each other hot, I genuinely don’t understand why they like each other. Dash in some fatphobic comments and you’ve lost me.

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

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
2.75 stars

I was pulled in by the blurp and the hockey romance. Ya girl loves some revenge fake dating and hockey. But this did not live up to my standards.

The plot takes place over the span of a very short time. The first chunk of the book only a couple of days at that. However, we dive head first into the romance. I love myself a slow-burn, but this felt more quick love. Not insta, definitely not. But also quicker than I would have liked. The fact that our MMC agreed to the FMC's request for 'fake dating' seemed appropriate given his relationship with the FMC's ex. However, how quickly the FMC got over her ex-not-ex was a bit unbelievable. This was also noted by the MMC, but I still want to touch upon it.

There's not much happening in the book and it feels like we're mainly jumping from one romance scene to the other. I like some filler scenes where we get to know the characters outside of their relationship with each other.

This book also has a third act break up, so if you're not into that then skip it. This break up took up a lot of pages. Especially compared to the "build up" of romantic feelings between the characters. I didn't like how much of an asshole the MMC was to the FMC. And she took him back super quickly? I would've made him GROVEL.

The writing itself wasn't bad but it also wasn't stellar. At times it felt like too much dialogue and not enough description.

All in all, this was not a bad book. If you're looking for a quick read, do not want to wait around for slow-burn and enjoy hockey and revenge romance this would be up your alley.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book as it had a bit of a clunky start but I was actually pleasantly surprised and ended up getting into the storyline.

I liked both main characters as I felt they had strong and engaging personalities. Elle was a business owner and Preston was a hockey player. Getting even with his enemy who just dumped Elle began their fake romance but it quickly turned real as they got to know each other. No spoilers but there is a great subplot that adds some interesting dynamics too. Overall I saw growth I. The characters even though they may have had a few too many “misunderstandings.” Overall though it was a pretty good read and I would like to read the next one!

Some grammar and spelling errors did take away from the readability of the novel and I’m hoping that might just be because I had the ARC.

Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Revenge Puck is a sports romance that intertwines themes of revenge, fake dating and intense rivalries. The narrative centers on Elle Townsend, who after being unceremoniously dumped by her hockey star boyfriend Christian Riley, just before the championship playoffs, devises a plan to make him jealous.
She enlists the help of Christian's arch-rival, Preston Lawrence, proposing a fake relationship to unsettle her ex.
Preston known for his gruff demeanor and on-ice aggression agrees to the scheme seeing an opportunity to gain a psychological edge over christian.
As their Charade progresses the lines between pretense and genuine affection blur.

Elle just got dump by hockey star Christian. And she's not going to go quietly. Good thing Preston, Christian's nemesis on the ice, also hates him. So they decide to fake dating each other not to only make Christian jealous but to get the ultimate revenge.

I don't read a lot of hockey romance. But I'm starting to understand the hype because I enjoyed this book a lot. The characters are sassy and their personalities shine through the pages. The flow of the story was so good! I liked how it navigated from one scene to the next.

And yes, it was steamy! But I really like how the characters came together with their feelings and just how their romance works.

This was a book I enjoyed reading. It was entertaining and I actually breezed through it because I just want to know what was going to happen next.

Since this is a part of a series, I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

Unfortunately this book was not for me and I had to DNF it. I understand it's an ARC, but it needed at least one more pass from an editor and I couldn't connect with the characters. It felt very forced and while I'm sure that some people can really identify with the feelings Elle has about not being thin enough or pretty enough, it read very shallow and fatphobic at a time I personally find triggering in my life.

However I feel it could be setting up for a very classic "make my ex jealous and oops we fall in love while fake dating" which I do generally enjoy and is one of the best tropes!

I loved the tropes and story in this book. However, I did feel as if things progressed rather quickly between the main characters. Regardless, I did ultimately get attached to the characters and anxious to read the next book in the series!

I did also notice that there were still quite a few typos throughout the book. Hopefully, those were resolved before final copies are published.

Thank you for the advance copy to enjoy!

Revenge Puck was a delightful, feel-good hockey romance that was easy to dive into and impossible to put down. I devoured it in one sitting! The fake dating trope is always a favorite of mine, and the author really nailed it here. Both Elle and Preston were well-developed characters, and their chemistry felt natural and authentic. I enjoyed their growth throughout the story, and getting to experience the narrative from both of their points of view was a treat. If I had to choose, though, I think I preferred Preston’s perspective a bit more. This book is part of a series, and I had such a great time with it that I’m definitely looking forward to the next one.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC!

Elle is blindsided when her hockey star boyfriend dumps her right before the playoffs. Feeling vengeful, Elle decides to pretend to date her exes rival, Preston Lawrence.
Preston is grumpy, and thick headed who is in danger of losing his contract with his team. When he meets Elle, he decides that maybe fake dating her could help his image and in turn, save his contract.
Revenge Puck is your classic fake dating, grumpy/sunshine. I throughly enjoyed it! I recommend this to whoever loves these tropes mixed with hockey!
#NetGalley #RevengePuck

Elle is a hairdresser in North Carolina and she is also a huge hockey fan. Preston is a star hockey player with a reputation for anger management issues. Elle’s boyfriend breaks up with her and tells her the one man she cannot date is Preston. She decides to ask Preston to fake date her to tick off her ex. He hates her ex so he is more than happy to help her out. Can a fun little game turn into a happily ever after?
Elle is a pretty straightforward character. She loves being a hairdresser and she loves hockey and she loves her friends. The way she convinces Preston to go along with her pretend dating thing is silly and I rolled my eyes but it was goofy and cute and fit the story so I got over the silliness of it. She doesn’t have a lot of personal growth during the story. Instead she helps Preston work through some big issues. Speaking of issues, Preston has a big secret! I am not going to say what it is but it sets up the next story in the series. Yes, it’s that big! By the end of the book, I believed that Preston had started to let go of his anger and frustration and he saw a chance at real happiness with Elle. There are some issues I want explored in the next book. Some ugly things are said and done in this book and I feel like that author needs to loop back around and resolve the issues or all of the change and growth in this story won’t be lasting
This is a hockey story set primarily in North Carolina. Both of the characters love their careers. I enjoyed the writing, characters and interpersonal interactions in this book. I will read more from this author in the future.

My first foray into hockey romance books and I am only disappointed it took me this long!
I loved this story and found Hart's writing to be effortlessly easy to read.

I was reading another hockey book for a local book club of mine ( The Boy's of Winter) so decided to read this in tandem for what I hoped to be a more light hearted pallette cleanser, as the other book is a memoir and I don't normally gravitate towards nonfiction.
This was your pretty standard lighthearted ice hockey romance, but I felt as though the relationship progressed waaaay to fast even for a generic romance novel. Another major issue I had was the four seperate times slashing someone's neck is referenced in a supposedly humorous way... I was not a fan, especially considering I grew up in Hibbing.

If instalove and tone deaf "jokes" about premeditated murder and sport related violence is your thing you may enjoy this book.

Thanks #netgalley for giving me advanced access to this read but it's a no from me, unfortunately.

Okay, so Revenge Puck is exactly what you think it is—a messy, drama-filled hockey romance with fake dating, petty revenge, and all the tension that comes with it. The plots in these books are always kinda the same, and yeah, totally predictable, but I still eat them up every time.

Elle’s plan to get back at her ex by fake-dating his biggest rival? Love that level of pettiness. The banter was fun, the chemistry was there, and the hockey setting added a nice touch without being overwhelming. It’s also dual POV, which I’m usually not the biggest fan of, but I actually didn’t mind it here. Both characters had strong voices, so it worked.

Overall, it was a fun read! Not life-changing or anything, but entertaining enough to keep me hooked. If you like your sports romances with a bit of angst and drama (but nothing too heavy), this one’s worth checking out.

Big thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the chance to read an advance copy!

2/5

The writing and the plot of the book wasn't bad. but the relationship developed way to quickly to be realistic. In addition, I just did not like the personality of either of the main leads, and the chemistry between them seemed more through forced proximity rather than fake dating. I also feel like the hockey romance is difficult to successfully pull off, and this one felt too drama-infused to feel like an actual sporty romance.

I was originally very interested in this book but it turned out to not be my cup of tea, which is okay.

The book opens with Ellie Townsend being dumped by her hockey boyfriend of five months. He believes he needs to focus on the upcoming championship and his archrival Preston. While Ellie is talking with her friend she decides to try to fake date Christan who is the archrival. The book has moments of fun and seriousness, you also find out why Christain goes after Preston so much. An excellent story with excellent characters.

Christian did Elle Dirty and she definitely didnt deserve it at all so I was completely on side when Elle decided to use Preston to get her revenge.
I wasnt a huge fan of how easily we brushed over Prestons anger but other than that I loved this book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m currently in my hockey romance era, and when combined with fake-dating / revenge plot, I was intrigued. Unfortunately, the relationship didn’t progress past surface level and lacked depth, relying mainly on the physical aspects to propel the relationship forward.

Additionally, the timeline felt too short and I think the book would’ve benefited from being across a whole season instead of the playoffs. That would’ve allowed for more character development and emotional intimacy.

Overall I wasn’t a huge fan of the FMC or MMC but it was a quick, dramatic, hockey romance that was still fun to read. I’m looking forward to Christian and Maya’s book, which I think will have much more depth and growth.

After being dumped by her hockey-player boyfriend, Elle seeks revenge by taking a photo with his biggest rival, Preston. When Preston escalates things by kissing her in front of the press, their fake dating scheme takes off. As Preston plays his best game ever, he convinces Elle to keep up the act—but soon, real feelings develop. Now, Elle must figure out if Preston truly cares for her or if it’s still about getting back at her ex.

This is a fun, fast-paced hockey romance with humor, chemistry, and a bit of drama. While the fake dating setup starts off immature, the story improves as their relationship deepens. Some of Preston’s behavior toward Elle and other women is frustrating, but overall, this is an enjoyable, light read—perfect for when you want something quick and entertaining.

This book promised a fair bit but I don’t think it delivered.

The premise is ok. Love triangle to some extent. The FMC Elle is wanting to make her ex Christian jealous so meets and kisses his arch rival Preston and then sort of fake dates him.

There were a couple of things that didn’t work -
* Elle didn’t really do much to help herself with her love interest/s. In fact she was a bit of a door mat. I feel bad for judging her as I feel we often do that while MMC’s get away with a lot more. But also. Worse aril she was a shifty friend to Audrey, her business partner.
* Preston - some of his dialogue was cringey AF. Plus near the end of the book he does something significant without consulting the person who is primarily affected. He oversteps the boundaries and I just couldn’t get past it. Nope, he’d be on my shit list forever.
* the storyline didn’t reach and great heights.
* despite lots of detail about things Elle and Christian did, there was a fade to black with Elle and Preston which was so not in keeping with what the rest of the book’s intimate scenes were like. Though the chemistry was a bit iffy between them IMO.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for giving me access to this early reading copy