Rating: 3.25/5

Although this book had its ups and downs, it was a very entertaining hockey romance. I struggled to get into the book for the first half and felt it was difficult for me to feel the chemistry between both characters. I started getting into the book once I got to the halfway point and really enjoyed the rest.

The thing I enjoyed the most was their chemistry in the second part of the book. I also liked the growth of the background characters, I felt like the side plots didn’t overshadow the main couple's development but there was still enough that I cared for them. I also loved the way the author wrote the fake dating trope, I really enjoyed how their fake relationship wasn’t the cause of their miscommunication and the “fake” part of their relationship didn’t drag on for too long.

The thing I struggled with the most during the first half was that their relationship felt forced. I felt like Preston kept messing up over and over again but there was never any communication and resolution after the conflicts. Elle would just think about how angry she was at him but then wouldn’t bring it up the next time she saw him. There was one time he apologized but I felt like she could definitely make him grovel more. The writing also felt a bit cheesy, even for a hockey romance.

Overall, I thought this book was okay, but I still felt it was entertaining enough to stay interested in both the plot and the characters. I wouldn't recommend it to everyone but, if you enjoy hockey romance, it still might be for you!

Elle is out for revenge when her hockey player boyfriend dumps her on the eve of the Championship playoffs - and what better way to do so than a romance with his arch-rival Preston.

Preston needs a way to get his temper under control - with the Championship and a contract extension on the line, he can’t risk any outbursts that’ll get him boxed.

When a photo of them kissing goes viral Preston suggests a ‘relationship’ would benefit them both - she can get back at her ex and infuriating him helps keep Preston’s head in the game and his temper in check. This seems like the perfect game plan, until the ‘fake’ feelings start to feel real - are they genuine or is it just part of the revenge plot against her ex?

Elle was a likeable FMC, her self worth took a hit when she was dumped so casually and cruelly and you can tell how this impacts the decisions she makes throughout the book.

Preston was a MMC with some issues - mainly his anger issues that caused multiple hurtful outbursts throughout the novel. He had a nasty temper and didn’t really think things through before lashing out - this was his main characterisation. Whilst he had a few nice moments, this made him kind of a red flag for me, so unfortunately he wasn’t my favourite!

Their relationship was fast paced! Went from heartbroken to in love with the next guy real quick. Would’ve preferred a slower pace, where they got to know each other - I.e. over the span of the hockey season rather than just a few weeks. This would’ve added more weight to their relationship and gave it more depth - I would’ve rooted for them harder if they had more solid foundations!

My main issue with this book was the writing and dialogue. Overall it was very basic. For example her ex is very ‘bro coded’ in the way he talks (babe it’s the playoffs) which made the initial dialogue seem very unpolished and simple. This carried through with the other characters too, everyone spoke in a way that was very simplistic and slightly juvenile (e.g. my stick is bigger than his) and this just made it hard to follow. I wasn’t really invested in the characters or the story because the writing style just wasn’t for me.

I would be interested in reading future books in this series as it seems like Christian will be getting a redemption arc. I really loved the character of Maya - so would love to see how her story plays out!

ARC copy provided by BooksGoSocial & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Continuing in the era of fun hockey romance books, this was a great read. The perfect combination of jealousy and fake romance that isn’t anything fake in the end. The characters were super fun and the author included a solid amount of streamy scenes. Can’t wait for the second!

I very much enjoyed this book. I read this in one go, and I didn't feel like it was a shorter book. I felt like it was a full 400-page novel. It was finished in one sitting, and it is just a great book to sit down with one afternoon and binge. I loved the character growth everyone went through even if it took a while to get to that point, and I thought the signs were very funny and a unique touch.

While the story was cute, the writing lacked any real depth. It all seemed very surface level and simple in the writing. I don't see myself reading the next book in the series.

Super fun premise, unfortunately, not well written. It’s under-developed both in character development and story, as well as the actual language. It felt like a wattpad story. The pacing was also incredibly fast, with everything in the blurb being achieved by 22% in. At that point I remember thinking, “what now?!” Well, insta-love- that’s what’s now. The whole romance takes place in such a short time period too- it’s unbelievable that such a deep connection could be achieved when they have known each other less than 30 days. Preston couldn’t have been from a team like 2 hours away? Then we could have had a full season to develop at the very least. There were just way too many plot points that didn’t feel thought through. And with a little more work, this would have been laugh out loud funny with great chemistry and steam. Sadly, it fell flat for me. 1.75/2 ⭐️ 😬

Thank you NetGalley for this arc, in exchange for my unbiased review.

˗ˋˏ ♡Thank you L.A. Hart and NetGalley♡ ˎˊ˗

3.75 stars!

Honestly a great way to start feb, with a cute and quick hockey romance. I loved both the characters and especially Maya and Finley, they were adorable! The plot is quite simple, but that doesn't mean it wasn't good. I would say that at the start I did think it was going a bit fast, but I found the pace to be good throughout the rest. I did think that our man characters definitely should have had more communication between them. Overall really liked it, what can I say I am a hopeless romantic!

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc. While this book was a good time and a really easy read, some of the plot points were a little wild to me, and I didn’t love the characters. I did feel like it got better towards the end, though, when it seemed like the characters had more depth. It was very much an insta-love story, which isn’t my favorite, but some might like it. But always love a hockey romance, and this is fine as long as you can suspend your disbelief for some of the ways things happen/how quickly they happen.

After Elle Townsend is dumped by her hockey star boyfriend Christian Riley on the eve of the championship playoffs, she devises a plan for sweet revenge—a fake romance with Christian's arch-rival. Preston Lawrence takes his hockey career very seriously because brawling on the ice is the only thing he’s good at. With the championship trophy and his contract extension on the line, he needs to figure out a way to control his temper that always flares and gets him ejected whenever he faces his rival. So, when a heartbroken blonde asks Preston for a photo with him to try to make Christian jealous, he raises the stakes.

Known for avoiding the spotlight, Preston kisses Elle in front of a crowd of sports reporters, certain the video will go viral. Their “fake” kiss felt a little too real for Elle and Preston. It looks real to Christian too, who goes ballistic when he sees Elle in the stands wearing Preston’s jersey, and holding up a sign that insults the size of Christian’s “stick.” Infuriating Christian helps Preston keep his head in the game so his team could win game one of four. That’s why he suggests to Elle that they keep up their charade through the championships. Christian and Preston have a complicated history. Their rivalry intensifies further when they begin to fight over Elle. As Elle and Preston grow closer, secrets unravel, causing Elle to question if Preston's feelings are genuine or just a part of his revenge plot against Christian.

Revenge is a dish best served cold. Isn't that what they say? This was a great setup for fake dating, the story was engaging and funny from the beginning, and the writing was good. Preston is one of my favorite MMCs in a long time. Great read! 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

Fake dating
Sports Romance ( Ice hockey)
Dual POV
Revenge Romance


When a book has ‘my professional hockey star boyfriend’ in the first line I don’t have high hopes, but this book pleasantly surprised me. I did end up enjoying the story and the writing wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Some of the plot and things that happen did have me thinking, ‘that’s not very realistic’ and ‘that wouldn’t happen like that’ but isn’t that why we read these books, to escape from reality. I’m a sucker for a love story so when he went from not dating for at least 5 years, to fake dating to dropping the L bomb in about 2-3 weeks, I’m not mad at it. Their relationship does move very fast but within the fake dating situationship they're in, it makes sense.
It’s a light hearted romance and an easy read, I felt like time flew away from me when reading this. Before I knew it I was 30% into the story.
Ice hockey is my favourite sport to read about and this definitely ticks the boxes for an easy sports romance. I will be reading the next book in the series as this book sets the characters and story up and I imagine it will start back up from where this one leaves off.

The classic fake dating to get revenge on an awful ex and it was absolutely fantastic. Elle was the perfect fit for Preston and his grumpy demeanor. I already can't wait for the next book to see what happens next.

I really enjoyed this book, Elle and Preston were well written and very engaging characters that were easy to like and root for.
The story moved a fairly quick pace, but it didn't feel rushed or far fetched. I will definitely be reading this author again.

it’s been a while since a book really hooked me but there was just something about this that really got me. I’m a big sports romance fan but have struggled getting into them for a while, from the first few pages I was invested and could have happily read this in one sitting.

Elle and Preston worked so well together and had me rooting for them as soon as they started their fake dating, and I wanted to know more about the supporting characters as soon as I finished.

It did feel like the conflict was resolved a little too easily but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story at all.

I already can’t wait for the next story in this series!

I loved how you dive straight into the action on the very first page of the book!
There is no build up and no waiting around the writer gets straight to the point!
The characters were well written although I did get annoyed with the FMC at times as she was so self pitying (why even go for hockey players in the first place if your going to moan you aren’t enough for them!)
It did feel very much as though it was a debut novel and I was shocked to find that it wasn’t however it does look like the authors first go at a sports romance!
I will 100% be reading book 2 when it comes out though!
🌟🌟🌟🌟

More 4 1/2 🌟Revenge Puck is a light hearted hockey romance featuring Elle and Preston. It is book one at the Shot At Love series and is a fake dating, grumpy/sunshine sports romance. Elle and Preston attraction is instant even though it’s a revenge relationship, Preston’s biggest rival is Elle’s ex boyfriend it was fast paced and kept me invested especially with the side cast of characters. It was an easy read and I look forward to next book in the series.

Fake dating is one of my all time favorite tropes, so I was really excited to read a hockey fake romance story.

One of my favorite aspects that usually goes along with fake dating is the slow burn and tension that builds along the way as the lines between fake and real are blurred. I was really disappointed that this book was missing that.

I would’ve loved this book if the pacing was a bit slower and timeline was longer.

This was extremely fast paced and really dives into the insta love trope (not my vibe). The writing was just okay, but a bit clunky at times. The dialogue felt strange and off and really pulled me out of the story. I think overall this book would’ve greatly benefited with a bit more show instead of tell.

The characters felt very plain and lacked depth and a lot of their decisions and dialogue did not make sense. I found their immaturity to be very frustrating and unfitting for the ages they’re supposed to be. Quite a bit of miscommunication that could’ve easily been solved by a conversation instead of the constant fleeing.

I enjoyed the mystery of the hidden reason why Preston hated Christian, but it was revealed pretty early on. I do like the side storyline for Christian and I’m interested in seeing how that plays out in the next book.

A huge thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!!

After being dumped by her hockey star boyfriend, Elle Townsend enlists his biggest rival, Preston Lawrence, for a little payback. What starts as a staged relationship quickly turns into something more, or is this just another game?

The book starts strong with a compelling setup and plenty of tension. Preston and Christian’s rivalry adds an extra layer of intensity, and the revenge angle keeps things entertaining. However, the breakneck pacing makes it hard to fully invest in the romance. Their relationship unfolds over a single championship series—less than two weeks—which doesn’t allow for much emotional depth. The dialogue-heavy style keeps the story moving, but at the cost of character development. Additionally, a subplot involving Elle's ex often steals the focus, making the main romance feel even more rushed.

I started reading this while I was at work and I couldn't stop reading. The pace of the book was well kept. The relationship that grows between Pres and Elle was great. The personality changes you see in both of them I feel fit the mark for a realistic relationship. I like that Chris and Pres were able to get on to some solid ground and do the right thing for Finn. I absolute love that Pres proposed to her in the same spot that he met her. This was a cute book and I love Ellie and Pres. I don't know how I will feel with Chris and and Maya story being next. Simply because I don't like how he is portrayed in the first book. I can only hope that he changes his way in their book.

There were a couple spots in the copy of the book that I had where the sentence didn't make since. I was more on the fact that the words should have been switch. There was a random "t" after one of the words and had no reason to be in the sentence.

I quite enjoyed the premise of this book. The main character Elle, was an enjoyable character who has gone through a lot of ups and downs in her love life. The romance is this is great, and I really enjoyed the whole fake dating scenario. I actually wish it had lasted longer. The spice in this is good, although I wished there was more of it. The 2 male main characters, Christian and Preston were okay. Christian was just a walking red flag, and that was portrayed quite well. Preston on the other hand was portrayed as the love interest hero, but I really did not get that vibe from him. He came across as very hot-headed, and I feel that Elle deserved someone better than him.

Overall an enjoyable read that I would recommend to those who enjoy fake-dating, hockey romance, and spicy content.

Revenge Puck is a steamy, fast-paced hockey romance with fake dating, chemistry, and tension. I picked up the book as a last minute, quick read and it certainly delivered. The characters were interesting and I was invested right from the start.