A quick read that reminded me of Outlander meets Becoming Jane. I enjoyed the commentary on women’s rights and what Lizzy’s character was trying to accomplish. I was stressed the entire time about them being together at the end and I’m glad they figured it out.

It is a truth acknowledged within my own circle that if you put a Jane Austen reference in a book title or summary that I am likely to pick said book up. I’m also a fan of hockey, so between Puck and Prejudice featuring a time-traveling hockey player and Lia Riley creating a heroine who is pals with Jane Austen, there was little doubt that this would land itself in my reading pile.

Lizzy Wooddash dreams of freedom, of writing, and of not being bound by her family’s desires for her. Which is why when a confused man in strange garb shows up, lost, confused, and in need of help, the perfect solution to all of Lizzy’s problems lies with him. After battling cancer, Tucker Taylor has been benched from the Austin Regals until his doctor clears him to play. While visiting his sister in England, Tucker gets in a car accident and finds himself in 1812. What’s a man who couldn’t tell Austin from Brontë to do? Accept the help of a trio of women who not only believe him, but are determined to assist him to find a way back. In return, Tucker is all-too-happy to marry Lizzy so that she can be “widowed” to gain freedom when he finds his way home. It’s the perfect plan, except neither Lizzy nor Tucker expect to fall for each other.

Puck and Prejudice starts off slow but finds its footing as Lizzy and Tucker begin to fall in love. The story is cute and while you may have to suspend more disbelief than usual for this book, it’s entertaining enough. I liked the characters and the romance was sweet, with Lizzy and Tucker fitting each other well. That being said, the time travel bits were not as well thought-out as they could have been. I finished the book with more questions than I would have liked and there were some plot holes that left me a bit annoyed. And while I liked it when things started moving for the romance, it did feel a bit shallow.

If you’re a Janeite, there are plenty of references to Austen’s work that don’t really play a role but are cute nonetheless. If you’re not familiar with Austen’s work, missing out on those elements won’t detract from the story as it’s all very shallow and fleeting (including Jane’s presence). Overall, this was an OK story. It was entertaining enough to pass the time with and there was nothing wrong with it, but it didn’t grab my attention the way I would have liked.

Tucker Taylor is a professional hockey player who's off the ice after cancer treatment forces him to rest. He visits his sister in England to distract himself from missing games and is magically transported to 1812. There, he meets enchanting, blue-eyed Lizzy Wooddash, a spinster who dreams of becoming a widow to escape society's expectations. So of course, the only course of action is for them to elope to Gretna Green as they figure out how to return Tuck to his time, making Lizzy the widow she's always dreamed of being.

I'm sadly giving this one just 3.5 stars because as creative as the meshing of sports and historical romance is, Lizzy is a bit of a bore. She's supposed to be a strong, independent woman, yet she never really stands up for herself. She talks big when surrounded by her loving friends, but falls apart when facing her family or strangers that could judge her. As much as it makes sense for the character, it also makes her unremarkable.
It's a sweet romance with fun moments when Tuck tries to explain modern things, but it's also slightly forgettable. Ignore the fact that you know Tuck comes from the future and every interaction and situation plays the same way it would as in a regular historical romance.
Aside from minor comments, Tuck rolls into Regency life with zero issues and adjusts to the very complex Ton like it's nothing. I get that they thought Americans were barbarians and they could get away with things, but I feel like getting to see more of him trying to adapt to the new time and interacting with people would have made the story feel more complete. My favorite parts of time travel stories are the clashes and trying to figure things out and Riley deprives us of that twice over.
Overall, it had its moments that made the reading enjoyable but I'm more disappointed in what it could have been than excited about what it is.

Very thankful to NetGalley and Avon for the read!

I enjoyed reading Puck and Prejudice. When I got to the time travel part, I was surprised and intrigued. These characters were entertaining to watch unfold and interact with each other. I loved imagining modern-day and Jane Austen intertwined. Thank you for this book! Borahae!

This book had such promise to be a fun easy read. The concept was cute, with an mmc falling into a lake and traveling back in time 200 years to the regency era. In order to get him back to his right time, they join forces and start a marriage of convenience.
Unfortunately, the relationship between the mmc and fmc seemed too forced with little to no on-page relationship development. This resulted in an "insta-love" that just didn't make sense with what we were given. The inner monologues seemed clunky and didn't flow and the hockey tie ins were so disjointed and disconnected to the story that they seemed forced.

The overall concept was fun though!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

After an untimely car accident and sinking deep in a London bog, hockey star Tucker finds himself transported to into the regency era??? There, he meets Lizzy, the black sheep, and the spinster of her family. In a twist of fates and clever scheming, Tucker adventures through regent London with Lizzy as his wife in this oddly cute, historical romance.

I dabble in sports romance and love historical fiction soooo I had to request an ARC. While I wasn't expecting Outlander level, I was expecting more. I hoped for more mishaps and stolen glances. It took more time setting up than exploring the world and characters, which would have been so fun. BUT Lizzy and Tucker were very likeable, and the ending was so cute and bittersweet.

This was surprising. Definitely worth a try! And it's been released for 2 months already. I've been slacking 🫡 Thank you, Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Puck and Prejudice was a fun concept, but it didn’t quite live up to its potential for me. I was intrigued by the idea of a hockey-themed retelling of Pride and Prejudice, and Lia Riley did a great job of incorporating the core elements of Austen’s classic into a modern setting. The banter between the main characters had its moments, and the sports backdrop added a fresh twist.

However, I found the pacing a bit uneven, and some of the character development felt underwhelming. While the chemistry between the leads was there, their dynamic sometimes lacked the depth and spark I was hoping for. Additionally, the secondary characters and subplots didn’t feel fully fleshed out, which made the story less engaging overall.

It’s still an entertaining read, especially for fans of hockey romances or Austen adaptations, but it didn’t completely win me over. A solid effort, but it left me wanting just a little more.

This story follows a hockey player who travels back in time and ends up in a marriage of convenience. I have read Riley’s books in the past and didn’t truly enjoy them but this one was great. I really enjoyed the storyline and at first I thought it would have been confusing with the time jump. However, Riley did a great job balancing the Regeny Era and current time for this book. The pacing was overall great but the ending did feel rushed. I loved the magic realism concept and how it was explained. I liked the dual povs of both Tucker and Lizzy.

Tucker is a pro hockey player who ends up in 1812. I really enjoyed his character and seeing him find love. He didn’t really develop but I couldn’t see how he could have. Then we have Lizzy who I loved. She’s not scared of anything and I loved her just going out and beyond. She has a great character development and I just connected with her. There are many side character and Jane Austin is one of them! The romance was well done and very cute with the marriage of convenience, one bed, and forced proximity.

The ending was good but also rushed. I wish we could have seen the time travel for Lizzy. Overall, this was a great book and I was a but worried with how it would play out but Riley did a fantastic job. I recommend checking out this hockey regency book.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

Cute premise and lovely turn on hockey romance.
I highly enjoyed this one and look forward to more from the author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️
💭My thoughts:
“Do you know what’s the most powerful thing a woman can be? Happy.”
I am one of those that aren’t a fan of the classics, I never read Pride and Prejudice and was thinking that maybe I’m missing out so decided to give this one a try. It had a pretty unique twist to the original story. Since I’m not familiar with the original story, I thought this one was pretty fun. I didn’t love the fmc Lizzy, but the mmc Tuck was swoonworthy. He was respectable in the streets but a freak in the sheets. I thought it was admirable that he didn’t take advantage of the situation like most would if they found themselves in an arrangement like their’s. Some scenes turned me into a teenage girl kicking my legs giggling. No spoilers but microtropes I enjoyed a lot were “Good Girl” and “my wife”. I recommend this if you enjoy retellings, maybe you’ll enjoy this more if you’ve read the original version or have seen the movie.

2.75🌟
This book had such promise to be a fun easy read. The concept was cute, with an mmc falling into a lake and traveling back in time 200 years to the regency era. In order to get him back to his right time, they join forces and start a marriage of convenience (remember, in that time you can't just go traipsing through the countryside with a man while unwed!) The writing really took me out of the story though. The relationship between the mmc and fmc seemed too forced with little to no on-page relationship development. This resulted in an "insta-love" that just didn't make sense with what we were given. The inner monologues seemed clunky and didn't flow and the hockey tie ins were so disjointed and disconnected to the story that they seemed forced. Having him be a hockey player made no sense and didn't add to the story or plot at all. The overall concept was fun though.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for a copy of this book.

Super cute rom-com with a time travel twist! I wasn't sure about the MMC at the beginning of this book, but through the story I ended up enjoying both characters and how their story unfolded.

A light and sweet read for romance fans - definitely recommend it!

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. The main characters were very well drawn and had a wonderful slow-burn romance and great chemistry. The historical elements were fun (and Jane Austen's character was a delight). I wasn't sure how the time-travel was going to work itself out, but it did much to the reader's satisfaction. A great historical romance with a time-travel twist. I will definitely be looking for more books by the author.

🤍Puck and Prejudice🤍
By Lia Riley

- Review posted to Amazon (awaiting approval), Goodreads, BookBub, and TheStoryGraph on 1/7/25

~~

“You may hold each other’s hands only sometimes, but who says you can’t hold each other’s hearts forever?”

~~

Well wasn’t this just the most pleasant surprise?? 🥰

Despite a deep appreciation for the timeless Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice, as well as an insatiable appetite for hockey romance, I still went into Lia Riley’s Puck and Prejudice wondering how in the world these two great loves of mine would get along together? Seems quite the odd pairing from the outside, but once immersed, I genuinely enjoyed the ride!

Tuck and Lizzy’s love story was definitely a good-vibey read. It’s a playful tale about two individuals from different worlds finding exactly what they need where they least expect it. You can count on cheesy moments, lovely (and well-known) side characters, yummy spice and tension, as well as tender moments fit to leave your heart so very full. I also really loved how effortless it was to consume dialogue of the regency era through the POV of a modern, sporty dude. Haha it was seriously just such a fun read! To anyone for a unique hockey romance with a twist, definitely look into this one!

Why you’ll love Puck and Prejudice
🤍 Hockey Romance/Regency Era
🏒 Dual POV
🤍 Independent FMC
🏒 Cinnamon Roll MMC
🤍 Time Travel
🏒 Marriage of Convenience
🤍 Only One Bed
🏒 Opposites Attract

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing an e-arc! These are my honest thoughts.

3-3.5 stars

I was instantly intrigued when I heard the premise for Puck & Prejudice. Who can resist a historical romance with a time travel twist? Admittedly, it was a little strange to have contemporary words mixed in (I don't think I would have handled things quite as well as Lizzy and her friends), but this was a cute read that was also quite a bit steamier than I was expecting *fans self* I really liked how the relationship between Tucker and Lizzy evolved and there are lots of great tropes in this one - marriage of convenience, forced proximity, only one bed, praise kink, found family, etc.

Yes, I had to suspend my disbelief regarding the time travel aspect, but it was an entertaining idea and I enjoyed the Jane Austen cameos and mentions. I also loved that both main characters ultimately held onto and pursued their own dreams, even knowing it would lead to heartbreak. The ending didn't make the most sense and I just don't see how that can work, but if I can believe a hockey player can go back in time to 1812, fall in love after a marriage of convenience plan, meet/help Jane Austen, and then come back to present day, then I can believe that ending lol

I read the ebook and listened to the audiobook of Puck and Prejudice and thought that Will Damron did a wonderful job voicing all of the characters. Sometimes male narrators make the female voices sound so unbearably high pitched that I abandon the audiobook, but I was pleasantly surprised by Damron's performance.

Audiobook Review
Overall 4 stars
Performance 4 stars
Story 3-3.5 stars

CW: cancer (past), grief, car crash, coma/hospitalization, parental estrangement

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

This speculative historical meets hockey romance was a surprisingly entertaining read. I initially requested it because I thought it was a Pride & Prejudice retelling. It isn't, BUT Jane Austen herself is a featured character, so I wasn't too upset by the initial confusion. Tucker was really sweet, and I feel like Riley did a good job handling the inherent knowledge/power imbalance within the relationship so that it didn't end up becoming uncomfortable for me as a reader.

When I saw this book, I was like my two favorite things-- hockey romances and regency romances. Cute concept but it just didn't grab me like I hoped. The only hockey part was the fact that Tuck was a goalie. The characters just fell flat and I struggled to get through it.

I will admit that the cover and synopsis of Puck & Prejudice attracted me to read it. Additionally, I haven’t read any books by Lia Riley yet, and I always enjoy discovering new authors. It did take me a bit to get into reading Puck & Prejudice. The writing style is a little different than I’m used to, but I’m sure I could get used to it once I read more books from Lia Riley.

I enjoyed the premise of Puck & Prejudice. The story revolves around a professional hockey player named Tuck Taylor, who unexpectedly travels back in time. There, he meets the author Jane Austen, who is in the middle of writing a novel, as well as Jane’s friend, Lizzy Wooddash, who Tuck ends up falling in love with.

Tuck quickly realizes that he is out of place in the past, with his modern ways and appearance, but he adjusts to it thanks to Lizzy and her friends. Meanwhile, Lizzy is determined to help him return to his time. However, she has her own dilemma: her family and society expect her to marry. To alleviate the pressure, she proposes a temporary marriage to Tuck, the stranger from the future, to which he agrees. It’s not like he’ll be around forever, which means she’ll get to enjoy the life of a widower and have all the freedoms that come with it. As they spend more time together, they get to know each other better.

I found it to be an enjoyable read, but it didn’t captivate my attention as much as I had hoped, which was a bummer. I appreciated reading the tropes of Marriage of Convenience and One Bed. I always enjoy the One Bed trope and the characters’ reactions when they discover they have to share a bed. While I liked both characters, I felt their chemistry was lacking at times. There are some steamy moments in the book, but I wouldn’t describe it as spicy. This is just my personal opinion, and everyone’s definition of spice varies.

The HEA for both characters was satisfying and enjoyable to read. However, the conclusion felt a bit rushed. Despite that, it was still a fun read overall. I just wish I could have enjoyed it more. I give it a rating of 3.25 stars and would still recommend it. Just because I gave it a low rating doesn’t mean that other readers won’t enjoy it more.

I have to admit that I’ve never read a Jane Austen novel, but I have seen the movies based on her work. I should make an effort to read her books eventually, as friends have recommended them to me. Right now, I’m on a kick for Contemporary and Paranormal Romance, which is why I haven’t read many Historical novels. However, my mood might change in the future.

Single/Dual POV: Dual POV (Third Person)

Standalone or Part of Series: Standalone.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. I would suggest this book to those who have read Lia Riley’s works before and who enjoy Time Travel Romance.

What to Expect:
✔️Historical/Regency Romance
✔️Time Travel Romance
✔️Marriage of Convenience
✔️One Bed
✔️Hockey Player Hero
✔️Author/Writer Heroine

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this! I love all things Hockey AND Pride and Prejudice, so to have them both as one?! ~Per-fec-tion~.

From the author of Mister Hockey comes a sizzling marriage of convenience romance between a pro hockey player who accidentally travels back in time to Regency Era England and the brazen contemporary of Jane Austen he just can’t help but fall for…
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a modern single man in possession of a hockey jersey may be exactly what a Regency woman needs to avoid the shackles of marriage...
Goalie for the Austin Regals, Tucker Taylor is benched due to health issues. So he decides to visit his sister in England. But an accidental plunge into an icy pond thrusts him back to 1812 where he comes face to face with a captivating blue-eyed woman who regards him as if he’s grown two heads.
Lizzy Wooddash dreams of a life surrounded by books, engaging conversation, the presence of literary icons like Jane Austen, and... nary a husband in sight. But in Regency England, only widows like her cousin Georgie enjoy freedom and solitary pursuits, unencumbered by expectations. The only way to quickly become a widow is by marrying a dying man or killing a perfectly healthy one, neither of which Lizzy desires.
A visitor from the future might just be the husband of her dreams. Once married, they can figure out how to return Tucker to his proper time, and his absence—aka death—will make Lizzy the widow she always dreamed of becoming. Yet as sparks ignite, they soon realize that matters of the heart rarely adhere to carefully laid plans. Can their love stand the test of time, or will Lizzy get exactly what she wanted...as well as a broken heart?

I appreciate the opportunity to read this title and thank you to Avon for providing me with an eARC, however I am prioritizing other books on my list at this time. I will amend my review to reflect my thoughts, should I read this book in the future.