
Member Reviews

Astrid's goal is to avenge her new friend's heart by exposing Aiden, NHL player. But his twin brother, Blake gets in the way. Can she break Aiden's heart without losing her heart to his twin?

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’m so glad I stuck with the book because I usually have a hard time with 3rd person writing in contemporary romances!!
Astrid Sinclair is a journalist who agrees to make a pact with her friends to get revenge on their exes for making them suffer, and she gets Sienna’s ex, Aiden, an NHL superstar.
The thing is… Aiden has a twin, Blake.
And Astrid ends up falling for him.
I loved Astrid’s fierce but gentle personality, and how we get to know the twins’ backstory and caring sides.
Honestly, it’s a cute, fluffy book that’ll have you kicking your feet and throwing your head back laughing.
It has a 3rd act breakup but it gets resolved quickly which thankgod!

The Puck Stops Here by Rachael Stewart, book three in The Karma series, is Astrid's emotional story. Astrid, a journalist, has been scorned by a man. While snowed in at the airport she meets three other women who turn into her ride-or-dies as they bond over the men that hurt them. It’s during this drunken experience that they make a pact to give back a little karma to the men that did them wrong. Will the plan succeed or backfire in the most delicious way imaginable.
Astrid, a journalist, is using her occupation to get close to hockey twins Blake and Aiden. The real target here is Aiden, who truly broke another member of the club, Sienna’s, heart years ago when he left town and broke all contact. Astrid goes behind the scenes to write an article about the brothers and how they became such superstars in the NHL. Things don’t quite go to plan when Astrid falls for Aiden’s twin brother Blake; who might be just what she needs. It becomests complicated when feelings change and Astrid struggles with her deceit.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#NetGalley #Boldwood #ThePuckStopsHere

I loved the blurb and the fact that it was mentioned it is like a John Tucker Must Die movie made me request a book on NetGalley.
What I didn't know is that this is book 3 in a series. I have Book 1 on my Kindle (also an ARC from NG), but this one hooked its claws on me first. I thought this book was a standalone, and it kind of is but it is heavily connected to the previous books. I said heavily because reading the first chapter made me realise I have NO clue what was going on. I didn't know who was who to the point I had to actually go to Goodreads to decipher who is the FMC. A lot of names and no description what is their connection. The fact that it is written in third POV makes deciphering that much harder.
What also bothered me is that the revenge pact or early memories of how they (the friends of FMC) met weren't even mentioned. I was really disappointed and frankly slightly pissed not to know what is going on. Obviously, I knew the basics from the blurb, but otherwise, chapter 1 is a mess through and through for a new reader. A recap of previous encounters and books would be nice in passing.
The rest of the book was quite okay. Blake was a great, easygoing character who felt things deeply. As for Astrid, it was mentioned she's from the UK and working there, but I felt like the future after they stayed together wasn't mentioned. Does she stay in the USA, work remotely, or what?
Would love more spicy scenes too, but oh well.
3.5 stars

A chance meeting in a crowded airport sets Astrid off on a revenge mission for her new bestie. Only she never counted on his twin brother, Blake. Can she stay focused on the plan: punishing Aiden for ghosting his high school sweetheart? Or will her growing feelings for Blake having her aborting the mission?
Read if you like:
-Revenge Plots
-Off Limits
-Forced Proximity
I liked The Puck Stops here but I didn't love it. It was super funny and completely chaotic at times in the best way. But I never really found myself invested in the romance portion of the book. Bad Boy Blake was hot and I loved finding out he had a secretly soft side, but I never really connected with Astrid and Blake as a couple.

I love the Karma Club books. I love the hijinks these characters get into, and the karma they give the men!
There are 4 books by 4 authors. Each FMC is giving karma to another's ex boyfriend. These books are funny and touching. And I love the connection and friendship the 4 FMCs have made.
In The Puck Stops Here, Astrid is after one twin of a major hockey team. She uses her journalistic background to get close to him and realizes there's more to the story than his ex, and her friend, Sissi, knows. There's also his twin brother that she has an undeniable attraction to.
This book didn't have as much funny karma (though did have some!) but it really had heart. It had growth for all the main characters. I loved the story. I loved how the brothers took care of each other. I loved the attraction between Astrid and Blake. It's a great book and I cannot wait to read the next Karma Club book.

This is the third instalment in The Karma Club series and this may be my favourite one so far! I love discovering the new stories and how seamlessly they all blend in despite being written by different authors.
This story focuses on Astrid and her attempt at Just Desserts on Aiden, she uses her work life to infiltrate his ice hockey team to write an article on Aiden and his twin brother Blake and of course karma doesn't quite go to plan.
There is so much emotion through this one, the twins, Astrid and Sienna have had so many hard things happen in their life that could easily break a person down, the subjects being explored and (some) old wounds being healed were really beautiful to read.
Of course it had some delightfully spicy moments in it and they were HOT!
I was hooked really quickly into this and finished it in less than 24hours, I just didn't want to put it down! I am looking forward to the 4th instalment, though I don't want it to be over because I really love these girls, their friendship, and the antics they get up to, but as they say, all good things must come to an end. I would absolutely recommend this, but I think you have to read the full series in order to truly enjoy it!

We have humor, spicy, heat, chemistry, banter, and emotions.
I really enjoyed this book.
First of all, I want to say, I know that this was the third book in this series, but this is my first book in the series and I enjoyed it as a standalone. I did not feel that I was missing out on anything integral to the plot of this book by having not read the previous 2 books.
I felt like the plot had a lot of chaos - but it was written well.
Astrid and her revenge plot? Hello.
Did I mention that Astrid falls for her ex-boyfriend's twin brother Blake? lol.. what?! What a premise my friends, what a premise.
Multiple POVs. However, there was some switching up of the POV in some of the chapters and that can make it feel a bit disjointed.
However, I still enjoyed this book very much.
The plot is fairly well structured, other than the switching of POVs mid chapter, etc. The pacing was good.
The characters were all so interconnected and I loved that. The characters were also fairly well developed. I was able to stay engaged for the majority of the book.
The ending was emotional. I had some tears.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Great addition to your summer TBR.
Happy Reading!

Karma and Operation Heartbreak!
Journalist Astrid Sinclair never expected to find some new best friends when she was stranded at the airport where they all dished on their ex’s. Now they wanted to help each other get revenge on the ex in Operation Heartbreak and Astrid’s target for karma is Sienna’s ex is NHL superstar Aiden Carter.
Aiden Carter was one of the Titan Twins with his brother Blake and her article was to help Blake with his image with the team and fans. But with Astrid needing to get closer to Aiden it made her start to get feelings for Blake even though he wasn’t her intended target for karma.
There are some deeper parts to The Puck Stops Here where you find out more about Aiden and Blake but I’ll let the reader learn all about Astrid with Aiden and Blake.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a fun, flirty sports romance with plenty of chemistry and just the right amount of drama. I loved the dynamic between the main characters—the banter was sharp, and their connection felt genuine. The hockey backdrop added that extra layer of excitement, and the romance had a great mix of heat and heart.
There were a few moments where I wished for a bit more emotional depth or development in the storyline, but overall, it was exactly what I wanted: entertaining, sexy, and satisfying. Perfect if you’re in the mood for a fast-paced, steamy sports romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously

The Puck Stops Here is a fun, sexy romance about a fierce female hockey coach and a charming player who clash—and spark—on and off the ice. It’s full of chemistry, banter, and emotional depth as both characters deal with past struggles while falling for each other.
The story is fast-paced, easy to read, and full of heart. There’s a good mix of steamy moments and real feelings, with strong, likeable characters.
Good if you like: sports romance, strong women, and steamy love stories.
Not so good if you don’t like: explicit romance or sports settings.

I really enjoyed this, it wasn't too heavy on the sports elements, but hockey does play a central role for the two MMC's. Astrid the FMC is determined, complicated and clumsy, and her role as a journalist has to balance against her revenge mission plans.
This definitely does have John tucker must die vibes which I am all for, as a group of women come together and plan how to get revenge on their exes. Astrid's role was to make Aiden fall in love for her then break his heart, but she didn't count on his twin brother charming her, confusing her feelings and mission.
Her role as journalist helps her to uncover more about both brothers and put the pieces together that led to her friends heartbreak, as well as expose their tragic past.
It's an emotional and dramatic journey, exposing all the characters vulnerabilities, and I enjoyed the dynamics of Aiden being the protector and golden boy, and Blake being the broody bad boy.
It had swoony moments, humour, awkward interactions, and believable chemistry.

This was my first book in the series, and honestly... I’m on the fence about picking up the others.
The setup is fun—four scorned women meet at an airport and decide to get back at each other’s exes in a "John Tucker Must Die" kind of way. Enter Astrid, who goes undercover to take down an NHL star, only to start catching feelings for his twin brother, Blake.
And Blake? Yeah, he pretty much carried the book for me. Total bad boy vibes with a hidden soft side. I loved any scene with him and Astrid.
But the whole premise of deception, especially while she’s actively falling for Blake—was hard to get behind. I get it’s supposed to be fun and messy, but it made it harder for me to connect with Astrid.
Still, if you’re into sports romance, a little chaos, and forbidden love vibes, it might be worth checking out. Just not sure this series is for me. 🤷♀️

This book was so good!! I think this is my favorite in the series so far. The chemistry between our main characters was perfect. The two MMCs were hilarious, and literally, they are perfect.
The FMC was truly independent and brave, but also somewhat clumsy. The love triangle was a bit confusing, but I enjoyed it as well. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys sports romances.

A light reading with deep topics.
I didn't see it coming. I thought this will be like another fun hockey romance-- because I haven't read any of other Karma Club books (which I am now regretting).
This book made me laugh and cried. At some point(s) I hate Astrid and Blake (lol) and got frustrated.
I couldn't relate to their chemistry at first but then the story just flow and I enjoyed it until the end. Great book for cozy read!

A karma fuelled series about a group of newly formed friends who set out to seek revenge and payback both on and for each others previous love interests let downs and betrayals. An interesting take, especially as I've now realised that although this is the third in the series, each one is written by a different author so I appreciate the originality of the concept.
I really loved the bond and relationship between the two brothers, and the honesty and depth of their lives off the ice ...the ice hockey setting was just👌🏻
Perfect for fans of a sporty ice hockey setting where the tension is high, romance revenge pacts gone wrong, and strong female characters with a female friendship group backdrop.

I haven’t read any of the other Karma Club books, but I definitely enjoyed The Puck Stops Here!
I love hockey romance, no idea why but here we are, and this one had some sizzle, great character development and fantastic banter.
Astrid is fantastic as the female main char. She sees right to the heart of people and doesn’t judge what she sees. She also really wants people to see themselves the way she does. Enter Blake who definitely needs an Astrid in his life! Who doesn’t love a bad boy with a secret heart of gold?
Knowing the reason why she was writing her articles my heart hurt as the story went on and I am so happy with how it all ended! Sweet, spicy and a nice easy read! Perfect as a summer read despite the cold ice rink setting!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This one deviates a little from the others, in that the hero isn’t an ex but the twin brother of an ex. It was enjoyable and I’m looking forward to the last book.

I absolutely loved this book! Having read the first two in the Karma Series, I think The Puck Stops Here might be my favourite so far.
While the first book had a bit more humour, the chemistry in this one really stood out. The two male main characters (twin brothers) are everything you’d want in a man: kind, protective, and even a little sensitive. And what about the FMC? She totally holds her own. She’s strong, caring and yes, a little clumsy in the most relatable way. She also lives with PMDD which is touched on throughout the story in a really thoughtful and respectful way.
There is (kind of) a love triangle but it helps build the story. Even if love triangles aren’t usually your thing, I wouldn’t let that stop you as it adds to the drama without being shady.
One of the standout parts for me was that we got to see the strong friendship between the female characters from the series. That bond really shines through and made the story even more fun.
If you haven’t read the Karma Series yet, I’d highly recommend it. There are four books, each written by a different author and somehow they all manage to keep the characters feeling true and consistent. It’s such a fun series! I cannot wait to read the 4th and final book!

5 ⭐️ The Puck Stops Here by: Rachael Stewart is Publishing June 17, 2025 with Boldwood Books
Another book from the Karma Series each written by a different author. While revenge isn’t my thing I do love the sisterhood they have with one another.
Now for this story, oh my gosh I loved it. I could not put it done. I loved reading from the different point of views. Each gave insight to the individual characters thoughts and feeling. Yet written in a way that you could still get the sense for the other characters. The chemistry and witty banter you could feel it reading the pages. A mix of heavy and light. It was well balanced and addictive. This is one I could read again even having finished it. I’m so excited to read more by Rachael Stewart and the rest of the joint authored series.
Warning a few spicy scenes.
Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read before publishing and shares my honest thoughts.