This is a book you HAVE to read! It has everything that says it has, and much more. Three hot men, college hockey players (mature for their age), a librarian, an unexpected pregnancy. YES, PLEASE!

I have read this book in two days straight despite an upcoming test I have not prepared for.
Three Pucks and a Baby is a book that you will love if this, already mentioned, plots are what you wish for. This period of time is, for me, stressful because of tests, work and life generally, so this book was IT for me.

Funny story, great characters, so many different personalities that complete each other so well. I love how capable the author handled polygamous relationships, how she gave each of the characters their '5 minutes of fame'. Nobody was neglected.

I was scared of Theo and his comments. I didn't want him to make this reading unenjoyable, and I was worried about nothing. His character development was great - for someone scared and rude, he became open-minded and loving. AND Theo and Bennet, as a couple, were on fire with their pretending to not love each other.

​Steam, too. I enjoyed all of their smut scenes. It was on fire.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

*Thank you to Netgalley, Victory Editing, and Katie Ashley for letting me read and review this story.*

**Book Review: *Three Pucks and a Baby* by Katie Ashley.**

**Rating: ★★★★★(5/5)**

Katie Ashley’s *Three Pucks and a Baby* is an irresistible reverse harem hockey romance that delivers on every front—heat, heart, and humor. Set against the backdrop of Southeastern University, this spicy and emotionally rich novel is the kind of book you pick up for a few chapters and accidentally finish in one sitting.

From the very first page, Ashley hooks you with a brilliantly written prologue that’s both clever and compelling. Using Vivian’s vision board and her word-of-the-year ‘Live’ as a narrative anchor—complete with delightfully quirky puns—she sets the tone for a story that’s not only sizzling but also had me laughing out loud.

At the heart of the novel is Vivian, a college librarian who breaks the mold in all the best ways. Older than her love interests and refreshingly grounded, Vivian celebrates her thirtieth birthday with an impulsive and slightly chaotic foursome involving three hockey players—and what follows is messy, funny, emotionally charged, and completely addictive. Ashley avoids info-dumping by allowing the characters’ dynamics to unfold naturally through their interactions, a choice that makes their relationships feel authentic and alive.

Each of the men in Vivian’s life brings something unique to the table, and their individual personalities, along with Vivian’s own compelling arc, drive the story forward. There’s thoughtful personal growth within the characters and the friendship between Vivian and her best friend Carlee adds depth and levity to the narrative. The dialogue sparkles with wit, the banter is top-notch, and the chemistry is absolutely off the charts.

And let’s not forget the steam—this book is undeniably spicy, with sex scenes that are not just hot, but exceptionally well written.

Overall, *Three Pucks and a Baby* is a fast-paced, feel-good, unputdownable romance that’s as fun as it is heartfelt. Katie Ashley crafts a world and a cast of characters so vivid, you’ll find yourself wanting more long after the last page. Whether you’re a fan of reverse harem, sports romance, or simply love a book that makes you laugh, swoon, and maybe cry a little too—this one’s a must-read.

Three Pucks and a Baby was a decent three star read for me. The story delivered on the spice and also had some fun cute moments. There was decent chemistry between the characters but I wish there was more lead up to the relationship and more development of it.

That being said, Theo is a problematic character. The way the author presented him was problematic, even if trying to build character to go through an arc of growing and changing. He just said too many misogynistic things for me and his reaction to Vivian being pregnant almost had me DNF-ing. I wanted to enjoy the bi-awakening storyline for Bennett and Theo but it didn’t really feel authentic and could have used more time for me.

Overall, this one may not have totally been for me and I don’t want to dissuade people from reading it cause I’ve definitely seen reviews where people enjoyed Theo’s character more - this is just my opinion on it.

Thank you, NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

Three Pucks and a Baby was a solid three-star read for me. It definitely delivered on the spice and had its cute moments. I really liked most of the characters, and the dynamic between the leads was enjoyable, though I do wish there had been more development and yearning(?) between them.

That said, there were several points where I seriously considered DNF-ing. Theo, in particular, was a character I really struggled with. His misogynistic comments, toxic behavior, and hints of internalized homophobia made him hard to tolerate. While I get that the author was going for a certain arc with him, it just didn’t work for me. Even with a slight redemption arc, I still disliked him.

There were also moments where it lost my attention, felt the plot getting kind of lost. And near the end, a certain twist about the baby’s paternity left a strange aftertaste that I didn’t love. Plus, the guys felt so immature for being 23, I feel like they were kind of annoying sometimes.

That said, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. It had its fun, entertaining moments and some sweet dynamics. <3 Would definitely read more from the author.

Ooh yikes. This one wasn't for me. From the misogyny to the slut shaming, and the weirdness about bennett being bisexual, not to mention the Harry Potter references, I just could not bring myself to love it. It was cringey and poorly written, and made for a less enjoyable book overall. I was really stoked at the idea of this one too, but it didn't pan out, which was really disappointing.

I really really really wanted to like this one but something about it just didn’t sit right with me. Maybe it was the pacing and how rushed everything was, or how quickly all 4 of the characters seemed to fall in love with each other (even though they are insanely different people and completely different stages of their life?)

I also don’t really know how the hockey thing played into it that much, because it didn’t seem like they were ever talking about or actually playing hockey. There was no pretence to anything going on, and no real character development. In all honesty it seemed like the author just wanted to create a book with multiple love interests who accidentally end up having a baby, and had to kind of fit everything else in around it to make it into something of a book.

There were just a lot of things that didn’t sit well and seemed cheesy and cringy or downright unbelievable (like the whole bi awakening that one of the characters went through, after being extremely weird with his “best friend” who he had been having threesomes with “for luck”

Like I said I really wanted to enjoy this one, especially since it had a lot of promising tropes that make for a really fun and entertaining romance, but this just came across as a budget version of Pucking Around by Emily Wrath. A version that was lead more by the threesome and accidental pregnancy than the characters and any real plot.

Overall, it was just ok. I’m sure if you’re in the middle of hockey or poly romances then this will give off the same kind of vibe and you’ll probably enjoy it.

Three Pucks and a Baby by Katie Ashley felt like a softer, less character-driven version of Emily Rath’s Pucking Around — with a baby added to the storyline. For a book that's nearly 380 pages, the plot was definitely there, but I wish we had seen more depth and growth from each character. It felt like we were dropped into their personalities from page one, with not much development after that.

The bi-awakening storyline came off a bit forced for one of the characters, and while age gaps aren’t usually my thing, I personally would have preferred the male leads to be a bit older. There were also several editing issues that occasionally made the reading experience hazy.

That said, it was still an easy, fun, spicy, and read overall! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC — all thoughts are my own.

This book had potential to be a fun, chaotic, unconventional romance, and I appreciate the author’s willingness to explore a non-traditional relationship dynamic. I also liked that it aimed to balance humor, heart, and spice.

Unfortunately, the execution just didn’t work for me. The characters felt underdeveloped, major emotional beats were either time-skipped or told instead of shown, and the story moved too quickly for anything to feel believable. Important moments lacked buildup, and the pacing and character reactions often felt inconsistent or forced. There were also quite a few editing issues that made the reading experience confusing at times. Overall, this one wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

A HEA polyamorous, college, sports, age gap, surprise pregnancy after a one night orgy romance between 3 hockey players and a university librarian. It was similar to Pucking Around by Emily Rath but not as good. While it kept me entertained for an evening, it was surface level. If it was ripped out of my hands half way through, I wouldn’t have cared. The spice could have been spicier. The emotional connection to the characters and their connection to each other could have had more depth. Their relationships all seemed too instant and I wish the build up was longer.
Not terrible but not the best I’ve ever read

3 Pucks and a Baby was definitely an entertaining read. What a way to start out your 30th year on the Earth. If you want something lighthearted and fast-paced, this is definitely a good read. While I didn't LOVE it, I did enjoy it.

What I liked:

I absolutely love anything hockey romance and reverse harem. This is a MMFM romance, surprise baby, and found family read.

What I didn't like:

The fact that at 30, there was a bunch of offhanded comments about her being "old." 30 is NOT old; and the comments about "young men" just kept cringing for me.
The way the pregnancy was revealed, Theo made a comment about "being a whore and fucking 3 men you should have been on birth control." Didn't love that. Towards the end I did find myself skipping sentences to get done with the story because I just wasn't vibing with it anymore.

Overall, if you want something lighthearted, in between longer books, it is a good palette cleansers.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a fun, quick palette cleanser with lots of spice. College hockey romance, reverse age gap, poly relationship, accidental pregnancy.

There were plot points that I wish were more flushed out, and I needed more growth from the guys- especially Theo.

The college age threw me a little- most college seniors aren’t 23- but still too young. NHL rookies would’ve worked better.

More editing was needed. Viv loses her job and two pages later is talking about using her PTO for a baby moon.

I requested this to see if the gorgeous cover made up for the wacky plot. My issue is that the writing is amateur and written in the male gaze.

Three Pucks and a Baby was a quick and spicy read, I just wish there had been a better balance between the romance and hockey (meaning I wanted more hockey lol).

Disclaimer: I don't read blurbs or reviews before I read a book.

I really enjoyed this book, but as with most hockey romances, I wish there was a bit more hockey in them. Though there was enough other stuff going on to keep me hooked.

Vivian was fine for a FMC but I feel like more effort was given to the MMCs. Bennett was by far my favourite. Very grounded and in my opinion was the best to Vivian. Grayson in second for backing Vivian when she said that she was pregnant. Finally Theo in third because of the crap that he put everyone through. I felt he was the authors favourite because most of the character development and story revolved around him. He certainly improved throughout the book but it did make the story seem a little unbalanced.

Still loved the story. I loved how the story rounded out at the end but maybe the pacing was off slightly throughout?

#ThreePucksandaBaby #NetGalley

Review posted to Threads, Goodreads and Amazon AU

MMFM.
Sort of forbidden, hockey player, librarian fetish, found family, unconventional situationship, unconditional love, why choose, reverse age gap, pregnancy, forced proximity.
Loved each of these characters. Well-developed.
The structure of the plot is great. The pace of the book is perfect.
Grayson - hockey defenseman; he's our cinnamon roll/golden retriever.
Theo - librarian fetish, likes being in control, "bad boy".
Bennett - good old southern guy, bi.
Vivian - 30, nerd, librarian, cat mom.
Funny, witty dialogue. I found myself laughing. I also found myself getting emotional and almost tearing up.
As always, I wanted just a smidge more plot to spice ratio, but I knew it was going to be spicy going in, so that is just me.
My only complaint is that a few places in the book, the dialogue seems a little bit juvenile, but the author quickly recovers.
I recommend for a spicy summer read!
Thank you, NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Happy Reading!

Vivian starts with a vision board to begin living her life more vividly and ends up in a foursome with hockey players. And oops - she’s pregnant - but who is the father.?

I mean, I knew what I was getting into when I downloaded this title, but the fact that it was in the romance section rather than straight up erotica? Where do we draw the line? Does it matter?

I think as. Far as super spicy novels go, this was hot, and it had a storyline. It was a storyline we all saw coming, but it was a storyline nonetheless. I don’t know that this story was supposed to blow me away - it was hockey adjacent since they were all players - and it was a why choose trope with pregnancy. It did its job in fulfilling those tropes and that was about it. No notes.

Thank you to Katie Ashley and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this why choose sports romance. This is a sports superstition I can get behind! Much better than reusing dirty socks. (haha!) There were lots of funny moments and banter that made me giggle.

One thing I really enjoyed and appreciated was Theo’s journey and character development throughout the story. I found it particularly well-written.

If you enjoy the following, then you'll like this book:
-Why Choose
-Multiple POVs
-Hockey Player MMCs/Librarian FMC
-Small Age Gap
-Accidental Pregnancy
-Sword Crossing

Three Pucks and a Baby is a standalone title written by Katie Ashley.

What to expect:
*Hockey romance
*Poly relationship
*Accidental pregnancy

Vivian is a college librarian and meets Grayson and Theo when they are scouting for their next threesome partner to keep up their hockey superstition. Bennett is their other roommate and meets Vivian when she is out on a date with the guys.

There were a few things that I didn’t like about this book, the first being how they acted with the FMC when the first hooked up. One of the guys mentioned other women they had been with in front of the FMC while they were having sex with her. Compared her body hair to the other women!! When she called them rude, they just said she was being jealous. Other things popped up throughout the book, but nothing major.

No OW/OM drama, no third act breakup. Ends with a HFN.

Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Contemporary romance
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Characters: Vivian (FMC) & Grayson, Bennett, and Theo (MMC’s)

Incredible! I didn’t know what to expect with this, but it blew the expectations out of the water. The spice was extra spicy and the storyline did not falter!
If you like hockey, or multiple partners this will be an ultimate hit for you!
Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.