Pucking Strong was amazing! Teddy and Henrik (Morbror) completely stole my heart, they're so adorable.
I couldn't stop smiling. And the spice? OH. MY. GOD.
I needed a fan.
Also, protect Karro is the sweetest cinnamon roll who deserves the world. This book hit every emotional note and then some!

Emily Rath has done it again with Pucking Strong, a spicy, soft-hearted, and emotionally devastating (but in a hot way) sports romance that had me screaming, crying and throwing pucks.

Let’s talk about Maddox Paige: grumpy, golden-hearted, secretly struggling, and so painfully in love he doesn’t even know what to do with himself. He’s not just a hockey player; he’s a walking, talking serotonin boost with tattoos and ADHD. And then there’s Neve, queen of boundaries, brilliant, blunt, and not here for anyone’s nonsense. Together? They are enemies-to-lovers catnip with banter so sharp I got paper cuts.

But what really got me? The feelings. This book isn’t just spicy (though… trust me, it is spicy). It’s about grief, self-acceptance, neurodivergence, and what it means to be “strong” in a world that expects you to have it all together. It’s tender and vulnerable, even when the characters are being complete disasters.

If Pucking Around made you blush and giggle, Pucking Strong will hit you right in the chest—and then offer you a warm hoodie and a forehead kiss.

I Highly Recommend!

This was honestly such an unexpected marriage of convenience/ friends to lovers kind of romance!!! I am a sucker for a marriage of convenience trope as well as anything forced proximity/one bed which were all delivered. Not only were these tropes executed well but they were delivered in a non cheesy way that was so romantic and honestly played super well into the whole friends to lovers act. Teddy and Henrik are the two main MMCs and they honestly couldn’t have been more opposite of eachother, but you know what they say about opposite attracting!! When Henrik first discovers his romantic notions for Teddy it’s like his whole world has been flipped upside down, but Teddy is the perfect gentleman (most of the time🌶️). Their relationship wasn’t easy in the beginning but together they got through it. This was one of my first LGBTQIA+ books and I absolutely ate it up. I loved reading about their love for eachother and for the found family they became it was so beautiful and I would definitely recommend this book. Henrik is also Swedish and we love a book where the MMC speaks in his native language and the other love interest has no idea what they’re saying!!

I loved this book so much, it's an intense slow burn with alot of pining but man is the pay off worth it! The feelings that Henrik and Teddy have for eachother is so deep and I loved watching them come together!

It was also so much fun to catch up with the old gang and see the chaos that they all bring to the table, the found family element runs deep through this series and you can really feel how much the team loves one another.

Spice wise this was about a three out of five
🌶🌶🌶, once again it is a sloooowburn so it takes a while for things to get going but once they do it is so hot! I really enjoyed how Teddy helped Henrik discover more of himself sexually and that there was so much communication about likes and dislikes.

I just really loved the connection in this one, I feel like it was good that it was so long because you got to see the whole relationship develop and it was so lovely.

This series has been so much fun and I can't wait to read more about all of these people I've come to love!

⭐️♾️
🌶️♾️

This might just be my favourite book of the year!
Did I read this in a day? Yes.
This book, compared to the rest in the series is much slower in terms of spice and so much more emotional. I was an absolute wreck in parts and totally unprepared for how emotionally connected I would become to my favourite trio.

Teddy- He is the sweetest, soft teddy bear and wears his heart on his sleeve. Watching this man fall in love and be his goofy, dramatic self was an absolute BLESSING. This man could ask me to crawl and I’d ask how slow. I loved how gentle he was with Henrick even at the detriment to his own feelings while Henrick discovered his sexuality and true feelings.
Henrick- This stoic Swedish man had me hooked. I cannot tell you how much I love this man. The way he is the grumpiest man unless it’s Henry or Karolina had me swooning. The possessiveness of this man toward Henry when he feels comfortable in his sexuality is perfection. I loved reading as he became more comfortable and relaxed with his new found role as not only a father figure to his niece but also a husband.
The Plot- I loved the found family in this book it was so sweet and how the whole team came together for these guys. The banter in this one was top notch! If you’ve read any of Emily Wrath’s books you know she’s a queen at banter and she really aced it in this one. I was howling at the WAG jacket scene it was perfect!

Thank you @emily wrath and @netgalley for this ARC!

This was my first book by Emily Rath, and my first MM romance, and it was such a powerful, emotional rollercoaster in the best way. The plot was rich with heartbreak, healing, and hope, especially the storyline involving Henrik’s niece, which added real emotional depth

I loved the fake marriage setup and how the chemistry between Teddy (the ultimate cinnamon roll!) and Henrik (the guarded, grieving hockey star) built so naturally. Their opposites-attract dynamic, personal growth, and found family themes were beautifully done

The tropes: sports romance, marriage of convenience, workplace romance, and more, were layered and meaningful. The pacing was great, and the emotional beats hit hard. I was fully invested from start to finish

A heartfelt, well-written story with genuine characters and so much heart. Huge thanks to Penguin Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I can’t wait to read more from Emily Rath!

I absolutely adored this book!

I love Emily’s writing. It’s funny, clever, sweet, sexy and so, so INCLUSIVE. Henrik and Teddy’s story was absolutely everything and I just loved it so much. They were the perfect match, and the way they were a complete pair just made me so happy. Teddy truly bought Henrik out of his shell, and seeing him absolutely flourish was so inspiring and heartwarming. Karro was so special too, integral to the story.

Loved this and highly recommend!

I absolutely adore this series and i’m so glad I got an arc of Pucking Strong! This book was so good and loved the connection between Teddy and Henrik, their chemistry was perfect. I loved the m/m romance and demisexual rep. My favourite trope was also in this book: marriage of convenience !! If I was an emotional reader, this book would have for sure made me cry. Pucking Strong made me smile and have all the warm and fuzzy feelings.
Get this series on your tbr asap!

A page-turner with emotional punch - Pucking Strong is a great addition to the Jacksonville Rays series!

This book explores the relationship between Henrik Karlsson and Teddy O'Connor the former PT intern from earlier books, while dealing with the new responsibility of caring for a child of a recently deceased family member. This story was definitely more of a slow burn than her previous books in this series but it did not disappoint. The romance was beautifully written as we are taken on a journey as characters explore their sexualities and grow with each other.

This book incorporated lots of the previous characters from the series in a great way where they didn't overpower the narrative and added moments of comedy and guidance. We see a glimpse of the main characters that will be featured in the next book, and I can't wait to get my hands on it already!

Overall this was a fun read that I couldn't put down, and I would definitely recommend this to book to people who love Emily Rath's previous books!

ARC REVIEW

(No Spoilers)

THANKYOUUU NetGalley and Penguin Random House Australia <3

I dropped my whole TBR the second I got my hands on this ARC - one of my most anticipated reads of the year!! Love all things ER and the Jacksonville Rays series!!!

I found the start slow, but Pucking Strong was overall a heartfelt, chemistry filled romance that makes it worth the wait!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐