Pucking Mess

Thin Ice #4

by Charity Parkerson

For years, Gustav has been in love with someone he can’t fully have. He’s done everything to win Tommy. That’s over.

After a wild night a few years back, Gustav has been doggedly trying to win a tattoo artist he can’t shake. As captain of the state’s pro hockey team, he’s used to people falling at his feet. Tommy isn’t one of them. He won’t give Gustav the one part of him Gustav can’t live without… his heart. He’s finally hit the end of his rope. Tommy will never love him. It’s time to move on.

It isn’t that Tommy doesn’t want to love Gustav. He’s terrified of all the ways Gustav could break him. Everyone chases Gustav. He’s one of the most wanted men in hockey. Tommy can’t trust Gustav to be faithful, and his mental health can’t take the blow if he isn’t. Now Gustav is finally done, and Tommy doesn’t know if he’ll survive that either. Maybe he loves him after all. It’s possible he should chase Gustav. Unfortunately, an unexpected tragedy will make and break everything, taking away any choice Tommy thought he had.

Pucking Mess is the fourth book in Charity Parkerson’s Thin Ice series. These books are steamy sports romances meant to heat up your day. This series is best enjoyed when read in order.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Hockey Romance, Hockey, Sports Romance, Contemporary

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2024

About the author

Charity Parkerson is an award winning and multi-published author with several companies. Born with no filter from her brain to her mouth, she decided to take this odd quirk and insert it in her characters.

*Eight-time winner of Readers' Favorite Awards
*2014 Golden Ankh nominee
*2013 Readers' Favorite Award Winner
*2013 Reviewers' Choice Award Winner
*2012 ARRA Finalist for Favorite Paranormal Romance
*Five-time winner of The Mistress of the Darkpath

**Connect with her online:
Website: charityparkerson.com
Facebook: facebook.com/authorCharityParkerson
facebook.com/TheMenofSin
Twitter: twitter.com/CharityParkerso

Reviews

[Monikat · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very dramatic start to this story ensured that I was locked in and held captive to this book.
😔🥺😥😢😢

".... You're the only good thing I have left. I'm drowning" 💔

They finally realized they both needed time to heal. They were both so traumatized, everything they did up until the end was a destructive, panicked bid to hold on to their sanity. They had started out backwards.
This story hit hard, so much happened in such a compact book, but it kept to the point so all the feelings felt exacerbated. I loved them both for all their trauma, even when things went wrong, there were strong reasons behind them.
It was a joy watching them heal and love together.
✨✨✨✨✨🪄✨✨✨✨✨
Second (and third) chance
Forced proximity
Trauma/tragedy
*Favorites
*To reread

[CC · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book made me feel ick instead of angst. The threesomes, the accident, the instalove/ marriage, the emotional cheating Dash factor, and the resolution.

This book had a lot of heavy themes and none were addressed properly.

Can you imagine a character being so emotionally broken by a husband’s blatant affair and physical abuse that they choose to commit vehicular suicide?
Then, have this character willingly marry again just to have his “new” husband emotionally cheat on him to the point the other guy didn’t even know he was married and it’s well aware of being led on? Let’s not forget “falling” asleep at the other guy’s house… and ignoring worried texts from your spouse more than once. Yah…

Was I supposed to root for Gustav? Did I want their insta/marriage to work? If your first action after hearing your husband cry because he thinks you are having an affair with another man, is to go to said man… well… need I say more? Hell, it took Dash telling him to go fix his marriage for him to actually do it.

Gustav just lost a limb in a car accident, he needed therapy and to get his shit together before getting married to who, feelings or not, is essentially someone he just had casual sex and threesomes with for the past two years. It’s wrong to use another human being as your emotional crutch after a traumatic event. Specially, when you are well aware of his past at this point.

Yeah… I felt icky after finishing this book. I wish they would’ve gotten divorced and both gone to therapy. Tommy needed a healthy relationship and this was not it. His survivor’s instincts were correct in keeping Gustav at arm’s length for two years…

[Krissreads · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5/5⭐️ 3/5🌶️

——• 🩵

Gustav and Tommy… 😬

🔹Hockey Player / Tattoo Artist
🔹MM short story
🔹Second chance(ish)
🔹Trauma / Abuse

Wasn’t a fan of their story 🤷🏻‍♀️🥴

I get it’s a short story but this was a complete rush job and choppy as fuck making parts of the story beyond ridiculous.

I hate reading books written in third person but this one takes the cake. The repetitiveness of their names was insane, I literally counted Tommy’s name being used 11 times on one page, really!???💀💀💀💀

[Mainely Stories · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy

It's impossible to feel anything but happy after reading one of these stories. I wondered about Tommy. I'm so happy he found his joy!

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

Making the very first chapter in this book a flashback of a threesome between the two MCs and a MC from the previous book just left a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the book….like no thanks.

Also wtf happened to Luca? He just completely ruined Gustov’s career and then was never brought up again?!!

[Denise H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Gustav (Hockey) and Tommy (Tattoo Artist), is a bit dark, with past stories of abuse, attempted murder and a current trauma situation.
Gustav, is a Hockey player, Swedish descent,

tall, muscular, light blonde hair, blue eyed, and avoids commitment.
Tommy, a Tattoo Artist, has shaggy

brown hair, which he can tie back, his eyes are light green. He has a pierced lip and tattoos covering a body full of scars, that are from a car accident caused by his ex-husband.

Opening to a flashback to Tommy and Gustav's meeting,

and then a new tragedy hits. It changed many lives and healing would be long. Tommy is all in, helping in every way. The two men love each other, but Tommy's holding back, which comes directly from the horrible actions of his ex-husband.

There is a lot to un-pack and Gustav's healing , while very tough, was going well. Tommy is a sad soul and quick to judge. Gustav gets a chance to join a Sled Hockey team, he worked hard and Tommy judged Gustav, and caused a rift.

We get inner turmoil and angst, talks and actions that spell out the truth, plus Tommy admits he never had therapy after his event.

We are given hope with an epilogue and an HEA.

This is darker than most stories, each man deserves the peace and happiness, and the future is bright.

======

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of a darker story that I just wasn't sure where it was going. Tommy and Gustav have a love/hate relationship. Tommy's past has trauma and abuse which just breaks your heart. When Gustave gets critically hurt, all of Tommy's past comes back and makes it difficult for both men to move forward. Hopefully we will see them in the next story and get a glimpse into their hea. Both men to deserve to be together.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

💜💜💜💜💜

This is a modern sports romance, the fourth book in a series that should be read in order! This book was a roller coaster of emotions and a bit of darkness which honestly made me love the story even more! It’s definitely my favorite of the books in this series this far!

[D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fucking mess, and I found it impossible to enjoy. I'm not a fan of the plot or the main characters, Gustav and Tommy, but I'm happy to know that after meeting Tommy, Gustav has never been with anybody else.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story and series

Good story and series. Great author. It's worth reading this book and all of her other books too. Binge read everything. Enjoy 💞 😉

[Lissa Smith Reads'~A Bookaholics Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated
4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Great Read
Kindle Unlimited

[Neisha † The Poet † · Rating 5 out of 5]

V. 4.7 emotionally taxing. Did a reread. This was an emotional ride like hell. Had Gustav thinking Tommy didn’t love, the accident, and Dash (as the non intentional emotional mistress)