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Regals Hockey #1
Puck and Prejudice
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?
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?
Audible Audio
First published November 12, 2024
339 people are currently reading
26820 people want to read
About the author
Lia Riley
19 books1,026 followersLia Riley is a contemporary romance author. USA Today describes her as "refreshing" and RT Book Reviews calls her books "sizzling and heartfelt." She loves the beach, fresh flowers, foggy redwood forests and a perfect pour over coffee. She is 25% sarcastic, 54% optimistic, and 122% bad at math (good thing she writes happy endings for a living). She and her family live mostly in Northern California.
Visit her at www.liariley.com to learn more.
Visit her at www.liariley.com to learn more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,674 reviews
Want to read
April 17, 2024This sounds absolutely insane
February 10, 2025
Upon my reread: All I’m gonna say is if you didn’t like it…LEARN HOW TO HAVE FUN! LIVE A LITTLE! FEEL THE RAIN ON YOUR SKIN! Also the audiobook SLAPS.
That man stuffed a double cheeked up on a Thursday afternoon Hockey Ass™ into a pair of breeches and I am 🗣️ HERE FOR IT 🗣️ — but also rip Lizzy because she was going THROUGH it. So many confusing and lustful tingles.
Like can you imagine being a sheltered regency miss suddenly in close proximity to a hockey playing himbo from the 21st century????? Honestly, before this book it wouldn’t have been in my wildest dreams, but now it IS the dream.
The only way I can describe Puck & Prejudice is FUN. It was less “hockey romance” and more “very confused and very large man dropped into Regency England with absolutely no context to prepare himself or the spinster who finds him.” So I do think historical and contemporary romance fans alike will have a good time.
At first I was like, a hockey player???? But the more I thought about it—and read it—I was like wait, this is genius. Like yes, actually a hockey player is the best candidate for time travel to 1812 because he was SO unprepared. To the haters, I just gotta say, why do you not want to be entertained????
There is a CW for cancer, as the hero was in remission during the book and on medical leave from hockey—which led to him being on vacation in England and the subsequent accidental time travel. I really loved this actually, because it made the time travel a bit more fraught—how would he fight it in 1812 if it came back??—but it could definitely be triggering, so take care.
Overall, it was unserious in the best of ways, but it was also compelling, well written, and delightfully campy. If you don’t go into this book expecting a dissertation on Jane Austen or a play by play hockey game, I truly think you’ll have a good time. Of course a time traveling hockey player who falls in love with regency spinster is wacky! It’s supposed to be!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️.75/5
I received an eARC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.
That man stuffed a double cheeked up on a Thursday afternoon Hockey Ass™ into a pair of breeches and I am 🗣️ HERE FOR IT 🗣️ — but also rip Lizzy because she was going THROUGH it. So many confusing and lustful tingles.
Like can you imagine being a sheltered regency miss suddenly in close proximity to a hockey playing himbo from the 21st century????? Honestly, before this book it wouldn’t have been in my wildest dreams, but now it IS the dream.
The only way I can describe Puck & Prejudice is FUN. It was less “hockey romance” and more “very confused and very large man dropped into Regency England with absolutely no context to prepare himself or the spinster who finds him.” So I do think historical and contemporary romance fans alike will have a good time.
At first I was like, a hockey player???? But the more I thought about it—and read it—I was like wait, this is genius. Like yes, actually a hockey player is the best candidate for time travel to 1812 because he was SO unprepared. To the haters, I just gotta say, why do you not want to be entertained????
There is a CW for cancer, as the hero was in remission during the book and on medical leave from hockey—which led to him being on vacation in England and the subsequent accidental time travel. I really loved this actually, because it made the time travel a bit more fraught—how would he fight it in 1812 if it came back??—but it could definitely be triggering, so take care.
Overall, it was unserious in the best of ways, but it was also compelling, well written, and delightfully campy. If you don’t go into this book expecting a dissertation on Jane Austen or a play by play hockey game, I truly think you’ll have a good time. Of course a time traveling hockey player who falls in love with regency spinster is wacky! It’s supposed to be!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 🌶️🌶️.75/5
I received an eARC from the publisher. All opinions are honest and my own.
Want to read
April 17, 2024you bet your ass i’m reading this
April 18, 2024
this angers me to an unfathomable degree, good lord
December 3, 2024
⁀➷ ★★★★★
🩰
This book was fun but it could’ve been more fun and more unserious if the author wasn’t such a millennial (derogatory).
RTC
pre read
this sounds like the most stupidest unserious thing ever, i'm sooo reading it
🩰
This book was fun but it could’ve been more fun and more unserious if the author wasn’t such a millennial (derogatory).
RTC
pre read
this sounds like the most stupidest unserious thing ever, i'm sooo reading it
November 9, 2024
Ok was this a literary masterpiece? Lol no. HOWEVER, hear me out, this was so entertaining, and literally the perfect escapism book in times like these. We have a hockey player who time travels to England in 1812. So unserious. So campy. Surprisingly romantic. But you absolutely have to go into reading this book with the mindset of fluff and fun.
If the "one of the characters is from a different time period, and they have to adjust to modern/old-fashioned society" trope has no fans, I'm dead. I loved everything about the time traveling. The overall pacing was decent, though the middle part was slower. And I loved how headstrong and sure of herself Lizzy was. Plus the marriage of convenience added stakes and necessary plot.
Though I do wish it went more into Tuck's backstory because he evidently had a sad past and childhood. And it only touched on the latter towards the end. There also wasn't that much hockey in this—I honestly "forgot" he was a hockey player at times since the story was more about their developing relationship, the marriage of convenience, and finding a way back to the present.
Thank you so much to Avon Books for sending me an ARC of Puck and Prejudice. As always, my reviews are one hundred percent voluntary and all opinions are my own :)
If the "one of the characters is from a different time period, and they have to adjust to modern/old-fashioned society" trope has no fans, I'm dead. I loved everything about the time traveling. The overall pacing was decent, though the middle part was slower. And I loved how headstrong and sure of herself Lizzy was. Plus the marriage of convenience added stakes and necessary plot.
Though I do wish it went more into Tuck's backstory because he evidently had a sad past and childhood. And it only touched on the latter towards the end. There also wasn't that much hockey in this—I honestly "forgot" he was a hockey player at times since the story was more about their developing relationship, the marriage of convenience, and finding a way back to the present.
Thank you so much to Avon Books for sending me an ARC of Puck and Prejudice. As always, my reviews are one hundred percent voluntary and all opinions are my own :)
must-miss
October 6, 2024Hockey Romance has gone too far.
Want to read
April 17, 2024i am intrigued and i will not be elaborating
February 2, 2025
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖 (It took me a little bit to get into it, but I really loved after 30% or so)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in, about 5%, or chapter 2
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, two years later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy in e-book form through NetGalley
Why I chose this book: I saw on NetGalley and was intrigued by a time travel where the hero goes back in time
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
I believe this is a stand alone novel
Basic plot:
When Tuck gets into an accident and falls into a frozen pond, he finds himself pulled into early 1800s England
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency? Jane Austen is writing Pride and Prejudice...so that’s a guess
- time travel – contemporary hero goes back in time
- hockey player hero – goalie (Michigander hero, but lived in Texas a number of years)
- author heroine
- road trip
- marriage of convenience
- celibate hero
- one bed
- bit of a size difference – hero is 6’2” and a head taller
- Gretna Green
- child free HEA
- higher steam – 5ish full scenes and some praise
Ages:
- heroine is 27, hero is 30
First line:
Tucker Taylor walked across the sticky floor carrying a second round of drinks for the table.
My thoughts:
I was so curious about this one! A hockey player that goes back in time?? I had to try it. I thought maybe it would be a bit TOO ridiculous….but this one totally took my heart by surprise.
It took me a little bit to get into it. I struggled a bit when they were initially meeting and accepting each other’s circumstances. It does feel very modern and the hero does talk about contemporary times pretty frequently. But..once these two had a plan and were together...I totally fell in love with them.
Lizzie is so sweet and fun. I love her personality and strength despite her unlikable family. But Tucker really stole the show for me. He is just the sweetest. I adored him. The way he falls for Lizzie, and the way he protects her and loves her and the way he talks to her in the bedroom just all made me melt!
I loved the humor in this book. Their relationship was so cute and adorable and genuine. It took me by surprise how much I adored the latter half of this novel.
My one complaint – I hate that he called her Pocket Rocket. Eww. lol
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: This is my first by this author!
Average rating: 5 stars
Favorite book: This one!
Endearments
Quotes any typos are my own!
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖 (It took me a little bit to get into it, but I really loved after 30% or so)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥 🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Pretty soon in, about 5%, or chapter 2
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, two years later
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy in e-book form through NetGalley
Why I chose this book: I saw on NetGalley and was intrigued by a time travel where the hero goes back in time
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
I believe this is a stand alone novel
Basic plot:
When Tuck gets into an accident and falls into a frozen pond, he finds himself pulled into early 1800s England
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency? Jane Austen is writing Pride and Prejudice...so that’s a guess
- time travel – contemporary hero goes back in time
- hockey player hero – goalie (Michigander hero, but lived in Texas a number of years)
- author heroine
- road trip
- marriage of convenience
- celibate hero
- one bed
- bit of a size difference – hero is 6’2” and a head taller
- Gretna Green
- child free HEA
- higher steam – 5ish full scenes and some praise
Ages:
- heroine is 27, hero is 30
First line:
Tucker Taylor walked across the sticky floor carrying a second round of drinks for the table.
My thoughts:
I was so curious about this one! A hockey player that goes back in time?? I had to try it. I thought maybe it would be a bit TOO ridiculous….but this one totally took my heart by surprise.
It took me a little bit to get into it. I struggled a bit when they were initially meeting and accepting each other’s circumstances. It does feel very modern and the hero does talk about contemporary times pretty frequently. But..once these two had a plan and were together...I totally fell in love with them.
Lizzie is so sweet and fun. I love her personality and strength despite her unlikable family. But Tucker really stole the show for me. He is just the sweetest. I adored him. The way he falls for Lizzie, and the way he protects her and loves her and the way he talks to her in the bedroom just all made me melt!
I loved the humor in this book. Their relationship was so cute and adorable and genuine. It took me by surprise how much I adored the latter half of this novel.
My one complaint – I hate that he called her Pocket Rocket. Eww. lol
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: This is my first by this author!
Average rating: 5 stars
Favorite book: This one!
Endearments
Quotes any typos are my own!
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
October 24, 2024
This was really closer to a 1 star for me, but since I generally don't love romance books, I'm being generous and giving it a two.
Listen. I LOVE Pride and Prejudice. I LOVE hockey (Go Flyers!). I LOVE time travel books.
I did not love this. As soon as I looked at the cover and then read that the MMC was supposed to be a goalie, I knew this wasn't going to be good. If we can't even get the cover art to match the character description, there's a huge problem. No mask, no pads, no glove, wrong stick--how did that get past the number of quality checks it did without anyone noticing?
Secondly, there is absolutely no reason he's a hockey player other than to cash in on the hockey romance money and to write incredibly bad hockey adjacent dialogue. I'm not sure the author has ever even watched a single hockey game, let alone knows anything about hockey culture and players. His nickname for her is POCKET ROCKET. POCKET. ROCKET. I just...I don't know what else to say. You could remove the fact that he's a hockey player from this book and absolutely nothing changes--so why?? Why did we try to make it part of the story if it had absolutely no impact on anything?
I also couldn't get over how chill everyone was over the time travel bit? Like, Tuck basically says "So yeah, I'm from 200 years in the future" and Lizzy goes "Oh, okay. Let's find a way to get you back." Literally 2 pages about it and that was the end of that. And don't get me started on the insta-love. They don't know each other at all, there is no on page relationship development outside of Lizzy thinking he's hot and Tuck thinking it's cool that she has ideas as a woman. These are some of the flattest characters I've ever read.
The plot was...fine. Pretty normal "let's find a way to get you back home" bit. But the ending made me extra annoyed (potential spoiler below)
Lizzy spends the whole book saying she wants to be free and wants to be on her own and she doesn't want to be married and tied down. And in the end she chooses to "have it all" and split her time between both time periods. I'm sorry?? What is with authors spending entire books or series creating women who want to be alone and want things out of life beyond marriage and kids just to have them go "oh, just kidding" for the mediocre MMC they fall for? I hate it. I understand that Romance has to have an HEA, but this was not the way to do it. It was noncommittal and trashed an entire character for the sake of a mediocre man. Sigh.
I think if this had been written as the Jane Austen retelling that the author clearly WANTED to write, there is potential. But trying to make this a hockey and time travel romance on top of it just caused everything to be....not good. It doesn't matter if you're a hockey fan, Jane Austen fan, or both--you're not going to like this.
Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of this book!
Listen. I LOVE Pride and Prejudice. I LOVE hockey (Go Flyers!). I LOVE time travel books.
I did not love this. As soon as I looked at the cover and then read that the MMC was supposed to be a goalie, I knew this wasn't going to be good. If we can't even get the cover art to match the character description, there's a huge problem. No mask, no pads, no glove, wrong stick--how did that get past the number of quality checks it did without anyone noticing?
Secondly, there is absolutely no reason he's a hockey player other than to cash in on the hockey romance money and to write incredibly bad hockey adjacent dialogue. I'm not sure the author has ever even watched a single hockey game, let alone knows anything about hockey culture and players. His nickname for her is POCKET ROCKET. POCKET. ROCKET. I just...I don't know what else to say. You could remove the fact that he's a hockey player from this book and absolutely nothing changes--so why?? Why did we try to make it part of the story if it had absolutely no impact on anything?
I also couldn't get over how chill everyone was over the time travel bit? Like, Tuck basically says "So yeah, I'm from 200 years in the future" and Lizzy goes "Oh, okay. Let's find a way to get you back." Literally 2 pages about it and that was the end of that. And don't get me started on the insta-love. They don't know each other at all, there is no on page relationship development outside of Lizzy thinking he's hot and Tuck thinking it's cool that she has ideas as a woman. These are some of the flattest characters I've ever read.
The plot was...fine. Pretty normal "let's find a way to get you back home" bit. But the ending made me extra annoyed (potential spoiler below)
Lizzy spends the whole book saying she wants to be free and wants to be on her own and she doesn't want to be married and tied down. And in the end she chooses to "have it all" and split her time between both time periods. I'm sorry?? What is with authors spending entire books or series creating women who want to be alone and want things out of life beyond marriage and kids just to have them go "oh, just kidding" for the mediocre MMC they fall for? I hate it. I understand that Romance has to have an HEA, but this was not the way to do it. It was noncommittal and trashed an entire character for the sake of a mediocre man. Sigh.
I think if this had been written as the Jane Austen retelling that the author clearly WANTED to write, there is potential. But trying to make this a hockey and time travel romance on top of it just caused everything to be....not good. It doesn't matter if you're a hockey fan, Jane Austen fan, or both--you're not going to like this.
Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of this book!
November 15, 2024
I know you're thinking this is going to be a fun and silly time from this cover, but don't do it.
First off, hockey does not matter. Hockey exists in this book solely for marketing purposes and never comes up in the plot. The only thing I was expecting was for this man to introduce hockey to Regency England, Kid in King Arthur's Court style, or at the very least somehow use his hockey skills to solve some kind of problem. NO, HOCKEY IS IRRELEVANT, I AM PISSED. This book let me down hard.
Most of it is characters expositioning at each other in long paragraphs that feel copy-pasted from the various wikipedia pages the author read to research Regency England, hockey, cancer, whatever. Jane Austen is a character and, of course, there are a lot of cringey WINK WINK nods to her books, but at least one of the "lines" that she supposedly takes from the main character to use in her work isn't in Pride and Prejudice, but instead is from the 2005 movie, which I feel like really sums up the research process for this book as a whole.
Not that I was expecting a lot of research (although all my favorite historical romance novels have bibliographies). I WAS EXPECTING REGENCY HOCKEY I am still so mad that I slogged through this whole thing.
First off, hockey does not matter. Hockey exists in this book solely for marketing purposes and never comes up in the plot. The only thing I was expecting was for this man to introduce hockey to Regency England, Kid in King Arthur's Court style, or at the very least somehow use his hockey skills to solve some kind of problem. NO, HOCKEY IS IRRELEVANT, I AM PISSED. This book let me down hard.
Most of it is characters expositioning at each other in long paragraphs that feel copy-pasted from the various wikipedia pages the author read to research Regency England, hockey, cancer, whatever. Jane Austen is a character and, of course, there are a lot of cringey WINK WINK nods to her books, but at least one of the "lines" that she supposedly takes from the main character to use in her work isn't in Pride and Prejudice, but instead is from the 2005 movie, which I feel like really sums up the research process for this book as a whole.
Not that I was expecting a lot of research (although all my favorite historical romance novels have bibliographies). I WAS EXPECTING REGENCY HOCKEY I am still so mad that I slogged through this whole thing.
Read
November 16, 2024This is pretty much exactly what you would expect of it and, what the hell, it’s very entertaining. Deeply unserious with a male love interest that I didn’t hate. I could’ve done without the Jane Austen inclusion though.
February 23, 2025
genuinely what the actual fuck was this book. i was hoping this would be fun garbage!! this was just garbage garbage!!
you guys- i love insanity as much as the next girl but what do you mean their solution is to time travel back and forth for the rest of their lives. literally how on earth is that a good idea.
oh why did tucker piss me off bad like dude. her ass has no clue what you’re talking about. trying to convince lizzy to come to modern times with the promise of tampons?? girl…
i had no idea what was happening half the time i was reading this and i almost gave it two stars because hey- we weren’t reading this for the plot. literally what plot? the explanation of time travel was “man who cares i miss making out with lizzy” this was so genuinely awful.
objectively tuck and lizzy make no sense together. like literally what did they discuss during this book except “damn you don’t know what hockey is?” “mr. taylor you don’t know what a blacksmith does?” like OHHHHHH MYYYYYY GODDDDDDDDDD. literally zero talking points. yall got freaky against a tree once and said “you know what- love of my life right there” objectively insane.
i also can actually not believe that jane austen was like an important character to the plot of this book. what do you mean tucker taylor canonnically named pride and prejudice in this universe and that jane austen was giving relationship advice to a hockey goalie.
im going to actually start crawling the walls if i think about this book any longer. fuck, i need a cigarette (i dont smoke and im asthmatic. take this as you will).
you guys- i love insanity as much as the next girl but what do you mean their solution is to time travel back and forth for the rest of their lives. literally how on earth is that a good idea.
oh why did tucker piss me off bad like dude. her ass has no clue what you’re talking about. trying to convince lizzy to come to modern times with the promise of tampons?? girl…
i had no idea what was happening half the time i was reading this and i almost gave it two stars because hey- we weren’t reading this for the plot. literally what plot? the explanation of time travel was “man who cares i miss making out with lizzy” this was so genuinely awful.
objectively tuck and lizzy make no sense together. like literally what did they discuss during this book except “damn you don’t know what hockey is?” “mr. taylor you don’t know what a blacksmith does?” like OHHHHHH MYYYYYY GODDDDDDDDDD. literally zero talking points. yall got freaky against a tree once and said “you know what- love of my life right there” objectively insane.
i also can actually not believe that jane austen was like an important character to the plot of this book. what do you mean tucker taylor canonnically named pride and prejudice in this universe and that jane austen was giving relationship advice to a hockey goalie.
im going to actually start crawling the walls if i think about this book any longer. fuck, i need a cigarette (i dont smoke and im asthmatic. take this as you will).
Want to read
August 23, 2024What the hell is happening????
November 29, 2024
You add the time travel trope to a book, I'm reading it. Time travel books have never failed me, and this was was expectedly amazing.
Tuck is a hockey player who accidentally ends up in 1812, and falls in love with Lizzy, who just so happens to be friends with Jane Austen, no biggie.
THE PINING WAS TOP TIER!!! Exactly what I expect from a (mostly) historical romance. It took them forever to properly get together and I loved every single moment of it. The chemistry was leaping off the page, the storyline was super fun, I adored the characters and the setting and all the Jane Austen references, I just love love love this book so much.
Having only a male narrator for the audiobook was an interesting choice, but he did a really good job with all the voices so I do recommend it. I'll also be getting a physical copy, because this is getting reread!!!
I'm so glad I picked this up, I had a blast.
Tuck is a hockey player who accidentally ends up in 1812, and falls in love with Lizzy, who just so happens to be friends with Jane Austen, no biggie.
THE PINING WAS TOP TIER!!! Exactly what I expect from a (mostly) historical romance. It took them forever to properly get together and I loved every single moment of it. The chemistry was leaping off the page, the storyline was super fun, I adored the characters and the setting and all the Jane Austen references, I just love love love this book so much.
Having only a male narrator for the audiobook was an interesting choice, but he did a really good job with all the voices so I do recommend it. I'll also be getting a physical copy, because this is getting reread!!!
I'm so glad I picked this up, I had a blast.
November 24, 2024
Puck and Prejudice by Lia Riley
Historical (and contemporary) romance, romcom. Time travel. Marriage of convenience.
Tucker Taylor is on a medical leave from his job as Goalie for the Austin Regals. Taking advantage of his down time, he visits his sister in England. Driving back his hotel and trying to avoid a young boy in the middle of the road, he plunges into a pond and gets stuck under the ice. Waking up he finds himself back in 1812. It’s feels real. Now he needs to figure out how to navigate in a world without phones, cars, or hockey!
Lizzy Wooddash doesn’t want to be burdened with a man that will take all her money, and limit her solitary pursuits. She envious of the widows that have unlimited freedom to do what they want. But to be a widow, she’d have to marry a dying man or make a nefarious plan which isn’t in her wheelhouse. Then a man appears in the gardens, dressed strangely and talking about cars and phones and being from the future. This may be the man she can marry and have disappear when they figure out how to get him back to his time. Lizzy and Tuck agree to help each other. She gets a fake husband that hopefully won’t be around for long while he gets help navigating a world he’s not familiar with.
The road to getting married is different from what either expected. Sparks ignite and their relationship changes. Does that make a difference to their future?
A really fun story as a present day hockey player travels back in time and falls in love. He has his phone so is able to convince Lizzy he’s out of time. I loved his chivalry and his ability to navigate the new world. And why wouldn’t Lizzie fall for him? She doesn’t know what hockey is but he’s handsome and willing to listen and help her. Plus an interesting twist on resolution.
Entertaining.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
Historical (and contemporary) romance, romcom. Time travel. Marriage of convenience.
Tucker Taylor is on a medical leave from his job as Goalie for the Austin Regals. Taking advantage of his down time, he visits his sister in England. Driving back his hotel and trying to avoid a young boy in the middle of the road, he plunges into a pond and gets stuck under the ice. Waking up he finds himself back in 1812. It’s feels real. Now he needs to figure out how to navigate in a world without phones, cars, or hockey!
Lizzy Wooddash doesn’t want to be burdened with a man that will take all her money, and limit her solitary pursuits. She envious of the widows that have unlimited freedom to do what they want. But to be a widow, she’d have to marry a dying man or make a nefarious plan which isn’t in her wheelhouse. Then a man appears in the gardens, dressed strangely and talking about cars and phones and being from the future. This may be the man she can marry and have disappear when they figure out how to get him back to his time. Lizzy and Tuck agree to help each other. She gets a fake husband that hopefully won’t be around for long while he gets help navigating a world he’s not familiar with.
The road to getting married is different from what either expected. Sparks ignite and their relationship changes. Does that make a difference to their future?
A really fun story as a present day hockey player travels back in time and falls in love. He has his phone so is able to convince Lizzy he’s out of time. I loved his chivalry and his ability to navigate the new world. And why wouldn’t Lizzie fall for him? She doesn’t know what hockey is but he’s handsome and willing to listen and help her. Plus an interesting twist on resolution.
Entertaining.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
January 19, 2025
Definitely a brain off kinda book for me.
I’m sorry Morgan, I really tried 😭
I’m sorry Morgan, I really tried 😭
December 11, 2024
Entirely and deeply unserious time-travel romance that features a huge, hulking goalie (don't let the cover man distract you if you care about accuracy) and a regency miss who's an aspiring author and besties to THEE Jane Austen. With a cool lesbian aunt who breeds dogs.
Our hockey man and cancer survivor is plunged into the regency after falling into a pond in the UK and Lizzie stumbles upon him in his tight pants in a field. After rescuing him and getting him better clothed (even if he's stuffed like a sausage in thigh busting breeches), she concots a scheme to marry the guy and then find a way to ship him back to the future so she can live out her life as a merry widow.
Alas, feelings and good tuppings put a wrench in the whole scheme, with a fun and sastisfying resolution to it all, as long as you are willing to turn your thinky thoughts off for most of the ride.
jolly good time, I enjoyed Will Damron's narration a lot (even if I had to settle into his english accent for a 20-something woman).
Also Lizzie being convinced to try out the future because of TAMPONS and Jane Austen holding a SMART PHONE really made me giggle.
Good times, steamy, not mad about the experience at all.
Our hockey man and cancer survivor is plunged into the regency after falling into a pond in the UK and Lizzie stumbles upon him in his tight pants in a field. After rescuing him and getting him better clothed (even if he's stuffed like a sausage in thigh busting breeches), she concots a scheme to marry the guy and then find a way to ship him back to the future so she can live out her life as a merry widow.
Alas, feelings and good tuppings put a wrench in the whole scheme, with a fun and sastisfying resolution to it all, as long as you are willing to turn your thinky thoughts off for most of the ride.
jolly good time, I enjoyed Will Damron's narration a lot (even if I had to settle into his english accent for a 20-something woman).
Also Lizzie being convinced to try out the future because of TAMPONS and Jane Austen holding a SMART PHONE really made me giggle.
Good times, steamy, not mad about the experience at all.
December 4, 2024
I went into this book knowing it was going to be dumb and get on my nerves, but also that I couldn’t not read it.
And guess what folks?
It was somehow worse.
Because a book can be dumb and not wonderfully written, yet still FUN. This was not that book. It lacked the charisma, the skill and the verve.
All historical fiction, and historical romance in particular, are set in an imagined past, for better and often for worse. But most decent authors attempt to do something interesting with that setting, and try to at least engage in the historicity of the period they have selected.
No such effort is made here. Why bother to write this if you aren’t going to actually engage with some more coherently imagined past? For one having everyone in 1812 harping on about the American revolutionary war when the war of 1812 is literally happening or in the offing is a truly bonkers and lazy choice.
Lizzy is a 90s girl power heroine without the girl power or the charisma. She doesn’t read convincingly as a regency heroine, or even a regency underdeveloped side character. Her motives are nonsensical, her wider context is ludicrous and her reactions are astoundingly childish.
Tucker is not compelling or fully realised in the slightest, there could be a particularly interesting look on how an American goalie had to navigate regency period england, if the author had any creativity and ambition. Alas. He was wildly incurious and inconsistent, a modern mouthpiece to go oh wow isn’t it weird how the past and the present are so different and so the same. It was wearying.
Lizzy’s family itself was a particularly sour note, unconvincing stock villainy for the step father and brother, rah-rah social climbing weaponised femininity for the mama.
It beggars belief that someone with seemingly no interest in the regency period, good romance book practices or even hockey would bother to write a book that featured all three. It is like the author threw in everything she had read on buzzfeed about 19th century English history, two doll-like characters with less personality than a thimble, eighteen tired cliches and fanculture around Jane Austen and then shook it up.
The romance itself was impressively lacklustre and rote, with little effort put into to developing or selling the relationship. It is also, to fully be a bitch, so funny to have these long impassioned speeches where the male love interest is convincing the main character that she is something special when she has shown zero personality to this point.
Some other gripes that I cannot bear to put into full paragraphs include:
- faux regency language like nails against a chalkboard
- Jane Austen I’m so sorry girl you deserved so much better. Not only did she have you giving an actual shovel talk (???????) but let some hockey player from Texas title pride and prejudice????
- Aforementioned bad sense of history
- lack of ambition — girl how did she get a PASSPORT
- A woman of her class would speak French enough to recognise what a dentist likely was!!!
- you have to CONVINCE me why a woman of her class would aspire to work!! None of her male relatives would have modelled that for her.
- her favourite food wouldn’t be pineapple???
- pocket rocket??? As a nickname??? made me so!!! 🔪🔪🔪
This was a bad book do not read it.
And guess what folks?
It was somehow worse.
Because a book can be dumb and not wonderfully written, yet still FUN. This was not that book. It lacked the charisma, the skill and the verve.
All historical fiction, and historical romance in particular, are set in an imagined past, for better and often for worse. But most decent authors attempt to do something interesting with that setting, and try to at least engage in the historicity of the period they have selected.
No such effort is made here. Why bother to write this if you aren’t going to actually engage with some more coherently imagined past? For one having everyone in 1812 harping on about the American revolutionary war when the war of 1812 is literally happening or in the offing is a truly bonkers and lazy choice.
Lizzy is a 90s girl power heroine without the girl power or the charisma. She doesn’t read convincingly as a regency heroine, or even a regency underdeveloped side character. Her motives are nonsensical, her wider context is ludicrous and her reactions are astoundingly childish.
Tucker is not compelling or fully realised in the slightest, there could be a particularly interesting look on how an American goalie had to navigate regency period england, if the author had any creativity and ambition. Alas. He was wildly incurious and inconsistent, a modern mouthpiece to go oh wow isn’t it weird how the past and the present are so different and so the same. It was wearying.
Lizzy’s family itself was a particularly sour note, unconvincing stock villainy for the step father and brother, rah-rah social climbing weaponised femininity for the mama.
It beggars belief that someone with seemingly no interest in the regency period, good romance book practices or even hockey would bother to write a book that featured all three. It is like the author threw in everything she had read on buzzfeed about 19th century English history, two doll-like characters with less personality than a thimble, eighteen tired cliches and fanculture around Jane Austen and then shook it up.
The romance itself was impressively lacklustre and rote, with little effort put into to developing or selling the relationship. It is also, to fully be a bitch, so funny to have these long impassioned speeches where the male love interest is convincing the main character that she is something special when she has shown zero personality to this point.
Some other gripes that I cannot bear to put into full paragraphs include:
- faux regency language like nails against a chalkboard
- Jane Austen I’m so sorry girl you deserved so much better. Not only did she have you giving an actual shovel talk (???????) but let some hockey player from Texas title pride and prejudice????
- Aforementioned bad sense of history
- lack of ambition — girl how did she get a PASSPORT
- A woman of her class would speak French enough to recognise what a dentist likely was!!!
- you have to CONVINCE me why a woman of her class would aspire to work!! None of her male relatives would have modelled that for her.
- her favourite food wouldn’t be pineapple???
- pocket rocket??? As a nickname??? made me so!!! 🔪🔪🔪
This was a bad book do not read it.
December 24, 2024
2.5⭐️
Not nearly interesting enough to justify the level of outrage and amount of people calling this the death of literature.
The chemistry was fine and the couple is cute but the conflict resolution was extremely underwhelming. There’s so much build up to a major sacrifice to fall on one of the two leads and the author opts for no sacrifice.
I enjoyed the dynamic their personalities brought on but I walked away from this book really confused as to why Lizzy is the only one with a character arc or any development despite there being TWO main characters. Tuck’s entire existence boils down to a hot motivational speaker for Lizzy. There is zero change in his character from beginning to end. There is no growth. This is a dual POV story and Tuck’s has literally nothing to show for it really.
All in all…meh ?
CW: explicit sexual content, references to cancer treatment, infertility, sexism
Not nearly interesting enough to justify the level of outrage and amount of people calling this the death of literature.
The chemistry was fine and the couple is cute but the conflict resolution was extremely underwhelming. There’s so much build up to a major sacrifice to fall on one of the two leads and the author opts for no sacrifice.
I enjoyed the dynamic their personalities brought on but I walked away from this book really confused as to why Lizzy is the only one with a character arc or any development despite there being TWO main characters. Tuck’s entire existence boils down to a hot motivational speaker for Lizzy. There is zero change in his character from beginning to end. There is no growth. This is a dual POV story and Tuck’s has literally nothing to show for it really.
All in all…meh ?
CW: explicit sexual content, references to cancer treatment, infertility, sexism
January 14, 2025
This Austen-adjacent time travel novel gives alllllll the dopamine for adventurous historical romance-com lovers-following Lizzy, a friend of Jane herself who struggles to find a path to independence of her overbearing family and societal expectations, and Tucker, a hockey player who has been through a few hard years recently that finds himself wallowing in a pond in 1812 England. Their marriage of convenience is meant to end in Lizzy being a merry widow, and Tuck getting back to his time, but of course the plot thickens. This was such a fun read, and reads super quickly without much plot filler which I loved. There is just a touch of hockey, which felt like just enough for this story. The premise doesn’t take itself too seriously or try to over explain the dynamics of time travel, which was much appreciated. Absolutely 4⭐️, so glad I added this to my shelf.
December 20, 2024
This was fun and deeply unserious. A hockey player goes back in time and falls in love with one of Jane Austen's friends. It's fairly absurd, pretty spicy, and not for people who need top notch historical accuracy. But I found it entertaining and it would make a great Netflix movie.
April 20, 2025
4 stars ⭐️🌷
Wow this book really surprised me! It was such a fun, lighthearted read that I seriously enjoyed.
This story follows Tuck (a hockey player from America) who is visiting his sister in England, and falls into a pond after a car accident, but ends up in the year 1812 where he meets Lizzy.
I loved the time travel idea of this book, and I found all the comparisons so funny. Especially their reactions to his clothing, shoes and his “talking device” as they called it. It had Bridgerton vibes and even Jane Austen was included as a character in this as Lizzys close friend which was cool!
Lizzy helps Tuck adjust to being in 1812 and come up with a plan with getting back to his correct time - but of course they fall in love and find it difficult parting ways. But they work out how he was able to travel back in time, so they can still visit eachother and it’s a lovely ending!
~~~~
Some quotes I loved:
“You recognised my friends name. The writer. Jane. Jane Austen.”
“Show them the talking device that took that portrait of me.”
“They were a world of ghosts not knowing they were already history.”
“Fate may bring people into our lives, but we’re the ones who choose who we refuse to part with.”
Wow this book really surprised me! It was such a fun, lighthearted read that I seriously enjoyed.
This story follows Tuck (a hockey player from America) who is visiting his sister in England, and falls into a pond after a car accident, but ends up in the year 1812 where he meets Lizzy.
I loved the time travel idea of this book, and I found all the comparisons so funny. Especially their reactions to his clothing, shoes and his “talking device” as they called it. It had Bridgerton vibes and even Jane Austen was included as a character in this as Lizzys close friend which was cool!
Lizzy helps Tuck adjust to being in 1812 and come up with a plan with getting back to his correct time - but of course they fall in love and find it difficult parting ways. But they work out how he was able to travel back in time, so they can still visit eachother and it’s a lovely ending!
~~~~
Some quotes I loved:
“You recognised my friends name. The writer. Jane. Jane Austen.”
“Show them the talking device that took that portrait of me.”
“They were a world of ghosts not knowing they were already history.”
“Fate may bring people into our lives, but we’re the ones who choose who we refuse to part with.”
December 2, 2024
ok giving this two stars instead of one bc I knew going in exactly what this would be so one feels unfair. But like . . . I fear we’ve just gone way too far.
I can forgive a lot of things, but even I have limits and the inclusion of Jane Austen herself getting writing advice from this lovable himbo who has seemingly never done or said anything wrong in his life? My limit
I can forgive a lot of things, but even I have limits and the inclusion of Jane Austen herself getting writing advice from this lovable himbo who has seemingly never done or said anything wrong in his life? My limit
July 7, 2024
HAHAHAHAHA. Is it high-literature? No. Is it kinda fantastic for what it is? Absolutely yes.
December 17, 2024
As another reviewer so eloquently put “I was hoping for fun garbage but this was garbage garbage.”
Want to read
September 22, 2024i will be reading this purely for the unique (and maybe a bit narcissistically kinky) experience of hearing my name in an explicit sex scene.
September 15, 2025
4.5 Stars for Puck and Prejudice: Regals Hockey, Book 1 (audiobook) by Lia Riley read by Will Damron.
I’m so glad that I gave this one a try. I enjoy these time traveling romances that send Americans back to the UK to find love. But I was afraid that this was going to be a little silly for me. Instead this has a great guy that is sent back and finds a witty woman who is in need of a temporary husband. Her current goal is to become a widow, which will grant her the freedoms in her life to do what she wants. But instead she slowly falls for the hockey player. And it was fun having Jane Austin as a character in the story. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
I’m so glad that I gave this one a try. I enjoy these time traveling romances that send Americans back to the UK to find love. But I was afraid that this was going to be a little silly for me. Instead this has a great guy that is sent back and finds a witty woman who is in need of a temporary husband. Her current goal is to become a widow, which will grant her the freedoms in her life to do what she wants. But instead she slowly falls for the hockey player. And it was fun having Jane Austin as a character in the story. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.
March 27, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
''Shouldn't be here''
Safety warnings:
- No cheating
- No OW/OM drama
- Arranged marriage
- Time-travel
- Mention of cancer and chemotherapy
- HEA
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
Austin (hockey player) finds himself in 1812 after he is in a car accident. He wakes up and sees Lizzy who is suspicious of him (for obvious reasons) he explains that he is from the future, and she believes him as there is no other explanation for the way he talks, dressed and the cellphone he shows her and the photos.
They had funny banter because of their massive difference in their vocabulary but you could feel their chemistry. He found her attractive, and he was very different from the men she was used to.
As she never wanted to marry and wished she could live her life without having that happen, her friends/cousin suggest she marry Austin, then when he goes back home, she can be a widow and live her life in peace and it could also help have Austin around her without anyone speaking ill of them as this is 1812.
And yes, one of her best friends is Jane Austen and she has just written Sense and Sensibility and is clearly in the process of writing Pride and Prejudice (but it's not titled that yet).
Austin and Lizzy travel to a town where they can get married, but their trip has them stop at Inns and they are sharing a bed - they obviously want each other but he needs to be respectful.
We find out that there is also someone who is from the future when he comes up to Austin and knows who HE is as Austin is a big famous hockey player. He explains that there are a few on specific days that can cross the ley lines and that is what happened with Austin and lets him know how he can go back.
Lizzy, who was once excited about becoming a ''widow'' is upset about Austin leaving and Austin knows he needs to go because he once had cancer and was in chemo along with his sister that he cannot leave behind, so they spend a few days together as a married couple and then he leaves.
He asked to come with him, but he knew she could not and instead leave her a letter giving her instructions in case she does decide to go to the future.
Weeks go by and he is back in his normal life though he misses her and never will forget nor be able to move on from her as he is madly in love but wishes he had told her when we see her in the stands with his sister and we find out she crossed over.
I wish we had a bit more time in the end to establish them together in this new world but everything she discovered in the new world was done off page which sucks.
They live their HEA obviously; she becomes a famous writer and loves that her best friend Jane Austen is still massively famous in her time.
''Shouldn't be here''
Safety warnings:
- No cheating
- No OW/OM drama
- Arranged marriage
- Time-travel
- Mention of cancer and chemotherapy
- HEA
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
Austin (hockey player) finds himself in 1812 after he is in a car accident. He wakes up and sees Lizzy who is suspicious of him (for obvious reasons) he explains that he is from the future, and she believes him as there is no other explanation for the way he talks, dressed and the cellphone he shows her and the photos.
They had funny banter because of their massive difference in their vocabulary but you could feel their chemistry. He found her attractive, and he was very different from the men she was used to.
As she never wanted to marry and wished she could live her life without having that happen, her friends/cousin suggest she marry Austin, then when he goes back home, she can be a widow and live her life in peace and it could also help have Austin around her without anyone speaking ill of them as this is 1812.
And yes, one of her best friends is Jane Austen and she has just written Sense and Sensibility and is clearly in the process of writing Pride and Prejudice (but it's not titled that yet).
Austin and Lizzy travel to a town where they can get married, but their trip has them stop at Inns and they are sharing a bed - they obviously want each other but he needs to be respectful.
We find out that there is also someone who is from the future when he comes up to Austin and knows who HE is as Austin is a big famous hockey player. He explains that there are a few on specific days that can cross the ley lines and that is what happened with Austin and lets him know how he can go back.
Lizzy, who was once excited about becoming a ''widow'' is upset about Austin leaving and Austin knows he needs to go because he once had cancer and was in chemo along with his sister that he cannot leave behind, so they spend a few days together as a married couple and then he leaves.
He asked to come with him, but he knew she could not and instead leave her a letter giving her instructions in case she does decide to go to the future.
Weeks go by and he is back in his normal life though he misses her and never will forget nor be able to move on from her as he is madly in love but wishes he had told her when we see her in the stands with his sister and we find out she crossed over.
I wish we had a bit more time in the end to establish them together in this new world but everything she discovered in the new world was done off page which sucks.
They live their HEA obviously; she becomes a famous writer and loves that her best friend Jane Austen is still massively famous in her time.
September 14, 2024
I won this book as a part of a Goodreads giveaway AND received the ARC via NetGalley... a double whammy almost as impressive as a hockey romance/regency era romance mashup.
The SparkNotes: Tucker, sexy American hockey player and adored himbo, falls into a river and wakes up in the 1800s. Lizzy, sexy woman who wears neither deodorant nor underwear, finds him. And romance ensues the way you'd expect it to.
This is goofy and unserious and fun and surprisingly has pretty valid smut. If you're someone who thinks 'that would never happen' when you read, don't pick this up, because I can assure you right now that this book would clearly never happen. But if you're looking for ridiculousness and smut, I fully recommend.
The SparkNotes: Tucker, sexy American hockey player and adored himbo, falls into a river and wakes up in the 1800s. Lizzy, sexy woman who wears neither deodorant nor underwear, finds him. And romance ensues the way you'd expect it to.
This is goofy and unserious and fun and surprisingly has pretty valid smut. If you're someone who thinks 'that would never happen' when you read, don't pick this up, because I can assure you right now that this book would clearly never happen. But if you're looking for ridiculousness and smut, I fully recommend.
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