I accidentally sexted a stranger. Now I’m living with him.
The texts were supposed to be anonymous. Fun. Filthy. Harmless.
Until I found out the man on the other end was Austin Callahan—hockey’s grumpiest golden boy... and my new roommate.
Thanks to a housing disaster, we’re stuck under the same roof. He’s all strict routines and broody silences. I’m a caffeine-fueled microbiologist with a love of chaos and zero chill.
But the tension between us? It’s combustible.
Those messages weren’t just hot—they were honest. He saw parts of me no one else does. And now that I know who he is… I can’t stop wanting him.
Living together wasn’t the plan. Falling for him definitely wasn’t either.
But late-night laughter turns into something deeper. Quiet moments blur into heated glances. And what started as a temporary arrangement becomes the one place I feel like I belong.
Then a trade deal threatens to rip him away—and suddenly, I’m not just afraid of losing our home. I’m afraid of losing the only person who’s ever truly seen me.
Good story but went way too long with a lot of repetition in both scenes and wording. Also a LOT of timeline issues, scenes mentioned that weren’t in the book and consistency issues. What happened to six months in Germany? What about his trade to Seattle? One minute she’s convincing him they can do the long distance. The next he is convincing her. And he is a neat organizational freak. Yet she labels and organizes everything? One or two slips I can look past but the longer the book dragged on the more obvious all these inconsistencies became.
Austin Callahan is a grumpy hockey player in physical therapy after a knee injury. Kate Ellis is a microbiologist doing research on superbugs that don’t respond to antibiotics anymore. You wouldn’t think Austin and Kate could find a way to communicate, but they managed it somehow. Her story starts out with a discussion with the taxi driver who was staring in dismay at her mountain of luggage, consisting of 3 suitcases, 2 duffel bags, and 4 boxes of her research materials. She assured him the lab notes were not heavy, and he reminded her that they have stores in Minneapolis where she could buy things rather than drag it all from home. Then he rescued her from a snowbank when her boots slipped on the ice and buried her there. They were friends by the time he got her to her designated apartment, where she was told the apartment would not be ready for at least 2 weeks! The university had emailed her about it while she was traveling there from Arizona and had no alternate housing to offer her! With a weekend hockey tournament, there is absolutely nowhere to stay.
She spent time checking for sublets, but most were for next semester and required early notice or a lengthy stay. Then she checked a faculty site and found a two-bedroom sublet near campus, available immediately, utilities included, furnished. The texted response said the owner, Stone, is out of town but is handling the rental, so it’s hers if she wants it! After a bit too much wine, she decided to send a sexy text to a friend she dated once, having (thought) she had memorized his number. Instead, she sent it to Austin Callahan (“Stone”) who was staying in one of the team’s apartment units since it was closer to rehab and the hockey arena . His phone buzzed and the text stranger was apologizing for the mistake the wine had induced. Stone laughed and enjoyed her panic. They continued the humorous texting. And when she showed up at the apartment, Stone had no idea who she was or why she was there -- until he realized his teammate Dennis was pranking him! She dropped her cup of coffee in the spotlessly clean room and dove on it with her scarf to sop it up as she announced “caffeine molecules are surprisingly adept at adhering to porous surfaces due to their polar nature, which is why coffee stains are so persistent, but if we act quickly the tannic acid won’t have time to…” and he shouted STOP! She followed him to the paper towels, tracking coffee across the rug as he scowled. With absolutely nowhere else to go, she begged Stone to let her stay for 2 weeks. He insisted on rules, but agreed to let her stay in the guest room. Would the two of them survive this? Despite their differences, she feels safe with him. And although she drives him crazy, she makes him smile. And they begin to have feelings for each other. How will she deal with his possibly being traded due to the knee injury? Are they ready to let each other go?
This was absolutely gorgeous. The story of Austin ‘’Stone’’ and Kate had the perfect blend of humour, angst and seriousness. I did not expect to have such serious topics in this book - I was expecting completely lighthearted. It was, but blending in the heavier topics was done so well, they resonate and stick with you.
The development of their relationship was *chefs kiss and had me giggling, swooning and getting a wee bit warm 🥵 in various combinations.
Their personalities were completely opposite, but both shared similar vulnerabilities. Communication between them was mostly open, and when it counted, they did a fantastic job of talking to each other. I loved her scientific and highly analytical approach - it was hilarious seeing her try to relate it to hockey…
On that note… a book about a hockey player and a microbiologist?? What an imagination! And it totally worked. This book is a must read - I powered through in one sitting, ignoring all of my morning chores and have zero regrets.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Austin Callahan, the grumpy hockey god with a broken routine… and Kate Ellis, the chaos-loving scientist who completely turns his world upside down.
This book is packed with: ✔ Wrong-number sexting ✔ Forced proximity tension ✔ Slow burn with high heat ✔ Big emotional payoff + swoony HEA
GUYS this book was hilarious. I laughed out loud so many times and smiled from ear to ear. The banter between this two and how they meet each other, was great. He’s SO grumpy and she is pure chaos, but they eventually mesh their lives together and it’s the best story. I literally read this in ONE day because I could not put this down.
The feelings they have for one another is the first time for both, Austin is scared and tries to put a stop to their relationship. But Kate has a whole different plan, with him being released to play hockey again, there are rules about the turn upside down. Will they make it through it?.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I stopped reading around 36%, which is unusual for me—I usually power through even if a book isn’t quite my style. I typically enjoy darker-themed romance but don’t mind venturing out. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me.
I struggled to connect with the female lead. She’s a scientist, which is fine, but her dialogue often felt unnatural and overly technical, like the author was trying too hard to make her sound quirky or hyper-intelligent. One moment that really threw me was when she spilled coffee in the guys apartment and said and did this....
“Oh my god!” I dropped to my knees, frantically trying to stop the flow with my scarf. “I’m so sorry! Caffeine molecules are surprisingly adept at adhering to porous surfaces due to their polar nature, which is why coffee stains are so persistent, but if we act quickly the tannic acid won’t have time to"
That kind of language was often and just didn’t land for me and made it hard to stay engaged. I felt like i was cringing throughout the 36%... In the end, it just wasn’t the right fit.
General rule of romance, the meet cute, romance, spicy time then the climax where everything falls apart, a big misunderstanding or something that breaks then up then the make up and happily ever after. This was pure happiness from the start, he falls first. The whole grumpy roommate thing happened day one and he caved immediately. I loved it but kept waiting for that climax, heart ache something but it never came, he was going to be traded, she was offered a job in Germany and yet no everything worked out perfectly it was like hallmark meets Disney princess romance. It needed some drama. I just eye rolled so hard I have a headache. They had sex a lot, I was happy for them but spice level eh 2.5 for a hockey player. Even if it's love making, you can give sine detail. Sadly this fell flat if this is Pucking my grump roommate I want that angst, I expect grumpy to be grumpy, be an a hole, I want her to rile him up but it just should've been called Injured hockey player falls for new roomie and they live HEA. Meh
LOVED THIS!! Opposite attract in one chance encounter! Kate and Austin find themselves stuck together after a joke goes awry and they couldn’t be more opposite. Kate is a Ph.D microbiologist who just accepted a job offer in Minnesota but finds herself in search of a place to stay once her housing contract falls through. Austin is recovering from a recent knee injury and just wants his life back on the ice. Now living with Kate who is chaos to his organized lifestyle, he finds himself drawn to her hectic tendencies. Kate is determined to make the best of the situation and puts her scientific knowledge to work helping Austin’s recovery. As they learn to adjust to the others lifestyles, sparks ignite. Kate and Austin’s romance was so heartwarming! Definitely recommend for those who LOVE a dependent, smart and driven FMC and an intense, powerful and supportive MMC! Watching both of them grow together and support each other’s dreams was so rewarding!
This is a completely charming and entertaining story. Austin Callahan is a talented NHL star who is recovering from a torn ACL. He is focused, OCD, grumpy, and anxious to return to the ice. Kate Ellis is a brilliant microbiologist who has relocated to Minneapolis to pursue a fellowship. She is organized in her research but totally chaotic in her personal life. When she arrives, her on-campus housing is under construction, so she finds an off-campus apartment. The problem is, it is Austin's apartment, and her ren5al of it is a prank by Austin's teammate. Concurrently, Kate mistakenly sex texts Austin's number. They unknowingly text each other, eventually discovering that the roommates are also the text buddies. Their story involves the struggles associated with women in science being taken seriously, the successful blending of two different worlds, and their growing love for each other. I enthusiastically recommend this book.
I love a good opposites-attract story, and Pucking My Grumpy Roommate by Kali Kendrick delivered it perfectly! Kate and Austin are complete opposites—truly from one end of the spectrum to the other—but somehow that makes them absolutely perfect together. Their banter and back-and-forth are everything! The chemistry between them sparks right off the page and keeps you hooked from start to finish. I adored how Kate brings the chaos and light into Austin’s ordered, grumpy world, while he grounds her with his calm, steady presence. They balance each other out in the most amazing way, and it made their connection feel so real and natural. Kate and Austin just work. Perfectly. This book gave me all the swoons, laughs, and heartwarming moments I could ask for. I seriously can’t wait to read more of this series—if the rest of the stories are anything like this one, I’m already obsessed!
Austin and Kate, not even sure where to begin. This was so fun to read. Both are professionals- one a hockey player the other a scientist. Kali goes to show us that opposites attract and little quirks can be adorable and even break through well built walls. I loved how she showed that people are more open with strangers they think they’ll never meet (wrong number texting). I found that very relatable and the struggles that both characters went through. Kali hits some deep fears in this book, but she does it in such a fun way. Couldn’t put this down once I started!
I absolutely love how the book blends hockey and science into a romance book. Kali Kendrick manages to show people how important science is to so many things - including sports. And I LOVE how supportive both Austin and Kate were to each other while still maintaining their love for their own specialty.
I also love that there was no third act breakup. I wish there was more detailed spice, and I wish there was a little more angst in it, but I enjoyed the book. I recommend this for a quick and fun read!
Tons of editing mistakes. One moment the MMC is the orderly one and the next the FMC is. She becomes his roommate (for two weeks) because of a prank by a teammate but later in the book it’s mentioned a friend of the teammate’s cousin…but that was a lie and it was just a set up to get the MMC some action. They live together for a few days and then he and his teammate are talking about her being there for a month already. The whole thing just needed to be cleaned up so all the writer’s ideas and thoughts coalesced into a clear story.
My Pucking Grumpy Roommate is funny, lighthearted and absolutely amazing. Kate and Austin are complete opposites but fit together perfectly. She is smart and chaotic while he is grumpy and overly organized. I loved the way their relationship developed and their banter was fantastic. Their romance is filled with humor and heartwarming moments. I definitely enjoyed the hockey romcom.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed the characters and the writing style of this book. A star athlete and an intelligent researcher were definitely an odd couple initially but they both began to appreciate the other. I really liked the depth of their characters. I also liked the way the author stayed away from cheap plot devices, instead of misunderstandings causing big drama, the characters actually talked things out and came to understand each others point of view.
I received this as an ARC. Kali does it again. This is the third book of hers that I have read and it’s my favorite so far. Kate and Austin meet in an unconventional way. Hilarity ensues and love blossums. She smart and chaotic, he’s athletic and neat. There is also the whole text situation that is a hilarious addition. Go grab this one, it’s great!
Oh my, I loved Kate and Austin so much. One of my favourite tropes. The science nerd and hunky hockey player. These two are opposites but compliment each other so well. And they are 🔥🔥🔥. I was smiling through this the whole book. Definitely didn’t want this one to end. Definitely recommend.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Kate, a microbiologist, has just relocated to Minneapolis and finds herself as a roommate to hot hockey player Austin, who's recovering from an injury. A steamy and spicy romcom with sexting, banter and flirting, a great feel good romance.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Pucking my Grumpy Roommate by Kali Kendrick: 5 stars — still smiling.. Quote: "Who would have thought a wrong number text would lead to this?" This book was so good! The banter, the life lessons, the maturity, the humor, the chemistry. And Kate and Austin were amazing. I loved them both, and the way they complimented each other. It was over too soon! —PTators
A perfect blend of science and hockey. I loved how she is so smart and speaks in scientific terms and analogies but changes them to make sense to others as well. Their connection is so strong and I loved it. Chemistry is off the charts with minimal heat in the read. Loved it
The FMC was amazing. The MMC was amazing. I have been struggling with finding good books lately, and this one was just what I needed. I loved the banter, brains, and romance between the two. It was a happy read with no gut-wrenching soul crushing moments!! Again, exactly what I needed because life is full of those currently.
Are you searching for your next hockey romance book. Let me suggest this romance read right here by Kali. I really thought that Kate and Austin were fun and romantic to read about. I suggest you read this book by Kali and see how terrific of a writer she truly is with the storyline and HEA ending.
First time I have read this author. If you love an opposites attract story line, I highly recommend this book. It is so fun to see hoe Austin and Kate fall in love. I
What a fun melding of sports and science. Great characters, interesting story line, adequate amount of conflict, but not anxiety producing. This was the complete package for me. Well done, Kali.
My new favorite terms. This book has dozens of funny, scientific, and sports tidbits. I actually went to look up some of Kate's science discussions and bacterial facts. Fun when you learn things beyond just the story and characters!
It does have alot of science & hockey analysis, but this book was cute. I loved Kate's chaotic chaos... How they met was awesome..recommend if u like cute grumpy chaos love... swearing and sex in it...
Incredible book of opposition attract with a little twist. Kate became Austin roommate because her living arrangement fell through. Enjoyed reading Pucking My Grumpy Roommate with the bantering, texting, grumpy/sunshine, hockey player/scientist and support of each other’s careers! Highly recommend!
Enjoyed the story and the dynamic between Kate and Austin. This story could be improved with some editing. Timelines and scenes didn't always line up as they should have.