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Crane Hockey #6
One Pucking Life: A Single Dad/Nanny, Hockey Romance
From USA Today best-selling author Ellie Wade comes a heartfelt single dad/nanny romance featuring a hockey star, an adorable baby, and the woman who changes everything.
Maxwell Park lives and breathes hockey, but everything shifts when he suddenly becomes a full-time single dad to his infant daughter. Between practices, game days, and midnight feedings, he’s hanging on by a thread. What he needs is help—and fast.
Enter Delaney Hagan. Full-time nanny, baby whisperer, and expert at guarding her heart. Caring for kids is her calling, and she’s always managed to keep things strictly professional. Until Max.
He’s easygoing, thoughtful, and makes fatherhood look sexy without even trying. Falling for him was never part of the plan. But the longer Delaney is in his home, the harder it is to remember why she built those walls in the first place.
She was hired to care for his baby.
She never expected to fall for them both.
Perhaps this isn’t just a job.
Maybe it’s the start of a beautiful life—if she’s brave enough to claim it.
***Book Six in the Crane Hockey Series. Can be read as a standalone, though the reader experience will be enhanced by reading the previous books, as the stories build upon one another.
Maxwell Park lives and breathes hockey, but everything shifts when he suddenly becomes a full-time single dad to his infant daughter. Between practices, game days, and midnight feedings, he’s hanging on by a thread. What he needs is help—and fast.
Enter Delaney Hagan. Full-time nanny, baby whisperer, and expert at guarding her heart. Caring for kids is her calling, and she’s always managed to keep things strictly professional. Until Max.
He’s easygoing, thoughtful, and makes fatherhood look sexy without even trying. Falling for him was never part of the plan. But the longer Delaney is in his home, the harder it is to remember why she built those walls in the first place.
She was hired to care for his baby.
She never expected to fall for them both.
Perhaps this isn’t just a job.
Maybe it’s the start of a beautiful life—if she’s brave enough to claim it.
***Book Six in the Crane Hockey Series. Can be read as a standalone, though the reader experience will be enhanced by reading the previous books, as the stories build upon one another.
314 pages, Paperback
Published June 11, 2025
39 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Ellie Wade
44 books1,125 followersEllie Wade resides in southwest Michigan with her husband, three young children, and two dogs. She has a Master’s degree in education from Eastern Michigan University and is a huge University of Michigan sports fan. She loves the beauty of her home state, especially the lakes and the gorgeous autumn weather. When she is not writing, you will find her reading, snuggled up with her kids, or spending time with family and friends. She loves traveling and exploring new places with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 23, 2025
This was very cute! The nanny and single dad trope isn’t usually my thing, but I very much enjoyed this book! I think the quick transition from “I love my single life and would never give it up” to “I’m a dad and my life is about the baby” was a little unnatural, but with that aside, it was very good!
January 14, 2026
One Pucking Life by Ellie Wade is everything I love about a hockey romance wrapped up in one swoony, emotional, laugh-out-loud, heart-squeezing story. Single-dad romance? Nanny trope? Found family? Yes. All of it. And somehow Ellie Wade made it feel fresh, intimate, and deeply real.
Maxwell Park absolutely stole my heart. Watching this tough, dedicated hockey player stumble through midnight feedings, diaper changes, and the overwhelming love for his tiny daughter was pure perfection. He’s not just a hot athlete. He’s a man who shows up, even when he’s exhausted, scared, and stretched to his limits. The way he loves his baby is genuinely beautiful, and it makes every moment with him and Delaney hit that much harder.
Delaney is just as wonderful. She’s warm, competent, and so easy to root for, but she’s also carrying quiet fears that make her emotional walls feel authentic rather than frustrating. The slow, tender way she falls not just for Max, but for his baby and the life they’re building together, had me melting page after page. Their chemistry is soft and emotional, not just steamy, and it makes their connection feel truly earned.
What really elevates this book, though, is the heart. This isn’t just a romance. It’s a story about building a family in unexpected ways. The moments between Max, Delaney, and Caroline are so tender and domestic that you can practically feel the warmth radiating off the pages. Add in the Crane Hockey family and you get that addictive found-family vibe that makes you never want to leave this world.
I absolutely loved this book, and I’m so grateful Ellie turned this into a nine-book series. If she had stopped at three, we never would’ve gotten this incredible, heartfelt story. As excited as I am to keep reading, I’m already a little heartbroken knowing we’re two-thirds of the way through and eventually we’ll have to say goodbye to the Crane Hockey family.
If you love single dads, nanny romance, hockey heroes, and stories that make you smile, swoon, and maybe tear up a little... One Pucking Life is a must-read.
Maxwell Park absolutely stole my heart. Watching this tough, dedicated hockey player stumble through midnight feedings, diaper changes, and the overwhelming love for his tiny daughter was pure perfection. He’s not just a hot athlete. He’s a man who shows up, even when he’s exhausted, scared, and stretched to his limits. The way he loves his baby is genuinely beautiful, and it makes every moment with him and Delaney hit that much harder.
Delaney is just as wonderful. She’s warm, competent, and so easy to root for, but she’s also carrying quiet fears that make her emotional walls feel authentic rather than frustrating. The slow, tender way she falls not just for Max, but for his baby and the life they’re building together, had me melting page after page. Their chemistry is soft and emotional, not just steamy, and it makes their connection feel truly earned.
What really elevates this book, though, is the heart. This isn’t just a romance. It’s a story about building a family in unexpected ways. The moments between Max, Delaney, and Caroline are so tender and domestic that you can practically feel the warmth radiating off the pages. Add in the Crane Hockey family and you get that addictive found-family vibe that makes you never want to leave this world.
I absolutely loved this book, and I’m so grateful Ellie turned this into a nine-book series. If she had stopped at three, we never would’ve gotten this incredible, heartfelt story. As excited as I am to keep reading, I’m already a little heartbroken knowing we’re two-thirds of the way through and eventually we’ll have to say goodbye to the Crane Hockey family.
If you love single dads, nanny romance, hockey heroes, and stories that make you smile, swoon, and maybe tear up a little... One Pucking Life is a must-read.
November 5, 2025
Everything about this series is just so cozy and low angst. Even with all the drama that the author tries to shove into them, they just remain really chill. One Pucking Life sticks with the same cozy trend as well. The dynamics between Delaney and Max are sweet. The meet cute had me giggling and commiserating all at once, because yeah, I can see myself doing the same thing Delaney did.
The relationship between the two mains was fantastic. There was certainly chemistry between them both and they worked very well together. This wasn't an opposites attract situation. Delaney and Max were just all about being good people to Max's daughter, Caroline. I loved the fact that Max was doing his best to be a good dad right off the bat.
The pacing was a little slow. This is a romance only. There really isn't a plot beyond the relationship building so, even with some time jumps, it all just feels slice of life. There isn't any other people drama. And really, Delaney only had her own issues to get beyond for the relationship to progress. I just really enjoy this series as a chill palate cleanser type of read.
The relationship between the two mains was fantastic. There was certainly chemistry between them both and they worked very well together. This wasn't an opposites attract situation. Delaney and Max were just all about being good people to Max's daughter, Caroline. I loved the fact that Max was doing his best to be a good dad right off the bat.
The pacing was a little slow. This is a romance only. There really isn't a plot beyond the relationship building so, even with some time jumps, it all just feels slice of life. There isn't any other people drama. And really, Delaney only had her own issues to get beyond for the relationship to progress. I just really enjoy this series as a chill palate cleanser type of read.
December 21, 2025
Cute but boring
I picked up One Pucking Life expecting a fun hockey romance, and honestly? It delivered some of that cozy vibe — single dad + nanny = adorable moments and enough baby hijinks to make you say “awww” out loud. Maxwell trying to juggle NHL life with midnight feedings was both chaotic and kinda sweet, and Delaney was definitely competent and emotionally grounded, which I appreciated.
But here’s the tea: it felt… fine. Like, good for a lazy afternoon, but nothing that’ll stick with me. The pacing was a bit messy at times, and it relied on tropes I’ve seen a million times — baby falling asleep awkwardly in the wrong arms, predictable “will they/won’t they” beats, etc. It didn’t flop or anything, but it also didn’t wow me.
Plot was smooth enough, characters were mostly likable, and the hockey backdrop is fun, but I wanted just a bit more spark or originality to bump it above average. If you’re into single-dad stories with a side of light romance and zero brain power required, this hits the spot. Just don’t expect it to blow your socks off.
I picked up One Pucking Life expecting a fun hockey romance, and honestly? It delivered some of that cozy vibe — single dad + nanny = adorable moments and enough baby hijinks to make you say “awww” out loud. Maxwell trying to juggle NHL life with midnight feedings was both chaotic and kinda sweet, and Delaney was definitely competent and emotionally grounded, which I appreciated.
But here’s the tea: it felt… fine. Like, good for a lazy afternoon, but nothing that’ll stick with me. The pacing was a bit messy at times, and it relied on tropes I’ve seen a million times — baby falling asleep awkwardly in the wrong arms, predictable “will they/won’t they” beats, etc. It didn’t flop or anything, but it also didn’t wow me.
Plot was smooth enough, characters were mostly likable, and the hockey backdrop is fun, but I wanted just a bit more spark or originality to bump it above average. If you’re into single-dad stories with a side of light romance and zero brain power required, this hits the spot. Just don’t expect it to blow your socks off.
June 9, 2025
Delaney has just been let go from her nanny job to 4 adorable little boys when her best friend mentions one of the professional hockey players is in dire need of a nanny.
Max has become a daddy overnight, and he is in deep. After a slew of horrible options, Delaney comes through. The problem is that these two had a hilarious meet cute, and she has preconceived ideas about him. Caroline, his daughter, though, she takes the job for this precious baby girl.
These two fall into a familiar pattern of playing house until lines get crossed. Laney is unsure if she wants a relationship, and Max is convinced they are already in one. Experiencing these two navigate a baby, and a new relationship is so fun to watch. They fall into a beautiful groove that ends in love and what could be better than that!
Max has become a daddy overnight, and he is in deep. After a slew of horrible options, Delaney comes through. The problem is that these two had a hilarious meet cute, and she has preconceived ideas about him. Caroline, his daughter, though, she takes the job for this precious baby girl.
These two fall into a familiar pattern of playing house until lines get crossed. Laney is unsure if she wants a relationship, and Max is convinced they are already in one. Experiencing these two navigate a baby, and a new relationship is so fun to watch. They fall into a beautiful groove that ends in love and what could be better than that!
July 9, 2025
Review: I really enjoyed this book. This book follows Max and Delaney. Max is a newly single dad to his infant daughter. Delaney is looking for a job and applies to be the nanny for Max’s daughter. Falling for max has never been part of the plan. The longer they share a house harder it is to deny the chemistry between them. I loved this storyline. I loved Delaney and Iris’s friendship: I loved the found family aspect in this book. I loved that the team rallied around Max when he found out he had a daughter. The post-it notes were the sweetest thing ever! I can’t wait to read the next books in this series!
Favorite Quote:“We only get one f**** life, and I want to spend mine with you.”
Favorite Quote:“We only get one f**** life, and I want to spend mine with you.”
June 22, 2025
One Pucking Love
4.5 stars
Ellie Wade is hitting all the tropes I love in this series! Single Dad/ Nanny perfection. And I loved getting all the cameos from the previous couples. Such a fun series!
4.5 stars
Ellie Wade is hitting all the tropes I love in this series! Single Dad/ Nanny perfection. And I loved getting all the cameos from the previous couples. Such a fun series!
July 28, 2025
I literally enjoyed the whole series so far I read six books within four days because they are a nonstop read they’re fun. They’re funny they’re the spice is awesome is clean spice a very good pallet cleanser.
November 17, 2025
I absolutely adore this series and I loved Max's book. Max is one of my favorite on the team and to watch him become a dad was so sweet! Delaney was an amazing nanny turned love interest. There were so many good things in this book and I couldn't get enough of it.
July 9, 2025
time line jumps around
It’s been 1 week, no it’s been weeks on the next page. Really annoying. Should be picked up by any semi competent editor
It’s been 1 week, no it’s been weeks on the next page. Really annoying. Should be picked up by any semi competent editor
August 4, 2025
I love the take on finding love with a family component. As a new mom i found I really resonated with the character development. Seriously, one of my favorites in the series.
August 9, 2025
Unexpected baby, single dad hockey player, the nanny! Yes please!!!!
November 7, 2025
Book 6 - it was good but it wasn’t as funny as the previous ones
November 15, 2025
I love this series but Max and Laney were so fun to read! I loved them from their first encounter. I can’t wait for Book 7!!!
June 30, 2025
Talk about fall in love with the Nanny! But the way her so called mother dumps the little girl to her father was just sad.... Bcuz u can see that in the real world. Max is part of the Crane's hockey team, so this surprise sure did a 360 in his life... He needed help. The way Laney and Max meet before she became his daughter nanny was funny...
this story was cute.
this story was cute.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews