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Pretty Pucked: A Sapphic Hockey Romantic Comdey
Love is the ultimate power play.
I have the perfect life. Great friends, my mom's salon where I'm the head stylist, and deep roots supporting local sports and charities in Stickville, Illinois. Sure, I'm a complete disaster when it comes to romance, but everything else is exactly as it should be.
Until the local co-ed hockey team, the Danglers, sends one of their star players to me for a complete makeover before an NHL charity gala.
Nicky is absolutely gorgeous, wickedly funny, and impossibly kind. She's everything I've been secretly dreaming of, but there's one devastating she's become part of my tight-knit friend group. One wrong move, one misread signal, and I could destroy not just my chance with her, but the entire life I've built in this small town.
Some risks are worth taking. Others could cost you everything.
Pretty Pucked is a standalone lesbian romance novel in the Stickville Danglers Hockey series.
I have the perfect life. Great friends, my mom's salon where I'm the head stylist, and deep roots supporting local sports and charities in Stickville, Illinois. Sure, I'm a complete disaster when it comes to romance, but everything else is exactly as it should be.
Until the local co-ed hockey team, the Danglers, sends one of their star players to me for a complete makeover before an NHL charity gala.
Nicky is absolutely gorgeous, wickedly funny, and impossibly kind. She's everything I've been secretly dreaming of, but there's one devastating she's become part of my tight-knit friend group. One wrong move, one misread signal, and I could destroy not just my chance with her, but the entire life I've built in this small town.
Some risks are worth taking. Others could cost you everything.
Pretty Pucked is a standalone lesbian romance novel in the Stickville Danglers Hockey series.
165 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 29, 2025
26 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 12, 2026
I feel like I was bait and switched.
The only reference to hockey in this novella is the title.
1. There is SO MUCH k-pop conversation… like, to the point where I’m like ‘oh ok so the author just wanted to talk about k-pop but decided to market it in a hockey romance package for the views.’
2. Retreading moments verbatim in a dual POV without adding any context really has a way of stunting the pacing
3. Maybe others like slow burns, but this is the slowest slow burn I’ve read and it’s only 160 pages. “Telling her might be the hardest.” Repeat ad nauseum for 100 pages and covers TWO YEARS.
It’s clear from the *very* explicit commentary that this author wants more realistic romance, which to them means “realistic dialogue”. The problem with this is realistic conversations are incredibly tedious on page. Readers just don’t need this kind of beat to beat explanation.
The writing started out so incredibly promising and our hockey player Nicky’s internal commentary was relatable (hard to know if she ever actually plays any hockey though). If you LOVE k-pop and want a sapphic, painfully slow burn strangers-to-friends-to-lovers, then this is the novella for you.
The only reference to hockey in this novella is the title.
1. There is SO MUCH k-pop conversation… like, to the point where I’m like ‘oh ok so the author just wanted to talk about k-pop but decided to market it in a hockey romance package for the views.’
2. Retreading moments verbatim in a dual POV without adding any context really has a way of stunting the pacing
3. Maybe others like slow burns, but this is the slowest slow burn I’ve read and it’s only 160 pages. “Telling her might be the hardest.” Repeat ad nauseum for 100 pages and covers TWO YEARS.
It’s clear from the *very* explicit commentary that this author wants more realistic romance, which to them means “realistic dialogue”. The problem with this is realistic conversations are incredibly tedious on page. Readers just don’t need this kind of beat to beat explanation.
The writing started out so incredibly promising and our hockey player Nicky’s internal commentary was relatable (hard to know if she ever actually plays any hockey though). If you LOVE k-pop and want a sapphic, painfully slow burn strangers-to-friends-to-lovers, then this is the novella for you.
December 30, 2025
I have never been happier to finish a book, Jesus Christ. Awful. This book was awful. All of the characters were basically the same, they don’t talk any differently than anyone else. They would literally say WORD FOR WORD exact lines as other characters. The same phrases were repeated over and over and over again. There would be 4+ time skips in ONE CHAPTER. & I don’t understand how Nicky & Opal’s friendship stayed the exact same for almost two years before they FINALLY revealed that they liked each other. It was so infuriating the way they’d be like “I love her, and I wanna tell her I love her. But what if she doesn’t like me? She doesn’t like me that like” LIKE OMFG IT’S BEEN TWO YEARS YOU GUYS LIKE EACH OTHER. I hated this book. I skimmed the last chapter because I was so over it
September 28, 2025
A Slow-Burn Romance with Incredible Depth
Just finished this book about two women who know they're perfect for each other but take forever to admit it! The "will they, won't they" dance is so long that it gets a bit boring in the middle—you just want to shout, "Just tell her you love her already!"
However, the character development is what makes this story worth reading. One character's autism and anxiety make it difficult for her to express her feelings, while the other had to grow up too fast caring for her siblings. Their reasons for hesitating felt real and heartfelt.
In the end, it's a beautifully told story that makes you really care for both women. A lovely read!
Just finished this book about two women who know they're perfect for each other but take forever to admit it! The "will they, won't they" dance is so long that it gets a bit boring in the middle—you just want to shout, "Just tell her you love her already!"
However, the character development is what makes this story worth reading. One character's autism and anxiety make it difficult for her to express her feelings, while the other had to grow up too fast caring for her siblings. Their reasons for hesitating felt real and heartfelt.
In the end, it's a beautifully told story that makes you really care for both women. A lovely read!
January 8, 2026
Cute, low stakes Sapphic romance with waaay too much pining and not enough communicating.
The two MCs meet through a work thing and they have instant chemistry. One of their mutual friends makes a group chat and they become friends. Flirty friends. Flirty friends who keep wondering if the other one is really flirting with them. At first I enjoyed it but it went on too long and I got impatient for one of them to actually say something, instead of just resolving to say something and then backing down.
And also, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but there’s not enough hockey to actually call this a hockey romance. One of the MCs is a hockey player but it’s barely mentioned.
The two MCs meet through a work thing and they have instant chemistry. One of their mutual friends makes a group chat and they become friends. Flirty friends. Flirty friends who keep wondering if the other one is really flirting with them. At first I enjoyed it but it went on too long and I got impatient for one of them to actually say something, instead of just resolving to say something and then backing down.
And also, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but there’s not enough hockey to actually call this a hockey romance. One of the MCs is a hockey player but it’s barely mentioned.
December 28, 2025
Cheesy hockey goodness
I love a book that doesn't take itself too seriously and this one surely doesn't. It is a refreshing take in the hockey romance line-up. We have our main characters so completely oblivious to their feelings everyone else in town could see it but them. It was sweet and charming and the cheesy jokes were lovely.
I love a book that doesn't take itself too seriously and this one surely doesn't. It is a refreshing take in the hockey romance line-up. We have our main characters so completely oblivious to their feelings everyone else in town could see it but them. It was sweet and charming and the cheesy jokes were lovely.
January 1, 2026
Totally unexpected
This book was so spot on for some lesbian couples.
You get the ones who uHual after the second date and then you get Nicky and Opal. The uncertainty and doubt and the emotions in this book is so spot on... I am just glad they got their HEA in the end.
Waiting for the next book.
This book was so spot on for some lesbian couples.
You get the ones who uHual after the second date and then you get Nicky and Opal. The uncertainty and doubt and the emotions in this book is so spot on... I am just glad they got their HEA in the end.
Waiting for the next book.
January 1, 2026
The first 40% is really good and i was excited. Then it dragged. Then got good again in the last maybe 20 pages. It gained a star because of all the Kpop references.
January 6, 2026
Good LGBTQ visibility, slow to start the relationship (EXTREME SLOW BURN), but all together not that exciting of a read for me.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews