A hockey player who falls first, hardest, and forever. His secret new wife? That’s his coach's daughter.
My coach hates me, and that’s fine, because the feeling is mutual, but I can’t get traded when I’m playing like crap. So I skip the New Year’s Eve partying with my teammates when we’re in Vegas for a road game, and I take myself to a hotel bar for a single drink, feeling sorry for myself for superstitious reasons.
It’s my birthday, you see, and December 31st being my birthday is why I’ve never made the playoffs. No, I cannot elaborate without sounding unhinged.
Enter Francesca. No last name, no details. A bright burst of sunshine who immediately makes me feel better. We agree not to talk about work—because mine is frustrating—or families—because hers is infuriating—and we throw ourselves into a spontaneous birthday party that starts and ends with bubbly beverages, and in the middle…
Well, we get married.
The next morning, she runs scared.
That’s when I take my first sober look at our wedding license and figure out who the pretty blonde medical student really is: Frankie Wilson, the estranged daughter of the meanest coach in the NHL. The man who just benched me.
The wedding ring on my left hand represents vows I have no intention of breaking, but convincing my wife of that fact is going to be f*cking hard since we live on opposites sides of the country and I have forty hockey games to play between now and the end of the season.
The only chance I have of keeping her fragile trust is keeping our marriage a secret and convincing my bride to give me a second chance during our too-brief west coast swing two days later. And then with letters and video calls and good old-fashioned sexting, because we barely scratched the surface of her untapped praise kink, and my smart little wife?
She’s a very good girl. Even—or especially—when she finds out that our brief time together had an unintended consequence…
One magical night in Vegas changes of everything with a marriage that is Pucking Inconvenient but also absolutely pucking perfect.
What a time to be reading about a wife guy hockey player, let me tell you. ANYWAY. I just really liked this. I love stories where people figure out being in love after they're married and watching them negotiate how that's going to work. I love stories where there's terrible family and no reconciliation, or at best a tentative guarded one. I just really like the way that Ainsley Booth/Zoe York writes a romance. I'd take ten thousand more of them.
Honest to god, boots to buckles, I fucking loved this book. When I saw the words 'epilogue' my flabbers were ghasted because I wanted so much more of this couple. I have no negatives about the characters, about the plot - I do wish we got to see a little more of what happened to the FMC's Dad and what her family situation ended up like but overall, a new favourite.
Fun Things: - Falls hard, fast and forever green-flag of an MMC. - Misses a hockey game to be with his wife. - My wife trope. - Medical Student FMC.
Sex Stuff: - 4+ explicit scenes, overall vanilla-ish. - Some anal play near the end. - Phone sex.
Logan Granger topped all my expectations in Pucking Inconvenient. This man showed up, stepped up and completely won me over one action at a time! By the end, I was feral for him.
What started as chance meeting in a Vegas bar very quickly became way more between Logan and Frankie. As much as Frankie wanted to move past their Vegas shenanigans, Logan knew better. He was unrelenting, dedicated and down possessive over her and wanted nothing than show her what it’s liked to be loved. The way these two completed each other was perfect! And their chemistry was scorching hot too!
I really enjoyed this one!
I would like to thank Ainsley Booth for the opportunity to read and review Pucking Inconvenient.
Well, this one was a roller coaster - in both good and bad ways.
Things started off slow. I felt very little chemistry when the hero and heroine met in Vegas on New Year’s Eve. I started to worry this book would go in the “loss” column of this author’s tally, especially when there were a number of editing errors within the first few chapters.
But then we had a hero who was kind, and patient, and didn’t let the heroine’s mildly prickly behavior deter him. I LOVE those kinds of heroes. And I also loved that even though the heroine was initially reluctant, she took the hero at his word and didn’t push him away. It was so refreshing to see that their relationship was sweet and uncomplicated, despite the real-life challenge of living on opposite coasts and having very demanding jobs. There was no unnecessary drama, they both behaved like mature adults. It was fantastic. Exactly what I expect from this author. And the banter between them was >chef’s kiss<.
So after the slow start I was feeling really good about this book!
But then there’s the end. We have a completely anticlimactic “resolution” to the main conflict in the story (the relationship with the heroine and her father/parents, and the reason why their marriage had to be a secret), and a very abrupt ending. I felt like all the air was let out of the balloon that was flying high from the main part of the story.
And no one likes feeling deflated when you get to The End.
Still, I am looking forward to the rest of this series. I just hope things end a little better next time.
This was just so fun. Loved the characters, really dug the relationship. It's clear we're getting books for the other Granger brothers (which I am looking forward to!), but I would also very much enjoy books about Frankie's roommates. Just putting that out there.
Okay, Logan Granger, I see you baby boy. Sometimes you are just in the mood for the most protective hockey boy ever – who meets you and falls in love with you in one night in Vegas, marries you and then proceeds to be the most golden retriever, cinnamon roll man possible to win you over. 10/10 Logan, you did all the things. You were perfect in every way… and you spit champagne into your future wife’s mouth, so there’s that.
“Maybe I have a wife kink. A ‘my wife is cute and hot’ kink.”
I love @AinsleyBooth and thoroughly enjoyed the Off the Ice series. Each book just got better and better, and the last two books were both five stars – and both of them feature Emery Granger. In “The Rebound Plan” she was a side character family friend who also fake-dated Russ. Then in “The Nanny Goal” she got her own love story, and fell in love with our beloved Hamilton goalie, Alexei Artyomov. SO the fact that we now get this spin-off series featuring the Granger Brothers made me super excited. I got Emery cameos and Logan on the ice facing off against Alexei, and all of those full circle made me giddy… and hello, the Granger sibling group chat!
“You don’t even know me.” “I know enough to know I need to know more.”
I really enjoyed this one – even though parts of it surprised me. There were troupes I didn’t know were coming. But obviously, I loved the tension with the coach’s daughter and I love the back and forth with the team and his agent. I loved Frankie’s drive to be a physician and all the stuff with her family that made her point of view unique. I loved Logan’s desire to put his wife first above all else, because it made just the most delicious back and forth. This is exactly the type of book that I wanted to fall into, hockey and a Vegas marriage where these two people decide to come together and make things work. I can’t wait to see what moments of these two we get in the future Granger books and where the series will go.
Part of me has a strong desire to come back to this one as a comfort read. Something that feels easy and warm and gives me those scrumptious feelings. That’s how it felt reading this whole thing, including those bonus epilogue chapters. I need more, immediately.
Honestly, this is one of the sweetest hockey romances ever.
Logan meets Frankie while on an away game. Its his birthday and hes celebrating away from his teammates. His coach hates him and its a hard time. He and Frankie? Instant connection. He falls so hard for her they decide to get married. The same night.
Theres one thing Frankie figures out the next morning. Logan is a hockey player. One who plays for her dad. Her dad, who she has a very complicated and difficult relationship with. So shes got to leave.
What she doesn't expect is how much Logan has fallen for her (so romantic). He is ready to be a husband, not an ex. And boy does he prove it. He cares in a way she hasnt experienced before. Which is swoon worthy.
Logan comes from a hockey family. And all this trouble with the coach is making him question what hes doing there. When he could be with his new wife.
I love a guy whos supportive. And thats Logan. But they have some conflict. Logan is in the public eye and her family. Esh.
Theres some history from her previous book, but not enough that you wont miss out. I am so, so ready for all the Grangers.
Logan Granger is a silky slice of cheery pie. Loyal, not intimidated by a brilliant woman, and a force to be reckoned with. Frankie is who I want at my six all the time. Wicked smart, sexy, and independent, and will cut a bitch if she needs to. Her faults are worth embracing. Seeing them work through the mistake gives one hope. I loved watching them fall in love and Logan is a breath of fresh air sorting his priorities. Hockey is life but it's not forever and he gets that.
Issues: The confrontation at the ending was so rushed I thought there had to be more but the page count was dwindling fast. There needed to be more. It didn't have to be FMC and the antagonist, but just, more. As always, Ainsley Booth delivers a great story... BUT, she needs either more proof readers or a different editor. To many easily detectable mistakes that could have been fixed/found if they'd slowed down just a tad. When it's enough to bring me out of the story, it loses momentum and I get frustrated. Especially if the mistake is so bad I can't decipher what the sentence should have said.
As a whole it delivered its mark but with a wobble. That doesn't stop me from adoring the stories being told by this author. I am a forever fan.
I have not done a review on this ap for a LONG time, but felt I NEEDED to with Ainsley Booth's latest in her hockey world.
This book was funny, sexy, and riveting, and I could NOT put it down! As a lifeling hockey fan myself, the authors' understanding of hockey was refreshing. I did have just 1 complaint (being soooo picky here) is that in my opinion, the MMC in real life would have definitely been the 1 player from his team to be the representative for the all star game. And I will let this go just because it moved the plot along nicely.
I'm not sure I understood the quick jump-ship of the head coach, (as the NHL is quite known for its toxicity, and the author had been showing this throughout the book) nor the continued ghosting of the MFC's mother when the author had purposely put in what looked to be a peace offering toward the MFC from her.
I'm looking forward to the next brother in this series and hopefully some tie-ins with this couple.
It’s been a long time since I picked up an Ainsley Booth book, and diving into this one reminded me exactly why I used to devour her work. From page one, the chemistry between Logan and Frankie is electric—the kind of spark that makes you settle in because you know you’re about to fall for a couple.
I’m a sucker for a Vegas marriage or marriage‑of‑convenience setup, mostly because it cuts through all the posturing and forces characters to be all in from the start. And, as usual, it’s never just convenience. There are always real feelings simmering under the surface, and wow, were they simmering here. Logan’s feelings are obvious early on—he’s all heart, all devotion, all in—but it never feels one‑sided. Frankie just has more to work through, and honestly, given her parents, who could blame her.
Logan, though… what a book husband. He knew he loved her from the beginning and spent the entire story proving it through actions and words. I adored that even when Frankie was scared—and with parents like hers, her fear made perfect sense—she still chose to give their marriage a real chance. Her initial running away actually gave us one of the hottest, most emotionally charged moments in the book: Logan following her, laying out his intentions, and refusing to let her slip away.
Frankie’s parents were infuriating in the most compelling way. I kept hoping for a sliver of redemption, especially from her mom, but they were so self‑absorbed and so deeply entrenched in their own outdated expectations that it became clear they were never going to be the parents she deserved. Blaming their daughter for a grown man’s career unraveling? Unforgivable. Logan clocked the toxicity immediately and was having none of it. His confrontation with her father—chef’s kiss. Watching that man finally face consequences was deeply satisfying.
One of my favorite threads was how Logan protected Frankie without ever smothering her. Keeping their marriage quiet wasn’t about shame; it was about giving her space to come to terms with her feelings on her own timeline. And the ring—him wearing it the whole time, and then the reveal that he’d kept hers too? Swoon.
Their long‑distance stretch was surprisingly one of the strongest parts of the book. Instead of creating emotional distance, it made them closer. The daily texts, the nightly FaceTimes, the visits packed with connection—meeting his parents, house hunting, lots of delicious sex, and genuine emotional intimacy. It all felt earned and tender and real.
Even the pregnancy scare, which I initially thought might be too soon, ended up being handled beautifully. It became another moment where they showed up for each other without hesitation. Frankie telling him immediately, Logan hopping on a flight instantly, both of them navigating the decision with honesty and care—it was perfect for who they are as a couple. And Frankie saying “I love you” first? Loved that for her.
By the time we got the epilogue and the bonus chapter, I was thrilled because I wasn’t ready to let them go. I’m already impatient for the brothers’ books, and now I want to go back and read Logan’s sister’s story too. That family is everything Frankie’s wasn’t—warm, supportive, and genuinely invested in each other.
This book was refreshing in the best way. No endless miscommunication, no hiding feelings, no dragging out the obvious. Just two people choosing each other again and again. Logan absolutely worships Frankie, and Frankie is a total badass who deserves every ounce of that devotion.
A few typos aside, this was an easy five‑star read for me—something I rarely give. Highly recommend, and honestly, I could talk about this book forever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
They meet on the night of his 30th birthday. He is feelong down in the dumps because of his coach, and she is passed off because of his coach, who happens to be her father. They decide to hangout for his birthday and do fun things around Las Vegas as they are both visiting. Frankie also decides to give him 30 kisses for the 30 years he's celebrating. So cute! They end up with a marriage license, something they thought would be so fun to have and eventually they get married. She freaks out after finding out thatbher estranged dad is his coach and the relationship would get complicated if she stays in Logan's life. So, she runs. Logan decides to track her down because he feels she is the one. Yes only after 1 night but they spent quite a bit of time together. Once he finds her, he let's her know it isn't over and he events time to convince her to continue with the marriage. Logan was the best! He was so certain about Frankie and he showed her LOVE!!! He was perfect for her, exactly what she needed and the biggest thing was, she accepted and took her time to love him too. There was no uncertainty with them, just when!! Logan loved her DOWN!!!! One thing that I wish was fleshed iut- her mom's relationship with her. It seems there was going to be a turning point but that didn't happen, and it seemed to me that Logan's mom knew a little more about Frankis's mom too that Frankie didn't know. It was a great read and another 5 stars fir Ainsley Booth!
I loved Logan and Frankie's story--it's hot AF and even though watching their drunken wedding ceremony later in the book gave me secondhand cringe, the rest of their relationship was absolute GOLD.
It *almost* made me forget the recent IRL USA men's team shenanigans. And the fact that Logan played for a fictional version of my very real hometown team, which, yes, has gone a decade and a half without the playoffs. And has NEVER won the Cup. Sigh.
But--back to Logan and Frankie! Their story made me giggle, it made me swoon, it made me remember why sometimes reading romance in public is an exercise in keeping a straight face so no one suspects what kind of scene I'm reading. This one has some scenes, I tell you. And I am beyond excited that we will see most (dare I hope all? My vote is very much in favor of seeing Frankie's BFFs a whole lot too as we continue on) of the secondary characters as the series continues, since it's named for Logan and his 3 brothers.
In the meantime, you'd better believe I'm going back for their sister Emery's story sooner rather than later (The Nanny Goal). And if I also go back and read the rest of that series while waiting, can you blame me? I'll take all the positive hockey guys I can get right now, even if they're fictional.
Should what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas? Can one night change your entire life? Does love at first sight really exist? Can a spur of the moment wedding be the best moment of your life? Would you stay or walk away from the chaos or would you embrace it?
Logan Grainger was turning 30 in Vegas and his coach was pissed at him so what should this NHLer do? Should he sulk or should he have the best night of his life in the city that never sleeps. His family is NHL royalty and he is a veteran player with the same team his entire career, still chasing the elusive cup. In town for a game but likely to be scratched, should he make the most of NYE? When he meets a beautiful, interesting woman who captured his attention and his heart in one night way should he do? Why not marry her?
Frankie was in Vegas with friends but met up with her estranged father at the urging of her mother. He pissed her off demanding that she chose a,life he wants for her not the life she wants. He always puts others before her and his team will always come before anything else including his family. He sucked as a coach and as a father. After dealing with a critical, narcissist father she needs to live it up. She meets Logan and they decide to celebrate and live their best life. What's a marriage license except the best souvenir from Vegas?
New Years is a fresh start and a new beginning. Can this newly formed couple survive or will the year start with legal proceedings. Can Logan convince Frankie to take a chance on a hockey player? Will Logan put her first or will hockey come first, her dad made sure she knew her place, will Logan do the same? Logan wanted Frankie and was determined to prove he would be a good husband. He also was willing to change his life to fit hers, not expecting her to follow him like most WAGs. Logan Grainger is the ultimate hockey husband who us not afraid to take his coach down both personally and professionally. I loved this book so much and thank Ainsley Booth/Zoe York for the opportunity to read and review the first book of the Grainger series!
This is the first book in the Granger Brother's series. Couple in the book are Frankie and Logan. She is becoming a doctor and also Logan's coach. Her is her father do not get along very well. Logan is in Vegas for a hockey game is out in a bar for his 30th birthday when Frankie comes in after a horrible dinner with her father. Also doesn't get along with her mother. The get drunk and get silly. They decide for fun to get a marriage licence but not use it. Have it for a keepsake. Well little more drinking they decide to use it after all. After a wild night they wake up and realize they got married but more importand who they married. Frankie freaks out and leaves. Logan tracks her down and tried to convince her to stay married. Ups and down and passionate times she agrees. In secret though. Logan has major issuses with her dad and doesn't improve. They spend the whole All star weekend together and even decide to find a house there because Logan wants to get traded to LA. Buffflo finally makes the play off but doesn't go well. He is playing again his future brother in law. Coach fines out about them and he doesn't take it well but Logan gives it right back to him and he ends of taking a leave of absense from the team and Logan's dad end up coming in to coach. Frankie graduates and because Dr Granger. Logan gets trade to LA so they get their well earned happy ending.
Pucking Inconvenient by Ainsley Booth was such a fun read! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this story. It was funny, steamy, and full of characters that were incredibly easy to fall in love with. Frankie and Logan had amazing chemistry from the start. What I really loved was watching them figure out how to navigate a brand-new relationship while barely even being in the same state because of Logan’s hockey career. Long distance can be rough… but let’s just say their phone calls definitely helped keep things interesting 🔥📱. Logan is absolutely the kind of book husband you root for. He’s protective, loving, and completely devoted to Frankie. What stood out to me most was how he constantly built her up—not just reminding her how beautiful she is, but making sure she knew how smart, capable, and incredible she is as a person. That kind of support and respect just made me love him even more. Frankie was also such a great character. She’s easy to root for, and together they just worked so well. Their relationship felt fun, emotional, and incredibly real. I’m already excited for more stories in this world! Huge thank you to Ainsley Booth for such an entertaining and steamy read. I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series! 💕
This was a great insta-love/insta-lust he falls first story. I loved everything about the MMC: the praise, the support, the loyalty. He was perfect. The FMC’s character development and love journey didn’t feel earned or fully developed but the love story was still enjoyable to read. The Hockey player x Med student dynamic actually made the relationship more believable to me.
I took away one star because the ending was so abrupt. I got to the last page and suddenly I was at the epilogue. The ending didn’t fit the tone of the rest of the book, which is why I felt so surprised that it was the final chapter. I ended up reading the bonus chapters on the author’s website and enjoyed the additional time with the characters. I wish they had been included in the book.
I will absolutely read this book again if only for Logan’s praise of the FMC. If you’re looking for spicy, hallmark-style praise kink (no BDSM) this is a great read.
The discussion around pregnancy was handled thoughtfully, but could definitely be triggering for some people.
Qué satisfactorio leer cuando un protagonista se enamora y realmente hace de la mujer su prioridad.
Spoilers.
Cuando Frankie se entera que está embarazada, no lo toma bien ya que no es algo que ella quiera en ese momento y se lo cuenta a Logan. Él la ama y estaría encantado de tener hijos con ella, pero cuando escucha que ella no esta lista, toma un avión para regresar y poder estar con ella para abortar. En ese tiempo, jamás la intenta hacer cambiar de opinión, ni le dice que el estaría feliz, no, solo la abraza y le dice que esta ahí para apoyarla sea cual sea su decisión. -Ya se que los estándares están muy bajos, pero no es común leer esto en un libro de romance, por lo regular el hombre intenta hacerla cambiar de opinión y es refrescante leer a alguien que le importe más su pareja (como debe ser).
Al final si tienen al bebe, pero es por decisión de ella. Se toma su tiempo de pensarlo y ver si le gustaría ser mamá, si es el momento idóneo o sería mejor más adelante, si podrá darle la atención que requiere (en ese momento), etc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
What's one night...it is after all NYE in Las Vegas. So she meets a hunky guy at a bar, how much harm could there be in flirting..so who cares if they get a marriage license, it's not like they'll use it.... yup, we all saw it coming, but what a fun night it was to watch unfold. The smexy times is off the charts with these two...but there is other things that need to be pointed out... He is a hockey (hot hot hot) player She is waiting to get her assignment and fingers crossed she gets into the ER program, she'll soon be a doctor. Her father is a jerk and pretty sure her mother isn't much better His family is kind of hockey royalty oh and... her father is his coach in the NHL. The connection is almost instant and what a fun ride to see how to make it work. Drama ✅ Surprise 💍 Hockey 🏒 Smexy 🔥🔥🔥🔥 HEA ❤️❤️❤️
Logan meets Frankie on New Year's Eve which is his birthday. As they go through the evening, they eventually decide that they should use the marriage license they got as a souvenir. They didn't pay attention to their last names or what Logan actually does for a living. Frankie figures out that he plays hockey and that her estranged father is his coach. She leaves Logan in the morning saying that they can get a divorce or annulment but doesn't leave him information on how to contact her. Logan wants to keep their marriage even after he finds out who her father is. They continue to have a secret marriage until they can't. I really like how Logan is so protective of Frankie. I liked seeing the others in the Granger family from another series. I'm looking forward to the rest of the Granger brothers stories.
I couldn’t put this one down. It was fun and flirty, made me smile the entire time reading it, had my favourite kind of characters- an incredibly smart and focused woman with a solid group of girlfriends, and a down bad man who never once wants to take away her shine or drive, and cheers her on. I loooved the spice in this one.
Very much love at first sight, the last person you should fall for, how is this even going to work, incredible chemistry
I don’t always like a pregnancy trope in a book to wrap things up neat and tidy between a MCC and FMC, but I feel like this was treated with practicality and thought, with a solid conversation about potential termination, and it felt very true to the couple.
I was completely engrossed in this story and still can’t stop thinking about it—I’ve already reread it once!
This was such a fun and engaging read, and I loved that there were no cliffhangers. The cameos from characters in previous books were also a great touch. I always enjoy seeing familiar faces pop up in a series.
Logan was the perfect boyfriend/husband—protective, loving, and caring. He isn’t afraid to fight for what he wants and always shows up when it matters most. I especially loved how he helps Frankie see her own worth. Frankie was a wonderful character and so easy to root for throughout the story.
Definitely a must-read—add this one to your TBR! I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series.
I loved this book! It took me a little bit to get hooked at the beginning but once I was hooked, I was REALLY HOOKED.
Logan Granger is TOP TIER book husband, I swear. WHAT A MAN. The way he cared for Frankie... A DREAM.
I had forgotten that this book was accidental pregnancy because it happens so far into the book, but I did really love how that entire bit was written. I loved how supportive Logan was, how happy Logan was, and how pumped he was to share with his family.
There were bits of this book that were so tender and just LOVING.. As always, Ainsley Booth with another masterpiece!
Forbidden love, instant attraction, and one dreamy hot hockey guy lead off this heartfelt falling in love story. Then we get to the real feels and the smoking sexy times. Frankie has had a complicated life and Logan could make it so much worse. Except Logan has had so much love in his life, he knows what it looks like he knows how to replicate it. He just has to prove it to Frankie while navigating the hotbed that is being coached by Frankie’s father. Like sports reads, emotional love stories, men who know exactly how to please their wife? This book is the bomb!
Enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one day couldn't put it down... Logan is the total definition of a book boyfriend or should I say book husband? Love how hard he fell for Frankie with just the right amount of obsessive that was still considered cute and loving! Loved the long distance marriage moments, text messages and video calls. Frankie and Logan were adorable and you rooted for them from the beginning and I'm looking forward to checking out any other books in this series!
This book was spectacular. The energy. The fun. All of it. From the minute they meet. There are some serious aspects and boy are they handled well.
Logan. It’s his birthday. He goes out alone in Vegas. Francesca. She’s out and runs into him. They have THE best night. Ever. So what if they end up married!’ Who cares! Well Logan does. Cause now that he found her, he ain’t letting her get away.
Regardless of distance, hoops, hurdles or whatnot. He’s in it to win it. And he does not disappoint. Highly recommend
Oh boy! I have been SO looking forward to the Granger boys since meeting some of them in Alexei & Em's (their sister!) book for the Hamilton Highlanders. Logan is DOWN BAD for his accidental wife & I am HERE FOR IT! I absolutely loved how loved & supported Frankie is by her obsessive (in a good way) husband. Her father is a piece of garbage & I'm SO glad she's in the Granger fold now. Can't wait for the next sibling, will it be Wyatt? Forrest? or is Cam about to need a 4th wife?👀👀👀