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Pucking Mad About You
He has a problem, and she’s the solution.
Ash
I have a problem. I was one of the best centers in the NHL until I started letting opponents get in my head. I can't handle guys chirping at me during the game, and my old team dropped me. I was picked up by a new NHL team, the Hartford Hydra, and given a second chance…that I’m blowing. The Hydra’s owner gave me an ultimatum: work with an expert on trash talk and fix my issue or be cut loose.
Easy choice. I’ll work with the expert. But Dr. Gray Mackey turns out to be more than I bargained for, and she’s a distraction I don’t need if I want to get my career back on track.
Gray
I have a problem. I should be focusing on my students and getting tenure at my university, but the Hartford Hydra’s owner just offered me and my department a jaw-dropping amount of money to fix his star player’s trash talk issue. Unfortunately, Ash Gunnarsson is a walking wet dream, and I’m in the middle of a year-long dry spell after a tough breakup. Still, this isn’t an opportunity I can turn down.
Working with Ash becomes infinitely harder when we’re forced to pretend we’re dating to save both our careers. His touches may be for show, but they feel all too real, and soon my body (and my heart) can’t separate fact from fiction.
Ash
I have a problem. I was one of the best centers in the NHL until I started letting opponents get in my head. I can't handle guys chirping at me during the game, and my old team dropped me. I was picked up by a new NHL team, the Hartford Hydra, and given a second chance…that I’m blowing. The Hydra’s owner gave me an ultimatum: work with an expert on trash talk and fix my issue or be cut loose.
Easy choice. I’ll work with the expert. But Dr. Gray Mackey turns out to be more than I bargained for, and she’s a distraction I don’t need if I want to get my career back on track.
Gray
I have a problem. I should be focusing on my students and getting tenure at my university, but the Hartford Hydra’s owner just offered me and my department a jaw-dropping amount of money to fix his star player’s trash talk issue. Unfortunately, Ash Gunnarsson is a walking wet dream, and I’m in the middle of a year-long dry spell after a tough breakup. Still, this isn’t an opportunity I can turn down.
Working with Ash becomes infinitely harder when we’re forced to pretend we’re dating to save both our careers. His touches may be for show, but they feel all too real, and soon my body (and my heart) can’t separate fact from fiction.
- GenresSports Romance
397 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 7, 2025
26 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 1, 2025
I will start by saying I read this book in 2 days. I was reading at night while my husband watched TV. On the second night I needed to know what happened next so I was up until midnight finishing the book.
The build up of sexual tension between Ash & Gray was great. All to often people are in bed in the second chapter and I liked that in this book that was not the case. Ash’s development as a multidimensional character as the book progressed was great. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story as well as the intellectual parts. It wasn’t just sex & fluff which some romance is. Overall I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next in the series. Will it be about Kingston, Celena, Kelsier…. I’m dying to know.
The build up of sexual tension between Ash & Gray was great. All to often people are in bed in the second chapter and I liked that in this book that was not the case. Ash’s development as a multidimensional character as the book progressed was great. I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story as well as the intellectual parts. It wasn’t just sex & fluff which some romance is. Overall I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next in the series. Will it be about Kingston, Celena, Kelsier…. I’m dying to know.
December 19, 2025
Pucking Mad About You was such a fun, spicy read! Ash and Gray’s chemistry is off the charts, and the fake-dating plus hockey romance combo completely hooked me. Two of my favorite tropes together I knew I was gonna love this book! I loved the banter Ash and Gray had, the emotional growth, and the heat…this was definitely not a slow burn. If you’re into steamy hockey romances with fake dating this book is definitely for you! K.C. McDermott also has a way with secondary characters that make you want the next book in the series ASAP!
October 15, 2025
Pucking Mad About You is the beginning of the Hartford Hydra series. This is a great, steamy hockey romance. The story was great, interesting, steamy and enjoyable. The characters were likable, and fit well together. I really enjoyed this romance.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 22, 2025
Ash and Gray may have their reasons for fake dating, but we all know where fake leads in bookworld - to real dating and forever. A great read with steamy tension that builds through this protective hockey story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 23, 2025
I really enjoy hockey romances and this is a very good one. She is hired to fix his image and they start fake dating, soon begins to feel real. Loved the characters, they were well developed and interesting. Good story line with good pacing. Thoroughly enjoyable story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 19, 2025
K.C. McDermott kicks off the Hartford Hydra series with a romance that’s equal parts playful, steamy, and emotional. Pucking Mad About You delivers exactly what you want from a hockey romance — sizzling chemistry, a dash of drama, and plenty of banter that keeps the tension high. The characters feel alive, and their push-and-pull dynamic makes the romance both fun and heart-tugging.
What I enjoyed most is the balance between the lighter, flirty moments and the deeper emotional beats. The obstacles they face aren’t just filler; they add real weight to the story and make the happily ever after even sweeter. The pacing moves quickly, but it never skimps on passion or heart.
As the first book in the Hartford Hydra series, it also does a great job setting the stage for future stories without leaving this one feeling incomplete. If you love hockey romance, forbidden attraction, and characters you can root for, this book is a great start to a series that promises even more heat and heart to come.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
What I enjoyed most is the balance between the lighter, flirty moments and the deeper emotional beats. The obstacles they face aren’t just filler; they add real weight to the story and make the happily ever after even sweeter. The pacing moves quickly, but it never skimps on passion or heart.
As the first book in the Hartford Hydra series, it also does a great job setting the stage for future stories without leaving this one feeling incomplete. If you love hockey romance, forbidden attraction, and characters you can root for, this book is a great start to a series that promises even more heat and heart to come.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews