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Puck To The Heart
Olivia Barnes moved across the country for a new job in a male-dominated field (certainly not to avoid her ex), so she’s no stranger to being frustrated with men. When she meets Ash Wilder, Liv is too interested in the possibility of a free five-star dinner to notice the ‘date with a defender’ part of the deal on her raffle ticket. It’s annoyance at first sight.
Asher "The Basher" Wilder is known for being a pretty boy show-off on and off the ice, but that image is nothing like the man beneath the mask. When he meets Liv on their PR farce of a date, he's intrigued by the woman who isn’t impressed by his looks and would rather read than watch a hockey game.
At first, Liv can’t stand Ash’s flirting, and he has too much fun getting under her skin. Until he gets her frustrated for other reasons. They keep running into each other, and something more than chemistry grows between them. He’s more than happy to be her experiment, but when things between them become too serious, will they be doomed before the puck drops?
Asher "The Basher" Wilder is known for being a pretty boy show-off on and off the ice, but that image is nothing like the man beneath the mask. When he meets Liv on their PR farce of a date, he's intrigued by the woman who isn’t impressed by his looks and would rather read than watch a hockey game.
At first, Liv can’t stand Ash’s flirting, and he has too much fun getting under her skin. Until he gets her frustrated for other reasons. They keep running into each other, and something more than chemistry grows between them. He’s more than happy to be her experiment, but when things between them become too serious, will they be doomed before the puck drops?
- GenresContemporaryRomance
358 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 22, 2025
PUCK TO THE HEART is one of my most anticipated reads. Juliet made me swoon for her domestic bliss baseball romance, Sliding Into Love, and now she is gifting us with a swoony hockey romance. It's so worth the wait.
Liv and Asher are part of my growing collection of favorite couples that start from zero. No childhood friends. Not academic rivals. Not roommates, coworkers, or an arranged marriage. Strangers. Asher is a professional hockey player but Liv doesn't know he exists until they're face-to-face for a raffle prize PR date. You literally get to know them, watch them fall in love from their first look. From the first pushed buttons (so many buttons). That first dare to flirt or fight back. And then the realization of how they could be so good together. All that to say, I loved how they fell in love.
I also love that Juliet makes sports romance accessible. Liv knows negative anything about the sport and mostly maintains this throughout the story. It serves the growing relationship though because her investment is in Asher. Not his fame or connections or assets. You can see how she'd be a supportive partner even if Ash worked a 9-5 data entry job. Hockey isn't the reason she loves Ash. It's his big generous passionate heart.
Ash is such a simp for Liv. Wants to share books with her. Listen to her talk nerdy STEM to him. Hold her and keep her safe, but with enough awareness that he's gotta make sure he's earned her trust to do so. And!!!! And he delivers the swoony hockey hallmark moments. You will love the lil surprise when she finally wears his jersey. It's so good.
Imma swerve to a more serious note. You are going to be frustrated with how Liv handles the misogyny of her coworkers. Take a moment to process this and why. In the moment, Liv often chooses the path of least resistance. But more often than not, this is the life saving choice. Liv makes her safety her priority, and I don't fault her for any of her choices in this regard. This and the other toxic relationships dealt with for both Liv and Ash feel authentic.
PUCK TO THE HEART scores a hat trick for its authentic relationships, swoony romance, and lovable characters. Highly recommend you add it to your sports romance shelf.
Thank you Juliet Bridges and Lake County Press for the advance copy to read and review.
Liv and Asher are part of my growing collection of favorite couples that start from zero. No childhood friends. Not academic rivals. Not roommates, coworkers, or an arranged marriage. Strangers. Asher is a professional hockey player but Liv doesn't know he exists until they're face-to-face for a raffle prize PR date. You literally get to know them, watch them fall in love from their first look. From the first pushed buttons (so many buttons). That first dare to flirt or fight back. And then the realization of how they could be so good together. All that to say, I loved how they fell in love.
I also love that Juliet makes sports romance accessible. Liv knows negative anything about the sport and mostly maintains this throughout the story. It serves the growing relationship though because her investment is in Asher. Not his fame or connections or assets. You can see how she'd be a supportive partner even if Ash worked a 9-5 data entry job. Hockey isn't the reason she loves Ash. It's his big generous passionate heart.
Ash is such a simp for Liv. Wants to share books with her. Listen to her talk nerdy STEM to him. Hold her and keep her safe, but with enough awareness that he's gotta make sure he's earned her trust to do so. And!!!! And he delivers the swoony hockey hallmark moments. You will love the lil surprise when she finally wears his jersey. It's so good.
Imma swerve to a more serious note. You are going to be frustrated with how Liv handles the misogyny of her coworkers. Take a moment to process this and why. In the moment, Liv often chooses the path of least resistance. But more often than not, this is the life saving choice. Liv makes her safety her priority, and I don't fault her for any of her choices in this regard. This and the other toxic relationships dealt with for both Liv and Ash feel authentic.
PUCK TO THE HEART scores a hat trick for its authentic relationships, swoony romance, and lovable characters. Highly recommend you add it to your sports romance shelf.
Thank you Juliet Bridges and Lake County Press for the advance copy to read and review.
September 24, 2025
If you like hockey romance (and come on, you should give it a try if you haven't), then this one is one to check out!
Olivia moved across the country to get a new job in her field. It had nothing to do with her ex. Well...
She left behind her dad, who's shes very close to. And her work colleagues? There is so much more to be desired. While on a group trip with her work colleagues, she brings a book to read at a hockey game (which I do too, on breaks!). And what happens next is wild.
She ends up on a date (nondate!) with the teams best-looking bash brother, Ash.
Opposites attract indeed. These two get pushed together and then are drawn together. But Olivia has some responsibilities with her father, and Ash is trying to ditch the Bash part of his career and see if there's something more to do with hockey than what he's been doing.
Loved, loved loved it. Olivia and Ash were so good together. Olivia was a snark queen, and she didn't fawn all over him. Her meet cute (with us) was so funny and so understandable. And I love a good guy trying his best to better himself.
Hope to read more from you Juliet!
Olivia moved across the country to get a new job in her field. It had nothing to do with her ex. Well...
She left behind her dad, who's shes very close to. And her work colleagues? There is so much more to be desired. While on a group trip with her work colleagues, she brings a book to read at a hockey game (which I do too, on breaks!). And what happens next is wild.
She ends up on a date (nondate!) with the teams best-looking bash brother, Ash.
Opposites attract indeed. These two get pushed together and then are drawn together. But Olivia has some responsibilities with her father, and Ash is trying to ditch the Bash part of his career and see if there's something more to do with hockey than what he's been doing.
Loved, loved loved it. Olivia and Ash were so good together. Olivia was a snark queen, and she didn't fawn all over him. Her meet cute (with us) was so funny and so understandable. And I love a good guy trying his best to better himself.
Hope to read more from you Juliet!
September 18, 2025
I'm so proud of this book. From where it started to what it became, Puck to the Heart has been a labor of love. For these characters, telling their story was never an option for me. I lived and breathed this story for almost two years, doing my best to bring Ash and Liv to life on paper the way they lived in my head.
Ash is so much more than the sum of his parts. He is caring and kind, and okay yeah, he's hot, but there's more to him than the abs, if only he'll look.
Liv. Oh, sassy, anxious, smut-reading Liv. Liv and I would be best friends if we met IRL.
My favorite books are the ones that feel real , and I hope this one feels that way, too.
Ash is so much more than the sum of his parts. He is caring and kind, and okay yeah, he's hot, but there's more to him than the abs, if only he'll look.
Liv. Oh, sassy, anxious, smut-reading Liv. Liv and I would be best friends if we met IRL.
My favorite books are the ones that feel real , and I hope this one feels that way, too.
September 27, 2025
With hockey season starting soon, this book scratched alllllll the itches!
Are you wanting-
Sweet Romance? ✅
Women in STEM? ✅
Sexy af hockey playing with *leadership skills*? ✅
A meddling Nana? ✅
A consent king? ✅
Allllll sorts of chemistry? ✅
Spicy spiceeeee? ✅
A perfect balance of hockey and romance? ✅
I gotta talk about Nana Polly for just a sec because OMG LOVE HER! I absolutely adore the meddling grandma/nana trope because I just knowwwwwww if my grandma was alive today she would be allllll up in everyone’s business in the best way and it makes me so happy to read about characters getting to experience that kind of love 💖
Liv and Ash’s relationship felt genuine in a way that is often hard to come by in sports romance. Is the way they met realistic? No, not particularly. But what I love about their relationship is that their rough patches felt very real. They can share their life story and trauma and connect emotionally over their pasts yet still feel a disconnect over their worries that they’re “too much but not enough”. Did they over share and scare the other away? Is his past too intimidating? Are her insecurities annoying for him? These are all thoughts that sink their teeth into Ash and Liv and I feel like it’s so realistic to question if being vulnerable with someone is the wrong choice.
Liv and Ash learn to trust each other and that they’re safe to be themselves around each other. They see each other for who they are at their core and it is so freaking sweet!
Thank you so much to Juliet Bridges for sending me an ARC copy ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Are you wanting-
Sweet Romance? ✅
Women in STEM? ✅
Sexy af hockey playing with *leadership skills*? ✅
A meddling Nana? ✅
A consent king? ✅
Allllll sorts of chemistry? ✅
Spicy spiceeeee? ✅
A perfect balance of hockey and romance? ✅
I gotta talk about Nana Polly for just a sec because OMG LOVE HER! I absolutely adore the meddling grandma/nana trope because I just knowwwwwww if my grandma was alive today she would be allllll up in everyone’s business in the best way and it makes me so happy to read about characters getting to experience that kind of love 💖
Liv and Ash’s relationship felt genuine in a way that is often hard to come by in sports romance. Is the way they met realistic? No, not particularly. But what I love about their relationship is that their rough patches felt very real. They can share their life story and trauma and connect emotionally over their pasts yet still feel a disconnect over their worries that they’re “too much but not enough”. Did they over share and scare the other away? Is his past too intimidating? Are her insecurities annoying for him? These are all thoughts that sink their teeth into Ash and Liv and I feel like it’s so realistic to question if being vulnerable with someone is the wrong choice.
Liv and Ash learn to trust each other and that they’re safe to be themselves around each other. They see each other for who they are at their core and it is so freaking sweet!
Thank you so much to Juliet Bridges for sending me an ARC copy ❤️❤️❤️❤️
October 18, 2025
4⭐ 3🌶️
I love the combination of STEM and sports in this glorious book. It also goes to show that not all hockey players are dumb jocks and I loved that. Unfortunately it was a little clunky in a few spots and could have done with a little bit more editing to smooth it out. However, the plot outshone these issues and made sure that I still really enjoyed this book. The MMC was a delicious X Playboy with a bad rep. He's trying to shake the image and meets the black cat, family, loving FMC. man, the FMC is a trooper and how she dealt with the douchebag at her workplace I will never know but is all too common.
TW - sexism is the workplace.
Big thanks to Juliet Bridges for a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion
I love the combination of STEM and sports in this glorious book. It also goes to show that not all hockey players are dumb jocks and I loved that. Unfortunately it was a little clunky in a few spots and could have done with a little bit more editing to smooth it out. However, the plot outshone these issues and made sure that I still really enjoyed this book. The MMC was a delicious X Playboy with a bad rep. He's trying to shake the image and meets the black cat, family, loving FMC. man, the FMC is a trooper and how she dealt with the douchebag at her workplace I will never know but is all too common.
TW - sexism is the workplace.
Big thanks to Juliet Bridges for a copy of this book. This is my honest opinion
September 24, 2025
Believe it or not, until this point in time I have not read a hockey romance. I know they are hot right now. I know some are going to be movies. I did buy another popular title but it's in the stack. Therefore, I can tell you that PUCK TO THE HEART took my hockey rom "innocence," and I'm glad for it.
This is a lovely story mixing sports and STEM, pairing two people hoping to overcome their respective inner demons to find peace together. Liv's unwanted kiss cam poke with an intolerable co-worker sparks a series of events that binds her to hockey star Ash, and it's a terrific ride.
Thanks to LCP for the ARC and congrats to Juliet on another great sports romance.
This is a lovely story mixing sports and STEM, pairing two people hoping to overcome their respective inner demons to find peace together. Liv's unwanted kiss cam poke with an intolerable co-worker sparks a series of events that binds her to hockey star Ash, and it's a terrific ride.
Thanks to LCP for the ARC and congrats to Juliet on another great sports romance.
June 4, 2024
I had the pleasure of beta-reading this for my friend Juliet and I had a blast! (Despite it taking me way longer than it should have, sorry!!!) This was such a fun romance, I loved the characters, banter, and the hockey hehe. I especially enjoyed how the character arcs progressed through the story and how the characters weren't "perfect"/all problems weren't magically solved at the end of the story. I'm so lucky I got to read this early! I'm excited to get a copy of my own and also read Juliet's debut :)
September 26, 2025
After a meet-rocky (because it wasn't quite cute), Liv and Ash delve into a slow burn where he falls first and she treads lightly. They are two real people not only discovering each other but rediscovering how they can love. Enjoyed this very much.
March 1, 2026
Super cute. I really enjoyed this.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews