Net Pucks and Chill

Texas Tornadoes #2

by Debbie Charles

She’s failing One-Night Stand 101. Hockey has taught him that practice makes perfect. Game on.

Nicole
I identify as the Plain Jane of my friends group. They love me so they'd disagree, but after a miserable trip home to West Texas, I'm determined to break the mold. New year, new me. In between my job and working toward an MBA, I'm going to dress sexier, act sexier, and learn how to one-night stand without catching feelings.

Mathieu
I love my role as a left wing for the Texas Tornadoes. It helps that hockey—like most other things in life—comes naturally to me. Off the ice, I’m a free agent. I can do what I want, when I want, and with whom I want. I’ve met Nicole a few times. So when she tells me her New Year’s Resolution, I’m ready to score.

Genres: Hockey

310 pages, Paperback

Published November 19, 2025

Reviews

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers

Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: Yes, a bit
Perspective: first person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: pretty soon in, 6% (chapter 3 of 40)
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, immediately after the end of the story
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy from the author in e-book form
Why I chose this book: I love Maggie Sims so I also wanted to read her contemporary books under Debbie Charles
Mains: Mathieu and Nicole – This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
(Descriptions found at end of my review)

Should I read in order?
I don’t think you need to – this one stands alone really well. But there are side characters here that have prior stories, so reading in order is nice!

Basic plot:
Nicole is looking for a new year, new her – including some one night stands to let loose. But her one night stand turns into a double...triple….quadruple…..

Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- Texas, US setting
- hockey player hero (Texas Tornadoes)
- French-Canadian hero / American heroine
- celibate heroine (it’s been a year)
- one night stand to friends to lovers…
- marketing interested heroine – she’s working full time and getting her degree
- higher steam – 6 full scenes with some praise

Ages:
- he’s 26, shes 25

First line:
When I’m an hour outside Austin, I punch in my friend Christina Donovan’s number on my car’s display.

My thoughts:
So I’m not usually one for faster burns – but wow this one really grabbed me in the beginning. I was so smitten and curious how this was going to play out. Maybe it was Nicole trying to break free of her celibacy and enjoy life – and when she’s paired with Mattie it was so, so delicious watching him fall from one night stand lover to….wanting only Nicole.

I loved how he just needed once more. And once more again. And once more again. And I really adored his grand gesture at the end.

It had some real relationship elements that were frustrating – including a time blindness from Mattie that reminded me too much of my husband 😂 But this also had me really feeling for both mains. Mattie had some growing up to do for sure, especially looking at accountability and respecting Nicole’s needs in the relationship. And Nicole had to deal with her obnoxious parents – I love the way it all worked out.

Something I really loved here was the hero's struggle with education. I really enjoyed having a main that education was hard for them and something they decided not to pursue paired with an educated heroine.

I loved the evolution of this relationship. The friendship that developed and the depth of love I felt – both opening up and allowing themselves to be vulnerable with each other, and reaping the best reward.

Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 3 (more under her historical name, Maggie Sims)
Average rating from me: 5 stars
Favorite book: Mmmm maybe Dances with Pucks?

Endearments
He calls her his little cabbage

Quotes any typos are my own! I am bad with typos, I apologize


The next thing I know, I’m on my side, my head is jostled off the rock it had been resting on, and I’m scooped up into someone’s arms. Mmm, smells like Mattie.
My eyes fly open, and I stare up to find him smiling down at me. “Va bien, mon petit chou?”
I’m guess the rock I’d been sleeping on was his thigh, and he jostled me awake when he stood to lift me off the couch. I swipe at my face. Did I drool on him? “Did you call me a shoe?”
He throws back his head and laughs, and I sort of want to bite his Adam’s apple.
---
A hard chest presses against my bare back before thighs and a delicious-sized package follow, nestling against my butt. That better be Mattie.
I catch Maria’s never-discreet thumbs up as I turn, and by “two,” his lips are descending toward mine.
---
On the way, Mattie leans close and says, “You owe me.”
My brows hit my hairline. “For what?”
His lips are near my ear now, his breath making me shiver. “You promised me a second round.”



Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- parental cancer scare
- some elements of toxic parents using manipulation and guilt tactics

Author content warnings? Didn’t catch any (I always encourage you to check author’s websites, since Amazon penalizes authors for certain content warning words in their novels)


Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:

Safe sex: Condoms used
How’s the consent? It’s good!
Pregnancy/children in story? No
Chapter 5 – 🔥 kisses, missionary
Chapter 8 – 🔥 fingering/oral for her, him standing/her on the bed
Her fingers tighten against my scalp, and her words change to, “Oh, God, that’s amazing.”
My goal is to make her speechless, incoherent with pleasure.
Chapter 15 – 🔥 missionary
Chapter 21 – 🔥 bj, oral for her
Chapter 28 – 🔥 bent over the back of the couch sex
Chapter 36 – 🔥 oral for her

Total chapters: 39 and an epilogue


Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs


Full break down on what my ratings above mean here:
Overall: How I felt about it everything considered!
Readability: How ‘readable’ was the book? Did I fly through it? Did I have to tell myself to pick it back up repeatedly? Were any passages confusing? (I will probably score like (1) is literally unreadable due to formatting/typing errors, etc (2) There were lots of errors that made it difficult to read OR It was extremely confusing and I had to reread passages to make sense of it OR I disliked it so much I had to bribe myself to keep reading (3) I didn’t really want to keep reading and would have preferred to abandon the read and start something else OR some minor continuity issues/confusion (4) I liked it fine, maybe a minor error or 2. I was happy to pick it up when I had time. (5) I never wanted to put this down. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it. I hid in the bathroom from my kids to read. I threw inappropriate food at my children for dinner so I could read instead.)
Feels: Totally subjective to each person but did the book give me any tingles? Any butterflies? Did it rip my heart out (in a good way?)
Emotional depth: How well do I feel I know the characters at the end? How much did I feel their emotions throughout the story?
Sexual tension: Again, subjective, but how strong was the wanting and longing to me between the characters? A book might have strong sexual tension without a single touch.
Romance: Was there romance? Did romantic things happen? This can be actions/words/thoughts of the characters and again is subjective.
Sensuality: This is how the intimate scenes are written. Kisses and sexual scenes – how sensual were they? Were they on the mechanical side? Was there emotional pull tied in? Were the details explicit or flowery? These are subjective but generally (1) too short to get a good judgment (2) not all what I'm looking for - very vague or flowery prose (3) either not explicit enough or not enough emotional pull (too mechanical/physically descriptive without the emotions) (4) what I love in a scene (5) absolute perfection - perfect balance of emotional longing and explicit descriptions
Sex Scene Length: How long the bedroom scenes are (generally (1) is 1-3 sentences (2) is a few paragraphs to a page-ish (3) is about average, a few pages (4) more well developed scenes, quite a few pages with descriptions (5) the majority of the book takes place in the bedroom. This is always hard to tell for me on audio!
Steam Scale: Generally, each flame is a scene. If scenes are super close together I sometimes combine them. If a scene is super short or so vague I don’t know what’s happening, I don’t count it. There’s some levels of grey but generally the number of flames is how many sex scenes there are (I max out at 5 so I’ll put a + after if there’s more than that)


Find me
Instagram || The Storygraph || Bookbub ||

Book Clubs
The Ton and the Tartans (Historical Romance)
Upturned Petticoats and Undone Cravats (Historical Romance with Steam Requirements)
A Love Less Ordinary (Science Fiction, Paranormal, Monster, Fantasy)
Modern Manuscripts (Contemporary Romance)
Words for the Wicked (Contemporary Romance with Steam Requirements)
Vintage Romance (Old School Romance – published 2000 and prior)

[Demi Snell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️
Tropes: hockey romance, sports romance, friends to lovers, forced proximity, dual POV

“It’s time I started thinking like you hockey players. The world is my oyster, and I’m going to swallow it whole.”

Nicole was exhausted and over dating that she set a New Year’s resolution to be more casual and have a little fun for once. Except her first night of fun landed her in Mathieu’s bed, a place she only ever fantasized about. It was the PERFECT set up since Mathieu was a known playboy so she saw no risk to her plan. Except they stood no chance after that first amazing not so one night stand. The chemistry between Mathieu and Nicole was AMAZING right from the start and you’ll seriously obsess over them just as much as I did!

Obsessed over them with me, just like they obsessed over each other:

“He is my kryptonite, and I’m not feeling as strong as Superman.”

“Mon dieu, I’ve never been so glad of a loophole in my one-night stand policy. I’ve been craving this second round since I woke up this morning.” 🔥

Mattie gave bad boy vibes and I LOVED his character development and seeing how Nicole was able to pull his walls down and see the real him was everything.

“This is the soft underbelly of Mattie. Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky, Fear-of-Commitment, and Calendar-Averse has a hidden jelly donut center…. He hides a kind and gentle soul under that rough and tough winger exterior.”

They balanced each other perfectly, and I adored the way they complement one another.

If you’re a hockey romance lover add this book, series AND author to your TBR! You will not be disappointed. This is my first book by Debbie Charles but I will definitely be adding her others to my never ending TBR!

Thank you Debbie for reaching out and sending an eARC in exchange for an honest review! 🩵

[Merilu Keenum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicole and Mattie make one night stands look delicious! They both see themselves as less than even though nothing could be further from the truth. Debbie Charles works her magic and their story is spicy hot, funny, poignant, and filled with love! I laughed with them, cried with them, and was mad at them as they stumbled or crashed their way through their feelings.

Mattie is the fun loving guy who doesn’t want commitment and Nicole doesn’t have time for more. I really enjoyed how their relationship evolved and it’s even better when they realize how much they’re loved and appreciated by others! I loved being back with the Tornadoes and getting to be a part of their journey! Hockey, friends, lovers, and family dynamics keep this series a joy to read and I just want more!

[BookwormGirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc read! Nicole thinks she needs to change her way on men. She always falls hard fast. With the wrong guys! New Year New Nicole. One night stands is what she’s going to do. And Mathieu is the person to show her how it’s done. Or so they think. Mathieu doesn’t do relationships so who better? Right? As a hockey player that only does one night stands with puck bunnies. One night turns into two night stand then three night stand. She says no more because she has a tendency to fall for the guy. Mathieu realizes he fell in love with Nicole. He decides to do sweet gestures to win her back. Gosh, I really loved this story. I really like that he spoke sweet endearment’s in French to her at times. Yes, I looked up how to say them and what they meant. You just never know where you will meet your person.

[Kate W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicole and Mathieu are two characters that are just meant to be together but with work and family issues love finds a way. I enjoyed this book and was so glad there was a happily ever after ending for them. I would recommend this book.

[Star-Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This full length hockey romance is not just about the romance, for those hockey fans amongst us, this book details some actual playing time with crashes against the boards, a fight and a hat trick included along with the pull and tug of what is supposed to be a one-night/casual hook-up between Texas Tornadoes player Mathieu “Mattie” and Nicole, project manager/MBA student and best friends with the team owner. Nicole is tired of having a broken heart by giving herself completely to a relationship and then having the guy walk away, so she decides to act on the more “slutier” side and just do the one-night casual thing from now on. Mattie a player on and off the ice has his sights set on Nicole although he knows he probably shouldn’t mess with the boss’s friend who is also dating a hockey player, his friend, but if the opportunity arises the player’s got to play….except as Mattie will find out he might not be controlling the plays.
Yes, being a hockey fan, I loved the actual hockey play and I don’t believe it would be boring or overdone for someone who is not a hockey/sports fan. It just brings added excitement and authenticity to the story and helps develop the characters more. Mattie is a French-Canadian flirt so the book is full of his sexy French banter and because he’s very devoted to his family back in Ottawa there are several very emotional and heartfelt conversations with them. Yes, he’s a player but I think like me, you will fall for him pretty quickly although he does have an issue with being on time. Nicole is struggling with being what she considers the “ugly duckling” in her friend group, with issues at her job and being a student, her past love relationships and especially with her family who want her back on the family ranch helping out. She’s the “good girl” who does what’s expected, keeping everyone on track and always trying to please others but she’s decided she’s going to change and there lays her biggest struggle, especially when it involves a certain handsome, sexy French-Canadian hockey player. I think she is very easy to empathize with and I wanted a HEA for her. The secondary characters, including the other hockey players, Nicole’s friends and both families, add extra humor and interest to the book with their teasing banter, great and sometimes not so great advice and contribute to the on and off the ice adventures. This book is a great choice if you’re a hockey fan or if you enjoy watching a player get played but winning in the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[rochelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mathieu is the left wing for the Texas Tornadoes. Nicole is working on her MBA and is friends with Christina, part owner of the hockey franchise. Mathieu and Nicole already know each other and often hang out in the same circle. At 26, Mathieu is living his best life—especially as a free agent off the ice—while Nicole sees herself as the “plain Jane” in her group of friends.
After a tough home trip, Nicole makes a New Year’s resolution: to let go and learn how to have a one-night stand. She shares with Mathieu that she plans to start hooking up without catching feelings. Mathieu has always been interested in her but didn’t want to risk messing up the friendship group. So they hook up once… and then again… and again.
When I started reading this romance, it didn’t grab me right away—much like Nicole’s plan for a no-strings hookup. But slowly, Charles unwove the layers of the main characters and revealed subtle depth that drew me in. Much like Nicole and Mathieu, I got caught up in their dance as they shared their inner thoughts and moved from hookup to friends, to friends with benefits, and finally to a strong relationship—full of heat but, more importantly, heart. And then I had to finish it—their chemistry was addictive. They were great leads, and their friendship group and family dynamics added realistic depth to the plot.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the lively Texas Tornadoes series is another winner—fast-paced, sexy, and full of heart. Mathieu, a confident NHL player in Austin, enjoys the perks of being single and successful. Nicole, a tech professional juggling a demanding job and an MBA program, is part of the same friend group but figures she’s not in his league.

A New Year’s Eve hookup catches them both off guard. They agree it’s just a one-night thing—but their chemistry proves impossible to ignore. Each time they’re drawn back together, their feelings deepen, even as their insecurities threaten to get in the way. Mathieu worries he’s just a “dumb jock” next to Nicole’s intelligence and ambition, while she doubts she could ever hold the attention of a hockey star used to adoration.

Their story unfolds against the backdrop of a busy hockey season and the camaraderie of the team, blending steamy encounters with genuine emotional growth. Themes of friendship, family, and self-worth run through the story, giving it depth beyond the romance.

With sharp writing, likable characters, and plenty of spice, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Fans of sports romance—and anyone who loves a couple who earn their happy ending—will find a lot to cheer for here.

[Nathalie DeSousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Connection, passion, attraction, friendship, a new perspective are the basis of this fun and steamy love story.

Nicole is tired of being a wall flower, she is a MBA candidate who cannot find a connection, and love in her many dates, so her idea is to change her perspective to single /one night stands that will prevent her from falling for the wrong guy but still provide gratification and a simple connection. Enter Mathieu, he is a hockey player, part of her circle, so a friend of sorts. He is living his hockey life, puck bunnies, empty hook ups, and no commitments. Nicole thinks he is the perfect candidate for her new relationship perspective. But their connection goes beyond the passion, is internal , and Mathieu is all in after one night.

But when the they keep repeating the one night only routine, they will start to question if their new perspective is a feasible one


This is a steamy love story that explores the growth of a relationship from friends to lovers to soulmates. I love the progression of the story and how the characters mature as they learn more about each other and get confirmation that what started as a one night encounter is turning into forever,.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. This story is dual POV, well written and edited, and a sweet and steamy, friends with benefits to more, contemporary hockey romance between Nicole, the female lead trying to break out of serial monogamy with males who don’t want commitment, and Mathieu, the male professional hockey player lead who is well versed in avoiding commitment as well as friends/teammates with her best friend’s partner. I enjoyed Nicole’s effort to change the rut she saw herself in. I enjoyed Mathieu’s enthusiasm for her and his shock as he found himself wanting more than he’d initially offered. I enjoyed the steamy intimate moments. I enjoyed the relationship development and the acknowledgment that compromise is a real part of relationship building/maintenance. I enjoyed the supportive secondary characters and the community around the players. I enjoyed the lead in to the next story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jackie Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Net Pucks and Chills is hockey player Mathieu (Mattie) and Nicole’s no strings friends with benefits story. It’s book two in the Texas Tornadoes Series and it was a story I quickly became invested in. This author is fairly new to me and after reading this book I’m left wondering why we haven’t crossed paths sooner.
Nicole and Mathieu hang out in the same circles and when Nicole makes a new year’s resolution to have some hook ups it’s Mathieu that offers the first one. One soon becomes two and it’s not long before it becomes more than a hook up but will this couple ever admit how they really feel…….
This is a well written, entertaining and witty story with characters I fell hard and fast for.

[Lesley Lindsell · Rating 5 out of 5]

From slicing through the ice to being stuck like ice-burn in love this was a truly amazing experience.
Mattie and Nicole went through I all love at first sight, doubt, forever love ! Self doubt can be a terrible thing, truly wonderful way of writing about it and giving the world an insight into how it affects people on a day to day basis! Wonderful work!
Wonderful look at the inner workings of love between Mattie and Nicole student and athlete help with project’s marketing, help with family health nothing goes smoothly love it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series that I have read by this author. I really liked the first one and hoped to like this one.

PHEW! Good job, dear author, because I loved it.

Mattie is absolutely the best, and I am so happy that he and Nicole found their way to each other (after getting out of their own self-created boxes).

Great to spend time with the rest of the team; now I am curious what the future holds.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this story. They know each other and she confides in him that she wants to learn to be like him, hook ups for just one night with no feelings. He has been interested in her and agrees to be her first. Then they become friends, then friends with benefits, then more, then a real and strong relationship. Liked all of the characters, main and supporting. Very well-written and engaging story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Terry Segan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book of the Texas Tornadoes Hockey team involving one of the players in a spicy romance. The snag is that both Nicole and Mathieu are adamant about not wanting a relationship. Couple that with Nicole being one of the best friends to an owner of the team, and you have a whirlwind of emotions and the struggle to tread the right path. While this book has familiar characters from the first, it can also be read as a standalone. The mix of hot bedroom scenes and fast-paced hockey games keeps the action moving at a lively pace. I truly enjoyed this story!

[Erin Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Star Review Net Pucks and Chills (Texas Tornadoes #2) by Debbie Charles

Debbie Charles is a relatively new author to me but what I have read I have enjoyed.

This is Nicole and Mathieu’s (aka Mattie) story and it’s an entertaining and well written read.

I was quickly drawn into their story and found the characters easy to relate to.

The banter was witty, with plenty of romance and heat. I really enjoyed their relationship as it developed.

[Silke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Net Pucks and Chill is the 2nd book in the Texas Tornadoes series, but can be read as a standalone. Mattie and Nicole's story is an engaging romance with lots of banter, steamy sexy times, a touch of family drama and lots of supportive friends. It was great to see love winning against their plans to keep things casual! I was fortunate to have received an early copy and am leaving this review voluntarily and honestly. Can't wait for the next player to meet his match.

[Leean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic and I absolutely loved it. It had me hooked from the beginning and I was laughing through out. I loved both Mmc and fmc, I found they were both brilliant characters. I highly recommend this book as it’s a five star read and I look forward to reading this author books she writes next.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 of the Texas Tornadoes series but can be read as a complete standalone.

The plot was intriguing and well paced. World building was well developed and the characters were very appealing and likeable. Steamy romance. Recommend.

Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Narelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicole and Mattieu have a steamy read with plenty of his Canadian-French expressions. She may not understand them all but she does know what he does to her. From friends to lovers this couple are sexy and just perfect for each other. Loved it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Thee_reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this one.
I mean starting off as “friends” turned into
hook ups.
In like Nicole’s new approach to life.
It was funny to see they kept going back to each other. Love that Nicole also did what she wanted.
Total HEA

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Corinne LaBalme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicole and Mathieu know they they want each other... but on what terms and for how long? The ice in the Texas Tornadoes arena just might melt while they're wondering if a steamy 'one-night-stand' can last for more than one night. A delightful read!

[BusyM3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book two in this series Texas Tornadoes and my first. This is a new author for me and I am looking forward to reading more from them. The story flows well and is easy to follow. The characters are likeable and fit well together.

I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brandy Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicole and Mathieu are great together. Their story is fast-paced, sexy and entertaining. I really enjoyed their connection and the growth of their relationship. Overall this is a great hockey romance.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.