Hat Trick

Punk as Puck #5

by E.M. Lindsey

“For five million dollars, would you send a relative to jail?”
"Bud, I would pay five million dollars to send a few there."

Problem number Almost everything the world thinks they know about me is a lie.
Problem number Two people know the truth.
Problem number One of those two is a stalker and he's having a blast using that information against me to get his way.

The good news is, the second person who knows the truth about who I am seems pretty dedicated to taking my stalker down.

The bad news is, it’s NHL goalie Vanya Maximov, and he and I had a one night stand that I can’t stop thinking about. And while Vanya might be walking sunshine so bright he can make even my blind ass see light, we have no business being together.

I’m a mess, and while Vanya is everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner, he deserves better than me.

If only he was willing to listen to reason. If only he was less stubborn and able to give up on a lost cause.

But with his ability to give me exactly what I want—a little pain with my pleasure—and his refusal to treat me like I’m fragile, something dangerous starts happening.

I’m beginning to think that maybe—just maybe—he’s right, and I am worth everything he sees.

Hat Trick is the second book in the Punk as Puck spin-off series, Legends and Fury. It’s a high heat, friends to lovers romance with a sunshine NHL goalie who also might be a golden retriever in disguise, a PPHL goalie with big black cat energy, a stalker, and no faith in himself, hooking up in a friend’s car, praise and pain, high stakes romance, hockey bro banter, tons of chirping, and the swooniest happily ever after.

Genres: M M Romance, Hockey, Sports, Friends To Lovers, Romance, Found Family, Contemporary

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 18, 2026

About the author

E.M. Lindsey is the author of MM contemporary romance. She presently lives and works in the southeastern United States.

EM Lindsey also writes MM Paranormal Romance under the pseudonym Ariel Millar.

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oof. One star. I don't give those out often, but this one feels warranted (at least from my perspective).

Rather than get into the minutia, I am going to keep this review pretty top level: both the storytelling and the relationship between the two MCs felt unbalanced throughout this novel, and I hated everything about that.

I know that when we first meet Micah, the man is going through it in the worst way. He's a really skilled athlete in a sport he no longer - and possibly never - loved. He has both daddy issues AND mommy issues. He has a terrible relationship with both of his siblings as a result of those issues (the author tells us he's trying to better that situation, but it really never feels like it). He has a history with SA and completely understandable hangups around sex and relationships and trust as a result. And, he has a dangerous stalker who has a potentially demeaning and definitely non-consensual not-quite-sex-tape that he is using to extort him with.

Typically, all of that would result in a really sympathetic character that I would want to root for.

But Micah is awful to literally every single person he interacts with - his family, his his coach, his teammates, his friends, AND our other love interest, Vanya.

And Vanya is basically a golden retriever. But he is also an absolute doormat for Micah. Throughout the course of this book, he gives and gives and GIVES. He basically contort himself into a pretzel to be everything that Micah needs from him. And, quite frankly, Micah hasn't done a single thing to deserve Vanya's level of dedication and loyalty and consideration.

I admit that I could have missed it, but it feels like Micah didn't ask Vanya a single question about himself or his life this entire book. We get two brief mentions of Vanya's rough upbringing, but the couple never delves further into it than that. We get three or four brief scenes of him interacting with some - though not all - of his siblings (always with Micah as the focus of the conversations).

And that's it.

I read more than 300 pages, and I don't know a single frigging thing about Vanya that doesn't revolve around Micah. The whole book revolves around Micah and solving his problems - his stalker, his family, and his career.

This imbalance is only exacerbated by the fact that the book is told almost entirely from Micah's perspective. We rarely get a chapter from Vanya's perspective and when we do, his every thought is about Micah. And since I didn't like Micah as a person, spending this much time in his head was kinda like torture.

The book ended with them happy and in love. But I don't buy it. Because of COURSE Micah would love the man that has made him the center of his universe and does literally everything he can thing of to make his life frictionless and wonderful. But I can't think of ANY reason why Vanya would love Micah in return - what HE gets out of the relationship (other than maybe to feel needed).

So I loved Vanya, and because of that, I wanted him to run far, FAR away from Micah.

[Romantically Inclined Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet. Vanya is the blueprint for the perfect man.

[-`♡´- · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like this story was more serious and dramatic than the previous in the series. However, it kept me locked in and anticipating how it would all shake out.

I really enjoyed watching their relationship unfold. Vanya’s patience and understanding when it came to developing their relationship and Micah slowly realizing he could fall in love and accept love in return; that he wasn’t too undeserving to have it.

Vanny and his pretty little goalie. 🥺💘

Received an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited for this book because I LOVED Vanya so much in the last book and could not wait to see more of him. This book did not do that justice. He had more character as a side character in someone else's story than in his own. I did enjoy the stalking plot with Hunter, but I wish that had been developed more. It wasn't really explained why he was after Micah, and it seemed a little extreme to go as far as he did, and there not be a big reveal for that. I love the representation and the way that was handled, but on the whole, this book did not live up to what I had hoped for these two. It was still an enjoyable and I will read any news ones.

[Engrossed Reader]

Micah is being stalked and some how I don't care. I don't care about the abuse he's had a kid from his parent, abuse at school, other stuff including being on the outs with this brothers and his hockey season not going so well. All of it sucks but because Micah is written in a way that I find him irritating, I don't give a damn what happens to him. Vanya seems okay but easily pleased, which is not great: a door mat enabling someone having a crisis doesn't make for a good read for me.

[Megan (feral hearts club) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to only read EM Lindsey books for the rest of my life, I would not be mad about that. This book was just so much fun. First off - I fucking LOVE VANYA SO MUCH. He is perfect and precious and honestly he can do no wrong. Fight me on that, I'll stand by my man. hahaha. He has to be in my top five favorite EM Lindsey characters. We need more characters like him. He was funny, and patient with Micah (even when Micah was pissing me off). And SO SO hot in bed. I love this Punk as Puck found family, and I love all their relationships with each other. I can't wait to see where this goes next.

[Alia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great addition to this wonderful world EM Lindsey has created. I knew I wanted Vanya’s story early on when we met him in book 1. He is the friend we all want. Micah is so prickly and Vanya just wants to love him so hard. These two men deserve all the happiness. Great communication even though Micah struggles with it. No third act break up. And the spice … wowza 🥵 I really enjoyed this and look forward to the next. If you’re looking for great disability rep, sexual spectrum and a heartfelt HEA look no further all the Punk As Puck books have it all.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quality installation in this series. It was interesting from cover to cover. I was invested in the characters, the journey was unusual, and it had a satisfying ending.
It was a gloomier than I prefer, and I was a sad we didn’t get Vanya goofy shenanigans like in the last book. Reading some ways a blind person could be particularly tormented by and helpless against a stalker was weird. TW SA (past)

[Miruru Shouting]

DNF. Not for me.

[Trish Skywalker · Rating 5 out of 5]

EM is so good at writing characters with flaws and struggles, but shows us how they can work through them. Though love is not a magic cure, and these MCs still have their struggles, they definitely find their way to happiness.
Micah has had a traumatic childhood, and his teenage years and adulthood didn’t pan out much better. He may be an amazing goalie in the PPHL, but his personal life is…not so good. He may be abrasive and have quite the reputation, but he’s getting by. Until a bad couple dates turns into full blown stalker, and he’s constantly in fear.
Vanya has had his eye on Micah for a while, but this stalker situation has got him in full protection mode. He can’t stand to see Micah in fear, and he’ll do everything he can to make Micah feel safe, even if that means giving him space.
Vanya is patient, and Micah doesn’t trust himself or anyone else, but maybe they can both find safety in each other.
Thanks so much to EM for this arc!

[Yuli Atta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Micah and Vanya so much 🥹🥹

[Betty Loves Books Galore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a friends to more romance, featuring Micah Adams and Vanya Maximov, and is book two in the Legends and Fury series.

Micah’s secrets are exposed when a stalker starts blackmailing him, and the only person he can trust is Vanya, the man he can’t stop thinking about after their one-night stand. As they grow closer, Micah begins to believe he might deserve love after all.

I loved this, I’ve been waiting for Vanya’s book and I’m so glad he ended up with Micah. Vanya was frigging adorable, I loved his sunshine side and how he forms friendships so quickly - he just accepts people for who they are. Micah was a little broken but Vanya was so tender with him and supported Micah in such a way that it slowly broke down Micah’s walls. What Micah goes through with his stalker was intense and emotional and my heart hurt for him.

We get lots is found family moments in this one too and I loved seeing more of the brothers rebuilding their relationship.

Things to expect in this book are:
Book 2 in series
MM sports romance
Friends to more
One-night stand
PPHL x NHL
Both hockey goalies
Grumpy x Sunshine
Black cat Golden retriever
Disability rep
Pet dad: fish
Stalker
Hurt / Comfort
Trauma & recovery
Protective & caregiver
Forced proximity
Only one bed
Runs him a bath
Spicy times & dirty talk
Spanking & edging
Praise & pain kink
Calls him pretty little goalie
Suspense
Found family
HEA

[Valeen Robertson (Live Thru Books Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazon



Micah thought his and Vanya's thing was a one off but he was very, very wrong, because now that he's had a taste, Vanya's not letting go of his pretty goalie. He has to tread a little lightly, though, because Micah's got a lot going on that he hasn't told anyone. He has a stalker, he has a lot of fear, and he has trauma thanks to his awful childhood. If Vanya has his way, though, he'll take on all of that and more for him, forever.



I've been eagerly waiting for Micah and Vanya's story and it was well worth that wait. Vanya is like this big, adorable teddy bear, down so bad for Micah. Micah made him work really, really hard for his heart, though, and it was that struggle where they, especially Vanya, proved themselves worthy of each other. I really like the author's different reps - disability, sexuality, and mental health. That's a lot of representation to manage in one story, but the author did a great job of it. Micah's a big mess, but he figured himself out with a lot of help from the various people in his life, and because of his own strength, but most of all because of his rock, Vanya. I wondered at times, if Vanya would ever tire of Micah's severe issues, or at least trying to help Micah deal with them, but nope, he was absolutely steadfast, in all the sweetest ways. I really like this hockey world the author has created with flawed, loveable characters in two hockey leagues. All the tension, the close proximity, the friends, the enemies, the strangers, falling in love. I'm not sure which hockey player is next to fall, but I can't wait!



ARC provided by The Author Agency for an honest review.

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[Annie ~ Queer Books Unbound · Rating 5 out of 5]

E.M. Lindsey really has a talent for writing romances that hurt in the best possible way, and Hat Trick completely wrecked me emotionally. I went into this expecting to love it, but I was not prepared for how attached I would become to Micah and Vanya.

After Vanya steps in when Micah is cornered by his ex following a hockey game, the story unfolds into something incredibly emotional and tense — a romance centered around trust, fear, vulnerability, and learning how to let yourself be seen.

Micah is a goalie in the PPHL (Para Professional Hockey League). I loved how the book handled his blindness—not as something that defines him, but as part of how he moves through the world. At the same time, it makes the stalking storyline even more terrifying. As Hunter becomes more obsessive and dangerous, you can feel Micah’s world shrinking. He’s constantly on edge whenever he’s alone, and those moments felt incredibly real.

And even outside of the stalking situation, Micah is carrying so much. His mother was abusive and used his disability for attention, his father’s health is declining, and he’s barely speaking to his brothers at the beginning of the book. He’s built a public persona of being an asshole who sleeps around to keep people at a distance. Underneath it all though, he’s incredibly lonely and convinced that everything he touches eventually gets ruined.On top of that, he’s still dealing with the trauma of being sexually assaulted by his first boyfriend years earlier—something he’s never told anyone about. The way that shapes his trust and boundaries is painful to see.

Which is exactly why I loved Vanya so much.Vanya is an NHL goalie and an absolute consent king/golden retriever of a man. He sees Micah. He pays attention, notices when Micah is uncomfortable, and never pushes beyond what Micah is ready for. I especially loved how he always checks in before touching him without ever making him feel fragile or patronized.Meanwhile, Micah is so drawn to him while also being terrified of what those feelings mean.

The yearning in this book??? Delicious.Micah wanting to be close to Vanya but constantly holding himself back because of fear and trauma, while Vanya remains endlessly patient, absolutely killed me.
What really got me was how Micah slowly begins to feel safe enough to let someone in. At first, the only place he feels completely secure is in the net during hockey games—the one space where he can rely entirely on himself. But over time, Vanya becomes another kind of safety for him. Watching Micah slowly drop the persona he’s built and let someone see the real him was honestly beautiful.
I also really appreciated how much depth Vanya has outside of the romance. His anxiety, his complicated feelings about home, and how difficult it is for him to talk about vulnerability because of expectations placed on him as a Russian man added so much to his character.

I especially loved the way Vanya immediately clocked Hunter as a problem and how naturally protective he became of Micah. The stalker storyline was genuinely terrifying, and every moment of intimacy between them felt earned. Seeing Micah slowly rebuild his relationships with his brothers and open up to the people around him after isolating himself for so long made the emotional payoff hit even harder. 

Seeing Micah finally talk about what happened to him, admit his feelings for Vanya, and allow himself to be vulnerable felt intensely satisfying after everything he’d been through.

Readers who love emotional hurt/comfort, intense yearning, touch-starved MCs, consent-forward romance, goalie/goalie pairings, protective love interests, and deeply vulnerable characters will absolutely love this book.

E.M. Lindsey really is so good at writing emotional, gritty romances with deeply human characters you can’t help rooting for every step of the way. Highly recommend!
100% one of my faves this year!

[Kitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very very much looking forward to this, Micah was my favourite all the way through the previous series and Vanya was an absolute gem in the previous book. I've read a ton of books where there is a big sweet protective Russian hockey player as a side character, and I always want them to be MCs, and FINALLY I get one as an MC! Yes please and thank you. So with two great MCs I already loved, you can bet your arse I dropped everything to read this immediately.

I loved the first half, absolutely adored it. Even with how quickly things moved, I enjoyed their connection, and the chemistry between them was crazy. Unfortunately the second half I didn't enjoy as much, and for a long time I didn't even know why. I thought my book slump had made a comeback mid-book, which is rare but not unheard of. Eventually I worked out it was several factors that could have been done better, mostly to do with characterisation.

Vanya, as much as I loved him, never really developed beyond huge sweet protective Russian. He just wanted someone to love and someone to take care of, which I appreciate, but he was less a character than an archetype. Some of the side characters I mentioned from other books were more clearly defined.

Hunter. He was the antagonist of this story and I really wanted to get into what made him tick. Did he love Micah or hate him? What motivated him to stalk and harass Micah in this way? Again, he was just a carbon copy archetype of The Bad Guy™, but especially with such a visceral and emotional crime as stalking, I wanted to understand his drive, and I didn't, at all. Maybe it's just because I've been reading some MM mysteries and thrillers, but I also need the bad guys to be fleshed out characters with clear and compelling motivations.

Thirdly, and most tragically, Micah. A lot of times I read Lindsey for the disability rep, and the description of his condition was stellar, but he was also very damselish. I love a dude in distress as much as anyone, I love guys in trouble being rescued, but I prefer for it to be a temporary state, whereas Micah was absolutely fricking terrified for 80% of this book or more. And I love that he was terrified, I was shaking with fury when Hunter used Micah's blindness against him, but it felt almost like it was leaning too hard into his vulnerability, if that makes sense. I wanted for Micah to find his strength and realise that Hunter was just a sick man, and at least get the opportunity to knee him in the balls or something, but Micah stayed damselfied the whole way through, and needed constant rescuing. Maybe it was because of how the plot worked out and because he was terrified all the time, but it never felt like Micah was fully fleshed out either. It was all about his previous trauma and current stalking situation, I never got to know any other facet of his personality.

Honourable mention of Caleb. It felt like the author had accidentally and unconsciously written him in as a possible future MC, then realised that would mess up the series, then arbitrarily made a decision to stop him from being a future MC. It felt like I was being yanked around emotionally.

On the bright side, I liked getting to know Tiago better and loved the setup for his book. I really really hope it comes out as good as the concept.

[Ashley | adhdandread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hat Trick by E.M. Lindsey
Legends & Fury #2
Length: 313 pages
Source: The Author Agency eARC
Publication date: May 18, 2026

4.5 ⭐⁣⁣⁣
4 🌶️⁣⁣⁣

WHAT TO EXPECT
MM hockey romance⁣⁣⁣
Friends to lovers
Black cat x golden retriever
Grumpy x sunshine
Disability rep
Praise kink
MC with a stalker

BLURB
“For five million dollars, would you send a relative to jail?”
"Bud, I would pay five million dollars to send a few there."

Problem number one: Almost everything the world thinks they know about me is a lie.
Problem number two: Two people know the truth.
Problem number three: One of those two is a stalker and he's having a blast using that information against me to get his way.

The good news is, the second person who knows the truth about who I am seems pretty dedicated to taking my stalker down. The bad news is, it’s NHL goalie Vanya Maximov, and he and I had a one night stand that I can’t stop thinking about. And while Vanya might be walking sunshine so bright he can make even my blind ass see light, we have no business being together.

I’m a mess, and while Vanya is everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner, he deserves better than me. If only he was willing to listen to reason. If only he was less stubborn and able to give up on a lost cause. But with his ability to give me exactly what I want—a little pain with my pleasure—and his refusal to treat me like I’m fragile, something dangerous starts happening.

I’m beginning to think that maybe—just maybe—he’s right, and I am worth everything he sees.

MY THOUGHTS
These Adams boys are SO spicy! I love it. Such grumps. E.M. somehow has the ability to write them empathetically without crossing over into "Ugh, this effing guy" territory, which is a serious skill for writing grumpy characters. What I enjoy about Micah is that once he finally gets out of his own way, he is ALL IN. I'm in love with how he gives himself permission to slide headlong into a relationship even though he's scared to death. That's such a testimony to how well-written E.M.'s main characters always are. There's growth that feel realistic, and the ending is a happy one but doesn't feel exaggerated.

Vanya is the opposite of Micah in so many ways, but when it comes to what they want out of life (even though Micah won't voice it as such), they're definitely on the same page. He is so incredibly patient with Micah and protective without running roughshod over him. In Vanya, Micah has found someone who sees him, both figuratively and literally, something that his close friends group and brothers have long lost the ability to do.

BOTTOM LINE
Were this world that E.M. has created to go on forever, I would read all of the books. So yeah, I recommend.

CONTENT WARNINGS
Explicit sexual content, physical assault, stalking, past sexual assault (mention), ableism, ableist language, non-physical abuse (not between MCs), trauma-induced sexual dysfunction, parent with advanced Alzheimer's (on page), suicidal ideation (mention)

–A🩷

Thanks to The Author Agency and E.M. Lindsey for an eARC of this book. All opinions are mine. Reviews posted regularly on StoryGraph, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram, BlueSky, BookBub, and Fable.

[AnnaKitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Pretty little goalie of my heart.”

This book was several times more emotional and intense than the previous one in the series, which I don’t think I was prepared for 🥺

First things first - Micah. If you read previous books, you’ll probably walk into this a bit prejudiced, kind of expecting him to be a dick from how he behaved with Jonah in book one. And while he’s supposed to be grumpy / black cat here, we are yet to discover the reasons behind his behavior. And once you do, it is really so heartbreaking 💔


On the other hand we have Vanya, the literal sunshine and golden retriever☀️ If you weren’t already hopelessly in love with him from the previous books, you would undoubtedly be there even before Chapter 3.

“I’ll be safe. But, uh…if I need you, can I call?”
“Yes, pretty little goalie. Anytime you need me, I will be there.”

The whole book is laced with so much emotion. You never stop feeling for Micah, how he’s slowly realising the he deserves to be loved, and how Vanya is moving around Micah’s walls, always patient, caring and protecting, but never pushing too hard ❤️‍🩹

“Anything you want,”
I told him. I meant it. And I would remind him of that as often as he needed to hear it.


The whole vibe of the book hits differently. The found family aspect is not such a central pillar here, which is understandable, given how guarded Micah is. Doesn’t mean it’s not present enough - the relationships between friends, teammates, family, and how caring and present they are in each other’s lives are still very powerful.

The stalker subplot was another interesting thing. While I agree that it wasn’t justified enough considering the level of extremes Hunter went through, I prefer to think that we don’t really need to understand the mind of a stalker, and let it just remain a subplot that adds the edge to the story.

As a separate mention I’d love to say a few words of appreciation to E.M. Lindsey for not leaning into the romanticisation of Vanya's origin (half of it anyway). I loved that he actually talked more about being half-Pakistani.

And a HUGE thank you for avoiding any transliterations of the characters speaking their native languages. I happen to unfortunately know russian and almost each time it not only sounds really bad for the native speaker, but is also done with orthographical, lexical, contextual and pragmatic mistakes.
Simply putting the phrase in English - so all the readers can actually understand it! - and noting “said in my/his native tongue” is so much better. I just can’t express how thankful I am for this.

And once again I appreciated the characters being wonderfully and so humanly imperfect. Disability representation was also done beautifully, again a bit less accentuated than in the first book, but with the same level of care.

I am very thankful to E.M. Lindsey and TAA for this ARC, hope Caleb’s story is coming next, he was a really intriguing character here 🫢

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Micah is a hockey goalie in the PPHL blind hockey league, and he has been blind from birth and doesn’t have eyes, which makes his otherwise handsome looks unique. After his brother Jonas' book, Stick Around, it was obvious that something was going on with Micah. He was being secretive, distant, angry, anxious, and avoiding his friends. So now in his story, we’re finding out there’s a lot more going on under the surface with Micah. From past trauma that still affects him, to a current threatening situation, to family issues, to a crush that’s probably not a good idea to act on. And only a couple of people know what’s going on, and one of them is the threat, and the other one is an NHL player, Vanya Maximov.

Vanya is a teammate of his brother's fiancé so he’s close to their friend group, but somehow Vanya can see under Micah's cool facade and see a guy who’s in trouble, but he also sees a handsome man. Vanya has a big crush on his "pretty goalie." But Micah has major self-worth issues, and he doesn’t feel good enough, so there is a push and pull, fight or flight situation going on between them.

My heart hurt for Micah because he really was traumatized, and he didn’t feel he could share with anybody the true extent of it, and he’s dealt with it for years alone. It affects his relationships with his brothers, his friends, his team, and his own self-esteem. And I love-love-loved Vanya! He’s this big. burly, sunshiney, golden retriever with a huge heart, and he just wants Micah in his life so bad. But he’s willing to be patient, and he’s kind, protective, determined, and he just wants to make sure that Micah is safe and understands that he will be there for him.

And poor Micah doesn’t know what to do with that kind of positive attention and actual care. He’s never had somebody to give him that, truly understand him, or care enough to make him feel safe. But their friend group is all intertwined, so it also makes it a little messy if something were to go wrong.

This is a story with suspense, drama, threats, but it is also about a man learning to trust, be vulnerable, and feel safe so that he can be his true self. It is also about found family and how important it is to have support. I am really enjoying this spin-off Legends of Fury series and am looking forward to more. Micah and Jordan's brother, Caleb, definitely needs a story, and there are several other interesting guys on the hockey teams.

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[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gahhhh this book 😭🏒💘

Hat Trick was EVERYTHING I wanted it to be and somehow even more. I seriously don’t know what kind of magic E.M. Lindsey puts into this world, but every single time I come back to these characters I fall even harder for this chaotic, loving little found family 🥹💚

This one definitely felt a little heavier and more emotional than some of the previous books, but it still had that same tenderness and care woven through every page. The way these characters love each other — romantically, platonically, as teammates, as family — just gets me every damn time 😭

And VANYA. Oh my god. Vanya Maximov the man that you are 🧎‍♀️🏒
I am such a sucker for the giant sweet protective Russian hockey player type and E.M. Lindsey absolutely DELIVERED here. Vanya was sunshine and chaos and devotion wrapped up in one big hockey player package ☀️😂💖 He was so patient with Micah, so understanding, so all in from the start and honestly?? “Vanya and his pretty little goalie” had me MELTING 🥺

Then there’s Micah… my emotionally exhausted disaster man 😭💔
This poor guy was REALLY going through it. Between the anxiety, the self-worth issues, the stalking situation, and all the emotional baggage from his family, he genuinely believed he was too broken and too undeserving to be loved. Watching him slowly start letting Vanya in — slowly realizing maybe he could be loved safely and fully — absolutely wrecked me in the best way.

The black cat/golden retriever energy between these two was SO GOOD 🖤☀️
The banter? Amazing.
The chemistry? Off the charts 🌶️
The emotional tension?? Had me fully invested.

What I loved most though was that Vanya never treated Micah like he needed fixing. He just loved him exactly as he was, walls and all 😭💚 and honestly that hit HARD.

I also loved getting more of the hockey world and the team dynamics again 🏒 The locker room chaos, the friendships, the brothers trying to mend old wounds… it all made the world feel so alive. Even though Micah kept himself isolated for a lot of the book, those little moments with the people around him meant SO much.

And the ending?? 🥹🏡💖
Seeing Micah finally find softness and safety after everything he’d been carrying around had me emotional as hell.

If you love:
🏒 hockey romance
☀️ golden retriever x black cat dynamics
😭 emotionally guarded MMCs
💖 tender found family vibes
🌶️ high chemistry
🫶 healing and learning to accept love

…then PLEASE pick this one up immediately.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book but this is my honest and voluntary review!*

[between.heas · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Second book in the Punk as Puck series, and it follows Micah — Jonah's brother we met in Stick Around — and Vanya (Ivan Maximov), Alexio's goalie friend and the resident golden retriever of the group.

If you read the first book, you already know that Jonah, Micah, and Caleb grew up in a deeply damaging household. Their father, Peter, was verbally abusive and made no secret of his resentment toward his blind children. Their mother, Judith, was a different kind of harmful — the kind who weaponized her kids' disability for sympathy and social media clout, turning their pain into performance. The weight of that upbringing sits heavy on all three of them, and this book doesn't let you forget it.

Micah, on the surface, is all sharp edges — rude, irritable, with a carefully constructed reputation as someone who sleeps around and doesn't care about anything. But that reputation is exactly that: constructed.

A childhood trauma shaped him into someone who decided it was safer to let people think the worst of him than to give them something real to use against him. It's a heartbreaking kind of armor, and E.M. Lindsey handles it with real care.

Then there's Vanya, who sees straight through all of it. He doesn't buy the mask, he doesn't push, and he doesn't ask Micah to be anything other than what he is. He's simply there, steady, patient, and completely gone for Micah in the most quietly devastating way. He's willing to wait for as long as it takes, in whatever capacity Micah will allow, and that kind of love is something else entirely.

Watching Micah slowly, reluctantly come to realize that Vanya is the one person around whom he's ever felt truly safe, truly seen, and completely unjudged and that's where this book earns everything. It doesn't rush it. It lets Micah get there on his own terms

And then there's Hunter. I don't use this lightly, but he is one of the most genuinely despicable characters I've encountered in recent reading. The book doesn't spell out exactly what becomes of him in the end, but the implication is enough and satisfying.

What stayed with me most, though, is the found family at the heart of this series. The dynamic between Jonah, Micah, and their circle is something special, loud and messy and fiercely loyal in the way that only chosen family can be. The kind of people who show up, no questions asked, and would absolutely commit crimes for each other. I love them.

I haven't worked my way through all the earlier books about this group yet, but if they're anything like this one, I already know I'm in good hands.

[Tara Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY OPINION: I’ve read two other E.M. Lindsey books, and the first one is in the Punk as Puck series. This is the fifth one in that collection. However, this is the second book in the Legends of Fury Series. Took me a bit to figure this one out, but now that I have, I would highly recommend reading the first book in the Legends of Fury series. There are a lot of bits you have to work through and don’t know completely in this book. The good news is that this book is really good, so reading both of them won’t be a hardship.

This is another book about blind hockey players, specifically brothers who are all blind, with two of them playing hockey. Micah has been blind since birth, and we learn a lot about how he survives. There are many moments that give you a solid understanding of his life. Like his brother, he is damaged from his childhood and still isn’t in a good place—we get that his brother was damaged from comments about book one.

What Micah isn’t expecting is falling for his brother’s fiancée’s teammate. Vanya is completely smitten by Micah. He immediately is protective of his ‘pretty goalie,’ and there is nothing that will stop him from waiting for this man who stole his heart.

Vanya is in the NHL, fully sighted, and really wants to help Micah find peace. When a stalker enters the story, it's a whole new situation, and Vanya goes full protective mode. The stalker is a whole subset of the book itself, but there is also Micah’s story. He has been carrying around secrets, and the burden is becoming too big.

Micah has allowed himself to feel, and when it gets too much, he falls not only for Vanya, but he lets himself believe in his support group. The whole thing is a beautiful love story, Micah finding himself, leaving his burdens behind. There is some wonderful spice between the two men; they are searching for the same thing, and they find it when they are together.

This book has a lot in it, some great moments, including when the stalker invades his space, and you feel it. You get to know the men, and you want them to find happiness. If you are sensitive to stalking, this has a lot of it, so be aware. The way they enjoy each other physically is great. Friends are there, and even though they are kept in the dark, they show up. I think I will read the first book that gives us info about the first brother. Not a lot of hockey in the book, I would love to know more about how they play the game.

Pick it up if you want a book that has a little bit of suspense, some great characters, and ends with a happily ever after.

[Aleja · Rating 3 out of 5]

MM romance | Sports romance | Pro hockey | Friends to lovers | Only one bed | Hockey goalies in love | Praise Kink | Spanking | Grumpy / Sunshine | Sexual awakening


Okeyyy, no fue lo que esperaba.

Sinceramente, siento que faltó desarrollo en su relación para poder sentirla o vivirla al 100%. No percibí una conexión real entre ellos; se sentían más como amigos que como dos chicos que se gustan pero que uno no se atreve a admitirlo. Fue... raro. Sus escenas spicy estuvieron bien y me gustó que Vanya representara esa seguridad que Micah necesitaba; eso hizo que esos momentos fueran entretenidos y se sintieran naturales.

Micah es un personaje difícil de comprender. Con cada decisión que tomaba, me daban ganas de darle un coscorrón en la cabeza, y creo que no le perdonaré cómo trató a Vanya durante el 70% del libro. Vanya se merecía mucho más; el estrés no es excusa para todo.

Aun así, Vanya me pareció un buen personaje y amé cómo hacía que Micah se sintiera cómodo en cada interacción. Al final, aunque lo disfruté, me queda un sabor agridulce. Esperaba que tuviera la misma chispa y los chistes divertidos del libro anterior, y eso hizo que la historia de Micah y Vanya me decepcionara un poco.

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

Okay, this wasn't quite what I expected.

Honestly, I feel like their relationship lacked the depth needed for me to fully feel it or live it. I didn’t sense a real connection between them; they felt more like friends than two guys who like each other but are too afraid to admit it. It was... weird. Their spicy scenes were good, and I liked how Vanya provided the security Micah needed; that made their interactions feel right and kept things entertaining.

Micah is a difficult character to understand. Every decision he made throughout the book made me want to give him a smack on the head, and I don't think I can forgive how he treated Vanya for 70% of the story. Vanya deserved so much more, and "being stressed" isn't an excuse for everything.

Vanya, however, is a great character. I loved how he treated Micah and made him feel comfortable in every interaction. As I said before, he deserved better.

Even with all that, I still enjoyed the read, though not as much as I hoped. I can’t deny that I was expecting the same spark and humor from the previous book, which left me feeling a bit disappointed with Micah and Vanya’s story.

[Katriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read Jonah's book, the first one in this series, I suspected there was something serious going on with Micah, and my suspicions were correct.

I don't want to give any spoilers away but seeing as how the blurb mentions a stalker, I can at least discuss that in minor detail. Micah has always been portrayed as this larger than life play boy who loves to sleep around.. But that's not who he actually is, that's just one of the many masks he wears. And in this book, his book, we get to finally know the true Micah. <3

I'm always completely enamored by EM Lindsey's writing and this book is no different, in fact I think this might be one of my favorites. I just loved how EM took a very serious situation, along with something we can all relate to, (ie, wearing masks), and turned that into something beautiful. There was a lot of hardship along the way, along with anger and grief and plenty of frustration too. But there was also joy and lightness and once Micah finally let his walls come down there was so many beautiful found family scenes going on that I just loved!!

Now, I HAVE to talk about my favorite character in this book which is Vanya. I was enamored by his character in the other book and he's just even better in this one. I adore how he's direct and to the point while still being soft, kind, and caring. He cares fiercely about those close to him and I just really enjoyed reading about him and getting to read his perspective throughout this story.

I don't think there could've been a better fit for these two men than with each other. They balance each other out in such a profound way.. When Micah is more unsteady, Vanya is a steady presence, when Vanya struggles finding the English words he needs, Micah is there to help fill in the blanks. And of course their relationship is more than those moments, but those are the ones that stood out to me the most for some reason.

As always with EM's books, I highly recommend you read this book! Although, I would suggest reading the first book in the series first. While this one can be read as a standalone, there are some moments that are referred to in this book that happened in the first one, so you won't have that extra insight if you skip the first one. And.. The first one is great as well so why not read them both?!

~~I received an early copy of this book and these are my honest thoughts and opinions.~~

[Abigail Beckwith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's EM Lindsey's "Hat Trick." It's the fifth novel in her Punk as Puck series (and also the second novel in the Legends and Fury series?).

["“For five million dollars, would you send a relative to jail?”
"Bud, I would pay five million dollars to send a few there."

Problem number one: Almost everything the world thinks they know about me is a lie.
Problem number two: Two people know the truth.
Problem number three: One of those two is a stalker and he's having a blast using that information against me to get his way.

The good news is, the second person who knows the truth about who I am seems pretty dedicated to taking my stalker down.

The bad news is, it’s NHL goalie Vanya Maximov, and he and I had a one night stand that I can’t stop thinking about. And while Vanya might be walking sunshine so bright he can make even my blind ass see light, we have no business being together.

I’m a mess, and while Vanya is everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner, he deserves better than me.

If only he was willing to listen to reason. If only he was less stubborn and able to give up on a lost cause.

But with his ability to give me exactly what I want—a little pain with my pleasure—and his refusal to treat me like I’m fragile, something dangerous starts happening.

I’m beginning to think that maybe—just maybe—he’s right, and I am worth everything he sees."]

Annnd I forgot how broken all of this boys are and how much it hurts to read about them struggling. Micah was hurting in so many ways and hiding it from everyone. And everyone (for a while at least) believed in his lies and believed he was fine (no one is fine when they say they're fine). He damn well had me tearing up during the entire novel.

But Vanya was a balm for all of it. He was kind and patient and perfect, which of course made Micah even more weary. As did the “pretty little goalie” nickname, that made me swoon haaarrrd.

Trigger Warnings: ableism, on-page injury and resulting hospital stay, past and current narcissistic parenting, on-page descriptions of having a parent with Alzheimer's, stalking, bullying, threats, mentions of past sexual assault, on-page panic attacks, and more

#zeropucks #puckedup #absolutelypucked #stickaround #hattrick #emlindsey #punkaspuck #punkaspuckseries #legendsandfury #legendsandfuryseries #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

This is book two in the author’s Punk as Puck: Legends and Fury (the name of the two main blind hockey teams) series featuring Vanya, a Russian NHL Glacier goalie and Micah, (Jonah’s, from book one, Stick Around, brother) a blind-from-birth goalie on the Fury, the sponsored professional blind hockey team.

I have to say that I’m not a fan of the whole spanking sub-trope, or whatever you want to call it, and I was really disappointed at first because I was SO looking forward to Vanya’s book, sweetheart that he is, but I was pretty much able to ignore it and go on and ended up enjoying the book more than I thought I would but it did cost it a little.

I felt so bad for Micah. Everyone—even his family and friends—talked crap about him, warning other people off of him when none of it was true, only rumors he had encouraged in the past in order to protect himself. And yes, he did encourage it in the beginning but if your friends and family really cared for you, you would kind of expect them to love you without all of the commentary and warnings to anyone who gave you a second glance. Even Vanya (and he took a BIG hit for this with me!) must’ve enjoyed repeating everything to Micah that was said about him ‘cause he sure did it a lot!

The major plot here was Micah’s twisted stalker, a kinda, SORTA ex even though they had never really even been together. And when I say twisted, even that’s not descriptive enough! The depth it added was perfect, and I ate it up but still, it was kinda nerve racking having to watch Micah struggle without sight, KNOWING that weirdo was out there, watching, and the lengths he was willing to go to just to make Micah suffer! And speaking of suffering, we were never told exactly what Vanya’s brother, a cybersecurity expert, had done to punish the stalker but just from the few things he did let slip, it had to be AMAZING!!

If you’ve already read Stick Around, you really need to check this one out! Not only is it a hot hockey read (duh!) but it also continues on with the story about the three brothers’ dad, suffering from dementia and the hail they’d suffered as blind children from their ABSOLUTE beach of a mother and neglectful father. It was far from the main focus but still an interesting storyline so check it out! 4.25 stars

I received a copy of this book for free but am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shanice · Rating 5 out of 5]

"He had been robbed of who he was by too many people in his life. And if I could give him this one small, significant thing, then I could go to my grave feeling like I’d done something important."

I had been waiting for Micah's book because he was such an angry brother throughout the series. From the first book, I knew there was more going on with him than we were being told.

But let's be honest, Vanya was amazing.

His relationship with Jonah really set the standard for how important he was, not only to the story but to all of the other characters. He is literally the golden retriever of golden retrievers. I loved how patient and kind he was with Micah, even when Micah wasn't kind to himself.

I also loved seeing a more vulnerable side of Micah. He kept so much locked away from his brothers and even from himself. What he was going through broke my heart. At the same time, he frustrated me so much because he refused to tell anyone what was happening. I understood why, but I still wanted to grab him, shake him, and tell him to ask for help already!

Thankfully, Vanya being Vanya, he was basically Micah's knight in shining armor.

I also loved seeing Jonah and Alexei again. And without spoiling anything, the development involving the brothers was long overdue and extremely satisfying. I'm super excited for the next book, especially because it's the one I was hoping we'd get.

Micah's story got me emotional. Once you learn everything he's been through, you really understand why he is the way he is. Instead of being frustrated with him the way I was in Jonah's book, I mostly just wanted to hug him. Although let's be honest, no one is ever as frustrating as Caleb sometimes lol

Vanya was incredibly self-sacrificing in this book, but in a way that made sense. We really got to see how much their mother put the boys through and how deeply that affected Micah's reactions to everything and everyone around him.

I was not expecting this book to go where it did. Things got absolutely wild at one point, and I genuinely had no idea what was going to happen next. Every chapter brought something new and unexpected to the story and to the relationship between not only the brothers but also their network of friends. I started this book and literally could not stop until I finished because I had to know how everything was going to turn out for our guys.

Overall, another five-star read for me. I've loved these brothers since we first met them, and this book only made me love them more. I can't wait for what's next in the series.

[Carol Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3 Stars) — All of these stars are for Vanya. This one just wasn't for me.**

I am rating this 3 stars, and every single one of them belongs entirely to Vanya. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me, guys.

Micah, one of our MMCs, has appeared in previous books in this universe and was always a very likable, comedic relief side character. I had no issues with him back then, but I honestly feel like this book proves he should have stayed a side character.

We get deep into the nitty-gritty of how incredibly hard his life has been. He has massive parental issues, a brotherly dynamic built entirely on shared trauma, is a victim of SA, and has developed serious trust issues inside and out of the bedroom because of it. On top of that, during this book, he is dealing with a dangerous, unhinged stalker threatening to leak a demeaning video of him. All of that is awful, and I deeply sympathize with his trauma.

However, Micah was just awful to everyone around him. He would constantly snap, say incredibly hurtful things, and then offer a quick apology as if that magically made everything okay. He kept claiming he was trying to do better, but I just didn't see the growth. To me, it felt like he expected everyone to overlook his toxic behavior just because he was "going through some stuff."

Our other MMC is Vanya—sweet, sweet Vanya. This book should have focused way more on him and given him a different love interest who was actually deserving of his heart. Instead, Vanya basically became Micah's emotional doormat. He constantly excused Micah's behavior and was always the one left hurting from Micah's actions. Even so, Vanya remained sweet, happy, and fun, standing by Micah when I honestly felt he shouldn't have.

What makes it worse is that we learn almost nothing about Vanya. We don't get his story because Micah never bothered to ask him about himself. We find out his mom passed, he loves his stepmother, he has a lot of siblings, and he had some hard times growing up, but we get zero details. Vanya was supposed to be a main character, but he felt like nothing more than a stepping stone for Micah's healing.

I'm not mad I read it, because I love E.M. Lindsey and this interconnected universe, but I am definitely glad to be through with this one. I am firmly looking forward to finally getting Tiago's book next!

[Stephanie Chapin · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review of Hat Trick Book 2 in the Legends and Fury Series by EM Lindsey. This book is part of an interconnected series but can be read as a standalone. This is a 5 star read for me. I loved this book. I loved the emotion, drama, suspense, and heat. I also loved all the tender swoony moments that had me constantly smiling. I loved seeing characters from Lindsey’s other books make appearances in this one. I also loved the disability representation in this book. This is Micah and Vanya's story. I absolutely love Vanya he has been  my favorite since book 1. He had me dying laughing throughout this whole book. I love how sweet, caring and protective he is, he has a golden retriever personality and he makes my heart melt. My heart breaks for Micah and everything he’s been through. I love Micah and Vanya together they make my heart happy. I love their banter. This is a spicy, slow burn, goalie mmcs, golden retriever mmc, he falls first and hard, disability rep, blind mmc, grumpy/sunshine, one night stand, friends to lovers, MM hockey romance. Ivan Maximov aka Vanya is Russian and is a hockey goalie in the NHL for the Boston Glaciers. Micah Adams is a blind hockey goalie in the PPHL league for the Salem Fury. Vanya and Micah are friends but Vanya has fallen for him hard and fast. Micah has secrets he’s been hiding from his family, friends, and teammates that are tearing him up. He hides his real self from everyone and let’s them think things about is reputation that aren’t true, but Vanya sees all of him. Vanya is so kind and patient with Micah, he makes him feel safe. He protects him when he’s in danger. Micah tries to keep distance between him and Vanya because he’s afraid he's damaged and he doesn’t want to ruin him. When it all gets to be to much Vanya is always there for him and Micah realizes that’s exactly where he wants to be. Vanya helps him to want to stop hiding and to let others in and not carry all his burdens alone. I love how Vanya doesn’t give up on Micah and that he waits for him and gives him space when he needs it and how he lets him come to him on his own terms. I love this book and I loved their HEA.

 

 

 

 

[Alex (The Informal Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

Was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this. It's predecessor Stick Around didn't really land for me but I was left really excited to see was Lindsey would do with Vanya's character since he was one of the few positives that came out of that book. And boy she did not disappoint. All of the love I had for him damn near tripled over the course of this book. He's such a green flag and was honestly just perfect for Micah.

I was a bit indifferent about Micah's character going in since I had mainly only experienced him from Jonah's POV in the last book (which wasn't great). But honestly Jonah doesn't hold a torch to Micah in term of likability. Micah is like a cute prickly cactus; you can look but don't touch... because he will stab you (unless you're Vanya). I didn't agree with how he handled certain things but this is one of those instances were despite that, every decision was definitely on brand for him and made sense given what his character was going through.

The stakes in this book definitely felt a bit higher; as the stalker subplot gave the story a good edge. The resolution to that sub-plot did feel a bit anti-climatic and rushed but given how well Micah and Vanya's relationship was handle and was resolved it didn't really impact my overall enjoyment.

Still didn't really care for much of the supporting cast. Like I get they're all friends but damn there were times we're I was just like "why does it feel as is literally everyone he knows is here" — like the "intervention" scene left such a bad taste in my mouth. Vanya's family was probably the only exception, they we're enjoyable in the few scenes they were involved in.

But overall this was a win, I'm so happy I gave it a shot. I definitely recommend giving it a read. I stand by my opinion that the books in this series doesn't work well as a standalones but if you can get through the other books or if you wanna give it a go anyways. This one is 100% worth it.

[Olive Erath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you very much to the author and The Author Agency for the ARC. Coming from one of my favourite authors, this is such an honour!

Hat Trick, the second book in the Legends & Fury series, is an intense and touching read about two hockey goalies, Vanya and Micah, who fall in love and find their way to each other after a series of struggles. The story explores issues such as disability, trauma and family, always finding a way for the characters to accept the things that cannot be changed and embracing the new chances that life offers.

E.M. Lindsey has been portraying disability and including non-normative bodies in their writing for a long time now and they are a master of their craft. Their novels are not only entertaining, captivating and spicy. They are also very necessary. In a genre that focuses mostly on “perfect” bodies and normative beauty, it is very important that somebody writes for all of us who are not identified with those standards. Micah and all the disabled characters in this series and previous ones (e.g. Punk as Puck) cope with their disability with endurance and dignity, their trauma having to do with other aspects of their lives, proving that people can be more than their struggles and their pain.

Hat Trick has everything that makes a MM romance great: lovely characters (can someone be more adorable than Vanya?), interesting storyline, well-written hot spice scenes, humour, sweetness and the HEA the characters deserve. It also hints at who the protagonists of book 3 in the series will be (Tiago, I’ve been dying to read your story since Punk as Puck!!) and pays, I believe, a little homage to another hockey story that you may have heard of (yes, the one you’re thinking of!), proving that MM romance is a loving community both in between and outside of the pages of our books.

I will always love E.M. Lindsey’s books. They always make me feel good and seen and represented. Looking forward to what’s next…