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Puck Battle #0.5

Player Substitution

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Chuck Radcliff is not the a**hole everyone thinks he is. At least Miranda never thought so, until recently. He puts on a tough guy act for the rest of the world. He’s the rough, scrapper on the ice; the man’s man off it; and a tiger in the sack. It’s all bullshit, except for the last part—he’s a dynamo between the sheets.
She gave him her heart and her virginity a long time ago. They were supposed to be the fairy-tale romance of high school sweethearts whose love transcended time. Instead, their marriage is a bad reality show with flaws displayed for the world to see, and it’s all his fault.
He messed up.
Big time.
Now days before Christmas, she has a decision to make. Miranda isn’t the type to forgive and forget—this nice country girl has to be more cunning than that.
They say all is fair in love and war. Let’s find out if that’s true as Miranda puts Chuck to the test. The best revenge is living happy and that’s what she plans to do.

Player Substitution is a Holiday Hockey Romance and is intended for a mature audience. A change of underwear may be required.

69 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 5, 2017

22 people are currently reading
133 people want to read

About the author

Kristen Echo

26 books155 followers

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5 stars
41 (32%)
4 stars
29 (22%)
3 stars
41 (32%)
2 stars
10 (7%)
1 star
7 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Profile Image for Shane Amy.
9 reviews
January 18, 2018
I hated this free book I received from an ARC. I hated the flow of the story line that jumped back and forth. I detest Miranda for the way she HANDLED Chuck and how he admitted he cheated. Only little thing I got confused on which was probably me was I assumed Chuck was pro hockey player but as I continued reading it became even more confusing. No thanks to you Kristen for a boring book highly not recommended.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
539 reviews22 followers
March 29, 2021
I wish I could give zero stars. This story was all over the place. The main female flip flopped from shy girl to swinger when the story needed it & didn't think her husband going to a hotel with another couple and getting oral sex was cheating because she suddenly remembered (after spending the vast majority of the story confused as to why he would cheat) that he was on medication & it didn't mix well with the alcohol he drank with the other couple. Also, who goes into as much detail as the girl from the other couple about her sex life with someone she doesn't know in a public place? It was too far fetched and convoluted to make much sense. Stopped after she was ok with the oral sex & could not finish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Yvette89.
3,116 reviews47 followers
October 14, 2017
copy received for review
this book packed a really good story into a small amount of pages. Miranda thought she had a great marriage. Everything was going great until it wasn't. Chuck committed the ultimate betrayal. Chuck confessed that he cheated after a drunken night with his team mate. Chuck is devsed and Miranda is crushed. While he begs for forgiveness, she plots revenge. She is not 100% into it. She still loves Chuck and is not ready to give up on her marriage. We learn a lot about Chuck and Miranda and get a glimpse into their happy times. Will Miranda give it all up or will she stay? A surprise ending adds to a pretty good story. looking forward to more in this series.
Profile Image for PinkPiratePanda.
58 reviews3 followers
November 1, 2017
Miranda's heart is broken. Her husband of three years of marriage, Chuck, has confessed to cheating on her after his hockey game. He says that he does not remember anything, and that it was a mistake because he loves her. But to be honest, she wants to believe him, but can not forgive and forget it. Miranda searches for a way to pay him back for what he has done to her. In her search she discovers a support group for people like her, people whose significant others committed infidelity. There her new friends and her come up with a devious plan to embarrass and make her husband jealous. But this plan could backfire and come back to hurt her. She puts her best foot forward and goes on with her plans, and during one of her weakest moments she discovers both Chuck and her may have not had the whole story.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. This book was an incredibly very short story. Only around sixty pages. But it was a great book, the plot twist had you laughing. As I always say; "Do not Assume, anything. You can make an a$$ out of yourself."

I loved that this book took the emotional turmoil of what someone goes through when their significant other cheats on them. I personally can relate. The emotional pain turns into physical pain because of the intensity and with proper healing it can be eased down and go away.

I do wish that we had some of Chuck's perspective in this book. I would have love to see what his initial reaction to the game Miranda went to, because after he was just so calm. You would think after that he would be very angry, but instead he just wanted Miranda to forgive him.

I recommend this to adults as a contemporary romance.

I received this book from Exclusive ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Lindsay.
714 reviews15 followers
January 17, 2018
Going in, I didn’t realize this book takes place before Holiday Face-Off. If I had known, I may have not started out confused.
Sadly, I glanced over spots, and couldn’t keep interested in some of the things because I couldn’t connect with Miranda.
She has some life issues, and the way I saw her choose to handle them were great! But I wasn’t a fan of Chuck’s and it kept it hard for me to read. That may be why I couldn’t connect with Miranda as well. Her love for him is strong and beautiful, she’s fierce and ready to fight for a second chance. I do admire that.
This just wasn’t my cup of tea, but it may be yours.
Profile Image for Madm007.
1,161 reviews6 followers
July 19, 2020
I wasn't fond of the beginning, and all the crappy advice Miranda got. Since it was a short read, it quickly got to the heart of the matter, and ended with an HEA. I'm not a fan of cheating, whether it was real or not, so just wasn't thrilled with the premis.
Profile Image for Christina Montminy.
2,186 reviews22 followers
January 5, 2019
This novella was my first book by author Kristen Echo. It was good, but at first I was confused with the story. I thought that it had to do with a professional hockey player but it wasn’t, our lead character is a men’s league player who had professional aspirations. This story was sad in a way but also uplifting at the same time. We learn that alcohol & medicine doesn’t mix & when you share a secret with someone, even your best friend make sure you explain yourself fully or your secret can be misinterpreted. We also learn that the vows we take when getting married do mean something to some people & when the going gets tough you just don’t up & walk away. We also learn that getting revenge can definitely feel cold when you haven’t gotten the full story. For such a short book & done in such a short time span we learn a lot. I only wish the book would’ve been a little longer, I hope this couple is carried over into the next book in some way.
Profile Image for Nickole.
1,538 reviews9 followers
December 13, 2017
loved this book. we meet Miranda, hockey wife and waitress, who just found out the love.of her life chuck, cheated on her. she doesn't know what to do. she has already kicked him out but she loves him so much. her coworker Carly tells her revenge is a good way to get back at him. chuck keepa telling her that he loves her and will do anything. Miranda goes to a help group where she meets others who were cheated on. she meets Rose and Kyle and both their SOs cheater on them. Kyle gives Miranda and rose hockey tix in exchange for her going on a "date" with him. Miranda accepts but with a heavy heart. Will Miranda find out.the truth? will she take chuck back?
16 reviews
August 9, 2018
I don't normally go for hockey romances as I find them a bit sappy, but this book may have changed my mind. It's the first book I've read by Kristen and it won't be the last. I started reading it with an open mind and found that I couldn't put it down.
It's a real insight at how hard you have to work at a relationship and not to let misunderstandings get in the way, talk them through. Miranda is stronger than she thinks and works out what happened, it really had me rooting for a HEA. Cheating is a hard subject to write about but this is done with a flair, I'm looking forward to more.
A highly recommended read
Profile Image for BP34.
6,385 reviews48 followers
October 14, 2017
This is the story of Miranda and Chuck and is a short prequel to a new series about hockey players. It begins with Chuck confessing that he cheated. She had to work so he went out after a hockey game with her friend. After a night of drinking he woke up naked with a girl in his bed and condoms all over. No spoiler here so won't say how she dealt with the situation. It was a well written book full of emotion and an HEA, finally. I received an advance copy and voluntarily chose to review it.
Profile Image for Kara Coens.
837 reviews6 followers
October 11, 2018
This was my first trip into Kristen Echo's stories and I'm quite pleased with her world. To be completely honest with you, I almost stopped reading when I realized that Chuck had cheated. I am not a fan of cheating and even in the book world it just hurts to read it. I'm so glad that I stuck with it though. Miranda takes on this journey that brings a hard subject to light and allows us to see that not everything can be taken at face value, you have to dig deeper to find the truth. I really did end up enjoying g this story and will for sure be reading more!!
494 reviews1 follower
July 2, 2020
Soulmates from the moment they met when they were just kids, Chuck and Miranda were made for one another...or so she thought! When Chuck confesses his infidelity, Miranda's fairytale marriage is shattered forever! Great read about how things are not always as they seem, and how you always need the whole truth before making a decision. Great characters and storyline! Looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
Profile Image for Shannon Swierzbinski.
7 reviews
October 15, 2017
I enjoyed this free book I received from. ARC . I enjoyed the flow of the story line that didn't jump back and forth. I admire Miranda for the way she handle Chuck and how he admitted he cheated. Only little thing I got confused on which was probably me was I assumed Chuck was pro hockey player but as I continued reading it became clear. Thank You Kristen for an excellent book highly recommended
Profile Image for Sheila Lee.
1,026 reviews14 followers
March 27, 2018
Player Substitution by Kristen Echo has a good storyline. It alludes to a perceived indiscretion and the aftermath upon a marriage. There are a few comical scenes but mostly this book deals with this heavy issue in a lighter tone. This book is written for adults with mature themes. I liked the characters and the storyline and is an enjoyable read.
1,391 reviews4 followers
December 11, 2020
Emotional turmoil, sweet, loving

I would actually do more than 5 stars on this story. This has emotional turmoil that I would not of suspected. Loved how Miranda fought back and the group Miranda joins, good move for author. I loved the real answers for Miranda's questions and how Chuck responds. Highly recommended for the more mature audience to read.
Profile Image for Kim F.
2,873 reviews2 followers
October 14, 2017
Another amazing book. I was blown away with the story, I could not put it down. Wonderfully written with strong characters. I want more.....I voluntarily reviewed an Exclusive Advance Reader Copy of this book.
2,286 reviews13 followers
November 26, 2017
I volunteered to read this ARC for an honest review. Loved this story. It was fun to see the story play out between Chuck Radcliff and his wife Miranda.
After a night of possible mistake, how can Miranda and Chuck move past it and will their marriage survive.
Great read after a long day of work.
183 reviews
January 30, 2018
This is a well written story you cannot put down. Miranda is lost thinking her husband cheated and wants revenge. This book is a romantic page-turner that will pull at your heart. I received a free book as a gift and I am voluntarily submitting this review.
232 reviews1 follower
August 23, 2019
I loved it

I loved miranda and Chuck's story. It gave her more depth after meeting her in book1 of the Puck Battle series but this book easily can be read by itself. I can hardly wait to get back to the rest of the Puck Battle series
Profile Image for SouthernAngel.
1,618 reviews9 followers
October 13, 2017
A steady flowing plot, well developed characters and emotional subject matter. Chuck and Miranda's journey grabs your attention.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
Profile Image for Nate.
24.6k reviews19 followers
October 16, 2017
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. I really liked this book. Starting to get into these hockey romances 😉
905 reviews9 followers
January 27, 2018
Hot story of a couple who are split apart by a one night stand and their effort to get back together. Fun read.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,164 reviews
March 7, 2018
A wonderful, quick sports romance. Entertaining characters and fun revenge plot with a lovely HEA! Hockey romance is my favorite and Kristen does not disappoint! I read an arc copy of this book.
569 reviews3 followers
January 3, 2020
Filled with immature characters, this hockey 'romance' is all about an angry wife.

Not my cup of tea.
1,347 reviews4 followers
June 17, 2022
Good

I think it's the characters that have the same experience. The first time you know is that you are awesome
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews