After a little mishap in an alleyway with CCTV, my public image needs fixing. Oops?
It might have been a stunt to get the attention of Lane Pierce, San Jose's new PR manager, but I didn't realize what the consequences would be when I did it. I've got Lane's sole focus now in all the wrong ways.
He has designated himself as my babysitter, and while it's fun messing with him, being bound by curfews and rules has never worked for me.
The more I push back, the more I realize what's really on the line. My career, my future, and maybe even my heart.
LANE
Being appointed head of San Jose's PR department was a dream come true ... until I met Oskar Voyjik.
He may be San Jose royalty, but with the stunts Oskar's been pulling, the team owner is down to his last thread of patience. Which puts me in the firing line. If I can't turn Oskar's entitled party boy image around, we'll both be shown the door.
I have free rein to do whatever it takes, and it turns out whatever it takes is Oskar.
Only, the more entangled our lives become, the more I see the Oskar he's buried deep down. The one who hurts, the one who's sensitive and kind, the one ... the one I think I'm falling for.
I can't have him and my career, and if rumors of the professional lines I've crossed get out, it's not only my dream job I can kiss goodbye; I'll be disgraced from professional sports completely.
i don’t have much to say about this book beyond the sentiment that if you enjoyed the previous two books, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy this third instalment.
it follows the same type of humour, tone and characters as its predecessors, so i think how you feel about the previous two books are good indicators in deciding whether you’ll enjoy this one :)
i liked this book just fine, but wasn’t overly attached to either of the main characters, Lane and Oskar— although i did like Lane for the most part. he reminded me of a combination of West and Jasper. i liked them both in their book. Lane is fun-loving, but stoic. determined but isn’t afraid to bend the rules. he was definitely my favourite of the two.
Oskar is very similar to Ezra. he’s the eponymous Shameless Puckboy of the book and is definitely an acquired taste— he worked for me sometimes, but not always. again, if you liked Ezra’s character, i don’t see why you wouldn’t like Oskar. when you stripped him of his playboy facade, i was far more interested in the story and his character. he’s wild, unhinged and pretty immature, but i much preferred the softer and honest side of him. maybe if we’d seen more of that side i would have liked him a lot more.
i just don’t feel strongly either way about this book. i liked it, it was a fun and easy read with this author duo’s typical stamp of humour and animated characters.
the cameos were easily my fave part— some of my fave boys from across all the various books made appearances and i couldn’t be happier. gahhhh, it was like playing bingo but with a bunch of queer hockey players lmao.
my fave boys in the whole wide world cameoed and they had me in a chokehold for the 10 second page time them got. who else is surprised?
and im hoping Aleks gets a book👀 he seemed adorable and would love to see him get a romance!
i received an advance review copy for free, and i am leaving this review voluntarily.
While there were plenty of great elements in this latest book, I still enjoyed the first two books of the series just a wee smidge more.
It's been a while since I read the initial books, but this one seemed, at least to me, to have less actual hockey/action and quite a bit more steam. I could be crazy, but that's how I'm remembering things.
[My take on scandal-friendly Oscar...]
[My take on scandal-averse Lane...]
Since this wasn't a story where both MC's were hockey players, maybe it felt like less action because some of those usual "time on the ice" pages, from the POV's of both guys, were instead devoted to Lane's public relations duties.
I did really like when they got to the point where Oscar finally started opening up to Lane about why he had *continually* chosen to engage in public sex acts that threatened his hockey career. Especially since no one else had ever bothered to try and see behind Oscar's mask of superficial jackassery. Not once in Oscar's entire life.
I also loved the frequent presence of both Damon and the Collective and how Oscar finally came to see that he was an important, valued member of that family of players, after feeling as though he was only there for comic relief and flirting.
Lastly, I was a huge fan of how Oscar chose Lane and Lane chose Oscar right back, even before they'd sat down and had any in-depth discussions about how serious their feelings were for one another. *swoon*
The injury and playoffs parts at the end weren't my favorite, since I think that kind of kneecapped a bit of potential action and excitement that the book could've included.
Fans of the series will very likely love this one just as much as the rest of the series, so I'd highly recommend it and rate it at around 3.75 stars.
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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the authors in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
This book will also *FREE* with Kindle Unlimited membership.
Shameless Puckboy is book three in the Puckboys series by Eden Finley and Saxon James. This is a MM sports romance.
Oskar Voyjik plays professional hockey for San Jose. Oskar is an out gay man and part of “The Collective,” a group of gay hockey players from all different teams that meet up as often as possible. Oskar is a talented hockey player but he’s even better at one other thing, getting in trouble. And this time he might have gone too far when a video from an alley went viral. Now he has his team’s management breathing down his neck and the PR team scrambling to try to fix things. But one after another, the PR guys assigned to him have thrown up their arms in defeat until the head of the department himself has to take over his case.
Lane Pierce is thirty nine years old and after years of hard work, finally has his dream job, the head of the PR department for the San Jose hockey team. Only he hadn’t counted on Oskar. If he can’t find a way to get him under control, Oskar might find himself without a team and Lane without a job. So Lane appoints himself Oskar’s personal baby sitter. Wherever Oskar is, that is where Lane will be.
“The only person who’ll ever truly have my back is me. I accepted that a long time ago.”
Oskar has built a wall of steel around himself. He only lets people see what he wants them to see but somehow, Lane breaks through. He starts to see little snippets of the real Oskar, the man who is lonely, who feels unworthy, the man who on the ice, is unstoppable but off, is a little bit lost. Lane is determined to prove to Oskar that he can be more. He is determined to keep his own feelings out of it but the more he knows the real Oskar, the less he’s able to keep his distance.
I fell right away for Oskar. I knew there was a huge heart inside him that he was trying to keep locked down. It took me a little longer with Lane. At first, I didn’t like the way he treated Oskar. I didn’t like his bossy, overbearing ways. But actually, Oskar did like it, a LOT! He liked Lane’s controlling ways. These two crossed just about every boundary they had between them. If anyone finds out just what is going on between them, they’ll both be out of a job. There is going to be a time when they are going to have to walk away, go back to their own lives. But when that time comes, will they be able to? If they have to choose between their career or each other, what will their choice be?
We are introduced to a new character in this book, Aleks. He will be the focus on book four of this series, Foolish Puckboy. I can’t wait.
I remember from the previous book that I found Oskar absolutely unbearable, and unfortunately my opinion of him has not changed. Oskar is dreadfully annoying, selfish, whiny, childish, silly, dramatic and he just genuinely sucks. He thinks nobody can see the real him, but the truth is that he’s just really not that deep.
Lane, in turn, was an idiot for being so obsessed with Oskar: it was kind of one-sided too, which made it even more pathetic. Lane seems to think Oskar’s whole annoying persona is fake and takes this delusion so far that he even falls in love with him without even knowing him. Like.. um, okay.. weird.
Also, this whole thing was pretty goddamn boring. There’s a lot of hockey and PR talk, and I honestly couldn’t be bothered. It’s super repetitive and not romantic at all. I didn’t like it.
Honestly, this entire relationship was completely ridiculous. Their feelings were based on absolutely nothing, and their love (if you can even call it that) was super bland and dry. Also, the sex talk was extremely cringe.
This was pretty much awful. I hate to say it, but I fear Eden Finley might be losing her touch. She used to be one of my favourite authors, but a lot of her latest books have been majorly disappointing.
**3.5/5** *** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.***
So... Shameless Puckboy was a challenging read for the first 50% due to my immense dislike of Oskar. Normally I can tolerate bratty characters, but for some reason I found him extremely annoying and grading with his antics that left me frustrated with the story.
After the 50% mark things started to develop in a much better direction, thankfully. Oskar began to mature slightly, making his character much more bearable. Oskar and Lane have a fun dynamic together, seeing the client and PR executive work together to improve Oskar's image.
Overall I enjoy this series, even if this entry was not as enjoyable as the others, I still look forward to seeing more from this world.
Unsure if this is a three or four star book - kinda went back and forth. Anytime I read a book by these authors I know it is going to be a fun, over the top, silly, and funny read and that is exactly what we got here. Short, funny, and enjoyable.
I really liked Lane and loved every chapter from his POV. However, I was not a fan of Oskar or his POV chapters. He kept having the same whiney internal monologues like "no one knows me or likes me, everyone judges me, bla bla bla" All his chapters were the same, his internal dialogue was so whiney and I had a hard time finding any sympathy for him.
Also - while reading this book I couldn't help but feel like these authors are just writing the same character over and over. Everything Oskar said could have easily been said by Ezra, Foster, Beck, Jacobs, Talon, Miller - literally anyone. They are all so similar. Every book is the same characters with the same crazy, funny, over the top personality and throw in some cameos from past characters who are also all the same.
I enjoy these authors and this book- but I would honestly love something new and fresh next time.
While this book was enjoyable in its own way; light hearted , fun, flirty and easy going. There was not a single page I book marked, no highlights or notes that I took.
Basically, nothing in this book stood out to me. It was all every bland and frankly I get that we were supposed to sympathise with Oskar’s behaviour and find his “fake sunshine personality” endearing or understandable but I just felt that it got old way too fast. -> but that’s just me
Definitely not for everyone, if you’re looking for a serious read then this may just put you back in the slump but otherwise I liked this book. The friendships and Lane’s bossiness being the saving grace for me
reread: april 2023 i’m still the only one that genuinely likes oskar, i love it. this made me want to reread cu and i have the paperbacks now so be ready. i need SOMETHING about foster and zach and how they are right now. i might die if i don’t have more content about them.
original review: this has been a complete surprise because i saw so many people that didn’t really enjoy this so i prepared myself for disappointment but i loved this. which is amazing because i didn’t love many books this month and i think this might become one of my favorites by this duo.
what i always find super funny is that every time there’s a character that most people don’t like, i emphasize with them so much and i see myself so much in them and the only thing that i can say is: alexa, play anti-hero by taylor swift.
oskar is one of my favorite characters. he’s self destructive, he’s extremely sensitive with a deep rooted fear of rejection and he tries to stay in control of his life by showing a side of himself that people hate. i didn’t like him in book 2, but now i completely understand why he was ready to be the bad guy to protect his friend. he honestly thinks all he has to offer is his looks and nobody will ever like him for who he is. (and i’m listening to you’re on your own kid while i’m writing this and why does it perfectly fit oskar???)
i think lane is the perfect fit for oskar. i love how he was hurt but he still found enough love in himself to give oskar a chance and look past his exterior self. that truly felt like a hug. and the way he’s so possessive and generally hot in everything that he does? ten out of ten.
i screamed for all the cameos. i didn’t know that i needed them. but i did. thank you saxon and eden. i’m still waiting for a zach cameo though.
I HAVE NO SHAME IN ADMITTING I ADORED OSKAR & LANE
Needs and wants. Wants and needs.
That sums up what is hands down my favourite entry so far in the Puckboys series from Eden and Saxon.
While I’ve thoroughly enjoyed both the enemies to lovers vibe of Egotistical Puckboy, and the “fake marriage with a twist” trope of Irresponsible Puckboy, I have to say that Oskar and Lane’s romance just grabbed me from the off.
It opens with Oskar in deep trouble with his team management after CCTV footage of him having a very public threesome in a back alley gets splashed all over the news.
From that moment on, the narrative swaps between high octane confrontations between the Team’s PR Boss, who takes it on himself to bring Oskar under control, and some of the sweetest, most gentle explorations, as the guy who’s been judged on his outside appearance throughout his disruptive life as a military brat learns that he doesn’t have to publicly act out to get Lane’s attention.
And oooooh boy, when Lane’s attention is focused on Oskar it doesn’t half raise the temperature to off the charts volcanic levels.
Oskar, on the face of it, has a public sex exhibitionist kink which is what’s got him into trouble so many times.
But as Lane digs deep, he realises that isn’t really the case. Yes Oskar loves the thrill from the potential of being caught out, but the negative fallout of his behaviour is the unneeded side effect of him being desperate to get some kind of affection that puts him first.
And Lane’s all about that. While it never hits full on Daddy/brat levels, it skirts them cleverly with Oskar realising that when he has all of Lane’s gaze on him, nothing else matters and Lane loves that Oskar needs him.
When the crisis moment hits, it’s not relationship related, which I very much appreciated, but something that has a potential long term effect on Oskar’s career and the the way it’s dealt with felt completely grounded in their personalities and the way their relationship had developed.
There’s cameos and Easter Egg appearances galore in this one, it’s definitely the biggest crossover from Eden’s Fake Boyfriends and their joint CU Hockey series’ but I don’t think anyone would be lost if they haven’t read those books.
We also get hints of a possible fourth book with Aleks, who joins two other queer players in Ezra’s Queer Collective friendship group, and I’m definitely intrigued about him.
This book was exactly what I wanted, and exactly what it promised to be – a sports romance with heat and heart.
If you’d asked me in November of 2021 whether I liked reading Hockey Romances, I would have adamantly denied it. But then, I was introduced to the wonderful world of CU Hockey by Eden Finley and Saxon James, and I have gone down a rabbit hole, trying to consume every piece of hockey romance I can. I have a special place in my heart for the CU Hockey boys, but I also maybe think that the Puckboys series has become my favorite, because seriously, every book is so good and such a fun ride! Shameless Puckboy was no different, and a great addition to the series.
Ever since Oksar’s “babysitter” was introduced in Irresponsible Puckboy, I’ve been looking forward to reading the story between Oskar and Lane. I was pretty sure it was going to be exciting and wild, and I was definitely right. It also ended up being a lot sweeter than I was expecting. Every scene between Oskar and Lane had my heart melting by the end.
Oskar and Lane were attracted to each other from the start, but because of Lane’s position as the team’s PR manager, a relationship between the two was out of the question. But when Lane took over the role of managing Oskar and keeping him out of trouble, the sparks were flying between those two until they created an inferno.
The chemistry between them was palpable, and while I loved that dynamic, I also adored the softer moments between them. Oskar was always wearing a mask, never letting anyone close because of past hurts, but Lane was the first one to look past the mask and try to see the person underneath, even if Oskar wasn’t sure who that was anymore. Lane showed Oskar that he didn’t have to keep others at a distance, that it was okay to let people in.
I also loved how protective Oskar was of Lane. He was always aware of how their relationship could affect Lane’s job, and even though it would have been easy for him to ignore the consequences, he made sure Lane was never in danger of losing his job.
Seriously, their relationship was so sweet, and they stole my heart. I was rooting for them the whole time, while simultaneously freaking out at the possibility of them being discovered. I’ve loved every single couple in the Puckboy series, and once again, I fell in love these two. Also! I cannot express how much I adore the Queer Collective. It gives me all those found family vibes that I am obsessed with. Every scene between them has me cracking up. I hope beyond hope that we get more books in this series, because I need more Queer Collective in my life.
There was only one thing that kept Shameless Puckboy from being a five star. There was a choice made at the end (I won’t say what because of spoilers), but I really dislike when that happens in books, and wish there had been some other option. It was resolved, but it still upset me a bit, which is why I took half a star off.
Other than that, though, I loved every minute of Shameless Puckboy, and I flew through it! I read it in one sitting, and was entirely unable to put it down until I’d finished. If you haven’t started the Puckboy series, what are you waiting for? You do not want to miss the fun chaos and the amazing couples! This book was such a wild and enjoyable ride, and I’m so thankful to have been able to read it.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
"I make a mental note to ask one of the doctors at the hospital if this heat in my gut is normal, because mushy, emotional warmth isn't something I've ever had to deal with before. Maybe it's stomach cancer or something."
Shameless Puckboy by Eden Finley and Saxon James is the third book in the Puckboys series of standalone (but interlinked) MM books, following the life and loves of teammates and rivals in the NHL.
This series follows on as a spin-off to Eden and Saxon's delicious CU Hockey series, hence we get some glorious cameo appearances from the boys in the Collective - enjoy!
This is Lane and Oskar's story.
Lane Pierce is the newly appointed Head of San Jose's PR department and he has got a huge problem on his hands - star hockey player Oskar Voyjik, whose shameless, exhibitionist tendencies with his male hook-ups is bringing the club into disrepute.
Oskar Voyjik is a pretty boy and has admirers fawning over him, but he feels as though that's all he is - a pretty face on skates. And now he has Lane breathing down his neck to pull him and his antics into line.
But what happens when the shameless puckboy and the career driven professional get too close for comfort....
Another classic sports romance from the formidable Finley/James combo - fun, easy reading, low angst and a HEA. Perfect!
I wish we had more back story for both guys, but overall a good addition to the series haha
Original Read/Listen: October 2022 Audio: 4-4.5 stars Book: 3.5-4 stars
love this group of hockey players.
lane and oskar what a ride you guys went on. it felt like there was something missing in this book, can't pinpoint what it is but i think this author duo is great especially with their sports romance!
it is always good to see the collective again and all the new members!
now i am excited for/when Aleks' book comes out!
ps. audio is on scribd... and alexander cendese...still not a favorite narrator of mine but i endure it because he is partnered with iggy toma!
After getting caught on CCTV hooking up with two guys in an alley outside a club, Hockey star Oskar is assigned a babysitter. He's one of the teams best players and they need him, but he can only push his luck so far with the scandals he's causing.
Lane is the head of the team's PR department. Babysitting Oskar is definitely below his pay grade, but nobody else has been able to deal with Oskar's stunts.
And with all that close proximity and sexual tension, them hooking up is inevitable.
___ Shameless Puckboy is my favourite of the series so far. I loved the banter between Oskar and Lane. Especially in the beginning with Oskar teasing Lane, and basically doing anything to make his job harder, but it backfiring because he was attracted to Lane too.
These books can sometimes be a bit similar, but this one certainly set itself apart particularly with the steamy scenes, they were top notch.
“make a mental note to ask one of the doctors at the hospital if this heat in my gut is normal, because mushy, emotional warmth isn’t something I’ve ever had to deal with before. Maybe it’s stomach cancer or something.”
Another Puckboy book down. Oskar and Lane’s relationship is like most of the books in this series, mostly sex based. Not knocking it, because I don’t read this series for deep emotional connections but I just have to point that out in case anyone is looking at this series and wanting that. Either way it was a funny over the top sexy time that I have come to expect from this series. I got to see three of my sons! Jacobs, Becks, and Cohen my sons! Also Asher was there but I have not read his book yet. The best thing about these books are seeing pervious couples, with the universe this book series takes place in, it’s great to see couples you have already come to love interacting. My favorite duo from puckboys is obviously Dex and Tripp. But Lane and Oskar didn’t disappoint especially with their sexy time.
Edit: got to take this down to 3 stars because I definitely didn’t enjoy this book as much as other 4 stars but still it wasn’t bad for sure just not a 4 star
The story was even worse for me this time around. I still like Oskar very much, but Lane should've had more personality and this story just calls for a Daddy.
🟢 PR manager/hockey player 🔵 Both gay 🟣 Age gap - about a decade 29/39 🟡 Main love story not convincing 🌶️ Smut is relatively good, uneventful though, public sex kink, rimming, oral, penetrative; both vers
The writing wasn't good, the storytelling juvenile, I couldn't feel the chemistry between the main characters, it wasn't as good, it was just sex and that's about it, nothing substantial, nothing special.
Lane is often crossing the line, it was ridiculous how he was policing Oskar about his hook-ups all the time, following the guy around, then he was reigning him in with sex, I mean - it could've been hot if Lane were a strong Daddy, even though I don't like that dynamic but in this case it's what Oskar needed.
When they get caught, they've basically just been fooling around a lot, you can't feel the love or anything, yet they suddenly make drastic life decisions because they kinda think they love each other.
“If I say I love you too, does that mean we can get matching tattoos now?” “Is your love dependent on that?” “Well, no pressure, but…” “I’m really feeling the love.” “There’s just so much of me to go around. I need to be careful about locking all this down. Think of all the men in the world who haven’t had a turn.”
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Original review on Dec 28th/22
Rating : 3⭐
I read the series, I also read all the interconnected series and I loved seeing those characters again (Damon, my favourites Beck and Jacobs, also Ezra and Anton, Westly, Asher...I love them all) -- that being said, the story wasn't interesting and didn't pull me in.
Oskar is a hot, funny, rebellious hockey player that likes to fuck around a lot and Lane, the team's PR manager, has to hold him in line. Lane moves in with Oskar to really have control over his public image and at about a third in they start hooking up.
With Lane being older and the power dynamic being a bit different, I kind of expected something else from this book. I expected Lane to be a very developed, almost daddy-like character and I expected intense fireworks. Maybe they were exploding somewhere in the book, I just didn't see them. I don't know why, but the story didn't do it for me. Lane is as forgettable as they come.
Not enough of their personal dynamic was involved. The smut was great, but there wasn't much of anything more there. Sex solves all of their problems and suddenly they're endlessly in love.
Oskar was a likeable character and I felt like his journey to being his authentic self should be a little more emotional and deep.
If I could give this book less than one star I would have. If it wasn't for one particular joke here, maybe I would have rated it 2 stars max (I explain what that joke exactly is later in my review; TW about an illness).
I don't even know how to begin my review honestly...
From the beginning till the middle it was so boring. The conversations were the same, there wasn't any depth in anything (actually there were glimpses but then it was like slapping the serious and meaningful things with a wet cloth and saying "naaaahhh serious things, I need fun"). I was so frustrated because EVERY SINGLE TIME they said something serious, and meaningful it was followed by something stupid... Oscar was... I don't have words for him. I desperately tried to see the side of him that the authors tried to portray, well it didn't work. Mainly because they tried sooooo hard to portray him as the fuck-boy and everything else. Lane was okay, I guess. But in reality, there wasn't any depth in both of their characters.
What's the worst thing in this book was a joke about cancer. Oscar was wondering what this fluttering in his stomach is (spoiler alert: feelings for Lane) and said he needs to maybe ask the doctors to check it then he said something else and then "Maybe it's stomach cancer or something". When will authors stop joking about something so serious? The joke in this book was completely unnecessary. What was the point behind it? To make Oscar seem even more childish, even more fuck-boy, even more not caring about anything? This has been already proven to us again, and again, and again. To make it look like he didn't understand that this fluttering in his stomach was feelings? Oh, that was as clear as a day, even clearer than that with all the absurdity! So really, the joke didn't serve any purpose. And yes, I'm angry. And yes, I know it was a joke but these toxic and hurtful jokes about cancer should stop. If you want to include a joke about this, at least put a TW. And I can't read and support authors who contribute to continuing this. So, I'm officially done with these two authors.
Now, about the book. Things started to get better after the 60% mark. There were some good moments.
I can say some good things about this book. Will I do it though? Not really, and it's obvious why. I've said everything I needed to say.
P.S. I don't believe I have ever written such a review as this one. I always try to be respectful toward the authors even when I didn't enjoy the book. But when I don't see respect from the other side, hurtful jokes about people with mental or physical diseases, yeah, you can forget about me being nice.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Overall Opinion I have been SO excited to finally get Oskar's story and boy did it not disappoint! This book was a perfect combination of sweet, spicy and funny, and Eden and Saxon really know how to make it work! We have Oskar, a bratty, irresponsible hockey player who comes across as couldn't-care-less but really is suffering in silence with his own pain, and then we have Lane, a dominating workaholic who is at his wits end dealing with the PR nightmare that is Oskar. Lane moves in with Oskar as an antidote to try and prevent him ruining his reputation completely, and they end up falling into bed together. The no-strings-attached, strictly business intimacy between these two eventually ends up becoming more, and they end up having to decide if their feelings are worth the consequences that come with the job. The emotions these two got me feeling had me wanting the book to never end, and overall I loved these two so much, and I cannot wait for more Queer Collective books!
Read if you like: ❣️ M/M Romance ❣️ Hockey ❣️ Humour ❣️ Forbidden Love ❣️ HEA
Seems like people either loved or hated this book - I, for one, loved it. Was it perfect? No, it wasn’t. But maybe after feeling a bit let down by the previous books in this series, mainly because they felt a bit repetitive if you’ve read the CU Hockey books, I didn’t set my hopes too high.
And I was pleasantly surprised, maybe because Lane and Oskar didn’t feel like carbon copies of previous characters. For one, Lane is quite a bit older than Oskar (he’s 39), and he sees through Oskar’s obnoxious façade.
And yes, Oskar isn’t very likable in the beginning, to put it mildly - he’s a spoiled brat, spoiled with good looks and with amazing hockey skills. His team needs him to tone down his escapades, and that’s why Lane moves in with him to “babysit” him.
It’s very obvious Lane is a “daddy” who loves to be a caretaker, and he quickly finds out how to treat Oskar (in and outside of bed) to crack the shell Oskar hides behind.
Is Lane manipulative to a certain degree? Definitely. But so is Oskar, and they give each other just what they need. It works. And they fall in love.
To make it short - I loved it way more than the previous books, and I’m looking forward to the next one more (about Aleks?)
If I had to describe the MCs of this series in two words they would be “hidden depths”!
Oskar uses his loud, carefree, SHAMELESS personality as a shield to keep anyone from getting too close so no one can ever reject him. The slow reveal of his true self to PR rep Lane was fucking stunning!!! And Lane?! 🥵🥵🥵 He was prepared to both protect and care for Oskar while still playing into his exhibitionist kink and his filthy mouth was everything.
Loved the ending. Loved the easiness of this series. Love the realness of the characters but also of the sport - like they’re not all playing their best seasons ever because they’re in love they win, lose, get injured, etc just like actual hockey players and I’m eating it up 👌🏻
Oskar is one of the hottest & cockiest hockey players in the game, but too bad his reputation, sexual tastes and appetite have him in some major hot water and could permanently ruin his career.
After making his way through several handlers, PR manager Lane takes Oskar on himself, babysitting, cock blocking, and making Oskar’s life all around miserable until he gets his shit together.
Little do these two nerds realize what they’ve gotten themselves into, and professionalism goes right out the window as their chemistry ignites.
I always think that each Puckboy couple is my favorite and cannot be topped (😏😏), but I think Oskar and Lane are a close second to my babies Dex and Tripp as my favorite couple.
Oskar’s character growth in Shameless Puckboy was *chefs kiss*! Lane brought out this sweet and vulnerable side to him by seeing past his prettyboy/fuckboy ways and really boosted Oskar’s confidence in himself. So much so that Oskar was willing to do anything for Lane… *swoon*
I love them, I love this series. Can’t wait for more Puckboys.
I love this series, Eden & Saxon's story world is one of my happy places! Can't wait for the next book.
This story was exactly what I was expecting and I really liked Oskar and Lane together, to the point where I think they might be my favourite couple in the Puckboys books. Love the minimal/no angst, the friendships in the Collective and the ridiculousness.
Don't read this if you're looking for super dramatic, angsty or massive depth - that's not what any of these authors books are about, and I love that if I need a comfort story these books don't disappoint ❤️
Loved the little cameos from Beck, Jacobs and Asher, plus all the other characters getting little mentions (Soren and Asher are still my favourites 🥰).
[ I received a digital arc for an honest review] Shameless Puckboy is the 3rd standalone in the Puckboys series by authors Eden Finley and Saxon James. This is my favorite and I don't see that ever changing because this just ticked so many of my boxes. I devoured this book and already want to do a reread. My approach of playing it cool, of teasing and getting under his skin, has backfired because I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a man as much as I want Oskar Voyjik.
39 yr old single workaholic PR manger Lane Pierce has one objective and that to keep hockey star Oskar Voyjik out of the headlines. Oskar is a PR nightmare with his penchant for public sex. Pierce's solution is to move in with Oskar and become his shadow and fill his free time with charity events. Oskar's game starts to suffer, so he decides tho keep Oskar satisfied in the bedroom too. As long as he can keep himself from developing actual feelings, which is easier said than done. With both their jobs on the line, they have to decide if the feelings they have developed are worth risking it all for. “I’m not worth it.” “Don’t you think that’s my decision to make?”
Oskar Oskar Oskar🥰 , that man stole my damn heart and I don't want it back. He hides behind his good looks, sarcasm, and sex so he won't get hurt. He hides the real him because no one has ever bothered to know anything under the surface. I love that Lane showed him he was worthy of love and care. Lane was such a great character too. I loved how he was such a dominate personality, both in and out of the bedroom. He found ways to give Oskar exactly what he needed, with an undercurrent of care right from the start. Hot Damn, their intimacy is on fire 🔥 Lane finds was to feed Oskar's exhibition kink, and it is delicious! I just simply loved their entire dynamic. From the constant banter, the flirting, and the way that Oskar would do things just to make Lane jealous. “Why are you doing this to me?” “To you?” he asks. “What am I doing to you?” My voice is shaky as I admit something I have never admitted before because it’s never happened. “You’re making me fall for you.”
Shameless Puckboy has forced proximity, a forbidden romance and off the charts steam. It's filled with queer friendships, a Dave & Busters outing where our hockey star discovers there is more than a few games he's not good at, charity events, banter, sexual tension, exhibitionism, and risking it all for love.
Ok, this was fun, I loved Oskar and Lane’s story and their character progression was really really enjoyable and entertaining. I love the Queer collective friend group and how they all volunteer. So far these books have been amazing and perfect for my mood
I UTTERLY love the mix of humor, sexual chemistry, banter, and the big unexpected emotions in this story. Oskar is seen as the hockey player who is irresponsible, has a big OTT personality and notoriously wild, sometimes public sexual escapades. He’s incredibly good looking and those are the things people see, no one looks deeper at him. Lane is a bit older than Oskar, he’s mature and professionally driven. He decides as head of the hockey teams PR department he’s going to have to “babysit” Oskar for the rest of the season to keep him out of the headlines and out of trouble. Forced proximity at its finest. Together 24/7… what could possibly happen? The two men have a physical attraction, it’s definitely forbidden and Lane takes his job seriously so he doesn’t think it’s going to be an issue. As they spend time together there’s a lot of fun banter and a strong battle of the wit’s and will’s. It’s so very entertaining and funny. It’s also fraught with sexual tension that sizzles and steams. Oskar tries to outwit Lane over and over…Lane always seems to be a step ahead. I loved the games they played and they secretly loved them, too. It was an entertaining form of foreplay. As they spend more time together Oskar’s insecurities and emotional battles come to light. I was really moved by his depth of pain and hurt. He became a character I will always adore, I really felt so much sympathy for him. I simply LOVE him! Lane begins to see the issues Oskar struggles with and he sees him more than anyone ever has. This is when I really loved Lane, I fell for his intelligence, caring nature and his ability to see more of Oskar than he showed to people. They begin to trust each other and open up. They bond and that ignites the sexual attraction they’ve tried to ignore. There’s a lot of story, a few major things I took away from it are- -There’s always more to people than their behavior, best to try to look deeper. -Sometimes you can care for someone’s wellbeing more than yourself and that’s a beautiful thing when it’s appreciated and reciprocated. Also, I have to say that these two men are super sexy, crazy HOT and really dirty in the best way together. Their sexual dynamic is fun, naughty, sexy and emotional. I loved the appearance of characters from previous books in the series, they are so entertaining and bring a feeling of warmth and family to the book. I loved this story, the direction it took sometimes surprised me, great surprises. The direction things go towards the end were really emotionally satisfying for me. I loved the whole story! Perfection in my opinion. I can’t wait for more in this wonderful series!
Oskar is always managing to find himself in the middle of a PR nightmare but he doesn't care at all. In fact, he even likes it. He's the star of the team, the glue that holds everything together, the talent. And so he's confident that they won't fire him. He's been moving around all his life so the knowledge that his behavior will result in a trade doesn't bother him. He has resigned himself to superficial relationships because that's all he's ever known. He puts up a front and pretends to be shallow, a leftover habit from when he was growing up and constantly moving, never in one place long enough to form genuine relatinships.
Lane is the head of the team's PR department and Oskar's behavior is becoming a big problem for him. He has tried everything he can think of to keep him scandal-free but nothing works, so he has decided to take it up a notch and shadow Oskar himself. There are so many lines crossed with this new arrangement he can't even count them all, but he's willing to do it if it will save his job.
What Lane didn't expect was getting a glimpse into the real person Oskar is, under this persona he has created, and liking it. Little by little they get closer and Oskar relaxes enough to start discovering who he is when he's not pretending.
The many cameos where very welcome, as always, and there were also some interesting side characters.
This was ridiculous but I actually really enjoyed it, especially the last little bit of the book. I could go into some things I didn’t like but honestly I’m just happy I had a good time!
This was unexpectedly enjoyable, hot, funny and cute.
I thought I would hate Oscar's book because of his manwhore personality and the bad reviews I read, but it didn't happen.. actually I loved this book more than the previous two.
Lane's personality was chef kiss, the man is so fine and responsible. He literally fixed Oscar's, he did the impossible!
Oscar who was very sweet to me, he didn't annoy me as I was expecting.. I saw reviews saying that he's another Ezra, but I love Ezra so much so it's understandable to love Oscar too.
Their chemistry hits me, it's unbelievable.. they're perfect for each other. And I had real good time with them.
Also the smut didn't bother me like the other books, so I think I enjoyed the book more than my usual argue to complain about the early smut.
“How do you know you’re not going to regret it tomorrow?” Lane lifts his lips, locking them with mine for a soft kiss that only lasts a couple of seconds. “Because I don’t have any regrets when it comes to you.”