Pucking Around is for readers who want a loud, spicy hockey ensemble in which the heroine does not choose between men, and in which two of the men may also be involved with each other. Emily Rath labels the book MMFM, and that relationship shape is the thing to decide on before the hockey, the humor or the page count.
A one-night stand who turns out to be a patient
The JABberwocky agency synopsis introduces Rachel Price, who spent one night, with no names and no strings, with a man she calls perfect and walked away from two months ago. She then learns he is the playboy grinder for the Jacksonville Rays, billed as the NHL’s hottest new team, and that she has been hired as his physical therapist for a ten-month fellowship. He does not recognize her. Alongside him she gets his surly best friend, the new equipment manager, and an uncooperative goalie who is hiding an injury. Rachel’s stance is that she cannot fall for a player, let alone three. The synopsis is written in her voice, which suggests her point of view anchors the story.
Rath’s own page lists the four central characters through their star signs: Rachel, Ilmari, Jake and Caleb. The synopses do not say which man is which.
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Is this the right why-choose to start with?
“Why choose” can mean several things, which is why Rath’s book list is more useful than the genre label. She tags Pucking Around as MMFM, hockey romance, friends to lovers and instalove, and her longer tag list includes queer awakening, romantic comedy and “too much sex.” The books in the Jacksonville Rays series each carry a different configuration: after this one, her list shows Pucking Wild as MF, Pucking Sweet as MMF and Pucking Strong as MM. So a reader who wants the men to be romantically involved with each other as well as with the heroine will find that here; a reader who wants each connection to run only through the heroine should look at the other options.
The workplace angle is the other thing to weigh. Rachel is a clinician in a professional fellowship, and her patients are the men she is drawn to. The synopsis frames her as determined to prove herself, which suggests the professional side is part of the story rather than scenery. The descriptions do not say how the book handles the ethics of that arrangement.
The longer tag list on Rath’s page also gives a feel for the book’s register. It includes “golden retriever,” “don’t poke the bear,” “everyone has tattoos” and “Finnish 101” alongside dom/sub-flavored terms such as “baby girl” and “daddy.” The mix of silly and explicit is typical of how the series sells itself, and it is a better guide to tone than any single genre label.
Tone, length and where it sits in the series
Rath describes the Jacksonville Rays books as “laugh-out-loud funny” and “clutch-your-pearls spicy,” with an ensemble of four leads. The author’s bio on Penguin Australia’s page describes her as an international bestselling author of fantasy and romance who writes swoony, spicy, funny books. The same listing gives the paperback as 720 pages, published in September 2023, so plan for a long read; page counts differ by edition.
The agency says the novel stands alone as the first in a planned series. Rath’s list recommends reading the series in order, though it says the books can be read as standalones. It also lists a novella, That One Night, which appears in print in Kensington’s special edition of Pucking Around, and the Pucking Ever After novellas. If you want to start with the least baggage, the main novel is the entry point.
Rath’s site lists several series, including Devour Me, Jacksonville Rays, Second Sons and Tuonela, and calls Second Sons a Regency series. The agency’s page says Pucking Around reached number 101 on the USA Today bestseller list and was a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist for Best Romance in 2023, and Penguin Australia notes she lives in Florida. Those details describe the author’s profile and the book’s reception; they do not tell you whether you will enjoy it.
What readers praise in Pucking Around
Readers who love Pucking Around often start with the chemistry and found-family feel among the four leads. Several reviewers say each partner is distinct and that the polyamorous relationship develops satisfyingly, with open communication between the characters; one adds that the thread between two of the men enriches the whole group. Others single out the humor, banter and wordplay, a heroine they find relatable and funny, and hockey and sports-medicine details they describe as authentic. Fans of the steam describe the intimate scenes as varied and as building the characters and relationships rather than serving only as spice. Several say they were more emotionally invested than they expected, and some praise the author’s up-front tags and content warnings. For many, the length is part of the appeal because it gives the ensemble room to grow.
From Alisson Bento’s books
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A mafia romance about one heroine, more than one devoted hero, and no choosing.
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Content notes from the author
Rath’s published notes for Pucking Around mention a family’s history of receiving harassment, vicious homophobic bullying, a brief discussion of a family member’s suicide attempt, a substance-abuse history for more than one main character, including one character’s rehab treatment (discussed, not shown) and a main character’s history of disordered eating. They also describe detailed two-, three- and four-person sex scenes involving elements such as impact play, choking, voyeurism, bondage, double penetration, toys, degradation, dom/sub dynamics and breeding kink. This summary is not a comprehensive inventory; consult the current edition’s notes on Rath’s site before you buy.
Who it suits, and what to weigh before you start
It suits readers who want a comic, explicit hockey romance with a queer element and an ensemble feel. It may not suit readers who prefer a slow, single-hero build, who want the heroine’s workplace to stay separate from her love life, or who would rather skip the topics in the notes above.
- Rachel’s voice: the synopsis is written in her voice and a 720-page paperback leans on it, so consider whether you want that much time with her point of view.
- The reveal: the one-night-stand-turned-patient discovery is the hook for the whole workplace dynamic, and the author’s tags promise comedy alongside the heat.
- The ensemble: four leads and a very long page count leave a lot of room for the ensemble, though the synopses do not say how it is divided among them.
- The tags in action: instalove and “friends to lovers” are both on the author’s tag list, so the attraction is advertised as fast.
Reading alongside Icebreaker
For a different shape of hockey romance, Hannah Grace’s Icebreaker, the first Maple Hills novel, is described on a bookseller listing as a rivalry romance between figure skater Anastasia Allen and hockey captain Nate Hawkins, who are forced to share a rink at a fictional university. It is a single couple in a college setting, at 448 pages in paperback from Atria. Pucking Around instead offers a professional NHL setting, four leads and a much longer page count. The listings give no sign that the two share heat, content boundaries or an ending.
From Alisson Bento: a darker hockey romance and a free story
Three to Score by Alisson Bento opens in the medical rooms beneath a hockey rink, where Josie Herrera faces three uncooperative players and decides whether they should be benched. The catalog places it at the intersection of hockey, mafia and why-choose romance, so expect criminal stakes rather than Rath’s comic tone; it does not promise matching relationship configuration or male/male content. For a gentler start, A Date Before Faceoff is an adult M/F fake-dating story with consensual kisses and closed-door intimacy, a free prequel to Breakaway on Ice with a separate original couple. Read the opening in your browser; the remaining chapters use the site’s email unlock. More titles are on the sports romance shelf.
Sources checked 20–21 October 2026. Reading suggestions compare advertised premises and promise no matching heat, consent dynamics or endings.
