Pucked Off

I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes at the premise—another ‘bad boy athlete tamed by love’ story? But *Pucked Off* disarmed me within minutes, thanks to Helena Hunting’s razor-edged dialogue and two narrators who *get* the assignment. Jacob Morgan’s Lance is a masterclass in vocal charisma: he nails the defenseman’s growl, the smirk you can *hear* in his delivery, and—crucially—the cracks in the armor when his past catches up. Rose Dioro’s Violet, meanwhile, is the perfect foil: her deadpan delivery of lines like *“I’d rather lick a hockey puck”* had me cackling in my car. Their back-and-forth in the fake-interview scenes? Audiobook gold. The plot moves at the speed of a breakaway play, with Hunting balancing humor and heartache deftly. I loved the way Lance’s penalty-minute reputation isn’t just a gimmick—it ties into his fear of failure, and the audiobook’s production leans into the chaos (the ambient rink sounds in key scenes are a nice touch). That said, the third-act conflict felt a tad manufactured—like Hunting needed *one more* hurdle—and Lance’s grovel could’ve used another beat of vulnerability. Still, the narration sells every second, especially the slower, quieter moments where Morgan drops Lance’s bravado. If you’re a romance fan who craves heat *and* heart, or just need a palate cleanser after heavier listens, this is your play. Pro tip: Save it for a road trip. You’ll want to scream-laugh at the traffic." "tags": [ "enemies-to-lovers hockey romance