Pucking Sweet by Emily Rath review

 

Pucking Sweet by Emily Rath
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

⭐⭐⭐ 3 stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4 spice

There was a massive problem with this book. Pucking Sweet is book three in the Jacksonville Rays series. While book one followed a solid timeline and book two picked up where that one left off which worked really well book three dragged us all the way back to the start of book one’s timeline. That means most of the main events from books one and two were repeated in this one, just from a different POV.

Now, I’m not saying the entire book was a repeat absolutely not. I loved the parts that felt fresh and totally new, especially the content that had nothing to do with the previous books. But the sections that rehashed things I’d already read? That really ticked me off. I kept thinking, "Can we please skip the déjà vu and get to the good stuff?" I ended up skimming more than I wanted to.

That said, the new story elements were so good. I really liked the characters and the direction this story took when it wasn’t echoing past timelines. Poppy is smart, driven, and layered sometimes seen as the “PR barbie,” but she’s got a strong sense of self and it shines through. Colton and Lukas are both fully fleshed out, and watching the development of their relationship over the course of the book was really satisfying.

I would have loved a deeper dive into Colton and Lukas’s backstories, but overall, the story was well-structured. The spice? Red hot. It wasn’t quite as constant as in book one, but it was still a lot and really fun to read. I also appreciated the surprises, emotional turns, and how the relationships evolved it genuinely made me smile.

Unfortunately, I just can’t give this book four stars due to the timeline repetition. I’ve never been a fan of backtracking or re-seeing the same events from a different angle, so that held the book back for me.

✅ What I liked:
Loved the characters
Enjoyed the story when it focused on new plotlines
Great surprises and emotional beats
The Jacksonville Rays family vibe is amazing

❌ What didn’t work for me:
Hated that the book replays the same timeline as book one
Too much focus on PR and work-related stuff
Disappointed that some storylines didn’t get proper closure

Would I recommend this book?
Not really. It has great moments, but the timeline structure held it back for me.

Would I reread it?
Probably not.

How would I sum it up?
A spicy, emotionally layered sports romance with great characters but frustrating timeline repetition.

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