The Pucking Bet

A Fake Dating, College Hockey, He Falls First Romance (Defenders Diaries)

It was supposed to be simple.

Fake date campus hockey royalty to make my long-time crush look my way.

Enter Kieran O’Connor—star winger and campus legend.

Devastating good looks. Cocky dialed to eleven. The kind of guy who always gets what he wants.

He needs help passing a class. I need a fake boyfriend.

We make a deal.

I write the rules in permanent marker: no touching, no kissing, no feelings.

But Kieran O’Connor doesn’t do rules.

His grin is a blade.

His hands? Pure trouble.

Somewhere between late-night problem sets and his number stretched across my shoulders, I forget we’re pretending.

Then I find out the truth.

The bet he agreed to.

Make the tutor fall for the golden boy.

He thought it was a game.

He didn’t think he’d get burned.

And if Kieran O’Connor wants me back,
he’ll have to skate through everything he set on fire —
and prove he knows how to earn what he broke.

A fake dating, college hockey romance where the most wanted man on campus falls first—and falls hard—for the underestimated girl who refuses to be anyone’s prize.

©2026 Attraction Publishing (P)2026 Attraction Publishing

Kieran & Wren

I wrote full review on the book in Kindle version. It wasn't a bad storyline, it had emotion but was written in a more cerebral format. I was expecting one or both main characters to be Autists but neither were, Wren saw colors with sound which is a condition but not necessarily a spectrum disorder, which in my opinion is how much of this come across. It could have been shortened up a bit, the bet doesn't come out until 65% mark and the next 20% the main characters spend processing their individual emotions, which again comes across as mathematical, cerebral, with some correlation to the emotions being felt. It was just a weird read to me. Then it jumps to Epilogue 5 years later and it's just odd. Did Wren graduate? What career paths did she take? It only shows Kieran at the Defenders practice with the engineering project that he brought to MIT to further it's development and Wren with him mentioning they received patent approval with all three of the original partners. Then it jumps to both mc's at Dimitri's vacation home on Fire Island reconnecting the past briefly, that then mentions they're married and then a baby cries and Kieran gets out of bed to get her and bring her to Wren. The End. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I would have liked the conflict of the bet to occur maybe 50% in and then 10% figuring out their own internal reasons why it occurred in the first place and using that as a springboard to coming back together to work their way through the relationship itself. Romania trip was fine, but everything that came afterward was rushed. Time could have advanced with more information to fill in the holes this left by just jumping 5 years into the future. I really would have loved a storyline where Theo finds his person and a storyline where Aubrey finds her person, maybe with Riley, Keiran's roommate. They were likable side characters.

Engineering 204

It is a little different from the other books in this series because it involves Liams young brother when he is in college . It does have some of the characters from the past books in this series from the defenders team and their families. It introduces Ween an engineering student who sees colors. Kieran is on track to become a Defender when he graduates college but he has other desires as well. The his book deals with predators and college students acting badly. Kieran has to be completely broken down to find his true path and discover how to be a man . This is a love story between Wren and Kieran but it has some very difficult challenges they face to get their HEA. I thoughly enjoyed listening to this storyline. The characters and the storyline is well written. The author did a great job with the subject matter. I felt all the emotions that Wren endured during the storyline. The ending is perfect.

College Hockey Romance

I loved Wren & Kieran's story... the dialogue is top shelf. The book is fast paced & easy to read/listen to. Loved the characters & the ending. Didn't really care for the LONG 3rd act breakup, but understood it. I loved their time overseas. 🤩

I loved the narrators, they did a great job & the book was easy & delightful to listen to.

This is part of the Defenders Diaries series, as interconnected standalones. All of the books in the series are fantastic! You won't want to miss this great series!

*college hockey romance
*he falls first
*fake dating turns into more
*tutor

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you to the author (A J Summers), publisher, narrators, Audible & Booksprout for the ALC. All opinions are my own.

Good Story

The Pucking Bet is an entertaining hockey romance whose leads will end up in a fake relationship but it all begins with a bet because MMC Kiran O’Conner who is Boston University hockey royalty has the girls falling all over him, but one.
FMC Wren Marin a studious and quiet young woman has interests that have narrowed in on someone, but not Kiran who is in for a surprise when she doesn’t fall for his charms. Facing humiliation and losing that bet he comes up with a plan to save face but needs Wren to play along, and just maybe it will get her what she wants too.
I enjoyed this nicely written story which I read, and listened to along with the audio version. As always the duo voice talents of Shane Martinez and Clinton Woodhams provided perfect narration and brought all the drama, humor, emotion, romance, passion, and energy to life in a story whose writing was captivating and audio perfection.
I stayed engaged all the way to the very happy ever after.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

A bet and love

Loved this story of a bet, college life and what happens when feelings grow. Kieran made a bet to get the nerdy college girl to fall for him. simple, no problem, unfortunately things don't go just like he would have planned. Wren has a crush on another person and Kieran agrees to help her land the guy. Neither of these two planned for feelings to grow. So what happens when Kieran realizes Wren is more than a bet and the longer he waits the worse it will be. I love what happens in the story and how first love can grow even when your heart breaks.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.