Pucked Up

Punk as Puck, Book 2

By: E. M. Lindsey

Narrated by: Kirt Graves, Iggy Toma

Sometimes what happens anonymously in a dingy, pay-by-the-hour motel room shows up a month later to reveal himself as your new coach…

I have rules. Very important rules. No real names, no strings, no seeing each other again. It's always worked out well for me, and it's the only thing that keeps me focused as I try to climb my way into professional hockey after nearly torching my career.

I should have been king of the ice in the paraprofessional league, but instead, I let my anger and bitterness get to me. Now I'm forced to claw my way back into relevance, starting with a community team.

That would be fine if the one amazing, anonymous night I had with a total stranger didn't end up being the Wolves' new coach. And even that might have been tolerable if Hugo wasn't on my father's payroll.

But he is.

And to make matters worse, I still want him. My bad attitude and attempt to drive him away don't faze him at all, and the more I push, the more he pulls me back into the last place I want to be: his orbit.

All I want is to join the PPHL and prove to myself that I'm a worthy player on my own merit.

Lust wasn't on the table. And neither was love.

But the closer I get to Hugo, the more I realize that I'm not sure I want to do this without him… and the more I realize I'm not sure if I can.

Pucked Up is the second book in the Punk and Puck series, which is best enjoyed in order. It's an enemies-with-benefits, coach/player, slow burn into love romance. It features a para hockey player with a continent-sized chip on his shoulder, a widower coach who never expected to fall for anyone after the loss of his husband, a bossy dynamic, a lot of praise, hockey bro banter, the merits of jumping on the bed when you're sad, found family, and a steamy, wild happily ever after.

©2025 E.M. Lindsey (P)2026 Podium Audio

Pucked Up

The storyline in this book was unique, in that it left me with unresolved feelings about the primary characters (Boden and Hugo). I Honestly adored Hugo because he was a lovely and kindhearted man. I immediately felt the pain that was exhibited from Hugo's loss, his broken heart, his loneliness, and his desire for someone and something more. Furthermore, he did everything that he could to help bring Boden's PPHL dream to fruition.

Boden, on the other hand, felt as if he behaved like an a$$ 😯, mostly unprovoked, for over three-fourths of the storyline. Whether or not his actions were due to confusion about his feelings or pure stubbornness, it almost made me feel as though he did not deserve Hugo. Talk about "getting in his own way". Boden's actions and behavior towards Hugo, and even towards his friends and teammates at times, felt "Pucked Up" 😉 and immature, even though he complained about being thought of as young. A lot of what happened between Boden and Hugo was perpetuated by Boden himself.

I truly understand that Boden went through a lot in his life, especially where his family was concerned and the limitations that other people placed upon him. That said, several of the other characters experienced similar or worse circumstances and they did not seem to consistently behave the way Boden behaved. The other characters (Tucker, Deo, Ford, Jonah, and Micah), were funny, lovable, and supportive, just like they were in the first book.

I enjoyed the first book in the series, and I am glad I that I read this book as well. Overall, this was good book with solid and interesting characters. That said, it just did not leave me with all the "good feels" that I had hoped for. I guess the silver lining is that Boden's behavior shifted drastically by the end of the story, and Boden and Hugo got their Happily Ever After (HEA), which I am usually a sucker for. I would say give this book a try because you may have an opinion that differs greatly from mine.

Loved this

Really great story I hope there are more to come definitely worth the credit. Also it had a nice amount of spice.

Boden and Hugo

𝙄 𝙠𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧, 𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙞𝙢.⁣
𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙢𝙚–𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨–𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙.⁣
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I was interested to see who could rein in Boden’s surliness, and after laying everything on the line, Hugo was the perfect person.⁣
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Boden is bitter that he will never be what his family wants him to be, and Hugo has struggled to find himself again after the loss of his husband. After spending a night together and never expecting to see each other again, their worlds are flipped upside down when they are forced together again as coach and athlete.⁣
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I love Iggy Toma and Kirt Graves; they always make listening to audiobooks pleasurable, but I did struggle with their French accents a few times throughout this one.⁣
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Join Boden and Hugo on their journey if you vibe with…⁣⁣
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💚 MM⁣
🥅  ⁣⁣Para Hockey ~ Coach/Athlete⁣
💚 Hurt/Comfort⁣
🥅  ⁣⁣Black Cat/Golden Retriever⁣
💚 Enemies⁣
🥅  ⁣⁣Touch Starved⁣
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I gave PUCKED UP 4 🍁!⁣

May feel all the feels. I did

Yes, I needed tissues at some points. Yes, I absolutely wanted to step into this and yell at His father. I am glad we got to understand Micah more (secretly hoping for his HEA). This is narrated by 2 of my favorites. Iggy and Kirt. Anyway, back to the book, What happens when you find your heart again across a bar and the other is just looking for a hook up? Gotta listen to find out. Yes there are spicy times, comfort times and for me, aggravation times.

Characters chemistry

I read the books first. Then the audibles. I love the comedy, hurt and heal, the story line.....thank you for writing these books.