Pucked Off (Pucked #5) by Helena Hunting @HelenaHunting

I could not wait to get my hands all over Lance “Romance” Romero’s story. Seeing glimpses of this hot hockey player throughout the Pucked books, all his philandering ways, and his tumultuous relationship with the team’s ex-trainer (Tash), had me itching to see who would steel his man-whoring, bunny banging heart. In all honesty, I had a special girl in mind as his heroine and thank goodness my wishes came true! (I won’t say who she is; you’ll need to discover that on your own). The wait for this couple’s romance felt like forever, as this is one of my all-time favorite sports themed series. With greedy grabby-hands, I attacked Pucked Off the minute it hit my kindle, anxious for more hysterical over-the-top hijinks from Hunting’s loony characters. However, a few pages in I realized the story was taking a different turn. It was totally unexpected and unlike anything I would have imagined for Lance…And I absolutely LOVED everything about it. From beginning to end, this story owned me. It was a far cry from the riotous and light-hearted romantic comedies I am used to when it comes to this series. Sure there were some funny moments and plenty of sexiness that I savored ~ Hunting’s trademark humor was lightly peppered throughout this read and Lance was adorable. I fell in love with this swoon-worthy and off-the-charts HOT Scotsman. The door swings open, and my dick starts crying. Maybe a third whacking session would’ve been a good idea based on where all the blood has redirected itself in my body. But there’s so much more to him... Lance is a dynamic character haunted by past demons and painful secrets. His vulnerabilities, all his insecurities, his lack of self-worth, belief that he is unworthy of affection and happiness… everything about him pulled on my heartstrings and had me aching to see his brokenness healed. So moved by Lance’s torments, I wanted to crawl inside the story, wrap my arms around him and make everything better. That’s how moved I was by his heartaches. It was going to take an extraordinarily patient type of girl to help Lance move beyond his sorrows. It was heartwarming seeing how this couple’s relationship blossomed – from flashbacks of first kisses they shared long ago, to building trust, a friendship and true love.   I wrap my arm around her and pull her closer. I don’t know why I can handle her touching me when I’ve never been able to handle anyone before. It’s like she connects to some part of me I didn’t know was there.  The serious tone and Lance’s circumstances may have taken me totally by surprise, but the journey to discovering the amazing hero he proved to be and the sweet girl that stole his heart both devastated and overwhelmed me. Both vulnerable and dealing with their own hang-ups, they were perfect together. And Lance, the perfectly flawed former manwhore, was beyond sweet and incredibly romantic. He stole my heart and certainly became my favorite hero in this series! I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this publication