Scan barcode
A review by bee_thebibliophile
Clueless Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James
3.0
3.5 stars - Oh sweet baby Ayri and Vance…this was the light read that I’ve come to expect from Eden and Saxon, but I felt like I was missing something that the other books in this series had. Maybe an emotional connection to the MCs and them together as a couple?
Ayri Quinn is the sweetest, most naive and innocent man who’s ever played professional hockey - his blushes and awkwardness are adorable and endearing but also make it hard for him to put himself out there. He’s recovering from an injury, one that makes rehab uncomfortable, and ends up making it worse when he and Asher go out to get him out of his own head. Ayri is terrified of not being good enough or being sent back down to the AHL now that he’s finally achieved his dream of playing in the NHL and his injury heightens that anxiety, making him hide his pain and only making things worse in the end.
Vance Landon is one of the Buffalo NHL team’s trainers, so he’s spent a lot of time up close and personal with Ayri, especially with his injury. He’s the only trainer without a family, so he works a lot and doesn’t make time for much else or to do things for himself. Vance left me wanting a lot more from him and his character - other than the fact that he likes bridges, I feel like I don’t know anything about him, who he is as a person or even what he looks like besides big and muscular. I wish he was a more fleshed out character - I think I would have been more invested in their relationship if he was.
Once Vance overhears by Ayri’s always so awkward around him, he realizes that their attraction is mutual and things start to change between them. Ayri’s injury and Vance’s round the clock care make things harder to ignore and show them both what they’ve been missing. But, I felt like the back and forth before they got together was prolonged, had no angst at all and ultimately was just fine. I needed a little drama or angst to keep things interesting. These two were sweet together, but I didn’t feel invested in their relationship because it felt a little too surface level for my liking.
The bright spot (or dark spot haha) of this book was Asher Dalton - his grumpiness and secret sweetness really did it for me. He was hilarious and was a great foil to Ayri’s naivety. And always love seeing the rest of the Queer Collective every time they make an appearance! Now, I need Bilson’s book ASAP - so intrigued!
Ayri Quinn is the sweetest, most naive and innocent man who’s ever played professional hockey - his blushes and awkwardness are adorable and endearing but also make it hard for him to put himself out there. He’s recovering from an injury, one that makes rehab uncomfortable, and ends up making it worse when he and Asher go out to get him out of his own head. Ayri is terrified of not being good enough or being sent back down to the AHL now that he’s finally achieved his dream of playing in the NHL and his injury heightens that anxiety, making him hide his pain and only making things worse in the end.
Vance Landon is one of the Buffalo NHL team’s trainers, so he’s spent a lot of time up close and personal with Ayri, especially with his injury. He’s the only trainer without a family, so he works a lot and doesn’t make time for much else or to do things for himself. Vance left me wanting a lot more from him and his character - other than the fact that he likes bridges, I feel like I don’t know anything about him, who he is as a person or even what he looks like besides big and muscular. I wish he was a more fleshed out character - I think I would have been more invested in their relationship if he was.
Once Vance overhears by Ayri’s always so awkward around him, he realizes that their attraction is mutual and things start to change between them. Ayri’s injury and Vance’s round the clock care make things harder to ignore and show them both what they’ve been missing. But, I felt like the back and forth before they got together was prolonged, had no angst at all and ultimately was just fine. I needed a little drama or angst to keep things interesting. These two were sweet together, but I didn’t feel invested in their relationship because it felt a little too surface level for my liking.
The bright spot (or dark spot haha) of this book was Asher Dalton - his grumpiness and secret sweetness really did it for me. He was hilarious and was a great foil to Ayri’s naivety. And always love seeing the rest of the Queer Collective every time they make an appearance! Now, I need Bilson’s book ASAP - so intrigued!