Puck and Prejudice

Let me tell you, I did not expect Jane Austen to be in so much of this book! She’s not a main character, by any means. Yet she is good friends with the heroine, Lizzy. Not only are they good friends, but Jane is also a great sounding board for the younger woman, as she has always wanted to be a writer, and Jane has already published a book! So, Ms. Austen is not just mentioned in passing in this story, and it was a delight.

Listen, this is a time-travel romance about an NHL goalie and a friend of Jane Austen. Many things happen for “romance reasons.” Don’t be a Debbie Downer and start picking this story apart. If you fancy yourself a “serious reader of literature,” then take yourself somewhere else. This book is fun and flirty. Lizzy and Tuck have fantastic chemistry and enjoy each other’s company immensely.

Tuck is an amazing hero. For the most part, he understands Lizzy’s plight. She wants to do what makes her happy and be seen as herself, not as an adornment on a man’s arm or an extension of her brother’s or stepfather’s life. But even as a “modern” man, there are things Tuck still gets wrong. The thing is, he’s willing to instantly correct himself and apologize once Lizzy points it out to him. It opens his eyes to how much is still so uneven in his time regarding women and men.

In so many ways, this is the book I needed right now. In many ways, it was a grim reminder of where we are. There’s a part where she questions him about women presidents and I read this days after the election in the United States; that hurt a lot. Just keep that in mind if you’re picking this book up soon after it is published. I highly recommend it but take note of your state of mind.

***I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

3.75/5. Releases 11/12/24.

Vibes: Hallmark time travel but make it sexy, A Gentlemanly Himbo, oh no it's marriage of convenience but love

Heat Index: 7/10

The Basics:

Pro hockey player Tuck Taylor is in a bit of a bind after he falls back in time to the Regency. He doesn't know what the hell to do—but fortunately, he can rely on Lizzy, a rather independent young woman of her age. Lizzy just wants to be as free as possible, which can only really happen if she's a widow. Solution: Lizzy will help Tuck get back to the 21st century, and he'll marry her beforehand. She'll be a widow without having to worry about the truly dead husband part. Problem solved! Except... the marriage of convenience thing is a lot harder when you're for real attracted to each other.

The Review:

Really, what a cute book. It knows the assignment. It does the things. It's a little goofy, but it's supposed to be. And it actually has both heat and heart. I'd describe it, as I did above, as a true "Hallmark but if they FUCKED" vibe. Which is what Hallmark should be, in my opinion.

One thing I found really smart about this is that Riley wastes no time on the "does Lizzy know he's a time traveler?" thing. She knows he's a time traveler, and she knows right away (which really added to the Hallmark aspect, for me). Tuck shows her his phone. She takes it all remarkably well. We're in business. I hate little more than bad pacing, and this pacing made sense to me. We get the time travel plot going quickly, but the actual romance is kind of like... Neither a fast or slow burn. Shit got down to business in a timely manner, but they didn't jump into bed together (or declare their love) immediately.

Lizzy and Tuck aren't super complex, but they kind of don't need to be. I will say that I liked Lizzy more—Tuck was a lovely guy. But he was a little TOO lovely to me. A lot of people are going to love that. For me, if a hero is a hockey player, I kinda prefer the "grr big man with a secret soft side" hockey hero, versus a "my gentlemanly and sensitive nature is on display from jump" hockey hero. Tuck is more of the latter, and truly, a lot of people will LOVE that. He's respectful and gentle, but he also knows how to turn it out.

There was one dialogue exchange that didn't really feel like... something a man would say... But I GOT IT. Tuck is sweet. Tuck is With Her, I think. And honestly, in these times especially, I totally get the appeal. Plus, it does make sense to make him on the up and up, considering the fact that Lizzy already lives in Misogyny Central.

One aspect of Tuck's history is that he's a cancer survivor. I found this really interesting, especially since it's something that he has a bit of PTSD over. He's really still adjusting to his new reality (and it does add a bit of pressure to the need for him to go back to his time—he really needs to keep track of his health and seek modern medicine if his cancer returns). There's a really great conversation that he and Lizzy have about one side effect of his treatment that I found so refreshing.

Also, it leads to her thinking that like... his dick just doesn't work. To which he is appalled, and trust and believe, IT WORKS.

Generally, this is a funny, light novel. I found the ending a bit too on the nose, but I can see why those choices were made. It's not the choice I would've made as a writer. But it's undoubtedly an HEA, and it does fit the overall tone of the story. This romance just doesn't take itself too seriously, and like—it shouldn't. Don't we want to have fun sometimes?

The Sex:

Ummm this was surprisingly hot. If you're a fan of "teach me" content".... You'll be happy here. There's some "finding myself in an inn" action, some "frantic jerking it because I'm too hot and bothered" content, a really good first time, tree mouth stuff (you'll see). It's good!

Also, there's a really great moment when one of Lizzy's friends who's been around the block tells her a thing or two about "riding the dragon". Not only was this funny—I just really love it when more experienced ladies tell their buddies what to expect in historicals. It's cute! It's sweet! More of it!

Anyway—yeah, if you want something completely serious, then this won't be for you. But like... why would you think it would be? This is about a time traveling hockey player romancing a Jane Austen fan. Just let it be. Have fun. Enjoy the sexy content. For the love of God. Enjoy yourself! Enjoy this! We need cheery fun sometimes!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a fun premise. American hockey player, Tucker, is visiting the UK and accidentally travels back in time to 1812 and stumbles upon Lizzy. She’s a 27 year old spinster, that agrees to help him figure out WTH is going on. This isn’t a serious book. We quickly get past the whys of time travel, establish some rules, and they believe everything and move on.

Puck and Prejudice was an interesting read for a romance book. The use of time travel and the theories are very interesting. Books like these often make my brain hurt because how does the events in this time really not mess with the future? There were some historical inaccuracies I feel like I am the only person who would address but I thought it was a fun read.

Lizzy and Tucker’s relationship is very cute throughout the story and the culture shock Tuck feels seems very relatable. It was super cheesy and I’m still not over the Jane Austen storyline.