Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  Foolish Puckboy

SERIES:  Puckboys, Book 4

AUTHOR:  Eden Finley and Saxon James

NARRATOR: Iggy Toma and Alexander Cendese

PUBLISHER:  Absolute Books

LENGTH:  6 hours and  47 minutes

RELEASE DATE:   April 10, 2023

BLURB:

Aleks

After my divorce, I’m ready to have fun, date around, and not get into anything serious. Then I meet Gabe Crosby, superhero firefighter and a disgrace to the Crosby name. He doesn’t even like hockey!

Yet, there’s a draw to him I can’t deny—something I haven’t felt since my teens. But that’s the problem. I have no idea what dating is like, let alone how to do it with another man. He makes me flakey and nervous, and I’ve never been that guy.

Gabe turns me inside out and upside down in the best possible ways. I only recently became single, but if I continue to chase after him, I might not stay that way for long.

Gabe

When I meet Aleksander Emerson during an emergency call-out, there are three things that catch my attention: his sexy tattoos, his kind eyes, and his drunken offer to have my babies.

He’s new to Seattle and recently divorced, so I take him under my wing–and under my sheets. I’m showing him what the world of hookups is like, only those hookups turn into sleepovers and dates and public displays of jealousy.

Aleks is in his casual era, and I’m working my way toward settling down and starting a family. What the two of us have is fun, but not a good idea permanently.

Too bad Aleks has already set my life on fire.

REVIEW:

Eden Finley and Saxon James continue to hone their craft with another spicy, sweet, funny, frisky romance with our favorite hockey guys from the Queer Collective, the self-named group of LGBTQ+ NHL hockey players that have bonded and created their own “club” of sorts. Finley and James have rarely misstepped with this Puckboys series, and they certainly don’t with this fourth installment in the series, Foolish Puckboy.  

Everything about this story works.  Aleks and Gabe are a fiery couple, and the interconnection between this book and James’ Accidental Love series creates a tightly woven story that piques/renews our interest in those other stories and their featured romances.  Gabe is the former roommate of the Big Boned Bertha crew, including Christian, his best friend, who is featured in The Husband Hoax.  Gabe’s easygoing attitude and hot AF body, mind and spirit pull you right in.  I loved his dynamic with Aleks and the low angst love story that plays out between them.  

Foolish Puckboy one of the funnier stories in the Puckboys series, and the meet-cute between Gabe the fireman and Aleks the hockey hot mess, is priceless.  Perhaps their initial meeting should be called a “meet-chaos”, thanks to the shenanigans of Aleks’ hockey buds Oskar (from Shameless Puckboy) and Ezra (from Egotistical Puckboy).  Cue uncontrollable laughter.  

Like in the previous book, Shameless Puckboy, the Queer Collective is prominent in this story. They are ridiculous, often wild and crazy, usually with Oskar and Ezra leading the charge.  But overarchingly, they are good friends and have each others’ backs through thick and thin. This is what found family should look like – it’s the backbone and the best part of this series.

Iggy Toma and Alexander Cendese continue their stellar job of narrating this eclectic, irreverent crew of guys. Cendese gets to revisit his portrayals of Oskar and Ezra – by far my favorite characters in the series – and he is perfect with both. They are both OTT characters, and OTT sits squarely in Cendese’s wheelhouse.  His energetic performance of these characters is hilarious, but that doesn’t mean he can’t do serious.  His main character here is Aleks and Cendese does a great job with him, capturing all of the nuances of his character.  He’s sweet and vulnerable, a bit confused and definitely foolish at times.  Cendese gets it all and his inflection work, timbre and tone for Aleks is excellent.

Toma does sarcasm and disgruntled like no other, and he gets plenty of opportunity to embrace both here.  Oskar’s constant calls to Lane, his PR manager and boyfriend, are too funny, and Toma nails Lane’s reactions.  But Toma’s main character here is Gabe – a steady, nearly unflappable presence with confidence that can rival any of the Queer Collective.  He’s a perfect match for Aleks – his calm demeanor and attitude balance out Aleks’ train wreck of a life.  Toma’s baritone with its easygoing, steady delivery, is exactly what’s needed to convey Gabe, and he does it with aplomb.

What works best about Cendese and Toma is their teamwork.  They often narrate together, so much so that when one of them is on the narrator byline, I expect the other by default.  Their performances are ying and yang, very different in tone and energy but perfect foils for each other.  They also frequently narrate Finley and James’ stories, and their intuitive understanding of these authors’ writing shows through. Cendese and Toma are technically proficient and deliver an encompassing story effortlessly.

Foolish Puckboy is one of the best of the Puckboys series.  It’s skillfully narrated with endearing characters, a spicy romance that resonates, and a hysterical group of guys that create a found family with all the attendant warm fuzzies. I highly recommend you indulge in Aleks and Gabe’s romance.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

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