Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Peaches and Pucks 
AUTHOR: M.A. Wardell
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 212 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 3, 2026
BLURB:
One hotel room. One bed.
Zero chance of keeping it professional.
Harry
When I agreed to chaperone the boys’ hockey team, I thought my biggest challenge would be pretending to understand the rules—not being stuck sharing a hotel room with Darius Hall. The P.E. teacher. The human whistle. The man who’s made my Mondays miserable for years.
But somewhere between the bus ride, the tense semifinal, and one very small bed, I start to realize the worst part of Darius Hall might be how much I like him.
Darius
I’ve spent years pretending Harry Peterson doesn’t get under my skin. Easier to tease him than admit I notice everything—his color-coded lesson plans, the cedar-and-coffee smell, that unguarded laugh.
Now we’re stuck sharing a hotel room, and I’m running out of excuses for the way I feel. One bed. One night. And suddenly I can’t decide what’s harder to handle: his endless commentary or how much I miss it when he stops talking.
Peaches and Pucks is a heartwarming novella of rivalry and unexpected connection, where sparks just might fly—on and off the ice
REVIEW:
This was an adorable story with plenty of spice!
Harry and Darius are two middle-school teachers who have a someone adversarial relationship. Darius is constantly teasing Harry. Harry just tried to ignore and/or avoid Darius when he can. But when he steps in the chaperone a hockey tournament trip at the last minute, he and Darius have some real conversations and he begins to understand a little bit more about being a coach and what the kids are getting out of sports.
Harry pulls back though and Darius is sad. He gets some great advice from another co-worker though. And he just keeps being there for Harry.
Harry and Darius are both pretty much novices at relationships. Darius’s only real boyfriend relationship fizzled when they were in college. Harry’s experience was worse and he still has feelings about not fitting in with his dad and brothers – particularly around sports. Harry has assumed the Darius’s teasing is because he has an issue with his sexuality. He never figures out that it was just Darius’s somewhat immature attempt to get Harry to notice him. Maybe it’s being around too many middle-schoolers who can’t express their feelings 😉 The forced proximity of the one bed on their first tournament away chaperoning the 5th grade hockey team, Darius apologizes and sets Harry straight, so to speak ;). Their road is only a touch bumpy with both guys have some insecurities about their pasts and how much they want to risk here. Luckily they get out of their own way fairly quickly – with even a little help from the kids on the hockey team 🙂 Seriously cute and sweet story with plenty of sexy times. Thoroughly enjoyable and recommended opposites attract story with a lovely HEA.
RATING: 
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