Reviewed by Lady Macbeth
TITLE: Charming Puckboy
SERIES: Puckboys #10
AUTHOR: Eden Finley & Saxon James
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 367 Pages
RELEASE DATE: April 16, 2026
BLURB:
LACHIE
It doesn’t matter that I was the number one draft pick in the NHL or that I’m projected to be the next great generational player, because none of it is enough to impress my childhood crush back in my hometown.
Sam used to mock me for being like a Disney Princess with my uncanny knack for finding animals in need. And being home in Colorado for the summer, I’m bound to run into him now that he runs the animal shelter where I used to volunteer. Where I used to try to get his attention every chance I had.
He never noticed me then, at least not in the way I wanted.
But if there’s one thing my time in the NHL has taught me, it’s how to fight for what I want.
SAM
It’s been a few years since I saw the Disney Princess volunteer, but when he brings in a stray cat, I almost can’t believe it’s the same guy.
Damn, has he changed.
Gone is the gangly, pimple-faced teen, and in his place is a man who’s grown up and bulked out. He used to follow me around, asking endless questions about animal care.
Now he’s back, but instead of asking about animals, he’s asking about me. About my life.
Flirting with me. And he’s good at it, too.
There’s something about Lachie that’s undeniably irresistible. I’m willing to give in to his charms, even knowing all he can offer is a summer fling.
Turns out, my Disney Princess grew up to be a real Prince Charming.
REVIEW:
Lachie, Little Kiki, the Disney Princess, the animal whisperer, finds his forever love with his teenage crush, the manager of the shelter where he used to be a volunteer, Sam, aka the Animal Man.
Lachie and Sam meet again for the first time in three years when Lachie rescues a stray cat in labor and brings her to the shelter where Sam works. Lachie has had a big crush on him since forever, but since he left to play hockey at eighteen, they didn’t cross each other’s path.
Sam is very much surprised to see how much Lachie changed and they both don’t deny the attraction they feel for one another.
I loved the authors’ choice to make Sam unaware of Lachie’s profession: besides creating a lot of funny and confusing situations, I really liked that Sam always saw Lachie as a man and not as the hockey god he was.
I have to admit that, when I was reading the first chapters, I was so overwhelmed by the Queer Collective shenanigans, that I struggled to understand why Sam didn’t run away and never came back. They were all hilarious and unhinged, the banter was exceptional and even more levelheaded people (like Gabe) had their moments of silliness.
I also really really loved all the struggles and the issues they needed to overcome in order to be together. They hadn’t it easy and the authors didn’t just magically make all their problems go away. It took them time and tears, worries and dilemmas, and so so much love.
What prevented me from giving a higher rate:
I didn’t like the KIkishkin parents in the previous books and I didn’t like them here either. I would have loved to see Lachie being more assertive and put them in their places since they were quite rude with Sam.
The end was way too bittersweet and abrupt, the total opposite of what we had at the beginning. I loved that it was set in the future, but it left me with an uneasy feeling of sadness.
So, this is the end of an era, one of the best universes in MM romance. It all started with Damon King in the Fake Boyfriend series, continued with CU Hockey and then with the Puckboys.
How are we supposed to cope with it?
RATING: 
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