Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 5.0 stars.

This book made me feral to be honest, I devoured it in one sitting and I’m lowkey proud cause it’s a chunky book. I was abit wary starting it as although I like the other books surrounding this friendship group, the books are scarily long. This book went down a treat and I’m happy to say it’s my favourite yet.

I am completely obsessed with the “single dad” vibes in this book with the forced proximity and MM spice, omg Emily you knew what you were doing! This book explores sexuality, homophobia and prejudice with themes of grief and loss as well, it does it beautifully might I add. The dynamics between our main characters and the little addition which makes this union necessary are so powerful and moving, my heart honestly weeped at so many special moments.

Whoever said romance books shouldn't be this long have clearly never read an Emily Rath book. She made every single one of these 540+ pages worth it. I laughed and cried and would so happily reread it again straight away. Teddy and Henrik are the perfect grumpy sunshine combo, and Teddy's dramatics are honestly hilarious. The relationship they both have with Karro is the sweetest thing ever, and the ending is so worth the wait.

Full of emotion, self-acceptance and queer joy - Emily Rath has done it again!

I absolutely loved this book! I finished it in 3 days and then had to take a few days to write my review because I really wanted to do it justice.
Pucking Strong is set roughly 5 years after the first three books in the Jacksonville Rays series and follows Henrik and Teddy (who returns to the Jacksonville Rays after 5 years as a fully qualified doctor of Physical Therapy). Their story felt different to the previous books in the series with the insane (but delicious) slow-burn, but based on their character arcs, this was perfect for these two! The demi-sexuality rep was so well done; the way Henrik learns about himself and realises he is not “broken” - it was beautiful and so nice to see in a genre that typically does not have this kind of representation, especially for men! Now, there is still spice (as Emily said, they will sizzle our fuzzy pink socks off), but it really fit in with the story and the character arcs.
Teddy is probably even more chaotic than Jake, but you can’t help but fall in love with him. Despite his often racing thoughts, it was great to see how he learned to communicate his wants and needs with Henrik, even though these two are completely different.
The review would also not be complete without mentioning Karolina. She wormed her way into my heart and made me cry and laugh. The epilogue had me bawl my eyes out (in a good way). The dynamic between Teddy, Henrik and Karolina was absolutely beautiful and seeing them come together to deal with the grief they are experiencing made me sob.
The book also showed the reality of being an interracial queer couple in the NHL which I appreciated - I feel that sports romances often tend to overlook this.
In true Emily Rath fashion, we got so many little glimpses of the characters from books 1-3, and I have a feeling we got a sneak peek of the characters for book 5 as well! I know this book is not even released yet, but I am already so excited for the next one!

If you want a hockey romance full of emotion, self-acceptance and queer joy, this book is for you. (I would recommend reading books 1-3 first if you want to avoid spoilers).

Thank you to Penguin Michael Joseph for letting me review this eARC. I will forever be grateful that you accepted my request for one of my most anticipated releases of 2025!

Thank you, Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House + NetGalley, for the opportunity to read the 4th book in the Jacksonville Rays series before it's released on 24th July 2025!!!

Emily Rath writes the best characters and somehow keeps track of them all. Reading Pucking Strong was like coming home; the found family vibes with this group were strong (pun not intended, but it was a happy accident). I always love returning to Jacksonville and reading more stories about the Rays. I'll be honest, I don't remember either MC from previous books, but I loved their story nonetheless. I always love the cameos from previously featured characters, too, it makes for such a unique reading experience.

Once again, Emily Rath delivers a character-driven story about queer love and acceptance with tons of heart (and plenty of spice). I didn't have any particular sense of either of the main pair going in to this, which made Pucking Strong a different prospect to Wild and Sweet, both of which dovetail far more closely with the first instalment of the series. So I wasn't prepared to feel as invested as I was in Teddy and Henrik's story. This is a slow burn romance: despite a funny meet cute during Teddy's intern days, the two haven't seen much of each other for 6 years, only to be thrown together by tragic circumstances on Teddy's first day back with the Rays - now as a fully-fledged doctor of PT. This is a story of two people who come together out of necessity, with very different personalities that nevertheless complement each other. And the more they risk opening up to one another, the more they are rewarded.

In addition to their relationship with each other, I really enjoyed the dynamic the pair had with Karro. And of course we also get to catch up with the larger Rays family, and part of the journey for both Teddy and Henrik is finding their place within that group - Teddy having to get past his fears of being the outsider, and Henrik learning to open up and build more meaningful relationships.

All in all, this surprised me in the best way, and is one of my favourites in the series so far.

4.5 stars

Pucking Strong by Emily Rath is a masterclass in learning to love. She has crafted a tale of queer love that feels both fierce and fragile.
Pucking Strong is, without question, Emily Rath’s most masterful work to date. Every sentence feels intentional, care and depth written into every scene. She balances the raw intensity of love and longing with moments of softness and humour, all while weaving in themes of identity, healing, and chosen family.
This, in my opinion, is Emily Rath’s best work yet. You can feel her heart in every word, and it’s breathtaking.
At its center is the story of Henrik and Teddy, two men that couldn’t differ more. Henrik is steady, grounded, a man of few words but with fierce loyalty to those who matter. And Teddy, oh Teddy, he is a beautiful storm, a whirlwind of chaotic energy and loud love. Together, they create a magnetic contrast - tender, electric, and achingly beautiful.
This romance was so much more, this was a home for those of us who have struggled with acceptance of ourselves.
The chosen family aspect is stunning. When Henrik and Teddy take in Henrik’s niece, Karro, we see our MMC’s steadily transform into the best versions of themselves.
Karro is the emotional thread that weaves their lives together, anchoring the chaos and calm into something whole.
This book doesn’t shy away from vulnerability or softness. The result is a love story that feels like poetry in motion. This book will stay with me for a very long time.

I’m so in love with this world and these characters.

As with any series l love, I’m always excited for the next book but also a little nervous about whether or not it’s going to be as good as the others. Thankfully Pucking Strong did not disappoint.

Teddy and Henrik were a fantastic couple, their story was about a different kind of love and a different type of relationship. It was also about acceptance and trust. These characters have such different personalities but they complemented each other perfectly and theirs is truly a slow burn romance. Emily was right when she said we’d have to work for it this time, and boy did she make us work for it with Teddy and Henrik. But let me tell you. IT. WAS. WORTH. IT 🥵 Their story was heartbreaking, hopeful, spicy and romantic. It made me laugh and cry so many times, and had me 100% invested in them and their family.

It was also amazing to be back with the rest of the Jacksonville Rays. How they all look out for each other and support each other is inspiring. With these characters, Emily gives us an insight into families that don’t conform to societal norms but all demonstrate one thing, love is love, and I adore it.

I can’t believe we are on to book four already and that we only have one more to go before the series is done. I’m not ready to leave this world and these amazing characters yet. Bring on PEA vol 3 and Pucking Free ❤️

All the stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The fact that I was able to receive an ARC of this book has made me so happy because I honestly loved this whole series with my whole heart and all of the characters.

This new book has super exceeded my expectations like I knew author Emily Rath would do. She has such an amazing way of telling a story and making the reader fully immerse themselves in the story while showing of the characters personalities. The character development from the beginning to the end of the story is honestly the most heartwarming and best I have read as she really showcases how much opposites attract and how they can be great if you open yourself to it.

This story honestly wrecked me and made me emotional because how much I honestly fell in love with both Henrik and Teddy and the slow burn of both characters honestly was so refreshing because it allowed you to really understand both characters and how they felt. The yearning for each other was so good like WOW and the chemistry was fire all round like scorching hot. I do honestly these two characters will hold such a space in my heart and I think they have just taken over as my favourite couple.

Please if you haven't pre-ordered please do because this book and this story deserves to read by all. A massive thank you to Micheal Joseph, Penguin RandomHouse and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this ARC before release.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC copy!
I love this series with my entire heart. This book has exceeded all of my expectations. I devoured it in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down!!
The character development in this book is the best I have seen from Emily Rath so far. I am obsessed with Teddy and Henrik. They really are a case of opposites attract but they just work.
I didn’t expect their story to be as emotional as it was. The slow burn was something I didn’t expect from Emily Rath but it was exactly what these characters needed! The yearning in this book was top notch and the chemistry between Teddy and Henrik was scorching!The spicy scenes in this book were some of the best I have ever read and I truly believe that is thanks to the build up!

As always, it was great to see snippets of the other Rays, I will always love the Price family but I think Tedrick might be my new favourite Rays relationship!

I couldn’t recommend this book more!

When I tell you I've never dropped everything to read a book so fast in my life! I am sleep deprived from staying up until 2am reading and then having to get up for work in the morning. Safe to say I *adored* this book. I didn't even get 4% in and I had cried twice. Maybe three times. Not even because of anything happening, I was just so happy to be back with these characters, it feels like coming home.

Every single time I have read one of these books I've sworn up and down there's no way I'd love the next set of characters as much. Every single time I have been wrong. Tedrik have my heart. Emily Rath does not miss with her writing, her characters her beautiful found family, and of course her *spicy* scenes.

If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would.

*Spoilers Ahead*

Like Henrik, I never knew what demisexuality was until I was an adult and always felt like a weirdo and a bit on the side because I don't get that primary attraction like everyone else. Seeing myself in characters like Henrik goes straight to my heart and seeing the love, understanding and support Teddy gives him, and the unwavering loyalty of the Rays warmed my little queer heart.
This book broke my heart in two dealing with the death of Henrik's sister. The raw feeling of his grief and the fear and confusion of Karro just hit me so hard and it meant so much to see them grow and grieve together and find happiness after something so traumatic.

I just finished this ARC and omg this is the best in the series so far I have really enjoyed all the other books but this one I loved . Henrik and teddys story was so sweet. And this book had me literally cackling. The story, their love and the banter of our favourite side characters made this unputdownable. Can’t wait for more in the future.