⭐️⭐️⭐️½ – Spicy, Dramatic, and Unexpectedly British

[Spoiler Warning – Mild plot elements discussed below]

The Puck Stops Here is a steamy sports romance that delivers on heat, chemistry, and emotional chaos. Rachel Stewart doesn’t shy away from bold, sensual scenes—this book is seriously spicy, and fans of high-heat romance will not be disappointed.

The central love triangle adds a heavy dose of romantic tension. At times, the dynamic felt a bit messy, but it worked to keep the emotional stakes high and the plot moving. Readers who enjoy some drama alongside their steam will find plenty to sink their teeth into.

One thing that stood out was the distinctly British tone woven through the narrative, despite the American setting. The characters and world are firmly U.S.-based, but the dialogue and phrasing often lean into a UK dialect. It gave the book a unique voice, but it occasionally felt slightly jarring and might distract readers looking for more regional consistency.

That said, the story is addictive, the pacing is strong, and the emotional payoff is satisfying. A solid pick for fans of sports romance who love a confident, sexy heroine, complicated relationships, and a bit of international flair.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ARC review

"The Puck Stops Here" by Rachael Stewart is the 3rd book in "The Karma Club" series of interconnected standalone romance books.

I received an ARC from Boldwood Books (via Netgalley).
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

This book became fast my favorite in the series.
Tropes:
🏒 Revenge pact
🏒 Hockey romance
🏒 Forbidden romance
🏒 Reputation redemption
🏒Love triangle (almost)

Astrid is supposed to make Aiden fall for her and then break his heart, just like he did with Sienna 10 years ago.
What she did not expect was to be so attracted to his twin, Blake.

I liked that the characters are complex and the story was more about the connection between them then about the revenge plan.
This book is more emotional and I enjoyed the way Astrid managed to find out more about the brothers, by spending a lot of time with them while working on an article about them.
Even if it felt like this could be a love triangle, at least in the beginning, I liked that only one of the brothers had feelings for her.

There was a lot of tension and chemistry from the start, but there was a good balance between spice (romance overall) and the plot.
I like that we managed to get to know both brothers better and understand why Aiden acted like that 10 years ago.

The ending was great and made me want to read the next book as soon as possible.

I really enjoyed The Puck Stops Here! It was fun, spicy, and had a great mix of romance and tension. The story follows Astrid, a journalist with a bit of a grudge, as she joins a revenge pact where her target is Aiden Carter, a pro hockey player who apparently dumped his high school sweetheart when he made it big. The twist is that she ends up connecting with the “wrong” brother, Blake, instead. Their chemistry was hot but also surprisingly sweet.
There’s a lot of flirty and fun banter, and some nice spicy scenes. I thought this story had the perfect dose of drama, especially when Astrid’s real motives come out. I was glad that the book didn’t drag that part out too long, and both characters had to deal with their own baggage in a believable way. Blake and Astrid’s relationship felt real and earned. I always appreciate when the author touches on more serious topics in a tasteful manner.
If you like sports romance with a strong female lead, and tons of fun and tension definitely add this to your TBR.

A fun, flighty and oh so perfect sports romance! I loved the banter, the strong female characters and all the romance. Definitely one to watch!

When I requested this book I hadn't realised that it was book 3 in a series. I haven't read the previous books so don't know if I have missed some of the background but it didn't stop my enjoyment of this book.

I am a bit of a sucker for a sports romance book. The premise of the book was really interesting Astrid and her friend Sienna make a pact to get revenge on their ex boyfriends who made their lives a mystery. Astrid is a journalist and decided the best way would be to get close to the Titan twins and embarrass them with an expose. However she realises she has feelings for one of the brothers Blake.

I did enjoy the book but it took a while for me to get into it and the writing style. I found myself having to re-read sentences as I was struggling to understand them. I think sometimes there were more words used than was needed. But that is just a personal thing.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

A cute sports romance, plenty of smut and a cast of fun, likable characters. This is a great light read with a few hard topics that's are discussed but not shown in the book.

4 star read, enjoyed the writing style from this author and is my go to type of books that I enjoy to read.

The third book in the karma club series and loved it again. This karma club has so many vibes it’s brilliant.
This one follows astrid and Blake’s story. I just loved it. The banter the romance it was all a perfect mix. Cannot wait for the next one.

Had so much fun with this story!!! I'm not gonna lie, I was a bit scared at the beginning that it would be too close to "John Tucker must die" and that I would compare both stories too much. It does have a lot of similarities, but I ended up getting sucked in this "Karma Club" universe and enjoying the hell out of it!!

I liked Astrid, Aiden and Blake so so much. Loved the duality of Aiden being the perfect golden boy and Blake, the bad boy with a soft heart. And having Astrid flirting, trying to navigate her feelings and accomplish her mission through it all. The tension between Blake and Astrid made me EAT this book so fast. I might have said "just one more chapter" one too many times. Now on my way to get the next book 🏃🏽‍♀️🏃🏽‍♀️

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion 🫶🏽

All I can say is that this book had me addicted! I believed Blake was cold and just a player who only cared about hockey, but by the end I was in love with his sweet teddy bear side. I also loved the tension and the connection that Blake and Astrid tried to fight for most of the book. It really made the climax hit.
The reason it’s not 5 stars is because there were a few things that didn’t work for me. First, the beginning was slow and full of British language which was sometimes hard to get at first being an American. Second, the group of girls had just met for a few hours at an airport and all of a sudden they are the closers of friends and know everything about each other. I have no doubt they could be friends but the quickness at which they became each other’s absolute best friends seemed odd. But overall a solid read that kept me engaged.
Special thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the arc in exchange for a honest review.

This is an ARC review. I want to thank Rachael Stewart and Boldwood Books for allowing me the chance to read this book ahead of release day! This book I couldn’t wait after reading the first two in the series. Astrid is my kinda girl who is a no nonsense girl who curses without abandonment. The goal is to get back at Sissi’s ex Aiden but she quickly found herself more drawn to his twin brother, Blake. After finding out more of Aiden and Blake’s backstory, I just knew there had to be a case of mistaken identity as Aiden couldn’t have been the person to totally crush our Sissi! Astrid might not of had such a physically trauma filled background but she connected with the twins so effortlessly about having crappy fathers. Being able to let off steam on the ice is probably my favorite parts of a hockey romance based book. And this delivered. Thank goodness for a much needed image overhaul which allowed Astrid the best Segway into their lives. I’m looking forward to the next chapter in their lives as well as our last Just Desserts love story!

Thank you so much for the arc for thid book!
It was my first book by Rachael and i LOVED it. I loved the characters, the chemistry, the story! It all.
I was worried it was going to be the same as other hockey romances (some can become repetative) this however wasn't. It suprised me but in such a good way!
4 ⭐️

I’ve read all the book so far and loved them all this one is no different! Omg what an amazing read!! I laughed, screamed and cheered them on the whole way through! It’s Blake and Astrid’s story! Astrid is getting revenge for sienna by messing with Aiden while shes doing that she ends up being drawn to Blake like a magnet. Blake just so happens to be Aiden brother oh the twists and turns that’s come from that I loved it!! I loved their chemistry and banter. I wish we all had a group of women like the Karma club to support us.

this is the third book in a series about a group of women who meet at an airport and decide to help each other get revenge on their exs.

I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to to the author the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of being able to read this book!

I still haven't had a chance to read the first book in this series (all by different authors), but I read and loved the second one. This is no different! I loved this book, and honestly I think I loved it more than the second! Despite the books being written by different authors, the way they all seem to collaborate to make the stories interconnect, works flawlessly. You would honestly not really notice that they're written by different authors at all. With the exception of the beginning maybe 20 pages, it for some reason was a little more complicated to read and understand the original conversation and characters that is already referenced in the other books, this time around. I'm not sure why but it just seemed a little muddled. But after that, this book took off! It flowed beautifully, it was hilarious and fun, also deeply personal and moving. I couldn't put this book down. I loved all of the characters, I honestly loved every moment, especially the ending! I can't wait until I can finally read the first one, and the final 4th one! Out of the two I've read so far, this one is honestly my top favourite. I'm not usually one for sports romance because they don't quite seem to done quite right with actually giving the sport a real importance and slight center focus, but this book did it really well!

Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to read this book! I loved it so much!

hilarious read - loved the Cheetos reference 🤣Astrid has a broken heart, after a chance encounter in the airport a girls pact is made to give some karma to all the ex partners of the girls. Astrid's target? Aidan - but she can't help but notice his twin brother Blake. Alls fair in the love and war ❤️🏒

Blake and Astrid, what a pair, I loved their chemistry and banter.

Astrid doing all she could to help Sienna with Aiden but finding herself drawn to Blake constantly.

The jealousy from Blake was amusing to read. Loved the Justdesserts whatsapp group. We all need a group of women like the Karma club to support us.

Astrid and Blake have great chemistry, and I was hooked from the start with the revenge plot and emotional depth beneath the romance.

The third-act breakup felt earned. The pacing made this a quick read, but it still had substance, which I appreciated. Definitely excited to finish the series and see where things go next.

The Puck Stops Here is the third installment in The Karma Club series. The Karma Club series is about a group of women who meet at an airport when all flights are shut down due to a snowstorm. Each woman was wronged by a man and, after several adult beverages, they decided to get revenge for each other. Astrid takes on Sienna's ex, Aiden, who was her childhood sweetheart and left their hometown and became an NHL star with his twin brother, Blake. Astrid is a reporter and found the perfect in to get close to Aiden - Blake's bad boy reputation is causing problems for his career and she pitches the idea of writing an article on the twins to help with Blake's image. Her plan is to get close enough to Aiden to make him fall for her and then leave him. Unfortunately, as she gets to know the brothers better, she isn't sure Aiden deserves his just desserts and Blake is constantly pulling her focus to him.

Blake and Astrid are so good together! The boys grew up with an abusive father and Astrid helps Blake see that he isn't defined only by his past and can change how he reacts on the ice. Blake may have a bad boy image but underneath it, he's a teddy bear. They have fantastic chemistry as well. The meddling isn't only up to Astrid either - Aiden also does his fair share of trying to interfere in Blake's life. The books in the series have generally occurred during the same time frame but with how this one ended, I hope Sienna's story will pick up near the end of this one...or there are more coming!