Vivian, a librarian, trying to have new adventures ends up on a ride she never expected. Greyson Theo and Bennett in college for hockey end up having many new adventures too! Between Bennett and Theo finding who they truly are and Greyson finding love in a different way, this book was fantastic! It kept interest throughout the book and banter was super good!
🌶️🌶️/5

I have to say I think I liked this in spite of some plot points that I normally dont’ like or try to avoid.

This is a why choose, swords crossing, accidental pregnancy, older woman + younger men age gap situation. What starts as a wild fantasy, one handed read, turns into a pretty serious situation.

Vivian is a college librarian, age 28 (?), working on her vision board to get some more excitement in her life. She gets asked out on a date by a 23 (?) year old college hockey player, Grayson. Even though he’s a younger guy, a student, she agrees with some reservations. But Grayson has more in mind than a date. His team mate/best friend/roommate, Theo, have a hockey superstition that THEY HAVE TO HAVE A THREESOME TO WIN AT HOCKEY. So every season they find a woman, usually another student, to have 3 somes with to win at hockey. It’s just sex, no girlfriends, no relationship. Grayson and Theo decide this year they want to have an ‘older’ woman, and Theo is really into librarians so Grayson has targeted Vivian. On their first date, Theo shows up and pretty quickly tells Vivian their plan. She’s mad, nearly leaves, then decides to take advantage of the opportunity to live a little.

What I personally don’t like, is the dynamic of college student + adult. They are technically only 5 years apart in age, but it feels a little icky to me. I think the author does a good job navigating around this in the end, but if it wasn’t an ARC I might have DNF’d.

On their night of their big event, their roommate, Bennett turns up and is asked to join in. It is pretty sexy and on par for other poly books. But Vivian decides she actually likes this guys and can’t keep doing this without catching feelings so she breaks things off.

No surprise from the title, but a big surprise to the characters, Vivian ends up pregnant. They did use condoms, that’s on page, but stuff happens. So what started out as a fantasy, has resulted in some very real world consequences. The rest of the book is these 4 figuring out their poly relationship, pregnancy, family drama, and what happens when people find out about their situation.

It does have an HEA, or HFN.

For a why choose, the author did a good job distinguishing between the male MMC’s with different personalities and backgrounds. Sometimes in these books their voices/POV start to run together. The final relationship kind of makes sense, Vivian is maybe an immature adult and 2 out of the 3 guys are pretty emotionally mature.

So, I liked this more than I thought I would when I started reading it. It combined a lot of sex with an interesting story line if you’re into polyamorous relationships with pregnancy mixed in.

I put this down almost immediately. The writing style was so grating and difficult to get through that I couldn't tolerate it, and it reads like the worst kind of self-insert fanfiction. Also hard to read as a librarian, when I know how much of a no-no it is getting hit on at work. I've never met another librarian who dresses up as the pin up version of our job, and maybe that's petty but it made me drop this immediately. YUCK.

Three Pucks and a Baby is your typical surprise baby sports romance with not 1, but 3 possible baby daddies.

This book was decent in the fact that it covers the main tropes and storyline for a surprise pregnancy. Vivian is the college librarian and Theo, Grayson, and Bennet are the three possible baby daddies. A night of passion between these 4 ends up with Viv finding out she is pregnant.

I will say there is a slight bi-awakening that I wish had been explored more in depth between the two characters. It felt a bit brushed over and just added for the 'bi' factor. The overall character interactions felt surface level with no real concrete development of relationships. I felt that if the story had more depth to the characters, interactions, and world I might have rated this higher.

If you're looking for a not really complicated poly sports romance with a happy ending this book is a good quick read with loads of dialogue.

Vivian finds herself lucky enough to have three senior hockey players pursue her as one of their college campuses librarians. She’s determined her word of the year for her vision board is “live” so she decides to go for it with all three of them for a once in a lifetime night full of passion. Only one month later she discovers she’s pregnant and doesn’t know who the father is. They all decide to give a polyamorous relationship a go but with that choice comes a whole slew of bumps in the road. The relationships between Vivian, Grayson, Theo, & Bennett are super sweet and spicy and fun. There were some great moments of conflict with each other but also internally for a few characters. Some conflicts were wrapped up pretty quickly for the story’s length I believe some were very true to life and it was lovely to read the personal growth within the characters’ arcs. Enjoyed this immensely!

⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Yeah, I wasn’t vibing with this. It did have some redeeming qualities though.

First of all, reverse harem with a (kinda) surprise baby… I’m all over that!

At its basis, the story was good. I think it had excellent bones and could have really been something if it were executed different.

The chemistry between the characters was lacking. I feel like the author could have slowed down and built the connection between them more.

Theo was unbearable. I’m all for an a-hole but Theo took it to another level. It wasn’t like he was a jerk and I loved him for it. No, this guy literally made me want to choose violence. And then when he takes control in the bedroom, it was really off putting. Idk, there is just a fine line between a jerk I want to be with biblically and a jerk I want to throw hands at. I personally think the book would have been better without him.

Bennett was adorable and I loved his character. His accent… not so much. As a person who was born and raised in the south, I can confirm that his accent was entirely forced and cringy. I literally gagged at one point from all the second hand embarrassment. At then, his accent seems to disappear altogether for a time only to reappear sporadically. It was just overdone and inconsistent. I personally would have been happier if he didn’t have a fake accent at all, but that’s just me.

I will say, there was something between Bennett and Theo that had me in a chokehold. I desperately needed these two to figure it out, but even that fell flat.

The spice was pretty good. I wasn’t really a fan of the dialogue in these scenes though. Especially with Theo. I think if they all would have just shut up and do the deed, I would have enjoyed the spice a lot more. I was definitely feeling the heat until one of them opened their mouths and I physically cringed lol.

Now, the other trope I didn’t mention earlier is the reverse age gap… that deserves its own paragraph because geez. I love a good age gap but I don’t typically go for the reverse. This book reminded me why I usually steer clear. I get it, she was older than the guys but they really didn’t have to make it the entire mood of the quad group. And maybe I could have overlooked that bit, but they made such a big deal out of it I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. And then, the guys constantly made it seem like being 30 is old. Not only did I not agree with that opinion, but it made the guys seem immature and I couldn’t get on board with that.

Overall, I think this book had the right ingredients, but it could have been cooked up better. The writing style was not it at all. The characters were cringy. The reverse age gap was problematic. Overall, it all needed some reworking.

I personally won’t be rereading this book and can’t recommend it.

Decided to d9wnload some romance novels to get away from the crime/thriller for a bit this book definatwly helped wit that was dragged in from the beginning wanting to know what happened and see how it read it fealt quite steamy in places which 8s definately a good thing i think the sex scenes are written quite well however at 36 i dont feel old so the referrals to her being old at 30 irritated me though to the younger generation i guess it is seen like that and it seemed a bit jumpy in places and i got lost a few times but worth a read if you can get past that

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 stars)

Three Pucks and a Baby is a light, fast-paced read with plenty of heart, heat, and hockey. The premise is delightfully over-the-top — three pro hockey players and a surprise baby — and the found family vibes are strong throughout. It’s easy to root for the characters, who are each charming in their own way, and the writing has a fun, self-aware tone that doesn't take itself too seriously.

That said, as someone who doesn’t usually gravitate toward why-choose romances, I found myself less emotionally invested in the romantic dynamic — but that’s entirely a matter of personal taste rather than any fault of the book. Fans of the genre will likely love the playful banter, steamy moments, and unconventional love story.

If you’re looking for a cozy, spicy, and trope-filled escape with a lot of heart (and a lot of hockey), this could be the perfect pick.

guyssss it was an accidental pregnancy not signle mum romance AND IM IN LOVE.
i couldnt out this down. I LOVE THIS.
i am proud to say i love accidental pregnancy, rh and hockey romances and i dont give a fuck what you say.
3 men worshipping a woman is amazing. its also reverse age gap shes 30, and the 3 dudes are 23.
THE SPICE WAS PERFECT. it was sooo, realistic too.
the fact theo was in denial about being bi after fucking a man is insane but im glad he came to his senses.
it showed the struggles of have unsupportive parents, and it was over all just super real. i felt soso connected with all the characters. they all had there flaws but thats what made me love them.
i LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THIS. i will end up rereading this again this month lmao
This did not disappoint and deserves more hype

✨pre-read✨

REVERSE HAREM, SINGLE MUM, HOCKEY ROMANCE. FUCK YES. THIS BOOK FUCKING BETTER BE AMAZING OR IM THROWING HANDS


Thankyou so much netgalley for provide me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!!

Three Pucks and a Baby is an MFM-turned-MFMM-turned-MMFM reverse harem why choose romance that kicks off with a hockey superstition and quickly becomes something more. It reminded me of Emily Rath’s Pucking Around, though I wasn’t as emotionally invested in the characters here.

Out of the four main characters, Theo had the most noticeable character development. I do wish we got to know each character a bit more individually, but I appreciated that the story doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s entertaining, sexy, and chaotic in the best way.

If you're looking for good smut with swords crossing and a surprisingly heartfelt storyline, this might be up your alley. I really enjoyed the emotional and physical chemistry between the MCs as none of them expected the lasting impact they’d have on each other (or the feelings that followed). It’s messy, yes, but ultimately grounded in care and connection.

I knew this would be smutty but it kind of wasn't as much as I expected.
Vivian, a university library, ends up in a quad poly after a one night thing with three university hocket players ends up with her pregnant. There are growing and complicated quad dynamics, tons of emotions (both due to pregnancy and the fact that the guys are all in their early twenties), and only a small amount of infighting.
This was a breezy, easy read and the narrator was easy to speed up and get through this one.

Thanks to Netgalley for the e-arc!

Thank you Net Galley for giving me an ARC of this book! This review is my own opinion.

Vivian, our FMC feels her thirtieth birthday looming over her and decides she wants to live a little. Embracing her word of the year “Live”, she ends up in a threesome with two hockey players from her college. The story follows Vivian and these men as they navigate the repercussions of this one-night stand and what it means to each of them.

I haven’t read any Katie Ashley books; but after this one, I am eager to try another one. It was an easy read with some fun, spicy moments. The characters are hard not to love and root for. I will be recommending this Why Choose to my friends.

So grateful to have been chosen as an ARC reader for this book. I’m an ice hockey romance girlie through and through, and I might be a teeny tiny bit obsessed with why choose!

Loved the fact that the FMC was a 30 yo librarian that totally fell for three younger men. I feel like there’s still a big stigma on women being older than their partners nowadays, which is totally ridiculous if you ask me. Seeing this being a big part of the book, made me giddy! Also, the queer representation in this book made my heart happy! I love myself a MM(FM) romance, and this one reminded me of Pucking Around by Emily Rath, which was the first why choose ice hockey romance I read, so it will always hold a special place in my heart! Accidental pregnancies are normally not my thing, but in this book it was perfect.

I’d definitely recommend this book!

I have just finished reading this book and I thoroughly enjoyed it, I even read it all in one sitting!

Honestly I don’t tend to pick up reverse harem/why choose books typically, but I am so glad I did!! There was a great amount of humour in this book and I feel each character played their part well in terms dialogue and I could imagine each character saying what they did.

The only thing I would change about this book is to add a small bit of buildup at the beginning so we know a tinyyy bit more about the characters before jumping into the smut. However we did get this throughout the story so I still really enjoyed it!

Thank you for letting me read a copy of this book! Katie Ashley you have just got yourself a new fan!!!

When I saw this book on NetGalley I can’t believe I didn’t request it at first and am now so happy I went back and not only requested an advanced copy, but was awarded one! I enjoyed this book so so much and had a hard time putting it down, resulting in many extra coffees to get through the work day, lol!

Vivian was such a strong and independent woman and I loved how she had no issues putting these boys in their places! Theo was as Gray called him the “alpha asshole”, and it suited him at first. After learning his family history, I understood where it was coming from and happy he sought out help. Gray was the self proclaimed cinnamon roll and he was certainly that with a great sense of humor. Then we have sweet ol’ Bennie Boy, his unrequited crush really tugged at my heart strings for him and I am so happy they all got their HEA as they all should! Everyone deserves an EPIC love story!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book.
Three Pucks and a Baby offers a steamy and entertaining take on hockey romance with a reverse harem (MMFM) twist. The story starts off strong, with an engaging setup that pulls you in, even with the familiar pregnancy trope at play. The chemistry between the characters is sizzling, and the spicy scenes are especially well done, making it an enjoyable read in that regard.
However, there were several elements that detracted from the overall experience. One recurring frustration was the offhanded comments about the FMC being "old" at 30, which felt unnecessary and out of touch. While the concept had great potential, parts of the plot felt unbelievable or too basic, and I found myself wanting more depth—both from the storyline and the character development. The timeline was also confusing at times. Early chapters were prefaced with helpful markers like “one month later” or “two weeks later,” but this faded as the book progressed, leaving transitions unclear. This inconsistency made it harder to track the characters’ growth as individuals and as a poly group, particularly with the added complexity of pregnancy and evolving emotional dynamics.
Additionally, the book was riddled with spelling, grammar, and name/POV errors—especially toward the end. In some scenes, one character’s name would be incorrectly used, creating confusion about who was actually present or speaking. While this can be a common issue in Why Choose romances, the frequency of these mistakes was distracting and undermined the story’s flow.
In the end, Three Pucks and a Baby has a lot of promise, and I genuinely enjoyed aspects of it. But due to the structural issues and lack of polished character development, it fell short of being a standout in the genre.

A cute and spicy read, one that i immensely enjoyed. I was super entertained reading it, and laughed more than a few times.

While there were a few inconsistencies that sometimes took me out of the story, I enjoyed my time with this book! Another hockey romance banger for the books.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher, ans the author for an arc!

Vivian -sweet university librarian Vivian is heading for her 30th birthday and somehow an innocent dinner invite with a hockey hottie would end up in a threesome (sports superstitions are very real) with his roommate, until third bi-curious roommate joins in and Vivian has a 30th birthday year to remember- especially after she sees the pregnancy line positives- who is the dad, can they make this work while waiting to find out who the lucky dad is, all four are grappling with feeling and emotions that were not a part of their night out. - this book shows that love is not always conventional and you find it where you least suspect it sometimes- i hope we see more of this poly fam!

I’ve only read one Katie Ashley novel before (her Smartypants Romance, Green Valley Public Library series contribution), but I absolutely loved it. When I saw this pop up and it was RH and hockey - I just had to grab it! Two of my favourite things!

This isn’t a new concept by any means… heck, a few other huge names in romance have RH hockey series out right now, but you can never have too many. Give me more!!

I just loved and devoured this one! I loved the way the first set of roommates had their player superstition about needing the ménage before a game to play well, and seeking out their college librarian specifically. The reverse age gap was a really great twist from those other series.

I really loved the addition of the third roommate and just exactly how he came to be involved.

The very best part was what happened after their single night - but you all have to read it to find out exactly what it was! This is how this plot varies a lot from all of the others.

It’s a very risqué read and perfectly steamy. Fantastic! RH done exactly how it should be. Highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Victory Editing NetGalley Coop for an advance copy. This is my honest feedback.

A cute story with all of the tropes we have come to expect in a hockey romance, but enough knowledge of how the game is played that Katie Ashley manages to avoid a lot of the mistakes many authors in this genre make.