Pucked Up
by Helena Hunting
Self-Published
Book 2 in the Pucked Series
Miller “Buck” Butterson has been banging his way through life ever since a puck to the face fixed his messed up front teeth, and he was drafted into the NHL during his first year of college.
After five years of deflecting goals on the ice and scoring them with puck bunnies across the Continental US and parts of Canada, Miller is ready for a girlfriend. A real girlfriend of the non-bunny variety. One he takes on dates and doesn’t jump into bed with after five seconds of conversation.
Miller thinks he’s found that woman in his teammate’s sister. Except, unlike Alex Waters, center, team captain and all round nice guy—who happens to be dating his step-sister—Miller’s manwhore reputation is well earned, and not blown out of proportion by the media. Beyond that minor detail, Miller doesn’t know the first thing about having a girlfriend. But he’s determined to make it happen.
What he doesn’t take into account is the amount of time and effort relationships require, or that constantly letting bunnies take selfies with him to post all over social media isn’t going to win him any points in the boyfriend department. Miller learns—not so quickly—that if he wants to make Sunshine “Sunny” Waters fall for him, he going to have to do a whole lot more than show her his stick skills in the bedroom.
Genre:
Contemporary Romance
Pucked Up is the second book in Helena Huntings' Pucked series. This book centers around Miller (Buck) Butterson - Violet's step-brother - and Summer Waters, Alex's (from Pucked) sister. Buck is a well known playboy. But after 5 years in the NHL, and having sampled many puck bunnies, he is ready for a girlfriend. And he thinks he has found his match in Alex's younger sister Summer. But there are a lot of challenges. His social media chronicles his well known past with the bunnies, and partying. She is his team captain's sister, who is also dating Buck's step-sister. She lives in Canada, and her best friend hates him. Add on top of that a heaping scoop of bad luck, and Buck has a difficult road ahead of him to make Summer his.
As much as I enjoyed Pucked, I didn't like Pucked Up. The characters are good. Well written. Very different from Alex and Violet, which is what I want in this type of series. I love that we get some representation for those with learning exceptionalities. It's technically well written. By issue is that Miller/Buck and Summer had no chemistry. Like none. I was BORED. And the whole book felt like a really bad rom-com, that felt like it could be easily fixed. Sunny refers to her vagina as a cookie, which is a huge pet peeve of mine. The highlight of this book was any moments between Violet and Miller, and whatever went on between Randy and Lily.
While I didn't like this book, I do plan to continue with the series. It's hinted at some interesting future storylines, that I will admit, intrigued me. But as for this one, I don't have much else to say. But after the chemistry between Alex and Violet, Miller and Summer are just meh.
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Violet: “I’m at Lance’s front door. Let me in.”
Miller: “What? How did you know I was here?”
Violet: “Because I’m psychic, and Instagram is my oracle. Now let me in. Miller: “MC?”
Violet: “Monster cock.”
Miller: “For Christ’s sake, Vi. I have to play hockey with this guy. How am I supposed to be able to look at him, let alone talk to him, when you tell me shit like this?” Violet: “Maybe you didn’t string the bunnies along with false promises, but you’ve perfected the art of smooth talking. You can say almost anything to a girl, and she’s going to drop her pants for you, which is honestly amazing. Your body hair is like its own ecosystem. It’s a wonder you’ve never lost anyone in there.”
Miller: “I don’t get your obsession with my body hair.” Miller: “Sunny, can I ask you a question?”
Sunny: “Sure.”
Miller: “Are you in the men’s bathroom?”
Sunny: “Uh-huh. No one will look for me here ’cause I have a cookie, not a penis.” Lily: “I was in the middle of shaving my legs! You burst into the bathroom. I’m naked under this towel!”
Randy: “Oh, I’m well aware of what’s going on under that towel. If you’d locked the door maybe I wouldn’t have gotten a front-row seat to the beaver show.”
Lily: “You—I—you’re disgusting!”
As she spins around, the two sides of the towel fly open, giving everyone another shot of beaver.
Randy: “I like the natural look,”
She flips the bird over her shoulder as she storms away.
Lily: “My waxer’s been sick.”
Randy: “I’m happy to help out, if you want,”
Randy calls after her.
Lily: “You’re an asshole.”
The screen door slams shut.
Sunny: “So . . . I guess you met Lily.”
Sunny swings her legs over the edge of the hammock and uses my shoulders as a brace to stand. Randy: “You’ve been following her around the house like an untrained puppy for the past twenty minutes, needling the shit out of her right in front of me. Maybe it’s time you take a fucking hint and leave like she’s been asking you to.”
Benji: “I’m not going anywhere.”
Randy: “You sure about that?”
Randy cracks his knuckles.
Benji: “I have a brown belt in karate.”
Randy: “And I have a black belt in kick your fucking ass.”
Then the weirdest thing in the world happens. Lily grabs Randy by the shoulder, spins him around, and suctions her mouth to his.
Miller: “Is there a full moon?”
I ask Sunny, who looks as shocked as me. She doesn’t even have to think about her answer.
Sunny: “It’s not until next week.” Randy: “Waters is a weirdo, isn’t he?”
Miller: “He’s marrying my sister, so yup.” Miller: “Why’d you get back together with Alex after the relationship denial?”
Violet: “You mean aside from the fact that he has a giant cock and can make me come like a freight train on nitrous?”
Miller: “Don’t be an asshole right now, Vi.” But caring that much about someone gives them a lot of power, and that makes me nervous. Power hurts people. Miller: “Why would you pick a fight with him?”
Violet: “Not like a real fight. Just, like, you know, leaving the dishes out of the dishwasher, or the cap off the toothpaste, or forgetting to buy new lube so we can’t have marathon sex—that kind of thing.”
I give her the eye.
Miller: “Sometimes it’s like you’ve been my sister my entire life, and then you have to go and overshare and ruin it all.” Miller: “No one said you had to call me Miller.”
Violet: “Yeah, but Sunny calls you Miller and so does Randy. I feel bad that I can’t make it work for me.”
Miller: “Don’t. Buck is a multipurpose nickname. If you want to feel bad about nicknames, stop calling me yeti.”
Violet: “If you had dark hair, you’d look like a Sasquatch.”
Miller: “I would not. I keep everything trimmed all nice-nice. Except my balls. Those are bare, like two squishy, smooth, flesh-colored plums.”
She makes a sound like she’s coughing up a hairball.
Violet: “Thanks, asshole. I liked plums up until now. Violet: “Look at you, growing up, being the man. I’m so proud.”
Miller: “Suck it.”
Violet: “Alex was unreasonable. We’re mostly okay, but I’m still not happy with how he managed himself. I’ve been doing a lot of withholding. It hasn’t been easy, but I think he’s starting to get it.”
Miller: “Withholding?”
She gestures to herself.
Violet: “He gets none of this right now. So I’m responsible for taking care of my own orgasms. It’s seriously fucking inconvenient for me, but I’m willing to take a stand for you, so remember that.”
I try to speak, but there aren’t any words to express the level of overshare or my gratitude. Violet: “I don’t get the whole need to be a princess for a day. I don’t want to be a princess. I want to be Violet Waters so I have a princessy, romantic name. The rest of it is total crap meant to propagate false expectations for marriage.”
Miller: “Wow. Way to sell it, Vi.”
Violet: “Screw you, Buck. You just wait. Your day will come, and when it does I’ll laugh it up like you are. Talking about this is giving me hives.”
At first I think she’s being dramatic, but then I see irregular red dots appear on her arms.
Miller: “Does Waters know you’re this stressed out?”
Violet: “Say one word and I’ll—”
Miller: “Shave my balls. I know.”
Violet: “I was gonna say armpits, but you had to go for the genitalia, didn’t you?”