The Pucking Proposal

Maple Creek

By: Lauren Landish

Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Carly Robins

A sports reporter and a hockey player get up close and personal in an outrageously sexy romantic comedy by Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Lauren Landish.

When it comes to hockey, unflappable Maple Creek sports reporter Joy Barlowe is privy to a lot of behind-the-scenes locker room activity. Like stumbling upon Dalton Days in all his unabashed glory. After the muscled goalie goes on to score better than he ever has, he proposes Joy take another peek before his next match. It works, and a provocative pregame tradition is born.

Dalton has the best stats in the league, but he’s also superstitious. Now he’s found his good luck charm. Joy is not only game, she’s playing along. She’s also his best buddy’s younger sister and totally off-limits. What happens between them has to be their late-night FaceTime secret. That’s the naked truth. So is the fact that Joy and Dalton are discovering there’s more to each other than meets the eye.

Falling in lust? Easy to hide. Falling in love? Much harder. Now Dalton has one more proposition for Joy. And the fallout could rock Maple Creek.

©2025 by Lauren Landish. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“A total treat to read from start to end, I loved all the lighthearted drama and humor…”—Harlequin Junkie

A fun story

This is a fun and lighthearted romcom. What starts out as a ridiculous pregame hockey ritual ends up turning into something so much more.

Hilarious story enemy to lovers

The narration was fabulous. The story was funny, and I loved the banter between the siblings and the main characters.

Arc review/audible

For a honest review in my own words on a Audible I listen too. The chemistry and banter between Dalton and joy is sweet and heart warming while also making you laugh.

Sweet, smexy hockey perfection!!

Joy and Dalton’s accidental post shower peekaboo meet cute is a scintillating love/hate arrangement loaded with steamy chemistry, verbose exchanges, and flirty tongue-in-cheek euphemisms between a well endowed, pierced hockey goalie and a local sports reporter whose brother is his team captain and best friend. It’s an entertaining romp that made me laugh out loud as Joy and Dalton’s saucy verbal sparring leads to steamy FaceTime sessions and a shared emotional connection as the season progresses and the team keeps on winning. I liked all the hockey action, the camaraderie’s between the appealing players, and the complexities of the consequences for both characters should they get caught. While their pivotal break up scene and Joy’s reaction are totally predictable their make up scene is heartfelt and I still fell in love with both characters and the exploration of their emotional triggers. What makes the story even better is the outrageously entertaining narration performances of fan favorites Teddy Hamilton and Carly Robbins who could read me the phone book and find ways to make me smile. Together they’re sweet, smexy, hockey romance perfection!

3.5 stars

I thought this book was super sweet! Dalton and Joy were fun characters and I liked the way the narrators brought the two to life.

There were definitely times I was laughing out loud at some of the superstitions Dalton had and how fiery Joy was. I loved her independence but seeing her open up may have been one of my favorite parts of the story.