Royally Pucked by Pippa Grant

If you haven't yet read Pippa Grant, you're really missing out! With titles like Stud in the Stacks, Mr. McHottie, The Pilot and the Puck-Up, and her latest, Royally Pucked, (available 4/6/18) this author is either slightly deranged, incredibly clever, or maybe a bit of both.  The series is loosely based on hockey-playing twin brothers, Zeus and Aries, their sister, friends and teammates. Zeus and Aries are gentle giants with unique, memorable personalities and shenanigans somehow seem to surround them.

One thing is sure. You've never had a reading experience like Ms. Grant delivers. I've read a lot of rom-coms, but her books are an entire family, interactive experience.  Provided you're reading in the company of family.

My experience went something like this.

BIL:  What are you laughing at?

Me:  Err . . . <shows book titles to sister>

Sister: (Who does zero novel reading, anymore) 😲

BIL:  Are you on Facebook or reading?

Me:  Reading.

(My father is a 90 year old retired preacher whose genres are polar opposites of mine but he instilled a love of reading in me and we often discuss books. Safe ones, anyway.)

Dad:  Funny book?

Me:  Yep. <finds safe snippet to read aloud> (Thank dog there was at least one safe one!)

The next time I laughed out loud, the question was whether I was laughing at the book or the sitcom on TV, which then devolved to eyerolling and sighs with each subsequent snort of laughter. Do you know how hard it was to snicker silently?!  And nothing on Dog's green earth could keep a grin from breaking out on my face. Grant starts with characters named Zeus and Aries Berger and things devolve into hilarity from there.

It's also worth mentioning that Grant shines a light on dyslexia (hence, the "thank dog"), adding some poignant, heartfelt moments in the midst of the mayhem and laughter.  I loved this book and these characters so much that my advance copy reading came to a screeching halt so I could read The Pilot and the Pick-Up as soon as I finished Royally Pucked. If I didn't have such a tight schedule this month I would have finished Grant's first two novels, as well. As it stands, I'm furiously reading to get ahead so I can sneak them in.

Seriously, grab a Pippa Grant book, if you haven't read her. I promise you won't be sorry. Well, if you're missing the humor gene her writing may not be for you, but if you like to laugh you'll love her writing.  And so as not to offend anyone, there are some swear words and intimate, sexy times, so if those aren't your jive, you may want to pass. (I'll admit to skipping over sexy scenes in some books, depending on the writing and my mood.)  But if you like other indie contemporary romance, you'll definitely love this book!  Not that you need it, but here's my review. I'd give more than five stars if it were possible.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟+

Oh. My. Freakin'. Dog!! Get this book NOW! This has got to be the most side-splitting, gut-busting, laugh-so-hard-you-cry, spew-your-drink, my-side-hurts-make-it-stop, hilarious rom-com I’ve ever read! Somehow I found my way to this author's newsletters and that delightful entertainment prompted me to grab the chance to read an advance copy of this book. My only regret is my failure to highlight these laugh-out-loud gems as I read so I could quickly recall them the next time I need a laugh, which simply means a revisit to Gracie and Manning’s story in the near future. After I read the first book, of course, because there's no resisting catching up on Zeus and Joey's story, having had a small taste of them here.

So the basic premise is this: a spare heir to the throne of a small Nordic country wreaks so much havoc his father, the king, sends him to play hockey in the States while the messes get cleaned up in time for him to wed the woman he was betrothed to practically from birth. The naughty prince behaves just a little badly, resulting in an unfortunate future heir by way of Joey's sister, Gracie, a sweet bakery owner from Alabama. Royal mayhem and Southern shenanigans ensue. Throw in a monosyllabic gentle giant of a hockey player/roommate (Aries), a harridan shrew with a traitorous emotional support monkey (Manning's betrothed), and a woman with more attitude and testosterone than hockey players (Joey), then grab your popcorn, sit back and enjoy the show.

Don’t let the above lull you into thinking it’s all fun and games. There’s plenty of heat with the slow burn, off the charts chemistry between Manning and Gracie, but most of all, a ton of heart as Gracie and Manning sort out the mess and find their happily ever after. And did I mention bonus epilogues? They take place between the last chapter and the book's epilogue and are a perfect addition that you won't want to miss, so don’t forget to grab them from the link at the back of the book. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve already grabbed The Pilot And The Puck Up and read Zeus and Joey's story last night. Trust me, once you get a taste of these characters you're going to want more and more of them!  These characters are endlessly entertaining, sweetly endearing, unique, quirky and larger than life. They’ll bulldoze their way into your heart, making themselves right at home, and you’ll love every minute of it!

(*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.)

So you'll have all the links, because I know you're dying to get started, just click on each title: Royally Pucked, The Pilot and the Puck-Up, Mr. McHottie,  (Ambrosia Berger's story) and Stud in the Stacks.  Find out more about Ms. Grant on her Amazon page, and if nothing else, sign up for her ridiculously entertaining newsletter.  Until next time, dear reader

Much love between the covers,

BookAddict