Miller “Buck” Butterson has been banging his way through life ever since a puck to the face fixed his messed up front teeth. After five years in the NHL, deflecting goals on the ice and scoring them with puck bunnies, Miller has decided he’s ready for a girlfriend. A real, non-bunny girlfriend to take on dates, and not jump into bed with after five seconds of conversation.
Miller thinks he’s … thinks he’s found that woman in his teammate’s sister. Except, unlike team captain and all-around nice guy Alex Waters—who happens to date his stepsister, Miller’s media reputation as a manwhore is well earned. Beyond that minor detail, Miller doesn’t know the first thing about relationships or the time and effort they require.
Miller learns—eventually—that if he wants to make Sunshine “Sunny” Waters fall for him, he’s going to have to do a whole lot more than show her his stick skills in the bedroom.
more
Just when you think Buck is nothing but a hairy Yeti with the IQ of a hockey puck, Helena Hunting turns him into an endearing, monogamous horndog with a sweet, hilarious side. Pucked Up is a fabulous follow-up and a great addition to the series.
I loved all the books in the Pucked series, and Miller’s book is surprisingly the most romantic (spider bites and all). Miller and Sunny are an odd match, yet perfectly suited.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW:
Pure enjoyment!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration:
Romance:
Heat/Steam:
Story/Plot:
World building:
Character development:
The heroine: Sunshine Waters (a.k.a. Sunny) – sister to Alex Waters (Pucked, #1). Sunny is a good girl and not a puck bunny. She lives in Guelph, Ontario.
The Hero(es): Miller Butterson (a.k.a. Buck) – NHL Hockey player. He plays for Chicago and they won the Stanley Cup last year. Miller is a recovering playboy since he met Sunny.
The Story: Buck was a player and a partier and though he is reforming since the night he met Sunny and found he actually wanted to talk to her more than he wanted to sleep with her. Now he is dating her and has flown to Guelph a few times to spend time with her.
I really liked this story. It was utterly enjoyable, both sweet and sexy and I laughed out loud quite a few times. It was told solely from Buck’s point of view and the narrator had the perfect voice for this guy. His voice was deep when necessary, obtuse sounding in all the right places and deadpan when he said the funniest things. I loved it.
The book opened showing Buck as a drunken lout. He seemed like the gross fraternity brother who didn’t care about anyone but himself. However, the more we see of him the more he grows on you until you just can’t help but love him.
Sunny has a hard time dealing with his celebrity and how Miller was always showing up in social media pictures with scantily clad puck bunnies. As the two become closer it is easy to see their issues from both sides, since Buck really wasn’t doing anything wrong, but he always ended up in the most compromising pictures.
Lovely easy read. Buck and Sunny make a really sweet couple. Nice to see the big heart that Buck has.
I wasn’t sure if Butterson could redeem himself but he did. So sweet and oddly sexy. Buck/Miller & Sunny are adorable together. And poor guy, I’m amazed he was in one piece in the end. lol. Funny, sexy, and sweet, I floved it!
For me, the beginning was a bit slow but it picked up nicely. You got to understand Buck more in this one and even his interaction with Violet. Very funny at times 🙂 Loved Buck and Sunny together. I would’ve liked to read Sunny’s POV too but overall a great read!
Just when you think that Miller is a side character packing all his yeti brains in is pants, thrusting his love stick on anything in a bathroom stall he becomes one of the most lovable characters I’ve ever read.
J’avais beaucoup aimé le 1er tome qui a été publié il y a quelques semaines en france sous le titre Hard Boy et j’ai vraiment adoré ce deuxième tome qui se focalise sur un personnage très intriguant à savoir Miller “Buck” Butterson le frère de Violet et Sunshine “Sunny” Waters , la soeur d’Alex. J’avais de grandes attentes quant à ce 2ème tome et je n’ai pas été déçue , bien au contraire.
Dans le 1er tome, Buck est présenté comme un homme obnubilé par le sexe et qui jette les filles comme on jette un kleenex usagé. Son image est loin d’être positive donc et le seul faire valoir que nous avions aperçu avait été son attitude vis à vis de sa demi soeur Violet. J’espèrais donc en découvrir davantage sur lui . Je ne voulais pas que nous retombions dans le piège des filles faciles. Ce qui est génial , c’est que nous reprenons Pucked Up là où Hard Boy s’était arrêté. Ainsi , pas de redondances et même si les filles faciles n’ont pas disparu de la scène, on découvre un tout autre Buck. Tout d’abord nous apprenons les origines du surnom Buck et tout au long de ce roman, il se fait appeler par son véritable nom Miller. On le retrouve au début de sa relation avec Sunny et les choses vont tout doucement. Dès le début , on sent qu’il est un autre homme avec elle et qu’il veut vraiment leur donner une réelle chance d’une vie à deux. Le parcours sera semé d’embûches en tout genre.
Helena Hunting après nous avoir plongé dans le domaine du hockey professionnel nous ouvre les porte d’un autre aspect à savoir celui de la célébrité mais aussi des effets néfastes de la célébrité. Nous avions eu un aperçu de la distorsion que pouvait être faite entre une information et une rumeur. Alex en avait fait les frais dans Hard Boy et le moins que l’on puisse dire c’est que Miller est dans les ennuis jusqu’au cou à cause des réseaux sociaux. Les images seront une nouvelle fois sorties hors de leur contexte et la mauvaise réputation de ce dernier ne sera pas non plus d’une aide précieuse. J’ai adoré voir les scènes où il est confronté aux difficultés malgré lui. Dans Hard Boy, il n’y avait pas à mon sens assez d’obstacles à l’histoire d’amour entre Alex et Vi , mais ici ce n’est pas le cas et ça m’a vraiment plu car Miller va devoir faire son parcours du combattant et tenter de se justifier sur l’injustifiable. On le découvre aussi plus en profondeur et c’est avec joie que j’ai compris que l’image superficielle qu’il renvoyait de lui même n’était qu’un leurre. On découvre donc un souci “handicapant ” dont on ne soupçonne absolument pas l’existence dans le 1er tome . Après la surprise, on le voit se battre dans la vie de tous les jours pour y faire face et on comprend les préjugés que certains peuvent porter à son égard . C’est un sujet qui touche tellement les gens qu’il est intéressant de le voir évoquer. Vous le découvrirez en mai lors de la sortie VF de ce second tome. On découvre également un nouvel aspect de sa personnalité et de sa vie privée qui est complétement attendrissant et qui nous le dévoile sous un autre jour. Miller n’est pas qu’un mec qui aime se balader à poil, qui est souvent entouré de bimbos et qui ne pense qu’à coucher avec des filles. Non , il sait mettre sa notoriété au service des autres. Parviendra t-il à convaincre Sunny de ses bonnes intentions? Saura t-il dompter son image médiatique et apparaître sous un nouveau jour? Réussira t-il à convaincre Alex qu’il peut être un petit ami pour sa cher et tendre soeur?
Nous avions également découvert Sunny dans Hard Boy et l’image que nous avions d’elle reste conformément la même dans ce nouveau tome. Sunny est une jeune femme posée, calme qui parvient à contenir Miller. Dans ce tome, elle vivra des moments comme sur une montagne russe et elle aura du mal à maîtriser son destin. Elle a du mal à faire confiance à Miller et on la comprend car de nombreux incidents ou quiproquo vont mettre à mal sa relation avec le jeune homme. Sunny est une jeune femme entourée d’amis qui lui veulent du bien peut être un peu trop. Alex semble de plus en plus étouffant dans ce tome et il ne pardonnera aucune incartades. Lilly est aussi une amie très fidèle et très protectrice et elle voit donc sa relation avec le jeune hockeyeur d’un mauvais oeil. Quand un ex petit ami fait sa réapparition, les soucis ne font que commencer. J’ai aimé le personnage de Sunny. Même si je ne suis pas toujours d’accord avec les choix qu’elle a fait, je comprends sa position. Pourra t-elle faire confiance à Miller? Saura t-elle démêler les bons conseils des mauvais? Donnera t-elle réellement une chance à son histoire d’amour?
Dans ce tome, ce que j’ai également adoré c’est le retour de Violet et d’Alex. Violet , vous savez cette jeune femme pétillante et débordante d’humour. On la découvre également sous un nouveau jour dans ce tome . Alors que dans Hard Boy, j’avais adoré son humour décapant , j’ai adoré ici sa sensibilité et la voir dans la peau d’une grande soeur est très attendrissant. Elle est l’épaule dont Miller a besoin. Elle saura intervenir au bon moment en lui prodiguant des conseils avisés et réalistes sur la vie à deux. Je ne vous en dis pas plus mais vous allez adorer cette nouvelle version de Violette. On en apprend un peu plus sur Randall Ballistic ( qui aura sa propre histoire dans le 3ème tome Pucked Over qui sort demain) . C’est l’ami d’enfance de Miller et lui aussi subit une évolution des plus intéressante au fil des pages. Lui aussi cache bien son jeu et je suis curieuse d’en découvrir plus sur lui et sa relation amoureuse avec Lilly.
Bref, j’ai adoré Pucked Up. Nous quittons les patinoires et les matchs bourrés de sueurs et de testostérone pour découvrir des machos aux grands coeurs. Helena Hunting réussit une nouvelle fois à instaurer de l’humour à bon escient et les péripéties du pauvre Miller n’ont pas fini de nous faire rire. Pucked Up nous offre une nouvelle intrigue pleine de rebondissements et de romance et on ne peut que fondre.
Miller “Buck” Butterson is the step-brother of Violet, who we met in Pucked. He is the teammate of Alex Waters, Vi’s boyfriend. And he is the friend of Sunny Waters, Alex’s sister. To say the lines are all twisted is probably an understatement.
Miller has a reputation: he’s a whore. He “fucks and chucks” (the new ‘hit it and quit it’) his way through women faster than most people can change underwear. He has zero plans to settle down. Or does he? Miller the man-whore is who we meet in Pucked, but in Pucked Up he has his sights set on Sunny.
Sunny is sweet, caring, a bit flakey, and vegan. Yes. The vegan thing is important because I just can’t comprehend how someone doesn’t eat cheese. She meets Miller in Pucked, befriends him, and then keeps her distance.
Since the two live in different countries and he’s on the road with the hockey team, they don’t have much time to spend together. So, when Miller butchers the weekend they had planned by not catching his flight, shit really hits the fan.
Sunny isn’t happy. Social media is blowing up with images of Miller and several random girls. Miller isn’t happy because Sunny isn’t happy because of the pictures of random girls.
Miller has been trying to date Sunny for about 3 months. That’s 3 months he has gone with absolutely no sex–beyond his hand. He’s trying to be good. So. Good. And social media effs up everything.
So, yeah. Here are the snippets from PUcked Up. Keep in mind this book is fucking hilarious and take everything in context. It’s pretty simple to do. Don’t read into it. Miller and Sunny aren’t that deep.
“Wow. Great. Awesome. You’re so blond. You’re like a real-life Ken doll, but your hair’s not plastic. Who’s the girl who always posts stuff about you being a yet?” She glances at my arms. “You don’t have that much hair.”
Fucking Vi and her comments on Facebook. “I only turn on the yeti moon.” When all I get is a blank look, I say, “My sister thinks it’s hilarious to post that BS.”
Yeti moon. HAHAHAHA.
“Is Waters with you?”
“Are you kidding me? I left him at home. I’m not interested in reducing our sex life to conjugal visits. Besides, he’s too pretty for prison. They’d probably make him bottom because of his monster cock.”
Vi. It’s Super MC to you!
With guys, all the foreplay is nice but unnecessary. We’re happy with a handle grab and some stroking. Women are different. They need more than physical contact. It’s psychological. It’s always better when there’s lead up. I’ve seen some cool documentaries on the topic. It’s like research. Porn is probably the worst possible thing a guy can watch to get pointers on what gets a woman off. Pounding away like a jackhammer isn’t going to do it. There has to be connection. I’m good at that. I say all the right things, use all the right techniques. If there was a Masters in female orgasms, I’d have one.
Oh, Miller. Maybe you have a bit of substance to you after all. Plus, I’d like to try out your theory on whether you should have that Masters or not. 😉
“I think bearded hipster is redundant. Don’t all hipsters have beards?” Vi snickers. “Wait, Kale? Why is that name familiar?”
“Because it’s a vegetable?”
Bearded hipster. Redundant. So. Effing. True.
Okay, folks, that’s all I’ve got. It’s a HEA kind of book so read for your enjoyment. You won’t find any tears here; only belly laughs.
Miller and Sunny are two peas in a pod that are learning the ropes of media, distance, and relationships. Miller has never been what you would call a paragon of chastity. His reputation definitely proceeds him and it has never really been issue with him until now…. Something happened the night he met Sunshine Waters and since then his world has been turned on its axis. Sunny Sunshine makes him want to be better man, but a complete image overhaul is not as easy as it would seem. It feels like the universe is conspiring against him. If it’s not the bunnies posting stupid photos, it’s Sunny’s inner circle whispering in her ear, or just the series of unfortunate events leading to poor decisions. If Miller wants to prove a leopard can change his spots he has his work cut out for him, but Sunny is worth it on all fronts.
Yeti loves Sunshine as much as Fishing spider love balls
Funny, sweet, riveting and hilarious !!
This is a successful follow up to Pucked. The Yeti basks in Sunny Sunshine and waters and lily and Bushman Tiny Dick , ska Kale the ex , try their darn zest to keep them apart. But a spider bite, poison ivy & hair removal cream fiasco later, they “talk” it out on waters couch…naked…BUSTED!
It’s a good sweet , funny read
I liked it, but not as much as the first one. I thought the parts with Miller and Vi were awesome. They were also the funniest. I really didn’t care for Sunny that much. There was some predictably towards the middle. Like of course something messed up was going to happen to him and get blown way out of proportion. Then Sunny would get mad, blah, blah, blah. It happened 3 or 4 times. But overall, I was excited to read it. It had some hot sexing times and it was told in Miller’s POV which I loved!
Buck is Seriously like his sister, no filter, “I can see how that might happen. I usually stick to tissues or whacking it in the shower. I’ve tried aiming in the sink or the toilet, but the trajectory isn’t always predictable, and my dick isn’t bendy when I’m hard.” I’m still kneeling in front of her, so she can’t see my current wood. “We should probably talk about something else, yeah? Other than my whacking-off practices.” It’s always good knowing underwear preference and the reasons, “she wiggles her fingers under my waistband. I’m commando. Underwear is mostly useless. My balls like to be free, not confined by material.” I loved how accommodating Buck could be:
“You look so good without a shirt on. I wish it was summer all the time.”
“I won’t wear one while we’re in the house.”
“Or by the pool.” Her fingertips drift down my arms.
“I won’t even wear shorts, if that’s what you want. I’ll swing free all weekend, just for you.”
This is one of my favorite series I love the characters and the humor
This one was a lot of fun to read, it had bits of humor, sexiness, drama, and spawned a case of the feels.. and of course a hot hockey star to swoon over!! This was my first visit to the series, and I have to say not only am I impressed, but I’m also certain I will be back for more!! If you are a sports romance lover than I highly suggest you pick this one up, it’s sure to leave you satisfied!!
I really am getting into this series by Helena Hunting. I am a huge hockey fan… Add to that a romantic comedy that touches on a topic that is not only part of my own personal life but also my girl’s lives… The life of a dyslexic person. Reading Miller’s story was like taking a page out of my own life at times it my girl’s… Author Helena Hunting was able to write a dyslexic person’s struggles in to this story so seamlessly. Sunny and Miller so far might be my favorite couple in this series but then again I am a wee bit biased. It was nice to catch up with Alex and Vi and yes we got introduced to the next couple in this series …. What a fun series this is too.
MILLER IS ADORABLE
I know he’s done crazy things and is a bit off the wall but Miller has a big heart that I didn’t see before. Sunny and Miller together are a crazy pair although at times I wanted to smack her.
I was head-over-heels for Pucked and never expected the next book to live up to the first but I was thrilled. This book is follows Violet’s stepbrother as he pursues Alex’s sister, Sunny. His actions in Alex and Violet’s story kind of led me to think he was going to bang his teammate’s sister for payback but that’s not the case at all.
Miller “Buck” Butterson is the biggest sweetheart, I might like him more than Alex except that won’t last because by the time I got to the third book, I was all about Randy Ballistic but that’s for another day. We’ll just say that Helena Hunting may write the greatest characters ever. My love affair with Violet and Alex waned somewhat with Miller’s story because they interfered too much between him and Sunny. They both meant well and it came from a place of love but more than once, I wanted to scream at them both to butt the hell out already.
Sunny’s best friend, Lily LeBlanc, also figures prominently in this story and I felt the same way about her, but quickly came to love her in a future book as well. I’m getting ahead of myself, though. Miller won my heart quickly because he’s a genuine, likable guy and so naïve that I felt sorry for his troubles. Unlike Alex’s fake playboy persona, Miller’s been a notorious slut for years, availing himself of endless puck bunnies.
He wants Sunny to know she means something to him and he’s not interested in anyone else, but his high-profile lifestyle continually works against him. Whether it’s the media photos of him surrounded by his teammates dates or being assaulted in a compromising position for a picture during a porno carwash fundraiser, Miller can’t catch a break. Even when he’s trying to do the right thing, like raise money for breast cancer research, he gets himself into trouble through no fault of his own. And since his reputation precedes him, nobody ever gives him the benefit of the doubt.
Things are tough for Miller because it’s not just Sunny he has to win over, it’s also her parents, her best friend, Alex and Violet. Sunny wasn’t my favorite because there were a lot of times she took bad advice from the people she loves, much to her own detriment. She came off as immature and unable to think for herself, so I was frustrated with her but that changed as I learned more about Sunny. She’s insecure because she’s young and sheltered and doesn’t have the life experience to make these decisions on her own. The only thing she’s trying to do is protect her heart.
It’s easy to not love her initially because Miller’s a very sympathetic character. His mom died of an inoperable brain tumor when he was a toddler and he grew up bullied because of his looks and because people thought he was stupid. In reality, dyslexia made school nearly impossible for him and the right help was just never available to him so he got his diploma but just barely. A hockey accident in his teens also got him new front teeth and he went from being bullied for his looks to having girls falling all over him. His identity and self-worth got all wrapped up in being popular with the ladies and now nobody bothers getting to know the real Miller.
One interesting departure from the first story is that there’s no dual POV, which I love in a romance. I was initially annoyed at this and wondered if that was the reason for my initial dislike of Sunny, not being able to understand her fully since I wasn’t seeing into her head. But by the time I was really into the story, I decided that it actually worked best here. I learned everything I needed to know about Sunny eventually even without it. Also, Miller is such a complex character that using dual POV would have meant sacrificing some of what we got from him and since I loved this story exactly as it is, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
A terrible remote couples camping experience with her ex-boyfriend finally opens her eyes. Once Sunny realizes that nobody can make these decisions for her, she takes charge of her life and things improve for the both of them. They’re one of the most adorable couples I’ve ever read and I’ll throw in a teensy spoiler here to say that they’re featured pretty prominently in Randy’s book, the third in the series, so I was thrilled about it and hope to see that continue through the rest. This book is as steamy as the first and Hunting does a fantastic job with the heat.
This was a fun escape from the stresses of reality and life. I didn’t enjoy it as much as some others from this author and Violet seems even crazier in this one, but it’s still fun and entertaining and romantic.
f: Sunny
m: Miller aka Buck (POV)
There wasn’t anything bad about this book, but it just wasn’t for me. From the get go, I wasn’t a huge fan of Miller and I didn’t find Sunny to be that interesting. I didn’t really take Miller too seriously in his pursuit of Sunny. I typically enjoy a hero who falls head over heels for his woman and doesn’t have eyes for any other women but that wasn’t exactly the case with Miller. This book is safe from cheating but it was small things like he didn’t delete his regular ‘honeys’ from his phone until really late in the book. I didn’t find anything about Sunny to be too spectacular. It seemed like Miller’s interest in her was heavily based on the fact that she wasn’t falling at his feet or chasing after him for his package or his money.
I did appreciate the neuro-diversity this book provided with Miller being dyslexic.
Favorite Quote:
There are no refunds and no exchanges with love. It comes with flaws and imperfections. It’s raw, unfiltered, and sometimes it isn’t easy.
: adult contemporary, sport romance and steam
As someone who loves Helena’s books, I’m sad I couldn’t love this one as I was expecting. I feel there was too much drama and some parts were a bit flat to me.
The romance had so much potential, but Sunny’s attitude ruined all. Not only she is immature, but also never redeemed herself as a character. She always doubted Miller’s intentions and never tried to fight for him.
Of course Miller did some mistakes, but he always did the best to make her happy and prove his love for her. I think he deserved someone better who fought for him more.
Another thing I disliked is how annoying Alex was. I did really love him on pucked, but in this one I truly disliked him. He was such an hypocrite, always getting on Miller’s way when NO one called him. I think he was too overprotective to the point he was annoying.
Despite all, I still had fun reading the story from Miller’s POV and I enjoyed Helena’s writting as always. I also love how this book explored Violet and Miller’s relationship and how tight they are.
Overall, I would recommend you to read it if you love a good romcom sports romance, with all the drama and miscommunication situations.