HOW DO I GET OVER THAT? Seriously, how on earth do I get over such a phenomenal story?
I'm just ::: stares into space, grasping for words::: I'm overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by all I'm feeling, and all I'm thinking. I almost don't know where to start with this review. And I most certainly feel as though I just had a moment. A BOOK MOMENT. One where I read something that affected me so deeply, I can't even form words to describe it.
I mean, my first response after finishing was to release several breaths, close my eyes, and savor the moment, the journey, I had just gone on. And then I had an immediate urge to go and re-rate other books I had read in the past because this story changes the way you see things. This book PUMMELS you in the feels. And I'm here to tell you that I have MAJOR FEELINGS for this book. My feelings are so HUGE, so MASSIVE, so ALL ENCOMPASSING they can barely be contained. And because of that this review is going to be long-winded and a little all over the place, so be prepared.
First off, before I even begin to get into things, I want to say.... I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS. I was not expecting the deep, torturous, gut you, make you cry, emotions that Pucked Off had in it. I mean, I am no stranger to this standalone series. I have read Pucked (which I LOVED) and I did read Pucked Up (which I, unfortunately, didn't totally love and because of that I passed on Lily and Randy's books. That said, I do plan to go back and read those now)! So yes, I know this series, and it's always been light and sassy and kind of OTT on the humor. And so, going into Pucked Off, I was expecting the same light feels as before... BUT NO. JUST NO.
NO. NO. NO. NO. NOOOOOOO!
Lance's book is deep and ache inducing and completely heartfelt. And it, from the very first sentence, steals the air from your lungs and traps you. I was literally STOLEN from the first chapter. It gave me a sensation of feeling fevered with the need, the urge, to know what was going to happen. Only a few books have done that to me in the past, and this was absolutely in the "group" of reads that I would classify as unforgettable. And I think so much of that had to do with Lance Romero.
Lance was one of the most breathtaking characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading. This man DESTROYED me. I mean, DE-FUCKING-STROYED ME! I had this clawing need to climb inside my kindle, wrap my arms around him, and LOVE HIM. LOVE HIM DEEPLY and THOROUGHLYuntil he knew he was an amazing book soul. This man is broken. So damn broken. His past is full of demons that are haunting him. And those demon's have shaped his perception of the world, of who he is as a person, and Lance is barely getting by. His view is so distorted that his destructive patterns are ripping him apart at the seams. And things are coming close to not only affecting his career, but his friendships, his life, his everything.
Lance, though, is the definition of a book boyfriend. But not in the way you're thinking. Not in that over the top, I am man, I am alpha, cookie cutter way we are used to. No, he is a book boyfriend because his struggle makes him FEEL REAL, ALIVE. It gives him LIFE to the reader and makes him RELATABLE. He is simply so easy to love because at his core, this man is good. HE IS ALL THINGS THAT DEFINE GOOD. And you just can't stop yourself from falling. It's a visceral, overpowering sensation.
But Lance doesn't see himself as anything of worth, and his behavior breaks you as a reader. When this mystery girl enters the picture, she breathes life into Lance's dark world. Honestly, this girl takes this book from SPECTACULAR to PHENOMENAL. She, for me, was one of the most incredible heroines I have ever read. The way she dealt with Lance, even despite the pain he had caused her in the past (and oh yeah, they have a past), was AWE INSPIRING. She was so sweet, so generous, kind, smart and forgiving, I was enthralled by her.
Reading Lance's love story invigorated me as a reader. Lance's vulnerability when it comes to this mystery woman was refreshing, and watching their relationship take shape inspired me, and it made me realize why I LOVE reading romance. There is something so very profound about the concept of soulmates. And I feel like that is what keeps me a romance reader. The idea of having that one person that is DESTINED to be yours and only yours.
I JUST LOVE IT.
And I love that sensation of falling in love as the characters fall. It's intoxicating. The way Helena Hunting wrote this book, I felt as though I was living it. It was palpable, visceral, tangible, like I could reach out and touch this romance, make it my own. I swear, I'm crazy in love with these characters. Their love story was raw and heartbreaking, beautiful and life giving, and that was because Lance's mystery girl was so good and pure, and Lance, who's broken and sad and desperate, lets this woman in and allows her to INSPIRE him to change and heal and CHOOSE a new way of living.
God, I hope that even makes sense, lol. But this was so much more than I was expecting and I was taken by how deep I fell in love with these characters. I truly don't know what else to say except, it's beautiful. The story is so beautiful, and I feel so romanced by it. I just want to talk about it, think about it, and LIVE in it forever.
Overall, you can obviously tell that I am LOSING my mind over Pucked Off. I MORE THAN LOVED IT. It's a standalone romance. YOU CAN START the Pucked Series here. Really, you can. And if I were you, I would. I just think out of ALL the books that have come out of this series, this is hands down the best. The most real and heartfelt. I give it infinite stars. I know I will always think of this book when I think of my ULTIMATE favorites. Romantic, sweet, heartbreaking and unforgettable, Lance Romero is the reason books boyfriends exist, and Pucked Off should be a mandatory read for every romance reader around. Phenomenal. Breathtaking. It was everything.
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Popular Highlights in this book
For the first time in my entire life, I understand what it means to be with someone who will give and not just take.Highlighted by 622 Kindle readers- “I don’t need to fix you, Lance. I’ll take you as you are. I just want you to be happy.”Highlighted by 468 Kindle readers
- She’s given someone else her other firsts, but that kiss—that still belongs to me.Highlighted by 437 Kindle readers
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| Pucked Off Ebook | Pucked Off Audiobook | Pucked Off Original Paperback | Pucked Off Special Edition Paperback | Next in Series | Start the Next Generation | |
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| Price | $5.99 | $0.00 | $14.53 | $16.42 | $5.99 | $4.99 |
| browse all formats | A standalone novel in The Pucked Series | Narrated by Rose Dioro and Jacob Morgan | Original paperback | Special edition paperback includes extended epilogue | Next in series, Pucked Love is the final standalone in the Pucked Series and follows the story of Darren Westinghouse and Charlene | Start the next generation series with Little Lies, following the story of Lavender Waters and Kodiak Bowman |
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Reviews with images
More serious undertone than others in this series so be prepared for all the feels!
This book definitely has a more serious undertone to it than the previous books in the series. Right out of the gate, this book doesn’t exactly paint a pretty picture of the hero. I have to admit I was a little skeptical if I was going to be able to be swayed into liking Lance because of how he was portrayed in the first few chapters. As time went on, I learned about Lance’s past and how vulnerable he was, which left me feeling devastated for him and desperate to show him all the love he deserved.I fell in love with the way Lance was so tender and sweet towards Poppy; The soft, loving kisses he frequently gave to her hands and shoulders. How respectful he was towards her and how he wanted to take things slow to prove she was different to him. He tried so hard to be a gentleman and be worthy of her, I couldn’t help but be enamored by the warmth and affection he only had for her!Now Poppy, this girl has guts cause I don’t think I would have been able to open my heart up to Lance after everything that had happened. I cannot tell you how much I admired her for her strength, bravery, and forgiveness. I was so nervous for her throughout the book cause I knew how badly she’d felt humiliated in the past and I really didn’t want to see her get her heart broken again!Overall, I was blown away by the beauty and bravery of Poppy and Lance being extremely vulnerable with each other in favor of exploring something deep and meaningful with one another.Favorite Quote:“Our pasts are part of who we are. They may shape us, but they don’t govern our future paths if we don’t want them to.” -Poppy
