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Verdict: A sweet, low-stakes small-town romance between a hairstylist and the rec-league hockey star she is asked to make over — but it has almost no hockey, and a two-year slow burn of second-guessing that most readers found far too long for a 165-page book.
Best for: Readers who love mutual pining, oblivious leads, K-pop references and fluffy, low-heat romance.
Heat level: Low (no formal rating; readers describe it as fluffy)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (2.7/5 — a 3.02 Goodreads average across 106 ratings and 2.43 on StoryGraph from 25 reviews)
Tropes: Extreme slow burn, mutual pining, friends first, small town, makeover, neurodivergent lead, dual POV, HEA.
Pretty Pucked is Olivia M. Green’s 2025 contemporary sapphic romance, a standalone in her Stickville Danglers Hockey series. Opal is the head stylist at her mom’s salon in Stickville, Illinois. When the local co-ed hockey team sends one of its stars, Nicky, for a makeover before an NHL charity gala, Opal is instantly smitten — and then Nicky joins her friend group.
It holds a 3.02 average across 106 Goodreads ratings, with only 29% of them four or five stars, 2.43 on StoryGraph from 25 reviews, and 3.5 stars across 77 Amazon ratings.
What Is Pretty Pucked About?
Opal has great friends, a job she loves and deep roots in her town’s sports and charity scene. Romance is the one thing she is terrible at. Nicky is gorgeous, funny and kind — everything Opal has quietly dreamed of.
The problem is that Nicky has become part of Opal’s tight-knit circle. One wrong move or misread signal could cost Opal not just a chance with Nicky, but the whole life she has built in a small town. So neither of them says anything, for a very long time.
What Works in This Romance
- Gentle, sweet tone: Fans call it cheesy in a good way, a book that does not take itself seriously.
- Realistic hesitation: One reader found the leads’ reasons for holding back — one is autistic with anxiety, the other grew up caring for her siblings — real and heartfelt.
- Non-fetishised sapphic romance: Readers appreciated a WLW story that treats its couple with care.
- K-pop: One reader added a star purely for the K-pop references.
- A cute ending: Readers agree the couple get their HEA.
Book Synopsis
Opal has the perfect life: great friends, head stylist at her mom’s salon, and deep roots supporting local sports and charities in Stickville, Illinois. She is a disaster at romance, but everything else is exactly as it should be.
Then the local co-ed hockey team, the Danglers, sends star player Nicky for a makeover before an NHL charity gala. Nicky is gorgeous, funny and kind — but she soon becomes part of Opal’s friend group, and one wrong move could cost Opal everything.
My Review
There is a sweet idea here: two women who are obviously right for each other, both too scared of losing the friendship to say so. The first stretch, when they meet and fall into a flirty group-chat friendship, works for many readers. Some found the leads’ hesitation understandable, especially once their backstories emerge.
Then it stalls. The most repeated complaint is the pining: roughly two years of “should I tell her?” that readers describe as dragging, boring or infuriating, with the key backstory held back until the last pages. The second is the hockey, or lack of it — several readers call the label false advertising because no game or practice appears. Others flag repeated lines, time skips within chapters, dual POV that retreads scenes, and characters who all sound alike. Two reviewers gave it one star, and another called it awful.
My honest note: If you love pining above all else, you may enjoy it on Kindle Unlimited. If you came for hockey, skip it.
| Element | In Pretty Pucked |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Opal (hairstylist) & Nicky (rec-league hockey player) |
| Core tropes | Extreme slow burn, mutual pining, friends first |
| Setting | Stickville, a small town in Illinois |
| Heat level | Low — fluffy, per readers |
| Length | 165 pages |
| Series | Stickville Danglers Hockey — standalone, HEA |
| Content notes | Anxiety; a difficult past friendship |
How Spicy Is Pretty Pucked?
Not very. Readers describe a fluffy romance, and one wished it were spicier. Romance.io has a single rating and no steam level.
StoryGraph has no content warnings. Readers mention one lead’s anxiety and a painful backstory with a former friend, revealed near the end.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you adore oblivious, pining leads and want something short and soft. It is on our sapphic hockey romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you want actual hockey, or you lose patience when characters won’t talk to each other.
In short: A cute idea stretched into an exhausting slow burn.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
This is a small 2025 indie release, and a web search surfaced no Reddit threads. On Goodreads the split is 15% five stars, 14% four, 38% three, 21% two and 10% one. On StoryGraph it averages just 2.43, though 80% of those readers tag it funny and lighthearted. It is on Kindle Unlimited. We could not find an audiobook.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The sweetness first. Second, the cheesy humour. Third, the leads’ believable hesitations. Fourth, the K-pop.
What readers argue about and complain about: The endless pining, above everything. Second, no hockey. Third, repetitive writing. Fourth, time skips.
The comparison worth making first: For a hockey romance with actual hockey and a well-loved slow burn, try Stick Around. For a cosy, low-angst option, see Unadulterated Something.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there much hockey in Pretty Pucked?
Very little. Nicky plays for a local co-ed team, but several readers say there is no actual game or practice on the page and call the hockey label misleading.
How slow is the slow burn in Pretty Pucked?
Very. The story covers around two years of mutual pining, and many readers found it dragged — one called it less a slow burn than a stalled one.
How spicy is Pretty Pucked?
Low. Readers describe a fluffy romance, and one wished it were spicier. There is no meaningful romance.io rating.
Is Pretty Pucked on Kindle Unlimited?
Yes, at the time of writing it is on Kindle Unlimited, or $4.99 to buy. We could not find an audiobook.
Does Pretty Pucked have a happy ending?
Yes. Readers confirm an HEA, and one called the ending cute and corny.
If You Loved Pretty Pucked, Read These Next
Try Stick Around for a beloved sapphic hockey slow burn, Unadulterated Something for low-angst coaching rivals, or Out on the Ice for a gentle, low-heat hockey romance. For more, browse our sapphic hockey romance list, the sapphic sports romance hub, or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Pretty Pucked sets out to be a sweet sapphic hockey rom-com, and it has a kind heart and a happy ending. What holds it back is a slow burn most readers found stalled, prose that repeats itself, and a hockey label the book never earns. Unless pining is your favourite trope, there are better choices. Check Pretty Pucked on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Pretty Pucked ranks as a below-average hockey romance — sweet in intent, frustrating in execution.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★☆☆ 2.7/5
- ✓ 3.02 average across 106 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ Only 29% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 2.43 on StoryGraph from 25 reviews
- ✓ 3.5 stars across 77 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★☆☆ 2.6/5
- ✓ Obvious chemistry
- ✓ Two years of pining
- ✓ Stalled, not slow
- ✓ Cute payoff
Characters ★★★☆☆ 2.8/5
- ✓ Believable hesitations for one
- ✓ Neurodivergent lead
- ✓ Characters sound alike
- ✓ Oblivious to a fault
Writing ★★☆☆☆ 2.3/5
- ✓ Cheesy humour
- ✓ Repeated lines
- ✓ Time skips mid-chapter
- ✓ Dual POV retreads scenes
Emotional Impact ★★★☆☆ 2.8/5
- ✓ Lighthearted
- ✓ Heartfelt backstories
- ✓ Revealed too late
- ✓ Boredom for many
Heat Level — not rated
- ✓ No meaningful romance.io rating
- ✓ Fluffy
- ✓ Wished spicier, one reader
- ✓ Low heat
Ending ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ HEA
- ✓ Cute and corny
- ✓ Last pages the best for one
- ✓ Long wait to get there
Re-read Value ★★★☆☆ 2.5/5
- ✓ Short at 165 pages
- ✓ On Kindle Unlimited
- ✓ No audiobook found
- ✓ Little hockey
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