fake marriage • MM hockey romance • workplace romance • slow burn • forced proximity • longtime crush • found family • caretaker romance

A heartfelt, slow-burn hockey romance where a fake marriage becomes the only way to keep a family together, and the one person you've secretly loved for years is suddenly calling you husband. Pucking Strong is packed with emotional healing, laugh-out-loud hockey banter, and a romance that proves the relationship you're pretending to have might be the one you've wanted all along.

The Vibe

Dr. Teddy O'Connor has spent six years trying to get over the crush that never went away. Back when he was an intern for the Jacksonville Rays, falling for the team's Swedish superstar felt harmless. Now he's the Rays' Interim Director of Physical Therapy, a respected professional who knows mixing work and feelings is a terrible idea, especially when those feelings have never really disappeared.

When tragedy forces Henrik Karlsson back to Sweden to care for the young niece his sister left behind, he quickly discovers that love isn't enough to navigate international custody laws. Desperate to keep his family together while continuing his NHL career, Henrik needs someone he trusts by his side. Teddy agrees to help, even if it means signing a marriage license neither of them ever expected.

Now they're sharing a home, convincing the world their relationship is real, and trying to survive the scrutiny of teammates, the media, and the Rays organization. For Teddy, pretending to be Henrik's husband means living inside the dream he's spent years trying to forget. But as fake vows become real feelings and a grieving little girl begins to see them as her family, the hardest part won't be fooling everyone else. It'll be admitting the love they've both been too afraid to claim.

Books in Series (In Order)

Pucking Around #1
Pucking Wild #2
Pucking Ever After #2.5
Pucking Sweet #3
Pucking Strong #4

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Pucking Strong (Jacksonville Rays, #4) by Emily Rath