Perfect Deke – Ruth Stilling
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶️🌶️
This was a really solid hockey romance. I genuinely enjoyed it. I do wish there had been just a little more actual hockey woven into the story, and I didn’t love the very last scene — it felt over-the-top and honestly kind of irresponsible. That said, it didn’t ruin the book for me.
What really made this one work were the characters. They felt relatable and refreshingly normal. Loving families (minus Jack’s biological father), a strong and fun friend group, and just enough of that typical cocky hockey-boy energy without making them completely insufferable. I thoroughly loved the narration — John Morgan and Jack Morgan are two of my favorite characters in this world.
They teased Collins and Sawyer for the next book. I absolutely adore Sawyer already. Collins… not so much. In the brief glimpses we got, she gave off strong mean-girl energy, and I struggle with female characters who use trauma as a blanket excuse to treat people poorly. Trauma can explain behavior — it doesn’t excuse being cruel. I’m a little nervous I might hate the next book because of it.
Overall though? Strong characters, great friend dynamics, good spice, and an enjoyable story. I’m definitely continuing the series — cautiously.