Stubborn Puckboy Review:

A MM Hockey Romance

Puckboys / Queer Collective World
Radimir “Novi” Novicov + Colby
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.7/5)

Quick hit (spoiler-safe):

Series: Puckboys (Queer Collective world)
Pairing: Radimir “Novi” Novicov (player) × Colby (NHL coach)
Tropes: Second-chance(ish), friends-to-lovers, secret/closet, language barrier fun, pro athlete × coach, found family
Vibe: High swoon, real stakes, big laughs
Heat/Angst: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 / 💔💔 (balanced with hope)
HEA: Yes, loudly
Content notes: Closeting pressures, family safety in Russia, career risk discussions

The Main Characters

Radimir “Novi” Novicov
Aloof on the surface, absolute chaos-romantic underneath. Novi’s been carrying a secret for years to protect family still in Russia, and the weight of that closet has shaped every choice he’s made since turning pro. He’s fiercely loyal, unexpectedly tender, and—when he decides he’s done hiding—unstoppable. His “English game” scenes are comedy gold and a clever shield; they let us see the bright, boyish side he’s kept tucked away.

Colby
Steady, sincere, and very much the adult in the room when it comes to career calculus. He’s earned his NHL coaching shot and knows how fragile it is. What I loved most is how clear he is once he realizes Novi’s feelings are still there—there’s no hot-and-cold BS here. Even with the risks, Colby meets Novi with patience and trust.

Chemistry
Seventeen years of unfinished business mean the banter lands hard and the UST hums through every near miss. When the dam finally breaks, it’s not just heat—it’s relief, clarity, and a promise they both intend to keep.

About the Author

Eden Finley & Saxon James (co-authors of the Puckboys/Queer Collective world) are reliably excellent at locker-room banter, found-family ensembles, and romances that balance humor with lived-in emotion. Expect cameo, chirping, and that signature team-dinner chaos.

If you want more Finley & James hockey antics in the same world, read my Face Offs & Cheap Shots Review.

My Thoughts About the Book

This one hit differently because the conflict isn’t about who they are to each other—it’s the world they must navigate to be together openly. Being inside Novi’s head as the pressure builds is heartbreaking in the best way; you feel the cost of delaying a life that could be his. When support arrives—from Colby, from the Collective, from the stern-but-right advice givers—it never erases the risk, it just makes the leap feel survivable.

The language-barrier humor is peak entertainment (Colby clocking the bit and playing along is chef’s kiss). Still, it’s also thematic: Novi uses words to misdirect until he’s ready to use them to claim. The found family beats shine: Ezra “adopting” Novi because he can pronounce his surname? Adorable. Lane handing out tough-love advice like its conditioning sprints. Perfect.

Plot-wise, there’s a clean, satisfying thread: Novi’s plan to grind out his last two years and then vanish into a smaller life gets upended when circumstances shift back home. The solution he lands on to make their relationship possible feels fresh for the genre—I’ve read a lot of hockey romance, and this endgame still surprised me in a smart, character-true way.

The epilogue? Unhinged in the most joyful way. Collective antics, group chaos, and laughter that feels like a victory lap. I closed the book, grinning, and immediately wanted Lachie’s story next.

Almost Perfect… Except

The early chapters flirt with familiar avoidance loops (we know their endgame), which may test impatient readers. The payoff absolutely justifies it, but a scene or two could have been trimmed to tighten the middle.
Novi’s a C-student at communication until he isn’t—completely in character, but if miscommunication is your kryptonite, expect a few “talk, boys!” moments before the switch flips.
I wouldn’t have minded one more on-page reckoning with Colby’s career stakes post-decision, to underline the professional fallout calculus.

None of these dulled my enjoyment; they’re small notes on an otherwise compulsively readable arc.

Favorite Quote

Spoiler-safe paraphrase: “I’ve waited for the world to make space for us. I’m done waiting—I’ll make the space.”
(That line captures Novi’s turn from survival to choice)

If you liked this, you’ll love The Marriage Policy Book Review.

Final Thoughts

Stubborn Puckboy is for readers who love loyalty that spans years, humor that hits as hard as the angst, and a hero who decides to love loudly and never looks back. Novi is a chaos gremlin with a golden heart; Colby is a sweetheart with steel in his spine. Together, they’re unforgettable.

Rating: 4.8 / 5 — my favorite Puckboy in a minute, and a top-tier Queer Collective entry.
Read it if you love: second-chance energy without the bitterness, found family, language shenanigans, and grand gestures that feel earned.
Where to read: Amazon/Kindle

Hoping for next: Give me Lachie, please and thank you.

Rating Review Rollout: 4.7

(1) Attention Keeper: 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

(2) Digging deep in Character Development: 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

(3) Danger-Drama-Friction-Suspense Fulfillment: 4 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

(4) Edit to Perfection! 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

(5) Feeling the Words: 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

(6) Going with the Flow of the Story: 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

(7) Grammar Police: 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

(8) It’s all about the chemistry, baby: 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

(9) Laugh out loud funny: 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

(10) Love connection: 5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟