ARC Review: I Hate My Pucking Neighbor (The Chicago Hawks Hockey Series #1) by Mariah Jolie
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Series: The Chicago Hawks Hockey Series #1
Author: Mariah Jolie
Published February 14th 2026
Goodreads Synopsis
Hannah Blake believes in silver linings, morning coffee, and finding the good in absolutely everyone… even her grumpy neighbor, Ian Vanders.
For three years, she’s waved at him across their shared fence, offered smiles he never returned, and ignored the fact that he parks his obnoxious yellow Hummer directly in front of her house.
She used to think he was a challenge. Now she’s convinced he’s just an ass.
By the time she finally gives up trying to thaw his ice-cold heart, she’s sworn she’s done wasting her sparkle on a man who refuses to shine.
But when tragedy strikes—no, literally—lightning hits Hannah’s home, splitting her roof in half and leaving her with nowhere to go.
With no other options, she reluctantly accepts when Ian’s nephew offers her a spare room… inside Ian’s house.
Now she’s living under the same roof as the Chicago Hawks’ most brooding defenseman.
He’s gruff. She’s glowing. And close quarters have a funny way of heating things up.
Because the longer she’s around, the harder it becomes for Ian to hide the fact that maybe, just maybe, the sunshine next door is the one thing capable of melting all that ice.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via BookSirens. This in no way impacted on my view.
Seeing the goodness in every person she's ever met, maths teacher Hannah Blake has met her match in grumpy Ian Vanders. Her next door neighbour for 3 years, whenever she tries to make conversation, he replies in grunts or just ignores her presence. If it wasn't for his nephew Richie, Hannah would think that Ian had no redeeming qualities. But then her house is damaged, and she needs somewhere to stay. Ian, unexpectedly, offers to let her move into his spare room, and now they are living together, she gets to see the real Ian, and maybe melt some of that ice surrounding his heart.
I really like grumpy/sunshine romances, and I Hate My Pucking Neighbor definitely met my expectations. Ian didn't like to let anyone other than immediate family get close, and Hannah was someone he could tell would worm her way into his heart if he just gave her an opening. So he kept her as far away as possible, until he couldn't. When her roof was destroyed in a freak lightening strike, Ian was convinced by Richie to let her move in. Seeing them together, allowing themselves to be vulnerable with each other, was amazing. It definitely helped us to understand them both, and see how Ian fell so quickly once he stopped fighting his feelings.
Dates Read:
February 8-9, 2026
Rating
4 Stars
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