57 pages • 1-hour read
Pucking Wild
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Book Club Questions
General Impressions
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination, ableism, physical abuse, and emotional abuse.
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. Did you expect Tess and Ryan to get together? Were there any points in the novel where you thought they might not end up together?
2. Pucking Wild deals with a lot of sensitive subjects. Did you expect this out of a romance? Why or why not?
3. Did you find Tess or Ryan more relatable? Did you like either character more at the end of the novel than at the start?
Personal Reflection and Connection
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. Have you ever had someone who feels like home, as Rachel does for Tess at the beginning of the novel? What made that person feel that way?
2. Has your identity ever been tied strongly to a particular job or activity, the way Ryan’s is to hockey? Do you think this level of investment is necessarily unhealthy, as the novel suggests?
3. Has there ever been a time when you chose security over happiness? How do you feel about Tess’s decisions regarding her marriage to Troy throughout the novel?
4. Do you believe in found family? How did this novel’s exploration of the idea resonate with you?
Societal and Cultural Context
Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.
1. How does Rath comment on or critique the world of hockey and professional sports in the novel?
2. What does this novel say about contemporary gender roles and dynamics? How do the genders of the characters influence their choices and the options they have?
Literary Analysis
Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.
1. How does Tess change throughout the novel? Are any of the changes she undergoes detectable in how she narrates her story? Do Ryan’s changes parallel those Tess experiences, or are they entirely different?
2. How does the revelation that Ryan has dyslexia and dysgraphia change the tone of the novel? Did this change your thoughts or feelings about Ryan or his role in the novel?
3. Is Jacksonville merely the setting of the novel, or does it have any symbolic or thematic significance? Can the same be said for Ilmari’s house? Is Tess and Ryan’s relationship impacted at all by their physical surroundings?
4. Rath intertwines other characters’ stories from the Jacksonville Rays series in this book. Did mentioning characters and plotlines from other novels change your view of this book?
5. How do you think the novel subverts the sports romance genre? Have you ever read a romance like this?
Creative Engagement
Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.
1. Imagine you’re designing a playlist for Ryan and Tess’s wedding reception. What songs would you choose, and how do they reflect the couple’s journey and relationship?
2. If you were a member of the Jacksonville Rays, how would you feel about all of the romance and drama among your teammates? Write a letter expressing your thoughts.
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