The Neurospicy After Dark Archive

Please check the author’s full list before reading.

• Potential content includes:
• Stalking
• Obsessive behavior
• Possessive/protective MMC
• Dubious consent elements
• Emotional manipulation
• Violence
• Threats
• Trauma
• Jealousy
• Explicit sexual content
• Dark relationship dynamics

When Monroe replies to a text that was never meant for her, she has no idea she’s just caught the attention of Dallas Knights hockey superstar Lincoln Daniels. What starts as playful banter quickly turns into an intense obsession as Lincoln becomes determined to make Monroe his. Blending a wrong-number meet-cute with a possessive hockey hero, The Pucking Wrong Number delivers a fast-paced romance filled with witty exchanges, undeniable chemistry, and plenty of red flags that somehow make for an irresistible dark romance fantasy.

If you’re looking for a healthy hockey romance…this isn’t it. Definitely not standard, it is all cute cozy spice sports romance i.e. it is not like Off-Campus and that is why it is one of my favorite series. Hence why I am re-reading them before I post about them on my blog.

Now, if you’re looking for an absolutely unhinged, morally gray hockey player who decides “wrong number” actually means “future wife”…welcome home, come on in, please grab your beverage of choice and make yourself comfortable.

C.R. Jane leans fully into the fantasy of dark obsessive love, and while it’s definitely not realistic (I mean is it? One can only hope…le sigh), her writing commits completely to the premise. If you’re already a fan of dark romance and possessive antiheroes, this delivers exactly what it promises.

The heroine was traumatized and in recovery from the begiing, and she is only 19, which makes it a bit harder for this aging millennial to relate because it has been a LONG time since I was anywhere near 19 years of age. I love that she has moments of vulnerability (sometimes forced) without coming across as helpless (definitely not), and I appreciated that she maintained her own personality even while getting swept into increasingly chaotic and manipulative circumstances she finds herself in.

There were moments where I wished she questioned things a little more (but I don’t think the premise of these stories is for the FMC to question a lot of the crazy things that happen) or pushed back harder, but within the heightened reality of the story, her emotional responses generally worked for me.

She balances the MMC’s overwhelming personality surprisingly well. I imagine when writing these stories that is a difficult thing to do and I think it was done beautifully within the text.

The hero is…

Absolutely. Completely. Unhinged. (UNDERSTATEMENT)

And that’s exactly the point.

He’s obsessive from the beginning, he is operating with complete confidence that fate has handed him the woman he’s meant to have, which is so endearing from a “this guy is crazy but he loves hard and protects” point of view…even though all she did was accidentally text the wrong number.

He’s possessive, manipulative, protective, jealous, and willing to bulldoze every normal social boundary. He does in fact bulldoze every social boundary within the book. Lincoln has no boundaries when it comes to Monroe and it works.

If you love walking red flags wrapped in expensive hockey gear, alpha male “golden boy” charm, you’ll probably have a fantastic time reading this. I know I did. Lincoln remains to this day one of my top 10 book boyfriends of all time…hmmm new post idea.

If you’re looking for a green-flag book boyfriend, this definitely isn’t that story.

The chemistry is immediate and explosive.

Rather than a slow burn, this relationship races forward with high intensity, spicy scenes all from the beginning. The attraction is undeniable, well written and the tension never really lets up, which I personally love in dark romance novels.

Their chemistry and overall romance isn’t built on realism (like all dark romance!), it’s built on obsession, fantasy, and “touch her and die” energy.

C.R. Jane has a writing style that moves incredibly fast, which I absolutely appreciate and love. She has become one of my top 10 authors of all time as a result. I need the fast pace or I lose the connection to the read.

The pacing rarely slows down, making this one of those books that’s easy to binge in a single sitting.

Dialogue flows naturally, the emotional beats land well, and the alternating perspectives help readers understand both characters’ motivations…even when those motivations are absolutely wild and completely unhinged. In addition she writes excellent supporting character relationships that left me wanting more as always.

• The obsessive MMC (Lincoln) fully committed to the role and was not ashamed of it. I love a man who commits with confidence and no doubt.
• Great sexy intense chemistry between the main characters.
• Fast pacing that kept me turning pages.
• Plenty of laugh-out-loud moments despite the darker themes.
• Hockey provided a fun backdrop without overshadowing the romance.
• Easy elegant writing style that made it highly bingeable.

– The romance escalates extremely quickly. It felt just a smidge fast but ultimately does not deter or detract from my overall rating of this book.
– Certain possessive behaviors from Lincoln felt a bit repetitive.

I really struggled with thinking of things that didn’t work for me in this book.

• This book is best viewed as dark romance “fantasy” rather than a model for healthy relationships. Do not model this behavior in real life…don’t be dumb.
• The appeal of this book (and all CR Jane novels) lies in the obsession, possessiveness, and over-the-top romantic obsession and not realistic relationship expectations.
• If you’re new to dark romance, this probably isn’t the gentlest place to start.
• If you already enjoy obsessive antiheroes, stalker romances, and morally gray love interests, you’ll likely know exactly what you’re signing up for.

One thing I found appealing from a neurodivergent perspective was how intensely both characters hyperfocused or hyperfixated on each other during the entire book. While obviously exaggerated for romantic fantasy, there were moments that reminded me of the way many neurodivergent people experience deep interests and powerful emotional attachments. Lincoln was in particular giving off somewhat maybe really its undiagnosed autistic vibe in his obsession or “special interest” i.e. Monroe.

The constant texting, anticipation, relationship intensity, accompanied by the extreme tunnel vision around the relationship felt familiar to to me as I am someone who experience hyperfocus almost daily…but it’s important to remember that the MMC’s stalking, manipulation, and disregard for boundaries are fictional dark-romance tropes, not representations of neurodivergent behavior.

As someone who enjoys analyzing characters, I found it fascinating to read how completely the MMC convinced himself he was right and that his actions were justifiable and not a strong indication of mental health condition. His confidence never wavered, and while I absolutely questioned his life choices, I couldn’t look away.

The Pucking Wrong Number is exactly what dark hockey romance fans are looking for: obsessive love, outrageous situations, scorching chemistry, and a hero who skipped every lesson on healthy boundaries.

This won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but for readers who love morally gray hockey players, possessive heroes, and romance that lives entirely in the realm of fantasy, it’s an addictive read that’s difficult to put down.

This review reflects my personal reading experience and opinions. Every reader connects with books differently, and what worked for me may not work for someone else. I always encourage readers to review the author’s content warnings and decide whether a book is right for them. My goal is to share an honest, spoiler-light review to help fellow readers discover books they may enjoy.

Prescription: One chaotic hockey player, unlimited texting privileges, and a reminder that in real life we block the wrong number, but in dark romance? We add it to the TBR.

Stay Neurospicy, stay bookish and keep chasing after that dopamine hit.

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