All I want is to play hockey on the Ice Knights, instead, I'm in a viral video for all the wrong reasons and my mom--yes, my mom--has taken over my dating apps. Then, when I think it can't get any worse, the fates deliver Zara Ambrose, a five-feet-nothing redhead with more freckles than inches and who'd rather be anywhere other than on a date with me.
Now a bet with her friends and my PR nightmare have us both stuck in this go-on-five-dates-with-the-same-person hell situation. But if we band together, we can get the whole thing over with and go on with our lives. It's perfect! No feelings. No future. No fuc-- *ahem* fun. No naked fun.
What could go wrong? Nothing--as long as I remember the rules. Don't notice the way she looks in a dress. Don't react when she does that little shivery sigh thing whenever we touch. Don't think about the fact that she's never had a toe-curling orgasm that wasn't self-delivered and just how badly I want to change that.
Five dates--that's it--and then we go our separate ways. At least, that was the plan.
Title: Parental Guidance
Author: Avery Flynn
Series: Ice Knights (Book 1)
Pages: 221
Genre(s): Contemporary, US
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This book. Oh, this book. Every now and then I read a book that just grips me by the heart and holds on tight - and this book was it for me. It sucked me right in and I couldn’t stop reading - or thinking about it when I wasn’t able to read.
The first thing I noticed was that it’s witty as hell. I found myself laughing out loud and then highlighting the funny passages, banter and character ponderings as I read. Luckily, it was quite early on when I realised that if I continued, I would end up highlighting the whole damn book. It was just my kind of humour.
The story is a fun and unique take on the dating game - and a twist on the whole ‘fake relationship’ trope - seeing as Zara and Caleb are not a relationship and neither want to be. Right? Right.
But the story was so much more - and that was down to the truly excellent characters. Zara is everything you could want in a heroine. She’s feisty and funny with enough hang-ups and quirks to make her likeable and relatable. She’s insecure in some areas but it never feels like she’s moaning or looking for sympathy. But truly my favourite thing about her is that she’s never anyone but herself. She knows what she wants (and doesn’t want) and who she is and she’s not apologetic for it - but in the nicest possible way! She’s just fab.
And after that glowing character reference - I have to admit that Caleb was even better. Every single author should read about Caleb Stuckey and then make every single other hero in the world just like him. He was everything. He’s tough, kick-ass and knows what he wants - but it’s his vulnerabilities and fears that sucker punched me right in the heart. I felt for him so much which just added to his hotness. The perfect hero all round but more than that, the perfect hero for Zara.
And a quick shout-out to the other hero of the book - Anchovy. I love a dog in a romance novel and Anchovy was a dog and a half. I hope he pops up in the other books in the series.
Speaking of series’, this is the first book in the Ice Knight series. However, the Ice Knights’ captain, Zach Blackwell, is the hero from Tomboy, part of the Hartigans’ series. Zach appears in this book (as does Fallon) and there are a few references to their love story - but this book does stand completely alone. But, trust me, you’re going to want to go back and read Tomboy, and all the rest of Avery’s books - much like I’m about to do. And I CANNOT WAIT for the rest in the Ice Knights’ series where I hope to see Petrov, Christianson and Phillips (with or without Marti) meet their matches.
Ms Flynn’s writing style is so easy to read that it belies just how clever it really is. It’s witty, fun, fresh and by God it keeps you reading and reading - and falling further and further in love with her characters as you go.
I honestly cannot recommend this book enough. It’s one of my best reads of the year so far and I am now a firm fan of Avery Flynn. A definite 5 stars.
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* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. *
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR!
USA Today
bestselling romance author Avery Flynn has three slightly-wild
children, loves a hockey-addicted husband and is desperately hoping
someone invents the coffee IV drip.
She fell in love with romance while reading Johanna Lindsey’s Mallory books. It wasn’t long before Avery had read through all the romance offerings at her local library. Needing a romance fix, she turned to Harlequin’s four books a month home delivery service to ease the withdrawal symptoms. That worked for a short time, but it wasn’t long before the local book stores’ staffs knew her by name.
Avery was a reader before she was a writer and hopes to always be both. She loves to write about smartass alpha heroes who are as good with a quip as they are with their *ahem* other God-given talents. Her heroines are feisty, fierce and fantastic. Brainy and brave, these ladies know how to stand on their own two feet and knock the bad guys off theirs.
She fell in love with romance while reading Johanna Lindsey’s Mallory books. It wasn’t long before Avery had read through all the romance offerings at her local library. Needing a romance fix, she turned to Harlequin’s four books a month home delivery service to ease the withdrawal symptoms. That worked for a short time, but it wasn’t long before the local book stores’ staffs knew her by name.
Avery was a reader before she was a writer and hopes to always be both. She loves to write about smartass alpha heroes who are as good with a quip as they are with their *ahem* other God-given talents. Her heroines are feisty, fierce and fantastic. Brainy and brave, these ladies know how to stand on their own two feet and knock the bad guys off theirs.
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AUTHOR LINKS!
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