book #1 in the Ice Knights series. This is the first book I have ever read by Avery Flynn, but it definitely won't be the last. The cover and description really drew me in, and I couldn't wait to read it. It turned out to be a sweet, funny, and sexy story with endearing, well-developed characters that I loved. I highly recommend "Parental Guidance" and can't wait to see what the next book in this series brings!
About "Parental Guidance"
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.
Read an Excerpt from "Parental Guidance"
“So why are you on Bramble?”
She took another small bite from her roll before answering. “My best friend is blackmailing me, and my dad wants a SAG card.”
That was definitely not the answer he’d been expecting. “And I thought my reasoning was twisted.”
“I’m sure it all makes sense in Gemma’s head,” Zara said. “She thinks I work too much and need to loosen up. She’ll let me be her plus-one to go meet a collector if I do the Bramble five dates thing. And my dad? Well, let’s just say he’s never met an unlikely plan he didn’t think he could pull off.”
All the possibilities this created sped around inside his head until one broke free like a perfect fast break late in the third period when the game was on the line. All he had to do was put the biscuit in the net.
“So neither of us really wants to be here,” he said. “We’re each other’s solution to getting back to our regular lives as soon as possible.”
It was fucking perfect. Petrov’s job with the team would be safe for another season—well, as safe as he could be, considering he didn’t have a no-trade deal in his contract.
Zara, though, didn’t seem to be seeing the genius of it, going by the suspicious look she gave him as she took another bite of her roll. Instead of giving him a straight-up no, though, she started eating. The words—okay, begging pleas—were bubbling up inside him but for once, he kept it in lockdown. He wasn’t about to rush this play, no matter how it had every nerve in his body jinglejangling.
Finally, she used her napkin to wipe the corners of her mouth, straightened her spine, and looked him dead in the eye. “We’d have to have ground rules.”
“Sure. Whatever you want.” Ice Knights season tickets? He’d make that happen. A photo op with her dad’s favorite player? Done. Whatever it took, he’d do it.
“This isn’t a real or fake relationship, it’s a temporary alliance,” she said without an ounce of humor in her tone. “I’m not pretending to be your girlfriend or the random chick you’re banging this week.”
“Agreed.” All of that sounded like it would cause more problems than it would solve anyway. “I’ve got a condition. Dressing up is not required. I’m not putting on a suit.”
The best thing about the off-season was not having to strangle himself with a tie multiple times a week just for a bus ride to the rink or a plane trip to another city. Coach Peppers was old-fashioned about doing things the original way.
“Fine.” Zara held up three fingers. “The third stipulation is that I’m not putting on a good attitude. If it’s been a crappy day, I don’t have to pretend to be a manic pixie dream girl.”
He snorted. “No one who’s met you would believe that. You’re a little salty.” That was putting it mildly based on her attitude when she showed up for their date.
“I have my reasons.” She added another finger, so she was holding up four. “Oh, and no making love. Sex?” She paused and looked him over quickly. “Maybe. Emotional, heartfelt, staring-each-other-in-the-eyes making love? Not gonna happen. No offense, but you’re not my type.”
What the hell? Not her type? He was a professional athlete making millions. He’d been led to believe he was everyone’s type.
“Not a problem, since I don’t think we could see eye to eye while having sex unless you magically grew a foot,” he said.
“You’re not into being creative?” Zara rolled her eyes. “I guess that’s expected for someone who has probably had women throwing themselves at him for years. You haven’t ever had to work for it.”
Caleb had no idea what to say to that. He’d been punched square in the face by the most feared goons in hockey and it hadn’t knocked him as senseless as this little five-foot-nothing of a snarky woman had done with a few choice words.
“I have one more rule,” she said, reaching for another roll. “Five dates and we’re done. Period. Do we have a deal?”
My Review
As previously mentioned, I was really looking forward to reading "Parental Guidance," and it was totally worth the wait. It might have been helpful for me to have read Flynn's Hartigans series first since there seems to be some overlap with the characters, but I didn't feel lost at all without the additional background those books may have provided.
I'm not usually a fan of sports romances (or much of a hockey fan in general), but this book was so well-written and engaging that I didn't mind the sports element. Hockey was a big part of Caleb's life and the overarching story without being overwhelming or confusing for someone like me, who doesn't have much knowledge of the sport. There were no drawn-out descriptions of practices or games, just enough details about Caleb's training regimen and travel schedule to make me understand what his life was like, and how it would impact his potential romantic relationship with Zara.
I thought that the idea for the dating app, which integrated insight and advice from users' parents, was very unique and interesting, though it was somewhat unclear to me if parents and post-date conversations/videos were always a part of the process, or if they were just part of the publicity campaign set up by Caleb's team to draw attention away from the viral video. Either way, Zara and Caleb's parents ended up playing very important roles in the story, which I enjoyed. Zara's father, in particular, added a lot of humor and heart, as well as important insight into Zara's childhood and character.
Overall, much like Caleb's Ice Knights, "Parental Guidance" is a winner!
*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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