Parental Guidance is wonderful, Hot, Sexy Hockey Romantic Comedy. I Loved and Enjoyed reading this book. It was Amazing.

I Highly Recommend all Readers to read this book now.

Let me start by saying I think I love every Avery Flynn book that I’ve read so far. Her writing is great & I loved her other series The Hartigan’s. I jumped at the chance to read this next series & so far she’s not let me down. Caleb & Zara were so cute together making up their rules about dating bc neither wants a relationship. Too bad it doesn’t help them.

This is the first book in the Ice Knights series from Avery Flynn. Parental Guidance is a fun, flirty romance. Great banter between Calabe and Zara that will keep you giggling through out the book. If you are look for a fast beach read this is the book for you.

I am a huge fan of Avery Flynn and yet I was having a difficult time getting into this book. I am not sure why but it took me forever to invest myself fully.

Caleb wants people to know him because of his on ice hockey skills playing for the Ice Knights. Not for a viral video which makes him look like an asshole. He needs his image fixed. So what could be more wholesome than being the face of a new dating app where your parents pick your date? Zara doesn’t know why she signed up for the new dating app where your parents pick your date. Oh wait, yes she does…tequila and a devious best friend. When Zara and Caleb meet, they come up with a deal, 5 dates with no feelings or body parts involved. And definitely no falling in love.

The fake relationship trope isn’t one I deliberately seek out and it’s not because I dislike them. It’s just that I find the predictability a little boring. Although, of course most romance books have a certain predictability factor. However, there’s just something particularly formulaic about a fake relationship, or atleast the ones I have read. Parental Guidance fell into this trap, so although I did enjoy this book, there were points I found myself drifting off and losing interest.

However, this book was fun. I enjoyed the banter between the hero and the heroine and I particularly enjoyed the parts told from the heroine’s POV. Zara was smart with a little snark and I loved her sense of humour. The chemistry between Zara and Caleb was great, even if I didn’t quite buy the i-love-yous at the end they definitely had the beginning of something special.

If you want an upbeat romantic comedy this summer Parental Guidance is a great place to start. Although it didn’t hit the spot for me if you like sexy hockey players, feisty red heads and adorable Great Danes then you need to give it a try.

Avery Flynn is a Pure genius! These characters are fire! I loved their chemistry. I loved this story. I just loved the whole dynamic. I need more!!

First, let me thank netgalley and the publishers for approving my request for an early release of this book. All reviews of my netgalley books can be found on goodreads and youtube. Please be sure to check out the links attached.

Ok it was a bit of a slow start for me to get into this one but wowsers once I did I couldn't put it down. 

The unusual easy flow and attraction the two main characters have is mind blowing you would think with the easy going nature between them they have been a couple for years not just the short time in the book.

Now I can and would say more but would you read the book who knows so I'm going to leave you hanging and get you to read the book yourself You are going to really enjoy it. I do look forward to seeing what's next

Hockey player Caleb is in the middle of a PR nightmare and to rectify this and gain some great press Caleb’s mother chooses him a date from an app.

Workaholic, Zara is blackmailed into the same dating app by her best friend and it’s her father who chooses her date.

Neither Caleb or Zara want a relationship, but make a deal to have 5 dates. Little did they know sparks would fly.

A funny sports rom com.

A fun and unique twist on romance in the era of dating apps. The story has the premise of using a dating app, but mom and dad get to have a say throughout the dating process.

Neither character wants to be part of this app, but for their own reason they accept. They quickly release that in their first date and strike an agreement, but the longer they spend together the more they realize they actually do have feelings for each other. Along with their relationship we learn about their families and jobs. I enjoyed the detail given in building this world and characters. The addition of Anchovy was genius and he sounds adorable!

For hockey fans or anyone who likes a light hearted and well developed romance, I would recommend checking this story out! Thanks NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the chance to read this book and share my opinions!

This was a fun fast read with humour and sexiness. A PR stunt becomes something more, neither Zara nor Caleb want a lasting relationship but when feelings get involved things take a turn. I wasn't really on board with the need to join a dating app and publicize it, it felt strange and like an unnecessary response to a video.
Overall, i'd recommend it if you want a light fun romcom.

This was my first book by Avery Flynn and I was excited to read this after hearing how many of my friends were fans of her, but I don't think her writing style is for me.

The story was definitely fun, but it didn't feel fleshed out enough and I was left with a lot of questions about things as small as how the Bramble app works and large as how Zara is able to get over her reservations that her and Caleb have completely different outlooks on life. Maybe I wouldn't have been as bothered if the book hadn't included the epilogue. There were still a lot of cute, funny moments throughout the story like the obstacle course, law and order binge watching, and trying to control Anchovy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Audio: Uses a single male narrator despite having dual POVs. Do not recommend.

Avery Flynn continues her streak of fun and funny romantic comedies. Parental Guidance is the first in her Ice Knights series, a spin off of her Hartigans series.

Caleb is part of the Ice Knights hockey team who finds himself in some hot water when a video of his teammates goes viral. Everyone is upset with him for not stepping in as a senior member of the team. To rehab his image PR comes up with a plan for him to go on five dates with someone chosen from a dating app by his mom. Zara, who works with miniatures, ends up being the woman chosen for him to date.

Both Caleb and Zara are interesting characters with past hurts and obstacles that make them interesting characters. With their parents involved in the dating process things do not always go smoothly, but there are guaranteed to be a few laughs along the way.

I really enjoyed their banter, the appearances from characters from other books, and Avery Flynn's writing style. I can't wait for more from this series!

You don't need to be fan of hockey to fall in love with the Ice Knights series! Flynn does a fantastic job of mixing humor and romance. Sometimes you want smack Caleb, the hot stuff hockey player, with a hockey stick and other times, you find yourself jumping up and down for the Zaleb ship that's happening before your very eyes! After reading this, you'll be begging your parents to play matchmaker. Okay...maybe that's going a little too far.

3.5 Stars

This was a really quick read about a hockey player that is in need of a good PR stunt after a mishap and a daughter trying to please her father. So what do they do, have 5 arranged dates set up by an online dating site that their parents pick out! They set ground rules and embark on a fake relationship that is both awkward and sexy at the same time (well maybe not the same time, but man those sexy times were good). The main characters are likable, and I liked the fact that the guy had just as much "screen time" as a character. By that I mean he had a back story and a plot on his own that didn't rely on Zara. (which by the way is such a cool name!).

Overall, very enjoyable!

First of all I really adored this story and I absolutely loved these characters. I just kind of struggled with the whole my mom picked my date thing. I understand why it was set up that way but I guess just the thought of my mother figure picking my guys and having a say in MY romance was just not my thing.

That all said once the dating began, gah! They were set up to fail from the first moment they met. Fail what? They failed at keeping it strictly business. Their itemized plan on how to keep it real was a waste of words with these two. The sparks were bright and the fire simmering was great.

This was just a fun and light hearted romance that was a wonder beginning to a new series by Avery Flynn. This very different kind of plot along with these great characters made this a wonderful read that will have you wanting more of the Ice Knights, Caleb, and Zara!

This started off well, with your standard "fake relationship" trope. Caleb needs good PR for his team, and Zara needs an intro for her miniatures creations. Of course we all know how this plays out.

What I didn't like was Zara's father, nor his take on their financial struggles. Yes, it's lovely that he was building a community for her, but pay the rent and buy groceries first and then be generous. Children need to feel safe and secure, not grow up too fast to take care of adult responsibilities. So for this to be glossed over at the end felt a little (or a lot) disappointing. Not to mention his behaviour on the check-in shows was so ridiculously cringe-worthy that I had to put the book down a number of times during his scenes.

Another thing I wasn't pleased with were Zara's miniatures (a little too manic pixie girl for my liking) and the number of coincidences needed to garner her the introduction. Caleb was trying to do a nice thing, and she acted like he was the worst person on the planet.

But I did enjoy their slow build-up. I thought Caleb stepped up to his team responsibilities admirably. And I liked meeting a lot of the other players. This wasn't the greatest book, but it also wasn't horrible. I look forward to the next book as I do love a good hockey series.

4.25 Stars / 4 Steam Fans

Caleb is a hot shot hockey player that gains some bad PR when his teammates have a video go viral while talking about the women they have slept with. As a PR improvement campaign Caleb allows his mother to choose his date through a dating app and have his reactions filmed after each date. Zara is encouraged by her friend to sign up for the same dating app with the possibility of gaining exposure for her art. During Zara and Caleb's first date they come to an agreement about how they will proceed with the five required dates that they have to go on. Their banter is funny, sweet, and sexy. I enjoyed the dynamic between Zara, her family, and friends. I wasn't completely a fan of how Caleb's mother treated him but by the end I completely understood where she was coming from. I look forward to more stories about these hockey players.

This specific video review will be included in the August 2019 wrap-up.

For other video book reviews check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

I have been on a serious romance kick lately. And who doesn’t love a hockey romance? In all seriousness, they seem to be very popular lately and I am here for it. This one is eclectic and funny. Zara is a miniature figures artist which I find to be a refreshingly different career to have as the main character of a book. Her work is highlighted throughout the book and I think it brings something to the story. Caleb is a hockey player who’s reputation is in trouble. So his mom- yes his mom- signs him up on a dating app. He is suckered into going on a specific number of dates with Zara in a PR play to mend his reputation. What neither of these two count on is falling for the other. There is a lot of witty banter and a healthy dose of steam to make this a very cute contemporary sports romance.

I am drawn to any book that involves online dating. It is such a prominent part of our society now, I am surprised that more books don’t have it.

This book did not work for me. I made it to about 40% and then had to move on with my life.

There was a lot I didn’t like.

The heroine and hero are matched via an app by their parents. The whole set up is silly but I was willing to not get up on it, but the fact that we don’t get to see the swiping, or even really hear about it from their parents felt lacking.
The heroine is described MULTIPLE times as short, petite, tiny, etc. It was annoying.
The heroine has never had an orgasm during partnered sex. The first time she has oral sex with the heroine, she has an orgasm. It felt like a case of magic penis/tongue. There are several studies and numbers out there that indicate that only a low percentage of women have orgasms during penetrative sex. The number goes up for oral sex. But to have this be something the heroine struggles with and then have it happen like magic the first time she has sex with the hero felt like a cop out. I know that romance is fiction, but I’d like to see more heroines that don’t reach orgasm during sex and it isn’t an issue and the folks engaging in sex are feeling good and enjoying the pleasure.