Walk of Shame by Avery Flynn was full of chemistry between Astrid and Cal. Astrid was a sassy independent female main character and I she made me laugh often. I enjoyed Cal’s character as well, I just wish there were more swoony romantic moments. There were a few like him remembering her favorite drink and how she wanted certain pens. For the most part their relationship felt more physical (not that there is anything wrong with that. Astrid is relatable and trying to find her way and get her life back on track after being left at the alter in a public way.

If you are like me and enjoy a rom-com hockey romance, I think you will like this book!

Series: Book 2 in the Downside of Dating Book
Genre: Sports Romance
Target Age Group: Adult

Characters 4/5 stars
Writing 4/5 stars
Plot: 4/5 stars
Pacing. 5/5 stars
Unputdownability: 4/5
Enjoyment: 4.5/5
Narration: 5/5

Read if you like:
*. Romantic comedies
* Dual POV (told in 3rd Person)
* Forced proximity (live in the same apartment building-different floors)
* Coworkers
* One Night Stand turned into more
* Sassy, independent FMC
* Complicated and messy
* Lots of chemistry

Thanks to NetGalley and RBMedia for an advanced listeners copy. I voluntarily listened and gave an honest review. I have posted my review to Goodreads and Instagram. Both are linked down below.

I was entertained , the forced proximity between Cal and Astrid was so good. Loved the banter, had a bit of funny moments that had me laughing.
I hadn’t heard Robert Hatchet narrate before and his voice is so smooth, the perfect Cal.

The way I devoured this audiobook! Among Avery Flynn's hockey romance audiobooks that I have previously listened to, "Walk of Shame" stands out as my favorite so far.

The sizzling chemistry between Astrid and Cal added an extra layer to the narrative. Despite their efforts to keep their distance after realizing they'll be working together following their one night stand, the magnetic pull between them proved irresistible time and time again.

Astrid's character growth demonstrated through her therapy sessions, provided a unique perspective on her healing journey while emphasizing the importance of mental health and self-care. Cal's strength and determination were truly admirable, portraying him as a stand-up man who faced mistakes and challenges head-on. His resilience in redirecting his dreams after a career-ending injury showcased his character's depth.

*minor spoiler for epilogue*
A notable aspect I appreciated was Flynn's decision not to culminate the story with marriage. Following Astrid's experience of being "left at the altar," the choice not to pursue marriage again was a refreshing and empowering narrative decision, met with understanding and support from Cal.

Savannah Peachwood's narration continues to impress me. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite romance book narrators. Her ability to capture each character's uniqueness adds a layer of authenticity to the audiobook. Robert Hatchet's delivery of Cal's perspective also contributed to the overall excellence of the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for providing me an ALC of this audiobook.

This was a solid hockey romance. Very spicy but there is plot happening too. I hadn’t read the first book in this series but I don’t think it impacted my experience. The audiobook narrators did a great job delivery this story. #WalkofShame

I love the story, the writing style, the characters, and the narration. The high heat level and vulgarity are unusual for a rom com.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Thank you RB Media and NetGalley for the ARC.

4 stars

I listened to this book and the narrators were fantastic. I really enjoyed the plot and the humor. It had me laughing out loud a few times at the one liners the FMC would deliver. The FMC was super sassy and quite witty. She was really fun to read about. Her sometimes show of vulnerability was also refreshing. The MMC was a rescue the damsel in distress type. I did enjoy his chapters also. There were a lot of hockey references which I didn’t mind at all. I like hockey and know somewhat about it but I didn’t feel like this went super technical. The spice was very well written and it happened immediately. I do wish there was a little more tension build up between the FMC and MMC. It was a bit rushed and didn’t really feel like there was getting to know each other. To be fair it was a one night stand type of story. I just felt like they kept repeating they couldn’t be together and would do it anyway. I would have prefer a little more tension and build up. Maybe one or two times they met and almost did it. If that was the case I would have given it 5 stars. There was also a lot of book trope mentions and pop culture references which were really cool. Overall I really enjoyed the story and would read the author again.

Flynn’s recent novel will happily satisfy her avid fans. This is a simple, predictable plot with a hefty dose of graphic spice. The main characters and supporting cast are all likable and, of course there is the HEA. Don’t read if graphic sex isn’t welcome. 3.5 ⭐️

This was such a cute story!

I loved both narrators! They were both great and had plenty of emotion in their narration.

What a sweet and steamy story. Definitely recommend! I really enjoyed Astrid as a character. She was funny and charming.

I will definitely seek out more books by this author!

⛸️🏒Walk of Shame🏒⛸️
“Patron saint of d!cking and dipping”
If you like:
🏒Romantic Comedies
🏒Dual POV
🏒Forced Proximity
🏒Coworkers
🏒One Night Stands—> Turning to 2, then 3
🏒Plenty of Laugh Out Loud Moments
🏒MMC: Grumpy, Lumberjack Resembling,
Hangry Defender, Cinnamon Roll
🏒FMC: Independent, Beyond Relatable, Trying to find her way after being left at the alter
🏒Breaking All The Rules
🏒Bingo Shenanigans
🏒Hockey
🏒Phenomenal Banter
🏒🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Poke-Checking from the start 🥵)
Then you’ll love Walk of Shame as much as I did!
Pub Date: 🎧2/20, 📚3/18
Format: 🎧Audio
Narrators: Savannah Peachwood & Robert Hatchet (Both did a fantastic job with capturing the chemistry between Astrid and Cal).
Time: 8hrs 45min, 1.25 speed
Walk of Shame takes place in same world as Anger Bang but can be read as a standalone.

I loved the original Harbor City series and Avery Flynn's Walk of Shame is like a visit with old friends, with some of our favorite past characters popping up.

Astrid was dumped on the day of her wedding by her childhood sweetheart professional hockey player and she's vowed to get away from hockey players and hockey. That's hard considering her dad is a coach, but she's made a new life for herself in Harbor City.

Her old and new world's clash when former goalie Cal stands up for her when she is bartending. She can't deny the attraction and agrees to meet him, not knowing he's in the hockey world (soon to be goalie coach for her former fiance', eek!) and worse, her neighbor.

Can she resist the attraction based upon her rules? We'll see.

I received the audiobook and the narrators did a great job in capturing the character's personality and making the story enjoyable to listen to.

If you're new to the series or a long time reader, this is a treat!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The cover and description read as fun, messy rom-com but it was more erotica with a plot, which just isn’t for me so I can’t be a good judge. If you’re looking for VERY steamy (it seriously feels like someone’s genitals are on every other page) you’ll probably have fun with this hockey romance, but it was just too much for me and I had to put it down.

Premise - after Avery’s fiance, hockey star Tig Jones, stands her up at the altar for a professional opportunity, she bans hockey from her life and spends the next five years having sex with everything with a Y chromosome. Her latest conquest is Cal, a man whose penis is 70% of her thoughts at all times, but when her dad recruits her back to hockey for his last year of coaching pre-retirement, she finds herself working with Cal to save her ex-fiancé’s career. Along the way they have very graphic open door sex everywhere at all times, with little development occurring while clothed.

Thanks, NetGalley and Entangled, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute hockey romance! It was paced well and a super fun read! This was definitely a good Valentine’s Day read! Lots of spice, funny, and exactly what a cute romcom should be!

Astrid decides she’s done with dating and the hockey world when she was left at the alter. Now she has a cute neighbor but is also asked to come back into the hockey world for her dads last year. Could the cute neighbor maybe also be a hickey player?! Who could resist!

I receive the audio version and it was good. Easy to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for this audio-arc!

Many thanks to NetGalley, RB Media, and author Avery Flynn for providing me the ALC in exchange for my honest review! This audiobook will be released on February 20, 2024.

3.5 STARS

BRIEF SUMMARY: The book starts with Astrid being stood up at the altar by her fiancé Tig. Five years later, Astrid’s hockey coach dad talks her into working with him for his final season. She ends up being forced to help coach Tig, the goalie who is in a slump, but also Cal, the hottie she wants more than one night with. Cal tries to stay away, but he wants Astrid too.

I really liked the set-up! Cal and Astrid have sizzling chemistry. Their forced proximity and intense attraction makes for lots of mutual teasing…and giving in.

If you like hockey romances, I’m pretty sure you’ll like Walk of Shame! As far as hockey romances go, this one is very mainstream—and that’s not a bad thing! It doesn’t have the heavy banter or situational comedy antics of a rom-com, but the romance is so fun and joyful.

My minor criticisms: I wanted more actual romance and a well-rounded relationship between Cal and Astrid aside from just the physical attraction. Also, I wish the story had included scenes of hockey play and practices.

Narration by Savannah Peachwood and Robert Hatchet is top-notch!

A fantastic one night stand turned forced proximity workplace romance that sees the daughter of a pro Hockey coach roped into helping her ex fiance goalie get over his performance problems.

Astrid did not imagine doing her dad a favor would result in an unexpected reunion with her hot one night stand, Cal, who also happens to be working to help her ex and lives in the apartment above hers. Full of exceptional banter, sexual tension and emotional depth, I really loved this latest steamy, dual POV, hockey romance from a fav indie author.

Part of the Downside to dating series, this takes place in the same world as Anger bang but can definitely be read as a standalone. It was also great on audio narrated by Robert Hatchet and Savannah Peachwood and highly recommended for fans of authors like Meghan Quinn!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review! I had been eagerly anticipating this one and it did NOT disappoint!

Steam level: open door