Audiobook Review: Walk of Shame by Avery Flynn

After being dumped at the alter by her longtime, pro-hockey goalie boyfriend, Astrid O'Malley is done with hockey, especially goalies. Too bad, years later, her hotter-than-hot one night stand turns out to be, not only a goalie coach, but hired by her dad's team to train her ex! Let the games begin! I loved how strong and feisty Astrid is despite her traumatic hockey-related past. And her conviction to her principles (one night only!) is commendable, even if they might get her into trouble. And Cal, swoon! He's bossy in bed but thoughtful and creative when trying to convince Astrid they are worth more than one night. I definitely recommend this audiobook to readers who enjoy a strong yet vulnerable female MC, a tough on the outside/gooey on the inside male romantic interest, cool and supportive (interfering) friends and family, and lots of steamy sex scenes! The audiobook came out Feb. 20, 2024 and the paperback pub date is March, 18, 2024. But if you enjoy audiobooks, grab it because narrators Robert Hatchet and Savannah Peachwood do a great job of voicing their characters, including the potentially tricky task of voicing characters not of their gender.

ALC review
Narrated by Savannah Peachwood & Robert Hatchet Astrid and Cal Hockey player
Coach daughter
Forbidden relationship
Dirty talker MMC
Left at the alter
This is a story about a woman named Astrid who has decided dating isn't for her. Astrid hates all things hockey even dating them since Tig her fiancé decide he wasn't ready to be marrying her and on the day of the wedding he ran off to another city and play for another team. She at that city after her dad got a coaching job there. She might be there for her family after her father ask her to help, but she still wants nothing to do with hockey. She likes men but only for one night and nothing else. Until she break her rule for a guy who lives in the same building. Then she find out he the new hockey coach his name is Cal.
Cal whole life was hockey until he almost died on the ice.
Now he's fighting to get back into the sport, he is brought to coach Astrid ex fiancé but he is distracted by Astrid who has shit down her emotion and when she open up you read the raw emotion of being left at the altar and those emotion of being embarrassed hurt and feeling unworthy. Cal realize that there more to hockey. I love there banter and it’s hilarious.

Once Astrid gets dumped via FaceTime by her fiancé on her wedding day she tries to pick up the pieces. One night she runs into Cal, little does she know he is a coach for her dad’s hockey team. Astrid vows to not hook up with Cal anymore after the first time, but she continues going down that road. This was a very cute romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance audio copy of Walk of Shame by Avery Flynn in exchange of an honest review.

"Walk of Shame by Avery Flynn is a captivating and sizzling romance that masterfully combines heartbreak, humor, and passion. From the very beginning, the story draws you in with Astrid's relatable journey of healing and empowerment after a humiliating breakup. The forbidden romance between Astrid and the goalie coach, who also happens to be her ex's trainer, adds an extra layer of tension and emotion that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The chemistry between the characters is electric, and you'll find yourself unable to put the book down. The narrators truly bring the story to life, with their voices perfectly capturing the raw emotions and intense moments of the plot. I truly loves this audiobook and I give a solid 4.5 Stars! "Walk of Shame" is a must-read that will leave you craving for more."

Astrid, currently single and on her self proclaimed dick tour, has written off love and hockey after being dumped at the alter by her hockey player fiance. In comes Cal, a former hockey player who changes everything.

I really liked this book. There was exciting spice from start to finish, but there was an actual enjoyable plot throughout the entirety of the book as well. All the characters were lovable and the romance was very cute. The epilogue of the book seemed like quite the jump, but for non main characters so I was confused by that, but otherwise this book was a great romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for proving me with the ARC audiobook.

This was the first book that I have listened to by Avery Flynn, and I will definitely be reading/listening to more in the near future. The story moved at a steady pace and had lots of humor and spice throughout! I loved the narrators for this book! It was my first time listening to Robert Hatchett. He was great!!

The only thing I would change is the amount of time between chapters. In the first 2/3 of the book, the pause between each chapter was so long that I kept having to look to ensure that the audiobook hadn’t stopped playing. Small detail…

Listened at 2.5x speed. Narration was engaging since it was a dual narration for the two MCs.

After being stood up at the alter by her hockey goal fiance, Astrid swears off hockey...but not sex. *SHOCKER* Her should-be-one-night-stand is a former hockey player turned current coach who just so happens to work for local team...under the leadership of Astrid's dad. The story is pretty straight forward in terms of plot. You know there will be tension, there will be frustration, there will be no REAL issues, and there will be an ending that you could've predicted without reading a single page.

The plot is SPICY, and the characters are likeable. Narration definitely aided the plot in making things more believable.

Overall: 3 stars (I liked it)

I'll tell my students about: language, alcohol, sex, trauma

**Thank you to NetGalley & RB Media, Recorded Books for the free ALC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

I've never read an Avery Flynn book that I didn't love, nor have I listened to a book narrated by Savannah Peachwood or Robert Hatchet, so the combination of these three individual talents in "Walk of Shame" is a throuple made in heaven!!!

Five years after swearing off hockey and everything and everyone to do with it, Astrid has an incredible night with a guy who winds up being her ex-fiance's new goalie coach. Yikes.

"just one more time" and "Let's just bang it out of our systems" are two of my favorite micro-tropes, and there is an abundance of "one more time" in Walk of Shame.

The story was cute, the friend group was HILARIOUS, and I loved the cameos from other Avery Flynn books.

This is my first book by Avery Flynn, and I definitely enjoyed it. But, I was surprised by just how steamy this story is. The cover and blurb did not prepare me for the fact that this story is mainly sex with a bit of character development and minimal plot sprinkled in. In accordance with the well-loved tropes of the very hot micro-genre of hockey romances we've seen a boon in lately, this book has the coach's super hot daughter that knows all about hockey and works for the organization recovering from a broken heart courtesy of the goalie on the team. She's, of course, sworn off hockey players forever, but, also of course, this is put to the test after an insta-love and insta-lust moment with an injured ex-player turned coach skates into her life. They have an instant attraction (one-night stand in chapter 3 - hence the title) that turns into more and more and more and more (did I mention there was a lot of sexy times?) steamy moments. In between we get a small sense of the team, a smidge of "closure" with the ex, and a moment where, once again a man needs to choose between the coach's daughter and hockey.

Overall, the writing was fun and easy and steamy. I giggled out loud a few times. The two narrators were great and easy to listen to. So, it was a fast and fun read/listen. I usually prefer more plot and more build-up until the first time the couple ends up in bed (or in this case on the kitchen table). But sometimes its fun to just get caught up in the sexy times. Fans of steamy hockey romances will enjoy this addition to the micro-genre. Whenever I'm in the mood for some literary porn, I'll definitely check out more of Flynn's backlist.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me to review an Advance Reader Copy of this audiobook.

RATING: 3/5
GENRE: Romance, Sports Romance
TROPE: Forced Proximity, Hot Neighbour
SPICE: 3/5

The novel begins with Astrid being left at the alter by her professional hockey player fiancé, Tig Jones. After the whole ordeal, Astrid swears off hockey players and honestly anything hockey even putting a “Hockey Jar” in the bar she sometimes worked at to keep it away from her… Then she meets Cal while working and has an amazing one night stand turns into having to see him everyday because he works for her dad….

I want to mention that Astrid as a character is funny and tough and i really loved how she was written but otherwise this novel was just flat and boring. The only redeemable quality was the spice. If you’re looking for something that is easy, fluffy and has spice then I recommend this book but the romance isn’t even that deep for me.

uhhhh! Such a funny audibook and MCs.

This book is in third personwich is something I do enjoy when I'm listening. Also, I loved the MCs in this one: they were hot, funny and really enjoyable.

I really see a lot of myself in Astrid and I really loved her characte development and how she found love again.

The performance is also really good and I loved every second of it!!

I cried and laught and I really had a good time - really recommend this one!!

I really enjoyed the audio. The audio actors were so good. This is such a cute and inspiring story. I really liked the characters’ development. The banter was so funny and the tension between the mmc and mfc was intense! Would definitely recommend this audio to any books lovers.

Robert Hatchet and Savannah Peachwood narrate Walk of Shame by Avery Flynn. Astrid O'Malley returns to her father's hockey team staff and discovers that her one-night stand, Cal Madsen—the best sex of her life—is her new upstairs neighbor and the team's new goalie coach, which means he will be training her childhood sweetheart, who dumped her at the altar five years ago. After experiencing the height of public humiliation because of that, Astrid O'Malley walled away from hockey, which had always been a part of her life.

I love Savannah Peachwood. She's one of my favorite narrators, and I haven't listened to an audiobook she narrates in a while. So, I was excited to read a book narrated by her. Robert Hatchet is new to me, but I may check out more by him. Peachwood and Hatchet's lively dual POV narration complements Flynn's vibrant, snarky, introspective, hilarious, and sexy narrative style, drawing you into this nicely-paced romance and keeping you reading till the end. Once I started listening, it was hard to stop for the night. Peachwood and Hatchet's narration and voices perfectly fit Astrid and Cal. When they switch POVs for Astrid and Cal and narrate for characters of different sexes, their narration is fine, but it's better the other way around. However, both excellently provide distinct voices/narration for each of Flynn's characters, differentiating them using dialects, tone, pacing, intonation, and inflection that reveal their personalities, quirks, states of mind, and feelings. Peachwood's southern accent is so charming. I love her voice.

Flynn writes wonderfully balanced, sexy, funny, steamy, and emotional love stories with fascinating characters. Her colorful, hilarious, and natural-sounding dialogue perfectly suits her characters, setting, and theme. Watching Cal and Astrid fall victim to their passion and desire is thoroughly entertaining because their attraction and chemistry are intense from their first meeting. They share much in common--especially hockey--and balance one another well. Their humor is at the same level, sexually, and they're evenly matched and meet one another's needs magnificently. Walk of Shame is different from Flynn's other books that I've read. Although it starts super sexy, steamy AF, and funny, the relationship development felt slightly different. Astrid and Cal were strictly connecting on a purely carnal, lust-based level, while it felt like the characters in Neanderthal and Mansplainer were intensely sexual and emotional.

But that makes sense, right, for these characters? Astrid decides to live hockey-free on her terms after having her heart broken, being made a laughingstock in the hockey world, and being blamed for the situation. For her, that means No-strings casual relationships--all about sex and NOT her heart. And Cal is a raw wound still healing spoiler—literally and figuratively—so he's not looking for a relationship or forming any emotional connections. Flynn excellently describes their immediate attraction so vividly, and she develops their relationship so effectively through sexy, snarky, funny, and steamy interactions that you could understand why Astrid and Cal were inevitable and had no chance of staying away from each other. Then, as she skillfully does, the emotional connection sneaks up on the characters and you as they are forced to work together and resist that intense pull between them. While I prefer when authors develop relationships between the characters so that they have an emotional connection of some kind before they go crazy with the sex, I do have a secret weakness for people cluelessly sexing themselves into love.

I like how Flynn writes and develops the relationships between Cal and his former teammate and friend, Astrid and her father, and her BFFs. These relationships are so crucial to the development and evolution of their characters, but they also reveal their characters. Further, they help hold them accountable and push them to step outside the safety zones they've created for themselves because of the pain they've suffered and uncertainty about their futures.

The novel's quick pacing and mostly lighthearted, humorous tone, with a bit of angst, combined with her vivid description, fascinating characters, and natural-sounding dialogue, make it a fun listening experience. Sweet, steamy, hilarious, sexy, emotional, and fast-paced, Walk of Shame is a read/audio listen that's perfect for fans of one-night stands to more, hockey romances, forbidden/secret relationships, and steamy and funny romances. It explores self-discovery, self-esteem, self-confidence, friendship, mental health, father/daughter relationships, career-ending injuries, finding happiness, and mental and physical healing and recovery.

Recorded Books provided an advanced listening copy via Netgalley for review.

Looking for a dash of hockey and a whole lot of spice? This neighbors (I’ll just say that so I don’t give too much away) to lovers story is the perfect fit for you then.

I am new to spicy and boy did this one send me into the deep end right away. Did it leave me fanning myself? Oh yes. So many scenes that make you look around and wonder if people realize what you’re reading. 😇

Throughout this whole book I was rooting for this duo 💙

Walk of Shame by Avery Flynn was a fun, but definitely NC17 spice-factor, listen.

Astrid O'Malley experienced the ultimate humiliation when she was dumped via Facetime on her wedding day. Did you read that? Dumped on her wedding day! Since that awful day five years ago, Astrid has enforced a strict, no-strings-attached policy. She is game for all the one-night-stands, but that's it. One night. No more. Also, her ex is a professional hockey player. So, no hockey players. Ever.

Then in walks hottie Cal in his pink sweater and amazing arms.

Astrid is faced with her ex, the game of hockey, her dad's expectations, and Cal. And, everything goes out the window.

Such a fun listen. I love that this love story did not include a ton of "oh does he like me?" blah blah blah. These two like each other and they let it be known. Their chemistry is on fire. I like a book when the characters don't sit around questioning everything.

The book is definitely way spicier than I am comfortable with but still giving it a 4 because it was fun.

The narrators, Robert Hatchet and Savannah Peachwood were awesome. I love this duo!

Thank you to NetGalley, and RB Media Recorded Books for the advanced listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

***I received an ARC from Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for my honest review.***

***Book devoured via audiobook***

For fans of Hannah Grace’s “Icebreaker” and/or Elle Kennedy’s “The Graham Effect” comes Flynn’s “Walk of Shame” bringing a comparable amount of spice to the game of hockey.

Astrid is the only daughter of the head coach.
Cal is the goalie whisperer hired to make the head coach’s last year a successful one.
Tig is the goalie… and Astrid’s ex-fiancee.
What could go wrong?

Things I loved about this book:
*🌶️🌶️🌶️ (spicy)
*forbidden romance
*revenge at its finest
*an unexpected ending

Things I could have gone without:
*the male voice didn’t work (reader-audiobook)
*the epilogue (specifically wrapping up Tig’s story-why?)

Overall, not a bad quick read! Enjoy!

Thanks NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook! Walk of Shame was fun, steamy and my first (but definitely not last) hockey romance.
As an avid hockey fan I did enjoy the references to a few of the greats. (Jacques Plante, Patrick Roy to make a few).
Definitely spicier 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ than I was expecting, but they do say never judge a book but it’s cover!

This fast paced romance was really funny. It was so entertaining. It checked all the boxes for the one night to forever storyline. Both leads had a lot to work through as individuals. Together, they were explosive.

Other: Readers who enjoy naughty and nice reads with a hockey theme should like this novel.

I didn't realize this was a book #2, so read it as a stand alone book. Unsure if I would have liked it more with reading Anger Bang first.

While the title made me assume this would be a spicy book, I thought there would be ore substance to it. Books that are typically similar to Walk of Shame have a half naked man on the cover, so enjoyed the fun playful girly cover. I felt like this book was a string of sex scenes strug together with a minimal plot. I wish there was more character development, plot and relationship building to this book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

🌶🌶🌶.5/5 on the spicy scale!

Astrid, broken up with via FaceTime on her wedding day has sworn off relationships, She went on her honeymoon solo and has worked on finding herself again. So when she saw a muscley, hunk of a man at the bar she figured since she was going on a tour of one-night stands, one night together can't hurt....But when she finds out that he lives in he
r building and then on top of that finds out that her Hockey coach father just hired them to work together....she realizes she is screwed. Not only did she break ALL her rules for him, continuing to resist him is going to be next level difficult.

Tropes:
- Hockey Romance
- Rom-Com but SPICY!
-Forced Proximity (Living in the same building and working together)
-Coach's daughter
- One-Night Stand

I Enjoyed:
-The chemistry between the characters was SCORCHING and I LOVED it!
- Top Tier narrators!
- There was a really good mix of spicy scenes as well as plot

I did NOT enjoy:
-The Cover--- It just does not connect to the book and it felt odd. I feel like I hadn't really had this on my TBR because the cover just didn't speak to me...
-It kind of felt like the ending was rushed. I would have liked a little slower of a wrap-up.
-The ex-fiance- He was just blehh and yuck LOL

****ADVANCED LISTENING COPY PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW****