I am so happy I still have two more books to read in this series. I love every single one of them so much. The Parent Playbook is one of my favorites even though it is hard to tell at this point because I really like all of them so much. 😄

The Parent Playbook is a contemporary hockey romance novel written by Elsie Woods. It is book five in the Love on Thin Ice series.

Summary: Angel isn’t looking for love. She tried that, and it didn’t work out so well.

Now she just wants to concentrate on raising her precocious son and helping less-fortunate children with her non-profit farm.

And if that means she has to play nice with a bunch of conceited hockey players to get the funds she needs, then so be it.

Scotty is coaching hockey. He used to play, but after the death of his wife, he stepped back to take care of their young daughter.

Can he remain content with their safe and normal life-or will he have the courage to take a leap of faith and go after what he really wants?

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book. There is a good storyline, characters you want to root for, and lots of fun moments to make you smile.

I would definitely recommend this book as a nice, light romance, and it’s one of my favorites from the series.

I would like to thank Xpresso Book Tours for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Thank you.

ARC Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Growing up Angelica (Angel) Davis knew what it meant to go without. As an adult she has dedicated her life to providing a safe space that bridges the gap for less fortunate children in her community. So when a billionaire offers the Happy Horizons Ranch to be the recipient of his charity, she accepts. Will the single-mother be able to keep her head and her foundation above water until the money comes through, or will she run out of time?

The Parent Playbook by Elsie Woods is the fifth book in the Love on Thin Ice series. This is a multi-author, interconnected series that follows the love stories of professional hockey players on the charity team, The Ice Breakers. While each of these books is written as a stand alone novel, they are best enjoyed as a whole. However, the order in which you read them does not necessarily matter.

Reading through this series has given me the opportunity to discover a couple of things.

First, it has introduced me to new-to-me authors such as Elsie Woods. Despite having numerous titles to her name, I had yet to read one of her novels. I am so thankful that I learned of Woods’ work as I instantly fell in love with her writing. This might have been my first book by her, but it definitely won’t be my last!

In addition to discovering Woods, it opened my eyes to a trope I had previously dismissed. I always thought I was not a fan of the single-parent trope. In actuality I just hadn’t read one I enjoyed. Woods put an end to that by rooting Angel and Scotty’s journey in reality. Not only did their interactions feel authentic, they delicately navigated both their own feelings and their children’s feelings responsibly.

Read this book if you enjoy small town, sports romances that feature a second chance at love for two single-parents.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Puppy Love Books, Xpresso Book Tours, and Elsie Woods for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

What a good book! I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I loved the main characters! They had great chemistry and worked so well together. I loved how the book just flowed. My first by this author but will not be my last!!!

I have loved read the maple hills series and like the rest of the books, found this very sweet, an easy read and cute! I’m not usually much of a fan of ‘parent’ romances but I found I could make an exception in this case as it was just such a sweet (but not sickly sweet) story and I really liked the characters. overall a really lovely read and as a whole series something I’d definitely recommend! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this!

First of all, Thank You Netgalley for the ARC granted to me. Romance with single parents rediscovering love all that united with sport romance is always a good idea. I truly liked the story, withc such a cozy and compelling vibe.

This book was very wholesome, very sweet with cozy romance vibes. Nothing too high stakes which can be nice! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!

Angel and Scotty's story is about two single parents who meet by chance. Two single parents are attempting to determine what is best. Angel's aim is to improve the lives of kids who are experiencing similar situations because she had a difficult childhood. Before his wife passed away, Scotty played professional hockey. Whether it was around the ranch or assisting Scotty in getting back on the ice, I loved how Scotty and Angel supported one another. I also appreciated how they connect with one another's struggles of being a single parent raising children. I liked how they formed a family throughout the story.

I’m a big fan of single dad and a hockey player I was in. Recovering from an injury and needing a temporary change of scenery for his daughter he takes on helping out a single mom’s ranch. Between two matchmaking kids and the magic of Maplefest Scotty’s plans change. “ Sometimes the fairy tale ending is less fluffy dress and more hockey pads sweat and two precious preteens. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily

usually i’m not a big fan of the single parent trope but in this book, i really enjoyed it! i think i liked that both of our mc’s had children. i also felt like their personalities were a good match and you could feel the chemistry between the two. i also loved the setting of happy horizons ranch and that there was a decent amount of hockey happening in this book!

I enjoyed this story of two families coming together and falling in love. Thank you for allowing me to read and review this ARC

Arc Review
Overall Rating: 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cover Rating: 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tropes:
- Single Dad and Single Mom (Single Parent Struggles)
- Mischievous Kids
- Found Family
- Close Knit Community
- Small Town
- Fall Vibes
- Low-Angst, Cozy Vibes
- Second Chance At Love
- Hockey Romance
- Dual POV
- A Beautiful Ranch with a Troublemaker Goat
- Closed Door/Clean Romcom, Kisses Only

Welcome to the ‘Love on Thin Ice’ series, seven authors, seven short novels, and one charming town, welcome to Maple Falls where heartwarming love stories live. Our fifth book of the ‘Love on Thin Ice’ series is ‘The Parent Playbook’ written by. Elsie Woods.

Angel runs the Happy Horizons Ranch, a place for kids to be kids and learn skills they might never learn other wise, but Angel is also a mother to her son Andy. Scotty is a now retired hockey player who stop playing to help take care of his sick wife Corrie but after her loss he wanted to devote all his time into being a father so he could take care of his daughter Lily. Scotty and Lily find themselves in Maple Falls because Scotty is going to be the assistant coach for the charity hockey team.
When Angel and Scotty meet it’s not the most perfect first meeting but what do you do. Angel needs help fixing her ranch and Scotty is just the man to help her. Angel and Scotty try to fight their attraction to one another but they are getting pull together helping each other out with pre-teen antics, curious hockey players, shady business dealings, and a troublemaking goat. Will Angel and Scotty get there happily ever after? Read ‘The Parent Playbook’ and find out.

This is my fifth book of the series and I’m in love with this series I wish it didn’t have to end but I only have two more to go.
I loved Angel and Scotty together their meet-cute at the gala was great. I also loved Angels and Scotty’s relationship with their own kids but also with the others kid. Scotty’s dad jokes and humour was top tier. I also love how Scotty did not hesitate to start helping Angel out when she needed it. I loved Angels spirit you can definitely see were Andy gets his spirit from. Also there was a whole parent trap vibe here that I loved to see with the fall festival, to watching the hockey games, the movie night and everything else I couldn’t get enough of.

I liked to wrap this up by giving a huge thank you to the author Elsie Woods along with NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an advanced readers copy of this book, I absolutely loved reading it.

The story of Angel and Scotty is of two single parents who meet unexpectedly with an embarrassing meet cute for one of them. Angel ends up mistaking Scotty for a coat checker at a charity they are both attending. Only for Angel to find out later on, when Scotty is called up on stage to give a speech, that he is the new assistant coach for the professional hockey team, who is sponsoring her charity. Add in two meddlesome children, and the book keeps you hooked. This was a very good pallet cleanser read when you are looking for something wholesome. This was a fast read with little spice, but sometimes spice isn’t needed in a good book. Definitely give it a try, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

This book is perfect for the winter time bundled on the couch with a cozy blanket and hot chocolate! The romance was so sweet and wholesome! I would highly recommend!

3.25 ⭐️

Well, this was super cute.

Angel and scotty are single parents who meet when he starts coaching a charity hockey team sponsoring her organisation.

I loved that they spent time together with their kids from the start, and I'm a sucker for kids trying to get their parents together.

It is quite short, so everything moves pretty quickly with the romance, but it's cute. We have a subplot of Scotty deciding if he is ready to make the move permanent and if he will return to playing hockey after the death of his wife. I did find myself wishing we saw a little more of angels struggle with being a single parent. We definitely see less of her than scotty in that respect.

Overall, it was cute, I may read the rest, but I'm not dying to pick them up immediately.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

If you love a sweet heartfelt romance with hockey, dad jokes and amazing blended family then this is for you.

Angel and Scotty are kind, loving parents that are just looking to find their place in life and find each other in the process. They have 2 of the cutest, troublemaking kids ever, that add the right amount of fun and heart to the story.

I highly recommend this for a cozy romance read perfect for the colder months.

I finished this book feeling warm and happy! It’s a cozy small-town sports romance that captures your heart within the first few pages. It’s the perfect read to enjoy with a nice cup of coffee or tea and a soft, fuzzy blanket while you relax.

Wonderful book with a single mom, a single dad, two great kids and a mischievous goat. What more could you ask for?

I received this book from Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed the second-chance romance in this book. I loved that we finally got to read about the Happy Horizon ranch, the charity the Ice breakers are playing for in each book in the Love on Thin Ice series. Angel is a single mother trying to run Happy Horizons while raising her twelve-year-old son Andy. Scotty has come to Maple Falls to help coach the charity team, Ice Breakers, with his daughter Lily. Lily and Andy were a fun addition to this book, trying to help their parents fall in love. This book was a great second-chance romance written by Elsie Woods. I am looking forward to reading more of the books in this series.

I really enjoyed this sweet, small town hockey romance! This was a quick read and had one of the funniest meet cutes! Angel and Scotty are both single parents, neither of them is looking for love, but their kids have a plan. If you're looking for a short hockey love story, with low angst, cozy vibes in a charming little town, I'd definitely recommend grabbing this book!