There’s more to me than just being awk-weird. I own my own flower shop, have some great friends, and I have my eye on adopting the most adorable kitten. But sadly, hot guys don’t tend to be blown away by my trivia-spouting, dorky self. So when a Thor-lookalike who happens to be a professional hockey player hits on me at my bestie’s wedding rehearsal party… You better believe I climbed that … climbed that tree like a cat. And the fact that it happened not once, not twice, but three times? Yeah, that’s pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a woman like me.
There’s zero chance I’ll end up ever seeing him again…right?
Until the pregnancy test comes up positive. What happens next?
Oh my God, I wish I knew…
Each book in the Ice Knights series is STANDALONE:
* Parental Guidance
* Awk-Weird
* Loud Mouth
more
Ask-Weird is 100% the most accurate title for this book! Avery Flynn had me in stitches during most the book. I started with a smile and ended the book with one and it was just the best thing ever.
There isn’t quite anything like reading a good romcom and Awk-Weird was top notch. From the laugh out loud moments to the adorably sweet ones, I devoured Cole and Tess’ story. And let me just tell you that Tess was afreakingdorable! She’s my kind of people: a bit awkward and a bit nerdy with sprinkles of weird. (Hey, normal is boring!)
I truly loved Cole and Tess as a couple. From their awesome chemistry to sooooo many adorable moments they never failed to make make me smile. I had so much reading this story.
If you love sweet and funny romcoms with tons of sprinkles of charm then Awk-Weird is the story for you. This was an absolute five star, must-read! Get it.
4.5 Outrageous Hilarious Stars
After reading Avery’s Hartigan’s series and absolutely falling in love with the characters in that series, I couldn’t wait to get stuck into this new series. Now I haven’t read the first book in this series yet (I will be rectifying this real soon) but when I read the blurb to Awk-Weird I just knew I had to read this!
This book was without a doubt pure rom-com gold at its finest, and the title is absolutely perfect for this book! It’s full of hilarious awkward, weird moments that honestly have you laughing so much you’ll have tears streaming down your face.
The fact that this is Tess’s book, well this just made me fall in love with it that much more. I have been waiting for Tess’s book since meeting her in the first Hartigan book Butterface, so you can just imagine my excitement to finally see the quiet, awkward Tess get her HEA. She really is my favourite kind of heroine.
Cole, oh my goodness, now who doesn’t love a Thor – lookalike hockey hunk huh? Lol. Cole is a man of consistency and structure. Everything has to be just so, a certain order to everything in his life. Well that certainly gets thrown out of whack when Tess enters the picture!
They both have a lot of obstacles to face with a baby on the way and getting to see these two completely opposite people come together, it was just pure perfection!
I for one cannot wait to see what else Avery has in store for us with the rest of the Ice Knights series.
Awk-Weird by Avery Flynn, the second book in the Ice Knights series, and an opposites attract romance, that was funny, light and left me feeling happy. I loved that the characters were not perfect and yet they were perfect together. Tess is awkward, a bit nerdy and her life is sometimes a mess. Cole is a hot as sin hockey player who likes to have everything orderly and controlled. And yet together they just mix well.
When a night of hot and steamy sex leaves them with long-lasting consequences, what are they to do? I loved watching their story unfold and how it affected both of them. I absolutely loved reading Awk-Weird by Avery Flynn. The characters were fun and delightful and their story captivated me from start to finish. This book was so freaking fun and charming.
Read and reviewed for Reviews From the Heart.
Happy reading!
This is the first book I have read by Avery Flynn but I don’t plan on it being my last. As should be indicated by the cover, this story is ‘all kinds’ of funny. Tess and Cole are some of the quirkiest characters I have ever read. Which is what makes me love them more.
Tess is a funny girl that knows A LOT about ‘random facts’. Plan for plenty of laugh out loud moments by the things that come out her mouth and her hilarious thoughts. I love this character and even the brokenness part of her is endearing and I just wanna give her a hug.
Cole, Cole, Cole… you crack me up too, aka Thor-lookalike. Tess’ summation. SO FUNNY! I love this guy! He is a routine, schedule kind of guy who has a hard time varying from his need for a predictability to his day/life. Yes you will discover it is a reflection of his life as a child.
If I had to sum up this book, nerd, flower-shop girl meets painstakingly disciplined, hot hockey player. Add a major surprise after a hot hook-up and whoo-whee hang on. This is a funny, touching, and even emotional read. Oh did I mention SEXY. Ummm plan for some ‘HOLY HOTNESS’ moments between these two. Fanning myself.
Most surprising about this story is how you see these characters evolve and change the negative message from their childhood. It was impressive how this author could take you to that place and still maintain the over the top funny that this book brings.
So Yeah. Love this book and it is definitely five star worthy. Happy Reading Everyone! XOXO
I loved this book so much I could not put it down and read the entire thing in less than 24 hours. I love both the Harbor City and Hartigans series, but Avery Flynn has outdone herself with the Ice Knights!
Tess and Cole meet at a wedding rehearsal dinner in the most adorable way. After spending some time together that night things don’t end well when they have an awkward morning after. Tess fully expects to never see Cole again until her pregnancy tests turn positive.
Tess has never had family who put her first or gave her any real sense of permanence. It was so heartbreaking to see how it was still affecting her actions and view on relationships. She is different and quirky without it being over the top or feeling forced into the story. Her seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of trivia was really fun even though it popped up at the most awkward moments as a sort of coping mechanism.
Cole is Mr. Routine in everything he does which can make him come across as rigid and a bit cold. Having a dual POV in this book was perfect, though, to give the reader a peek inside his head and to understand why he is how he is. Watching him grow and learn to adapt to change was entertaining. He and Tess were adorable together.
The story is not particularly angsty, but it does move between moments that made me sad for their experiences and sweet and romantic ones that put a big smile on my face.
If you are looking for a fun, funny, and romantic read with loads of interesting trivia facts, I highly recommend Awk-weird. It can be read as a standalone, but the other books set in the Harbor City/Waterbury world are great reads too!
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an ARC for an honest review.
Tess Gardner feels like she is always on the outside looking in. Sure, she owns her own flower shop and has some amazing girlfriends, but every home and relationship she’s ever had has always been temporary. It’s why she’s learned to hide behind facts and trivia as a form of distraction and taking the spotlight off of herself.
Pro hockey player Cole Phillips thrives on routine. While he had a loving childhood, his family was always on the move and hockey was his only constant. It’s why change is so hard for him to handle, even if not changing affects his personal and professional life.
When the unexpected opposites attract couple of Cole and Tess hook up and a mutual friend’s wedding, neither expects to see the other again. But, when Tess discovers she is pregnant, all bets are off.
This sweet, funny, sexy and hilarious awkward romance left me smiling from ear to ear. This couple really shouldn’t work, but somehow they do, and I loved it! Their awkwardness made for some very funny banter and odd but cute flirting. And, their constant mixed signals and crossed wires left me rooting for them to figure things out and get on the same page as one another. Add in a very adorable and mischievous kitten names Kahn and Awk-Weird will steal your heart.
I also loved the subtle lessons both characters finally learned as they danced around one another. Tess realizing that family isn’t necessary those blood related to you and Cole figuring out that change and spontaneity can lead to good things were fabulous aha moments for these lovable characters as they worked towards their happy ever after. 5 stars
Hot hockey player + nerdy girl = all sorts of fun! Avery Flynn has once again delivered a fun read that has her trademark snark, sass, and humor, but also brings in a dose of real-life drama when a very unplanned pregnancy is added in to the mix.
Tess was quirky and nerdy and had some very funny moments, but it was Cole who stole my heart as he just dealt with whatever came out of Tess’s mouth and ultimately helped her find a comfort zone to manage her verbal spewing of factoids when she was nervous. Cole had his own issues and I enjoyed watching Tess, and her kitty Khan, turn his world upside-down, adding chaos to his perfectly ordered life and helping him see that being so rigid was actually hurting more than helping him, not only personally, but also professionally. There was no shortage of chemistry between these two, but it did get a bit frustrating watching the two of them fight their feelings so hard even though the attraction was so strong and everyone but the two of them knew that the feelings they had for each other were real.
Although this can be read as a standalone, having met Tess in a few other books and having some back-story about Cole and his on-again/off-again relationship with his ex made this one easy to jump right into. The supporting cast of characters, from Tess’s friends to Cole’s teammates, added the perfect mix of fun and support for both Tess and Cole, and I loved how they were able to give both Tess and Cole the tough love they needed when they needed it.
I just love Avery Flynn’s writing style and her ability to breathe life into her characters. She has a way of making you lose yourself in her stories and wishing her characters were real so you can hang out with them. Definitely one for the TBR!
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book I received from the publisher from NetGalley.
Awk-Weird is the perfect rom-com. I loved every thing about this book from the story to all the characters. You can’t help but swoon and smile the entire time!
Tess is probably one of my favorite heroines. Who doesn’t love a nerdy, trivia loving, fact spewing woman?! I felt like I was learning things while I was reading this story. She is a free spirit. She runs a flower shop, she has a great group of friends and a crazy cat. Cole is a neat freak, he likes things to run a certain way, he is set in his routines. It’s the same thing day in and day out. He doesn’t like change, but he is about to experience the biggest change in his life.
I couldn’t get enough of this book. I loved the characters and I loved the story. It’s so easy to fall in love with Tess, Cole and their relationship. They are truly opposites of each other in every form, yet somehow they are perfect for each other. They had so much chemistry and it was super sweet. I loved the little things they did, like the voicemails. They had to work on a relationship and I loved the build they had.
This was the perfect mix of a hockey romance, laugh out loud banter, sweet characters, steam and romance. I truly didn’t want the story to end, because I love Tess and Cole that much. I do hope there are little sneak peaks into their life in the next book of Ice Knights series.
Tess, a florist with her own shop, embraces her life, knowing she’s blessed in some ways, while accepting that her idiosyncrasies aren’t for everyone, as in men. But if they can’t accept her for who she is, then they aren’t worthy of her, right? Of course, that doesn’t negate any loneliness she may experience because of it.
Cole, a professional hockey player, likes things in order, routines having a calming effect on him, so you can understand how change would upset his balance. And then he meets Tess at a wedding rehearsal and is intrigued.
Socially awkward Tess may be, but one on one with Cole…they have some great times, yes, as in more than once. Granted, she never expects to see him again, so might as well enjoyed him while she has him.
But fate has a way of laughing at your attempt to make plans, replacing them with their own…including when a certain test shows she passed or is that failed? Well, I guess it depends on how you look at. Which way will Cole and Tess choose?
One-click now and follow along as two people, similar yet different, form a connection that becomes stronger and more permanent than they originally believed.
First, the title works wonderfully for two characters that have their own quirks. Second, and on a purely personal note, I didn’t like the fact that Cole still seemed hung up on his ex over half a year since she dumped him. My hope was it had more to do with him disliking change as opposed to pining for her. If it wasn’t for that aspect, I might’ve enjoyed this story more.By Elizabeth
Awk-Weird is Awesome. I absolutely love Avery Flynn’s books. I’m addicted to the Hartigan clan and the Ice Cats hockey team equally and this book is the perfect mix of the two. In it we revisit some of my favorite characters from past books and of course we get to explore Tess’ story. You just have to love Tess and her weirdness. She’s a sweet woman with abandonment issues and tries hard to navigate her awkwardness by keeping her distance from others and using her love of trivia knowledge. Cole is a sexy AF hockey player with his own slice of weird. Growing up moving from town to town left him feeling out of control and alone. He too lives his life implementing a set of coping strategies that don’t allow him to veer away from his day to day routine. These two complex individuals fall hard for one another after a heady one night stand. Couple their off the charts attraction to one another with faulty condoms and bam, things just got awk-weirder . Their cat and mouse game goes on until they can longer fight their attraction to one another and get their happily ever after. I read an ARC of this book and voluntarily left a review.
Awk-Weird by Avery Flynn
4.5*
This book was hilariously awkward and delightfully weird with characters you cannot help but fall in love with.
Tess is fact-spouting florist who has not had the most fantastic of relationships with her family. She’s made her own family with a close knit group of friends but even then, she’s waiting for the other shoe to drop, for them to leave. After all, in Tess’s world, no one ever sticks around and everything and everyone are temporary.
Cole is not a fan of change. And when I say not a fan, I mean he resists it at every opportunity. Everything in his life and his home has a place and a space and that’s how they will stay, dammit! Every aspect of his life is ruled by routine and a strict regimen and it works for him until colorful Tess enters his life and stirs things up a wee bit.
With Tess and her issues and Cole still believing he’s in love with his ex, there’s a lot of confusion and frankly, hot sex, to be had as they work out the dynamics of their relationship. There’s really not much I didn’t like about this book apart from a few instances where I could have cheerfully throttled both Tess and Cole. Otherwise I read much of the book with a smile and great enjoyment – I have a feeling Tess and Cole’s is a story I’ll return to in the future. And after that little snippet of Loud Mouth, I’m more eager than I thought possible to get my hands on Petrov!
*I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.
Awk-Weird is everything you want in a romantic comedy, it’s funny, it’s sweet and it has characters that are adorable. Let’s be honest what’s not to love when you have a hot Thor ice hockey player as the hero and a nerdy sweet awkward girl as the heroine. This author always finds characters you can identify with maybe it’s you always manage to see a little bit of yourself in each and everyone she creates or maybe she just weaves a tale we would like to be a part of and Awk-Weird is no different it’s a story that will draw you in and keep you hooked through to the last line.
Cole has moved around most of his childhood never spending much time in one place and that has made him an independent control freak who has a place for everything and it’s never out of place including his feelings, well that was until Tess dropped into his life, she is the complete opposite a nerdy messy funny girl who takes life as it comes so what happens when the nerd hooks up with the hot Thor look alike I guess you need to read the book to find that out….
This is a book that ticked all my boxes, I laughed, I sighed and I loved watching these two characters evolve as I joined their beautifully written love story, this was everything I expected from the queen of rom- com and I can’t wait for the next installation of the Ice Knights. Entertaining funny read.
Love Tess (the Heroine.) She is socially awkward but hilarious. She’s had a emotionally rough childhood, but grew past that to have a successful adult life… only thing missing is that forever guy in her life. Cole (the Hero) is an NHL star who likes routine and consistency and is having difficulties adjusting to life with Tess in it. Neither are admitting to each other or to themselves their feelings. This lack of communication causes some trouble in paradise. There are lots of laughs throughout the book, but there are also some emotionally gut wrenching scenes. Don’t worry, it’s not an ugly cry kind of read though. If you’ve read the Hartigans series, you will recognize some of the side characters, as this series is a spin off of that series, but each can be read as a stand alone. I love the banter between Cole and his teammates. (That’s where we get much of the comic relief.) This is an easy to read, hard to put down book. It alternates between POVs. The sexual content is limited and not graphic. This book is not only entertaining, but also educational…. get ready to learn some random facts! 😉
This might be the first book I want to write a full length review aka book report that I hate reading/doing. This book had so much going on it was a huge emotional overload.
My heart was breaking everytime Tess thought eventually everyone moves on. She had HUGE abandonment issues thinking she was not worth the fuss of staying around. Cole and his OCD with the need that everything-should-stay-the-same almost cost him everything he never knew he wanted.
This book was funny at the beginning, heartbreaking in the middle and oh so sweet by the end. It left me with a smile on my face and just wanting to re-read it right away.
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
Avery Flynn has been a go to author of mine for years. Awk-Weird proved to be the perfect example of why. Tess and Cole are adorkably, unique. She’s has an analytical mind that tends to overshadow her soft heart. He has all the right move to steal a girl’s heart, breath and everything in between. Tess is the girl that guys tend to overlook until surprise, the one guy she never expected shakes up her world in ways that have lasting results. Flynn brings her sassy wit and feel good formula to a tempting duo of misfits. Heart mixed with humor. I was a goner at hello.
Awk-weird has that unique brand of witty fun and sweet romance that is speciality of Avery Flynn. My face was hurting from grinning and smiling like a lunatic. My heart was hurting in the best way with the insane chemistry and beautiful passionate moments. Nothing is comparable to this carefree, happy and content feelings after reading the feel good yet intense romance from Avery Flynn.
Cole and Tess are as opposite in personality as possible. Tess is the shy and reservd florist who throws out absolutely random trivia in nervous ans awkward situations. And that happens a lot. Cole is the star player of Ice Knights who is charming, gorgeous, confident and has his life mapped to every tiny details. Just like each corner of his home. So when a drunken wedding hook up , an accidental pregnancy and a plumbing disaster force them to co habit together , it is complete chaos.
I love everything about this couple. This is a slow burn extraordinaire romance. Where they give in to their bone deep pull one step and then take ten steps back by denying their feelings. Tess makes Cole feel that change is necessary and not always evil. And Cole makes Tess at home that has been missing from her life since childhood. But heart is a stupid and stubborn organ. So they have this very exciting, mesmerizing and intoxicating dance where they kind of do everything except admitting their love. The journey was hilarious and full of so many laugh out loud moments. Think about every kind of humor and you will have it. Including healthy dose of sarcasm. The journey had gut wrenching and soul wrecking moments where I wanted to hit someone. The whole bittersweet, heartbreaking and glorious process of falling in love was portrayed so beautifully. And I loved getting reunited with some of my old favorites from the Hartigan family and Ice Knight family! Friends make everything better and easy.
Avery Flynn’s writing is so free flowing and flawless that it will get right to your heart. If romance is an escape, Awk-weird is an all expense paid trip to Hawaii.
Received ARC for Honest review via Netgalley
Hilarious and so many feels. This novel will definitely cause a serious case of the feels in you but it will be worth it. Tess is adorably awkward in all social situations and honestly, Cole puts his foot in his mouth a few too many times. These two shouldn’t work but they do and it’s such a good time reading their story. Don’t miss out on this one!
*I received an ARC for an honest review*
Tess has been shuffled around her whole life. Consequently, she thinks everything in life is just temporary…especially staying with hockey player, and Thor’s-twin, Cole Phillips. After all, she’s just there until her apartment becomes liveable again.
Cole likes his routines. He absolutely hates change (although he’d never admit it out loud). He has his life mapped out perfectly….right down to the person he’s gonna marry…as soon as they get back together. And then he meets random trivia-spouting Tess. And they get “weddinged”…..then the stick turns blue. Now she’s staying with him, her cat’s making a mess, and his coach is busting him down to second string until he gets his game back on track. For a man who thrives on control and order, his life has become anything but…and he’s not sure he cares.
This book is everything thing! I love Tess and Cole and all the team players. There’s drama and angst and laughter and sexy-times. It’s exactly what a romcom should be. I couldn’t put it down.
I received an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias.
Great Rom-Com!! Cole and Tess were so much fun to get to know! Tess’ ability to remember random trivia was awesome and I thought it was great that Cole was able to come back with his own trivia knowledge. But, Tess also touched my heart with her attitude that everything is temporary. Cole on the other hand, I wanted to strangle him at times. His OCD regarding chaos drove me nuts! LOL!! I did love that his heart was in the right place when it came to Tess. Somebody needed to show her that not EVERYTHING is temporary. Looking for a fun, sexy read with a great HEA this is your kind of romance.
I had such a chuckle reading this. I’ve read the previous book in this series, “Parental Guidance”, so I looking forward to see who was in this one. (These don’t need to be read in order)
We first met Tess is a different series “The Hartigans”
Tess looks at herself as ordinary, a nerd. But I liked the character, her awk-weird (ness) was endearing. She has no social skills, she has no idea how to interact with a guy. She does try bless her, she just doesn’t have a clue. She knows it’s going to happen soon, her friends have found someone, a d soon they will be moving on. She’s had it all her life, no one has every really wanted her, being passed around from relative to relative, a d getting the feeling you weren’t really wanted has certainly done a number on Tess.
And being at another wedding (her three best friends have all found love) just sucks. She doesn’t begrudge them, but she’s going to be on her own pretty soon. Again!!!!
As Cole watches his ex leave with her date, its pretty obvious they were properly over, they were and on/off couple, he’d given her his love, she’d left, so he was going to get drunk, and then move on …..
Tess and Cole meet at a pre-wedding dinner. A game is being played, and although Tess isn’t invited, she can’t help whisper the answers. She doesn’t think anyone is listening, until a challenge is dished out, and Tess is partnered with a Thor look alike drinks are flowing and soon the questions are flying around. Tess can’t remember when she’d had this much fun.
Together they make their escape through an open door, Cole really doesn’t do cute, but she does have something about her …..
Oh dear!!!! We wake the next morning, and a few regrets raise its ugly head, yes they’d had a great night, but in the come light of day, would Cole really want to be seen with her?
One month later ….
Tess is pregnant!!! Ok she knows how it happens, but how did it happen? They’d had protected sex (three times) so it should have been ok. What’s a girl to do? Does she tell the father? It does she keep it quiet?
Cole is shocked!! How the hell did Tess become pregnant?
But as the pair struggle to come to terms with the pregnancy, they spend more and more time together. Her quirks intrigue him, just being with her makes more sense than being with his ex ever did.
So will they end up together? Or will Tess’s past keep them apart?
It’s another laugh a minute book. It’s good a few deep moments (both Cole and Tess have issues, and it’s good to watch them work through them together)