“A fantastically fun, HOT love story.” – Kendall Ryan, New York Times bestselling author All I want is to play hockey on the Ice Knights, instead, I’m in a viral video for all the wrong reasons and my mom–yes, my mom–has taken over my dating apps. Then, when I think it can’t get any worse, the fates deliver Zara Ambrose, a five-feet-nothing redhead with more freckles than inches and who’d … freckles than inches and who’d rather be anywhere other than on a date with me.
Now a bet with her friends and my PR nightmare have us both stuck in this go-on-five-dates-with-the-same-person hell situation. But if we band together, we can get the whole thing over with and go on with our lives. It’s perfect! No feelings. No future. No fuc– *ahem* fun. No naked fun.
What could go wrong? Nothing–as long as I remember the rules. Don’t notice the way she looks in a dress. Don’t react when she does that little shivery sigh thing whenever we touch. Don’t think about the fact that she’s never had a toe-curling orgasm that wasn’t self-delivered and just how badly I want to change that.
Five dates–that’s it–and then we go our separate ways. At least, that was the plan…
Each book in the Ice Knights series is STANDALONE:
* Parental Guidance
* Awk-Weird
* Loud Mouth
more
This series is off to a great start! Five dates, fun, and no feelings right? I loved Caleb and Zara and every bit of their road to love. Parents, friends, teammates, banter and chemistry make this a great must read!
Oh WOW What a truly enjoyable,quirky fun romcom by Avery Flynn.
I thought it was Amazing,I Love a Hockey Romance and its even better when Opposites attract,Just Like Zara and Caleb.They are from different worlds and only united by chance,by being chosen to go on 5 dates together by their parents.
Reluctantly they do agree to on the dates together but with rules,that there is no funny business and they part ways after date 5.
Little do they realise that ALOT can happen in 5 dates and feelings can change.
This is such a feel good story ,hilariously sweet and sexy,Its a fantastic read and Avery does a brilliant job with her characters and with the right amount of laughs and romance.
I highly recommend this delightful book.
Laugh out loud hilarious romantic comedy. Loved this book!
Parental Guidance was basically Kim catnip. Fake dating, meddlesome parents, sassy heroine and sexy hockey player? Hello, right up my alley. This is 100% a literally-laugh-out-loud-with-a-cheesy-grin-on-your-face book. The sexy times were pretty darn hot, too. All of that, combined with characters that were relatable and easy to root for made it the perfect book for me.
I loved Caleb and Zara, both separately and together. The unlikely pairing worked so well for me. I was totally hooked from their early banter and agreement to play along with this parent-driven dating app and show. They totally made me smile. Reading along as they got to know each other better and formed a friendship that turned into more was such a joy. Their dates were fun and creative and their chemistry sizzled.
Parental Guidance was a super fun read. If a hockey romance with a “bad boy” hero in need of an image makeover and a sassy heroine who is most decidedly NOT looking for a relationship sounds like something you might enjoy, look no further. This’ll be your next favorite read. I’m so happy to have discovered Avery Flynn this year. I can’t wait to see what she gives us next.
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Favorite Quotes:
“I don’t want to date. Anyone. Ever. I like being in full and complete control of my life.”
“You’re not into being creative? I guess that’s expected for someone who has probably had women throwing themselves at him for years. You haven’t ever had to work for it.”
“I solemnly swear that I’m only trying to get into your pants and not your heart.”
“If you think we’re stopping with one, then you have the wrong guy, because I’m going to fuck you until you are wrung out, satisfied and too dick drunk to ask for one more orgasm.”
Loved this book!
I give this book a solid 4 outta 5 stars. It was a fun read and I liked the premise behind it!
Meet Caleb, a hockey God that just had a video go viral of his teammates bad talking pretty much everyone and Caleb just letting it happen. This started off as a PR nightmare and spiraled into so much more. Now Caleb is a part of a dating app to try to change his image, even better, the dating app is designed to have parents be the one to pick out the dates for their children. Enter Zara, who is doing the app for her own reasons and not expecting to meet a huge giant of a man or even freaking like the guy. Now they have 5 dates they are required to go on and they both will get something out of it, but could they possibly get more than what they bargained for?
This was fun and a cool premise of having both Caleb and Zara’s parents pick apart their dating life and it be something broadcasted to the whole freaking city. I liked the relationship between the two and the sexual tension. These two definitely had chemistry, but were pretty freaking awful at dating, so it was good that it was somewhat required! I enjoyed reading this and liked the set up for more books in the series, I will definitely check them out!
PS: I received this book as an ARC but am voluntarily and honestly reviewing it!
I received this book as an ARC in return for an honest review.
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I first found Avery Flynn when I ran across her book Butterface. I fell in love with her witty but emotional writing style and how she wrote something that made me cry but made me laugh in the best way possible too. So when I saw a sign up for Parental Guidance, I jumped on it.
The idea of a single adult man forced to have his mother pick his dates via a dating app was a refreshing and fun storyline. I loved Caleb and Zara together; they were different but had great chemistry. Parental Guidance is adorable read that makes you smile from beginning to end. I keep coming back to Avery Flynn and she hasn’t disappointed yet.
It Was Only 5 Dates…
Five dates, nothing more. A means to an end…for both of them. That’s all it was supposed to be. You know what they say about best laid plans…
What do you do when you are in the middle of a PR nightmare? You join a dating app, let your mom choose the woman for you to date and then film your reactions for the world to see, hoping that this plan improves the public’s perception of you.
Caleb needed to fix the mess he got wrapped up in, but never expected Zara to help fix more than just his image. Zara was just doing the deed for her dad and to get her best friend off her back. She didn’t expect to catch feelings.
This story was fun, sweet and sexy! Caleb was a good guy just not sure how to make Zara want more from him than just five dates, because that was never going to be enough. Zara just had to decide if taking a leap of faith, was worth the risk.
I enjoy all these hockey players. The author creates wonderful characters that you want to know more about. Anchovy was a favorite. I cannot wait for the next hockey guy to get his girl!
After a video that shows Ice Knights hockey player, Caleb, in a less than flattering light goes viral, he agrees to go on 5 dates organized through a dating app. The catch is that his Mom will pick his date. Zara is a miniatures artist who agrees to go on the same app, and her Dad gets to pick her date. Neither one wants to date, so they set a few ground rules. The final rule is that there will only be the 5 dates, and then they will go their separate ways. The lines of their rules get blurred, because they enjoy being together and begin to fall for each other. Caleb and Zara are both great characters – funny, personable, likable, and sometimes snarky. Another winner from Avery Flynn!! I enjoyed visiting with characters from several other series written by the author. This is Book 1 in the Ice Knights series, so we get to meet some of the characters who will probably be showcased in subsequent books. This was a funny, romantic, sexy, and entertaining story. I can’t wait for the next book in this new series!
Oh my gosh I just loved this book so much. I laughed, I cried, I got angry and I cringed at the embarrassing scenes, like when Caleb fell over his own two feet on stage and landed in Zara’s lab with his butt in the air 🙂 hi hi.
The book is about Caleb and Zara. They both kind of get forced into entering a dating app, each of their own reasons. Their parents chooses to set them up with each other and on their first date they make an arrangement because they are both sure they are not right for each other. They agree on going on their 5 dates helping each other look good in front of the city. They have to get interviewed on morning tv after each date. They get more and more in tuned with each other and start seeing each other outside of the dates they have to go on, becoming friends and then more. The HEA is so romantic and sweet and it is like its taken right out of a modern day fairytale. They both have their problems and insecurities but they help eachother face them by opening up and confronting them head on.
The characters are so well described and you just feel everything they feel. I fell in love with every single one of them throughout the book and I am looking very much forward to the next book with Cole Phillips as the hero.
I haven’t read a book by Avery Flynn before but I definitely will be reading more of her books. I have already bought “Tomboy” about Zach and Fallon because I got very intrigued by how they got together.
I can definitely recommend this book if your in the mood for a feel good, sweet romantic book with an amazing HEA.
I got the book for free from Entangled Publishing through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
4 Setting the Ground Rules Stars!!
I just finished this newest book by Ms. Flynn and while I had a little bit of a tough time getting into the story at the beginning, the more I read the more I fell in love with Caleb, Zara and her lovable horse of a dog Anchovy!
Caleb and Zara are brought together because they both need something, albeit different things, but equally important to each of them and the only way to get what they need is to agree to five dates on the new dating app Bramble. The kicker is that Caleb’s mom is in charge of picking his match and with Zara he’s getting more than he bargained for!
Having been on a few blind dates both from fixups and internet matches I could totally relate to what Zara was feeling as she made her way to first date, with no help from Anchovy! I absolutely loved how Zara was her authentic self. She is quirky and funny and smart and she doesn’t let how extremely hot finds Caleb to be deter her from speaking her mind and Caleb is shocked by happy because he feels like he can be who he really is and so begins their 5 dates!
This book moves at a great pace given they’re both motivated to get in their 5 dates to reach the end of their time together. Except something happens along the way and they become friends and find there’s a mutual attraction and soon it’s clear there’s more going on than just fulfilling an agreement. Zara’s not experienced someone like Caleb before in or out of bed and let’s just say, it’s zing, zang, zoom HOT between these two. Throw in Anchovy who has ways of making his presence known and life as they know it changes.
I loved how we got a surprise appearance by a Hartigan, secondary characters that I’m completely on board with getting their own stories and two people who find love when their least expecting it and it’s a total Hat Trick! I cannot wait for the next book in this series!
Parental Guidance by Avery Flynn was a fun and adorable read. What would you do if your mom had taken over your dating app? Caleb, an Ice Knights veteran player, gets himself in a situation that goes viral which requires an image change from his team. That is how he meets Zara Ambrose. Now they find themselves with a plan. Five dates and then they go their separate ways. Easy, right?
I loved Caleb and Zara so much. They were great together and I loved their interactions. Neither was looking to get into a serious relationship but plans never go as planed! Caleb was strong and determined and loved hockey. That was his priority until Zara entered his life. Zara was strong and full of sass. I enjoyed reading Parental Guidance by Avery Flynn and look forward to reading more of this series.
Read and reviewed for Reviews From the Heart.
Happy reading!
What a great start to Flynn’s new Ice Knights series! After Caleb was caught up in a PR nightmare for his team, he takes responsibility and agrees to allow his Mom/manager pick a date for him. The idea is to show that he is a team leader and respects women. Zara has been talked into participating by her best friend and also her dad. Zara is a miniature artist who is straightforward, honest and unapologetic. She isn’t looking for a relationship and neither is Caleb. They set rules for their dates that they will have fun, no intimacy and they will separate after last date. But the more dates they go on the more they realize they are perfect for each other. They have an easy and fun rapport, are both competitive, and their chemistry is palpable. But Zara is used to being in control because every man she has relied on has let her down. How can she trust that sexy Caleb, who travels so much with his team, won’t leave her as well. This sweet, and steamy romance was so heartfelt and fun. Flynn has a wonderful way of creating fun and quirky characters, snarky humor, and lots of steamy sexual tension in a heartwarming story. I also loved getting to know more of the Ice Knights hockey team, who give each other a hard time but are totally loyal and supportive. This promises to be a romantic, sexy and entertaining series and I can’t wait for more from these hockey Hotties!
Parental Guidance is the first book in an all new series, but it can be read as a complete standalone.
Caleb Stuckey has found himself in a PR nightmare and the solution? Let his mother have control of his dating profile. Zara just wants to help her dad and get her best friend to leave her alone when it comes to dating. Five dates. That is all it was suppose to be. They would help each other out and then go back to their lives like normal.
I LOVED Zara. She wasn’t afraid to be herself and she didn’t change who she was to fit in with the rest of society. Caleb was super sweet. Yes, he didn’t make the best decision when it didn’t come to a certain viral video, but it isn’t who he truly his. After the first date they had an agreement, but after the second date Caleb started to feel more and wanted more than 5 dates with Zara. Zara was a little more reluctant when it come to her feelings.
Caleb and Zara’s chemistry is perfect. I loved following along with all their dates and of course, the video segments at the end. Their parents were hilarious and I loved that we got to see their thoughts and their opinions when it came to the dates and their children dating.
This story was sweet, it was funny and it was hot. It was so easy to fall in love with all the characters. I can’t wait to see more of all these characters in future books. If you LOVE rom coms this is a MUST READ!
Oh my god! Parental Guidance had me laughing out loud too many times to count. I loved the chemistry between Caleb and Zara as well as an lovable Great Dan, meddling parents, and the some other cameos from the Ice Knights series!
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and upbeat and had a unique story line with the “parental guidance” twist to the dating situation.
Caleb and Zara definitely have gotten in over their heads when they set up extra rules for their situation (not relationship). They are everything that each other needs and I think even Anchovy agrees.
This was a fun book to read and I look forward to many more from this author!
Caleb Stuckey is a defenseman for the Harbor City Ice Knights professional hockey team. He is in a bit of trouble for a video that went viral where some of his younger teammates were talking garbage about puck bunnies, among other things. He was the most senior player there, and he didn’t speak up to stop them, so he’s the one in trouble. His mom is a famous high school hockey coach, one of very few women coaching a boys high school team. She takes no crap from anyone, but especially not from Caleb. When the team PR guru suggests that Caleb agree to a 5 date setup from a dating app, with the winning profile for his date being chosen by his mom, he knows he’s in trouble. How is he going to make it through 5 dates with some girl his mom chooses?
Zara Ambrose is a bit of a mess. She’s a miniatures artisan. She has total control over the world of her miniatures, which is so unlike her real life it isn’t even funny. She grew up with a totally unreliable dad, who always followed every crazy impulse he had. Now she buries herself in work, so she’ll always know the bills will be paid on time, and she’ll be able to eat; things she couldn’t always count on growing up. When her dad has his next pie-in-the-sky scheme, to become an actor, he needs his SAG card. But first, he has to get on TV. What better way than forcing Zara to allow him to pick her a date from the app for a 5 date deal, with interviews with the local TV station after each date? She has no idea what she’s in for.
When Caleb and Zara meet, they both find the other attractive, but neither are really interested in pursing a relationship, or taking these dates seriously at all. They realize they are both basically there because they have to be, and they make an agreement. They’ll complete their 5 dates, to fulfill the terms of their deals, and then that’ll be it. No further dating, no relationship, nothing. 5 dates, and done. They have to get to know each other some, in order to make their after date interviews interesting for the cameras, but that’s all they really want to do. They have a spark, but they’re both insisting on ignoring it.
The interviews with Caleb and Zara, along with Caleb’s mom, and Zara’s dad are hilarious. Her dad is such a mess, and he makes no bones about trying to make a buck where he can. Caleb’s mom comes off gruff and tough, and she suffers no fools. I liked that she seems to have always made Caleb face up to challenges, even ones beyond his control, like his dyslexia. They are both a riot and I enjoyed seeing their interactions with the main characters. Some of the other hockey players, and Zara’s best friend, were great comic relief. Zara’s great dane, Anchovy was hilarious, and I loved him as well.
Zara and Caleb’s connection was a slow burn, but I enjoyed their banter. Both Zara and Caleb were flawed characters, whose childhood issues really carried through to adulthood with them, causing all sorts of havoc. Zara has major trust issues, and is a workaholic. Caleb isn’t good with being the center of attention, and he isn’t really confident in anything but hockey. Neither really thinks the other could actually be into them. It was frustrating to see their internal thoughts that they weren’t really sharing with the other person. I hated knowing that both of them were falling for the other, but didn’t think there was any chance of success.
There were a couple things that I felt got sorted a little too cleanly towards the end, especially with Zara’s dad. I would’ve liked to see that resolution between them explained and fleshed out a little more, since it was the root of so many of Zara’s issues. I felt there was a little more resolution with Caleb’s mom, and I appreciated that. Caleb and Zara both really had to decide what they wanted and make the changes required to get in, in order for them to be together, and I enjoyed watching it all work out.
This was my first book from this author, but I’m intrigued to read the Hartigans series now, since we met some characters from that series here. I enjoyed this one. It was a fun hockey-mance, and I’m interested in reading the next one.
Imagine if arranged dating was a real thing. Could you be happy with your mom or dad picking out your date for you? Yeah? Then step right up, the Bramble app is just what you’re looking for. This was the premise behind Parental Guidance (Ice Knights #1), a spin-off from the Hartigans’ series by Avery Flynn.
This is how Caleb a defenseman with the Ice Knights hockey team and Zara, a miniaturest meet. Caleb has gotten into some hot water with the management and his punishment is to fix his sucky media presence. Zara was basically blackmailed by her bestie into joining the dating site. They’re both pretty much about and not having a relationship. Zara works too hard and has zero time for outside interests, or so she thinks.
Caleb gives a lot to his team, and wants to focus on that for now, but things start to change once the go on their first date, even though Zara insists the make some rules and stick to them.
Rules are made to be broken, aren’t they?
The chemistry between these two was intense from the outset, however, until a lot of highly attracted couples out there in bookland, they keep their feelings to themselves. And their hands… well, to start with.
I loved the slow burn of this story, the getting to know them and meeting up with the secondary characters that had made appearances ‘Tomboy’. This was a fun, just a teensy bit angsty story that I loved. Can’t wait for the next book to come out.
When I saw the synopsis of this book, it sounded a bit quirky and funny so I figured why not give it a chance? I am glad that I did because this sports romantic comedy had me laughing and some places and happy sighing in others. The concept behind the dating app, Bramble, is quite comical albeit unrealistic because it involves 5 dates and the parents are involved in picking out who they date followed up by TV interviews. Both Caleb and Zara really don’t want to participate, but they each have their reasons for doing so.
I really liked Caleb, a defenseman for the Iced Knights. He lands himself in hot water and I admire that he would do what it takes to protect his team. He has some personal struggles and the author does a beautiful job of showing how it has affected his approach to life. Zara is a likable character as well. She a miniatures artisan who craves stability and order given how she grew up. She is full of sass and I love her sarcastic nature. Zara and Caleb make an unlikely pair, but the two of them together just work. Each date is unique and fun to read and there are a few steamy scenes. The question is, will they admit their growing feelings towards each other and what will happen after those 5 dates?
The secondary characters are a hoot. Zara’s dad is absolutely hilarious when they all have to do the reality TV portion. Caleb’s mom is a ballbuster and I found the banter between the two parents to be quite entertaining. Caleb’s teammates and Zara’s best friend are also great additions to the book.
If you are looking for a light-hearted romantic comedy with likable characters, then you will enjoy this book
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this wonderful, snarky, and funny book, Parental Guidance by Avery Flynn, book one in her Ice Knights series. This book had me on an emotional journey as we followed Caleb and Zara’s love story. This amazing story pulls out all the stops.
Caleb has learned the hard way that there are consequences for his behavior or rather for not acting like a leader and shutting down an inappropriate conversation with teammates. Especially when that conversation ends up having been video-taped and going viral, making them all look bad. The team’s PR person gets Caleb and his mom involved in a new dating app as a way to turn around the bad publicity. Caleb’s mom chooses a candidate who is to see for five dates. Zara signed up for the app after a bet gone wrong with her best friend. Her application is honest and to the point; including looking for someone to “clean out the cobwebs” and not expecting to find forever happiness. Caleb might be a foot taller than Zara but she can hold her own. Neither of these two is perfect yet they are definitely perfect together. Plus, Zara’s dog, Anchovy, adds more fun to this story and their relationship. Overall, this story was filled with sarcasm, laughs, snark, and even some sexy scenes that made me wish it never ended.
Ms. Flynn wrote a wonderful and hysterical story that was moving and filled with sexual chemistry, wonderful dialogue, and endearing but flawed characters that should definitely not be missed. I highly recommend Parental Guidance to other readers and I am anxious for the next book in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.