˗ˏˋ3.5 ★ ˎˊ˗

While this started off as a good read, it eventually started to tire me. As much as I was rooting for Astrid and Cal, they weren't as appealing as I hoped they'd be. They weren't able to completely draw me in their story and didn't have chemistry outside of the bedroom. And in turn affected the plot. The plot did not progress and the ending felt rushed.

Without the epilogue, I think the ending would have been better. I usually like unique endings especially for romance books. But after reading the epilogue, I was slightly confused and tried to think back if I missed something. It just didn't make sense to me.

Thank you Avery Flynn, Valentine PR, NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for my ARC of Walk of Shame. 🤍 I received an ARC for review, all opinions are my own and given freely.

Walk of Shame is book 2 in the Downside of Dating series. I did not read book 1 as they can be read as standalones. The cover is what drew my attention to this book! I laughed out loud pretty much the whole way through Cal and Astrid’s story. I love a good romcom and this didn’t disappoint. Their banter and chemistry was next level, the spice was spicing and the plot was great. The one and only thing I didn’t like about this book was the epilogue. I should have just stopped reading at the end of the last chapter as that was a better ending stars ✨ FOR ME ✨

This book starts out where Astrid is left at the altar on her wedding day by a hockey goalie chasing his dream. She heals her broken heart over the span of 5 years. What is meant to be a one night stand turns into wanting more only for Astrid to find out he’s a hockey goalie coach. They’ve both been recruited for helping her ex get his head back in the game. Astrid has to decide if Cal is worth breaking all her rules for or if he’s like the rest of the hockey players she’s come to love and loathe.

I loved Cal. He's boyfriend material. Astrid is a strong character. She's tough to crack but Cal manages to get through her defenses. I liked the plot a lot. The steaminess is good but the story still has heart. Overall a good book.

Walk of Shame by Avery Flynn is a laugh out loud romcom I didn’t know I needed. First it is one of my favorite tropes which is sports and revolves around hockey. Astrid is our female lead who has sworn off hockey after getting dumped at the alter by famous hockey goalie. Keeping it the family, her dad is the coach. Astrid vows never to be around the hockey world again and live her life how she wants, one night stands all the way. Enter Cal, the perfect one night stand. Turns out, Cal is Astrid’s neighbor and newest coach on her dad’s team. The chemistry is off the charts! I just love Astrid and her no nonsense attitude. I’ve read this author previously and this is my favorite of hers to date!

Walk of Shame started strong with the scene of Astrid being left at the alter and the immediate after effects. For me, there was a bit too much spice and less plot during the bulk of the story. I’ve really enjoyed Avery Flynn’s other books and this is likely a me situation! I Received an advanced reading copy, receipt of which did not impact my review.

I loved every minute of Cal and Astrid’s story. From the heart-breaking wedding that didn’t happen for Astrid, to the moment she realizes she might not need to live her life alone.
I was a little confused by the epilogue. It just seemed to come out of nowhere and I’m not sure I support that direction. I was a little weird.
I still give it 5 stars!! I could have just done without the epilogue.

I will post to Instagram on Friday, March 15, 2o24.

The character of Astrid is so well done. She is strong and resilient, and sassy. She is living her life guilt free and living by her own rules. Except she keeps breaking her rules when it comes to Cal. The way she tries to avoid him is funny, but what’s even better is the banter and the chemistry between them. They both want more out of whatever you want to call what they’re doing, but Astrid made it very clear to Cal she doesn’t want more than a hookup and after each time they swear it’s the last time.
The character of Cal is charming, of course he looks amazing but he also listens and is caring. Maybe that’s from being raised with a bunch of sisters. But above all he is patient and he knows what he wants. And yes he will wait forever for her.
There is never a dull moment in the book, and the characters are relatable. You will feel bad for Astrid, but you will also want to tell her to just go for it! You will also feel bad for Cal and the reason he can no longer play hockey. There is love, family drama, banter, and new beginnings all wrapped up nicely with a clean ending. What more could a reader want?

Another fantastic, funny, spicy and super enjoyable read from Avery Flynn.

I was lucky enough to get both the audio and ebook ARCs and enjoyed them both immensely! There’s nothing like a dual narrated book, and both narrators captured the mood and character so well.

The style, humour, sexiness, and more had me gripped from beginning to end, giggling out loud, blushing and being thankful for a kindle and headphones that concealed those spicy scenes.

Another great read from Flynn, and I can't wait for the next book.

3.5⭐️
This book was a cute, spicy hockey romance that was fast - paced and a quick read.
I
n this book, Astrid is trying to stay far away from hockey and hockey players after facing public humiliation from a past relationship. However, her dad is the head coach for the local team so she can never stray far enough. She ends up working at a local bar where she meets Cal. He was a pro hockey player before enduring career-ending injury. Astrid and Cal feel their attraction and act on it 😉. After their steamy night, Astrid learns Cal is a goalie coach who her dad has asked to help the team…right after her dad asks her to come back and help him too. She now has to figure out how to stay away from the sizzling attraction to Cal while working with him and…he lives in her building.

This was a spicy quick book that was pretty enjoyable. It did move a lot faster than thought it would. I felt like I didn’t get to see the development for their relationship as much I would have liked. Astrid and Cal’s individual development was great though. Also since I did not read the first book in this series, I feel like I missed out on a lot of details for the side characters that I wished were explained.

Oh my lord! This book was so much fun and so spicy! Avery Flynn does it again!!! Need to read all of her other books now.
Book 2 in this great series (can be read as a standalone) follows Astrid just as she gets stood up at her wedding from her hockey goalie fiancé via FaceTime. 5 years later - Astrid hates hockey, refuses to work for her hockey coach father and has gone a world tour of men since she decided she refuses to trust another guy. One night she meets Cam though and their perfect chemistry changes everything. Problem is she breaking her own rules and he ends up being someone she can’t get away from - literally. They now have to work together for her dad’s hockey team helping her ex-fiancé fix his career! The craziness just continues at high speed from there.
So many laugh out loud scenes with some fun and crazy characters. Fans of close proximity and spice will love this one. Highly recommend.

Five years ago Astrid's life changed, she was humiliated, from that moment on she swear off hockey and anything that has to do with it.
Then her father asks for help, and she can't say no. What worse can happen.....well it looks like that one night stand, she supposed to not see anymore, lives in the same apartment as her and even worse will be working with her.
I loved storyline, was happy to be back on Harbor City.
Great story

Thank you so much to Entangled:Amara publishing for gifting me an ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Walk of Shame by Avery Flynn is the second book in her Downside of Dating series, a contemporary sports rom-com that can absolutely be read as a stand-alone. This was my first book by Avery Flynn, and can honestly saying I didn't feel like I was missing anything with having not read the first book.

This was a totally fun, lighthearted smutty rom-com that will be an easy nonstop read. You will pick it up and eat it up in one sitting. Avery had fun banter, plenty of spice and enough background into her character development to make her characters feel realistic and well rounded.

From the moment we Meet Astrid and Cal we get to enjoy their personalities and the slow build of their relationship where they can't keep their hands off each other but also at the same time are wary to open up for more. At least Astrid is. With a cast of supporting characters that help enhance the story, they don't dominate but are built enough to add flavor to the book.

Avery's book is fast-paced, sweet, layered with emotional moments but never far enough to give up the easy lightness that makes for a good break if you have been reading some heavier books.

This is a great read for fans of spicy sports romances, particularly if you're looking for a lighthearted hockey romance.

This book wasn't for me. Instead of hinting at things, the foreshadowing felt like the author was yelling what was going to happen next. It was really predictable. It didn't make me giggle, it didn't feel like a romcom.

I jumped right into Walk of Shame, my first book by Avery Flynn. There was a moment early on where I had to write notes of who was who and what was where, but once I got through the first few chapters it was very easy to follow. I do wish there had been a bit more plug for the previous book in the series, but the book focused heavily on Astrid and Cal. There was a lot of family members and side characters that felt like they probably have books too, but I kind of glazed over a lot of that.

The story here was good. It wasn't my favorite, but I liked the hockey angle and the forced proximity a lot. I liked how there was some time separating the jilted bride moment and this book starting, so Astrid had time to grow on her own before meeting Cal. I also liked how the spice came in hot and heavy early on, and then yo=yoed as emotions flared. I liked that whole situation.

The plot served, we had the growth of Astrid as she moved on from her relationship with Tig and navigated life in hockey again, we had Cal back in hockey as well figuring out what he wanted to do with his life, and we had the chemistry of the two of them exploding all over the page (and each other) that keep everything interesting. While I appreciate the book for what it was, it didn't grab me and make me want more. I liked it, but I didn't love it.

Overall, I think Walk of Shame was well written with an engaging plot and copious, but loveable, characters. I think it will appeal to a wide audience and bring joy and laughter to many. Thank you so much for sharing with me and giving me the opportunity to review!

4 stars
2 chilies

A enjoyed this novel from Avery Flynn. I like Avery’s writing style. The story line is easy to follow. This is book 2, I have not read book 1 and I did not feel that I had missed out on anything. Received this ARC for an honesty review. I have book 1 on hold at the library and will definitely be reading the rest of series.

Chapters are duel POV.
One night stand
Work colleagues.

3.5 rounded up to 4

This book starts you off on the perfect type of hook. Girl gets dumped on her wedding day, then hates hockey and swears to never fall in love again? Always such a good trope.

Other then that, its spicy. A few more chapters of just that then I'd like (I loved the relationship blooming between Cal & Astrid more) but it was such a good, quick read. Easy vocab, easy chapters, and a smooth storyline to follow along.

3.75 stars

Walk of Shame is a unique spin on the one-night-stand trope, and I was all the way there for it. Author Avery Flynn incorporates characters from some of her previous books in this novel, which centers Astrid and Cal and all of their super steamy chemistry.

The plot grabbed me from the very beginning, and though I felt it was slightly bogged down in the middle, I still found it to be a delightful one-handed read. This book puts the com in rom com, and felt like it could be easily adapted to the screen.

Another thing I appreciated about the book is that the heroine is definitely mid- or plus-sized, but there’s no body insecurity to be found. There’s no trauma in the plotline about her appearance or insecurities about whether she’s “hot” enough for the male protagonist. She’s hot and she knows it, and I LOVED that. (It’s rarer than you’d think.) So bravo to Ms. Flynn for depicting beauty in all its forms.

I will say that the epilogue came as a huge surprise. One that wasn’t particularly jarring to me personally, but that I could see being polarizing to certain readers. All I know is that now I’m super intrigued about how certain secondary characters got from point A to point Z.

If you love a steamy, insta-lust-turned-love comedy, this is the book for you.

Thank you to Entangled and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have grown to really enjoy Avery Flynn’s story telling! I am also a sucker for a hockey romance. The side characters are fun and make you want more books!

Astrid came out of a bad breakup that left her a hockey hater! But she also truly found herself due to the heart ache. Cal was lost and finding Astrid was truly what he needed. Them together was hot and sweet at the same time.

Spice level was a 3.

The days of Diet Coke. Swoon so romantic! And the epilogue is epic - I can’t wait for her next book. I would recommend if you like a light hearted giggle along the way romance.

And to yes Avery, you made me giggle more than once! Thank you to entangled publishing for the e-arc.

The formatting made it really hard to read this book at first. I think I must have gotten an early version of the ARC from NetGalley that hadn't gone through as many edits. However, it was an Avery Flynn book so I powered through.

Avery Flynn is by far one of my favorite rom-com authors. I will jump on an ARC any chance I get to read her next one. I'm also a huge fan of the covers for this series and have a feeling that I will have to eventually end up with physical copies on my shelves.

The only set back I had with Walk of Shame was that it went right into the spice. I'm more of a slow burn type of girl and live for the character development. This book was clearly set up in the opposite order of that. I'm glad I didn't let that deter me because this book and Cal Matsen have my heart!! What woman hasn't been hurt and wanted to give up on love? Connecting with Astrid was instantaneous as a reader. Watching their love story flourish and Cal start to get through her walls made for an epic romance. I know I will be thinking about this two for weeks after finishing this book.

Another homerun by Avery Flynn!!

I love this! Don't let the cover fool you, it has nothing to do with a Barbie doll. Walk of Shame by Avery Flynn is a hockey romance with awesome banter. It starts out with Astrid being left at the altar by a hockey player that not only her dad coached, but was also her childhood sweetheart. The way Astrid and her girl gang get her over what ended up being public humiliation, all over the internet, was the definition of pulling up your bootstraps and putting your big girl panties on.

Her fierce attitude and new rules to live life by have gotten her through the 5 years after her almost wedding. She swore off everything hockey until she slept with someone that has her breaking her own rules.

Avery Flynn also includes some mental health rep in her story by showing Astrid seeing a therapist to work through her struggles post-engagement breakup. You actively read about Astrid working through breathing techniques that help her through her anxiety and panic attacks. I loved reading Astrid constantly thinking back to what her therapist has been asking her and having her try to dig deeper into her now crazy life that includes working with her dad, her ex, and the new interest/goalie coach Cal. An extremely inclusive book!

If you love sassy, fierce, and unapologetically themselves FMC's then this book is for you! The spice is amazing and steamy. Cal is Mr. Grumpy pants and Astrid is almost as grumpy as he is. They bicker/banter back and forth in an entertaining way that left me snickering.