Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
I knew I'd love these two before I even started the book and I wasn't wrong.
As always I'm struggling to find the words but this hit every mark for me.
Grumpy Sunshine ✔️
Sports Romance ✔️
Single Dad ✔️
Lessons with a popsicle ✔️ (IYKYK
As always I'm struggling to find the words but this hit every mark for me.
Grumpy Sunshine ✔️
Sports Romance ✔️
Single Dad ✔️
Lessons with a popsicle ✔️ (IYKYK
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Omg daddy P!!
Since this series started I just knew I would love Will’s story and I’m so glad I was right!!
I so wish I can rate this higher. Between Will, Chloe, and Ava, every character had substance. I loved every moment of the best change Will and Ava had because of Chloe.
And just a reminder- “life’s no fun without making a mess once in a while.”
Thank you Kandi for allowing me to read this ARC copy ❣️
Since this series started I just knew I would love Will’s story and I’m so glad I was right!!
I so wish I can rate this higher. Between Will, Chloe, and Ava, every character had substance. I loved every moment of the best change Will and Ava had because of Chloe.
And just a reminder- “life’s no fun without making a mess once in a while.”
Thank you Kandi for allowing me to read this ARC copy ❣️
it kind of started out really cute, but throughout i was just annoyed with alora mcs. this book would be way worse without the adorable mmc’s daughter.
This book is incredible. Without question the best in the series so far.
The reason it's the best - well... NGL, it's going to crush your heart just a little bit. But in the best way. I promise. There really is no blurb or review that could do this book justice because it is so richly written and crafted with such depth. It's absolutely not your run-of-the-mill "sleeping with the nanny" book - not even close! The hockey content is fantastic and very accurate (ahem - I'm a Canadian, we're experts in these things), but this is so much more than a hockey player book.
Both the MMC and FMC have complicated pasts that intersect perfectly - in both good and bad ways. On a superficial level they're both looking for the same thing, and ultimately their deeper desires (once they can face them) also overlap.
What sets this book apart from most books with similar tropes is that there isn't a trite "will they/won't they" or "can we be together" vibe or some small problem that has an easy solution that some adult conversation would solve. The issues that they wrestle with are anything but superficial and they have some work to do in moving forward - whether together or alone. They both have experienced some significant traumas (gotta read the book to see what happened - no spoilers here!) and they both authentically wrestle with the current effects of that as well as how to move forward into the future, knowing that they will always carry those wounds in some way.
The way the trauma, the effects, and their current responses and management strategies are portrayed is beyond critique. I have extensive education and experience in working with traumatized individuals in healthcare settings. Ms. Steiner gets an A+ on this content. It was so real and raw, and as a result, sometimes painful to read. But that was because it was so well-written and so accurate. These were not flimsy characters duct-taped together with tropes. There were no superficial misunderstandings that could have been solved with one adult conversation. These were real people who had to figure out how to live with and beyond pain and if they could do that together. Obviously, they found a way, because there is a HEA, and it is a well-earned HEA too!
I also have to comment on the fact that contraception/STI risk were discussed because I still keep reading books - in our day and age - where these things magically are not part of life. Ms. Steiner demonstrates her writing chops with this as well in that these scenes don't become an obligatory throwaway to check the box on condoms/STI. Rather, the conversations implicitly connect to both characters' prior trauma in a way that is subtle, yet powerful. As a nurse practitioner, when I read that part of the book, I was actually delighted because her choice of contraceptive option was logical given her past. Even though Chloe was not in a relationship, she was taking zero chances and Ms. Steiner has enough content knowledge to know that the chosen option is among the most highly effective.
Will's daughter Ava was a fantastic addition to the book. She was the connecting point for Will and Chloe. But she was also a barometer of how they were all changing, growing, and being transformed in their time together. Chloe was exactly how one would expect a kindergarten teacher to be and she was a force to be reckoned with as a nanny as well. It was a little reminiscent of my most favorite movie of all time The Sound of Music , in how Chloe affected Ava and then Will, by extension, as he saw how happy Ava was with Chloe. Here again, Ms. Steiner shows her content knowledge as she writes an authentic age-appropriate transformation in Ava, that Chloe fostered using developmentally appropriate and psychologically sound approaches to addressing Ava and Will's past trauma. There was not one thing that I would critique about the loss/trauma/coping content - and my students have been known to tell me that I'm a tough grader!
This was one of those books where from page 1 it felt like someone turned the lights out and turned on a movie in my head. The pictures and people Ms. Steiner paints with her words are beautiful and complex. My words surely do not do justice to this magnificent book! This one has to be experienced. Highly recommend!!
The reason it's the best - well... NGL, it's going to crush your heart just a little bit. But in the best way. I promise. There really is no blurb or review that could do this book justice because it is so richly written and crafted with such depth. It's absolutely not your run-of-the-mill "sleeping with the nanny" book - not even close! The hockey content is fantastic and very accurate (ahem - I'm a Canadian, we're experts in these things), but this is so much more than a hockey player book.
Both the MMC and FMC have complicated pasts that intersect perfectly - in both good and bad ways. On a superficial level they're both looking for the same thing, and ultimately their deeper desires (once they can face them) also overlap.
What sets this book apart from most books with similar tropes is that there isn't a trite "will they/won't they" or "can we be together" vibe or some small problem that has an easy solution that some adult conversation would solve. The issues that they wrestle with are anything but superficial and they have some work to do in moving forward - whether together or alone. They both have experienced some significant traumas (gotta read the book to see what happened - no spoilers here!) and they both authentically wrestle with the current effects of that as well as how to move forward into the future, knowing that they will always carry those wounds in some way.
The way the trauma, the effects, and their current responses and management strategies are portrayed is beyond critique. I have extensive education and experience in working with traumatized individuals in healthcare settings. Ms. Steiner gets an A+ on this content. It was so real and raw, and as a result, sometimes painful to read. But that was because it was so well-written and so accurate. These were not flimsy characters duct-taped together with tropes. There were no superficial misunderstandings that could have been solved with one adult conversation. These were real people who had to figure out how to live with and beyond pain and if they could do that together. Obviously, they found a way, because there is a HEA, and it is a well-earned HEA too!
I also have to comment on the fact that contraception/STI risk were discussed because I still keep reading books - in our day and age - where these things magically are not part of life. Ms. Steiner demonstrates her writing chops with this as well in that these scenes don't become an obligatory throwaway to check the box on condoms/STI. Rather, the conversations implicitly connect to both characters' prior trauma in a way that is subtle, yet powerful. As a nurse practitioner, when I read that part of the book, I was actually delighted because her choice of contraceptive option was logical given her past. Even though Chloe was not in a relationship, she was taking zero chances and Ms. Steiner has enough content knowledge to know that the chosen option is among the most highly effective.
Will's daughter Ava was a fantastic addition to the book. She was the connecting point for Will and Chloe. But she was also a barometer of how they were all changing, growing, and being transformed in their time together. Chloe was exactly how one would expect a kindergarten teacher to be and she was a force to be reckoned with as a nanny as well. It was a little reminiscent of my most favorite movie of all time The Sound of Music , in how Chloe affected Ava and then Will, by extension, as he saw how happy Ava was with Chloe. Here again, Ms. Steiner shows her content knowledge as she writes an authentic age-appropriate transformation in Ava, that Chloe fostered using developmentally appropriate and psychologically sound approaches to addressing Ava and Will's past trauma. There was not one thing that I would critique about the loss/trauma/coping content - and my students have been known to tell me that I'm a tough grader!
This was one of those books where from page 1 it felt like someone turned the lights out and turned on a movie in my head. The pictures and people Ms. Steiner paints with her words are beautiful and complex. My words surely do not do justice to this magnificent book! This one has to be experienced. Highly recommend!!
This was 4-4.5. The vibes were immaculate. I love Will so much. Ugh. This was my fave of the series so far and it was so nice to see Will get his after being grumpy daddy P for two prequels. I’m hooked for life on Kandi.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
reflective
fast-paced
Hot, single grumpy daddy that falls for his daughter's teacher/nanny? Hot goalie on the ice? Lessons in the bedroom?
This was a fun ride.
This was a fun ride.