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Vancouver Storm #3
Cómplices
The best way to gain confidence after years with the wrong guy? Hayden Owens—the hottest defenseman in pro hockey, my confident best friend, and my new dating coach.
He’ll teach me to be a player, but convinces me to practice with him.
We’ve been friends for years, but our flirting lessons and practice kisses push the bounds of friendship.
We’re roommates, but sleeping in the same bed.
He buys me a toy as a favor… but helps me use it.
All that relationship stuff he’s always avoided? He doesn’t seem to mind it anymore.
Rule number one of being a player is no attachments, but when Hayden sees me picking up other guys, he’s jealous enough that I wonder…
Maybe my wingman's been waiting for me all along.
The Wingman is a pro hockey relationship coach romance. It's the third book in the Vancouver Storm series but can be read as a standalone.
He’ll teach me to be a player, but convinces me to practice with him.
We’ve been friends for years, but our flirting lessons and practice kisses push the bounds of friendship.
We’re roommates, but sleeping in the same bed.
He buys me a toy as a favor… but helps me use it.
All that relationship stuff he’s always avoided? He doesn’t seem to mind it anymore.
Rule number one of being a player is no attachments, but when Hayden sees me picking up other guys, he’s jealous enough that I wonder…
Maybe my wingman's been waiting for me all along.
The Wingman is a pro hockey relationship coach romance. It's the third book in the Vancouver Storm series but can be read as a standalone.
472 pages, Paperback
First published September 26, 2024
8145 people are currently reading
54298 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Archer
13 books11.6k followersStephanie writes spicy, hilarious rom-coms. Her books feature sharp banter, stubborn women, lots of laughs, and guaranteed HEA’s. She lives in Vancouver, Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 7,395 reviews
July 6, 2025
Cute hockey romance but nothing special. Felt rushed but also dragged out at times??? Still fun though!
October 7, 2024
I knew mrs archer had me in her clutches the day she foreshadowed HaydenDarcy and I wanted to read the shit outta their book despite knowing how much friends to lovers is my least fav tropes. I just had that gut feeling she would do them justice. And I genuinely think she did.
It’s not the classic “oh we’re such close friends but we never even have real easy banter as friends do and the jokes we do make are stilted and awkward” — and I know there are different dynamics when it comes to friends but who has read about a dull friendship and can actually put their hand on their heart and say they have chemistry and real love for each other? If you have then send the recs bc I’d need to see it to believe it. Nevertheless, you don’t get that in here, these two had light conversations and jokes that are actually funny. They get each other in a way that brings a genuine smile to my face. I love love loved it when they privately called each other out on agreeing to something but the other knows they most definitely will not be doing it lmao 😭 the way they were giving each other the side eye in their heads.
They’re genuine friends and you can tell by the easy conversations they have. And their communication was so precious.
Also the spice was hot but no one can beat the man that is Mr Rory 😮💨😌😋💕💗🎀💋
Overall I can say this is making it to my prized friends to lovers list. It’s a hard earned position.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
JUST GOT THE ARC 🤸🏻♀️🤸🏻♀️ IF THERES ANYONE THAT CAN MAKE ME ADORE FRIENDS TO LOVERS ITS MRS ARCHER IKTR 😌🔐💋
It’s not the classic “oh we’re such close friends but we never even have real easy banter as friends do and the jokes we do make are stilted and awkward” — and I know there are different dynamics when it comes to friends but who has read about a dull friendship and can actually put their hand on their heart and say they have chemistry and real love for each other? If you have then send the recs bc I’d need to see it to believe it. Nevertheless, you don’t get that in here, these two had light conversations and jokes that are actually funny. They get each other in a way that brings a genuine smile to my face. I love love loved it when they privately called each other out on agreeing to something but the other knows they most definitely will not be doing it lmao 😭 the way they were giving each other the side eye in their heads.
They’re genuine friends and you can tell by the easy conversations they have. And their communication was so precious.
Also the spice was hot but no one can beat the man that is Mr Rory 😮💨😌😋💕💗🎀💋
Overall I can say this is making it to my prized friends to lovers list. It’s a hard earned position.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
JUST GOT THE ARC 🤸🏻♀️🤸🏻♀️ IF THERES ANYONE THAT CAN MAKE ME ADORE FRIENDS TO LOVERS ITS MRS ARCHER IKTR 😌🔐💋
September 20, 2024
i was so lucky to get an early release arc of this book and OMG it did not disappoint😌
the fake out and behind the net are two of my favourite books of all time, so i was beyond excited to get my hands on this one!! i adored this with my whole heart and will read anything stephanie archer puts out. hayden and darcy were just perfect🤭
4.75⭐️
the fake out and behind the net are two of my favourite books of all time, so i was beyond excited to get my hands on this one!! i adored this with my whole heart and will read anything stephanie archer puts out. hayden and darcy were just perfect🤭
4.75⭐️
October 29, 2024
i pretty actively disliked the first book in this series, but have been VERY pleasantly surprised with books 2 and 3.
this one is a wingman-style romance where our heroine is recently out of a long term (quite shitty) relationship and is looking for some no strings attached fun. hero is one of her best friends who she's crashing with after her breakup. has he had a thing for her forever? YEP. but he agrees to help her out anyway.
it's adorable. if you're looking for something easy to breeze through that will have you swooning this is a safe bet. the hero and heroine both have their own shit to work thru in their lives, namely insecurities, which i also appreciated. i recently read another sports romance and was wondering what was missing and i realized it was the hint of depth. i'm not asking for every romance to be DEEPLY emotional but i want the characters to at least feel a little different/real. these ones did.
plus i got a couple of good laughs in too. loved this.
this one is a wingman-style romance where our heroine is recently out of a long term (quite shitty) relationship and is looking for some no strings attached fun. hero is one of her best friends who she's crashing with after her breakup. has he had a thing for her forever? YEP. but he agrees to help her out anyway.
it's adorable. if you're looking for something easy to breeze through that will have you swooning this is a safe bet. the hero and heroine both have their own shit to work thru in their lives, namely insecurities, which i also appreciated. i recently read another sports romance and was wondering what was missing and i realized it was the hint of depth. i'm not asking for every romance to be DEEPLY emotional but i want the characters to at least feel a little different/real. these ones did.
plus i got a couple of good laughs in too. loved this.
September 26, 2024
4.5 Daniel The Garden Gnome ⭐️
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Friends to lovers isn't typically a trope that I would generally reach for 1st, or 3rd, or maybe even 5th. It is pretty low on my trope totem pole, but trust Stephanie Archer to take something that I wouldn't necessarily have picked up first and make it one of the best hockey romances that I have read to date.
𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Darcy has just broken up with her boyfriend of eight years and moved to Vancouver, where she starts rooming with her best friend, Hayden Owens—who also happens to be her ex's best friend. Hayden is also one of the star defencemen on the Vancouver Storm hockey team. Darcy and Hayden's friendship began when they bonded over a fantasy romance novel, and they instantly became best friends. One day, Darcy asks Hayden for help. She’s never really experienced the dating scene and hasn’t had the typical experiences with men that most women have. She asks Hayden, being a player himself, to be her wingman and teach her how to flirt, how to go on dates, and how to attract a man. Hayden, being the sweetheart that he is, agrees to help, even though underneath, it's killing him. Helping Darcy hook up with other men is his worst nightmare. While he won’t admit it, Darcy is his dream girl. As much as she sees him as a playboy, he’s been in love with her since she walked into that English class at university.
𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Darcy was smart and cute, and incredibly geeky and nerdy in the best way when she started talking about statistical models and theory. She was also super shy, especially about sex. She is also incredibly insecure due to how her ex minimised her personality and diminished her opinions. But she wants to change, she is determined to find herself and be unique and not let anyone put her down because they might not like it. Darcy, while being shy, is also pretty forward with Hayden. I like the fact that she would ask him what she wanted and wasn't scared to try new things with him. She's the main pusher of taking steps in their relationship because Hayden doesn't want to push her or scare her away.
Hayden is JUST PERFECTION! He almost pushed Rory off the top of the podium. He is completely besotted with Darcy, and I loved how jealous he would get when she interacted with other men or found herself in certain situations. I gushed at nearly every single scene because of how sweet, romantic, careful, and considerate he is. Darcy is his best friend, and all he wants is for her to be happy. He wants her to shine like the diamond he knows she is. It was adorable how much he lifted her up, celebrated her, and helped her grow in confidence. He encouraged her to rediscover herself, regain her confidence, and find passion in her work. It’s like he knew exactly what she needed, exactly when she needed it. He is basically a gooey sticky cinnamon roll and I wanted to sink my TEETH INTO HIM!
I loved that Rory gave Hazel lingerie in The Fake Out... but Hayden just PUT HIM TO SHAME and took it up a notch with his gifts... Hayden gave her so much more and he spoiled her so much. He is literally the type of man that girls dream about finding and I loved their relationship BECAUSE IT WAS SO CUTE! These two characters bring out the best in each other. They finish each other's sentences, they have a myriad of inside jokes, they play pranks on each other and they just have fun together. They support each other, they are each other's biggest cheerleader and they are just adorable together. Their banter, their teasing and their interactions and dynamics WERE JUST SO GOOOD! On top of that, the sizzling chemistry and spark they share is once in a lifetime! Also Hayden's dirty talk made me blush and I adored that this fun-loving guy could be slightly more dominating in bed while also being an excellent listener and patient teacher. OH SO PATIENT!
Stephanie Archer’s author bio includes the line, "she writes laugh-out-loud, spicy romance," and I couldn’t agree more with that statement. This is one of the books in a LONG TIME where I giggled and squealed almost constantly. AND THAT ONE BAR SCENE..... I legitimately threw my Kindle to the other side of the bed, covered my face with my hands and laughed out loud—while also dying of secondhand embarrassment. (iykyk)
My only concern is that I think the ending fell a little bit apart because it was too long. It took a long time for Darcy to realize Hayden was not going to flake on her. Given how close their friendship was, she was like the only one who couldn't see how much he loved her and how much he was doing everything to show her that he really was relationship material. She was just blind to everything that he did for the longest time and I wanted her to see it sooner. I also wanted a little bit more conflict and drama between her ex and Hayden, given that they were also best friends. That kind of plotline I think could have been taken a little bit more deeper and it could have been used as a lot bigger of a plot.
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ Friends to Lovers
▶ Hockey Romance
▶ Roommates to Lovers
▶ Reformed Playboy who is actually a Cinnamon Roll
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Jealous MMC
𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Use Me
▷ Good Girl
▷ Look At Me
▷ Hockey Jersey Heat
▷ Chin Lift
▷ Dressing/Undressing Help (Taking off her Shoes)
▷ Mine
I loved this! I think that Stephanie Archer has such skill of making rom-coms brilliant and excellent. She writes the biggest green flag men that are so supportive, adorable and just utterly in love. AND YOU CAN FEEL that love bleeding off the pages.
Thank you to Stephanie Archer for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I GOT THE ARC...
AND since it's my birthday.... I am taking it as a birthday present!
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Friends to lovers isn't typically a trope that I would generally reach for 1st, or 3rd, or maybe even 5th. It is pretty low on my trope totem pole, but trust Stephanie Archer to take something that I wouldn't necessarily have picked up first and make it one of the best hockey romances that I have read to date.
𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Darcy has just broken up with her boyfriend of eight years and moved to Vancouver, where she starts rooming with her best friend, Hayden Owens—who also happens to be her ex's best friend. Hayden is also one of the star defencemen on the Vancouver Storm hockey team. Darcy and Hayden's friendship began when they bonded over a fantasy romance novel, and they instantly became best friends. One day, Darcy asks Hayden for help. She’s never really experienced the dating scene and hasn’t had the typical experiences with men that most women have. She asks Hayden, being a player himself, to be her wingman and teach her how to flirt, how to go on dates, and how to attract a man. Hayden, being the sweetheart that he is, agrees to help, even though underneath, it's killing him. Helping Darcy hook up with other men is his worst nightmare. While he won’t admit it, Darcy is his dream girl. As much as she sees him as a playboy, he’s been in love with her since she walked into that English class at university.
𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Darcy was smart and cute, and incredibly geeky and nerdy in the best way when she started talking about statistical models and theory. She was also super shy, especially about sex. She is also incredibly insecure due to how her ex minimised her personality and diminished her opinions. But she wants to change, she is determined to find herself and be unique and not let anyone put her down because they might not like it. Darcy, while being shy, is also pretty forward with Hayden. I like the fact that she would ask him what she wanted and wasn't scared to try new things with him. She's the main pusher of taking steps in their relationship because Hayden doesn't want to push her or scare her away.
Hayden is JUST PERFECTION! He almost pushed Rory off the top of the podium. He is completely besotted with Darcy, and I loved how jealous he would get when she interacted with other men or found herself in certain situations. I gushed at nearly every single scene because of how sweet, romantic, careful, and considerate he is. Darcy is his best friend, and all he wants is for her to be happy. He wants her to shine like the diamond he knows she is. It was adorable how much he lifted her up, celebrated her, and helped her grow in confidence. He encouraged her to rediscover herself, regain her confidence, and find passion in her work. It’s like he knew exactly what she needed, exactly when she needed it. He is basically a gooey sticky cinnamon roll and I wanted to sink my TEETH INTO HIM!
I loved that Rory gave Hazel lingerie in The Fake Out... but Hayden just PUT HIM TO SHAME and took it up a notch with his gifts... Hayden gave her so much more and he spoiled her so much. He is literally the type of man that girls dream about finding and I loved their relationship BECAUSE IT WAS SO CUTE! These two characters bring out the best in each other. They finish each other's sentences, they have a myriad of inside jokes, they play pranks on each other and they just have fun together. They support each other, they are each other's biggest cheerleader and they are just adorable together. Their banter, their teasing and their interactions and dynamics WERE JUST SO GOOOD! On top of that, the sizzling chemistry and spark they share is once in a lifetime! Also Hayden's dirty talk made me blush and I adored that this fun-loving guy could be slightly more dominating in bed while also being an excellent listener and patient teacher. OH SO PATIENT!
Stephanie Archer’s author bio includes the line, "she writes laugh-out-loud, spicy romance," and I couldn’t agree more with that statement. This is one of the books in a LONG TIME where I giggled and squealed almost constantly. AND THAT ONE BAR SCENE..... I legitimately threw my Kindle to the other side of the bed, covered my face with my hands and laughed out loud—while also dying of secondhand embarrassment. (iykyk)
My only concern is that I think the ending fell a little bit apart because it was too long. It took a long time for Darcy to realize Hayden was not going to flake on her. Given how close their friendship was, she was like the only one who couldn't see how much he loved her and how much he was doing everything to show her that he really was relationship material. She was just blind to everything that he did for the longest time and I wanted her to see it sooner. I also wanted a little bit more conflict and drama between her ex and Hayden, given that they were also best friends. That kind of plotline I think could have been taken a little bit more deeper and it could have been used as a lot bigger of a plot.
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Dual POV
▶ Friends to Lovers
▶ Hockey Romance
▶ Roommates to Lovers
▶ Reformed Playboy who is actually a Cinnamon Roll
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Jealous MMC
𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Use Me
▷ Good Girl
▷ Look At Me
▷ Hockey Jersey Heat
▷ Chin Lift
▷ Dressing/Undressing Help (Taking off her Shoes)
▷ Mine
I loved this! I think that Stephanie Archer has such skill of making rom-coms brilliant and excellent. She writes the biggest green flag men that are so supportive, adorable and just utterly in love. AND YOU CAN FEEL that love bleeding off the pages.
Thank you to Stephanie Archer for the gifted copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
I GOT THE ARC...
AND since it's my birthday.... I am taking it as a birthday present!
September 19, 2024
if i was ever important enough to have my quote praising an author on/in a book, my quotes for stephanie archer would be to the tune of:
“no one writes praise like stephanie archer”
“if aladdin’s genie were real and i was granted three wishes, i’d only need one - give me a stephanie archer man”
“stephanie archer, pls write my obituary” (in like 80 years, universe)
she just writes a perfect book and i will stand ten toes behind that for the rest of my life and the wingman just confirmed that, once again.
edit because it’s time for a full review✨
friends to lovers lovers, you will rejoice
friends to lovers haters, prepare to be converted!!!
hayden and darcy are everything to me. these two had me laughing and blushing throughout this entire book and i just love this whole team and their witty girls so dang much.
darcy just got out a long relationship where she had to tamp down her personality and now she’s living with her best friend, hayden. hayden never does relationships so she has the brilliant idea to ask him to teach her how to be a player. the problem? darcy is hayden’s dream girl so watching her try to date around is… a challenge for him to say the least.
once again, this confirmed that no one writes praise like stephanie archer. why? because while we get all the bedroom praise classics (and some fun variations), she writes heroes that are funny and arrogant but are THE most supportive men for their women. darcy is a math nerd and hayden is like, i could listen to you talk about numbers all day xoxo.
these two had SO many moments that made me audibly laugh out loud and their friendship was such a strong foundation for the most SIZZLING chemistry.
if you haven’t gotten on the stephanie archer train yet, what more can i say!!!!
“no one writes praise like stephanie archer”
“if aladdin’s genie were real and i was granted three wishes, i’d only need one - give me a stephanie archer man”
“stephanie archer, pls write my obituary” (in like 80 years, universe)
she just writes a perfect book and i will stand ten toes behind that for the rest of my life and the wingman just confirmed that, once again.
edit because it’s time for a full review✨
friends to lovers lovers, you will rejoice
friends to lovers haters, prepare to be converted!!!
hayden and darcy are everything to me. these two had me laughing and blushing throughout this entire book and i just love this whole team and their witty girls so dang much.
darcy just got out a long relationship where she had to tamp down her personality and now she’s living with her best friend, hayden. hayden never does relationships so she has the brilliant idea to ask him to teach her how to be a player. the problem? darcy is hayden’s dream girl so watching her try to date around is… a challenge for him to say the least.
once again, this confirmed that no one writes praise like stephanie archer. why? because while we get all the bedroom praise classics (and some fun variations), she writes heroes that are funny and arrogant but are THE most supportive men for their women. darcy is a math nerd and hayden is like, i could listen to you talk about numbers all day xoxo.
these two had SO many moments that made me audibly laugh out loud and their friendship was such a strong foundation for the most SIZZLING chemistry.
if you haven’t gotten on the stephanie archer train yet, what more can i say!!!!
December 15, 2025
── 3 stars ୨ৎ
꒰ spoiler free review ⊹₊ ⋆
thoughts 𐙚
⟡ the vancouver storm series has quickly taken over my brain, and i literally cannot think of anything else but these characters anymore. this is hayden's book, and i've had my mind set on him since the first time we were introduced in book one. majority of this book was read in one singular night, when i binged 150+ pages because it was so good.
⟡ no matter what anyone says, friends to lovers will always be one of my favorite tropes. there's something about knowing someone as intimately as a best friend, and realizing you love each other past that into lovers. it means you know them in every form, even their silliest and weirdest parts of themselves. they met in college and bonded over their favorite romantasy series (which is literally a dream) and continued to be friends over the years.
⟡ i loved how this book followed darcy after a major breakup, and getting to watch how hayden healed her from that past relationship was so special & sweet. getting to see them living in the same apartment and sharing their cute friendship moments, even while everyone else knew they were falling for each other, was so entertaining to read about. darcy wanting to become a player, and hayden getting jealous, even though he agrees to help her get better at recklessly dating. it was all just a fun read in all.
characters 𐙚
⟡ darcy
꒰ risk by gracie abrams ⊹₊ ⋆
her character was so special to me. like i said earlier, i loved getting to see her transform into the most confident versions of herself throughout the book. it really felt empowering, not only for her, but for women in general who have been ever told by a man that certain things "don't fit them". darcy's ex said she wouldn't look good with her dream hair color, so she decides to go out and dye her hair exactly that color. her ex told her that she doesn't look good in brighter colors, so she goes out and gets a new wardrobe. it was so iconic, and i was cheering her on the entire time !!
⟡ hayden
꒰ still into you by paramore ⊹₊ ⋆
this mannnn. words can't even describe how obsessed i am with him character. ever since we were introduced in behind the net i literally haven't been able to keep my attention off of him. and he did not disappoint, AT ALL. the way he loves darcy so unapologetically, not only as a lover, but also as a best friend, was everything to me. he knows everything about her, and knows exactly how to show her how he loves her. i need a million mentions of him throughout the rest of the series because i fear i will never get enough.
⟡ darcy & hayden
꒰ you are in love by taylor swift ⊹₊ ⋆
'you're my best friend'
and you knew what it was
he is in love
is literally their lyrics by the way !!!! you can hear their love in the silence, and through all the mini interactions that happen. stephanie archer is such a genuine author in the way she SHOWS their love, rather than just telling it to you. i need every single milestone of their life written and handed to me in a neat, shiny binder (stephanie i beg....)
final thoughts 𐙚
⟡ the only reason this book isn't rated higher is because i felt as if the story started to drag a bit towards the end. i know that sounds ironic considering i've just said i want to read every moment of their lives, but when the plot got resolved and it was just filler pages of literally nothing, i got pretty bored. however, the rest of the book definitely makes up for that, and the epilogue DEFINITELY has me screaming in anticipation for the fourth book... can't wait to continue reading :')
-------------------------
₊˚⊹⋆ 🧘♀️ pre-read
⤿ started november 27 • november 30
dragged on a bit towards the end but i ate it up anyways
••••••
i have had my eyes set on hayden owens since we were first introduced…. and the time has finally come for his book 🙂↕️💘
꒰ spoiler free review ⊹₊ ⋆
⊹ ࣪ ˖ "or maybe i fell a little in love with her every time i saw her, every time we laughed together or texted or hugged, until i was at full capacity and head over fucking heels for her.” "
thoughts 𐙚
⟡ the vancouver storm series has quickly taken over my brain, and i literally cannot think of anything else but these characters anymore. this is hayden's book, and i've had my mind set on him since the first time we were introduced in book one. majority of this book was read in one singular night, when i binged 150+ pages because it was so good.
⟡ no matter what anyone says, friends to lovers will always be one of my favorite tropes. there's something about knowing someone as intimately as a best friend, and realizing you love each other past that into lovers. it means you know them in every form, even their silliest and weirdest parts of themselves. they met in college and bonded over their favorite romantasy series (which is literally a dream) and continued to be friends over the years.
⟡ i loved how this book followed darcy after a major breakup, and getting to watch how hayden healed her from that past relationship was so special & sweet. getting to see them living in the same apartment and sharing their cute friendship moments, even while everyone else knew they were falling for each other, was so entertaining to read about. darcy wanting to become a player, and hayden getting jealous, even though he agrees to help her get better at recklessly dating. it was all just a fun read in all.
"hayden would never let me be anyone but myself."
characters 𐙚
⟡ darcy
꒰ risk by gracie abrams ⊹₊ ⋆
her character was so special to me. like i said earlier, i loved getting to see her transform into the most confident versions of herself throughout the book. it really felt empowering, not only for her, but for women in general who have been ever told by a man that certain things "don't fit them". darcy's ex said she wouldn't look good with her dream hair color, so she decides to go out and dye her hair exactly that color. her ex told her that she doesn't look good in brighter colors, so she goes out and gets a new wardrobe. it was so iconic, and i was cheering her on the entire time !!
⟡ hayden
꒰ still into you by paramore ⊹₊ ⋆
this mannnn. words can't even describe how obsessed i am with him character. ever since we were introduced in behind the net i literally haven't been able to keep my attention off of him. and he did not disappoint, AT ALL. the way he loves darcy so unapologetically, not only as a lover, but also as a best friend, was everything to me. he knows everything about her, and knows exactly how to show her how he loves her. i need a million mentions of him throughout the rest of the series because i fear i will never get enough.
⟡ darcy & hayden
꒰ you are in love by taylor swift ⊹₊ ⋆
'you're my best friend'
and you knew what it was
he is in love
is literally their lyrics by the way !!!! you can hear their love in the silence, and through all the mini interactions that happen. stephanie archer is such a genuine author in the way she SHOWS their love, rather than just telling it to you. i need every single milestone of their life written and handed to me in a neat, shiny binder (stephanie i beg....)
final thoughts 𐙚
⟡ the only reason this book isn't rated higher is because i felt as if the story started to drag a bit towards the end. i know that sounds ironic considering i've just said i want to read every moment of their lives, but when the plot got resolved and it was just filler pages of literally nothing, i got pretty bored. however, the rest of the book definitely makes up for that, and the epilogue DEFINITELY has me screaming in anticipation for the fourth book... can't wait to continue reading :')
-------------------------
₊˚⊹⋆ 🧘♀️ pre-read
⤿ started november 27 • november 30
dragged on a bit towards the end but i ate it up anyways
••••••
i have had my eyes set on hayden owens since we were first introduced…. and the time has finally come for his book 🙂↕️💘
Read
October 5, 2024pre-read:
i loved the first two books, that’s why i’ve been so excited since i found out there would be a third book! i hope i end up loving this as much as i loved the other ones <3
i loved the first two books, that’s why i’ve been so excited since i found out there would be a third book! i hope i end up loving this as much as i loved the other ones <3
August 31, 2025
➳ oof ☆
i might change this rating, because this book was honestly corny as fuck. i do still think the second book, the fake out is the best we've gotten, but not by a long shot. however, compared to the first book, behind the net, this one is on par with that mess. i am really only reading this series to finish it, so i can move on to other books. by no means is this as bad as some books i hate, but it's also a whole lot of nothing with a repetitive concept.
☆ hockey romance
★ dual point of view
✮ interconnected stand-alone
☆ found family
★ best-friends to lovers
✮ roommates
this book—really this whole series—is just the same story in a different font. if you took out the stereotypical tropes and their names, i could not tell you who was who. every single book has a weird pacing for the romance, followed by 200+ pages of zilch. nothing happens. if you are together and this author doesn't believe in third act breakups; why is the book still going? every book in this series has this trope of the female main character being a jejune dumbass...followed by the weirdest teach me how to scene. this series is also obsessed with having the main male character secretly buy toys for the girl, but her accidently find and use it...like what are we doing? i am cringing from this tomfoolery.
speaking of the cringe...what the fuck is up with this girl constantly forcing him to be this playboy whore? after page 3, this rhetoric got so boring and creepy. if you really are best friends with someone, you have this level of trust and understanding that you can correct them or tell them the real truth. instead of that, we are tiptoeing around each other for NO reason while getting off in the shower every 5 minutes. what really does suck is i actually was liking this book at first, but as always, once the author started overdoing everything; i tapped out real quick and lost all interest. the interesting choice of having half this story be about how the purple haired girl complaining about how hayden is off screwing half the town is so corny. why was this over 50% of the plot? everybody in this series is corny, but these two take the cake for the corniest. cornier than corn on the cob with extra corn. just stop.
i am not even doing a section for their personalities—or lack thereof—because i don't remember jack when it comes to them. i just don't care about these lust filled romances with no depth, meaning, rhyme, or reason.
1.5/5 — if this next book flops, i am done with her books lmao. i can't keep doing this.
i might change this rating, because this book was honestly corny as fuck. i do still think the second book, the fake out is the best we've gotten, but not by a long shot. however, compared to the first book, behind the net, this one is on par with that mess. i am really only reading this series to finish it, so i can move on to other books. by no means is this as bad as some books i hate, but it's also a whole lot of nothing with a repetitive concept.
☆ hockey romance
★ dual point of view
✮ interconnected stand-alone
☆ found family
★ best-friends to lovers
✮ roommates
this book—really this whole series—is just the same story in a different font. if you took out the stereotypical tropes and their names, i could not tell you who was who. every single book has a weird pacing for the romance, followed by 200+ pages of zilch. nothing happens. if you are together and this author doesn't believe in third act breakups; why is the book still going? every book in this series has this trope of the female main character being a jejune dumbass...followed by the weirdest teach me how to scene. this series is also obsessed with having the main male character secretly buy toys for the girl, but her accidently find and use it...like what are we doing? i am cringing from this tomfoolery.
speaking of the cringe...what the fuck is up with this girl constantly forcing him to be this playboy whore? after page 3, this rhetoric got so boring and creepy. if you really are best friends with someone, you have this level of trust and understanding that you can correct them or tell them the real truth. instead of that, we are tiptoeing around each other for NO reason while getting off in the shower every 5 minutes. what really does suck is i actually was liking this book at first, but as always, once the author started overdoing everything; i tapped out real quick and lost all interest. the interesting choice of having half this story be about how the purple haired girl complaining about how hayden is off screwing half the town is so corny. why was this over 50% of the plot? everybody in this series is corny, but these two take the cake for the corniest. cornier than corn on the cob with extra corn. just stop.
i am not even doing a section for their personalities—or lack thereof—because i don't remember jack when it comes to them. i just don't care about these lust filled romances with no depth, meaning, rhyme, or reason.
1.5/5 — if this next book flops, i am done with her books lmao. i can't keep doing this.
June 25, 2025
dnf @ 62%
he called her vibrator the "g-spot banger" and honestly i should’ve dnf’d right then and there.
₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ pre-read ♡⋆°｡⋆𐙚
⤷ i better end up loving this 😻
he called her vibrator the "g-spot banger" and honestly i should’ve dnf’d right then and there.
₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊
𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ pre-read ♡⋆°｡⋆𐙚
⤷ i better end up loving this 😻
September 25, 2024
“Real men aren’t threatened by a woman with a big brain who knows her way around a graphing calculator.”
if you're looking for a low angst, high tension (and sizzling spice) friends to lovers romance that will have you kicking your feet giggling and then blushing, look no further.
hayden has been head over heels for his best friend darcy since the day he met her in college - but his best friend got to her first. now single and looking to mingle again, darcy enlists hayden's help on How to Be a Player seeing as he's become a master at it. oh it's so fun when they're cluelessly, obliviously, hopelessly head over heels for each other and don't even know it.
darcy's work as an actuary in statistics was intriguing applied into sports, and it was fun to watch her fully step into herself after having lost her sense of individuality w her ex. hayden is just the sweetest guy ever, i really did love that he always had darcy's best interests in mind.
the tension between them was so hot but also they had such fun silly moments, it was a very believable and organic friendship. and the praise 🥵 THE TEACHING. the garden gnome 😂 (iykyk) i love how stephanie archer can made a steamy romance that will also have you chuckling with her quippy lines and silly humor. it's one of those pick-me-up, lighthearted reads that will help pull you out of any bad day.
“Hold out for a guy who wants to TI-83 you all night long.”
my main complaint is that it's a bit long for a contemp romance that's low angst, i do feel like it could've been like a hundred pages shorter just to tighten up the story.
i'm VERY intrigued by alexei and georgia 👀 so i will def be continuing this series.
this was a great read when you're looking for something light, fluffy, and sexy 💖
an honest arc review ♡
if you're looking for a low angst, high tension (and sizzling spice) friends to lovers romance that will have you kicking your feet giggling and then blushing, look no further.
hayden has been head over heels for his best friend darcy since the day he met her in college - but his best friend got to her first. now single and looking to mingle again, darcy enlists hayden's help on How to Be a Player seeing as he's become a master at it. oh it's so fun when they're cluelessly, obliviously, hopelessly head over heels for each other and don't even know it.
darcy's work as an actuary in statistics was intriguing applied into sports, and it was fun to watch her fully step into herself after having lost her sense of individuality w her ex. hayden is just the sweetest guy ever, i really did love that he always had darcy's best interests in mind.
the tension between them was so hot but also they had such fun silly moments, it was a very believable and organic friendship. and the praise 🥵 THE TEACHING. the garden gnome 😂 (iykyk) i love how stephanie archer can made a steamy romance that will also have you chuckling with her quippy lines and silly humor. it's one of those pick-me-up, lighthearted reads that will help pull you out of any bad day.
“Hold out for a guy who wants to TI-83 you all night long.”
my main complaint is that it's a bit long for a contemp romance that's low angst, i do feel like it could've been like a hundred pages shorter just to tighten up the story.
i'm VERY intrigued by alexei and georgia 👀 so i will def be continuing this series.
this was a great read when you're looking for something light, fluffy, and sexy 💖
an honest arc review ♡
September 27, 2024
After ending her long term relationship, Darcy is ready to move on and become the person she wants to be. Determined to live her life to the fullest, she enlists the help of her best friend and pro hockey player, Hayden, to teach her how to date and be confident. However, as the two begin coaching lessons, both realize that their plan is easier said than done when the lines begin to blur and their long held feelings bubble to the surface.
This was the cutest friends to lovers romcom! Stephanie Archer has a way of writing the most charming characters and matching them with so much romance and smut. I loved Hayden and Darcy together, their friendship was so paramount and I loved how the two came to fall for each other. The back and forth, will they or won't they, was so fun and never reached the point of exhaustion like it can so easily. If you are a fan of sports romcoms, this whole series is absolutely adorable and full of so much fun and swoony moments that will have you kicking your feet and giggling. I am so excited for the next book, I need grumpy Alexei to be put in place by Georgia so bad!
~Many thanks to Stephanie Archer for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
This was the cutest friends to lovers romcom! Stephanie Archer has a way of writing the most charming characters and matching them with so much romance and smut. I loved Hayden and Darcy together, their friendship was so paramount and I loved how the two came to fall for each other. The back and forth, will they or won't they, was so fun and never reached the point of exhaustion like it can so easily. If you are a fan of sports romcoms, this whole series is absolutely adorable and full of so much fun and swoony moments that will have you kicking your feet and giggling. I am so excited for the next book, I need grumpy Alexei to be put in place by Georgia so bad!
~Many thanks to Stephanie Archer for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.
Read
December 1, 2025Rating: Dnf.
I need a break… and by break, I mean something actually good to cleanse my brain, because this book had me eye-rolling so hard I swear I almost saw my own soul leaving my body. The biggest eye-roll in recorded history. I genuinely cannot do this right now. And that “break”? Yeah, it’s called DNF, and that’s exactly what this book earned.
I was so excited for this one. It looked promising, it sounded fun… but unfortunately, absolutely not. And the fact that this is the first read of this month, it's really sad but anyway.
I’m so sorry, but I cannot. The level of cringe, the dumb decisions, the silly drama, I'm convinced this book was trying to personally attack me. Like, what do you MEAN he’s her wingman but then they start making out?? Hello?? Are we reading the same situation? Can she not see he’s literally in love with her? OPEN YOUR EYES, GIRL.
And the whole “he doesn’t want to touch me, he must think I’m gross” like… THAT is what your brain cells came up with? Be serious. I’m not even attempting a full review because honestly? What the actual hell was going on here.
I used to be pretty easygoing with these kinds of reads, but not anymore, my taste in books has changed a lot this year.
── .✦
⋆♡⸝💌⊹➴ Oh this series… I swear I’ve been in a long, toxic, hate-love situationship with it, I didn’t like the first two books at all, and I honestly have zero expectations left, like, the bar is underground at this point. And yet here I am, still trying. Why? I genuinely don’t even know anymore. Maybe because I desperately want to like at least one book from this series. And something in me is whispering that this one might finally be the one. Fingers crossed. <𝟑 .ᐟ
I need a break… and by break, I mean something actually good to cleanse my brain, because this book had me eye-rolling so hard I swear I almost saw my own soul leaving my body. The biggest eye-roll in recorded history. I genuinely cannot do this right now. And that “break”? Yeah, it’s called DNF, and that’s exactly what this book earned.
I was so excited for this one. It looked promising, it sounded fun… but unfortunately, absolutely not. And the fact that this is the first read of this month, it's really sad but anyway.
I’m so sorry, but I cannot. The level of cringe, the dumb decisions, the silly drama, I'm convinced this book was trying to personally attack me. Like, what do you MEAN he’s her wingman but then they start making out?? Hello?? Are we reading the same situation? Can she not see he’s literally in love with her? OPEN YOUR EYES, GIRL.
And the whole “he doesn’t want to touch me, he must think I’m gross” like… THAT is what your brain cells came up with? Be serious. I’m not even attempting a full review because honestly? What the actual hell was going on here.
I used to be pretty easygoing with these kinds of reads, but not anymore, my taste in books has changed a lot this year.
── .✦
⋆♡⸝💌⊹➴ Oh this series… I swear I’ve been in a long, toxic, hate-love situationship with it, I didn’t like the first two books at all, and I honestly have zero expectations left, like, the bar is underground at this point. And yet here I am, still trying. Why? I genuinely don’t even know anymore. Maybe because I desperately want to like at least one book from this series. And something in me is whispering that this one might finally be the one. Fingers crossed. <𝟑 .ᐟ
September 29, 2024
I wanted to give it a 1-star, but since a tiny bit of my irritation with this book has to do with outside factors, it's probably a 2 star ⭐⭐
Stephanie Archer has a very special style of books: they're ott cheesy, tooooo sweet and very unrealistic 🤷🏼♀️ I knew all that going in, but somehow this time around it didn't do the trick. If you're in a bad mood or have even the slightest problem in your life, these people with their rich people "problems" will irritate you to no end 🤡👉🏼👈🏼
The main characters were two clueless idiots and their constant insecure backpedaling made me mad and almost led to a dnf 😭
I don't like the fact they turned her ex-boyfriend into an asshole to make the hero more swoony or the heroine more inexperienced. Like, she was in a relationship for 8 years, but ofc he almost never made her come 🤡 and ofc he never took her out on a date 🤬 and ofc she's afraid of a vibrator and needs the hero to show her how to use it 🆘
I usually like friends-to-lovers, but this was such a letdown personally 😭😭 there was no angst, no back and forth, no will they, won't they drama.... Just two silly grownups jerking each other off and wasting too many pages of my time😅🙈
Don't even get me started on the heroine's professional journey. I have no idea about statistics and if people with math degree are qualified to be on a hockey team and successfully PREDICT STRATEGIES ABOUT WHAT PLAYER TO PUT WHERE AND WHAT MOVE TO MAKE TO SCORE A GOAL🤡🤡🤡 but the way Darcy had a "feeling" some college kid was the only way the team would make it to play offs and they had to draft him immediately and the Coach and EVERYONE responsible for the team just went with it...😂😂😂🆘🆘 Lol i can't even....
Also, the WINGMAN part of the book was so lame 🤷🏼♀️ they had two scenes where she asked him questions about how he scores girls, lile what lines to use etc. CAN WE GET THE GLARING ISSUE OUT OF THE WAY??? men and women don't use the same strategies when finding a hook-up. Darcy is said to be beautiful and hot, plus she want to have "fun" iykwim 🤭😜 so she wouldn't have any issues going to a club and finding guys. But the hero was going on about how the guy she'd go out with is supposed to value her, as if she was looking for a boyfriend 😕🤷🏼♀️ also, it was so funny, when the heroine was denying het attraction to the hero and said it couldn't go anywhere, because "he's her friend, and MORE IMPORTANTLY HER WINGMAN" 🤭🤭🤭🤭😂😂😂😂🤡🤡
Stephanie Archer has a very special style of books: they're ott cheesy, tooooo sweet and very unrealistic 🤷🏼♀️ I knew all that going in, but somehow this time around it didn't do the trick. If you're in a bad mood or have even the slightest problem in your life, these people with their rich people "problems" will irritate you to no end 🤡👉🏼👈🏼
The main characters were two clueless idiots and their constant insecure backpedaling made me mad and almost led to a dnf 😭
I don't like the fact they turned her ex-boyfriend into an asshole to make the hero more swoony or the heroine more inexperienced. Like, she was in a relationship for 8 years, but ofc he almost never made her come 🤡 and ofc he never took her out on a date 🤬 and ofc she's afraid of a vibrator and needs the hero to show her how to use it 🆘
I usually like friends-to-lovers, but this was such a letdown personally 😭😭 there was no angst, no back and forth, no will they, won't they drama.... Just two silly grownups jerking each other off and wasting too many pages of my time😅🙈
Don't even get me started on the heroine's professional journey. I have no idea about statistics and if people with math degree are qualified to be on a hockey team and successfully PREDICT STRATEGIES ABOUT WHAT PLAYER TO PUT WHERE AND WHAT MOVE TO MAKE TO SCORE A GOAL🤡🤡🤡 but the way Darcy had a "feeling" some college kid was the only way the team would make it to play offs and they had to draft him immediately and the Coach and EVERYONE responsible for the team just went with it...😂😂😂🆘🆘 Lol i can't even....
Also, the WINGMAN part of the book was so lame 🤷🏼♀️ they had two scenes where she asked him questions about how he scores girls, lile what lines to use etc. CAN WE GET THE GLARING ISSUE OUT OF THE WAY??? men and women don't use the same strategies when finding a hook-up. Darcy is said to be beautiful and hot, plus she want to have "fun" iykwim 🤭😜 so she wouldn't have any issues going to a club and finding guys. But the hero was going on about how the guy she'd go out with is supposed to value her, as if she was looking for a boyfriend 😕🤷🏼♀️ also, it was so funny, when the heroine was denying het attraction to the hero and said it couldn't go anywhere, because "he's her friend, and MORE IMPORTANTLY HER WINGMAN" 🤭🤭🤭🤭😂😂😂😂🤡🤡
September 24, 2024
hayden and darcy have been best friends since college. he’s always been a player, and she’s just come out of relationship with his best friend. and she needs a place to stay. surely the best place for her is with hayden who may or may not have been pining for her since they first met.
hayden is the definition of boy obsessed. this man loooooves HER. the acts of service? the thoughtful gifts? THE “LESSONS” 👀 literally beyond.
i loved this take on spicy lessons. because darcy was super inexperienced with dating, hayden decides to teach her what he knows and be her wingman. this book literally has some of the BEST jealousy scenes I’ve ever read. am I toxic for loving jealousy scenes? don’t answer that because I was so giddy kicking my feet over these two.
the humor, found family, and all around stephanie spice was unmatched. this series is a forever fav.
I couldn’t give this a full 5 stars bc darcy at points really irritated me. she didn’t see how much hayden loved her even tho he was literally doing THE MOST.
thank you so much for the arc!
what to expect
⟢ best friend’s ex
⟢ sports romance
⟢ roommates
⟢ forced proximity
⟢ found family
4.5/5
hayden is the definition of boy obsessed. this man loooooves HER. the acts of service? the thoughtful gifts? THE “LESSONS” 👀 literally beyond.
i loved this take on spicy lessons. because darcy was super inexperienced with dating, hayden decides to teach her what he knows and be her wingman. this book literally has some of the BEST jealousy scenes I’ve ever read. am I toxic for loving jealousy scenes? don’t answer that because I was so giddy kicking my feet over these two.
the humor, found family, and all around stephanie spice was unmatched. this series is a forever fav.
I couldn’t give this a full 5 stars bc darcy at points really irritated me. she didn’t see how much hayden loved her even tho he was literally doing THE MOST.
thank you so much for the arc!
what to expect
⟢ best friend’s ex
⟢ sports romance
⟢ roommates
⟢ forced proximity
⟢ found family
4.5/5
August 17, 2025
4⭐️
This book is yet another testament as to why Stephanie Archer is an auto buy author for me. I absolutely ADORED this one! She has such a way with funny and humorous storytelling that you just can’t help but be enticed by and get sucked in.
I really really loved our two MC’s in this book. Their connection and chemistry was to die for and their hilarious banter was a massive reason why this was such a hit for me. I don’t know how Stephanie Archer does it, but she is definitely up there with the authors who create a gold mine of witty banter and hilarious one liners. If you haven’t read one of her books yet, you absolutely should.
There was also a bit of character growth with Darcy which was really enjoyable. I would’ve liked to see more with Hayden, but I think overall their level of depth was pretty good. Another really big thing I liked about Darcy and Hayden was they just felt so real. I love being able to connect with characters that are written in a way that makes you feel like you know them on a more personal level. It was realistic and raw and I enjoyed that.
I’d also like to give big props for there not being a third-act breakup in this one. I’m glad the author kinda teased us with a couple and decided to leave things less forced and more natural to the flow of the story. I will also stand on this hill:
Third-act conflicts with always trump a third-act breakup!!!!
A big thing about this series is that the books are mainly character focused and not so much on an actual plot. The plot is pretty much just the romance. I think it fits a story like this so I didn’t mind. I was a little put off, however, by how many times Darcy and Hayden would say “just as friends” or refer to doing EVERYTHING romantic as just friends. Like okay I get it, please stop putting me off of the tension and angst. 😭
Overall, another banger by Stephanie!! If you enjoy an angsty hockey romance that will have you feeling a wheel of emotions, look no further! I got so much joy and happiness from this one and I hope that those of you who want to read this enjoy it as much as I did. 💗
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭:
Stephanie Archer, I just know you’re going to pull me out of my reading slump 😩
I have loved this series so much so far so I hope this one is no different 💘
This book is yet another testament as to why Stephanie Archer is an auto buy author for me. I absolutely ADORED this one! She has such a way with funny and humorous storytelling that you just can’t help but be enticed by and get sucked in.
I really really loved our two MC’s in this book. Their connection and chemistry was to die for and their hilarious banter was a massive reason why this was such a hit for me. I don’t know how Stephanie Archer does it, but she is definitely up there with the authors who create a gold mine of witty banter and hilarious one liners. If you haven’t read one of her books yet, you absolutely should.
There was also a bit of character growth with Darcy which was really enjoyable. I would’ve liked to see more with Hayden, but I think overall their level of depth was pretty good. Another really big thing I liked about Darcy and Hayden was they just felt so real. I love being able to connect with characters that are written in a way that makes you feel like you know them on a more personal level. It was realistic and raw and I enjoyed that.
I’d also like to give big props for there not being a third-act breakup in this one. I’m glad the author kinda teased us with a couple and decided to leave things less forced and more natural to the flow of the story. I will also stand on this hill:
Third-act conflicts with always trump a third-act breakup!!!!
A big thing about this series is that the books are mainly character focused and not so much on an actual plot. The plot is pretty much just the romance. I think it fits a story like this so I didn’t mind. I was a little put off, however, by how many times Darcy and Hayden would say “just as friends” or refer to doing EVERYTHING romantic as just friends. Like okay I get it, please stop putting me off of the tension and angst. 😭
Overall, another banger by Stephanie!! If you enjoy an angsty hockey romance that will have you feeling a wheel of emotions, look no further! I got so much joy and happiness from this one and I hope that those of you who want to read this enjoy it as much as I did. 💗
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭:
Stephanie Archer, I just know you’re going to pull me out of my reading slump 😩
I have loved this series so much so far so I hope this one is no different 💘
not-for-me
October 3, 2024This is what I’ve learned from other reviews…
Friends to lovers 🤢
He’s a manwhore 🤢
She was in an 8 year relationship but never had good sex with her ex 🤢🤢🤢
He has to teach her to use her vibrator to masturbate 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
If any of this info is incorrect, lemme know. I was so excited for this book, but this info firmly kills my desire to even give this book a try.
Friends to lovers 🤢
He’s a manwhore 🤢
She was in an 8 year relationship but never had good sex with her ex 🤢🤢🤢
He has to teach her to use her vibrator to masturbate 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
If any of this info is incorrect, lemme know. I was so excited for this book, but this info firmly kills my desire to even give this book a try.
July 13, 2025
so disappointing. hopefully i don’t have to read any more books with characters like hayden
June 10, 2025
where is my hayden owens who would love to spoil me with gifts, expensive lingerie, flowers, and jewellery 😭
September 21, 2024
2⭐️
1.5🌶️
After giving Stephanie's books multiple chances, I think it's safe to say her style isn't for me. The Wingman marks the fourth book I've read from her, and unfortunately, it's the fourth one I've disliked. I will say that the audiobooks usually help make her writing more bearable, but this time I stuck to reading—and it only amplified the flaws.
For starters, this book could've been half its length. So much of it felt repetitive and pointless. How many times do we need to hear that he's "just her wingman" or that he's a player with no depth beyond that? It got old fast. And don't get me started on their shared obsession with The Northern Sword. I lost count of how often it was referenced. It feels like every chapter had the same talking points, and after a while, it was exhausting.
The worst part, though, was how Stephanie completely ruined Kit's character for the sake of unnecessary drama. In the last book, Kit was likable enough, but here, he suddenly turns into this villain out of nowhere, just to force some tension. It made no sense. Why couldn't they have parted ways normally because they wanted different things? Making him the bad guy felt forced and shallow.
And then there's the nonsense with her giving advice to their coach, telling him how to run his team—and he actually listens to her? That was just ridiculous. I mean, come on, that’s stretching believability beyond its limit.
Despite all this, I am somewhat interested in Volkov's book, but honestly, I'll only consider listening to the audiobook. After slogging through this writing again, I definitely won't be reading another one. At this point, it just doesn’t seem worth it.
Lastly, a big thank you to Lauren for sending me the ARC. I really appreciate it, even though this one wasn't for me.
1.5🌶️
After giving Stephanie's books multiple chances, I think it's safe to say her style isn't for me. The Wingman marks the fourth book I've read from her, and unfortunately, it's the fourth one I've disliked. I will say that the audiobooks usually help make her writing more bearable, but this time I stuck to reading—and it only amplified the flaws.
For starters, this book could've been half its length. So much of it felt repetitive and pointless. How many times do we need to hear that he's "just her wingman" or that he's a player with no depth beyond that? It got old fast. And don't get me started on their shared obsession with The Northern Sword. I lost count of how often it was referenced. It feels like every chapter had the same talking points, and after a while, it was exhausting.
The worst part, though, was how Stephanie completely ruined Kit's character for the sake of unnecessary drama. In the last book, Kit was likable enough, but here, he suddenly turns into this villain out of nowhere, just to force some tension. It made no sense. Why couldn't they have parted ways normally because they wanted different things? Making him the bad guy felt forced and shallow.
And then there's the nonsense with her giving advice to their coach, telling him how to run his team—and he actually listens to her? That was just ridiculous. I mean, come on, that’s stretching believability beyond its limit.
Despite all this, I am somewhat interested in Volkov's book, but honestly, I'll only consider listening to the audiobook. After slogging through this writing again, I definitely won't be reading another one. At this point, it just doesn’t seem worth it.
Lastly, a big thank you to Lauren for sending me the ARC. I really appreciate it, even though this one wasn't for me.
October 14, 2024
Another 5🌟 Stephanie Archer is the queen of down bad golden retriever men and I will die on that hill. I love this series
dnf
August 26, 2025DNF at 23%
Based on the blurb, I knew this book was going to be my least favourite…
I’m not even going to attempt to finish this because I know that Darcy is not going to get better and that she’s going to keep on irritating me and I just finished a book with an annoying female lead. I don’t need to put myself through that again. I also don’t need to read about Darcy hating on my profession and calling it boring. The author’s description of the career did not feel accurate and realistic either. I mean why is she not talking about or studying for the all freaking exams we have to take?!?There are people who are almost 40 and still trying to pass these crazy exams. It’s like the first thing every actuary talks about even with non-actuaries. I don’t know why the author has constantly made her leads have feelings for each other right from the start as well. I excused it in the first book, but I’m just over it now. It makes the romance super insta-lovey.
Anyways, I’m still going to read book four because that’s the whole reason I started this series. However, I’m starting to understand why I stopped reading the author’s books in the past.
Based on the blurb, I knew this book was going to be my least favourite…
I’m not even going to attempt to finish this because I know that Darcy is not going to get better and that she’s going to keep on irritating me and I just finished a book with an annoying female lead. I don’t need to put myself through that again. I also don’t need to read about Darcy hating on my profession and calling it boring. The author’s description of the career did not feel accurate and realistic either. I mean why is she not talking about or studying for the all freaking exams we have to take?!?There are people who are almost 40 and still trying to pass these crazy exams. It’s like the first thing every actuary talks about even with non-actuaries. I don’t know why the author has constantly made her leads have feelings for each other right from the start as well. I excused it in the first book, but I’m just over it now. It makes the romance super insta-lovey.
Anyways, I’m still going to read book four because that’s the whole reason I started this series. However, I’m starting to understand why I stopped reading the author’s books in the past.
March 27, 2025
3 / 5 ⭐
i always forget how much the friends to lovers trope annoys me until i read a friends to lovers story. bc i liked hayden and darcy individually, and i even liked them together, but the amount of times they used the excuse that they were just “friends” or didn’t want to ruin the “friendship” for the miscommunication made me want to rip my hair out. anyway still love stephanie archer sm and can’t wait to continue the series, petition for a luca book pls!!!!
pre read
i came across a post for gloves off today and realized i actually never read this one so ... time to catch up
i always forget how much the friends to lovers trope annoys me until i read a friends to lovers story. bc i liked hayden and darcy individually, and i even liked them together, but the amount of times they used the excuse that they were just “friends” or didn’t want to ruin the “friendship” for the miscommunication made me want to rip my hair out. anyway still love stephanie archer sm and can’t wait to continue the series, petition for a luca book pls!!!!
pre read
i came across a post for gloves off today and realized i actually never read this one so ... time to catch up
September 30, 2024
Stephanie Archer does it again, and WOW, she really brought her A-game with Hayden and Darcy! Friends to lovers can be hit or miss, but these two totally nailed it!
Oh, Hayden! You absolute dreamboat! Watching him pine for Darcy had me rooting for him the whole time. Seriously, how did Darcy take so long to realize he was perfect? The build-up to their romance was pure gold, and when they finally got spicy? Fire! 🔥 Stephanie knows exactly what she's doing!
I couldn't stop laughing at the hilarious moments, especially at Daniel and the hair dye scenes. 🤣 And when I wasn’t laughing, I was swooning over Hayden. Stephanie totally delivered with Darcy's character growth, I loved every bit of it!
I’m still obsessed with that bombshell of an ending. OMG, the banter, the tension, the little teasers for Georgia and Alexei?! I need their story ASAP!
Read this if you like:
❤️🔥 Best Friends to Lovers
❤️🔥 Hockey Romance
❤️🔥 Relationship coach
❤️🔥 No Third-act Breakup
Oh, Hayden! You absolute dreamboat! Watching him pine for Darcy had me rooting for him the whole time. Seriously, how did Darcy take so long to realize he was perfect? The build-up to their romance was pure gold, and when they finally got spicy? Fire! 🔥 Stephanie knows exactly what she's doing!
I couldn't stop laughing at the hilarious moments, especially at Daniel and the hair dye scenes. 🤣 And when I wasn’t laughing, I was swooning over Hayden. Stephanie totally delivered with Darcy's character growth, I loved every bit of it!
I’m still obsessed with that bombshell of an ending. OMG, the banter, the tension, the little teasers for Georgia and Alexei?! I need their story ASAP!
Read this if you like:
❤️🔥 Best Friends to Lovers
❤️🔥 Hockey Romance
❤️🔥 Relationship coach
❤️🔥 No Third-act Breakup
September 30, 2024
WHAT, HOW CAN THIS BE SO AMAZING?
everyone needs to read this book, this was so cute!!!
the best friends dynamic, all of the angst, the love and their friendship. every single thing in this book is perfect, i enjoyed it so much.
since i finished it, this book has been in my mind
i think this became my favorite best friends to lovers and left me with a need for more
i got the arc and i couldn’t be more grateful, i love more and more every book in the series, thank you so much!!!!
everyone needs to read this book, this was so cute!!!
the best friends dynamic, all of the angst, the love and their friendship. every single thing in this book is perfect, i enjoyed it so much.
since i finished it, this book has been in my mind
i think this became my favorite best friends to lovers and left me with a need for more
i got the arc and i couldn’t be more grateful, i love more and more every book in the series, thank you so much!!!!
November 15, 2024
RTC - 3.75/5⭐️⭐️⭐️
December 1, 2024
2.5 ⭐
i'm so disappointed 😭
the first two books in this series i absolutely LOVE so i hate that this was such a let down to me.
i think my main issue was that i didn't feel the characters connection romantically and the “teach me” trope is not for me. i definitely still liked hayden he was super sweet but the author also told us next to nothing about him.
i'm so disappointed 😭
the first two books in this series i absolutely LOVE so i hate that this was such a let down to me.
i think my main issue was that i didn't feel the characters connection romantically and the “teach me” trope is not for me. i definitely still liked hayden he was super sweet but the author also told us next to nothing about him.
January 30, 2025
୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅ 3 ⭐️
*possible spoilers ahead* 💌
꒰ "Eight years, honey. That's how long I waited for you." ʚɞ ꒱
- I feel sad saying that this was my least favorite so far but it was..😭 I feel like there wasn’t really much that happened so i got bored a lot while reading??!
I was also getting tired of hearing the word ‘wingman’ being said every other page. 😶 the characters seemed bland imo and I didn’t really feel connection while reading.
overall thoughts :
the other 2 in this series (I thought) were a lot better especially the fake out!! I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend this.
. . . . .
*possible spoilers ahead* 💌
꒰ "Eight years, honey. That's how long I waited for you." ʚɞ ꒱
- I feel sad saying that this was my least favorite so far but it was..😭 I feel like there wasn’t really much that happened so i got bored a lot while reading??!
I was also getting tired of hearing the word ‘wingman’ being said every other page. 😶 the characters seemed bland imo and I didn’t really feel connection while reading.
overall thoughts :
the other 2 in this series (I thought) were a lot better especially the fake out!! I wouldn’t go out of my way to recommend this.
. . . . .
September 20, 2024
only Stephanie Archer could write a friends to lovers that I wouldn't end up hating and she did!!! Darcy & Hayden just didn't make to my top 1 bc Hazel & Rory exist and iykyk but they're definitely right behind them, this man waited
eight
years for her and honestly that should be reason enough for you to read this book but if not that's ok, read it anyway 🩷
the only flaw for me was how long it took Darcy to come to her senses, idk how he could be more clear about his intentions/feelings and she kept thinking he’d get tired of her, girl I understand you're insecure but the moment he organized a surprise party themed after your favorite book and made everyone dress up as the characters that insecurity should’ve ended!!!!!
anyway, I really loved it and even though it's a trope that I usually don't like, it worked really well this time. I'm also super excited for Alexei and Georgia's book bc how tf did they get married????
the only flaw for me was how long it took Darcy to come to her senses, idk how he could be more clear about his intentions/feelings and she kept thinking he’d get tired of her, girl I understand you're insecure but the moment he organized a surprise party themed after your favorite book and made everyone dress up as the characters that insecurity should’ve ended!!!!!
anyway, I really loved it and even though it's a trope that I usually don't like, it worked really well this time. I'm also super excited for Alexei and Georgia's book bc how tf did they get married????
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