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Pine Barrens University #2
Practice Makes Perfect
A steamy new college hockey romance featuring sizzling intimacy lessons, a hilarious female lead, and a guaranteed HEA.
HER WALLS
Em Dubois excels at everything, except dating, because physical intimacy sends her into panic mode. But for someone who approaches everything with a plan and color-coded precision, the solution is find someone experienced to show her the ropes.
A controlled experiment with clear parameters. It’s just science, right?
HIS PRESSURE
Linc Garcia has it NHL scouts salivating over him, and every girl on campus dripping for him. But beneath his confident exterior, he’s drowning in expectations. So the last thing he needs is another complication, like the hot French girl with big eyes and a dancer’s body.
But then she proposes a solution to both their problems.
THEIR ARRANGEMENT
It all sounds he gets to blow off steam with the hot freshman, she gets experience without expectations, and they both absolutely do not catch any feelings! But soon, lessons in his bed turn into late-night conversations and unexpected vulnerabilities.
And it turns out that the heart refuses to follow their syllabus.
Key
Teaching/lessons romance (with a detailed syllabus!)Agreement-to-lovers (no feelings rule? what could go wrong?)Healing past trauma (one touch at a time)Second in series (but read as standalone!)Steamy 'open door' spice levelGet it now!
HER WALLS
Em Dubois excels at everything, except dating, because physical intimacy sends her into panic mode. But for someone who approaches everything with a plan and color-coded precision, the solution is find someone experienced to show her the ropes.
A controlled experiment with clear parameters. It’s just science, right?
HIS PRESSURE
Linc Garcia has it NHL scouts salivating over him, and every girl on campus dripping for him. But beneath his confident exterior, he’s drowning in expectations. So the last thing he needs is another complication, like the hot French girl with big eyes and a dancer’s body.
But then she proposes a solution to both their problems.
THEIR ARRANGEMENT
It all sounds he gets to blow off steam with the hot freshman, she gets experience without expectations, and they both absolutely do not catch any feelings! But soon, lessons in his bed turn into late-night conversations and unexpected vulnerabilities.
And it turns out that the heart refuses to follow their syllabus.
Key
Teaching/lessons romance (with a detailed syllabus!)Agreement-to-lovers (no feelings rule? what could go wrong?)Healing past trauma (one touch at a time)Second in series (but read as standalone!)Steamy 'open door' spice levelGet it now!
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 24, 2025
169 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 9, 2025
i had a couple problems with this book. it might be me being nitpicky, but i found myself getting annoyed for an unknown reason.
first, it was almost like they were already in love before their time together even started. i didn’t feel any sort of attachment to the characters, bc it didn’t seem like they got to grow together. there was no trial and error, it was just like they were already together before they were together, if that makes sense.
second, lincoln said he was into her when they had their first conversation, saying he’d “had the hots” for her since he saw her in class, and yet he never even mentioned her name until chapter three or four, i think. and then when they agreed to do their arrangement, he said no feelings could get caught, but FEELINGS WERE ALREADY CAUGHT?? i didn’t really understand the point of that.
third, it just felt like erotica with a romance label slapped on it, or like the author made up a mediocre and overdone plot just so she could write smut. don’t get me wrong, i thought ems past and trauma was very understandable as to why she would “need lessons” but it didn’t feel talked about enough. i feel like if she were to need lessons, there should’ve been more panic. the author did a lot of telling, not so much showing. she used a lot of words like “i would be panicking a couple weeks ago if it weren’t for him” or “i would get panic attacks at even the thought” but the instant she’s in the situation, she’s not panicking and she’s actually calm. it didn’t really feel like she needed lessons, which takes away the entire plot.
there were a couple of good things though, like lea. i liked her character, she was a really good friend and really patient with em.
i also liked the writing style. it was detailed and there were a lot of good words she used, and the author definitely has a talent. they just maybe misdirected their intentions into writing something shallow and overdone instead of something really beautiful and complex. it felt very predictable.
all in all, it wasn’t the book for me. but i could be convinced to read one of the authors books again.
first, it was almost like they were already in love before their time together even started. i didn’t feel any sort of attachment to the characters, bc it didn’t seem like they got to grow together. there was no trial and error, it was just like they were already together before they were together, if that makes sense.
second, lincoln said he was into her when they had their first conversation, saying he’d “had the hots” for her since he saw her in class, and yet he never even mentioned her name until chapter three or four, i think. and then when they agreed to do their arrangement, he said no feelings could get caught, but FEELINGS WERE ALREADY CAUGHT?? i didn’t really understand the point of that.
third, it just felt like erotica with a romance label slapped on it, or like the author made up a mediocre and overdone plot just so she could write smut. don’t get me wrong, i thought ems past and trauma was very understandable as to why she would “need lessons” but it didn’t feel talked about enough. i feel like if she were to need lessons, there should’ve been more panic. the author did a lot of telling, not so much showing. she used a lot of words like “i would be panicking a couple weeks ago if it weren’t for him” or “i would get panic attacks at even the thought” but the instant she’s in the situation, she’s not panicking and she’s actually calm. it didn’t really feel like she needed lessons, which takes away the entire plot.
there were a couple of good things though, like lea. i liked her character, she was a really good friend and really patient with em.
i also liked the writing style. it was detailed and there were a lot of good words she used, and the author definitely has a talent. they just maybe misdirected their intentions into writing something shallow and overdone instead of something really beautiful and complex. it felt very predictable.
all in all, it wasn’t the book for me. but i could be convinced to read one of the authors books again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2025
This one was interesting. Like not quite the same ol' same ol'. Linc was awesome. Lots of feels. I've always liked the 'teach me' trope... this one was just the right hotness. I really enjoyed that part as well.
October 27, 2025
loved Linc - he is one of the best written MMC!!!
December 1, 2025
the way the author paces these books always surprise me but in a good way. I do wish we got more scenes of them talking where one of them wasn’t running away lol
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews