I have been waiting for 5 months for this book to come out. And it did not disappoint. You all know I love a good sports romance. The Wingman is book three in the Vancouver Storm series. They are all standalones. They have a few things in them that always get my attention:

• Hockey Romance
• Best Friends to Lovers
• Roommates
• Spice Lessons

I got a hard copy but the series is available on audible. Most people love Enemies to Lovers and while I do… Friends to Lovers is what brought me into reading romance.

Hayden is a defensemen for the Vancouver Storm and best friends with Kit and Darcy who happen to be a couple. If you read the first two books in the series then you know there is a serious tension between Darcy and Hayden. And Darcy and Kit never seem to be on the same page. At the end of The Fake Out, we learn that Kit and Darcy have broken up and she calls Hayden for help.

Right off the bat this seems like a recipe for trouble. Both Hayden and Darcy are friends… really but they are both harboring feelings for each other. Darcy wants to spread her wings and lean into being single as quickly as possible, but being in a relationship has stunted her growth or so she feels.

Darcy and Kit’s relationship is stifling for so many reasons. It feels like one of those where everyone expects you to be together forever so you just are…. But it is clear that Kit doesn’t see Darcy the way she is and just as an accessory. There are some reviews that I have seen where it says that Kit is likeable enough in the previous books… but no where was I given that indication. When he talks… and always talked as if he had the future planned out for them without talking to her about it. He speaks as if she is just along for the ride with no plan or thoughts of her own. And that Kit was made the villain for no reason. Again… Darcy says over and over that Kit isn’t a bad person but she and he never wanted the same things. Because you are friends with people doesn’t mean you know the ins and outs of their relationship. The other thing is…. you never know how people react when you break up with them or stop giving them what they want. Kit wasn’t weird or didn’t get belligerent until he stop getting what he wanted. Darcy can’t color her hair or wear bright colored outfits… Kit liked the idea of having her but not her. And that goes a long way to not having an orgasm with a man. So… you know… She tried breaking up with him and he would not take no for an answer.

In Hayden’s case… He works really hard to try to find love with someone else. Someone that isn’t his best friends girl. That doesn’t really work out and that is for various reasons. He is scarred because no one takes him seriously as a partner. They just want the great sex. And while that may be fun as a teenager…. the older that you get you realize that it is just an insult. I have a theory that Hayden could have dated others seriously if people understood that he was really looking for love. However, Darcy was always the person he wanted but he quashed that when his friend Kit asks her out. Or at least he tries to quash it. When asked by Darcy for help he jumps in because he loves her and they really are friends. But he could have put her up in her own place or hotel… But he wanted her to be at his place when he got home. For Darcy… That should have been the first clue.

Since Darcy wants to gain confidence in dating and meeting men, she decides that she needs a coach. Being in an 8 year relationship will do that to you. Trying to rediscover herself… Her likes and needs. Especially since we learn that Kit really stifled her… not purposely but he did nonetheless. The issue is that her idea is to ask Hayden to be her Wingman. Hayden decides to agree because even if it kills him, he just wants to be close to her.

I appreciate that, so far, none of the couples have a third act break-up in the Vancouver Storm series…(a.k.a. my least favorite trope). I really enjoyed the banter between Darcy and Hayden. They enjoyed the same fantasy novel series. I enjoyed that Hayden was secure in himself that no amount of teasing made him feel bad about his interests. Their back and forth with David the gnome… even though it was weird.

The only thing was how Darcy seemed to be completely oblivious to Hayden. I found that to be odd since we are to believe that they know each other so well. She seems to notice that he makes no effort to be overly touchy feely with her… but she chalks that up to him being disgusted by her. Made no sense to me. She thinks that every time he hops in the shower after they interact it is indicative of him washing off her touch… For a woman as bright as Darcy… I was like… Come on now sis.

I did enjoy the way Rory and Alexei weighing in and just trying help Hayden admit his feelings for Darcy. They were not buying his excuse of being her wingman. Rory questioned why he would help Darcy attract other men if he was into her. It made me laugh because no matter what half ass excuse Hayden came up with neither of them agreed with him.

Thank Alexei for asking Darcy out. With all the jealousy that Hayden exhibited… It was another reason that I was unsure as to whY Darcy really thought that he wasn’t into her or trying to stay loyal to Kit. The guy at the bar, the actor at the party and Alexei set Hayden on edge… He was so rude to people. Alexei for his part thought it was funny. A friend of mine said it was hot… It was not a bright spot for me because Hayden was always nice and polite. I guess everyone has their breaking points…. But the plus was the fact that he admitted

The great thing about the Vancouver Storm series is that Stephanie Archer is a true genius combining humor, romance, and genuine emotion. I felt that the dialogue was genuine. I loved the banter but not just between Hayden and Darcy but even between Darcy and Georgia as well as Hayden and his teammates. Darcy was an effortless add to the group and the banter showed it.

All in All… I give it a 5 out of 5… I was always a Friends to Lovers girlie and this was right up my alley. I recommend it to all who haven’t read it yet. If you have read it, let me know in the comments how you felt about it.