Pipe Dreams

Brooklyn Bruisers #3

by Sarina Bowen

A goalie has to trust his instincts, even when taking a shot to the heart…

Mike Beacon is a champion at defending the net, but off the ice, he’s not so lucky. A widower and a single father, he’s never forgotten Lauren Williams, the ex who gave him the best year of his life. When Lauren reappears in the Bruisers office during the playoffs, Beacon sees his chance to make things right.

Lauren hates that she’s forced to travel with the team she used to work for and the man who broke her heart. There’s still undeniable sexual tension running between her and Mike, but she won’t go down that road again. She’s focused on her plans for the future—she doesn’t need a man to make her dreams of motherhood come true.

Lauren plays her best defensive game, but she’s no match for the dark-eyed goalie. When the field of play moves to Florida, things heat up on the beach.

One of Mike’s biggest fans doesn’t approve—his teenage daughter. But a true competitor knows not to waste the perfect shot at love.

Genres: Romance, Sports, Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Hockey, Second Chance

331 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 2, 2017

About the author

Sarina Bowen is the 24-time USA Today bestselling and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary fiction, including: The Five Year Lie, the True North series, and the Brooklyn Hockey series. She's the co-author of Him/Us and the WAGs series with Elle Kennedy. And more!

You can find a complete reading order list of Sarina's books on her website. Or see what's coming next from Sarina, and sign up for her newsletter so you don't miss a new book or a deal.

Reviews

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

I adored every minute of this book and was truly sad when it was over.

We as readers all have certain elements, characters traits, plot ploys, tones, and tropes, etc., that either call to us or repel us. Qualities that, when weaved together, can make a seemingly average book feel like a rare piece of art. They don't come along very often; but, when they do, it's like Christmas.

And this book was one of those books for me.

It had SO many elements in it that came together to create a storm of romance magic - at least for me.

Sports Star/Team?
Check.



Angst?
Check.



Second Chance?
Check.



Groveling?
Check.



Repeated forced contact?
Check.



Insanely Awesome Love Connection/Chemistry?
Check.



Deliciously unexpected pregnancy situation
You bet your check.



Add to that Bowen's excellent writing and this was just a win all around for me.

I know this book will will not blow everyone away; but for me, it truly was a perfect puzzle of some of my all time favorite romance tropes, elements, and character traits.

It will definitely be going in the "re-read over and over again" pile.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!!!



Pipe Dreams is the third book in Sarina Bowen’s Brooklyn Bruisers series and by far my favorite yet! That could very well change if I ever get my highly coveted Nate and Becca book (hehe) but in all seriousness, I love when I’m reading a series and each book gets better and better. Bowen has done that with this series and I couldn’t be happier.

Mike Beacon is a single dad and the goalie for the Brooklyn Bruisers. Four years ago, Mike was in a relationship with the love of his life, Lauren Williams. Lauren is Nate’s (the owner of the team) office manager and she is now having to help out more on the hockey side, which means being around Mike more than she’s used to.

It had been years since she read Dante’s Inferno for a high school literature class, but one of the nine circles of hell had probably been a place where you saw your ex every single day.

Lauren is the type of girl who comes across as hard and not friendly, but there is so much more to her than meets the eye. I loved getting another side of Lauren. I can understand completely why she has been standoffish in the other books and doesn’t want anything to do with hockey. Mike has a lot of making up to do when it comes to Lauren. When they broke up, he was in a really bad spot. You see, Mike has a daughter who is his world and his ex and the mother of his child was terminally ill. He had to be there for his ex and his kid. It’s the type of man he is. But Lauren didn’t know all that.

I liked Mike so much. I love a good single dad book, and I think Mike was a fabulous dad and a stand up guy. I love how he worked so hard to win back Lauren. They were a great pair. As I mentioned before, please please please give us a Becca and Nate book! I’m dying here!!!!

Pipe Dreams is a fabulous addition to the Brooklyn Bruiser’s series but can be read as a standalone. I recommend this to anyone who loves a good second chance romance, sports romance, or single parent story. I loved it!

“This feels right. We feel right. Whether it’s two years that passed or twenty-two, if I hold you in my arms it will always feel exactly right.”

[Inês Sagres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review available at Under the Pages.

[Alex ♈]

And again I'm standing alone in the minority corner...
He was married as they met. She was pining for him for 8 years and he was in lust with her.
Emotional affair?
The second he found out his wife cheated on him he run to the h and proclaimed his love for her.
Over a year later, as his still wife told him she was ill, he dumped the h without any explanation.
And now, two years later, his wife is dead and it's apparently the best time to get the love of his life back.
Woman, he didn't get divorced 2 years ago, he left you, betrayed you (even if it was great that he cared for his wife, but he had at least speak to her about his situation and not to leave as a coward) and now you want a baby with him?

Please leave me alone in my corner to cry out my bitter disappointment.

[Rachel L · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!



OH MY GAWD. I loved this book so hard! Sarina Bowen, you have outdone yourself!!!

Pipe Dreams is the third book in the Brooklyn Bruisers series but can easily be read as a standalone novel. This book follows Mike Beacon, goalie for the Bruisers and Lauren, the office manager to the man who owns the team. Four years ago they had been in a relationship, happy and in love, until two years ago when Mike broke up with Lauren and basically disappeared from her life very rapidly. What Lauren didn’t know was Mike needed to take care of his young daughter, as his wife who he was in the middle of divorcing became terminally ill.

Currently, Lauren has been brought in by the team owner to cover the Bruiser’s while they are in the playoffs. Mike and Lauren find themselves together more often and old feelings resurface. Mike wants to pursue Lauren again, but after he left her Lauren has issues with trust and doesn’t want to risk getting hurt again.



This is a book that every single time I put it down, I found myself craving to pick it back up. I gobbled this one up and wanted to hug it to my chest after reading it! Sarina Bowen is one of my favorite authors, and this book just reaffirmed why I always come back to her books every single time. I was even hesitant to pick this one up, because I just kind of liked the first book, and dnf’d the second. But I wanted to see what else was happening in the Bruiser’s world and I am so glad I did!

Second chance romance is my favorite subgenre of romance, I love seeing two people who belong to each other, make their way back to one another. Mike made a mistake two years before, but in my opinion he made it for all the right reasons. Does that mean he still didn’t mess up big time? No. But my heart bled for the man and the tough choices he had to make, and the one he chose ultimately for the better for his daughter.

Surprisingly for a second chance romance, there was zero to no drama. I kept waiting for it to happen at the 70% point on and when it didn’t, I was impressed! There was a little bit of angst, mostly because Lauren had to learn to trust again, but I completely understand that and so did Mike. And for having a 13 year old daughter in the book, delivering no drama is quite the achievement! What we did get as readers is emotional moments, ones that squeezed your heart but not too hard that it hurt. I found myself rooting for this couple for all that they had been through and was pulling for them so hard!

Anyways, this is a single parent, second chance, hockey sports romance that I think many readers will love and enjoy. After what felt like a rough start to the series (for me) it’s good to know that it just keeps getting better.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review


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[CristiinaReads୨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Single father... COME TO ME!

➳ARC kindly provided by publisher, in exchange for an honest review…

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[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sooooooo

Overall it was just so

*whispers* boriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing

Also can we not use a child as a main obstacle for a love story

#CanWeNotPleasePleasePlease

But really overall it was just so

*whispers* boriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing

Also dead wife because why the fuck not

Seriously though it was just so

*whispers* boriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing

Also I must have missed the tension somewhere

Because there was none

Nooooooooooooone

Sigh. I liked them enough, I guess, but I didn't care whatsoever, alright?

For more of my reviews, please visit:

[nick (the infinite limits of love) · Rating 4 out of 5]

PLEASE be Nate & Becca's book.



----------------------------------------

I have to say, I originally wasn’t very happy going into Pipe Dreams despite having loved the Sarina Bowen books that I have read simply because the couple wasn’t who I was expecting it to be. But fret not! Bowen was able to once again win me over with her swoony boys and her even swoonier romances. As always, reading a book by her just brings me pure joy.

Most of the books that I’ve read from Sarina Bowen have been second chance romances, and Pipe Dreams was one of those too. I’m not complaining though because she does the trope justice, and manages to make her stories fresh regardless. Lauren and Mike’s relationship started shortly after he catches his wife cheating on him. Now, some of you may not entirely approve of how their relationship develops, but I was fine with it, because it was done tactfully, in my opinion. I loved the flashback scenes we got to read about these two. There was something sweet and genuine about their relationship, and I absolutely loved the comfort level that they shared as well. Unfortunately, tragic news separate the two of them and leave them both heartbroken. I have to say I was quite frustrated at Mike for how he decided to handle the news, and I was hoping for a lot of groveling. Thankfully, we get that. I really really wanted to be mad at Mike for breaking Lauren’s heart, but he was such a sweetheart, and so ridiculously charming. It was hard not to fall for the guy.

Lauren was a little more guarded, understandably so, and upon their reunion, she was quite cold towards him, but I completely understood where she was coming from. I really did love that she hadn’t let the heartbreak infiltrate every aspect of her life, and that she was quite successful in her career. Honestly, she was badass and I found her to be very admirable. I loved that she didn’t easily give in to Mike’s wooing, but that she made him work for it. And oh my! Mike sure knew how to woo a girl and melt her hurt. The second part of their romance was relatively quiet, slow, but very swoony. They both had to talk out their past, and their emotional connection was undeniable. I love that Sarina Bowen doesn’t have to rely on overly dramatic tropes to make her story flow and shine. There were no stupid misunderstanding between Mike and Lauren the second time around, and I loved that. I was initially a bit worried that Mike’s teenage daughter would cause some trouble, but though she initially wasn’t a fan of Lauren, she wasn’t too much of a detriment to the progression of Mike and Lauren’s relationship.

Pipe Dreams was a great romance, that perfectly balanced out the sweet, the angst and the sexy. The backdrop of hockey and the camaraderie between the teammates only enhanced the story. I’m still very much desperate for Nate and Becca’s book because holy chemistry, and I hope Sarina will write it! In the mean time, I’ll be thinking about how lovely this series has been so far, and exploring more of her backlist.

[Angie Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC from publisher

I am so so sad to report that I found Pipe Dreams disappointing, cliched…and boring. And I just want to get this review out of the way so I can go back into my Sarina Bowen happy place and await her next book.

So what we have here is a man who got out of an unhappy marriage, shacked up with a woman he’d been flirting with during many of his unhappily married years to find he was blissfully happy, only to leave her when his wife fell ill so he could care for her and his daughter. Super sweet, right? You’d think, but this was a man who didn’t have the decency to tell the woman who made him blissfully happy why he was leaving. Kaboom. He just left her high, dry, and devastated. Fast forward to present day when Mike’s wife (or ex-wife, I can’t remember if the divorce was final when he went back to her) has been in the ground for a year, and Lauren is, once again, back in Mike’s life working in close proximity with the Brooklyn Bruisers, the hockey team he plays for. Here’s the thing – I liked Lauren. She was driven and underneath her ice queen exterior (which I loved, by the way,) was a kind woman. She was just broken, too. By Mike. And it caused her to be closed off with other people. Mike never grew on me. His character just felt shallow to me, his daughter a dressing to make him seem like a good guy. In fact, there was a scene in the book when they were finally going to sleep together again after their time apart, and Mike was thinking how he needed to make this so good because ‘Lauren deserved it.’ Which, of course in Mike’s entitled head, turns into ‘hell, we both deserve it.’ I’m sorry to say Mike, that you don’t deserve. Lauren deserves it, sure. She’s spent all this time pining for you because you weren’t man enough to tell her why you were leaving. You, on the other hand, deserve to walk around with a permanent case of blue balls. That’s what you deserve. I felt like Lauren forgave Mike way too easily, and the whole baby thing was not my cup of tea. What really frustrated me about it was Mike. I know, right? He is all worried when he has a fight on the ice of how this is going to look to his daughter and how he’s setting a bad example, but he doesn’t give her a second thought when he decides to father Lauren’s baby. He never thinks about how this is going to upend her life. And I'm not saying he shouldn’t have done it because of his daughter, but since we were given his POV, there could have at least been a scene where he thought about how it would impact her life.

There was also a lot of time spent on the ice in this one. A lot. And I thought it was time that could have been spent trying to make Lauren and Mike’s relationship deeper. But what was really frustrating was that this whole book is about them making it to the Stanley Cup. They do, and then it’s ‘eight months later.’ WTF? Why the build up to the Stanley Cup if we’re not even going to see it? There was a lot of cheesy dialogue in this one. A lot. I can handle some cheese (hello…Naley is one of my favorite couples of all time,) but this was too much even for me. And I cannot believe I am going to say this, but there was way too much Nate and Becca. I feel like it’s ruined them a little bit for me, and some of the mystery is gone.

All in all, Pipe Dreams was a book about hockey and Nate & Becca. Lauren and Mike were bit players in their own book, and it showed in the lack of depth to their story. This one was a miss for me. But if the pattern holds, I’ll love the next book. So I look forward to it!

This review was originally posted on Books & Beauty Are My Bag.

[Nicola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the three books in Sarina Bowen's Brooklyn Bruisers series, Pipe Dreams struck the jackpot for me. Sometimes a read works for you simply based how you're feeling and right now a lighter, sexy romance with wonderful characters was exactly what I needed.



When the single dad trope is done right, I'm as happy as a clam and I can't fault Sarina here: I loved the Bruisers' goalie, Mike, a man doing a sterling job of balancing his career and raising his teenage daughter, Elsa. And when he's reacquainted with Lauren--the love of his life who he let go, he's 100% focussed on winning her heart and righting his wrongs--wrongs which no one could blame him for deciding on.

“I spent six months wondering what I’d done so wrong that made you erase me from your life.

This really did tick all my boxes, Lauren and Mike were perfect together and from the intimacy to the sports action, the fantastic secondary characters to the sprinkling of drama that comes from wrangling with the emotions of a teenage daughter, Pipe Dreams was an engaging, character-driven story which I devoured in pretty much one sitting and left me with a happy heart. Without a doubt, my favourite of the series.

“Whether it’s two years that passed or twenty-two, if I hold you in my arms it will always feel exactly right.”

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is third in a series, though the others don't really factor in much. It does feature as another datapoint in the ongoing Nate/Becca slow-burn which is so far the biggest reason to read these all in order.

This one doesn't have the problematical elements that were tacked onto the first two books. This one builds its problematical elements right into the two main characters. This is an improvement because it makes the story much more believable. But that's offset by having characters that I didn't much care for.

The problem with Mike isn't that he made the tough choice thrust upon him (of going back to live with his daughter and ex-wife when the ex was diagnosed with ovarian cancer). It's that he didn't include Lauren in that decision at all. He didn't even tell her why he was doing what he was doing on the grounds that "it'd be easier if she hates me". In other words, he made unilateral decisions for the relationship and deliberately made them hurt as much as possible in order to manipulate her emotions. That's arrogant and mean and tanked any cred he gets for being caring on the surface. So when he decides it's time to pursue Lauren again (after the ex died of her cancer) I kept waiting for the apology, or even just acknowledging that he'd been a jerk. And it never came. So Mike doesn't work for me, even a little bit. Yeah, he'll be faithful and it's obvious he cares for Lauren, but it's going to suck for her if a situation ever comes up again where he thinks he needs to hurt her for her own good.

I had a completely different problem with Lauren. I kind of hate the trope that sometimes comes up in romance where the woman wants a child really, really badly but can't manage to snag a man to make one with. So she decides to have one alone. And just to be clear I'll state up front: kudos to those who find themselves thrust into single parenthood and are doing their very best for their kids. All honors to them and the tough road they travel and they have all my sympathy and everything I can do to support them. Life sometimes throws big piles of suck and it often lands on the innocent and those who struggle to do their best when that happens warrant the emotional and substantive support we can give them. Those who choose to give children the worst possible shot at success and stability, though? Yeah, I don't care how much you really, really want it because what you are talking about isn't a fancy car or new puppy. This is a human being you are trying to create and you owe it the best shot at life that you can provide. Love is the willingness to sacrifice for the well-being of another. Choosing to have a child on your own just because you can is the very opposite of love.

So yeah, not a big fan of Lauren, either. What you have here is the selfish getting together with the manipulative and now I've talked myself down another star. I was okay with them while reading for reasons I find opaque looking back on. I'm on a lazy vacation and I suppose I just wasn't thinking that hard about what I was reading. Ugh. Now I regret wasting so much time finishing this. I still like the team and watching the slow-burn with Nate and Becca. But I can't come up with anything I actually liked with Lauren and Mike. Which makes this a one-star read, in the end. And I started this review with every intention of giving it three...

A note about Steamy: I can't remember how many explicit sex scenes there were. Two? The middle of my steam tolerance, but it says something when I didn't care about the intimacy of the characters because I just wasn't engaged with their relationship to begin with.

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Doing the Dream Stars

Pipe Dreams is a standalone and is part of the Brooklyn Bruisers series. This is Mike and Lauren’s book. I love a second chance romance book and I liked the overall plot and theme to this one.

Mike is the goalie and he’s a man with a lot of baggie. He has a cheating ex-wife, a daughter and he wants a relationship with Lauren. But sadly you can’t have it all. Mike makes a choice years ago and it has cost him. So its years later and Lauren and Mike are interacting once again.

I feel for Lauren. I really liked her. I found her independent, goal oriented and smart. I liked she is a modern woman and although she’s hurt, she doesn’t let that define her. I liked the tension between the two characters because even though Mike is chasing her and I love it when a Hero chases the Heroine, she doesn’t make it easy for him.

I liked the story and I liked the main characters a lot. I got side track a bit when the story went into the “sports” mode. I’m not a big sport reader, so there you go.

Overall, I found Mike and Lauren very mature and the modern couple, just trying to figure things out.

An ARC was provided

AMAZON | REVIEW
AMAZON | REVIEW
AMAZON

[Optimist ♰King's Wench♰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

RELEASE DAY (SHAMELESS) BUMPING! Yeah, I know it's obnoxious but EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ever have one of those authors that just does it for you? SB is that author for me. When I got approved for this I… had a moment. That maybe only dogs could hear, but whatevs. I had some excite happening, k?

I really did look at it on my kindle with heart eyes telling myself I should wait. Then my id kicked my superego in the nads and maybe made some lewd hand gestures. In short, I caved. I said I was only going to peek. Just a quick peek. I knew it was a lie, though. There’s no peeking. There is only devouring.



I have no self-control when it comes to her writes. I usually forego sleeping and eating and even mundane tasks like going to the bathroom or trying to make something to eat make me all Cranky McFusserpants and debating the logistics of reading while showering or wielding a knife (neither are recommended, BTW) because I can’t put it down. I must see all the words!



Pipe Dreams was no different. And like all the others I was sad when it was over and kicking myself for not savoring it. I admit it. I have a problem. But you know what? If binge reading SB is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.



Anyhoo, enough about my issues and on to this book! Pipe Dreams is a second chance romance between Lauren, Nate’s somewhat icy Manhattan assistant, and Mike Beacon, goalie for the Brooklyn Bruisers. There are a couple of flashbacks to set the stage, giving a little of their backstory.

What they’d just done wasn’t a spark of recklessness, but a force of nature. Like gravity. You could leap away from it, but it always pulled you back.

Four years ago Nate and Lauren had the world on a string. Nate’s wife cheated and he could finally free himself of a loveless marriage and be with his heart’s desire-Lauren. For two years everything was grand. They made plans. They had a future. Until Mike’s ex got terminal cancer and Mike being Mike did what he thought was right by her and his little girl. Even though it ripped his heart out.

Honestly, I wanted to be mad at him but he’s just so earnest that my mad wouldn’t stick. How could I stay mad at a guy who put on a stiff upper lip for his daughter and sacrificed the love of his life to be there for his dying wife? Lauren folded about 2.5 seconds after I did though so I don’t feel über sappy. Make no mistake she’s still wary and she maybe makes him chase her a lil, rightfully so given how Mike dumped her, but she can’t deny her feelings for him any more than he can for her.

There isn’t a lot of angst or pain, just a natural progression towards a reunion that was lovely to read and felt authentic. All the hallmarks of SB’s writing are present and accounted for including a satisfying amount of team dynamics, likable characters, cameos by characters from prior books, and some pretty smexy smexy times.

But sometimes a girl just needed to be spread out on the bed and properly fucked. He’d always been just the man for the job.

AND she continues to vex me with this Nate/Becca subplot!



Things progress between them. That’s all I’ll say about that. Nay! ADDENDUM I want to read all the words. Posthaste.

I’m self-aware enough to realize that I’m greedy when it comes to SB’s writes, but still, I feel like the ending was rushed. There is an epilogue of sorts and a heartfelt HEA, but there were still a couple things I wanted to know. Perhaps they’ll be answered in the next installment.

Which you can bet your sweet bippy I’ll be there for. With bells on.



Well, maybe not that many bells.

If you’re a fan of romance, hockey romance, SB, good writes with the best feels, second chance romance, hell, if you have a pulse you should read this.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley.

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 sweet stars

I love this series and I'm always excited for the next book!Pipe Dreams was an intense,emotional and sweet story.It's a second chance romance with a slow burn.Both characters are lovable!Lauren is smart and independent, you can easily connect with her.Mike is one of my favorite so far!I like him a lot, he has everything I wanted in a hero.Lauren and Mike have some really intense and sweet moments.I love that in this book we don't have a lot of drama.I'm sure Mike will captivate you with his personality!!

 

  

[Radd Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You’re the one, Lo. There’s nobody else.”

“I love you so hard, it hurts.”

Synopsis:
Mike and Lauren were involved a couple years ago, but when Mike’s ex wife gets terminal cancer he walks away from Lauren without explanation. Now they are thrown together again because of the Bruisers hockey team and Lauren is finding it hard to forgive Mike for the way he stomped on her heart.

”He walked out on her two years ago without an explanation. For weeks she’d sobbed into his voice mail because he didn’t pick up the phone. She’d begged for an explanation, wondering what she’d done wrong.”

“Two years ago I made a really hard decision.” His dark eyes checked hers. “But the way I went about it wasn’t cool. I’m sorry I shut you out. You didn’t deserve that treatment from me. I’m sorry I made you the collateral damage to my lifetime of fuckups.”

Overview:
- Trigger warning: death of a spouse (cancer, off page). Cheating wife
- Setting: Brooklyn
- Do you need to read previous books in series?: No. in fact I read the next book before this one. There are interconnecting characters that make appearances, but they are not critical to the story.
- POV: Dual POV
- Tropes: pro athlete, second chance, single dad

- Who is the Hero? Mike (32). He is the goalie for the Brooklyn Bruisers and a single dad.

- Who is the Heroine? Lauren (31). She works at Kattenberger’s Manhattan headquarters and is finishing up her college degree.

- h virgin? No
- First time they kiss: 14% (part of the flashback section)
- First time they sleep together: 15% (part of the flashback section)
- First time they say I Love You as it relates to their second chance... Mike tells Lauren he loves her around 50%
- steamy? Yes
- OW/OM drama? Yes. Mike’s wife/ex-wife is a part of the story.
- H/h cheat? They didn’t cheat when they were together.
- Time apart? Two years
- Did I skip pages? No
- Big secrets? Mike shares his reasons for leaving Lauren around 42%
- Did I cry? No
- Did I laugh? No
- Did I swoon? yes. Mike has some swoony moments
- Cliffhanger? No
- HEA? Yes
- Epilogue? 8 months
- Recommend? yes.

”It’s not easy for me to believe in you.”
“I know. But I’m going to change that.”

The following are my thoughts about this book:

- I thought I was going to dislike Mike in the beginning, but then when the reason he left was revealed my heart melted. However, he should have been honest with Lauren

- I liked that Lauren was confident enough to look at non traditional ways to be a mother.

- A single dad is my kryptonite and Mike didn’t disappoint. 🥰

- Fathers dealing with their daughters first period 🤣🤣......it always brings a little humor. Dads just get so freaked out about this phase in their daighrter's life :)

- I liked that Mike was forthcoming with what he wanted when they got back together. He wasn’t going to let Lauren go and he made that clear.

- in the beginning the story flips between past and present. I know that bothers some readers, so this is just an FYI

Quotes
“I thought . . . either I can be happy, or I can be the man they needed me to be. I had to choose.”

“I don’t know why you thought you had to throw a grenade at my life in order to make everything right.”

“He picked her up and staggered through the giant bathroom and into the bedroom. It was harder than it looked in porn.”

“Choosing the father of your baby as if you were perusing the J. Crew catalog was the strangest kind of shopping in the world.”

“Sometime during these past two years she’d stopped waiting around for her happily-ever-after and started crafting it herself.”

[Jayme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the best! I love Sarina Bowen for realistic characters and fantastic stories. And once again she gave it to me in the third Brooklyn Bruisers book. And who doesn't like those sexy hockey players sometimes or... all the time.

We finally get to know story of the Brooklyn Bruisers's goalie Mike Beacon. He has a complicated past with Lauren Williams, once a friend, then a girlfriend, now ex with which he could have a second chance. If they get courage and get along with all the misunderstandings and doubts.

I love how the story developed and you could get to know the characters better and better. Mike makes you fall in love with him and swoon over his tenderness and affection for his daughter and Lauren. She is a strong woman, which over the duration of the book you'll learn to like and admire as well. It's a really fantastic story that progresses great and keeps you reading all the way.

I would definitely recommend not only for fans of sports romances. You can read it as standalone, but why? The whole series is worth your attention.

***
ARC kindly provided for an honest review. Thank you!

[NMmomof4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars

Overall Opinion: I couldn’t put this down at first! It had all the feels in the flashbacks and current encounters that I was craving! Sadly, it then started to fizzle for me. I’m not quite sure exactly why either. It was probably about the halfway mark and I just wasn’t jumping to the next chapter like I was before. I liked the overall premise, the separation was understandable (even though the H could’ve gone about it wayyyyy better), and they end up getting a HEA. What’s wrong then?! I’m not so sure. It very well could be just a me thing because I just felt kind of meh about it all by the end — but I’m still rating it a little more than “just okay” because of the way the beginning sucked me in.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Lauren and Mike’s story. Lauren’s boss has assigned her to work for his hockey team for the playoffs because a coworker is out on medical leave. Lauren has avoided everything hockey since the goalie of said team broke her heart two years prior. They have some awkward encounters, there are some big roadblocks in their way, but they are still drawn to one another with their chemistry and deep feelings...and they get a HEA ending.

Point Of View (POV): This alternated between focusing on Lauren and Mike in 3rd person narrative.

Overall Pace of Story: Good. I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well. It does go back and forth between the past and present, and I think the author did this well.

Instalove: No, but they already have strong feelings for each other when this begins.

H (Hero) rating: 3.5 stars. Mike. I liked him but he could’ve gone about things in a much better way in the past (though we wouldn’t have so much angst then 🤔)

h (heroine) rating: 4 stars. Lauren. I appreciated her strength, smarts, and independence.

Sadness level: Moderate. I shed a few tears but never needed any tissues.

Push/Pull: Yes The h pushes away a good bit but it is caused by the H pushing away in their past. I’d say the H is the main pursuer of the relationship.

Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes The H is married to and has a child with OW when they first meet and develop strong feelings for one another (off page)

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: Not between mcs Though you could say that the H did cheat on his wife emotionally for the years before he files for divorce since he had developed strong feelings for the h in this time (nothing physical happened between them until he filed for divorce)

Separation: Yes They are separated for ~2 years. The H hadn’t even kissed another woman, but the h said in her inner dialogue that she had a few flings in this time apart

Possible Triggers: Yes The H was married to OW with a child when they first start falling in love (off page) and loss of a loved one to cancer (partially on page)

Closure: This had alright closure with what I would call a HEA ending. I still had some unanswered questions though...

Safety: This one should be either Safe or Safe with exception for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences

- Does Not have cheating between mcs (see above)
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have both the h and H pushing away
- Does have a separation between the h and H
- Does Not have abuse
- Does have a HEA ending

[Allison ❤️Will Never Conquer Her TBR❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You're my happy thought, Lo."

The Brooklyn Bruisers series, I swear, just gets better with each and every book. This trend held true with Pipe Dreams. It's funny that the hero of this book, Mike Beacon, the Bruisers goalie, never really piqued my interest in prior books. But, little did I know, his story would be the most emotional and enjoyable of them all. This angst fan was in all her glory here!

Widower and dad, Mike, lives a life of trying to balance pro hockey with fatherhood to a teen daughter. His manny, Han, is his saving grace with his tough schedule. Lauren Williams, the one that got away, is affiliated with the team but works at somewhat of a distance from the team. Only when Lauren gets temporarily re-assigned, assisting the Team Manager Nate, does Lauren come face to face with the guy that broke her heart a few years ago. Granted, his estranged wife had cancer, but he ended things between them with little to no communication. Avoidance of all things Mike has been her mantra...until now, when she can't avoid the team goalie for the Brooklyn Bruisers.

Love, love, loved this second chance romance. Throw in the reality of life with a teen daughter still suffering from the loss of her mother and also being a hormonal mess, Pipe Dreams was one emotional ride!

Mike Beacon might have made some poor moves on the part of Lauren but the man made all the right decisions with such a big heart. I fell wholeheartedly for his character. Balancing his professional career with life caring for his daughter, he never gave up on Lauren. She tries to chill him out but nobody is immune to the man.

Lauren is a classy, professional heroine but I also really give props to her ability to look deep within Mike's psyche and realize what he did might not have been handled the best way but it was done for all the right, selfless reasons. Sarina Bowen could've really strung us along with Lauren's hurt and bitterness but I applaud her character in taking the high road and not holding a long-term grudge...much. She's fiercely independent and motivated, yet admits life with Mike is icing on the cake. But with her career taking her in all kinds of new directions, her wanting to become a mother, and Mike struggling to please his grieving daughter, is it really in the cards for them?

We also got to catch up with past characters in this series, so although this can totally be read as a standalone, I'd recommend reading them all...in order because they seriously get better and better with each episode. Sarina Bowen has it down to a science how to build heroines I love and don't want to strangle. Typically I remember books by the heroes, but in this series the heroines really stand out for me. They're fierce, loyal, and strong.

And what is up with Sarina Bowen's teasing us with Nate and Becca? Give us their book dammit! I feel like their "relationship" is going on without us!




Advanced copy received by author in exchange for my honest review.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

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I wasn't sure how this read would turn out for me since Lauren's character came off as very cold in the previous book, but this series has been going so well for me I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read it. I didn't have anything to worry about because once we got to see her character more you saw the pain she was trying to hide and it really made me feel for her.

Lauren and Mike were really fun characters to read about and I was happy that they didn't let the past ruin them. They had a great connection that was really evident in this book, even when Lauren was trying to deny it. I loved that Mike didn't give up in his pursuit of Lauren and how he finally convinces her to give him another chance.

What I really liked about this book is that the author kept it pretty light. Of course there was a little angst between these characters but there was never any unnecessary drama brought up just for the hell of it. I liked that the main focus was on Lauren and Mike moving forward with their lives instead of living in the past.

Bottom line, this is a must read for all lovers of a second chance romance. It can easily be read as a standalone but if you're anything like me the little teases of Nate and Becca will have you begging for their story.

ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Atira · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sarina Bowen usually does second chance romances pretty well but she failed with this one.

First of all the book was seriously boring as shit. I struggled through and I still skipped the last chapter because my eyes were rolling so hard.

The characters aren't likable. Especially Mike Beacon. He's shallow, selfish and a damn coward. I just couldn't connect with him. He does one "noble" thing the whole book and he does that in the most cowardly way possible. What he did to Lauren is borderline inexcusable but the worst part is he acted completed dumbfounded by the fact that she was mad at him. He's so selfish he figured she should be over his betrayal by now because he's "just a guy she dated two years ago". Really dude? He basically has a one track mind. In the past he gave 100% to his ex wife and kid and gave the middle finger to Lauren. In the present he gives 100% to Lauren and his kid becomes an afterthought. He's just a shit guy all around.

Lauren is a bitter ice queen who we met in previous books and claims Beacon's betrayal justifies being a miserable bitch... however, she forgives him almost immediately. Allowing him to charge his way back into her life with no real effort. So basically she was a cunt to everyone except the one person who actually deserved it. Go Figure

The primary obstacles in the relationship between Lauren and Beacon revolve around a teenager and a dead woman.
---Let me say this, If a child (a grieving child btw, we're not just talking about a spoiled brat. there are supposed to be layers here) is going to be used as an obstacle, fixing the relationship between parent and child should be priority number 1. I want to end the book feeling confident that the child was given appropriate consideration and there are no unresolved issues where she is concerned. I mean, you're the one who brought the kid up in the first place, Bowen! Mike knew his child was struggling to come to terms with her mother's death and fearing that more drastic changes were going to come along. So what does he do?? He focuses on getting another woman pregnant. This is a PLANNED pregnancy mind you, which means he very well could have made an effort to warm his grieving daughter up to the idea of yet another life altering event before pulling the trigger but nope.

The kid who is supposed to be the main obstacle isn't all that important to either of our MC's and that is really what turned me off of this book. I can't stomach bad parents especially when they are presented as spectacular parents. One example that stuck out to me: Beacon's de facto nanny calls and tells him his daughter is depressed. (He knows she doesn't like Lauren and rather than explaining their relationship to her he basically shamed the kid into tears and then walked away so this whole situation is still unresolved at this time) Beacon gets off the phone with the nanny without giving a second thought to his sad child and calls Lauren to invite her to spend the night. When Lauren asks if the kid is okay with that he says and I quote "I love that kid, If she hasn't figured that out by now waiting a couple more weeks won't help..." Pause. Stop right there. Really? Ummmm talking to her might help. Spending time with her might help. Forcing a new mother in her face damn sure won't help. Mind you, Laura is already pregnant with his kid at this point because he decided PLANNING to bring a new kid into the equation was more important than resolving issues with the child he already has. I emphasis the PLAN part because it shows how little consideration for his current daughter went into the storyline But the kid isn't important in this story so go figure.

Finally the whole sideshow with Nate and Becca was just weird. I could have done without it.

1.5 stars

[Auntee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it better than the previous book--not as many glaring hockey related errors and the story had a little more depth and angst. I was happy to see that the character Lauren was redeemed. No wonder she was such an angry bitchy mess in Hard Hitter! The hero Mike was a bit clueless at first-- He definitely owed Lauren a long overdue apology and an explanation---but if he had done that then there would have been no need for this second chance romance!
I enjoyed this one and all the drama that went into it. 4 1/2 stars

[Giorgia Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Still not totally on board with the ghosting.. I’m a heartless b***h sure, he had some reasons but no, today’s mood is the unforgiving type😄

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tale of reverse positions...
What does a Goalie do when he has to leave himself open...
And the object of his desire...
Is protecting her heart like it is the Stanley Cup...

He made a huge mistake and wants a final chance...
She still feels the pull...
But can she forgive and let him be the one...

The Brooklyn Bruisers are at it again....

Pipe Dreams (Brooklyn Bruisers, #3)

Rookie Move (Brooklyn Bruisers, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Hard Hitter (Brooklyn Bruisers #2)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pipe Dreams (Brooklyn Bruisers, #3)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Brooklynaire (Brooklyn, #4)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Overnight Sensation (Brooklyn, #5)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Superfan (Brooklyn, #6)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Moonlighter (Brooklyn#7/Company #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sure Shot (Brooklyn, #8)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Bombshells (Brooklyn, #9)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways

[Vintage · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very sweet and incredibly smitten hero makes the story. He’s handsome and sweet which makes up for the fact he’s not very bright.


Backstory:
The married H and h had unrequited crushes on each other that went unfulfilled for EIGHT YEARS until the hero finds his wife with her tennis coach. This is the all-clear for the couple to get together until dun dun DUN.

The hero has a good reason for leaving the heroine, but huge points off for not communicating it. It also sets her up to get slutshamed by WAGS (wives and girlfriends). Hero is clueless.

The wife dies and the H is left with a 13 year old daughter that doesn’t totally hate him.

Romance is a little bumpier than he would like because the heroine is holding a serious grudge, but she succumbs. The romance/sex scenes were more personal and intense and less insert tab A into slot B which made for a nice change in a contemporary romance. The author made their connection personal and believable.

Sarina Bowen has a couple of side plots she refers to but never develops that would have added more to the story, but how nice to see a hero do the worrying over whether he’ll get the girl or not.

[FMABookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

❝I miss the hell out of you, that's all. I miss you so much it hurts.❞

The third book in the Brooklyn Bruisers series, Pipe Dreams brings us the story of the Ice Princess herself, Lauren Williams and the man who thawed her, goalie Mike Beacon. This was a sweet, second chance romance.

If you read book #2, Hard Hitter, you learned Lauren may not have been so good with adults, but she had an affinity for children. She was great with them. In Pipe Dreams, Lauren is focused on becoming a mother. Ever since her relationship abruptly ended with Mike Beacon she is having problems finding anyone else who can measure up, let alone someone to have a child with. The desire to become a mother is strong and without a man in her life, Lauren starts down the road of artificial insemination.

Mike Beacon has had the year from hell! Losing the love of his life and the one he chose, he has been hanging on by a thread while trying to raise his teenage daughter. Now as he is finally beginning to breathe again, Lauren is taking on a front and center role for the Bruisers organization. The more he sees of her, the more he realizes he needs her back in his life.

The sexual chemistry between these two was terrific. She pushed, while he pulled and he sought while she ran. But eventually, true love wins every time.



While reading this book, I found I laughed, sighed, fanned myself and even shed a few tears. Bowen's storytelling is always a win for me. I love her voice, and her character and plot development.

NOW ... I am impatiently waiting for Becca and Nate's story ... *taps microphone* hello, I need NATE AND BECCA! Who do I need to bribe?

I was provided a free copy by the author.

[Lacey (laceybooklovers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

I LOVEDDD this!! Omg. Pipe Dreams might be my favorite of the Brooklyn Bruisers series. I freaking loved Lauren and Mike so hard! Their second chance romance is angsty, emotional, and SO sweet. Mike is definitely a man who knows how to grovel and win back the love of his life. ;) If you love second chance romances or sports romances, you need to read Pipe Dreams in your life!

Widower, single father, and hockey goalie Mike Beacon lost the love of his life after an act of misplaced good intentions. Years later, Lauren is back in his life (albeit unwillingly) to take care of the team’s owner. Mike sees this as his chance to make things right with the only woman he’s ever loved… and possibly make her love him again. Will he be able to break down the walls around her heart – that he put up? Or will he have forever lost the best thing that ever happened to him?

A year from now he knew they’d wake up every morning in a bed together. He was sure of it, even if the details weren’t worked out yet, and even though he wasn’t allowed to speculate.

Lauren is known as the Ice Princess for her stone-cold facade. After a devastating heartbreak, she closed herself from all emotions to avoid ever having to feel that kind of self-destruction again. But when the cause of her heartbreak is back in her life and determined to win her love again, can she hold strong and stop the heartbreak from happening again? Or will this second time around end up being the real deal?

“I love you,” he said. He was just going to keep saying that forever, and he wanted her to know it.

I adored this book so, so much! It was everything I hoped for and more in Mike and Lauren’s second chance romance. And despite how angsty it was, it was also pretty low on drama, which I found myself appreciating. Despite the complicated mess their relationship turned out to be, Lauren and Mike’s love for each other was simple and never in doubt. I wholeheartedly loved these characters and their story!

This is another open plea to Sarina Bowen to please, please give us Nate and Becca’s book!!! Some developments happen in Pipe Dreams, but I NEED MORE!!! Please.

Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/2cuJUw1
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/2cRMaxC
Audible: http://amzn.to/2oZYa2M

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[Eliza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lauren has earned the reputation as an Ice Princess, and not without merit, so much so she even has a glare named after her. Going by what we’ve previously seen of the right hand woman to the team’s manager, she’s stand offish and has made her resentment at being at the club rather clear. The time and distance away from the stadium have been therapeutic but she is in no way looking forward to being back, or the prospect of running into the team’s goalie, Mike Beacon.

As a result of misplaced good intentions, Mike let the best thing that ever happened to him slip through the net. His attempts to break the ice are not forth coming but he did not reach his level of success without hard graft and tenacity. Although Lauren has her guard up, he makes it his mission to break through her defences.

I was so impressed by how little unnecessary drama there was. Mike and Lauren were such likeable characters and I so much enjoyed cheering them on toward their much deserved happiness. Pipe Dreams is the perfect hat trick to a series that comes to an end much too soon for my liking.

And on that note *cough* Nate& Becca's story *cough**

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original review: The Daydreaming Bookworm

*I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Pipe Dreams is the third (and hopefully not the last!) installment in the Brooklyn Bruisers series and once again Sarina Bowen has proven that she can do no wrong. To be completely honest, I was not very excited for this book, mainly because I was really hoping that this would’ve been Nate and Becca’s story. But dammit to hell, Sarina Bowen somehow managed to get me to drop my salty attitude and I couldn’t help but fall in love with Mike and Lauren’s story and Pipe Dreams has easily become one of my favorite romance books for this year.

From defending goals to daddy duties, Mike Beacon is all about making the right moves to score the win. But unfortunate circumstances lead him to making a move that ended up costing him the love of his life, Lauren Williams. Years later, Mike sees his opportunity at a second shot at love when Lauren returns the Brooklyn Bruisers office to help with managing the team. But Lauren wants nothing to do with Mike and tries to avoid the man who broke her heart at all cost. Not willing to call it quits so easily, Mike pulls out all his best moves in hopes of winning Lauren back. But he forgot to account for one major setback in this game of love—his daughter.

Pipe Dreams is a slow-burning, second-chance romance that will steal your heart! I’m such a sucker for second-chance romances, so it didn’t take long for Pipe Dreams to suck me in. I was hit with the feels right from the beginning with the numerous flashbacks and my heart broke for these two. Everything started out happy and then it all went to hell…



One of the hesitations I had going into this book was that I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to connect with the main characters. We don’t know much about Lauren and Mike before starting this book so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Lauren is very guarded at the beginning of this book and while I totally understand why she is the way that she is, it did take a while for her to grow on me. But once she starts to let her walls down and let people in, I found her to be very relatable. She’s hardworking, self-suffucient and reliable and strives to be successful. I loved seeing her opening up to Georgia, Ari and Becca and forming a strong friendship with this trio. Mike on the other hand is some serious DADDY GOALS! The single parent trope is one of my ultimate weaknesses in romance books so of course I was all over that. Mike is the ultimate teddy bear, and yes I said teddy bear! He’s so sweet, patient, understanding and even though he didn’t handle things in the past in the best way, he does redeem himself in the end. I also loved his relationship with his daughter and seeing them interact, even though Elsa does get in the way a few times, but she was just looking out for her father’s best interest.

THE ROMANCE HAD ME SWOONING! Despite not seeing each other for years, their feelings for one another haven’t changed and it was easy for Lauren and Mike to slip back into their old ways. Sarina totally had me cheering like a puck bunny for these two to finally have their HEA.

I am still salty though that this isn’t Nate and Becca’s book. Throughout Pipe Dreams, Sarina plays up Nate and Becca’s romance as a side plot, but I’m just not having it. I don’t like to be teased and I’m not playing games either. I WANT NATE AND BECCA TO HAVE THEIR OWN FULL-LENGTH NOVEL TOO! I want to know why Nate was so hesitant to pursue Becca. I want to know why Becca never made a move first. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT WENT DOWN THAT ONE NIGHT—let me not give away any spoilers. Like I said, I’m not here for this just being a side story and I will wait however long I have to until I have their HEA in my hands.



Pipe Dreams is a second-chance romance that I didn’t know I needed and I’m happy that Sarina wrote Lauren and Mike’s story. Sarina Bowen never ceases to make her readers happy and here’s too hoping that this won’t be the last time we see our favorite Brooklyn hockey team!

[~Stéphanie~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoooop! Pipe Dreams was absolutely perfect! I enjoyed every minute of this book. It's my favorite in the Brooklyn Bruisers series. I remember I was a little scared with Lauren's character who was so uptight in the previous book but that is all a facade. She's just a woman with a broken heart and two years of building wall around herself to prevent from any pain to happen again.
Mike Beacon is a the Brooklyn Bruisers' goalie and I have to admit I don't really remember him but he was such a fine man. He's sweet, kind, passionate and such a good dad for his thirteen years old girl.

From the blurb you get that Pipe Dreams is a second chance romance and I love reading those. Mike & Lauren's relationship ended brutally and without an explanation so after two years it's understandable if Lauren feels a little off at the idea of seeing Mike every day again.

What makes Pipe Dreams the perfect book is all the emotions there's in it. I wasn't expecting it to be so emotional yet, there are plenty of moments where I felt a tear at the corner of my eye. I also laughed a lot with the girls, Becca, Ari & Georgia. It was good to see all the girls together and having fun. And then there were the more delicate moments with Mike and his daughter. I fear there would be drama but again Sarina Bowen just made the right move and everything is handle just the way it needs to be. Some would say it goes too smoothly but I say that this is how a relationship between parents & child should be.

Fans of Hockey will be once again thrilled to see all the details within this book. It's not a sport I watch here because it's not popular but I'm certain I'll catch some action via some internet videos soon.

I'm sad to know this was the last book in the series. I want a book for Silas so badly. He makes several appearances in here and I think there's a story to tell for this young lad.
Pipe Dreams was once again a huge tease for Nate& Becca's story. We need their book asap. I experienced all their relation in the background and it's not enough. I want it all, I want the details and I want to witness it. Please Sarina give us their book.

[Amber’s reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous second-chance romance and great addition the the Brooklyn Bruisers series. So far my favorite book in the series. Each book just keeps getting better and better.

Mike and Lauren started having feelings for one another years ago while Lauren was the office manager for the Brooklyn Bruisers hockey team and Mike was the goalie. Neither one of them acted upon these feeling or even knew that the other person felt the same way. Mike was married and a stand up guy and would never stray even if he was in a bad marriage. But when Mike catches his wife cheating on him, he files for divorce and finally has a chance with Lauren. They have a relationship for almost 2 years and then Mike suddenly breaks up with her and goes back to his ex. Reeling from the sudden breakup, Lauren focuses on her new job with Nate and her life away from the hockey team and the man that broke her heart.

Years later, Lauren is thrust back into the world of hockey when the current office manager has to leave for medical reasons and Lauren has to face Mike again. Mike is now a widow and has never gotten over Lauren. Once I read about Mike's reasons for leaving Lauren, I completely understood. It was heartbreaking to read, but very admirable and believable. He didn't necessarily go about it in the best way and could have communicated way more, but it was still understandable.

I really love Sarina Bowen's 3rd person writing style. She is able to get into each characters heads and make the male POV believable, even when it's in the 3rd person. I find myself really enjoying this style of writing more and more when so many contemporary romance writers use 1st person dual POVs. So often, the male POVs read almost identical from character to character and author to author.

Sarina Bowen does a great job adding plot points that bring an additional level of complexity to her stories. I also love the development of her side characters i.e. Nate and Becca. I am so excited to read their book next.

This is definitely a must read if you are a lover of sports romance and 2nd chances.