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He’s a fighter in the rink, but he’s about to learn that playing nice can help you score...
As team captain and enforcer, Patrick O'Doul puts the bruise in the Brooklyn Bruisers. But after years of hard hits, O'Doul is feeling the burn, both physically and mentally. He conceals his pain from his coach and trainers, but when his chronic hip injury becomes too obvious to ignore, they send him for sessions with the team’s massage therapist.
After breaking up with her long-term boyfriend, Ari Bettini is in need of peace of mind. For now, she’s decided to focus on her work: rehabilitating the Bruisers’ MVP. O'Doul is easy on the eyes, but his reaction to her touch is ice cold. Ari is determined to help O'Doul heal, but as the tension between them turns red hot, they both learn that a little TLC does the body good...
*Source: advance e-galley from publisher provided in exchange for an honest review
It's been a bit of a tough week and I wanted to throw myself into something that's familiar, so that would be a world of hot hockey players who are aggressive on the ice and surprisingly sensitive off the ice.
Patrick has always put himself through the wringer during all their games. That's his role - to take the hits without complaints. But after years of being roughed up, his body needs some tlc. In comes, Ari, the team's well-respected yoga instructor and massage therapist. Patrick is forced to see her as part of his rehabilitation but it unnerves him to have anyone touch him. It confuses Ari but she's willing to work patiently with him to help him get better. Spending time with each other is what they need. He's not used to companionship and she could use a friend after a disastrous break up with her shady boyfriend. Unfortunately, things get complicated between them thanks to the ex-boyfriend whose interference could unravel their relationship and careers.
What can I say? I'd be hard-pressed to come across a Sarina Bowen book I didn't like. In Hard Hitter, I enjoyed seeing Ari work to reclaim herself after being in a long-term relationship, and an unhealthy one at that. She faltered a bit but I had to admire her for the courage it took to stand up for herself. Once again, kudos to Bowen for addressing a sensitive issue with such finesse. And Patrick? It's different to see someone who's such an alpha morph in to this sensitive, wannabe boyfriend seeking out romantic advice from his teammates. Really! They're funny! And of course, the sexy times are as scorching-hot as ever which include some fun props ...ahem...massage table.
Hard Hitter is an excellent follow-up to Rookie Move. Aside from Ari and Patrick, there are a couple other subplots of interest in the background that I got excited about. This sports romance has it all - the good guy, the bad guy, the tough girl, best friends, laughs and lots of heat.
~ Bel
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The first novel in a sexy new series featuring the hockey players of the Brooklyn Bruisers and the women who win their hearts—from the USA Today bestselling author of the Ivy Years series.
In high school they were the perfect couple—until the day Georgia left Leo in the cold...
Hockey player Leo Trevi has spent the last six years trying to do two things: get over the girl who broke his heart, and succeed in the NHL. But on the first day he’s called up to the newly franchised Brooklyn Bruisers, Leo gets checked on both sides, first by the team’s coach—who has a long simmering grudge, and then by the Bruisers’ sexy, icy publicist—his former girlfriend Georgia Worthington.
Saying goodbye to Leo was one of the hardest things Georgia ever had to do—and saying hello again isn’t much easier. Georgia is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional, but when a press conference microphone catches Leo declaring his feelings for her, things get really personal, really fast....
Source: advance e-galley from publisher (Berkley Publishing Group) in exchange for an honest review
If Sarina Bowen has a book out you know I want to read it. Rookie Move bridges the gap between her NA series, The Ivy League and this new adult series, Brooklyn Bruisers. If you read The Fifteenth Minute (Ivy League #5) you might remember Leo in there. He didn't have a big role in it but it set the stage for this next leap.
Georgia is a publicist with the brand new expansion team, Brooklyn Bruisers. Her plate is currently full because the head publicist left and she has to prove to her boss that she can handle the workload. She also has to prove that she can break away from her father's shadow who just happens to be the team's new coach. If that weren't enough pressure, she finds out at the last minute that the team's latest player acquisition is none other than her ex-boyfriend, Leo Trevi. As high school sweethearts they were on fire but Georgia ended things abruptly by the time they graduated. Georgia is a hot, blubbering mess initially until she regains control of her senses. Leo is kind, warm and patient. He never understood why she broke up with him so the situation is just as crazy for him as it is for her. The only difference is that he's willing to start over whereas she's feeling guilty and awkward about them working together. She tries to keep it professional at the office and cordial outside but they just have too much history between them (read: chemistry) for it to be ignored.
Folks, I don't necessarily get hockey but I appreciate the athleticism that's involved and the rabid fan base that surrounds it. Which is why I enjoy reading Bowen's series because she gives me just enough of hockey - the behind the scenes and the actual playing time - balanced by the main storyline. Something else I feel she does well is introducing social themes. She excels at showcasing life-changing events through someone else's eyes doing it respectfully and with finesse. (A shining example of this is, The Shameless Hour.) She does it here with Georgia's backstory which goes a long way to explaining why she and Leo fell apart. It'll make you look at these two differently seeing them with even more substance and depth.
Rookie Move has all the things you enjoy from Bowen - humor, action, romance and hot magic time! It's fun, too, when some of the characters from the Ivy League books pop in for a visit. Do I really need to say anymore? Now I just need to sit patiently and wait for the next one, Hard Hitter that comes out next year.
~ Bel
