Overnight Sensation

By: Sarina Bowen

Narrated by: Jason Clarke, Savannah Peachwood

Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

Everyone knows the girl is off-limits. But it's so good to be bad.

There’s this girl....

Heidi and I have been trading hungry looks all year, and everything she does makes me smile. But I don't do girlfriends, and I certainly can't get involved with the league commissioner's daughter. I need shots on goal, not a hookup and a widely misunderstood paparazzi photo. Can I resist her, though? The way she teases me should be a game penalty for interference with my libido. 

There’s this guy....

Jason wants me, but he won’t admit it. That man looks at me the way a hockey player eyes the lunch buffet after practice - and I love it. 

But when victory is finally within my grasp, I blow it and humiliate myself. Even then I can’t even avoid him - as the team intern, I’m in constant view of his hard body and cocky smile. 

I need another chance. Jason Castro is about to learn the true meaning of an overnight sensation.

©2019 Sarina Bowen (P)2019 Sarina Bowen

Heartfelt Addition to the Series

Overall 4.5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4 stars

I don't think I will ever tire of Sarina Bowen's Brooklyn Bruisers series! I have enjoyed every single book (though I don't think anyone will ever top Nate in my heart *swoon*) and her writing is always sexy, fun, and heartfelt. Though this is book 5 in the series, this slightly forbidden/friends to lovers-ish romance can be enjoyed as a standalone. Characters from the previous books do appear, however, and that is where our hero and heroine initially meet.

Oh, Castro. My heart totally went out to him and his broken soul. He was such a cuddly teddy bear under all the bluster and dirty talk. His insecurities and fears made so much sense once his past was revealed and I ached for the 18 year old boy he once was. Heidi came across naive and flighty at first, but she had the greatest character growth and really came into her own through the course of the book. I loved how she faced every new job and challenge and didn't back down. She complemented Castro really well and I loved their banter and chemistry. There is some angst and push and pull as they struggle with their feelings and budding relationship, but I liked that it was resolved almost as quickly as it began. It really let the growth of each character really shine. I did feel like things with Heidi's father wrapped up a little abruptly (considering how hard and critical he was throughout the book), and I would have loved an epilogue a little down the road. Some seeds were planted for sweet goalie Silas, however, and I really hope that we get his book in the future. If that happens, I have a feeling he will give my beloved Nate a run for his money!

I think Jason Clarke may be my new narrator crush! He is absolutely perfect in everything I have listened to and I am constantly impressed by his talent to voice so many characters (male and female) so exquisitely. Jason Clarke and Savannah Peachwood were the perfect duo to voice Castro and Heidi. I loved the little twang they each gave Hot Pepper for certain words and their stellar narration really added a new layer of enjoyment to the book!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Sensational storytelling

Love Jason and Heidi’s love story and how unapologetic Heidi is about getting what she wants. Jason is a loveable cynic who is afraid to love again and she broke down all the walls. You get to meet the rest of the gang and get more time with the Bruisers.
Jason Clarke is phenomenally well cast for this role and I love every minute of it and Savannah really brings out the feisty and go getter side of Heidi! Love !!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Best yet!

Loved this book! Best yet, loved Heidi and Jason. The book was funny and a little dramatic! Loved the audio version. The narrator's were right on.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Keeps Getting Better

I always think the last book in the series was my favorite...until I read the next one. I loved Heidi Jo. I didn’t know if I was going to like her at first but you I couldn’t help but love her. She knows her faults and works hard to show everyone including herself that there’s more to her than being a spoiled rich girl. I love how she met every challenge with class and sass. Jason was perfect...well in the end of course. Narration was on point. Can’t wait for the next in the series.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

I’m sorry

This didn’t entirely work for me. I’ve loved all of Sarina’s other books but not this one, and the reason is Heidi Jo. I found her spoiled, immature, too impulsive and whiny, and didn’t understand what Jason saw in her. The narrator did a good job on capturing her voice, but it only highlighted my annoyance with the character and her thoughtless choices.
I liked Jason, though, and the minor characters were great as always. I can’t give it more than 3 stars, however, and that’s a first for me when it comes to one of Ms. Bowen’s books, which are usually 5 star reads for me.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Quirky / Fun / Witty

Heidi is AMAZING! Her father really throws a wrench into her plans all because he sees her doing something she doesn’t want to do.
But what I LOVED was how little drama Heidi caused, she picked up her big girl panties and did the job or jobs asked even if that meant don’t things she didn’t want. (LOVE THIS so hard)

I liked that she became friends with so many people, I am a huge believer in you get what you give, it really felt like that for me with everything that Heidi goes through and how she deals with it.

The chemistry between Jason and Heidi hits the roof and how they try to stay away but they can’t I loved.

I really wasn’t sure what was going to happen at the beginning of this book it took me a little bit to get into but when I did I was HOOKED! So if your up for adventure and twists and turns this book is a for sure.

The narration was really great as well; I am a big fan of Jason Clarke so I was in heaven with him in my ears. Savannah Peachwood is a newish narrator for me and sometimes she can sound really young for her characters but this time she was exactly who I think of as Heidi.

7 of 12 people found this review helpful

book is greatly recommend

Jason and Heidi have a really intense love story. Jason has to deal with past memories and he fights to accept being in love. Heidi has to learn how to be a regular person instead of a spoiled daughter. Both of them are surrounded by great friends who bring laughs along with unlimited support. I highly recommend this book.

Love this series!

I have enjoyed every one of the books in this Sarina Bowen series, this being no exception. Can't wait for the next one.

Best of the series

Up to now, I’ve been getting this series on Audible thru a subscription package and had to burn a credit for Overnight Sensation. Very glad I did. This story is the most solid & consistently enjoyable of the series so far.

Heidi and Jason are likable and even relatable. The plot arc is enjoyable and even reasonable. There are numerous secondary plots which all get handled. The details make sense. The characters have complexity, rather than being drawn as pure good and evil -even the secondary characters like parents and reporters. There’s drama around Jason’s past but no actual modern trauma so it works as a feel good read. I highly recommend this book even if you haven’t read the series.

I think Jason & Heidi balance each other well. He is darker, mentally, and more grounded. She’s all high spirits, high energy, and optimism. They both love hockey and have similarities in how they approach their own families. There’s a Small Misunderstanding (not taking over the whole plot like the “Big Mis” trope) that is handled precisely how one grownups should handle a misunderstanding. A+. They accommodate each other’s needs and it pleases them to do so. The book opens with Jason making sure Heidi stays safe despite herself, where he acts appropriately like a gentleman, and that protection/safety theme arcs thru the whole novel, veering into caveman masculinity but *being addressed* by the characters like adults. So refreshing!

Steam: Medium sizzling, on page. Most of it is spark but there’s more aggression, wanted by both parties, in the boudoir here than in previous installments. Never quite veers into kink but implies it.

Narration: I liked the narrators fairly well although the lady messed up a few pronunciations and we could hear a lot of the man’s inhalations.

My rank of the series so far, best to worst:
5,2,3,4…1. I would advise new readers to start with book 2 or 5 unless they are series order purists.

i love this book

great book love that she to work for what she wont love the driving of the zamboni

Another goal for Sarina Bowen

Loved the whole Brooklyn Bruisers series and Overnight Sensation was just as good as the rest. Good to see previous characters are included and you get to see what is happening with them.

Enjoyable listen

This was a good listen. Missing the spark of something unique I needed to push it up to 5 stars, but still definitely worth a credit.

A sweet, sexy read

Light, easy, sort of forbidden, hockey romance. My favourite. Jason Castro, at a young age, had his heart broken, so, in true bad boy fashion, he’s sworn off relationships and just has hook-ups. Heidi Pepper is a good girl, who really really wants to be bad, particularly with Jason Castro and she’s going to do her damnedest to make that happen. I loved Heidi, she was smarty, funny, hard working and despite her spoilt rich girl background was willing to go the extra mile for her hockey team, it’s just a shame daddy is a bit of a jerk. A sweet, sexy read, wonderful writing, and another great addition to the Brooklyn Bruisers series. I just love this hockey family, and I’m always eager to read more of their antics. Jason Clarke and Savannah Peachwood narrate perfectly.

Awesome story

I loved this audio book from start to finish as the narrator's totally brought this wonderful, witty and romantic story fully to life.