Rookie Move

The Brooklyn Bruisers Series, Book 1

By: Sarina Bowen

Narrated by: Nicol Zanzarella, Rock Engle

The first novel in a sexy new series featuring the hockey players of the Brooklyn Bruisers and the women who win their hearts.

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.

©2016 Sarina Bowen (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

cute

not as steamy as I would like and didn't move along as I like either but cute story.

Men, especially teammates, crack me up!

This book has two sides to it....the first side is the lighthearted, amusing antics between the teammates. I actually lol more than once. I played women’s basketball for 12 years and I can tell you that interpersonal relationships between women athletes is not as congenial as with men. Men haze, tease and taunt each other, unmercifully, and it brings the team together. This is not the case with women’s sports teams. I have always admired this quality in men.

The second half of this books involves a complex story of three people who have been emotionally scarred by a single sexual assault that altered each of their lives profoundly but differently. There is the common angst caused misunderstandings due to miscommunication , but wasn’t overdone. Everything gets ironed out, in the end, and everyone gets their HEA!
Just hit download, you won’t regret it!
-V from Kansas

Georgia and Leo

I like Nicol Zanzarella's voice. I am not a fan of Rock Engle's voice.

Leo Trevi & Georgia Worthington were high school sweethearts. Georgia was assaulted a couple of months before graduation (not a spoiler if you already read book 1) and for the next several weeks, all Leo wanted to do was support and love her. Georgia felt like their relationship had changed - not for the better - and decided to break up with him before they both left for college.

6 years later, Georgia is working in PR for the Brooklyn Bruisers hockey team, and Leo gets traded to the team. Georgia's father - Kurt - is the head coach. And while Kurt used to be supportive and fond of Leo, his attitude and feelings had changed. Leo felt like his career with the Bruisers and his second chance with Georgia might be over before they even get a chance.

Georgia is a strong character - after high school, she started aikido and tae kwan do while continuing to play tennis, rock climbing, parachuting - all the things that she did to remind herself that her past didn't have to impact her future.

Leo loves Georgia, has always loved her. It takes very little time for him to confess his still valid feelings for Georgia - and then they just have to navigate all of the bumps that come with dating a co-worker, Kurt's negative feelings, trade deadlines, etc.

The supporting characters - O'Doul, Silas, Nate, Becca - add a lot of depth to this story.

I'm really fond of Hockey Romance - this is my first Sarina Bowen, but it certainly won't be my last. I have a feeling that these will be on my re-read every year list.

Sweet Scale: 5/5
Spicy Scale: 3/5

Definitely entertaining!

I really enjoyed the book. I actually started the series with Brooklynaire - I had no idea it was part of a series. I do wish I had started with this one, though. I liked the story, there wasn't any of the normal "stupid roll your eyes" type of drama. There were no odd inconsistencies, which I seem to find a lot of lately. The story flowed along smoothly and didn't drag at all.

Narrators:
This was my first time listening to either narrator and they were both captivating! I was in book slump, but they (and Sarina Bowen) pulled me right out

Nicol Zanzarella-4.5 stars-Almost a perfect performance (for both narrators actually), but a few times her male voices just sounded a little off.
Rock Engle-4.5 stars-A couple of his female voices were also a little off. The voice he used for the MC's mother and sister was awkward. The two of them had accents-the father may have as well, but I'm not sure. The brother and MC didn't have any sort of accent. I felt like this was a bit distracting. At the very least, the siblings should have the same sort of accent.

not disappointed

love love love; select this first book of the series and you will not be disappointed. can't wait to read the rest.