It's all about the puck (or is it?)

Hi, guys! How is your week so far? Did you notice that I managed to post on Thursday this time? :p

So I confess: I have a problem when it comes to Sarina Bowen. Namely, I keep buying her books and then…not read them, LOL. I fell in love with her writing when I first read The Shameless Hour. Come to think of it, I never finished that series, hmm... I bought the True North series because most of my friends raved about them (I'm hopeless with peer pressure; I cave so very easily), and I also bought the Brooklyn Bruisers series because I love sports romance. 

Long story short, after I reread Kate Meader’s Irresistible You (my review here, ICYMI!), I was in a mood for more hockey, so I started Rookie Move. I ended up finishing all three books in one night, had one hour of sleep before I had to start my day, and completely crashed by 3 pm. 

Best. Decision. Ever. #noragrets

Anyway, onwards!

ROOKIE MOVE [★★★★]

Rookie Move is such a sweet second chance romance. It lacks the angst I normally require with this kind of stories, but it works because the main characters Georgia and Leo are so lovable. 

This story is about Georgia and Leo who broke up and went their separate ways after high school. They reunited six years later when Leo got traded into the Brooklyn Bruisers, where Georgia incidentally worked as a publicist. Leo and Georgia are so young, only 24, which I think is the reason why this book has a more youthful feel to it than the other second chance romances I read. I adore the glimpses to how they were in high school. They were once one of the couples you can’t help but love, hate, and envy at the same time because they were so disgustingly cute. They had a solid relationship, and I felt so sad when I learned why they broke up. 

When Leo and Georgia got back together, it was like they were never broken up. The transition was seamless despite their six-year split; Leo and Georgia had this easy camaraderie between them, and their chemistry was strong. My favourite part of the book is when Leo stopped Georgia from leaving because he wanted to say goodbye to her ‘tatas’. I burst out laughing at all the tata mentions in the book. I also adore how Leo called her Gigi.

Aside from Georgia’s annoying father and his issues with Leo (why can’t you behave more like an adult, old man?), this is a pretty flawless read for me. Also love Georgia’s friendship with Becca and the hints thrown about Becca and Nate (I can’t believe book 4 isn’t out yet).

“Fuck that. You and I don’t have one-night stands. We have forever night stands.”  [Leo to Gigi]

HARD HITTER [★★★★]

I wasn’t quite sold on Patrick O’Doul at first because he was a bit of a jerk in Rookie Move, but Hard Hitter ended up being my most favourite book in this series. Patrick was a bit mysterious to me; aside from his rough and prickly façade, we didn’t really get anything about him in the first book. I think the reason why this book appealed so much to me is because Patrick is described as a jaded old dude with a boatload of issues. 

Oh, why can’t I fall in love with less complicated men?

I love Ari, the Brooklyn Bruiser’s yoga instructor slash massage therapist, just fine but the star of the show for me is truly Patrick, so this is a Patrick O’Doul Appreciation Paragraph. As the story progressed, we learned more about Patrick’s backstory which explained his gruff attitude and his dislike about being touched by strangers. I was legit surprised that he turned out to be the sweetest guy. 

Patrick was so caring and protective of Ari. I just about melted every time he called Ari sweetheart and texted her just to see how she was doing, and I especially loved the part where he asked the help of his team members for ideas on how to woo a woman. I love Patrick and Ari’s easy relationship, although Ari annoyed me at times when she kept pushing Patrick away. On an unrelated note, the Nate x Becca build-up is even more pronounced in this book. Why is book 3 not their story?

“I’m so gone for you. I’ve got it bad. It might take me years to convince you I’m a good guy, but I’ll never stop trying.” [Patrick to Ari]

PIPE DREAMS [★★★★]

Mike Beacon didn’t really stand out to me so I was a bit surprised to find that he was the star in this book, and I was even more surprised to find out that his love interest was Lauren Williams, Nate’s assistant. Lauren rubbed me the wrong way when we met her in Hard Hitter because she was rude and snappish towards people for no reason.

Mike and Lauren were together for a year and a half after Mike split with his wife. Their relationship ended badly and abruptly when Mike suddenly decided to return to his wife. I was a bit pissed at Mike for this, even after learning the real reason why he ditched Lauren so callously and got back together with his wife. Lauren deserved better, and I’m glad that she didn’t give Mike an easy time when he approached her again. 

Despite his faults in the past, Mike grew on me; he was easy to like. He was a devoted father to his annoying brat of a daughter, he was kind and caring, and he genuinely loved Lauren. I’m glad that Mike’s daughter is not the main obstacle to their relationship, because that drama would have been tiring. Instead, their relationship progressed quite naturally after Mike and Lauren made up and reconciled. 

Overall it was a great second chance romance story, a little angsty, and no unnecessary drama. The epilogue made me tear up and laugh out loud. Oh, how I love a good happily ever after!

“Thank you for making me happy.” [Mike to Lauren]

For somebody who's allergic to any kind of sports, I sure do love my sports romances. Some of my favourites: 

• Kulti by Mariana Zapata (soccer)
• The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata (football)
• The Deal by Elle Kennedy (hockey)
• Zack by Sawyer Bennett (hockey) 
• The Game Plan by Kristen Callihan (football)

Have you read any of these books? Do you have any favourite sports romances?
Feel free to rec them to me in the comments!