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Review

4 stars!

The third book in the Brooklyn Bruisers series, and another gorgeous, heartfelt second-chance-romance… this one completely unexpected.

I haven’t been the greatest fan of Nate’s Assistant, Lauren, in the previous books – she has come across as cold and stuck up, and I wasn’t at all excited to read about her. But then along comes this book, showing us who she truly is and why she behaves the way she does, and it all suddenly clicked for me! I get it! And more than that, I felt it, and I was right on board for where her story was going to go.

You see, Lauren used to be in a relationship with Bruisers’ goalie, Mike Beacon. They were madly in love and planning for a future together when tragedy got in the way. Mike handled the situation poorly, leaving Lauren heartbroken and wondering what went wrong, and she’s done her best to avoid him, and anything to do with the team, ever since. Now she’s been pulled in to manage the Bruisers’ office once again, putting her right where she doesn’t want to be – hence, her cold and stiff demeanour.

Mike is a widower with a feisty, still grieving 13 year old daughter. His marriage was not a ‘real’ marriage, and his time with Lauren was the happiest of his life. He was devastated to let her go, but he did what he thought was right for his family, and he’s been paying the price ever since. Now Lauren is back in his life, and even if it’s only for business purposes, he is determined to use it to his advantage and make things right.

“I miss the hell out of you, that’s all. I miss you so much it hurts.”

This is such a sweet second-chance-romance. Mike is all in with Lauren, and he doesn’t hide that. He is open with her about his feelings, about the fact that he screwed up so badly, and that he wants a future with her. There is grovelling, there is lots of emotion and swoony declarations, and there is fantastic chemistry. Lauren tries her best to protect her heart, but she never fell out of love with Mike, and slowly and surely, they find their way back to each other. It’s not one big moment, it’s a slow and gradual reconnection with lots of little special moments that felt easy and natural, and I loved watching it all happen for them.

“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.”

Complicating matters though, are Lauren’s plans to start a family on her own, and the fact that Mike’s daughter isn’t a fan of Lauren coming back into their lives. And it’s all unfolding during hockey playoffs. There is drama to face, but it’s handled well, without becoming angsty and overwhelming, and I loved watching Mike and Lauren functionally and sensibly find their way forward together.

There’s a gorgeous epilogue which finishes the story off really nicely, though I would have preferred just a little bit more…

Spoiler

How did Mike’s daughter react to their marriage and the new baby? What was their relationship like as a family? It would have been so amazing to see her come into the room at the end of the book to join in that special moment

It was still a great ending though, and I’m excited to see more of these two in future books.

I’m loving this series. Like its predecessors, this book is sweet and fun with a nice amount of emotion and a wonderful love story. The camaraderie between the boys continues to be a highlight, and all of the little moments between Nate and Becca are setting the scene for what is sure to be a fantastic book coming up for them!

Another great read from Sarina Bowen – 4 stars.