TEST
The blurb for Brooklynaire says ‘standalone’, and it is – technically. There’s nothing in this book that you won’t understand if you’ve not read any of Ms. Bowen’s Brooklyn Bruisers series about this ragtag hockey team from Brooklyn. However, the central relationship has been building throughout the previous books and I know my love for it was richer because I’ve been waiting for this one. That’s right, fellow fans. This is Nate and Becca’s book.
*cue gleeful giggles* When this thing hit my ereader I gasped with delight so loudly that my husband thought something was wrong. Knowing he would not understand, I texted my best friend who is also a devotee of this series. “I HAVE NATE AND BECCA’S BOOK” and she came immediately back with a gif of Kermit flailing with joy.
Sorry – got a bit ahead of myself. *clears throat* Here’s the summary.
Nate Kattenberger is the genius tech wizard who owns the Brooklyn Bruisers hockey team. Rebecca Rowley has been his right hand woman since he was working out of a one-room loft using on cardboard boxes as furniture, and they have been in love with each other for approximately the same length of time. Approximately because when they first met, Nate was engaged. That quickly broke up, and he and Rebecca been dating emotionally ever since.
Not that either one of them has ever admitted it.
The catalyst for this story is that Becca sustains a head injury and ends up having to take time off of work and Nate immediately oversteps boss boundaries and moves her into his apartment so that she can be taken care of. He wants her watched over by his version of Tony Stark’s Jarvis, as well as his cook. Becca normally lives with her sister, the sister’s boyfriend, and their baby and it’s a little… crowded and certainly not ideal for healing from a concussion. So sleeping in Nate’s guest room and being pampered by his chef is not the worst idea.
Of course, while all of this is happening, the Bruisers are in the playoffs. Not only is that so hard for Becca – who wants to be present for her team and her boys – it’s hard on Nate to be away from her. One event leads to another and they realize that their unrequited love is not really so unrequited after all.
I adored this book – clearly – and I got everything I wanted out of this story. Ms. Bowen spends some time in flashbacks, helping us understand the phases of Nate and Becca’s relationship and how they came to be such good friends. Each of those chapters felt like gifts and made me wish every friends-to-lovers story I read in the future will give me glimpses into the foundations of the friendship as well as the romance.
If you’re a fan of boss-employee and/or friends-to-lovers stories, I think you’ll really love Brooklynaire. If you’ve read any of the Bruisers books, then it is exactly what you’ve been waiting for.
Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes and Noble/iBooks/Kobo
Grade: A
Book Type: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 15/02/18
Publication Date: 02/2018
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
Voracious reader, with a preference for sassy romances and happily ever afters. In a relationship with coffee, seeing whiskey on the side.
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I enjoyed this. It is an utter fairy tale–in the best way contemporary romance novels can be. And, I learned that one can now do legally accepted paternity tests in the first trimester of pregnancy. That’s amazing to me!
Love love love this book!! It was my first Bruisers novel and I felt like it was utterly complete, I didn’t feel that I was missing out on any detail. I also enjoyed the flashbacks, to me they gave the book a bit of a fairy tale feel. Nate and Rebecca are perfect for each other, and the chemistry is strong. The audio of it is perfection, too, fyi. I’ve listened 5 or 6 times since it came out, and loved it each time. If you enjoy CR or hockey romance you will LOVE this. Promise!!
Just read this, Loved it. I read it as a stand-alone and didn’t feel I was missing anything.
This sounds fantastic, Kristen. I’m going to look into it.