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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Really enjoying the Brooklyn Bruisers-iverse! 🔥🔥 team yoga teacher/massage therapist with a bad ex + team enforcers who has never loved a woman before
Find this review and more at Ramblings From This Chick
Hard Hitter is the second book in the Brooklyn Bruisers series by Sarina Bowen. I am a huge fan of hers and I couldn't wait to read the next installment in this series after loving the first one so much. Hard Hitter was a great addition to this series and I really enjoyed Patrick and Ari's story. Leo is still my favorite so far, but I think that readers will love this one, especially if they enjoyed the first in the series.
Patrick O'Doul is used to being the one who takes the hard hits as the enforcer and captain for the Brooklyn Bruisers. But after years of playing, he is starting to show the signs of the pain both physically and mentally. So when the team trainers and coaches send him to the team massage therapist and yoga instructor Ari, he wants nothing to do with it even if he is attracted to her. But as he starts to spend more time with her, his feelings begin to change and soon he is ready for more. Ari has just gotten out of a bad relationship and the last thing she needs is to start a new one. But O'Doul is willing to wait for her to be ready and is determined to protect her from her crazy ex at all costs. Can Ari risk her heart once more and give him a shot?
I really liked both Ari and Patrick. While I did enjoy their story, I didn't feel quite the same connection to them that I did with Georgia and Leo though. Ari was sweet and caring, and genuinely interested in the health and well being of not only Patrick but the whole team. She really frustrated me at times though, even if I did see why she acted the way she did. Patrick was amazing though. I loved his patience and persistence when it came to Ari. He knew what he was facing with her and he looked for ways to show her he really cared. I absolutely adored him, especially seeing him with his teammates and the way they came up with ideas for what to do for Ari! Trust me you will love it! The chemistry between these two was strong, and their connection continued to grow over the course of this book. It was real and genuine, and they were great together.
I really did enjoy this book, and I loved these two and the way their relationship built. I wasn't the biggest fan of Ari's actions at times, and the stuff with Ari's ex wasn't my favorite. But honestly I still really enjoyed the book on the whole and I think that this series is one of Sarina's best. Her writing seems to just get better and better, and I think fans of hers will really love this one. If you like sports romance stories, I definitely recommend this series. Even if you don't love sports romance though, I think that this is one worth reading and has something for everyone. I am really looking forward to more in this series as I love the characters and the world that Sarina has built. I am really hoping that we get stories for all of these characters as they are so much fun to read about!
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
Hard Hitter is the second book in the Brooklyn Bruisers series by Sarina Bowen. I am a huge fan of hers and I couldn't wait to read the next installment in this series after loving the first one so much. Hard Hitter was a great addition to this series and I really enjoyed Patrick and Ari's story. Leo is still my favorite so far, but I think that readers will love this one, especially if they enjoyed the first in the series.
Patrick O'Doul is used to being the one who takes the hard hits as the enforcer and captain for the Brooklyn Bruisers. But after years of playing, he is starting to show the signs of the pain both physically and mentally. So when the team trainers and coaches send him to the team massage therapist and yoga instructor Ari, he wants nothing to do with it even if he is attracted to her. But as he starts to spend more time with her, his feelings begin to change and soon he is ready for more. Ari has just gotten out of a bad relationship and the last thing she needs is to start a new one. But O'Doul is willing to wait for her to be ready and is determined to protect her from her crazy ex at all costs. Can Ari risk her heart once more and give him a shot?
I really liked both Ari and Patrick. While I did enjoy their story, I didn't feel quite the same connection to them that I did with Georgia and Leo though. Ari was sweet and caring, and genuinely interested in the health and well being of not only Patrick but the whole team. She really frustrated me at times though, even if I did see why she acted the way she did. Patrick was amazing though. I loved his patience and persistence when it came to Ari. He knew what he was facing with her and he looked for ways to show her he really cared. I absolutely adored him, especially seeing him with his teammates and the way they came up with ideas for what to do for Ari! Trust me you will love it! The chemistry between these two was strong, and their connection continued to grow over the course of this book. It was real and genuine, and they were great together.
I really did enjoy this book, and I loved these two and the way their relationship built. I wasn't the biggest fan of Ari's actions at times, and the stuff with Ari's ex wasn't my favorite. But honestly I still really enjoyed the book on the whole and I think that this series is one of Sarina's best. Her writing seems to just get better and better, and I think fans of hers will really love this one. If you like sports romance stories, I definitely recommend this series. Even if you don't love sports romance though, I think that this is one worth reading and has something for everyone. I am really looking forward to more in this series as I love the characters and the world that Sarina has built. I am really hoping that we get stories for all of these characters as they are so much fun to read about!
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
🌶🌶🌶
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I quite enjoyed this standalone book in the Brooklyn Bruisers series.
Ari is the professional hockey team’s massage therapist/yoga instructor. Patrick O’Doul is the aging (for hockey), brooding, introverted team captain. Both of them have trust issues, so it was interesting seeing how they navigated those barriers brick by brick. I would have liked more exploration of how Patrick’s past influenced his current mentality. I still enjoyed the contrast between their personalities, though, as well as O’Doul and Ari’s somewhat reluctant, surprising romance.
There is an added mystery and conflict between Ari and her vicious ex boyfriend that adds some appealing intrigue to the story. I was quite fond of Patrick’s goofy teammates. Ari’s budding friendship with Becca and Georgia is also fun.
I’m fascinated by Nate, the team’s owner, and I love what I’ve seen so far from Becca, his personal assistant. I’ve heard they have their own story, and I’m looking forward to reading it.
Recommended for fans of:
Hockey
Yoga
Margaritas
Light suspense
Ari is the professional hockey team’s massage therapist/yoga instructor. Patrick O’Doul is the aging (for hockey), brooding, introverted team captain. Both of them have trust issues, so it was interesting seeing how they navigated those barriers brick by brick. I would have liked more exploration of how Patrick’s past influenced his current mentality. I still enjoyed the contrast between their personalities, though, as well as O’Doul and Ari’s somewhat reluctant, surprising romance.
There is an added mystery and conflict between Ari and her vicious ex boyfriend that adds some appealing intrigue to the story. I was quite fond of Patrick’s goofy teammates. Ari’s budding friendship with Becca and Georgia is also fun.
I’m fascinated by Nate, the team’s owner, and I love what I’ve seen so far from Becca, his personal assistant. I’ve heard they have their own story, and I’m looking forward to reading it.
Recommended for fans of:
Hockey
Yoga
Margaritas
Light suspense
I read these books out of order on accident, and have slowly been working my way backwards. that being said they can be read as a standalone, but there is definitely spoilers when you do it this way overall, I really liked Ari and thought she was sweet and bubbly. I enjoyed watching her slowly tear down O’Doul’s layers that he had built up to keep everyone out. I could have done without Ari‘s crazy, ex bursting in the scene and causing problems but the book would’ve lacked some drama without it.
Hockey team captain and enforcer O'Doul is burning out. He turns to Ariana, the team's massage therapist and yoga instructor, to get back on track. But when he learns she's in danger from an ex-boyfriend, their professional relationship quickly turns personal. Can these two lost souls save each other before it's too late?
Sarina Bowen is an auto-buy author for me. This book is a higher drama read than most of her books, due to the crime element. She does a masterful job of weaving together the characters, the action, and the emotions for an engrossing and satisfying story.
Sarina Bowen is an auto-buy author for me. This book is a higher drama read than most of her books, due to the crime element. She does a masterful job of weaving together the characters, the action, and the emotions for an engrossing and satisfying story.
I really liked O’Doul, but I felt like I didn’t get to know him enough? His backstory just seemed to be glossed over.