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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
3 stars. This was a better slightly different rehash of book one. I’m not mad though because this one was actually pretty good.
The characters were much better and I didn’t find myself annoyed and frustrated with the story.
Ari was a great character and I love that after her last relationship that she knew what she wanted. She didn’t want to hop into another relationship so quickly so Patrick really has to jump through hoops to get to her and I thought it was cute. Their relationship builds a good pace.
I freakin’ love me some Patrick O’Doul. I didn’t pay him any attention in the first book (I was too busy loving Leo honestly) but I can definitely say that I love him just a bit more than Leo. Despite all of his personal issues and how standoffish he is in the beginning he’s so lovable. His character development was really well done. I’ll give it to Bowen, so far with this series the heroes have been charming and wonderful even though they are big brutes who fight a lot.
Only 3 stars because there was just nothing about this book overall as a whole that I loved. Yes, the characters were great but the plot just felt too much like the first book for me. It had a completely different thing but the conflict between the characters felt similar. I don’t know, I think I’ll continue on with this series because so far the guys have been the highlight for me.
{Challenges completed:
✔For Love of a Book: Shopping Cart Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: I Went to the Zoo Challenge
✔Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Picked for me for the Meet & Greet Challenge (August/September)
✔Romance Readers Reading Challenges: August Monthly Challenge}
The characters were much better and I didn’t find myself annoyed and frustrated with the story.
Ari was a great character and I love that after her last relationship that she knew what she wanted. She didn’t want to hop into another relationship so quickly so Patrick really has to jump through hoops to get to her and I thought it was cute. Their relationship builds a good pace.
I freakin’ love me some Patrick O’Doul. I didn’t pay him any attention in the first book (I was too busy loving Leo honestly) but I can definitely say that I love him just a bit more than Leo. Despite all of his personal issues and how standoffish he is in the beginning he’s so lovable. His character development was really well done. I’ll give it to Bowen, so far with this series the heroes have been charming and wonderful even though they are big brutes who fight a lot.
Only 3 stars because there was just nothing about this book overall as a whole that I loved. Yes, the characters were great but the plot just felt too much like the first book for me. It had a completely different thing but the conflict between the characters felt similar. I don’t know, I think I’ll continue on with this series because so far the guys have been the highlight for me.
{Challenges completed:
✔For Love of a Book: Shopping Cart Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: I Went to the Zoo Challenge
✔Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Picked for me for the Meet & Greet Challenge (August/September)
✔Romance Readers Reading Challenges: August Monthly Challenge}
Nobody writes hockey romance like Sarina Bowen! Her first hockey series, The Ivy Years, was my introduction to her, and I fell in love with her writing style and characters and devoured all 5 books and well as a novella she wrote for the series. When I heard she was doing a spin off from the college hockey series to a professional hockey series called The Brooklyn Bruisers, I knew I would love it too! The first book, Rookie Move, earned 5 stars from me, and I am giving Hard Hitter 5+ stars because I was just that amazing.
What Bowen does amazingly well, without fail, is write sexy, sweet, considerate, dreamy men who just so happen to play hockey. She can write an emotional scene that grips you as well as hilarious witty scenes that have you laughing out loud- and does she ever know how to write a love scene- holy hot hockey players!
Dare I say that Bruisers Captain Patrick O'Doul may be my favorite Bowen leading man yet? He certainly gave my other favorite, Adam Hartley from The Year We Fell Down, a run for the money. At any rate, if you are a sport romance fan, I think you'll find any of Sarina Bowen's novel to be first-rate and worth at least 5 stars! All can be read as standalones, but are interconnected and characters and storylines from past novels are often featured.
**I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book**
What Bowen does amazingly well, without fail, is write sexy, sweet, considerate, dreamy men who just so happen to play hockey. She can write an emotional scene that grips you as well as hilarious witty scenes that have you laughing out loud- and does she ever know how to write a love scene- holy hot hockey players!
Dare I say that Bruisers Captain Patrick O'Doul may be my favorite Bowen leading man yet? He certainly gave my other favorite, Adam Hartley from The Year We Fell Down, a run for the money. At any rate, if you are a sport romance fan, I think you'll find any of Sarina Bowen's novel to be first-rate and worth at least 5 stars! All can be read as standalones, but are interconnected and characters and storylines from past novels are often featured.
**I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book**
I love a book when the guy is the one falling first. Patrick was a traumatized man that doesn't got scared about Ari's mess. it was nice. also, Vince was a shitthead
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
emotional
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
DNF @ 39%. For some reason this couple didn't grab at me. I rarely felt their connection and I had a hard time feeling their sexual tension. Both characters failed to jump off the pages and the overall pace forced my attention span to wander. After a few weeks of trying, I'm going to have to give up. I'll still continue on in the series since I loved the first book and I hope that it was just this couple that affected the book.
**Received an early copy; voluntarily read & reviewed**
**Received an early copy; voluntarily read & reviewed**
When you think of a hockey enforcer, you probably imagine a hotheaded brute who only knows how to use his fists. Patrick "Doolie" O'Doul is about as far from that as you could possibly get & still be called an enforcer. He's quiet. Methodical. Calm. A loner. And now that he has to start seeing Ari, the team masseuse, he's in way over his head. Why? There are a few reasons. The first reason being that he doesn't like to be touched. The second being that he likes Ari just a bit too much, which could make these appointments a bit awkward. Too bad he doesn't have a choice...
Patrick O'Doul made me SWOON so hard that I'm surprised I'm not on the floor. I wish I could find a guy to treat me like he did Ari. Sweet enough to make my teeth ache and HOTTT enough to make me need a change of panties - this story was so PUCKING good! I highly recommend this series (or any of Ms Bowen's books for that matter).
Written on behalf of Once Upon an Alpha
Patrick O'Doul made me SWOON so hard that I'm surprised I'm not on the floor. I wish I could find a guy to treat me like he did Ari. Sweet enough to make my teeth ache and HOTTT enough to make me need a change of panties - this story was so PUCKING good! I highly recommend this series (or any of Ms Bowen's books for that matter).
Written on behalf of Once Upon an Alpha
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Violence
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
5 Hard Hitter Stars
Patrick & Ari
I loved this book, I had all the feels. I like the broken guys but he really wasn’t. It’s just the way he is. :)
Ari is the one that is kind of broken and she was the one that pushed and pushed and pushed. I don’t know why I liked that so much I just really enjoyed it.
I loved that Patrick opens up slowly and in him doing that it allowed Ari to open up too.
I just enjoyed this book, all the feels And the narration way better than the first book. ;)
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
Patrick & Ari
I loved this book, I had all the feels. I like the broken guys but he really wasn’t. It’s just the way he is. :)
Ari is the one that is kind of broken and she was the one that pushed and pushed and pushed. I don’t know why I liked that so much I just really enjoyed it.
I loved that Patrick opens up slowly and in him doing that it allowed Ari to open up too.
I just enjoyed this book, all the feels And the narration way better than the first book. ;)
*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*