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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
2 1/2 stars. This is not a bad book. There were some pretty funny moments. And it was set in couple of places which was interesting.....But for me it was just a tiny bit boring. I just didn't connect with the characters, so the story doesn't leave a lasting impression. This is a classic case of it's not you, it's me, because I love Sarina Bowen.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoyed every second of Moonlighter. It was fantastic which is no surprise because it's Sarina Bowen. I think this might be my new favorite of her hockey romances, and a definitely have found myself a new book boyfriend!
Eric Bayer is a successful hockey player who on his summer off finds himself playing the role of fake boyfriends to a girl he knew when he was young. It helps that this job allows him to spend time on the sunny beaches of Hawaii. His job is to keep Alex safe from her abusive ex and not to get intimately acquainted with her. Once they return to Manhattan here chemistry doesn't disappear, and he steps up when threats against her becomes serious.
"Maybe the whole fake boyfriend role is screwing my head. Because sex with Alex suddenly feel...inevitable. Like I'm meant to be here and no where else."
The story line is entertaining - older grumpy attractive hockey player, smart sexy CEO, fake relationship, explosive chemistry and just the right amount of suspense. The dynamic between Eric and Alex is fun and sexy. Thier connection is undeniable and the sex is off the charts. I loved the way they flirted and teased each other and seemed to revert to the easy friendship they had when they were kids. There is a fair bit of drama and suspense when it comes to Alex and Eric is dealing with his own issues but it never felt over done.
"Perfect," he whispers against my face. "Perfectly addictive." Then he lifts my chin and kisses me.
I honestly can't think of one thing I disliked about Moonlighter. It had everything I wanted and expected from a Sarina Bowen romance. It had laughter, steam, heart melting moments, and an unexpected element of suspense. I am already invested in this new series and can't wait to see whose book comes next. {fingers crossed it's Eric's brother Max}
Eric Bayer is a successful hockey player who on his summer off finds himself playing the role of fake boyfriends to a girl he knew when he was young. It helps that this job allows him to spend time on the sunny beaches of Hawaii. His job is to keep Alex safe from her abusive ex and not to get intimately acquainted with her. Once they return to Manhattan here chemistry doesn't disappear, and he steps up when threats against her becomes serious.
"Maybe the whole fake boyfriend role is screwing my head. Because sex with Alex suddenly feel...inevitable. Like I'm meant to be here and no where else."
The story line is entertaining - older grumpy attractive hockey player, smart sexy CEO, fake relationship, explosive chemistry and just the right amount of suspense. The dynamic between Eric and Alex is fun and sexy. Thier connection is undeniable and the sex is off the charts. I loved the way they flirted and teased each other and seemed to revert to the easy friendship they had when they were kids. There is a fair bit of drama and suspense when it comes to Alex and Eric is dealing with his own issues but it never felt over done.
"Perfect," he whispers against my face. "Perfectly addictive." Then he lifts my chin and kisses me.
I honestly can't think of one thing I disliked about Moonlighter. It had everything I wanted and expected from a Sarina Bowen romance. It had laughter, steam, heart melting moments, and an unexpected element of suspense. I am already invested in this new series and can't wait to see whose book comes next. {fingers crossed it's Eric's brother Max}
https://celebrityreaders.com/2019/10/19/moonlighter-by-sarina-bowen/
I received a free copy through Nina Bocci PR in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
5 stars — I don’t know what it is about Ms. Bowen and this world, but I’m seriously loving it… and loving where it’s going with this spin off. So many possibilities!!
Eric and Alex are both delightful and easy to connect with. Alex is so hardworking and brilliant, it really comes across in the book. I also loved having a female CEO in a tech company to read about…as someone who has worked in that industry, the good ole boys club is real, though it’s slowly changing. I loved seeing her take on the sexist executives. And I appreciated her struggle to balance her career with impending motherhood. She was simultaneously fierce and vulnerable.
Eric was not what I was expecting, though I’m not sure what I was expecting. But the balance in his personality between grumpy and taciturn with a dry wit and confidence just played out perfectly. I felt for him facing these changes in his life, and not having his family’s support with his career choices, and his obviously different goals and dreams. But he was just really solid, with everyone… from teammates, to his family, to Alex. And the real surprise for me was how he doted on Alex… you could really feel how much he cared for her.
The two of them together were truly the highlight of the story. From their physical chemistry, to the relationship that built on a long ago friendship, I just loved them together. My favourite part was how often they laughed in steamy scenes…it just delighted me. Seriously, they balanced one another so well, and had so many fun moments together. Their banter was beyond.
The suspense/action elements added a lot to the story, and I think I’m really going to love this new series. And so many great new secondary characters!! I’m sensing a Max and Scout story (definitely the Nate/Becca of this series), and I desperately hope Duff gets a book too!!!
So yeah…this book sucked me right in, I LOVED it from start to finish.
I received a free copy through Nina Bocci PR in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
5 stars — I don’t know what it is about Ms. Bowen and this world, but I’m seriously loving it… and loving where it’s going with this spin off. So many possibilities!!
Eric and Alex are both delightful and easy to connect with. Alex is so hardworking and brilliant, it really comes across in the book. I also loved having a female CEO in a tech company to read about…as someone who has worked in that industry, the good ole boys club is real, though it’s slowly changing. I loved seeing her take on the sexist executives. And I appreciated her struggle to balance her career with impending motherhood. She was simultaneously fierce and vulnerable.
Eric was not what I was expecting, though I’m not sure what I was expecting. But the balance in his personality between grumpy and taciturn with a dry wit and confidence just played out perfectly. I felt for him facing these changes in his life, and not having his family’s support with his career choices, and his obviously different goals and dreams. But he was just really solid, with everyone… from teammates, to his family, to Alex. And the real surprise for me was how he doted on Alex… you could really feel how much he cared for her.
The two of them together were truly the highlight of the story. From their physical chemistry, to the relationship that built on a long ago friendship, I just loved them together. My favourite part was how often they laughed in steamy scenes…it just delighted me. Seriously, they balanced one another so well, and had so many fun moments together. Their banter was beyond.
The suspense/action elements added a lot to the story, and I think I’m really going to love this new series. And so many great new secondary characters!! I’m sensing a Max and Scout story (definitely the Nate/Becca of this series), and I desperately hope Duff gets a book too!!!
So yeah…this book sucked me right in, I LOVED it from start to finish.
2.5 to 3 star sliding scale. This was just weird in tone, and I'm sad that my enjoyment of individual Sarina Bowen books has been decreasing with every new book lately.
This romance pairing is between Eric Bayer, 34 year old forward in the Brooklyn Bruisers, and his childhood friend Alex Engels, high powered CEO of a billionaire cable and tech company. Eric's brother and father run a secretive billionaire security firm that seems to do shady cybersecurity stuff and manufacture future tech-y products, but they also seem to have high profile important clients to do security for too? It's so vague and unclear which really annoys me. Then Alex runs the cable company her father was CEO of, so it's technically a family-run giant conglomerate ala Succession dramatics, but she's also developing an Alexa-like butler robot device called Bingley that has customer security and privacy as its main selling point? It's all weird.
I really dislike it when romance books have a corporate world billionaire or security work as a backdrop, that's just there to make it seem cool and sexy, and it's all vague and unrealistic to the point that it takes me out of the story. Rather than all of this crazy imagining into a world us mere plebs wouldn't be able to even verify the accuracy of, I'd rather read a story with like, a florist and a farmer in a local farmer's market instead. Plus putting aside all that, having the people that run these world-dominating tech and security firms is NOT cool and sexy for me, not in the current times we live in. Even back from Nate Kattenberger's book depicting him as a Elon Musk-ish cute cool eccentric billionaire, I was already scratching my head. I'm just imagining bugs and monitoring protocols on the phones Nate gives to his hockey players, imagining Eric's brother Max's firm selling software programs that run the drones that bomb civilians in Yemen, building spyware competing with China's developing domestic surveillance program, Alex as a Shiv Roy type from Succession who has had to do unethical nasty shit for the family firm, even her stupid Bingley thing touting privacy... Ugh.
Anyway, aside from my problems with the setting and depiction of the characters' world, the romance development also had its issues. I didn't really understand at all the chemistry between Alex and Eric. It seemed like they had sex because her pregnancy hormones, then he was there as comfort and a rock when she was in danger. I hated the whole plot premise of Alex being pregnant by her abusive ex who she is dealing with trying to have him sign away custody to the child, and for some wacky nonsensical reason Eric, this millionaire hockey player who doesn't work for his brother, is roped into being her fake boyfriend for a single tech conference? Then he's just around all the time after? It's so messy where she's not even a single mom to a toddler- she is fully still pregnant and sorting legal things out, then she has to deal with a newborn, she's supposedly launching this crazy venture that is outside her company's core business, is in actual danger, AND she's falling in love with Eric and Eric will now be her baby daddy? MESSY.
Then there's the whole espionage, spy thriller, action stuff complete with bugs, gunshots, corporate shadiness with international manufacturing that was just over the top for me. I suppose security romance was never much my thing, and colliding it here with hockey romance when I expected hockey romance was a lot, it's so forced from the billionaire owner and the hockey brother relationship. The romance aspect here would be the 1000th most interesting thing about this kind of situation and I would want more of an epic Succession-like unfolding of a story like this than a fluffy romance crammed throughout. The villain in this, the obligatory cliche with the gun and the assistant was so dumb, and the whole deal with her product launch and the manufacturing chips just didn't have a resolution at the end there. The baby popped out, but that's about it.
I'd still want to read the continuation of the hockey romances with Bess the agent/sister of Dave, later the excitable rookie cousin Anton Bayer and so on. But I'm not sure about this series. Max is all mysterious and most probably unappealing for me from his past and present dealings, Xian Smith will pop up again somewhere (hate that there's one Asian character, and of course he's a villain some sort of Chinese spy person, ugh), Duff the rookie security is nice enough. I'll probably end up giving the books a go as they come along.
ADD: Also realized didn't even mention Eric's goings-on, where he's sidelined with ACL surgery and ends up retiring, his process going through that and becoming fully Alex's partner and helps with the baby, was there around the thriller suspense stuff. LOL.
This romance pairing is between Eric Bayer, 34 year old forward in the Brooklyn Bruisers, and his childhood friend Alex Engels, high powered CEO of a billionaire cable and tech company. Eric's brother and father run a secretive billionaire security firm that seems to do shady cybersecurity stuff and manufacture future tech-y products, but they also seem to have high profile important clients to do security for too? It's so vague and unclear which really annoys me. Then Alex runs the cable company her father was CEO of, so it's technically a family-run giant conglomerate ala Succession dramatics, but she's also developing an Alexa-like butler robot device called Bingley that has customer security and privacy as its main selling point? It's all weird.
I really dislike it when romance books have a corporate world billionaire or security work as a backdrop, that's just there to make it seem cool and sexy, and it's all vague and unrealistic to the point that it takes me out of the story. Rather than all of this crazy imagining into a world us mere plebs wouldn't be able to even verify the accuracy of, I'd rather read a story with like, a florist and a farmer in a local farmer's market instead. Plus putting aside all that, having the people that run these world-dominating tech and security firms is NOT cool and sexy for me, not in the current times we live in. Even back from Nate Kattenberger's book depicting him as a Elon Musk-ish cute cool eccentric billionaire, I was already scratching my head. I'm just imagining bugs and monitoring protocols on the phones Nate gives to his hockey players, imagining Eric's brother Max's firm selling software programs that run the drones that bomb civilians in Yemen, building spyware competing with China's developing domestic surveillance program, Alex as a Shiv Roy type from Succession who has had to do unethical nasty shit for the family firm, even her stupid Bingley thing touting privacy... Ugh.
Anyway, aside from my problems with the setting and depiction of the characters' world, the romance development also had its issues. I didn't really understand at all the chemistry between Alex and Eric. It seemed like they had sex because her pregnancy hormones, then he was there as comfort and a rock when she was in danger. I hated the whole plot premise of Alex being pregnant by her abusive ex who she is dealing with trying to have him sign away custody to the child, and for some wacky nonsensical reason Eric, this millionaire hockey player who doesn't work for his brother, is roped into being her fake boyfriend for a single tech conference? Then he's just around all the time after? It's so messy where she's not even a single mom to a toddler- she is fully still pregnant and sorting legal things out, then she has to deal with a newborn, she's supposedly launching this crazy venture that is outside her company's core business, is in actual danger, AND she's falling in love with Eric and Eric will now be her baby daddy? MESSY.
Then there's the whole espionage, spy thriller, action stuff complete with bugs, gunshots, corporate shadiness with international manufacturing that was just over the top for me. I suppose security romance was never much my thing, and colliding it here with hockey romance when I expected hockey romance was a lot, it's so forced from the billionaire owner and the hockey brother relationship. The romance aspect here would be the 1000th most interesting thing about this kind of situation and I would want more of an epic Succession-like unfolding of a story like this than a fluffy romance crammed throughout. The villain in this, the obligatory cliche with the gun and the assistant was so dumb, and the whole deal with her product launch and the manufacturing chips just didn't have a resolution at the end there. The baby popped out, but that's about it.
I'd still want to read the continuation of the hockey romances with Bess the agent/sister of Dave, later the excitable rookie cousin Anton Bayer and so on. But I'm not sure about this series. Max is all mysterious and most probably unappealing for me from his past and present dealings, Xian Smith will pop up again somewhere (hate that there's one Asian character, and of course he's a villain some sort of Chinese spy person, ugh), Duff the rookie security is nice enough. I'll probably end up giving the books a go as they come along.
ADD: Also realized didn't even mention Eric's goings-on, where he's sidelined with ACL surgery and ends up retiring, his process going through that and becoming fully Alex's partner and helps with the baby, was there around the thriller suspense stuff. LOL.
This review was originally posted on Andi's ABCs
So far my all time favorite book in the Brooklyn Bruiser universe has been Brooklynaire. I loved that the moment I read and I loved it even more when I read it again. So I was super excited to hear we were getting a book about Alex, a friend of Nate that appeared in Brooklynaire. She had an interesting character arc in Nate's story so I was curious where that would lead. Well in Moonlighter we find out and let me tell you it was worth the wait. Alex's journey is amazing and seeing her interact with Bayer was even better. The two of them together definitely brought out sides the other needed to show. They were a fantastic couple that had oodles of chemistry and were a pleasure to read. You could really see their history when they were around each other and I for one loved that, that natural vibe between them. I do think the book was a tad long with some stuff happening that didn't feel needed, and some stuff I still want answers on (I hope that is to come in more books), but all in all it was a seriously fun read and one I think you need to pick up.
So far my all time favorite book in the Brooklyn Bruiser universe has been Brooklynaire. I loved that the moment I read and I loved it even more when I read it again. So I was super excited to hear we were getting a book about Alex, a friend of Nate that appeared in Brooklynaire. She had an interesting character arc in Nate's story so I was curious where that would lead. Well in Moonlighter we find out and let me tell you it was worth the wait. Alex's journey is amazing and seeing her interact with Bayer was even better. The two of them together definitely brought out sides the other needed to show. They were a fantastic couple that had oodles of chemistry and were a pleasure to read. You could really see their history when they were around each other and I for one loved that, that natural vibe between them. I do think the book was a tad long with some stuff happening that didn't feel needed, and some stuff I still want answers on (I hope that is to come in more books), but all in all it was a seriously fun read and one I think you need to pick up.
"That’s where I’d rather put my tongue, damn it. Forget the ice cream. This is going to be the longest week of my life."
Moonlighter was my introduction to Sarina Bowen's writing, and an early Christmas present, so I just had to dive right in. And... the book is freaking amazing! I loved it all: the romance, the Company, the action sequences... what's not to love?
But look... where can I find me an Eric? If anyone knows, please message me.
"Maybe it makes me a sap, but none of the bad shit matters quite so much when you’re curled up around a woman who makes you smile."
I mean... Eric has it all. He's hot, he's a hockey player, he's so funny I was laughing out loud at times (his conversations with the Butler are hilarious), he's super protective and he is as grumpy as he is sweet.
"My response to a kiss on the cheek is pretty extreme. If he kissed me for real, I’d probably combust."
I love Alex, and I wish I were her. She is ultra professional, a programmer, and she manages her company in a men's world, without most people realizing how smart she is. She is strong, she is assertive, she is feisty. She is absolutely awesome!
When Alex needs someone to accompany her to Hawaii, she turns to Max, Eric's brother, and The Company, his high-end security firm. And she gets Eric for five nights, and a lot more than she bargained for. Yeap, time for some seriously steamy moments.
And when Alex's newest tech development is in jeopardy due to sabotage and hacking, you see some pretty great action scenes. It doesn't take your focus away from the romance as much as it adds to it.
"Life happens. And much of it is beautiful."
They're so perfect together. I adored the banter, the chemistry between them was scorching hot, and the way you see their relationship progressing is incredible. You can see the walls coming down and you know where this is going, but you can't stop reading. I seriously forgot I needed to have dinner today because of this book!
"Once I stopped fighting it, I realized he could be my reality. I love him. He’s here to stay. And the rest of it is really just noise."
Their happily ever after is one of the sweetest I've ever read. They sort of fit together, and they're just right for each other. It's perfect.
I loved this so much! Bring on the next books!
Moonlighter was my introduction to Sarina Bowen's writing, and an early Christmas present, so I just had to dive right in. And... the book is freaking amazing! I loved it all: the romance, the Company, the action sequences... what's not to love?
But look... where can I find me an Eric? If anyone knows, please message me.
"Maybe it makes me a sap, but none of the bad shit matters quite so much when you’re curled up around a woman who makes you smile."
I mean... Eric has it all. He's hot, he's a hockey player, he's so funny I was laughing out loud at times (his conversations with the Butler are hilarious), he's super protective and he is as grumpy as he is sweet.
"My response to a kiss on the cheek is pretty extreme. If he kissed me for real, I’d probably combust."
I love Alex, and I wish I were her. She is ultra professional, a programmer, and she manages her company in a men's world, without most people realizing how smart she is. She is strong, she is assertive, she is feisty. She is absolutely awesome!
When Alex needs someone to accompany her to Hawaii, she turns to Max, Eric's brother, and The Company, his high-end security firm. And she gets Eric for five nights, and a lot more than she bargained for. Yeap, time for some seriously steamy moments.
And when Alex's newest tech development is in jeopardy due to sabotage and hacking, you see some pretty great action scenes. It doesn't take your focus away from the romance as much as it adds to it.
"Life happens. And much of it is beautiful."
They're so perfect together. I adored the banter, the chemistry between them was scorching hot, and the way you see their relationship progressing is incredible. You can see the walls coming down and you know where this is going, but you can't stop reading. I seriously forgot I needed to have dinner today because of this book!
"Once I stopped fighting it, I realized he could be my reality. I love him. He’s here to stay. And the rest of it is really just noise."
Their happily ever after is one of the sweetest I've ever read. They sort of fit together, and they're just right for each other. It's perfect.
I loved this so much! Bring on the next books!
4.5 stars
I'm embarrassed to admit that it took me so long to read this one. I'm just not generally a huge fan of the pregnancy/baby trope and will admit that I was initially turned off when I found out who the heroine was. Fans of the series will remember Alex from Brooklynaire. I am so protective of my beloved Nate and Becca (I love them forever and ever), that Alex just rubbed me the wrong way. Leave it to Sarina Bowen though to make me eat my words. LOL Moonlighter was just the book I needed - a fun, hilarious, sexy, and action packed story. The scenes played out like a movie in my mind and I was wrapped up in the mystery and action as much as the romance. This is technically the first book in The Company series and can be read as a standalone, but it's a Brooklyn series spin off and features characters from those books.
I loved that Eric and Alex knew each other as children and then reconnected. It added a wonderful layer to their story and made their interactions even more meaningful and fun. Eric had me blushing and giggling through so much of the book. Their chemistry was amazing and I loved the playful back and forth and build up between them. I also appreciated that they didn't let misunderstandings or silly drama get in the way. Yes, there are some missteps, but overall they faced their concerns and fears head on.
It did take me a bit to wrap my head around the timeline in Moonlighter though, since the events of this book occur after main events in Brooklynaire and then around the same time as Overnight Sensation. Sarina Bowen wove all the details and threads together though in such a masterful way. (Many thanks to my friend Claudia for helping me keep all the timelines straight too!)
The first book in a series always has the hardest job, since it has to lay the foundation for all the books to come. Moonlighter did this beautifully though and was a fantastic introduction to the Company and all of the amazing new characters. I'm 100% ready for Max and Scout to have a book now and also one for Duff ;) The ending was the perfect way to bring the story full circle and I can't wait for more!
I'm embarrassed to admit that it took me so long to read this one. I'm just not generally a huge fan of the pregnancy/baby trope and will admit that I was initially turned off when I found out who the heroine was. Fans of the series will remember Alex from Brooklynaire. I am so protective of my beloved Nate and Becca (I love them forever and ever), that Alex just rubbed me the wrong way. Leave it to Sarina Bowen though to make me eat my words. LOL Moonlighter was just the book I needed - a fun, hilarious, sexy, and action packed story. The scenes played out like a movie in my mind and I was wrapped up in the mystery and action as much as the romance. This is technically the first book in The Company series and can be read as a standalone, but it's a Brooklyn series spin off and features characters from those books.
I loved that Eric and Alex knew each other as children and then reconnected. It added a wonderful layer to their story and made their interactions even more meaningful and fun. Eric had me blushing and giggling through so much of the book. Their chemistry was amazing and I loved the playful back and forth and build up between them. I also appreciated that they didn't let misunderstandings or silly drama get in the way. Yes, there are some missteps, but overall they faced their concerns and fears head on.
It did take me a bit to wrap my head around the timeline in Moonlighter though, since the events of this book occur after main events in Brooklynaire and then around the same time as Overnight Sensation. Sarina Bowen wove all the details and threads together though in such a masterful way. (Many thanks to my friend Claudia for helping me keep all the timelines straight too!)
The first book in a series always has the hardest job, since it has to lay the foundation for all the books to come. Moonlighter did this beautifully though and was a fantastic introduction to the Company and all of the amazing new characters. I'm 100% ready for Max and Scout to have a book now and also one for Duff ;) The ending was the perfect way to bring the story full circle and I can't wait for more!
Good story.
Pushing away a bit from both at times.
Heroine is pregnant with exes baby.
Hero is connected to previous series, hockey player.
No intimate scenes with anyone other than the Hero and heroine.
Ex drama for heroine.
HEA.
Pushing away a bit from both at times.
Heroine is pregnant with exes baby.
Hero is connected to previous series, hockey player.
No intimate scenes with anyone other than the Hero and heroine.
Ex drama for heroine.
HEA.