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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
The circumstances in this book were just unbelievable for an HEA. Also, none of the characters are interesting. This series is not nearly as compelling as Bowen's others.
My favorite book of the series, after mainlining the whole thing. I have a fondness for hyper-efficient ambitious heroines who were Done Wrong, and Beacon had plenty of groveling to do to make it up to Lauren. That said, I kind of wish the groveling had happened a little... more? Like, the fact that he effectively ghosted her while they were apartment-hunting together in order to move back in with his ex-wife is... a pretty big deal. It's great that he finally apologized - two years later - but when you factor in that Lauren was getting shit from everyone and made into the bad guy in the situation, an apology doesn't really seem sufficient. Of course she has trust issues afterwards! And with that, one of the later developments, while fun, didn't seem like the greatest of ideas:
Spoiler
Beacon is a "shoot first, ask questions later" kind of guy, so sure, maybe it would strike him as a good idea to knock up his ex-girlfriend as part of the process of trying to get back together with her. But Lauren? Beacon effectively destroyed her life. While I can believe that she'd eventually take him back, the idea that she'd make a conscious decision to turn "having a baby" from an independent action to part of a "getting back with my ex" plan when she's been resistant to the very idea of getting back with him for the last couple of months is kind of ridiculous. Not to mention that Beacon's ex-wife died only a year ago and his daughter is still a mess about it. Come on. "Hey, I'm having a baby with the woman you think broke up your mom's and my marriage." How's that going to go? This is a bad decision.
lighthearted
fast-paced
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I really liked this book, mostly due to their relationship. It seemed unrealistic at times, but there was something simple & comforting about it.
Another Sarina Bowen win for me. These books just continue to be good. In this book we are looking at Beacon (a goalie) and Lauren. We added in the complication of a brooding and grieving daughter (of Beacon's) and a second chance at romance. This is one of the first times I have read a second chance romance that isn't long and drawn out. I mean, they decide to give it a go, and figure it out. They have pain from before, but move forward. I find the author's writing so compelling that I absolutely love this series!
“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.”
This book was definitely an "it's not you, it's me" kind of feel.
My own preference, a second chance romance it's always a hit and miss for me.
So I won't say I didn't enjoy this but it just wasn't for me.
The plotline at the beginning of course was a cross between a past and present.
Showing Mike and Lauren's past romance, how they got together and their happy times.
I would say it was pretty predictable and it wasn't just interesting enough for me to get hooked.
Like I'm happy for them and they cute but the story wasn't wow enough.
I do enjoy Elsa storyline in bits and pieces here and there.
On her journey with dealing with grief, family secrets, the relationship between her father and Lauren and her growing up as a teenager.
Is this for the hockey series? I want to know more about the other players though!
“I miss the hell out of you, that's all. I miss you so much it hurts.”
This book was definitely an "it's not you, it's me" kind of feel.
My own preference, a second chance romance it's always a hit and miss for me.
So I won't say I didn't enjoy this but it just wasn't for me.
The plotline at the beginning of course was a cross between a past and present.
Showing Mike and Lauren's past romance, how they got together and their happy times.
I would say it was pretty predictable and it wasn't just interesting enough for me to get hooked.
Like I'm happy for them and they cute but the story wasn't wow enough.
I do enjoy Elsa storyline in bits and pieces here and there.
On her journey with dealing with grief, family secrets, the relationship between her father and Lauren and her growing up as a teenager.
Is this for the hockey series? I want to know more about the other players though!
“I miss the hell out of you, that's all. I miss you so much it hurts.”
Listened to this on audio. The narrators were the same as the previous book in the series (Hard Hitter) (don't know if they are the same from the first one though). Really loved their narration and I look forward to listening to more from both of them.
Please forgive me, there may be a little mixing of details just because I read another book that had a similar enough plot, in certain areas, that I also listened to immediately after this one. I apologize if that happens.
Going into this, I wasn't that excited. Lauren, in Hard Hitter, was almost OTT rude for my liking. I don't mind a prickly heroine, I don't mind a heroine that has a hard exterior, who's been hurt and is just trying to protect herself. But there were moments in HH that just bugged me with Lauren. She couldn't even seem to be civil to the people she worked with. If she was cold, hard, and distant with just Mike, the wives/girlfriends who were rude to her, fine, on board with that but she was cold and rude to everyone. So I went into this expecting not to like Lauren and this would be just one of those books I have to get through to get to Nate and Becca's book.
Thankfully, I ended up really enjoying this and liking Lauren and Mike, for the most part.
Lauren is one of Nate's assistants, who works mostly in an office away from the hockey team, which suits her just fine because of her turbulent history with Mike Beacon and also her father was the fired coach of the Bruiser's. Lauren put herself through school by working in some capacity for the team when her father was a coach. It was during that time (8-10 years previously) that she met Mike. Both had an instant attraction but Mike was married. Something happened in Mike's marriage that made Mike leave and Lauren was his first stop. So naturally she's ticked and hurt and confused. I liked how during the 2 years Mike and Lauren weren't together, that she had been with other guys, she had tried to move on. It didn't work out but I liked that she didn't just wait around for Mike to get his head out of his ass.
Mike is a single father, now, and trying to balance his work, his daughter, and hopefully rekindling the romance between himself and Lauren. Mike was a great dad and I loved seeing him trying and succeeding in putting is daughter first. He had a great support system and made sure Elsa (his daughter) had a great support system around her too.
While Mike was a great dad, he had some questionable moments. For one, he had an emotional affair with Lauren for 8 years before Two, not communicating or making decisions for someone, especially someone you had been with almost 2 years really annoys me. Another thing, how did he not even get a whiff of what some of the other people were saying about his and Lauren's previous relationship? He was completely oblivious to everything and had no inkling of Lauren taking the brunt of the blame for his divorce.
And with Lauren after we find out what happened between Mike and Lauren, I didn't think it was reason enough for Lauren to act how she had with everyone; Mike yes, the few women who whispered and were rude to her, yes, everyone else, no! Now she wasn't that rude or cold in this book, it was mostly in Hard Hitter but what we found out here didn't justify it there.
Overall I did enjoy this, it was an entertaining read but I did have some problems here and there. I've been finding that I don't completely click with Sarina Bowen's writing, it's a writing style that I like when I'm listening to it on audio but it's difficult for me to read or get into in physical form.
Please forgive me, there may be a little mixing of details just because I read another book that had a similar enough plot, in certain areas, that I also listened to immediately after this one. I apologize if that happens.
Going into this, I wasn't that excited. Lauren, in Hard Hitter, was almost OTT rude for my liking. I don't mind a prickly heroine, I don't mind a heroine that has a hard exterior, who's been hurt and is just trying to protect herself. But there were moments in HH that just bugged me with Lauren. She couldn't even seem to be civil to the people she worked with. If she was cold, hard, and distant with just Mike, the wives/girlfriends who were rude to her, fine, on board with that but she was cold and rude to everyone. So I went into this expecting not to like Lauren and this would be just one of those books I have to get through to get to Nate and Becca's book.
Thankfully, I ended up really enjoying this and liking Lauren and Mike, for the most part.
Lauren is one of Nate's assistants, who works mostly in an office away from the hockey team, which suits her just fine because of her turbulent history with Mike Beacon and also her father was the fired coach of the Bruiser's. Lauren put herself through school by working in some capacity for the team when her father was a coach. It was during that time (8-10 years previously) that she met Mike. Both had an instant attraction but Mike was married. Something happened in Mike's marriage that made Mike leave and Lauren was his first stop.
Spoiler
The two got together but then, a year and a half later when something tragic comes up Mike breaks things off with Lauren, very shortly after the divorce from his wife is officially final, so he can take care of his ex-wife and their child (she's 8-10-ish at the time). Mike pulled the rug out from under Lauren by saying he wants to break up, before that they had both been talking about moving together to a different city and looking homes and having a future, maybe a child, together.Mike is a single father, now, and trying to balance his work, his daughter, and hopefully rekindling the romance between himself and Lauren. Mike was a great dad and I loved seeing him trying and succeeding in putting is daughter first. He had a great support system and made sure Elsa (his daughter) had a great support system around her too.
While Mike was a great dad, he had some questionable moments. For one, he had an emotional affair with Lauren for 8 years before
Spoiler
he caught his wife cheating on him with the tennis coach, Mike was very clearly done with his marriage long before his wife physically cheated.Spoiler
Mike just up and left, moving out of their place, to move back in with his sick wife without talking about it with Lauren, without trying to see if she would be willing to continue the relationship with him while he was dealing with this tragic turn of events. Lauren even mentions that she would have been willing to work around whatever schedule but they didn't have to break up and he just wouldn't even talk about it. Completely cutting her off.And with Lauren after we find out what happened between Mike and Lauren, I didn't think it was reason enough for Lauren to act how she had with everyone; Mike yes, the few women who whispered and were rude to her, yes, everyone else, no! Now she wasn't that rude or cold in this book, it was mostly in Hard Hitter but what we found out here didn't justify it there.
Overall I did enjoy this, it was an entertaining read but I did have some problems here and there. I've been finding that I don't completely click with Sarina Bowen's writing, it's a writing style that I like when I'm listening to it on audio but it's difficult for me to read or get into in physical form.
