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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
relaxing
medium-paced
3.5 star read for me. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrators, their voices flowed great together.
I think this is my favorite of the series to date. I wasn't sure what to expect from Lauren, since she was pretty uptight in the previous books. I really came to enjoy her. Mike was a solid, stand-up kind of guy. He was easy to like, and to trust. Bowen continues to hit big with this series.
https://celebrityreaders.com/2017/05/02/pipe-dreams-by-sarina-bowen/
4.5 stars -- I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
This one is going to be a hard one to review. Because I loved so much of it, even if I can see potential pitfalls for others. There's a teeny tiny part of me that thinks that things progressed too smoothly, or worked out too well, or was just too convenient at times. But you know what? I found I just didn't care. Because sometimes life does just work out at the right moments. It doesn't have to be all super angsty, sometimes relationships can move forward without huge devastating roadblocks. Which is not to say that Mike and Lauren didn't have roadblocks, it just seemed like some of the turns in the plot felt a little convenient.
I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about Lauren. I mean, she really comes across as a witch with a b in the other two books. And I'm not entirely sure I buy the transition to the Lauren we discover in this book, but, again, I'm not sure how much I care. A part of me wishes I'd known more of what was going on in her head when she was being not so nice to the girls. There were definitely explanations given for her uptight attitude, and they worked to an extent, I just wanted a wee bit more. BUT if you ignore her from the other books, then just Lauren from this book was actually pretty awesome. I hated to read about everything that happened to her as a result of her relationship with Mike and subsequent breakup. I could totally see it happening too, and how it would irrevocably change her. But I loved that she was so smart and really went after the things she desired in life. And I loved that she didn't compromise those aspects of herself when things started to change with Mike.
Regardless of the bad choices Mike made surrounding the breakup with Lauren, I can still sympathize with him while still thinking he was a bit of a bonehead. Just like with Lauren, despite how much you hurt with her about the past, he still manages to bulldoze his way into your heart. He was such an intriguing hero actually. Such single minded determination yo. Once he got his head out of his butt, he really turned on the charm and went after what he wanted. And he was funny, and sweet, and charming, but not in a smarmy way you know? You just couldn't help but love him. He made me laugh, and as such he got away with some pretty outrageous behavior at times. I keep shaking my head at him, but I'm still sold.
Their chemistry was seriously solid too, making for some epic steamy scenes. You really just wanted to root for them, you know?
And there was lots of delicious hockey in this one. As a hockey fan who is currently entrenched in playoff season, this was a perfect read for me.
Fabulous secondary character support as usual. Loved Hans. Nice to see all our favourite past characters making appearances as well. And just so you know Ms Bowen, that wasn't enough for Nate & Becca. I still politely plead for at least a novella. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! In fact, I wouldn't mind a Silas book too...just saying. You know, not being greedy or anything, noooooo....
So yeah, even though some things felt a little too smooth in the plot, I was still a happy little reader. Sometimes you just want to read about love winning, you know?
4.5 stars -- I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
This one is going to be a hard one to review. Because I loved so much of it, even if I can see potential pitfalls for others. There's a teeny tiny part of me that thinks that things progressed too smoothly, or worked out too well, or was just too convenient at times. But you know what? I found I just didn't care. Because sometimes life does just work out at the right moments. It doesn't have to be all super angsty, sometimes relationships can move forward without huge devastating roadblocks. Which is not to say that Mike and Lauren didn't have roadblocks, it just seemed like some of the turns in the plot felt a little convenient.
I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about Lauren. I mean, she really comes across as a witch with a b in the other two books. And I'm not entirely sure I buy the transition to the Lauren we discover in this book, but, again, I'm not sure how much I care. A part of me wishes I'd known more of what was going on in her head when she was being not so nice to the girls. There were definitely explanations given for her uptight attitude, and they worked to an extent, I just wanted a wee bit more. BUT if you ignore her from the other books, then just Lauren from this book was actually pretty awesome. I hated to read about everything that happened to her as a result of her relationship with Mike and subsequent breakup. I could totally see it happening too, and how it would irrevocably change her. But I loved that she was so smart and really went after the things she desired in life. And I loved that she didn't compromise those aspects of herself when things started to change with Mike.
Regardless of the bad choices Mike made surrounding the breakup with Lauren, I can still sympathize with him while still thinking he was a bit of a bonehead. Just like with Lauren, despite how much you hurt with her about the past, he still manages to bulldoze his way into your heart. He was such an intriguing hero actually. Such single minded determination yo. Once he got his head out of his butt, he really turned on the charm and went after what he wanted. And he was funny, and sweet, and charming, but not in a smarmy way you know? You just couldn't help but love him. He made me laugh, and as such he got away with some pretty outrageous behavior at times. I keep shaking my head at him, but I'm still sold.
Their chemistry was seriously solid too, making for some epic steamy scenes. You really just wanted to root for them, you know?
And there was lots of delicious hockey in this one. As a hockey fan who is currently entrenched in playoff season, this was a perfect read for me.
Fabulous secondary character support as usual. Loved Hans. Nice to see all our favourite past characters making appearances as well. And just so you know Ms Bowen, that wasn't enough for Nate & Becca. I still politely plead for at least a novella. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! In fact, I wouldn't mind a Silas book too...just saying. You know, not being greedy or anything, noooooo....
So yeah, even though some things felt a little too smooth in the plot, I was still a happy little reader. Sometimes you just want to read about love winning, you know?
Review can also be found at My Midnight Musing
Pipe Dreams is the third installment to the Brooklyn Bruisers. It’s a story that truly highlights the highs and lows of a second chance romance. It’s not easy to open up your heart to the same person that shattered it and Pipe Dreams explores the harsh reality of that love. Yes, it can be beautiful, but you cannot ignore the aching longing, the loneliness, and anger that also comes with these second chances. Ultimately, this is a story of two people that are forced to fight for their love.
We briefly meet Lauren in Hard-Hitter, and you could feel the cold bitterness that oozed every time she came within proximity to the Bruisers organisation. At first glance, Lauren is not someone you would call a friend. However, beneath that cold exterior, we have a woman that is still healing from a wound so deep that she’s made her skin unpenetrable. The only person she feels she can rely on is herself. It’s easy to sympathise with Lauren, and even easier to understand her anger at Mike. What is admirable about Lauren is her work ethic. This is a highly intelligent woman that has had to work her way from the bottom to the top on her own. This is a woman that has honed her skills and established herself as an indispensable member of Nate, the Bruiser’s owner’s, team. While she may thrive in her work life, Lauren is also working on building her own family. It’s safe to say that she has a lot on her plate and the last thing she needs is to be thrown back into the same organisation that took the happiest years of her life and shattered them.
Now, Mike. Where do we begin? In the previous installments of this series we learn that Mike is a widower and single father. He’s also the Brooklyn Bruisers goaltender. We find out early on that he left Lauren so that his teenage daughter could spend a few more moments with her mother before her passing. Being a single parent to a teenage girl is hard enough, but being one to a grieving teen is even harder. His life is centered on hockey and his daughter, believing that he will never get the chance to win back Lauren’s affections. However, fate, and Nate seem to have other plans and with Lauren temporarily back with the Bruisers organisation, Mike sees an opportunity to right the wrongs in his life. In the beginning, it did feel like Mike didn’t fully understand just how deeply his actions affected Lauren, which made it feel like she gave in to his advances a lot sooner than expected. However, as we get passed the physical connection between them and explore that emotional connection, it’s easy to see and feel just how deeply devoted they are to each other. There’s no justifying the harshness Mike’s choice, but you can see how he felt like he was caught between a rock and a hard place, despite the fact that he had more options than the ones he gave himself.
The romance in this book was breathtakingly painful and while it was easy for Lauren and Mike to rekindle the passion in their relationship, the emotional journey is a lot more complicated. Lauren is not going to give Mike her heart so freely, she needs time to rebuild that trust in him, and to make matters more complicated, we have Mike’s teenage daughter. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of the baby daddy/single parent trope, thankfully said teenage daughter was not as insufferable as I thought she’d be.
Pipe Dreams is an example of a perfect second chance romance. It’s not all hearts and flowers. It is a tangled web of messy and complicated emotions. However, there is no denying the connection and depth of the devotion between Mike and Lauren. These are two individuals that have to fight for their love, and in doing so, they strengthen and harness that love into something unbreakable.
Pipe Dreams is the third installment to the Brooklyn Bruisers. It’s a story that truly highlights the highs and lows of a second chance romance. It’s not easy to open up your heart to the same person that shattered it and Pipe Dreams explores the harsh reality of that love. Yes, it can be beautiful, but you cannot ignore the aching longing, the loneliness, and anger that also comes with these second chances. Ultimately, this is a story of two people that are forced to fight for their love.
We briefly meet Lauren in Hard-Hitter, and you could feel the cold bitterness that oozed every time she came within proximity to the Bruisers organisation. At first glance, Lauren is not someone you would call a friend. However, beneath that cold exterior, we have a woman that is still healing from a wound so deep that she’s made her skin unpenetrable. The only person she feels she can rely on is herself. It’s easy to sympathise with Lauren, and even easier to understand her anger at Mike. What is admirable about Lauren is her work ethic. This is a highly intelligent woman that has had to work her way from the bottom to the top on her own. This is a woman that has honed her skills and established herself as an indispensable member of Nate, the Bruiser’s owner’s, team. While she may thrive in her work life, Lauren is also working on building her own family. It’s safe to say that she has a lot on her plate and the last thing she needs is to be thrown back into the same organisation that took the happiest years of her life and shattered them.
Now, Mike. Where do we begin? In the previous installments of this series we learn that Mike is a widower and single father. He’s also the Brooklyn Bruisers goaltender. We find out early on that he left Lauren so that his teenage daughter could spend a few more moments with her mother before her passing. Being a single parent to a teenage girl is hard enough, but being one to a grieving teen is even harder. His life is centered on hockey and his daughter, believing that he will never get the chance to win back Lauren’s affections. However, fate, and Nate seem to have other plans and with Lauren temporarily back with the Bruisers organisation, Mike sees an opportunity to right the wrongs in his life. In the beginning, it did feel like Mike didn’t fully understand just how deeply his actions affected Lauren, which made it feel like she gave in to his advances a lot sooner than expected. However, as we get passed the physical connection between them and explore that emotional connection, it’s easy to see and feel just how deeply devoted they are to each other. There’s no justifying the harshness Mike’s choice, but you can see how he felt like he was caught between a rock and a hard place, despite the fact that he had more options than the ones he gave himself.
The romance in this book was breathtakingly painful and while it was easy for Lauren and Mike to rekindle the passion in their relationship, the emotional journey is a lot more complicated. Lauren is not going to give Mike her heart so freely, she needs time to rebuild that trust in him, and to make matters more complicated, we have Mike’s teenage daughter. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of the baby daddy/single parent trope, thankfully said teenage daughter was not as insufferable as I thought she’d be.
Pipe Dreams is an example of a perfect second chance romance. It’s not all hearts and flowers. It is a tangled web of messy and complicated emotions. However, there is no denying the connection and depth of the devotion between Mike and Lauren. These are two individuals that have to fight for their love, and in doing so, they strengthen and harness that love into something unbreakable.
Didnt mean for this to be my first book of the new year but here we are!!
I couldn’t stand Mike, Lauren was alright, and Mike’s daughter was a bit bratty and rude. Overall not great, but I’m committed to reading the whole series because I love Sarina Bowen’s work as a whole. This one was just a flop. Some emotional cheating in the past. Mike was fully committed to his marriage but admitted to flirting/flirty touching and having real emotions for Lauren BEFORE he found out his wife was cheating on him. It rubbed me the wrong way. .
Lauren Williams once thought that Mike Beacon was her one and only. In the midst of shopping for a house together, he suddenly ghosted her (not completely, but pretty much) and went back to his wife and child. His betrayal means that she hasn't completely trusted a man since then.
Mike knows that he screwed up. But when Lauren is pulled into helping with the PR for the Bruisers hockey team, the team that he's captain of, he's going to take full advantage and try to get back into her good graces.
There was So Much Angst in this book. Otherwise a good book but things got settled pretty quickly at the end for all of the emotions coming before that.
Mike knows that he screwed up. But when Lauren is pulled into helping with the PR for the Bruisers hockey team, the team that he's captain of, he's going to take full advantage and try to get back into her good graces.
There was So Much Angst in this book. Otherwise a good book but things got settled pretty quickly at the end for all of the emotions coming before that.