Brooklynaire (Brooklyn Bruisers #4)by Sarina Bowen
Published by Rennie Road Books on February 12th, 2018.
Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Sports
ADD TO GOODREADS
You’d think a billion dollars, a professional hockey team and a six-bedroom mansion on the Promenade would satisfy a guy. You’d be wrong.
For seven years Rebecca has brightened my office with her wit and her smile. She manages both my hockey team and my sanity. I don’t know when I started waking in the night, craving her. All I know is that one whiff of her perfume ruins my concentration. And her laugh makes me hard.
When Rebecca gets hurt, I step in to help. It’s what friends do. But what friends don’t do is rip off each others’ clothes for a single, wild night together.
Now she’s avoiding me. She says we’re too different, and it can never happen again. So why can’t we keep our hands off each other?
I received a review copy courtesy of the author/publisher. This does not affect my opinion or views regarding the book whatsoever.
Brooklynaire is a sure treat for avid Sarina Bowen readers, especially those who love the Brooklyn Bruisers series. I recently binge-read the whole series, which has left me incredibly hungover and praying for this series to never end... and for Sarina Bowen to never stop writing.
In Brooklynaire, Sarina Bowen finally gives her readers what they've been screaming for: Nate and Rebecca's happy ever after.
This fourth Brooklyn Bruisers novel can be read as a standalone, but I
In the previous books, Sarina Bowen has teased her readers with glimpses of a possible budding romance between Nate--tech tycoon and owner of the Brooklyn Bruisers hockey team--and Rebecca--his assistant and the team's office manager. Fair warning; lots and lots of pining involved in this friends to lovers romance. It's so good, it just hurts so bad. Like a LANY song.
While these two aren't my favourite couple (Patrick and Ari all the way!), falling in love with Nate and Rebecca as individuals and as a couple are just too easy. Funnily enough, they're quite the definition of opposites attract. With Nate being the nerdy tech genius, who mostly likes to keep to himself and often gets lost in his own thought bubble, it's just so hard not to want to keep him in my pocket forever. Becca, on the other hand, is such a relatable character. Despite being quite the klutz, she's really good with looking after people and putting others' needs first, especially with Nate and her freeloading family.
The slow burn is real. First of all, Nate has been pining for Becca for seven years ever since she started working for him as his assistant, while she just has. No. Idea. It's such a struggle watching Nate pine for Becca because all you just want is to pray for Nate to finally confess his feelings. An opportunity arises when Becca injures herself quite seriously and Nate steps up to make sure she gets the best possible care i.e. making her stay in his mansion and getting checked by a head injury specialist. If that's not romantic, I don't know what is.
Brooklynaire will make you ooh and ahh over lots of witty banter, sweet stolen kisses, steamy hotel room romps... and hockey, of course. Meeting Bingley, the Siri-like robot system created by Nate (think Iron Man--Jarvis!), is also a treat! Everyone from the previous books makes a regular appearance too.
If you're a romance reader and haven't read this series, you're totally missing out. The Brooklyn Bruises series is incredibly addicting and unputdownable. Personally, I'd never want this series to end but Sarina Bowen does seem like she's got more tricks up her sleeve. All we gotta do is just... wait.
Buy links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble
READ AN EXCERPT
I grab a towel off a waiting stack of them and toss it onto the edge. “You can sit and put your feet in.”
She’s wearing a short little knit dress that’s been making me crazy all evening, so it would be easy enough for her to strip off those stockings, sit on the towel, and drop both feet in.
And that’s what she does. She eases one stocking down over a smooth knee and tugs it off.
I don’t want to stand there staring like a middle-school boy. Okay, I do want to. But I don’t want to make her uncomfortable. So I go over to the sound system instead, and I set my phone on the speaker and cue up a really old playlist. One she’ll recognize.
When I turn around again, she’s seated on the towel, both legs hanging down into the churning water. “Ah. Wow.” She looks up at me, her eyes sparkling. “Nice place you got here.”
“Isn’t it?” I toe off my shoes and kick them to the side.
The first song comes on, and it’s a Macklemore tune that we used to play far too often in our first office. Rebecca laughs immediately. “You didn’t! I haven’t heard this playlist in forever. But I’ll bet I still know every transition. Lady Gaga is next.”
“She sure is.”
Rebecca kicks her feet, making a splash. “I have a little confession to make.”
“What’s that?” I loosen my tie and slide the knot out.
“Well…” She grins up at me. “I used to have a crush on you. Back in the early days.”
My hands freeze on the tie silk. “Get out of town. You did not.”
“No, I really did.” Her cheeks are pink. “That first year especially. But you were taken, and you were my boss. Those two things made it pretty easy to tamp down, when you’re a practical girl like me.”
I walk over and drop down beside her, my back to the water, though, because I’m still wearing trousers and socks. “So how does that work, exactly?”
“What?” She gives me a sidelong glance, but then looks away again and won’t meet my eyes.
“How do you stop wanting someone? I’m a practical person, but I don’t see how that makes it any easier. Nothing seems to mute the raging attraction I have for you.”
Her chin turns quickly toward me, and I seize the opportunity to kiss her. And it only takes one kiss—one slide of my lips over hers, and I’m on fire again.
We’re facing opposite directions, so it’s awkward as hell. But I don’t even care. I take greedy sip after greedy sip of her mouth, until she pulls back to stare at me. Her color is high and her eyes are bright and happy. “This is like Twister.”
“It’s better,” I correct. Lady Gaga comes on, just as Becca said she would. “Are we getting into this pool or what?”
Becca kicks a foot in the water. “I’m tempted. But I don’t have a bathing suit.”
“Oh, snap.”
She smiles and shakes her head. “Are you really getting in?”
“We don’t have to.” I’m never going to pressure her.
Her fingers trail across the surface of the bubbling water. “But this is an adventure, right?”
“Right.” I stand up and remove my socks. She’s watching me. And I can’t read her expression. “What?”
“Just wondering what else you’re going to take off.” She smiles.
“Come here.” The order rolls off my tongue.
But Rebecca doesn’t blink. She gets up and turns toward me, curiosity in her eyes.
“You tell me. What am I taking off?”
She puts two hands tentatively on my chest, and I make myself be patient. Everything I ever wanted is on the other side of this moment. I just need us to break through this awkwardness—the “will we or won’t we” tension.
Her fingers find the top button of my shirt. “I’m not getting in the water unless you are.”
That’s a compromise I can live with. I find my lower shirt buttons and work upwards, until we meet in the middle. She pushes the two halves of my shirt apart and runs a hand down my bare chest.
My inner caveman stands up and cheers.
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ABOUT SARINA BOWEN
Sarina Bowen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and New Adult fiction from the wilds of New England. Sarina enjoys skiing, coffee products and a nice glass of wine. She lives with her family, six chickens and more ski gear and hockey equipment than seems necessary.
Her Ivy Years and Brooklyn Bruisers books are hockey romance novels. These two connected series began breaking hearts in 2014 with The Year We Fell Down. Her book HIM co-written with Elle Kennedy won the Romance Writers of America's RITA® Award.
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