Guest Review: Hard Hitter by Sarina Bowen

Posted January 3, 2017 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

Guest Review: Hard Hitter by Sarina BowenReviewer: Tracy
Hard Hitter by Sarina Bowen
Series: Brooklyn Bruisers #2
Also in this series: Rookie Move, Rookie Move, Rookie Move, Hard Hitter , Pipe Dreams, Pipe Dreams, Pipe Dreams, Brooklynaire, Rookie Move, Overnight Sensation, Superfan , Superfan
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: January 3rd 2017
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four-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

He s a fighter in the rink, but he s about to learn that playing nice can help you score...

As team captain and enforcer, Patrick O'Doul puts the bruise in the Brooklyn Bruisers. But after years of hard hits, O'Doul is feeling the burn, both physically and mentally. He conceals his pain from his coach and trainers, but when his chronic hip injury becomes too obvious to ignore, they send him for sessions with the team s massage therapist.

After breaking up with her long-term boyfriend, Ari Bettini is in need of peace of mind. For now, she s decided to focus on her work: rehabilitating the Bruisers MVP. O'Doul is easy on the eyes, but his reaction to her touch is ice cold. Ari is determined to help O'Doul heal, but as the tension between them turns red hot, they both learn that a little TLC does the body good..."

Patrick O’Doul is the enforcer of the Brooklyn Bruisers hockey team.  He’s been playing for them for the past 10 years and he’d good at what he does.  He is afraid, however, of being thought to be incapable of doing his job because of injury or his age.  When he gets a hip flexor injury the trainers want him to see the team massage therapist but he hates being touched so he puts that off until they force him into it.  ‘

Ari is the team massage therapist and yoga instructor.  She loves her job and all the guys seem to love their massages so she can’t understand why Patrick has such an aversion to his appointments.  She has an inkling that he hates being touched but it’s not confirmed until she gets him on her table.  They have a rapport and Patrick seems to start to actually enjoy his time on Ari’s table.  He certainly likes her hands on him.

Patrick would love for there to be a relationship between him and Ari but her ex-boyfriend is a complete douche and treated her badly the last few years of their relationship.  She’s never been on her own and she thinks she needs to try it rather than jump into a relationship with Patrick.  Of course her head says one thing and her heart says another.

This was another great book by Sarina Bowen.  I love her books and look forward to opening one and getting involved in the characters lives.  After reading book one in the Brooklyn Bruisers series I was really looking forward to this one and I wasn’t disappointed.

Patrick was a really great guy.  Had he made some stupid mistakes that got him into trouble? Yes, but it didn’t make him a bad person. He was so good for Ari and she was so good for him I loved seeing the two together as they played off of each other so well.  They were also hotter than hell in bed which is always a plus (for them and the reader :)).

The story line that had to do with Ari’s ex was well done in my opinion.  It brought just enough tension to the story and to Ari and Patrick’s relationship but it didn’t go too far.  I also loved Patrick’s fellow hockey players. Their camaraderie and support of each other really brought a great feel to the book – more of a hockey family.  There was once scene when Patrick asks for team’s advice for romantic gestures – I about spit out my coffee I was laughing so hard when the suggestions were read.  The players as well as the suggestions were hilarious and I loved the friendship they shared.  Even if they weren’t all great friends at least they respected each other a great deal and that was awesome.

The love story is wonderful – Patrick’s quiet alpha maleness with Ari’s bouncy, out-going personality made for great reading.  This is a fabulous book and one I definitely recommend that you not miss.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

four-half-stars


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