Sunday Spotlight is a feature we began in 2016. This year we’re spotlighting our favorite books, old and new. We’ll be raving about the books we love and being total fangirls. You’ve been warned. 🙂
This week’s Sunday Spotlight is a book that we enjoyed big time here at Book Binge. Sarina Bowen has really upped her game lately and she’s been releasing some pretty great romances. Pipe Dreams is no exception.
Pipe Dreams by Sarina Bowen
Series: Brooklyn Bruisers #3
Also in this Series: Rookie Mistake, Hard Hitter
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Berkley
A goalie has to trust his instincts, even when taking a shot to the heart…
Mike Beacon is a champion at defending the net, but off the ice, he’s not so lucky. A widower and a single father, he’s never forgotten Lauren Williams, the ex who gave him the best year of his life. When Lauren reappears in the Bruisers office during the playoffs, Beacon sees his chance to make things right.
Lauren hates that she’s forced to travel with the team she used to work for and the man who broke her heart. There’s still undeniable sexual tension running between her and Mike, but she won’t go down that road again. She’s focused on her plans for the future—she doesn’t need a man to make her dreams of motherhood come true.
Lauren plays her best defensive game, but she’s no match for the dark-eyed goalie. When the field of play moves to Florida, things heat up on the beach.
One of Mike’s biggest fans doesn’t approve—his teenage daughter. But a true competitor knows not to waste the perfect shot at love.
Mike and Lauren were a fabulous couple and their second chance romance is one that should be on your keeper shelf. Keep reading to find out why we think Pipe Dreams is a winner!
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Mike and Lauren’s story is a second chance romance. It will flood your heart with feels. You won’t be able to stop yourself from falling in love with them both. If you read the previous books and weren’t a fan of Lauren, I promise that will change after reading this one.
Excerpt
Startled, Lauren’s brain tried to make sense of the picture. Mike Beacon had his tux jacket over one arm, and a wine bucket in his hand. His bow tie was undone, and the top couple of shirt buttons, too. Lauren got a glimpse of the tan skin at his throat, and a dusting of chest hair below that.
When he spotted her standing there by the door, he did a double take. “Hi,” he said, his face breaking into a smile. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“My apologies,” Lauren snapped, since snappishness was her only weapon when they were in the same room. “I didn’t mean to startle you in my hotel room.”
“No problem,” he said, his smile widening. “Come in and take a load off.”
That’s when Lauren’s head almost exploded. “How did you get in here? Wait—I don’t even care how. Just go, okay? It’s been a long day.”
He moved, and she scooted away from the door to give him a wide berth. But instead of heading for the door, he walked into the bedroom. What the hell? Stunned, Lauren just gaped at the open doorway. The sound of a cork popping was the next one she heard.
“Forgot the glasses,” he muttered. Mike reappeared, looking as handsome as he ever had in his life. But this time it only made her fingers itch to punch him. He trotted over to a cabinet against the wall and plucked two champagne flutes off a shelf.
“Mike!” Lauren spat as he turned his back and headed into the bedroom.
“Yes, Lo?”
Her blood would probably boil over any second now. “This is not your room! Take your wine and hightail it back to wherever you’re staying.” She stomped over to the bedroom doorway just to try to make sense of this odd scene.
He sat calmly on the edge of the bed, bottle in hand, pouring a glass of champagne. It was Moet & Chandon. Our brand, her traitorous memory offered up. Lauren licked her lips unconsciously. She’d always loved champagne. “The first glass is for you,” he said quietly, holding it out.
Although she had an urge to grab it and guzzle it down, she resisted. “I don’t know what you’re playing at. But stop, okay? You can’t bluff your way into my room and pretend the last two years didn’t happen.”
His big brown eyes took measure of hers. He set the glass down on the bedside table and picked up the empty one, filling it slowly so that it wouldn’t bubble over. “I’m not playing,” he said quietly. “I’m well aware that the last two years happened, and they were terrible.” He set the second glass down and placed the bottle carefully into the ice bucket on the floor.
When he straightened up again, he began unbuttoning his shirt. “But we’re both here and I have missed you. So here I am, Lo. Come and have a glass of champagne with me, because you’re the only one in the whole goddamn state of Florida that I want to talk to, anyway. What are we waiting for?” His face was dead serious, that handsome cleft chin pointing at her, waiting.
Lauren stood in the doorway, feeling agitated. He made it sound so easy. She was still too angry to just go along with this little fantasy. “Maybe I wore the dress just to make a point. It’s not like you don’t deserve it.”
He nodded slowly. Then he picked up both glasses and offered her one.
She shook her head.
Mike took a sip of one of them, then he closed his eyes in pleasure. “There hasn’t been enough champagne in my life lately,” he said, taking a second sip. “Not much to celebrate.”
“Likewise,” she said, because twisting the knife was something she did often when he was around.
He eyed her over the rim of the glass. “See, I considered that maybe you wore that dress just to piss me off.” He took another sip of champagne, and she watched his throat work as he swallowed it, his Adam’s apple bobbing. A dark dusting of stubble on his rugged jaw was visible even from this distance, and her traitorous mind wondered how rough it would feel under her hand.
Lauren’s mouth watered, and she wasn’t sure if the cause was the wine, or the man drinking it.
“. . . But then I realized that can’t be it,” he mused, admiring the tiny bubbles rising up the sides of his glass. “The Lauren I know isn’t a bitter person. She wouldn’t torture me, even if I deserved it. So I decided I was right the first time—the dress was a summons. An olive branch. I accept, baby. Have some champagne and sit with me.” He patted the bed beside him. Her bed. In her private suite. How did he even get in here?
“Let me get this straight,” she said through a throat constricted by anger and surprise. “Either I jump on your dick in gratitude, or I’ve become an angry, bitter person?”
His eyes flared with both heat and amusement. “That’s an oversimplification, but I do like the sound of that first thing.”
She folded her arms in front of her chest, clasping her elbows to prevent her hands from shaking. Every nerve ending in her body was standing at attention. So this is what fight-or-flight feels like. “Maybe I didn’t mean to make a statement, Michael. Maybe it’s just a dress.”
Slowly, he shook his head, his glimmering eyes fixed on hers. “It’s not just a dress. And I’m not just some guy you used to date. A lot went wrong between us, and I take all the blame, okay? But we’re both here. Right now. Just us.” He stood up suddenly, grabbing the other glass of champagne off the table and stepping toward her. “Please.” He held out the glass. “There’s eleven hours until we get on the bus to the airport. Spend them with me.”
Oh man do we love these two around these parts. I’m pretty sure we look like this:
You can look like that too when you read this book. We highly recommend this book so you guys should get on that if you haven’t already…Mike and Lauren rock!
Brooklyn Bruisers
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About the Author
Sarina Bowen
Sarina Bowen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. She lives in Vermont’s Green Mountains with her family, six chickens and too much ski gear and hockey equipment.
In 2016, Sarina became a Rita Award winner! The Romance Writers of America honored HIM by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy with Best Contemporary Romance, Mid-Length.
The new Alice Clayton drops this week, so I’m pretty pumped about that. I think it’s called “Buns”? They’ve got food puns for days…
There’s actually a lot of good releases this month, which is rather bad for my wallet
I received this book as a Mother’s Day gift and it’s sitting on top of the pile calling my name! Thanks for the review, Rowena.
Love this excerpt ! Ice had this book on my wishlist for awhile.
Penny Reid released her newest Knitting in the City book, Dating~ish, that was tops on my list!