Brooklynaire
by Sarina Bowen
About the book:
A sexy new standalone from USA Today bestseller Sarina Bowen. Book 4 in the Brooklyn Bruisers series.
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?
Buy Links:
⭐ Amazon: http://geni.us/AmazonBkln⭐ AmazonUK: http://geni.us/AmznUKBklyn ⭐ iBooks: http://geni.us/iBooksBkln ⭐ Kobo: http://geni.us/koboBkln⭐ Nook: http://geni.us/NookBkln
My Review:
3.25- 3.5 stars
***
This was a pretty good book. This is Nate and Becca's story. Their romance has kind of been hinted at and built up over the first three books in the series. Nate's a tech billionaire and owner of the Brooklyn Bruisers NFL team. Becca was his assistant for many years from when his company was just a start up and now helps him run the Bruiser team. The two of them have been friends/co-workers and had feelings for each other, but neither of them have acted on them because of their working relationship. One day, Becca falls on the ice and gets a concussion. She never fully recovers and starts having terrible episodes of imbalance and headaches, which turns out to be a vestibular system problem. Nate decides to get the best doctors to help her recover, moves her into his house and keeps a very close eye on her so she can get well. As they spend more time together, it gets harder to not act on their feelings until they finally admit them to each other. They have a long emotional road until they both feel comfortable being in a relationship with each other, but they do get their HEA.
I had pretty big expectations for Nate and Becca's story. They were both intriguing characters. It was obvious in the other books that they both had feelings for each other, but never acted on them, and that they would be perfect together. I was a little disappointed that this book didn't quite live up to my expectations. I did really love Nate. He was adorable, although slightly clueless about relationships. I expected to love Becca too, but she her behavior made her only okay for me. I did like the story though and I enjoyed the writing. It was also fun to see glimpses of the past couples from the series and the other Bruisers players.
There were a few things that kept this book from going from "pretty good" to "love it" for me. Becca does a lot of pushing away. Her excuses for doing so were pretty flimsy to me. I was frustrated by her behavior. And Nate was pretty beta so he let Becca lead the relationship. Together they were very polite to each other, but were afraid to be open, express their feelings, and let their guard down. There was so much pushing away and not very many happy times together to balance it out. It took them until 88% for both of them to decide to be "all in" together. Overall, I just never fully felt the love between them. It never fully developed for me because of too much hesitation. There is also some OW drama that I didn't love either.
Overall, while I liked this book, some parts more than others. I felt like it missed the mark for me a bit. Still, I really enjoy this series and I look forward to more from the Bruisers and Ms. Bowen!
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.
I had pretty big expectations for Nate and Becca's story. They were both intriguing characters. It was obvious in the other books that they both had feelings for each other, but never acted on them, and that they would be perfect together. I was a little disappointed that this book didn't quite live up to my expectations. I did really love Nate. He was adorable, although slightly clueless about relationships. I expected to love Becca too, but she her behavior made her only okay for me. I did like the story though and I enjoyed the writing. It was also fun to see glimpses of the past couples from the series and the other Bruisers players.
There were a few things that kept this book from going from "pretty good" to "love it" for me. Becca does a lot of pushing away. Her excuses for doing so were pretty flimsy to me. I was frustrated by her behavior. And Nate was pretty beta so he let Becca lead the relationship. Together they were very polite to each other, but were afraid to be open, express their feelings, and let their guard down. There was so much pushing away and not very many happy times together to balance it out. It took them until 88% for both of them to decide to be "all in" together. Overall, I just never fully felt the love between them. It never fully developed for me because of too much hesitation. There is also some OW drama that I didn't love either.
Overall, while I liked this book, some parts more than others. I felt like it missed the mark for me a bit. Still, I really enjoy this series and I look forward to more from the Bruisers and Ms. Bowen!
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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