Brooklynaire
The blurb for Brooklynaire says ‘standalone’, and it is – technically. There’s nothing in this book that you won’t understand if you’ve not read any of Ms. Bowen’s Brooklyn Bruisers series about this ragtag hockey team from Brooklyn. However, the central relationship has been building throughout the previous books and I know my love for it was richer because I’ve been waiting for this one. That’s right, fellow fans. This is Nate and Becca’s book.
*cue gleeful giggles* When this thing hit my ereader I gasped with delight so loudly that my husband thought something was wrong. Knowing he would not understand, I texted my best friend who is also a devotee of this series. “I HAVE NATE AND BECCA’S BOOK” and she came immediately back with a gif of Kermit flailing with joy.
Sorry – got a bit ahead of myself. *clears throat* Here’s the summary.
Nate Kattenberger is the genius tech wizard who owns the Brooklyn Bruisers hockey team. Rebecca Rowley has been his right hand woman since he was working out of a one-room loft using on cardboard boxes as furniture, and they have been in love with each other for approximately the same length of time. Approximately because when they first met, Nate was engaged. That quickly broke up, and he and Rebecca been dating emotionally ever since.
Not that either one of them has ever admitted it.
The catalyst for this story is that Becca sustains a head injury and ends up having to take time off of work and Nate immediately oversteps boss boundaries and moves her into his apartment so that she can be taken care of. He wants her watched over by his version of Tony Stark’s Jarvis, as well as his cook. Becca normally lives with her sister, the sister’s boyfriend, and their baby and it’s a little… crowded and certainly not ideal for healing from a concussion. So sleeping in Nate’s guest room and being pampered by his chef is not the worst idea.
Of course, while all of this is happening, the Bruisers are in the playoffs. Not only is that so hard for Becca – who wants to be present for her team and her boys – it’s hard on Nate to be away from her. One event leads to another and they realize that their unrequited love is not really so unrequited after all.
I adored this book – clearly – and I got everything I wanted out of this story. Ms. Bowen spends some time in flashbacks, helping us understand the phases of Nate and Becca’s relationship and how they came to be such good friends. Each of those chapters felt like gifts and made me wish every friends-to-lovers story I read in the future will give me glimpses into the foundations of the friendship as well as the romance.
If you’re a fan of boss-employee and/or friends-to-lovers stories, I think you’ll really love Brooklynaire. If you’ve read any of the Bruisers books, then it is exactly what you’ve been waiting for.
Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes and Noble/iBooks/Kobo
Recent Comments
I had read positive reviews for this author here so I gave this audio book a try. I liked the voices very much and also the the third person story teller parts that dealt with the main characters pasts. That was a clever plot device.
So why was this a DNF for me?
** Possible spoiler alert **
I got irritated when Becca waffled one too many times and then came the late plot surprise – completely unnecessary (I figured out what it was well before it got revealed; such a tired and overused story line) and I simply stopped caring at that point. I don’t know if there is a word count requirement for these books but it just started feeling like the end had to be drawn out for some reason. The book could have ended with an HEA right there, without that surprise.
It’s a lament I have for many romance novels, that there are issues brought up late in the game that are simply not required to make it a good story and often feel like the author was ticking off some list of must-haves or something.
Last week there was an Ask about the worst ending to a series and, while I know it’s not technically the last book in the Brooklyn Bruisers series, I mentioned how let down I was by BROOKLYNAIRE because Nate & Becca’s story had threaded through all the previous Brooklyn Bruiser books and Bowen had really set up their story as being the pinnacle of the series. When BROOKLYNAIRE finally arrived, it felt lethargic and most of the drama completely manufactured. I coined the term “BROOKLYNAIRE Syndrome” for any time we’ve waited so long for a particular couple’s book that when it finally arrives, it’s a bit of a letdown
I enjoyed this. It is an utter fairy tale–in the best way contemporary romance novels can be. And, I learned that one can now do legally accepted paternity tests in the first trimester of pregnancy. That’s amazing to me!
Love love love this book!! It was my first Bruisers novel and I felt like it was utterly complete, I didn’t feel that I was missing out on any detail. I also enjoyed the flashbacks, to me they gave the book a bit of a fairy tale feel. Nate and Rebecca are perfect for each other, and the chemistry is strong. The audio of it is perfection, too, fyi. I’ve listened 5 or 6 times since it came out, and loved it each time. If you enjoy CR or hockey romance you will LOVE this. Promise!!
Just read this, Loved it. I read it as a stand-alone and didn’t feel I was missing anything.
This sounds fantastic, Kristen. I’m going to look into it.