Author: Sarina Bowen (Page 1 of 5)

BOOK REVIEWS: How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams & The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen

BOOK REVIEWS: How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams & The Five Year Lie by Sarina BowenHow to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

One daring to-do list and a crash course in flirtation turn a Type A overachiever’s world upside down.

When her flailing department lands on the university's chopping block, Professor Naya Turner’s friends convince her to shed her frumpy cardigan for an evening on the town. For one night her focus will stray from her demanding job and she’ll tackle a new kind of to-do list. When she meets a charming stranger in town on business, he presents the perfect opportunity to check off the items on her list. Let the guy buy her a drink. Check. Try something new. Check. A no-strings-attached hookup. Check…almost.

Jake makes her laugh and challenges Naya to rebuild her confidence, which was left toppled by her abusive ex-boyfriend. Soon she’s flirting with the chance at a more serious romantic relationship—except nothing can be that easy. The complicated strings around her dating Jake might destroy her career.

Naya has two options. She can protect her professional reputation and return to her old life or she can flirt with the unknown and stay with the person who makes her feel like she's finally living again.

Review:

With an adorable cute meet cute that ended in disaster, How to Fail at Flirting, snagged me from that first chapter.  The characters stood out and were easy to root for.  The angst and drama were wonderfully done.  There were serious moments and an emotionally abusive relationship that was handled in a thoughtful way.  And I loved Naya’s found family, her best friends were so supportive.  With a fun and flirty vibe, along with some deeper moments, How to Fail at Flirting was a hit!

 

BOOK REVIEWS: How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams & The Five Year Lie by Sarina BowenThe Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

She thought it was love. Then he vanished.

On an ordinary Monday morning, Ariel Cafferty's phone buzzes with a disturbing text message. Something’s happened. I need to see you. Meet me under the candelabra tree ASAP. The words would be jarring from anyone, but the sender is the only man she ever loved. And it's been several years since she learned he died.

Seeing Drew’s name pop up is heart-stopping. Ariel’s gut says it can’t be real. But she goes to the tree anyway. She has to.

Nobody shows. But the text upends everything she thought she knew about the day he left her. The more questions she asks, the more sinister the answers get. Only two things are clear: everything she was told five years ago is wrong, and someone is still lying to her.

The truth has to be out there somewhere. To safeguard herself—and her son—she’ll have to find it before it finds her. And with it, the answer to what became of Drew.

For fans of Laura Dave and Julie Clark, but with a heart-stopping romance that only Sarina Bowen can execute, The Five Year Lie is a page-turning, spine-tingling thriller that will have you guessing until the very end.

Review:

The Five Year Lie was a mysterious thriller that gripped me from the first chapter.  This story was an easy one to devour, especially since we got moments from the past too.  It painted a bigger picture, and I loved watching Ariel and Drew fall for each other. Trying to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together had me turning those pages faster.  And while I got a good portion of it right, I loved how intricate this story became!  This one also hit emotionally hard, and I shed a few tears.  If you’re a fan of thrillers that have romance laced throughout the story, definitely add this one to your tbr!  I’m excited to see what Bowen writes next in this genre!   

Three weeks ago, my biggest problem was which summer day camps Buzz might enjoy – would he prefer Mad Science? Or the one at the arts center?
Then a text message from a dead man blew our lives apart with the force of a grenade.  Now I know what it means to be scared.

 

BOOK REVIEW: The New Guy by Sarina Bowen

BOOK REVIEW: The New Guy by Sarina BowenThe New Guy by Sarina Bowen
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

My name is Hudson Newgate, but my teammates call me New Guy.

That was my nickname in Chicago, too. And Vancouver. That’s what happens when you keep getting traded. Brooklyn is my last chance, especially after my poor performance last season.

But I can make this work. The new guy knows to keep his head down and shoot the puck. The new guy puts the game first.

What he doesn’t do is hook up with the other new guy—a hot athletic trainer who lives in my building. Gavin needs this job with my team. He’s a single dad with responsibilities.

We can’t be a couple. My arrogant agent–who’s also my father–will lose his mind if I’m dating a dude. And my team needs me to score goals, not whip up a media circus.

Too bad Gavin and I are terrible at resisting each other…

Review

Okayyyyy, Sarina, I see what you did there at the end. *side eye emoji*

Coming back into the world of the Bruisers is like stepping into a hot, steamy shower after an incredibly long day. Relaxing. Rejuvenating. Pure bliss. This one actually felt slightly different but I think that was for two different reasons. One being that Hudson was newly acquired by Brooklyn and is coming in as the “New Guy” and Gavin, a single dad, and an athletic trainer was also newly hired by the organization. They’re not in with all of the other staff and the players like you see in the other books but that’s okay. It honestly adds to their specific story and the conflicts that can be found in this book. The other reason this had a different feeling, to me, was for an intentional reason that you’ll find out when you finish the book!

Now to my favorite part–the romance. Sarina knows just how to match the two perfect characters that have the best chemistry. Every. Single. Time. Even though Gavin and Hudson do have their fair share of difficulties (Hudson isn’t out to the world as bi and his dad, who is also his agent, thinks he should wait until he gets a big contract and Gavin is again, a single dad AND a widow) they just work. Hudson immediately takes to Gavin’s daughter, though it doesn’t hurt that she’s adorable and loves hockey and gets under Gavin’s skin in a way that hasn’t happened since his husband died. Gavin gets Hudson to deviate from his very strict diet and eat his homemade ramen and gives him the best damn massages he’s ever had. See? It just works, LOL. Truly though, this book had a lot of ~real~ issues in it. The fact that it’s still so complicated to be gay in the NHL and how hard it can be to be a single dad, even if you have a stable job and are trying your very best. I think that’s another thing that I love about Bowen’s books. Any number of people can see themselves in her wide selection of characters and feel seen and I absolutely love that.

Huge thanks to Sarina Bowen and Tuxbury Publishing for allowing me to listen to an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!♥

BOOK REVIEW: A Little Too Late (Madigan Mountain #1) by Sarina Bowen

BOOK REVIEW: A Little Too Late (Madigan Mountain #1) by Sarina BowenA Little Too Late (Madigan Mountain #1)
by Sarina Bowen
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

How to behave when the guy who broke your heart two thousand miles away turns up in your office:

One: Don’t drop your lucky coffee cup in shock, even though it’s been ten years.

Two: Don’t get defensive when he asks how you ended up working his family’s ski mountain… and why you kept it a secret.

Three: Give him the worst room in the resort. He deserves it for suddenly waltzing back in like he owns the place. (Which he kind of does.)

Four, five, six, seven, eight and nine: Do not kiss him in the hot tub.

Ten: Try to keep your heart intact after you break all of your rules.

Because Reed is leaving again. Hate can't turn back into love. And it’s a little too late

Review:

A Little Too Late was a romantic second chance story!  With a gorgeous snowy setting, old truths coming out, a fabulous group of friends and lots of family dynamics, I adored this book!

Reed Madigan is going to wreck me all over again. And I’m going to let him.

Ava was someone who was so easy to love!  She had a wonderful group of friends and was dedicated and loved her job.  So when Reed stepped back into her life, she was shocked.  When he left her 10 years ago, after they lost their baby in college, a part of Ava stayed broken and lost.  Years later she was still mad at him for the pain he caused her.  I loved how she played dirty with him and that she had no problem being open and harsh.  He deserved it.  But with Reed back in her life to help oversee the sale of his family ski resort, I had so much hope for her healing.  The chemistry was still between them.  And the banter was too.  So when kisses snuck in and moments caused the both of them to smile together, it made my heart so happy to watch Ava heal.  Well, as long as Reed didn’t leave her again, which seemed inevitable. 

I want a do-over. I want to toss the misshapen mess I made against the art studio floor and start over.
But that’s impossible, so I settle for the next best thing, which is kissing Ava until we’re both breathless and frustrated. 

Reed was thoughtful, kind, compassionate and someone so easy to fall for.  Yet his past and how he ended things with Ava spoke otherwise.  After he lost his mom and his dad turned into someone he didn’t know, he met Ava in college and it changed his world.  But after getting hurt again and leaving Ava behind, I couldn’t wait to see how he would redeem himself.  I expected him to earn her trust and love back.  So when Reed faced the music, he stole a piece of my heart.  When he was jealous and always looked out for Ava, he stole yet another.  We got to alternate between Reed and Ava and I loved that Reed showed us his heart and it caused mine to faster every time he showed it to Ava.

I close my eyes and try to memorize this perfect feeling. “It’s always been you,” I whisper.
“Shh,” is her reply.

We got peaks into Reed & Ava’s past from 10 years ago and it added such a richness to their story.  I loved their moments together, past and present.  Even if they both had heart wrenching pasts.  And as they both talked and worked together, which I loved, the angst was never too much or too little.  It was the perfect amount.  And the steam was in that same category too.  This story was rounded out with a wonderful cast of side characters. Halley was definitely one of my favorites!

I never believed in second chances until right this moment.

Filled with laughter and love, A Little Too Late was a fabulous second chance romance!  There was so much healing in the pages, it made my heart so happy.  Between Reed and Ava, Reed and his dad, to even with themselves, all of it was done wonderfully!  So if you like adult romance that is charming and heartfelt, then definitely make sure you have this one on your tbr!

BOOK REVIEW: A Little too Late (Madigan Mountain) by Sarina Bowen

BOOK REVIEW: A Little too Late (Madigan Mountain) by Sarina BowenA Little Too Late (Madigan Mountain)
by Sarina Bowen
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

New from twenty-time USA Today bestseller Sarina Bowen!

How to behave when the guy who broke your heart two thousand miles away turns up in your office:

One: Don’t drop your lucky coffee cup in shock, even though it’s been ten years.

Two: Don’t get defensive when he asks how you ended up working his family’s ski mountain… and why you kept it a secret.

Three: Give him the worst room in the resort. He deserves it for suddenly waltzing back in like he owns the place. (Which he kind of does.)

Four, five, six, seven, eight and nine: Do not kiss him in the hot tub.

Ten: Try to keep your heart intact after you break all of your rules.

Because Reed is leaving again. Hate can't turn back into love. And it’s a little too late

Review

After being immersed in the World of True North for the past month it was fun to venture out into the mountains of Colorado with new characters. I am really excited to get more of the Madigan family after this, too, because like Reed, the two other brothers definitely have a lot to come to terms with in regards to their family dynamic.

This was honestly the perfect amount of angst for me. The topic of miscarriage and how that can cause the implosion of a relationship can make me nervous in a plot but the way that we were getting the present reconnection of Ava and Reed while also getting snippets into their past and what happened, was a balance that just worked for me. The way that both of them were still in such pain even after moving on with their lives the best that they could…sigh. I can’t even imagine the extent of Ava’s panic and depth of feelings when Reed walked into that office and she had no idea he was coming…I would have passed out I think, lol.

I loved every second of them being together in the present and how Reed kept realizing just how lonely and sad life was without Ava in it and had been since he left her. The scenes in which he apologized and explained to her what he was feeling and why he did what he thought he had to do were satisfying and just…all of it made me happy. There were some serious issues that multiple characters within this story dealt with throughout the course of this book and I really appreciated how all of it went down. Reed and his dad finally speaking about things, Reed learning more about his mom and her art, Ava and Reed talking about the past, Reed’s dad finding out about his and Ava’s past. My heart may have ached on several different occasions while reading this but overall I loved how everything was tied up within Reed and Ava’s story and I will definitely be coming back to read Yarros and Perry’s books, too.

P.s. I had an ALC of this and Andi Arndt and Sebastian York hit the narration out of the park, per usual!

Huge thanks to Tuxbury Publishing LLC for allowing me to listen to a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

BOOK REVIEW: Love Lessons (Brooklyn #7) by Sarina Bowen

BOOK REVIEW: Love Lessons (Brooklyn #7) by Sarina BowenLove Lessons (Brooklyn #7)
by Sarina Bowen
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

He needs an image makeover, she needs a mojo upgrade. A new lessons-in-seduction hockey romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Sarina Bowen.

After I'm arrested for throwing a raucous party, my hockey team says I have an image problem. And I need to fix it, stat.

Charity work? Check. Haircut? Sure. But I draw the line at hiring my neighbor to style me. In the first place "style" shouldn't be a verb. And I'm tired of people who'd judge me on appearances.

Vera and I don't see eye to eye on anything. She wants me to try on clothes, while I just want to remove hers. She's distractingly pretty, with soulful eyes and a sinful mouth that likes to argue with me.

But when management threatens my summer vacation, I grudgingly agree to Vera's unusual proposal: she'll give me an image makeover. But in return, she wants lessons in the art of seduction.

It sounds a little nutty, but I know a good opening when I hear it. Besides, it's not like I'll ever fall for her...

Review

I’m not tearing up/holding back from crying as I finish this book, NO I AM NOT. I was talking to a friend when I was getting towards the last chunk of the book and she said this book felt like an end of an era with a certain Captain retiring. I have to agree. I have been closely following along with Bowen’s work now for about four years and I know for a fact I have mentioned in multiple other reviews how much these characters feel like family to me. If this does in fact wind up being the last Bruisers book (no idea if this is the case or not), I will be satisfied.

When we first got a flash of Vera and Ian bickering in Charli and Neil’s book, I had been hoping for more of them together. My wish was certainly granted. What I did not expect was to read their story with the GORGEOUS backdrop of a villa in Italy. Perks of having a mega rich friend/teammate like Neil I suppose, lol. Gahh, what a luxurious setting. The thought of them connecting in this super beautiful and restful place for a few weeks during the summer was just very…nice. They didn’t have to worry about the pressures of a busy job or an insanely crazy hockey season, they were just able to get to know one another a little better and bicker all they wanted.

In all seriousness though, the main trope of this book being ~teach me how to be sexy and how to seduce men~ IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES OF ALL TIME. I’ve read about it numerous times and loved it numerous times but I felt like this one was special because of Ian. Most of the time in those situations the guy is a HUGE playboy. I’m sure Ian did get around since he is an insanely hot and talented hockey player but playboy wasn’t ever the vibe I got from him. Instead he was open and playful in bed which coaxed Vera into trusting him quickly and brought out her own brave side. I absolutely loved it.

Besides that we do get into deeper issues too–Ian dealing with the aftermath of dealing a career ending blow to a kid last season and being told my management he needed to clean up his image. Vera of course was trying to figure out what to do in order to impress her ex at a gala he invited her to after the Italy trip and was also guilty for being the one to call in Ian’s noisy party that ended up getting him temporarily arrested. As expected though, by spending time together like they did, both of them were able to think about their problems through a different lens and take care of business for themselves accordingly.

Overall this book warmed my heart and I was obsessed with the steam level. It doesn’t matter what Bowen writes, I will read and I WILL love. That’s all there is to it. Do yourself a favor and start reading this series if you haven’t already. It’s 100% my favorite hockey romance series of all time.

Huge thanks to Tuxbury Publishing LLC for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

« Older posts

© 2025

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑