Pipe Dreams

I loved all the characters in this story! Mike, Lauren, Elsa, even Hans, were wonderful to hear about, get inside their heads, and watch how everything played out. It was also great to see Lauren get along with her fellow female characters and the bonds that they shared. This was a second chance that shouldn’t have been needed, but it was. There was heartache and pain that needed to be overcome, directly the fault of Mike and Lauren. That ending though, that was fantastic!

This is book # 3, in the Brooklyn Bruisers series. This book can be read as a standalone novel. For reader enjoyment and to avoid spoilers, I recommend reading this great series in order. Lauren loves her job. Today, she hates her job. She has to come in contact with her past and the only man she has ever loved. There might not be enough to drink in the world. Mike knows he messed up big time. Every single time he and Lauren are in the same room together the old pain is back. He wants to help her heal, but he wants her to himself. This story tore me apart. I felt all the emotions. These characters are already so real to me Great addition to the series.

Pipe Dreams focuses on Mike Beacon, the starting goalie of the Brooklyn Bruisers, and Lauren Williams, his ex-girlfriend and the Bruisers’ owner Nate Katzenberg’s executive assistant. Lauren normally works in Manhattan at Nate’s tech company, but an accident makes her the office manager for the Bruisers as well during their playoffs run. Lauren isn’t happy about this because she’s been trying to avoid Beacon for the past two years, since he broke her heart. But now their paths are crossing again, and it’s hard for her not to admit that the spark might still be there. Meanwhile, Mike Beacon is a single father with a 13-year old daughter. Luckily, he has a lot of help, but he’s still lonely and missing Lauren. With the Stanley Cup on the line, and a lot of complications, can he get Lauren back? What I really liked about this book was how well-drawn Mike Beacon was. Bowen takes his philosophy as a goalie – a guy who has to shake off the past and always look to the future – and extends it to his entire character. He’s a guy who can stay calm, loose, and optimistic even if the odds are stacked against him. And since he’s been through a lot with his daughter and his ex-wife, he also appreciates every moment of the present. It’s a combination that’s hard to resist – especially when you add in his humor and determination. I loved how much he clashed with Lauren. The banter was really cute, especially since Lauren is a go-getter – someone who has made her own destiny and isn’t afraid to be strong. Lauren is probably one of my favorite of Sarina Bowen’s female characters. She can be cold as ice, but she also does what she needs to do to get things done – on her own or with someone. It’s just a delicious combination of personalities. There isn’t a ton of hockey in this book, but I was okay with that because I liked how much it focused on the characters and their relationships. Of course, Mike’s daughter Elsa has a huge part in that, as well as Hans, Elsa’s violin teacher and “manny.” As always, Bowen creates a great, supportive cast of characters that I wanted to cheer on as much as the leads. The only thing I would have wished for in this book were a few more steamy scenes. Don’t get me wrong – the ones that are there are solidly racy – but I really wanted one or two more that burned up the page, especially since we’re told a lot that Lauren and Mike’s chemistry is off the charts. Despite that, this is a really great love story and family story. It’s probably my personal favorite of the Brooklyn Bruisers books so far. I stayed up far, far too late reading because I just had to know how it would end. And I gotta tell you – it was totally worth it.