Sarina Bowen is one of the best authors writing hockey romance and was doing it before anyone else. All her hockey romances are just what you need if you need a lighthearted, fast-paced read. Perfect for fans of Elle Kennedy or Kate Meader.

I loved this book! It had not only a peek at characters I knew and loved like DJ and Liane from Sarina's Harkness Series, but finding out what happened between Leo and Georgia was a long time coming too! Especially since I didn't really like Leo, well his girlfriends very much.

Now I'm too tired to type anything further, but I love this new world Sarina has and I can't wait to read more about other Brooklyn Bruiser hockey players! Or maybe even Nate, the young billionaire owner and Becca, Georgia's BFF and Nate's PA!

I would also say this book is also flawless, except for one thing. The specifics around what caused Leo and Georgia to separate are not only never fully divulged, but they're not really addressed until close to the very end of the book. And even then it's not glossed over, but not dissected either. It felt like something really important was alluded to, but I never found out who did it and whether or not they faced legal consequences for what they did. Other than that, Sarina did an outstanding job on this book. Her writing was beautiful, the story was well paced, the characters likable and their chemistry undeniable, everything just worked. I laughed and cried, and even had to get some cold water because the book got really hot at times.

I enjoyed this book, I wanted a little more from it. But overall it's a fun sports romance book & if you like those types of books like I do, than I definitely recommend.

This was dual-reviewed by Janine and Kaetrin here – my grade matches Janine’s B- (Kaetrin liked it a bit better and gave it a B+). I found Rookie Move quite readable and the protagonists likeable, but the whole story still felt sort of blah to me. The h/h had a past relationship that crumbled after the heroine was raped. But the conflict was slight; the breakup was treated more as the result of a youthful misunderstanding rather than something that really grew from actual serious issues. I’ve had similar problems with both of these first two books in the Brooklyn Bruisers series – serious subjects are given light treatment. I still like the books, but I wish they either went a little deeper or didn’t introduce heavy topics into the storyline in the first place (preferably the former).

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this titles. Unfortunately this book archived before I was able to download it and I will not be able to submit a review at this time.

Loved this book!

Leo and Georgia were high school loves. Senior year, when a devastating crime put a wedge between the two, Georgia ended their relationship. Six years later, Georgia is PR for the Brooklyn Bruisers, a professional hockey team and she hasn’t seen or heard from Leo since she ended things with him. Until she finds out the Bruisers just got a brand new rookie, a rookie that she’s very familiar with.

Leo’s hockey career is changing. After a year in the minor leagues he finally got the call of a lifetime. A professional team has offered him a position. When he arrives he’s excited and doesn’t know what to expect. He especially doesn’t expect to see Georgia, the girl who broke his heart. Now he has to navigate the new team and running into the love of his life. Good thing he’s always been up to a good challenge.

**

Y’all… this book was so cute. I’ve only read one other hockey romance so I was extremely excited to start this book. One thing I love about sports books is the secondary characters. I know the team connection allows for hilarious jokes and fun, and this book was no exception. Leo was the newbie, but his team still accepted him and joked and played around without being too cruel.

Georgia is shocked when she sees Leo. After she realizes she can’t ignore him, she starts to warm up and accept that he’s there. But as soon as they are alone the intense connection they shared in high school is still there.

Georgia and Leo were so sweet. There are scenes that were honesty a little cheesy to me, but I had to remind myself that the last time they saw each other they were in high school, so the cute little, cheesy things they did together made sense.

I can not wait until the next book. This series is definitely going to be one of my favorites!

4/5 STARS

3.5 Stars! Really cute introduction to this author's work. Loved the characters and their angsty sweet second chance romance. Enjoyed the writing style and I'm definitely excited to read allllllll the Sarina Bowen books asap!

3.5 Stars

‘Breaking up with him was something I did because I had to. Not because I didn’t love him.’

After falling in love with Sarina Bowen’s previous work and being big fans of sports romances and second chance romances, it was a no brainer we were going to pounce on the first book in her Brooklyn Bruiser series. Hot hockey players and the women who win their hearts….hmmmm you had us at hello!

Leo Trevi and Georgia Worthington were high school sweethearts but theirs was no puppy love, rather it was the once in a lifetime soul mates love, they were one another’s first everything. First date, first kiss, first love, first heartbreak.

“We don’t have one night stands, Georgia. We have forever night stands.”

Six years ago after a traumatic experience Georgia asks Leo to let her go and considering what she went through, Leo didn’t want to make life more difficult for her and so he granted her wish much to his utter loss and heartbreak. Leo was 19 when they broke up, the pain of losing Georgia, devastated him. He’s never forgotten the love of his life and six years later, seeing her again only recaptures those feelings.

‘Letting Georgia go was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. And he’d only been able to manage it because he was sure it would help her be happy again.‘

Rookie Move was a sweet and sexy first book in this Hockey romance series with some deeply heartfelt moments and difficult subject matter which was handled sensitively and with love via Sarina Bowens words with Leo especially stealing our hearts. Boy did we experience his confusion, his hurt and the pure soul deep love he felt for Georgia. He is quite a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve.

‘Georgia was his Kryptonite. Nobody else made him feel so alive. He never wanted it to end.’

As the story progresses we are privy to the events that led to Georgia making the most difficult decision of her life in letting Leo go and how those actions affected not only her and Leo, but those around them.

“We used to be equals. But now I’m always going to be the one who’s worried. It’s still the same problem. I used to be fearless ….’

Whilst we did enjoy this first first book in the series, we didn’t experience the wow factor that makes us fall in book love. For us personally, we felt as though we were being told the story rather than being participants, looking from the outside in and for that reason we didn’t feel as emotionally invested in the characters as we had hoped. At the end of the day though, this was a sweet romantic escape with the team brotherhood and camaraderie we love in our sports themed romances! However…..you can bet we’re looking forward to more of this series, and we’re especially keen to hear a lot more about the young billionaire owner of the Brooklyn Bruisers..…now that will be a story to tell!

I really liked this book but the only thing was that it took me some time to really get into the characters Especially Georgia. It wasn't until about 40% in that the book started to turn for me and then I couldn't put it down.

I am a huge fan of Sarina and love hockey romance so I am definitely looking forward to the rest of this series. Still an enjoyable read and would recommend it to anyone who likes hockey romance to give it a try.

Ok, so it's no secret that I <b>LOVE</b> hockey. It's my favorite sport and really the only one worth watching to me. So of course, I love reading book where hockey is featured. But alas, these can be hit or miss for me largely depending on how the author writes the sport. I will gladly say that for the most part, Bowen got it right (hockey games can't end in ties though...).

Leo and Georgia were the perfect high school couple. Then something happens to Georgia senior and their relationship crumbles. Georgia breaks up with Leo and they go their separate ways. Flash forward some years, Leo gets called up from the AHL and guess who's the PR lady for his new team? That's right, Georgia. Now that she can't run away, Leo's ready to get some answers.

This book for me started off great. I liked Leo. I liked Georgia. I liked the hockey. Although, why does New York need ANOTHER team? They already have 3! Ok, sorry, moving on. I enjoyed watching the two of them tip-toe around each other and their issues. Then the middle happens, and BAM, they're suddenly together and in love and everything's perfect... And this is where it went wrong for me. I get that they're still in love with each other, but years have passed. They aren't they same people anymore. It was pretty much 'Oh why did you breakup with me? OK, sounds good. Let's have sex." I've decided that their love is based on their sex.

Throw in her father's drama with Leo (I expected a better explanation) and the cheesy ending...it really drove the book down for me. I was wavering between a 2 and 3 but ultimately rounded up because of hockey. That being said, I will check out the other books in the series because I really liked some of the side characters and I see that they have upcoming stories.

Beautiful bruiser….

I’m Canadian so if there are more than a few hockey reads on my TBR list then I come by it honestly. If this author isn’t also from above the 49th parallel, well, she should be an honorary member as she has the pulse of hockey love (and romance)…

“You got a plan?”
“Skate my ass off. And avoid signing a long-term lease.”

Sexy. Sweet. Heartfelt. Leo is sincere in everything he says and does. You mess with him and he’s going to let you know it. Mess with someone who is his, well, watch out! Georgia had been his and that never changed for him. When they are back in the same city, the same locker room, what happens is a storm of all kinds of feelings and unexpected actions…

What was a little less clear was Georgia’s feelings. Or, maybe not?

“If she stood in that locker room while he stripped, they’d have to surgically remove her gaze from his muscular ass.”

These two together were electric! Complicated history? Check. Deep feelings? Check. A relationship that is in
the past? Ch… wait! Not so fast!

“She tasted like his.”

With sexual tension off the charts and family complications to fill a playbook, all this story needed was a devoted bestie that had your back… And they got a gem!

“I’d go gay for you, hon, but adoption is expensive. And then there’s the matter of your not having a dick.”

A pulse-pounding start to a series I hope is here for a long, long time!

*swoony sigh*
“Fuck that,” he said. “You and I don’t have one one-night stands. We have forever night stands.”

If you love hockey and romance then this book will not disappoint. Great writing and characters that must discover if they can find love a second time around. A bit of spice and a lot of action!

I am a huge fan of Sarina Bowen's, and at this point I don't even question whether or not I will read whatever she releases. But I have to say that with the last few books of hers, I honestly believe that each story is just as good if not better than the last. That is absolutely the case with Rookie Move. This book was fantastic! I could not put it down, and it was just such a great story.

Leo Trevi and Georgia Worthington thought that they would spend their lives together forever, until a horrible event changed everything for them. Georgia made it clear that she needed space, and Leo was left with no other option than to walk away. But Leo and Georgia never forgot about one another, or were able to fully move on. Now Georgia has the chance of a lifetime when it comes to furthering her career and she just needs everything to go perfect starting with her first solo press conference. But Georgia finds out shortly before that not only are the Brooklyn Bruisers getting a new coach (her father) but that they are also getting a new player (her ex)! Leo isn't about to let Georgia go for a second time, but can he convince her that they belong together?

I absolutely loved these characters. I felt so invested in them right away, and I couldn't get enough of them together. They had so much history and I really felt so emotional about all they had been through. My heart broke for the awful things they had endured, but I could tell just how much they meant to one another. Despite everything, their connection and chemistry were stronger than ever here. It was clear that nothing had changed their feelings for one another and their love and bond was unbreakable. I was so glad that Leo didn't let Georgia push him away again. He gave her space when she needed it, but he was determined and it was great seeing him never give up.

Overall, I honestly cannot say enough great things about this book. It was just such a great story that seemed perfectly written for me as a reader. The characters were everything that we read romance novels for, the story was solid and captivating filled with depth and emotion. The secondary characters here were just as interesting as Leo and Georgia and left the reader anxious for more. Sarina Bowen really hit it out of the park with this book and I honestly cannot wait for more in this series. I highly recommend this story and if you are looking for a great all around story, look no further than Sarina Bowen.

Solid story of just how love sometimes finds us an d holds on, even thru trauma, time and distance. Georgia and Leo fell hard in high school, but then a single night changed everything or so they thought. Georgia walks away and both of them move forward, but don't forget - even when they try. Six years later Leo becomes the newest rookie on the hockey team where Georgia works in PR. Now they are forced to confront old feelings, old wounds and to see if what they felt before ever really went away. If Leo has any say Georgia will never walk away again. Sarina Bowen does a fantastic job of setting the stage for both these characters and this series. I enjoyed this second chance romance immensely!

If Sarina Bowen has a book out you know I want to read it. Rookie Move bridges the gap between her NA series, The Ivy League and this new adult series, Brooklyn Bruisers. If you read The Fifteenth Minute (Ivy League #5) you might remember Leo in there. He didn't have a big role in it but it set the stage for this next leap.

Georgia is a publicist with the brand new expansion team, Brooklyn Bruisers. Her plate is currently full because the head publicist left and she has to prove to her boss that she can handle the workload. She also has to prove that she can break away from her father's shadow who just happens to be the team's new coach. If that weren't enough pressure, she finds out at the last minute that the team's latest player acquisition is none other than her ex-boyfriend, Leo Trevi. As high school sweethearts they were on fire but Georgia ended things abruptly by the time they graduated. Georgia is a hot, blubbering mess initially until she regains control of her senses. Leo is kind, warm and patient. He never understood why she broke up with him so the situation is just as crazy for him as it is for her. The only difference is that he's willing to start over whereas she's feeling guilty and awkward about them working together. She tries to keep it professional at the office and cordial outside but they just have too much history between them (read: chemistry) for it to be ignored.

Folks, I don't necessarily get hockey but I appreciate the athleticism that's involved and the rabid fan base that surrounds it. Which is why I enjoy reading Bowen's series because she gives me just enough of hockey - the behind the scenes and the actual playing time - balanced by the main storyline. Something else I feel she does well is introducing social themes. She excels at showcasing life-changing events through someone else's eyes doing it respectfully and with finesse. (A shining example of this is, The Shameless Hour.) She does it here with Georgia's backstory which goes a long way to explaining why she and Leo fell apart. It'll make you look at these two differently seeing them with even more substance and depth.

Rookie Move has all the things you enjoy from Bowen - humor, action, romance and hot magic time! It's fun, too, when some of the characters from the Ivy League books pop in for a visit. Do I really need to say anymore? Now I just need to sit patiently and wait for the next one, Hard Hitter that comes out next year.

~ Bel

I couldn't finish this book... Unfortunately, the trope is overused with this author.