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The Year We Hid Away  By  cover art

The Year We Hid Away

By: Sarina Bowen
Narrated by: Nick Podehl, Saskia Maarleveld
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Publisher's summary

She's hiding something big. He's hiding someone small.

Bridger Macaulley used to be a player both on and off the ice. But now, while his teammates chase the next hockey victory, Bridger worries that the dean will discover he's housing his eight-year-old sister in his dorm room. Juggling a full course load and a big secret, it's only a matter of time until the other skate drops.

Scarlet Crowley is the only freshman at Harkness College who had to sneak past TV news trucks parked on her front lawn just to leave town. Her name is as new as the shiny student ID it's printed on. The only way to survive college will be to conceal her identity, even if it means lying to the green-eyed boy she's falling for.

Bridger and Scarlet form a tentative relationship based on the understanding that some things must always be held back. But when grim developments threaten them both, going it alone just won't work anymore. And if they can't learn to trust one another now, the families who let them down will take everything they've struggled to keep.

©2014 Sarina Bowen (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Year We Hid Away

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Loving this series!! Great 2nd book!!!

I'm loving this series! I didn't know how this book was going to compare to book 1 but it seriously was just as good, if not better!! Sarina Bowen is great at seriously deep issues with a huge side of happily ever after! The issues these characters had to deal with were extremely hard but they both handled it so well I wanted to cheer for them. Bridger was so different than I thought he was after book 1. His character was amazing! Scarlet is such a tough girl, she had some seriously big things going on in her life and she just wanted to get away from it all and go to college but life only follows her. Together these two are so perfect, they are hot and in love! Can't wait to move on to the next book!

The narration in this book was great too!

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

I like the way she writes relationships

Any additional comments?

She has a way of writing that makes her characters seem real. I wish we would been able to see Scarlet and Bridger's relationship develop more. It seemed like we only got to know them through the lens of their issues . Everything hinged so heavily on the drama unfolding and take over the romance. There's never a moment when it's clear why they are drawn to each other. The story did pick up pace again somewhere around the 75% only to face a rushed ending with some resolutions a bit too convenient.
Also, if you are expecting some hockey in this book you are going to be disappointed. This is more college romance than hockey romance. But overall, yes, a good story.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed the story more than the narration

It's weird to go back and read some of Sarina Bowen's older work because I think she's a much better storyteller now. Overall, this is a pretty decent story with likable characters. The love story between Bridger and Scarlet is sweet, even though there is some really awkward sex talk. Scarlet actually has conversations in her mind with Bridger’s genitals. I kid you not. I wish the resolution of Scarlet’s conflicts wasn’t so rushed.

I probably would have enjoyed the book more if I had read it instead of listening to the audio book. For me, the female narrator is not very convincing and she detracts from the story.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely loved this!!

I absolutely loved these 2!!! Scarlett is trying to escape from all of the ugliness that has been brought unto her from her father and his actions. He has been accused of these horrible things and Scarlett is not sure that he hasn't actually committed the crimes. She is in this horrible place because she absolutely feels for the victims and wants them to get justice but because she isn't 100% sure that her dad did it, she has some guilt for thinking that he did on the off chance he didn't. She is looking to escape from her parents making her put in appearances to show a "loving and supporting family" and from all the bullying that the town has done to her since the accusations came out. She is using the legal name change and college as her out. Bridger is looking to protect his sister and buy some time as he tries to finish school and keep her safe with him and away from his drug addict mother that is sinking further and further down. They are drawn to each toher from the beginning and are the bright spots in each other's week as they share 2 classes and start with lunch after them. I loved watching them build their relationship before it started going romantic. I loved seeing the two of them start to open up nd build that awesome foundation for the rest of the time that things were going to hit. This story was great and it really draws you in with these characters that are trying to do the right thing and also trying to figure out what that right thing is.
The narrators were fantastic with this story and the characters! They had the emotions and the different voices that really just added that extra dynamic and brought the story to life. Once I started listening, I didn't want to stop!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Way more story than I was expecting.

Very complex themes run throughout this book. Proving you don’t know the burdens others are carrying, or hiding.

During Covid I have selected books with lighter story material and almost did not select this book because I didn’t want ‘the drama’ added to daily life already complicated by the incessant barrage of news about politics, gun violence, and human suffering. Yup, I have wimped out after retirement from being a social worker for over 20 years. I liked the way the characters issues were wrapped up. In my work, you seldom get HEAs so it was lovely to see the resolutions of these extremely messy story lines. Brava to the author.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Rabid Reader

Great new series! I am loving the characters, and the interactions from book 1 to book 2...ready for book 3! She handles some really tough issues with great endings, and totally endearing characters... they feel like your friends by the end.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Five Stars of Pure Gold

I loved the audiobook. This series has a wonderful pair of narrators. Both of them do an amazing job. It is very pleasing to listen to them. Everything about this audiobook is wonderful. Nick Podehl is a wonderful Bridger, and Saskia Maarleveld is fantastic as Scarlet. Totally worth it to listen to this audiobook.

Pure Gold. That’s what this book is. The Year We Hid Away is the second installment in the Ivy Years series, and it is as good as the first one. I’m completely in love with every book Sarina Bowen has written because I can’t get enough of her words. She has a way with words that fascinates me. Her style is wonderful, and her plots are usually very well developed. And I find really interesting that she tackles issues that are not very common in romance novels, like child molestation or drug abuse. But she does it with tact and sensitivity, and in a way that doesn’t alienate the reader at all, or turn the story too dark. But these issues are there, and make you think and feel. She doesn’t shy away from real life in any way. And in my opinion, that makes her truly special.

This is the story of Bridger and Scarlet, and it is really, really sweet. It has plenty of drama on both their ends, but their relationship develops beautifully from friends to lovers, and their chemistry is really hot. Bridger is so sweet, and hot, and wonderful. He’s going through the worst year of his life and hiding all his problems from his friends, avoiding them and doing what he thinks is best. But he wasn’t expecting to meet someone special.

Scarlet has her own secrets to keep, and is hiding in plain sight. Lying about who she really is, she tries to start a new life in Harkness College without the stigma of her family history. She refuses to open up to Bridger, choosing to fight her battles on her own. So when lies and half truths are exposed, they will need to trust each other and forgive mistakes to make their relationship work.

As I said, I loved this book. It’s sweet, romantic and has plenty of heat. Bridger and Scarlet are very well developed as characters and the plot is perfectly paced and though out. It has many sources of drama and angst, and the secondary characters are pretty awesome, as always. I specially enjoyed little Lucy, Bridger’s 8 year old sister, and Andy, Bridger’s friend and neighbor. It is truly a beautiful book, very easy to read and enjoy, and pretty impossible to put down.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Decent listen~

I liked their individual stories, I just wish they would have told each other what they were hiding sooner. I really liked Bridger’s story with his sister, and I’m glad Scarlet’s dad got what he deserved, though I wish she would have gone back to hockey after everything was said and done. On the spice scale I give it like a 2/5 it’s not bad, but could be more descriptive. The narration was good, but I had trouble differentiating it from the first book given it was the same voice actors. Either way I would recommend the listen. I’m excited to listen to the third book, though given the lack of spice from the first two books I may not continue with the rest of the series until a later date. I’ll see how the third book goes first.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Another Outstanding Addition to the Series

This is another outstanding addition to the series. It is well written, as expected, although I wish there was more time and detail spent on the spicy moments. As it is, the language used sometimes is so vague that the moment has peaked and is over but your brain is still in the warm up phase. It's odd. But that's personal preference. It's a great book that you'll enjoy!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved It

I've been listening to this series all out of order and I have one more story left to listen to, but this book is one of the best in the series. I loved both Bridger and Scarlet. This story really had some relatable characters in terms of fighting for family, and freedom, and doing what's right. Bridger was a beautiful character and I loved how he cared for his sister and how hard he worked to balance his life with all the responsibilities on his shoulders. The court scene brought me to tears and was one of the best in the book. Scarlet was dealing with something a lot more rare and I feared for her at times. I won't go into details because it made the story exciting.

As with the rest of the series, I loved Nick and Saskia. They suited their characters perfectly.

Overall: 5 stars
Performance: 5 stars
Story: 5 stars

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