Overnight Sensation: A sports romance in the Brooklyn Hockey series

4 stars — Oh those Brooklyn Bruisers…how I missed them. Jason and Heidi were both so adorable and unique. It was odd reading about a hero who was so guy-y, so unapologetic about being bossy and who loved being in charge, and just…well guy-y. But at the same time Jason was SUPER sweet, kind, thoughtful, and a great friend. And he had such a big heart. Similarly Heidi was an honest-to-goodness spoiled princess in many ways, and she loved stereotypical girly things, like makeup, shoes, designer goodies… But she was also super hard-working, thoughtful, sweet, and intuitive. It was like Ms. Bowen gave us two character stereotypes, and said “aha! But look deeper!” I seriously DUG that. It was one of my favourite aspects of the story. But while I loved that in a surface way, and while I did truly love our characters, I was never super attached to them either…like neither one made my book boy/girl list. And I don’t really know why. It’s not a bad thing, just something indicative of why this is not higher than 4 stars for me. I think I felt like Jason’s personal struggles lacked something…but then again, they didn’t always. I found myself crying for him too. I think I just had a hard time with his turnaround…like it wasn’t unbelievable exactly, but I wanted something more there. On the other hand, I ADORED the way Heidi stepped up to every challenge set before her. She had a bit of a raw deal, but I loved that she met each task with dignity and tenacity. I admire the hell out of her. Jason and Heidi together were da bomb. They had amazing chemistry, and I loved how much fun they could have together, even in the steamy scenes. They made me laugh out loud many times, even as they gave me tummy tingles. I loved that the hockey boys played a somewhat larger role in this story… I loved the support that they gave, and the sense of comradery that oozed off the pages. I am hella intrigued by Silas, and have a few theories of where his story might go, but I keep second guessing myself. As a total aside, speaking from my own NHL hockey attendance experience, I found the whole mascot thing weird. Do they do that in other arenas? Not that it matters, this is fiction…it just startled me and felt unbelievable. What didn’t feel unbelievable was the section about the Ice Girls… I don’t know what the conditions are for the girls in this role in real life, but I’ve seen my own team struggle with appropriate attire (though at least now they’re in pants and long sleeves) and finding a balance. So this review was all over the freaking place. Sometimes I have all these thoughts, and they really just don’t go together. And sometimes I write down my thoughts, but moreso bullet point form, and then when I come back to clean it up I struggle. The gist is that if you love the Brooklyn Bruisers series, you’re going to love this installment. If you love hockey romances, you’re going to love this hockey romance. If you love being surprised and inspired by your main characters, well strap in and enjoy the ride.

Overnight Sensation is the story of star hockey player and ladies’ man Jason Castro – and how he ends up with the league commissioner’s daughter and team intern, Heidi Jo Pepper. It’s the fifth installment in Sarina Bowen’s excellent Brooklyn Bruisers hockey romance series – and one of the best. Jason had a great last season with the Brooklyn Bruisers, scoring a ton and making his name. But this season, he’s been moved to right wing instead of left, and he’s out of his depth. Also rankling him? He can’t seem to get the team intern, Heidi Jo Pepper, out of his mind. He’s a one-and-done kind of guy, so this long-time crush is surprising him. But after a paparazzi photo makes it seem like Jason’s been with Heidi, her father forbids him to date her. No problem, right? Meanwhile, Heidi Jo Pepper, the league commissioner’s daughter, is in a transition phase in her life. She’s dropped out of college and realizing how hard it is to be broke after being a rich girl her whole life. Now that her father realizes she’s not going back to school – he assigns her every manual labour and odd job in the Bruisers organization to try to convince her to finish college. But Heidi Jo isn’t about quitting (usually). She’s also resourceful and sassy, and she’ll get what she wants – and that includes convincing a certain defenseman that she means what she says when she says she’s okay with casual sex. I really got it bad for Heidi and Jason – Overnight Sensation surprised me with it’s chemistry and depth. There was something so natural about the way Heidi and Jason responded to each other. The slow-burn story made you work for the relationship like the characters did, and I felt every little milestone and hiccup. What I loved about this romance, though, is that it never felt forced. It didn’t shove plot devices in the way in order to create challenges for the characters. Their feelings and actions evolved naturally out of the circumstances, from Heidi not being able to afford an apartment (and living with Jason and his roommate Silas), to her turning her odd jobs with the team into an opportunity to report back to the team owner. It was such an inspiring read in a lot of ways, because this plucky 21 year old never stops fighting for herself and for the female characters in the series. And speaking of fighters, Jason is also fighting, but in a different kind of way. He has PTSD after a death in his life several years ago, and he still hasn’t dealt with it. I loved how many facets of him we got to see in this book – from the fun-loving toastmaker (he quotes Dickens!) to the sweet lover to the goal-chasing player. You get a lot of his personality and I really enjoyed it. And of course, as this is a Sarina Bowen novel, there are a lot of little cameos from some of our favorites from previous novels, as well as some new secondary characters (Silas!) who made it into my heart. I also love how much we got of the Brooklyn Bruisers as an organization – how many jobs and people it takes to run the franchise. THE FINAL WORD: Overnight Sensation hit all the right notes for me – from a natural, easy romance, to strong and plucky characters, to swoons. This is one romance you don’t want to miss – and yes, you can totally read it as a standalone, too! Pick it up immediately!

I don't think I will ever tire of Sarina Bowen's Brooklyn Bruisers series! I have enjoyed every single book (though I don't think anyone will ever top Nate in my heart *swoon*) and her writing is always sexy, fun, and heartfelt. Though this is book 5 in the series, this slightly forbidden/friends to lovers-ish romance can be enjoyed as a standalone. Characters from the previous books do appear, however, and that is where our hero and heroine initially meet. Oh, Castro. My heart totally went out to him and his broken soul. He was such a cuddly teddy bear under all the bluster and dirty talk. His insecurities and fears made so much sense once his past was revealed and I ached for the 18 year old boy he once was. Heidi came across naive and flighty at first, but she had the greatest character growth and really came into her own through the course of the book. I loved how she faced every new job and challenge and didn't back down. She complemented Castro really well and I loved their banter and chemistry. There is some angst and push and pull as they struggle with their feelings and budding relationship, but I liked that it was resolved almost as quickly as it began. It really let the growth of each character really shine. I did feel like things with Heidi's father wrapped up a little abruptly (considering how hard and critical he was throughout the book), and I would have loved an epilogue a little down the road. Some seeds were planted for sweet goalie Silas, however, and I really hope that we get his book in the future. If that happens, I have a feeling he will give my beloved Nate a run for his money! *I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*