Pipe Dreams (Brooklyn Bruisers, #3)

by Sarina Bowen

In this Brooklyn Bruisers romance from USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen, a hockey goalie has to trust his instincts, even when taking a shot to the heart…

Mike Beacon is a champion at defending the net, but off the ice, he’s not so lucky. A widower and a single father, he’s never forgotten Lauren Williams, the ex who gave him the best year of his life. When Lauren reappears in the Bruisers' office during the play-offs, Beacon sees his chance to make things right.

Lauren hates that she’s forced to travel with the team she used to work for and the man who broke her heart. There’s still undeniable sexual tension running between her and Mike, but she won’t go down that road again. She’s focused on her plans for the future—she doesn’t need a man to make her dreams of motherhood come true.

Lauren plays her best defensive game, but she’s no match for the dark-eyed goalie. When the field of play moves to Florida, things heat up on the beach.

One of Mike’s biggest fans doesn’t approve—his teenage daughter. But a true competitor knows not to waste the perfect shot at love.

• ISBN10: 0399583475
• ISBN13: 9780399583476
• Publish Date: 2 May 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780399583476

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

You know who loves second chance romances? This girl, and I got a fantastic second chance romance that warmed my heart and left my eyes shiny with this book.

Mike had abruptly ended his relationship with Lauren to return to his ex-wife, and she had spent the last two years wondering why. Now a widower for the past year, a temporary assignment brings Lauren back to the Bruisers organization, and back into Mike's orbit. This revived Mike's hope that he could rekindle their relationship, as he had never stopped loving her.

I loved getting to know Mike better. He may have made some mistakes with respect to Lauren, but those decisions were made putting the needs of others above his. He was working so hard to be a fantastic father and he had a heart of gold. It was about time he put some of his needs first.

My heart ached for Lauren. Between her parents and the out-of-nowhere break up with Mike, I understood why she was the way she was, and I wanted her to be able to find some happiness. She was tough on Mike, she made him work for it, but I agreed with her holding him off.

Another fabulous addition to the Bruisers series. My heart broke and was put back together so many times. The flashbacks were largely responsible for the sad tears, but the present day brought me many happy tears. The ending was so sweet and joyful.

[Linda]

Pipe Dreams is a beautiful second-chance-at love story.

[thebookdisciple]

Pipe Dreams is the story of the prickly, snooty administrative assistant to Nate, Lauren. She is NOT well liked and I wasn't sure her story would be welcome. But, I should have trusted Sarina Bowen. My heart BROKE for Lauren.

Lauren and Mike (the goalie for the Bruisers) were in love. He had just gotten divorced from his wife though and Lauren was concerned people would talk. That didn't stop them though because they really were in love. And for a year or so, things were amazing. Then Mike bails on her, goes back to his wife, and everyone whispers that 'the husband stealing hussy got what was coming to her'. Lauren is heartbroken and develops a wall around herself that pushes everyone away.

Pipe Dreams is a mix of flashbacks to the time when Lauren and Mike were in love and present time, where Lauren has done everything in her power to have NOTHING to do with the Bruisers, even though her boss owns the team. I loved getting to see a different side of Lauren. I loved seeing her open up to Georgia and Ari and Becca because she realizes how snooty she has been and that these ladies, new to the organization, have no idea why she hates the team. And, of course, Georgia, Ari, and Becca welcome her, listen, and support her. Developing female friendships in books is so important because so often women are portrayed as catty, vindictive, and conniving. I love when a group of women come together and don't play into the cat and mouse games.

Mike's story is heartbreaking. First, he knocks up his girlfriend at 19, they get married and he is off playing hockey all the time, his wife leaves him, then she gets sick and he has to step up for the sake of their daughter forgoing his own happiness for the sake of his family. He has a great deal of guilt over his ex-wife, Shelly. He feels he ruined her life by getting her pregnant at 19. She had to abandon her plans of college and become a stay at home mom and a hockey wife. Mike was gone all the time so she was lonely as well. As a reader, you can see the impossibility of his situation and can understand why he made the choice he did. However, I was still irritated at the WAY he did it and how much it crushed Lauren. He looks like Saint Mike and she looks like a wife stealing whore. Its certainly what Mike's teenage daughter thinks too!

Lauren is forced by her boss to take a more active role with the Bruisers and this forces her to have to see Mike all the time. It rips her heart apart daily. The only way she survived all this was to shut Mike totally out of her life and focus on everything else. I expected to not love Lauren based on the previous books, but I adore her! I struggled a bit more with Mike. I, like Lauren, just wasn't sure. I don't know that I could ever trust him again. I'm not sure I could forget that kind of pain. Because I loved Lauren so much, I wanted to protect her from everything. I wanted to be there to step between her and Mike and act as a buffer for her so she didn't get hurt any more. Do you see how much I loved her?!?!? I went all mama bear whenever Mike came around. But, Mike is excellent at redemption. I mean, the man has MOVES.

Pipe dreams is a second chance romance that is filled with pain, regret, and sorrow. It shredded my heart and I loved every minute of it!

Note: If Becca and Nate's book isn't next, I might go crazy!! I need it!

 

• POV: 3rd


• Tears: no


• Trope: second chance


• Triggers: no


• Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series


• Cliffhanger: no


• HEA: yes

The Hot Shot by Kristen Callihan, Hawke by Sawyer Bennett, Face Off at the Alter by Toni Aleo...then you will probably like Pipe Dreams!

Pipe Dreams

See full review on The Book Disciple

[leelu92]

4.5 stars

Sarina Bowen is completely responsible for my interest in hockey. Before her, I really didn't pay attention to it.

Pipe Dreams was excellent and the best book in the series so far and I really hope that we get more books in this series, I'm addicted!

[Rowena]

Pipe Dreams is the third book in the Brooklyn Bruisers series and it follows Mike Beacon as he tries to win Lauren Williams over again. It’s a second chance romance that I was pleasantly surprised by. I wasn’t a real big fan of Lauren in the previous books but I really enjoyed getting to know her in this book. I knew that her story was a complicated one and I was right. Old feelings, new feelings, she was hit with all of these, all of the time and I admired the hell out of the way that she handled everything. From fighting her attraction to the man that broke his heart to handling the treatment she got from that same man’s teenaged daughter, Lauren was a straight up champ!

I think this is my favorite book in the series so far. I really enjoyed seeing the past relationship and the present relationship between Mike and Lauren. It wasn’t an easy romance to get through and Mike handled things so badly but I thought he more than made up for his past transgressions. I really enjoyed the family that he made for himself and I loved how he brought Lauren into the fold. This was such a heartwarming romance that I damn near swooned multiple times while reading it.

Lauren, holy cow was she great. I enjoyed getting to know her and I really enjoyed watching her finally let people close to her again. She was completely broken hearted but she grew into her own skin and learned how to live by herself and become a formidable woman. I loved seeing her friendships with the other girls grow and grow and grow and I loved that Mike wanted her to have friends and to have everything she deserved to have…even love, with him.

Mike juggled lots of hats in this book, from father to player to lover and friend and I thought he wore each hat well. He had an abundance of love to give and he was never shy about spreading his love around. I loved the relationship he had with his daughter, with his daughter’s manny and the love he had for his friends and teammates. He was patient and kind and an all around hot, sexy piece of goodness. His love for Lauren completely melted me and I loved that Lauren was able to give him the love he craved. They were so good together and I loved seeing them grow to love and trust each other again. I love that Mike didn’t let her reservations deter him from fixing things between them and loving her so fully and completely. I just adored these two.

This was a great addition to the Brooklyn Bruisers series and it’s got me salivating for more. I cannot wait for Nate and Becca’s story though I’m also low key wanting stories for Silas and a couple of other guys on the team. I’ve got my fingers crossed. Definitely recommend. Go forth and read this book, it’s great!

Grade: 4.25 out of 5