BROOKLYNAIRE (BROOKLYN BRUISERS #4) by SARINA BOWEN

February 11, 2018

Synopsis:

A sexy new standalone from USA Today bestseller Sarina Bowen.

You’d think a billion dollars, a professional hockey team and a six-bedroom mansion on the Promenade would satisfy a guy. You’d be wrong.

For seven years Rebecca has brightened my office with her wit and her smile. She manages both my hockey team and my sanity. I don’t know when I started waking in the night, craving her. All I know is that one whiff of her perfume ruins my concentration. And her laugh makes me hard.

When Rebecca gets hurt, I step in to help. It’s what friends do. But what friends don’t do is rip off each others’ clothes for a single, wild night together.

Now she’s avoiding me. She says we’re too different, and it can never happen again. So why can’t we keep our hands off each other?

My Review:

“Yesterday I thought my biggest problem was sharing an overcrowded apartment with my sister and her family. Oh, and the fact that I haven’t had sex in eleven months and three days. That used to seem like a big problem. But now I know better.”

Sarina Bowen writes a mean office/sports romance! You do not need to have read this series to enjoy Nate and Rebecca’s book but some of my favorite characters make an appearance.

Office romances can be tricky because, well, they just are. But Sarina Bowen has an intelligent, funny and very sexy style that works perfectly here. Becca was Nate’s assistant for years – since when he was just starting out in business and before he purchased the Brooklyn Bruisers hockey team. She eventually was moved from his company to the back office of the hockey team, something that she always was confused about. She was a little jealous of the woman who took her place but accepted her new position with the team. Of course, little did she know that Nate moved her because he was attracted to her.

Becca injures herself and Nate comes to her aid. These two are so adorable and geeky together! Becca and Nate are close friends so she does not want to ruin their relationship over her insanely hot fantasies of him.

There is not too much drama here, just a snappy, fast-paced story with relatable and likable characters. And a super-hot, rich boss named Nate who also happens to be a nice guy!

“Everything okay?” he asks.

“Yes and no,” I whisper. “I just want to do the smart thing. And sometimes it’s not easy to know what that is.” Nate probably won’t understand, though. Everything he does is smart.

“You think I’m a bad idea. You’re right.”

I enjoyed this sexy and witty sports romance and the palindromes were a PLUS. You’ll just have to read ‘Brooklynaire’ to see!

Excerpt:

I grab a towel off a waiting stack of them and toss it onto the edge. “You can sit and put your feet in.”
She’s wearing a short little knit dress that’s been making me crazy all evening, so it would be easy enough for her to strip off those stockings, sit on the towel, and drop both feet in.
And that’s what she does. She eases one stocking down over a smooth knee and tugs it off.
I don’t want to stand there staring like a middle-school boy. Okay, I do want to. But I don’t want to make her uncomfortable. So I go over to the sound system instead, and I set my phone on the speaker and cue up a really old playlist. One she’ll recognize.
When I turn around again, she’s seated on the towel, both legs hanging down into the churning water. “Ah. Wow.” She looks up at me, her eyes sparkling. “Nice place you got here.”
“Isn’t it?” I toe off my shoes and kick them to the side.
The first song comes on, and it’s a Macklemore tune that we used to play far too often in our first office. Rebecca laughs immediately. “You didn’t! I haven’t heard this playlist in forever. But I’ll bet I still know every transition. Lady Gaga is next.”
“She sure is.”
Rebecca kicks her feet, making a splash. “I have a little confession to make.”
“What’s that?” I loosen my tie and slide the knot out.
“Well…” She grins up at me. “I used to have a crush on you. Back in the early days.”
My hands freeze on the tie silk. “Get out of town. You did not.”
“No, I really did.” Her cheeks are pink. “That first year especially. But you were taken, and you were my boss. Those two things made it pretty easy to tamp down, when you’re a practical girl like me.”
I walk over and drop down beside her, my back to the water, though, because I’m still wearing trousers and socks. “So how does that work, exactly?”
“What?” She gives me a sidelong glance, but then looks away again and won’t meet my eyes.
“How do you stop wanting someone? I’m a practical person, but I don’t see how that makes it any easier. Nothing seems to mute the raging attraction I have for you.”
Her chin turns quickly toward me, and I seize the opportunity to kiss her. And it only takes one kiss—one slide of my lips over hers, and I’m on fire again.
We’re facing opposite directions, so it’s awkward as hell. But I don’t even care. I take greedy sip after greedy sip of her mouth, until she pulls back to stare at me. Her color is high and her eyes are bright and happy. “This is like Twister.”
“It’s better,” I correct. Lady Gaga comes on, just as Becca said she would. “Are we getting into this pool or what?”
Becca kicks a foot in the water. “I’m tempted. But I don’t have a bathing suit.”
“Oh, snap.”
She smiles and shakes her head. “Are you really getting in?”
“We don’t have to.” I’m never going to pressure her.
Her fingers trail across the surface of the bubbling water. “But this is an adventure, right?”
“Right.” I stand up and remove my socks. She’s watching me. And I can’t read her expression. “What?”
“Just wondering what else you’re going to take off.” She smiles.
“Come here.” The order rolls off my tongue.
But Rebecca doesn’t blink. She gets up and turns toward me, curiosity in her eyes.
“You tell me. What am I taking off?”
She puts two hands tentatively on my chest, and I make myself be patient. Everything I ever wanted is on the other side of this moment. I just need us to break through this awkwardness—the “will we or won’t we” tension.
Her fingers find the top button of my shirt. “I’m not getting in the water unless you are.”
That’s a compromise I can live with. I find my lower shirt buttons and work upwards, until we meet in the middle. She pushes the two halves of my shirt apart and runs a hand down my bare chest.
My inner caveman stands up and cheers.

Review + Excerpt & Giveaway: ROOKIE MOVE by SARINA BOWEN

September 5, 2016

ROOKIE MOVE (BROOKLYN BRUISERS #1) by Sarina Bowen
Publication Date: September 6, 2016

Synopsis:

The first novel in a sexy new series featuring the hockey players of the Brooklyn Bruisers and the women who win their hearts—from the USA Today bestselling author of the Ivy Years series.

In high school they were the perfect couple—until the day Georgia left Leo in the cold…

Hockey player Leo Trevi has spent the last six years trying to do two things: get over the girl who broke his heart, and succeed in the NHL. But on the first day he’s called up to the newly franchised Brooklyn Bruisers, Leo gets checked on both sides, first by the team’s coach—who has a long simmering grudge, and then by the Bruisers’ sexy, icy publicist—his former girlfriend Georgia Worthington.

Saying goodbye to Leo was one of the hardest things Georgia ever had to do—and saying hello again isn’t much easier. Georgia is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional, but when a press conference microphone catches Leo declaring his feelings for her, things get really personal, really fast….

My Review:

“Come back to me, Georgia.”

The first book in the new Brooklyn Bruisers series was a total delight! Rookie Move has everything I love about Sarina Bowen’s books: great writing, smart women, fine and sexxxy hockey players, and sweet, sweet first love.

Georgia and Leo have been apart for years after having been in love when they were in high school. Now Leo is the new trade for the Brooklyn Bruisers hockey team, where his former girlfriend is also working. Leo has never gotten over Georgia, and even though she was the one who broke up with Leo, she has never gotten over him, either. She has followed his career and now is face to face again with her one true love.

Ah, Leo. Georgia’s happiness was all he ever cared about. His past with Georgia might keep him from reaching his full potential with the team, but he will never betray her secrets. He is a sexy, sweet, talented hockey player who brings just the right amount of steam and sweetness to this book. It’s obvious these two still care for each other and their chemistry still burns bright after all these years have passed.

“So fucking good,” …

“Now give me that mouth.”

Sarina Bowen writes some of THE best sports romances around. There are great supporting characters in this book, and I’m thrilled that the next book will be O’Doul’s story. Rookie Move is a fantastic start to the new Brooklyn Bruisers series! Highly recommended for all fans of sweet, steamy second chance romances.

“You and I don’t have one-night stands. We have forever night stands.”

(ARC provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.)

Excerpt:

“Come right this way,” Georgia heard her coworker and roommate Becca say, the clomp of her Dr. Martens echoing through the grand old passageway. “Nate is excited to meet you.” Becca was the owner’s assistant, and Georgia lingered half a second to wave her down and offer her a donut, too.

But Becca didn’t happen to look in Georgia’s direction as she led a tall man down the corridor. Something about his gait snagged Georgia’s subconscious. So she took a second look.

And that’s when her heart took off like a manic bunny rabbit. Because she knew that man. She knew the chiseled shape of his masculine jaw, and the length of his coal-black eyelashes.

Oh my God.

Omigod, omigod, omigod.

“How was your flight?” Becca asked him, oblivious to the fact that Georgia was spying.

“Not too bad. I got in late last night.”

The sound of his voice fluttered right inside Georgia’s chest. It was the same smoky sweet timbre that used to whisper into her ear while they made love. She hadn’t let herself remember that sound in a long time.

Now it was giving her goosebumps. The good kind.

“Welcome to Brooklyn,” Becca said while Georgia trembled. “Are you familiar with the area?”

“Grew up about thirty miles from here,” he answered while chills broke out across her back.

Holding her breath, Georgia eased her office door further closed, until only a couple of inches remained. She could not be caught like this—freaked-out and speechless, hiding behind a door.

The movement caught Becca’s eye, though. Georgia saw her turn her head in her direction and then pick her out in the crack where the door was still open. Becca raised one eyebrow—the one with the barbell piercing in it.

All Georgia could do was close her eyes and pray that Becca wouldn’t call out a greeting.

There was a pause before Georgia heard Becca say, “Right this way, please.”

Quietly, Georgia stepped into her office and shut the door. After flipping on the light, she let her briefcase and pocketbook slide right to the floor. Only the folder that Nate had given her was still in her shaking hands. She flipped it open, her eyes searching for the new player’s name on the page.

But she didn’t even need the paperwork to confirm what her racing heart had already figured out. The newest player for the Brooklyn Bruisers was none other than Leonardo “Leo” Trevi, a six-foot-two, left-handed forward. Also known as her high school boyfriend, the boy she’d loved with all her heart until the day that she’d dumped him. And now he was here?

“Thanks, universe,” she whispered into the stillness of her office.

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STEADFAST (TRUE NORTH #2) by SARINA BOWEN

July 9, 2016

STEADFAST (TRUE NORTH #2) by SARINA BOWEN
RELEASING ON JULY 12, 2016

SYNOPSIS:

She’s the only one who ever loved him—and the only one he can never have.

Jude lost everything one spring day when he crashed his car into an apple tree on the side of the road. A man is dead, and there’s no way he can ever right that wrong. He’d steer clear of Colebury, Vermont forever if he could. But an ex-con in recovery for his drug addiction can’t find a job just anywhere.

For Sophie Haines, coming face to face with the man who broke her heart is gut-wrenching. Suddenly, he’s everywhere she turns. It’s hard not to stare at how much he’s changed. The bad boy who used to love her didn’t have big biceps and sun-kissed hair. And he’d never turn up volunteer in the church kitchen.

She knows it’s foolish to yearn for the man who returned all the heartsick letters she wrote him in prison. But the looks he sends her now speak volumes.

No one wants to see Sophie and Jude back together, least of all Sophie’s police chief father. But it’s a small town. And forbidden love is a law unto itself.

MY REVIEW:

4.5 STARS!!

“My name is Jude Nickel, and I am an addict. Also, I’m a big fucking idiot.”

I was totally intrigued by Jude in BITTERSWEET, and just knew he had quite a story to tell. The strong, silent type, he was hired to work on the Shipley farm fresh out of prison. And now in STEADFAST, he returns to his hometown and to his alcoholic father to try and rebuild his former life.

First, let me just say that the chapter headings in this book are incredible!!! They chronicle the stages of Jude’s recovery from drug addiction and are just a fantastic touch. Jude has accepted his reality: he is a recovering drug addict, an ex-con, and will probably never be able to find gainful employment outside his father’s run-down auto-repair garage. And he is back in the same town with his first and only love, Sophie, a girl he would have done anything for, until a horrible tragedy ripped them apart.

Their love is bittersweet, overwhelming and beautiful. They fell in love as teenagers, and now must try and rebuild their love after several emotional and traumatic years apart. Jude is not your typical “hero”, as the author reminds us. He is much more!! He is brave, resilient and quite damaged. I have never felt such empathy for a person with a drug addiction as I did for Jude. He is battling daily. And Sophie is right there with him, despite her father’s warnings to stay away from Jude.

“The only thing I have ever been afraid of is losing you.”

Sarina Bowen has written a very powerful yet sweetly sexy book about second-chance romance. There are some very strong scenes of domestic abuse and family dysfunction in this book, and while some characters rise above this, some do not. BUT it is Jude and Sophie’s romance that is at the center of this book. WOW!! Sarina Bowen has shown that she can write fabulous contemporary romances as well as the college romances she is so well known for. STEADFAST has steamy romance, real emotion and fantastic characters that you will fall in love with.

“Enough worrying about what we deserve. Let’s appreciate what we have.”

(Copy provided by the author for an honest review.)

OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES:

BITTERSWEET (TRUE NORTH #1)

Farmers make the earth move.

The last person Griffin Shipley expects to find stuck in a ditch on his Vermont country road is his ex-hookup. Five years ago they’d shared a couple of steamy nights together. But that was a lifetime ago.

At twenty-seven, Griff is now the accidental patriarch of his family farm. Even his enormous shoulders feel the strain of supporting his mother, three siblings and a dotty grandfather. He doesn’t have time for the sorority girl who’s shown up expecting to buy his harvest at half price.

Vermont was never in Audrey Kidder’s travel plans. Neither was Griff Shipley. But she needs a second chance with the restaurant conglomerate employing her. Okay—a fifth chance. And no self-righteous lumbersexual farmer will stand in her way.

They’re adversaries. They want entirely different things from life. Too bad their sexual chemistry is as hot as Audrey’s top secret enchilada sauce, and then some.

Warning: Contains sexual situations, gourmet yumminess, a steamy outdoor shower and proof that farmers don’t mind getting dirty.

KEEPSAKE (TRUE NORTH #3)

Zach’s book coming in October 2016

(Teasers courtesy of the author.)

BITTERSWEET (TRUE NORTH #1) by SARINA BOWEN

June 11, 2016

SYNOPSIS:

The new series is set in Vermont. True North is populated by the tough, outdoorsy mountain men that populate the Green Mountain State. They raise cows and they grow apples. They chop a lot of wood, especially when they need to blow off steam. (Beards are optional but encouraged.)

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the orchard.

They’re adversaries. They want entirely different things from life. Too bad their sexual chemistry is as hot as Audrey’s top secret enchilada sauce, and then some.

4 – 4.5 GRUMPY, SEXY STARS!!

“The massiveness of his body was such a turn-on. He was an unyielding wall of a man. I just wanted to stay right here – literally pressed between a rock and a hard place. Forever.”

WELL HELLO, GRUMPY BEARDED FARMER!! Sarina Bowen NEEDS to write more adult contemporary romance! OMG Griffin is one of THE sweetest and sexiest heroes EVER. Adored the story. Sexy, funny and smart. Fabulous beginning to what I’m sure will be a fantastic series!!

I absolutely loved this story about Griff, a super-hot and always-grumpy farmer who lives and works with his large family on their farm in Vermont. I loved the wonderful details about apple farming, organic farming and the agricultural business!! This eye for detail just shows what an incredibly talented writer Sarina Bowen is.

Audrey is struggling to make her mark in the Boston restaurant world and is called upon to visit several farms in Vermont as part of her job. She runs into Griif, with whom she had a few hot hook-ups in college. Back then he was a superstar football player, but he thought she was a sorority party girl and she thought he would never be interested in someone like her.

Flash forward to the present, Audrey is trying to make it on her own without the help of her wealthy mother. Her bosses aren’t exactly ethical in their business dealings, which Griff makes quite clear to her. BUT these two have some AMAZINGLY hot chemistry and can’t seem to stay away from each other. I must say that Sarina Bowen surprised me with the heat level in BITTERSWEET!!! Griff is hot, sweet, huge and BEARDED. Audrey is hooked! But these two could not be more different: Griff is serious, usually grumpy and completely immersed in running his farm and the business side of farming, while Audrey, who is smart and driven, is funny, outgoing and much more of a people person.

“You’re the sweet that balances out my natural tannins.”

Griff is my kind of hero. Hardworking, sexy, sweet, devoted to his family…and when he opens up to Audrey and shows his true feelings, OMG!!! Perfection.

“There was nothing I wouldn’t have given her at that moment. Skin to skin with her was the only place I wanted to be.”

There is an incredible cast of supporting characters, I would love to read a story about each and every one. BITTERSWEET has humor, heat, wonderful writing and and a fast paced story. And it has plenty of sexy times to satisfy even the most jaded of contemporary romance readers (like me!) The only thing that kept this book from being a 5 star read for me was a scene early on that I felt was out of place in a sexy contemporary romance story. Other than that, I highly recommend this sweet, sexy and funny story!! Can’t wait to read the next book in this series!!

(ARC provided by the author in return for an honest review.)

MORE IN THIS SERIES:

STEADFAST (TRUE NORTH #2)
Release Date: July 12, 2016

She’s the only one who ever loved him—and the only one he can never have.

She knows it’s foolish to yearn for the man who returned all the heartsick letters she wrote him in prison. But the looks he sends her now speak volumes.

No one wants to see Sophie and Jude back together, least of all Sophie’s police chief father. But it’s a small town. And forbidden love is a law unto itself.

Pre-Order:

US (HIM #2) by SARINA BOWEN and ELLE KENNEDY

March 7, 2016

Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated?

Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He’s living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves—Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There’s just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice.

Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It’s not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn’t help that his new job isn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped, but he knows he can power through it as long as he has Wes. At least apartment 10B is their retreat, where they can always be themselves.

Or can they? When Wes’s nosiest teammate moves in upstairs, the threads of their carefully woven lie begin to unravel. With the outside world determined to take its best shot at them, can Wes and Jamie develop major-league relationship skills on the fly?

Warning: contains sexual situations, a vibrating chair, long-distance sexytimes and proof that hockey players look hot in any shade of green.

“Love is friendship set on fire. I get it now.”

AHHHHHH!!!! Smoking hot, sweet, SEXXXXY and emotional!! This book has it all!! Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy write some of the best new adult romance today and they hit it out of park again (or made a goal??) with US. I fell in love all over again with Jamie Canning and Ryan Wesley. If you are looking to try a MM story, I highly recommend this series. It is pure romance!

Wes and Jamie are faced with the real-life pressures of a modern couple when Wes travels with his pro team and Jamie begins a job coaching. Added to the stress of their relationship is that fact that Wes is still hiding his relationship with Jamie. It pained me to suffer alongside both Wes and Jamie when they could not go public with their relationship. A sudden, devastating illness makes everything very clear to Wes and finally gives these two some of the normalcy that other couples enjoy. Leave it to these two authors to write an engaging, hot, funny and very sentimental story that shows the reader that love is for everyone.

I also adored Blake, who was funny and a true friend. Hello, he deserves his own book!! US is a wonderfully romantic and incredibly sexy story about two people in love. This book will have you cheering, laughing, clutching your heart and fanning yourself. What more can you ask for? Kudos to Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy for another beautiful story in this series.

(ARC provided by the authors in return for an honest review.)

EXCERPT:

At long last, I’m twenty paces away, then ten. Then I’m opening our door. “Hey babe!” I call out like I always do. “I made it.” I drag my duffel over the threshold, then toss my suit coat on top, abandoning these things beside the door, because all I need now is a kiss.

Only then do I notice that our apartment smells amazing. Jamie has cooked dinner for me. Again. He is the perfect man, I swear to God.

“Hey!” he calls, emerging from the hallway leading to our bedroom. He’s wearing jeans and nothing else except—and this is unusual—a beard. “Do I know you?” He gives me a sexy smile.

“I was going to ask the same thing.” I’m staring at the sandy-blond beard. Jamie has always been clean-shaven. I mean—we’ve known each other since before facial hair. He looks different. Older, maybe.

And hot as blazes. Seriously, I can’t wait to feel that beard against my face, and maybe my balls… Jesus. The blood is already rushing south, and I’ve been home fifteen seconds.

And yet I’m just stuck there in the middle of the room for a moment, because even though it’s been eight months since Jamie and I started up together, I’m still a little stunned at my own good fortune. “Hi,” I say again, stupidly.

He walks forward, his easy gait so familiar that my heart breaks a little bit. He puts his hands on my traps and squeezes the muscle there. “Don’t go away for so long. If you do that again, I’m going to have to sneak into your hotel room on the road.”

“Promise?” I ask, and it comes out like gravel. He’s close enough now that I can smell the ocean scent of his shampoo and the beer he drank while he waited for me.

“If I ever get a winning lottery ticket and a day off, I’ll do it,” he says. “Hotel sex after a game? Sounds hot.”

Now I’m measuring the distance to our sofa and counting the layers of clothes I’ll need to remove in the next ninety seconds.

PURCHASE HIM (HIM #1):

EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: THE FIFTEENTH MINUTE (The Ivy Years #5) by SARINA BOWEN

October 25, 2015

Just because she’s famous doesn’t mean she’s happy.

Freshman Lianne Challice is known to millions of fans as Princess Vindi. But sometimes a silver screen sorceress just wants to hang up her wand, tell her manager to shove it, and become a normal college student. Too bad that’s harder than it looks.

She’s never lived a normal life. She hasn’t been to school since kindergarten. And getting close to anyone is just too risky — the last boy she kissed sold the story to a British tabloid.

But she can’t resist trying to get close to Daniel “DJ” Trevi, the hot, broody guy who spins tunes for hockey games in the arena. Something’s haunting his dark eyes, and she needs to know more.

DJ’s genius is for expressing the mood of the crowd with a ten second song snippet. With just a click and a fade, he can spread hope, pathos or elation among six thousand screaming fans.

Too bad his college career is about to experience the same quick fade-out as one of his songs. He can’t get close to Lianne, and he can’t tell her why. And the fact that she seems to like him at all? Incredible.

PURCHASE LINKS

http://amzn.to/1NtRP7d/

itunes.apple.com/

http://www.barnesandnoble.com

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-fifteenth-minute

kissteaser-2
Excerpt:

Lianne Challice is chatting me up.

As I fetch the pizza I ordered from the window, I try to decide whether or not I’m going insane. Maybe all the stress in my life has finally cracked me.

But no. When I deposit the pie on a table, her big eyes cut from the jukebox over to me, before darting away again. She is so freaking cute and so feminine that it’s making me crazy. Her mouth is like a little red candy that I’m dying to taste. And who has teeth that straight? She intimidates the fuck out of me, to be honest.

I make another trip to the pizza counter for paper plates and napkins. Usually we just grab slices off the tray like animals. But tonight I’m trying to be classy. The idea makes me snicker to myself. As if. Impressing Lianne Challice isn’t something I’m capable of. But I’m having fun trying. And there hasn’t been a whole lot of fun in this year for me. So that’s something.

Years from now I’ll look back on this night and laugh. Guys, did I ever tell you about the time I chatted up a movie star? I mean, my father is still telling people about the time he sat one table over from Tina Fey at Nobu.

Lianne sneaks another glance in my direction and I beckon to her. “Have a slice?” If she wants one, now is the time. In a minute my brother and his teammates will fall on the pizza like seagulls.

“Thank you. I guess I should. I didn’t make it to the dining hall tonight.”

“Your enthusiasm for Capri’s pizza overwhelms me,” I tease. “Aren’t you a fan?”

She slides a slice onto a paper plate, considering the question. “Pizza is like a nineties hit. Pretty good, especially if that’s all there is and you’re hungry.”

My own slice stops halfway to my mouth and I laugh. “Seriously?”

“What?”

“I don’t know if we can be friends,” I say before taking a bite.

“Because I don’t love pizza?”

I shake my head. “Who doesn’t love pizza? It’s, like, a basic human desire.” I cram a bite into my mouth to prove my point. Smooth, right?

She bites her bottom lip, and I realize I’d rather have that for dinner. “It’s okay. But it’s mostly just something you eat when you’re in a hurry or need to feed a crowd on the cheap.”

“Ah, I see,” I say when I can speak again. “The problem is that you haven’t had any great pizza. You’re a freshman, right? You don’t know all the glory that is Harkness pizza. Have you been to Gino’s Apizza?”

Lianne shakes her head. “I don’t think so.”

“She doesn’t think so,” I scoff. “Baby, if you’d had great pizza, you’d remember.” And now I sound like a real perv, but Lianne Challice is smiling at me, watching me with her big doe eyes, and I feel it like a drug. “They make everything from scratch. Even the sausage. We’ll go together, so I can prove my point.”

Annnd I think I just asked a movie star out on a date. Here comes the crash and burn.

First her eyes widen just a smidge. Then two pink spots appear on her face, one on either cheekbone. “Well, it would be a shame to live in this town and never know its true pizza greatness.”

I replay that sentence in my head and realize that she didn’t turn me down. “True,” I agree. “Do you think Thursday would be a night to experience pizza Nirvana?” I’m overselling the hell out of Gino’s now, but it’s working for me.

She gives me a serious frown, and I’m hoping she’s not busy on Thursday. Because I have back-to-back hockey games to DJ on Friday and Saturday. “Thursday it is. I shall prepare to be amazed.”

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR:

http://www.sarinabowen.com/
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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT: THE FIFTEENTH MINUTE (THE IVY YEARS #5) by SARINA BOWEN

October 5, 2015

Just because she’s famous doesn’t mean she’s happy.

Freshman Lianne Challice is known to millions of fans as Princess Vindi. But sometimes a silver screen sorceress just wants to hang up her wand, tell her manager to shove it, and become a normal college student. Too bad that’s harder than it looks.

She’s never lived a normal life. She hasn’t been to school since kindergarten. And getting close to anyone is just too risky — the last boy she kissed sold the story to a British tabloid.

But she can’t resist trying to get close to Daniel “DJ” Trevi, the hot, broody guy who spins tunes for hockey games in the arena. Something’s haunting his dark eyes, and she needs to know more.

DJ’s genius is for expressing the mood of the crowd with a ten second song snippet. With just a click and a fade, he can spread hope, pathos or elation among six thousand screaming fans.

Too bad his college career is about to experience the same quick fade-out as one of his songs. He can’t get close to Lianne, and he can’t tell her why. And the fact that she seems to like him at all? Incredible.

Exclusive Excerpt:

She grabs her purse off the table and tucks the strap over her shoulder. Lianne is making a getaway but I don’t even have her number yet.

She tries to slip past me but I catch her hand in mine. “One sec. There’s one thing you forgot.”

Those long eyelashes lift, and she’s staring up into my eyes. Looking…nervous. That can’t be it. Nobody gets nervous about flirting with me. “I did?” she asks.

“Yeah. If I’m meeting you for dinner Thursday, then I need some way to contact you.”

“Oh,” she breathes. “Okay. Hang on.” She digs into her bag, hopefully to find her phone.

“Hey, Deej?” My brother Leo—or Trevi to everyone in this room, as if he’s the only one with rights to our last name—is suddenly at my elbow.

“Take the pizza,” I hiss. And then fuck off. His timing could not be worse.

“Dad needs you to phone him tonight,” Leo says. “He says you’re not taking his calls.”

“Fine,” I say, my eyes on Lianne. Her phone is clutched in her small hands, and she’s tapping her passcode into the screen with shiny pink fingernails that remind me of candies.

Can my brother not take a hint?

“Okay, ready?” Lianne looks up and smiles at me.

With an open hand, I lay my palm across my brother’s face and nudge him away until he melts back into the Capri’s crowd. Then I pull my phone out of my pocket. “Okay, shoot.” She rattles off the number and I test it to make sure I’ve got it right. When I’m done, my phone notifies me that I’ve missed another call from my dad. Big surprise.

“I’m heading home,” Lianne says.

“Let me walk you out,” I say.

Lianne makes a sound that I can’t quite interpret. A squeak, almost. But she waits for me. So I cup her elbow in one hand and lead her to the side door.

“I didn’t know there was a door here,” she babbles.

We step outside. The side street is quiet, as always. Her eyes are wide in the glow of the streetlight, and I smile for no reason at all.

“Um, thanks for the pizza,” she says.

I shrug. “Don’t thank me yet, smalls. Thank me after I introduce you to Gino’s.”

Her eyes narrow. “Really? We’re doing short jokes now?”

“Hey!” I lift both hands in surrender. “I thought that was something we had in common.”

She cocks her head to the side. “Why?”

Seriously? “I don’t exactly tower over people, either.” Though it’s kind of her not to notice.

Lianne lifts her chin and looks into my eyes. “Everyone towers over me.”

This is surprisingly true. I actually have to look down to see her properly. And when I do, I see that her expression has shifted to something dreamy. There’s a stirring in my chest I haven’t felt in a long time. And it’s not because the girl looking up at me is famous. Right now I don’t see Lianne Challice, star of stage and screen. I’m looking at a girl who’s ambivalent about pizza but awesome with rock music trivia.

And she wants a kiss.

For the first time in months, my mind goes quiet. I hope the moment lasts, because the stillness is as beautiful as the hopeful eyes of the girl in front of me. My hand extends to catch her cheek in my palm. The air around us is cold, but her face is warm to the touch. “I’ll see you on Thursday,” I whisper.

Her nod is almost imperceptible. She’s quiet. Waiting. The moment yawns open. We both know what’s supposed to happen next, but I hesitate. After all that’s occurred, I still know the steps but I no longer trust the dance.

I sweep the pad of my thumb across her perfect cheekbone. Then she leans into my hand. It’s slight—almost imperceptible. But it’s there. A sign.

It’s a short journey to her mouth, but I say a little prayer along the way. Please.

On the first pass I’m still cautious. I take just a brush of her soft lips, landing on her jaw. She smells of berries, I think. Something sweet. I pause there, pressing a kiss to her skin, and she shivers. Then instinct kicks in. I slip my fingers to the nape of her neck and pull her closer to me. The warmth of her small body finds mine, and I have to kiss her. I turn my head a few degrees and find her soft mouth with my hungry one.

The noise she makes is a whimper. I kiss it away. Her lips taste as sweet as they look. I angle my head, deepening the kiss just slightly. Maybe because I haven’t done this in a long time, or maybe because it’s Lianne Challice I’m kissing—but all my senses are dialed up to eleven. I feel every inch of her body where it touches mine, and the sweet scent of her hair is making me crazy. I’m a loose wire sizzling through the air, humming and electrified.

But still wary. That’s probably never going away.

Her lips part, and I take only a little taste, my tongue finding hers for a split second before retreating. She groans, and leans into me. It’s one of those moments where we’re either going to stop, or things are going to rapidly escalate.

And I know what I need to do.

I kiss her one more perfect time, and then ease back. She releases me reluctantly, her chin dropping, her teeth on her lower lip.

Catching her chin in one hand, I tilt her face up to mine. She looks…embarrassed. But I don’t see why that should be. I kiss her perfect forehead, her sweet scent enveloping me once again. “Sure glad I came out for pizza tonight,” I whisper.

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Release Day Blitz: UNCONDITIONAL Anthology

August 26, 2015

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Life isn’t easy. Love is harder. Love cuts, love burns and sometimes love breaks.

But living a half-life, living with regrets, that’s no life at all.

People say we’re broken, not like other people. Maybe that’s true—ability, disability—what’s in a word? So whatever the world throws at us, we won’t stop, we won’t crumble. When we love, we love hard.

Love without limits.

Unconditional is an Anthology from authors Stacey Wallace Benefiel, Jane Harvey-Berrick, Sarina Bowen, Mary Elizabeth, D.Hart, Amber L. Johnson, CJ Lyons, Lauren K. McKellar, Shay Savage, and Magan Vernon.

Crossing by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

He stole her lipstick…and her heart.

Twenty-year-old Dani Walker can’t believe her luck when she’s paired up with the gorgeous Liam Garrett as her Acting I scene partner – or when he ends up in her bed. Being a Plain Jane with a mouth on her hasn’t exactly served Dani well in the guy department. In fact, she’s had nothing but one night stands.

The Education of Caroline by Jane Havery-Berrick

Ten years after their first affair, Sebastian and Caroline meet again. Now a successful journalist, Caroline heads out to report from the front lines of the war in Afghanistan. Love is the last thing on her mind when she crosses paths with Marine Chief Sebastian Hunter.

Will this chance encounter reignite the erotic passion of their past, or will the hidden cost of war tear them apart again?

Falling From The Sky by Sarina Bowen

Until his accident, bad boy Hank “Hazardous” Lazarus had everything: a gorgeous girlfriend, a career as a freestyle snowboarder and a spot on the US Olympic team. Could he possibly meet the love of his life in the last place he ever wanted to go–the hospital?

True Love Way by Mary Elizabeth

Some days are brighter than others, but Penelope Finnel is invisible behind the colored lenses of her heart-shaped sunglasses. Dillon Decker hopes he is the cure to her madness. But when friend turns to lover, and lover turns to caretaker, how much can either of them tolerate before they’re swallowed whole?

Forgotten Treasures by D. Hart

Fate took away Baylor’s past, giving her a second chance at life, but when faced with a choice to move forward, leave it buried, or follow her heart, she struggled with her basic need to survive and be loved. When she met Brandt, he gave her a reason to rebuild a life full of forgotten treasures.

Puddle Jumping by Amber L. Johnson

When it comes to love there’s no such thing as conventional.

Everyone thinks Colton Neely is special.Lilly Evans just thinks he’s fascinating.

Their friendship grows into love, even as Colton does not express it in words. But one decision threatens to break down the world that Lilly has tried so hard to integrate into and she must figure out if the relationship can survive if they are apart.

Lost In Shadows by CJ Lyons

A West Virginia mountain, the middle of a blizzard, killers on his trail…no place for a city boy like Lucky Cavanaugh, an ATF explosives specialist.

Out-manned, out-gunned and shot, he takes Forest Service Wildlife Biologist Vinnie Ryan hostage until he convinces her that he’s one of the good guys.

Vinnie heals not only his injuries but also his broken heart. But when they uncover a terrorist plot, Lucky is forced to choose between duty and passion, risking the life of the woman he loves in order to save the lives of thousands.

The Problem With Crazy by Lauren K. McKellar

When eighteen-year-old Kate’s father turns up drunk to graduation, she knows something is wrong—really wrong. What she doesn’t expect is a hereditary disease that will turn her life around.

The Problem With Crazy is a story about love and life—about overcoming obstacles, choosing to trust, and learning how to make the choices that will change your life forever.

Surviving Raine by Shay Savage

Isolated on a raft after their ship capsizes, an alcoholic death-match fighter and a young woman have to face the elements as well as their entwined pasts. Bastian can survive in the harshest environments, but can he survive Raine?

The Only One by Magan Vernon

Honor student, manager at the campus coffee shop, owner of an impressive sweater collection – Melanie Wilder has it all together. Then John “John Boy” Walden strolls into her life wearing nothing more than an impish grin and all-too-revealing loin cloth.

Soon, make-out sessions replace homework, lust triumphs over work. And to further crumble her perfect world, an unexpected phone call threatens to take away everything she’s worked for.

HIM by SARINA BOWEN and ELLE KENNEDY

July 27, 2015

Profile portrait of businessman working on laptop in black suit at studio

They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend…and a big one to learn about himself.

Warning: contains sexual situations, skinnydipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition

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4.5 STARS!!

HIM is a totally sexy story mixed with the perfect amount of sweet, passionate romance. Wes and Jamie are absolutely delicious together. Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy have become two of my favorite authors!!

I read a fair amount of M/M romance books, so I approached HIM with a wary eye. Would it have enough steam for me? Would the two heroes only dance around their attraction for each other, but never really get down to business? Would the dialogue be witty enough to hold my pathetically short attention span?

The answer to all these questions is a resounding YES!!

Because I adored Elle Kennedy’s Off Campus series and loved Sarina Bowen’s The Shameless Hour, I was thrilled to be able to read their collaboration together. And once I started reading HIM, I literally could NOT put this book down! Jamie Canning and Ryan ‘Wes’ Wesley were perfectly real characters to me and the writing style so seamless, that I could not tell which author wrote which chapter, scene or verse. Even if you’re new to the M/M genre, I highly recommend this book for the witty banter, sexy times and catchy plot. Two hot hockey players? Yes please!!

Jamie and Wes were childhood friends who lost touch after a youthful incident that caused an unfortunate miscommunication. Lo and behold, they run into each other years later and both realize that they have been the “missing link” in each other’s lives. But does Jamie just want to be friends with Wes? Set among the world of college hockey, HIM delivers the perfect amount of hot, dirty, sweet emotion as both Wes and Jamie learn to come to terms with their true feelings. Wes has always loved Jamie and finds it difficult to keep their relationship platonic.

“As I watch Jamie Canning stop another dizzying slap shot. As I admire the grace and deadly precision with which he moves.

My weakness is him.”

I absolutely LOVED how the authors wrote a seamless story that perfectly illustrated the difficulties that gay sports players must face. Wes and Jamie were perfectly suited for each other, even if Jamie at first was reluctant to admit his true feelings for Wes. And Wes, on the other hand, is a total commitment-phone, never allowing anyone to get too close, and hopping from meaningless encounter to another.

“The fact that he’d been the first guy I ever loved and the one who made me face some terrifying things about myself…well, all that will go unsaid.”

HIM is a feel-good sports romance that happens to feature two fabulously sexy male protagonists. It is perfect for die-hard readers of M/M romance as well as for readers who are new to the genre. I adored this book and hope that Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy collaborate on many more books in the future!

(I received an ARC in return for an honest review.)

HIM1

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Blog Tour, Review & Excerpt: THE SHAMELESS HOUR (THE IVY YEARS #4) by SARINA BOWEN

May 2, 2015

Title: The Shameless Hour (The Ivy Years, #4)
Author: Sarina Bowen
Genre: NA | Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 14, 2015
Tour Hosted by: As the Pages Turn

Synopsis

The girl who’s had everyone meets the boy who has no one.

For Bella, the sweet-talking, free-loving, hip-checking student manager of the Harkness men’s hockey team, sex is a second language. She’s used to being fluent where others stutter, and the things people say behind her back don’t (often) bother her. So she can’t understand why her smoking hot downstairs neighbor has so much trouble staying friends after their spontaneous night together. She knows better than to worry about it, but there’s something in those espresso eyes that makes her second guess herself.

Rafe is appalled with himself for losing his virginity in a drunken hookup. His strict Catholic upbringing always emphasized loving thy neighbor—but not with a bottle of wine and a box of condoms. The result is an Ivy League bout of awkwardness. But when Bella is leveled by a little bad luck and a downright sinister fraternity stunt, it’s Rafe who is there to pick up the pieces.

Bella doesn’t want Rafe’s help, and she’s through with men. Too bad the undeniable spark that crackles between the two of them just can’t be extinguished.

Purchase The Shameless Hour

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Review

I loved this book! Sarina Bowen is a new author to me and this is the first book I have read in the Ivy Years Series. It is a standalone but now I am a huge fan so I plan to read the other books in this series.

Bella is a strong heroine and Rafe is totally swoon worthy. In this story, he is the virginal one and Bella is the one who enjoys sex and is not afraid to be the bold one. Hpw refreshing! The Shameless Hour is funny, sexy and heartbreaking all at once. Sarina takes some serious themes and incorporates them seamlessly into her story but gives her characters a fantastic HEA.

Rafe is a hot soccer player who catches Bella’s eye but who is inexperienced with women. He is a hard-working student from a close-knit family, quite the opposite of Bella. He is a wonderful character who is honest, trustworthy and gorgeous. But he doesn’t just want a one-night stand with Bella.

“Bella’s enthusiasm had obliterated all of my caution. She wanted me. And I could no longer think of any reason why I couldn’t have this.”

Bella is a surprisingly strong and funny heroine who is not afraid to be herself and is unapologetic about her sexuality. She is funny and sexy and I absolutely loved her! Sarina Bowen writes a memorable female character who has grit, backbone and smarts. She is wildly attracted to Rafe but refuses to have a relationship with him because, well, she just doesn’t do relationships. But Rafe is persistent and these two build a solid friendship along with their very explosive chemistry. Will Rafe convince Bella that he is worth the risk? Will Bella be able to overcome the reputation that seems to follow her around school? Read The Shameless Hour, you will love the funny dialogue, great story and strong characters that Sarina Bowen has created.

“All good things are risky”…

I already miss Rafe and Bella! And now I must read the other books in The Ivy Years because I need more of these stories!

(ARC provided by the author with thanks.)

The Shameless Hour ~ Excerpt

I held her a little closer as we danced. The band had no vocalist, but I could hear Louis Armstrong’s voice in my head. Give me… a kiss to build a dream on. “I’ve always loved this song,” I confessed.

“Wait, really?” Bella stood up taller so she could look me in the eye. “Have you listened to the lyrics? The guy gets a single kiss, and he basically says that it’s enough — he’s just going to fantasize about it for the rest of his life. I mean… what a rip.”

I bit back a smile. “It’s romantic.”

“It’s unsatisfying,” she countered. “Here, I’ll show you.” Before I knew what was happening, Bella came closer. Her silky thumb stroked once across my cheekbone. Then she stood up on her toes and kissed me.

The first press of her sweet lips against mine stopped my breathing. Though you couldn’t have paid me to resist her. Sheer instinct made me lean into that kiss with my entire being.

Bella’s mouth melted onto mine, and a needy little sound issued from the back of her throat. Heaven. I deepened the kiss, and our tongues touched once. She tasted of red wine and desire. An electric pulse traveled the length of my body. Unbidden, my hands pulled her closer, my fingers in her hair…

The sound of applause brought me back to earth with a thunk. The song had ended, and the band segued into some kind of swing tune. Bella and I broke apart on a gasp. For a second we just stared at each other. “See?” she said eventually.

But I didn’t have the faintest recollection of the point she’d been trying to make. “What?”

Amusement tickled her features. “Never mind. I hear my wine glass calling me.” She tugged on my hand.

Books in the Ivy Years Series

Purchase Ivy Years Series

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About Sarina Bowen

Sarina Bowen writes steamy, angsty contemporary romance from Vermont’s Green Mountains. (Her ancestors began logging and farming Vermont during the 18th century. These were rugged, outdoor types without benefit of a laptop or a good latte. It boggles the mind.) Sarina enjoys skiing, skating and good food. She lives in Windsor County, Vermont, with her family, eight chickens and too much ski gear and hockey equipment.

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Giveaway

The giveaway is open internationally and ends 05/03/2015.

(1) An Ivy Years Notebook (It’s super cute)
(1) eBook box set of Ivy Years #1-3
(1) Signed paperback of The Year We Fell Down

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