Coming off my mediocre impression of the first book in Sarina Bowen’s Brooklyn Bruisers series, Rookie Move, I admit that I had some trepidation about reading Hard Hitter. After all, it wasn’t just the pairing in the first book that I had trouble connecting with; none of the other players on the team and none of those that work with the team jumped out me at the time as being interesting enough to have the potential for their own stories. Fortunately, Hard Hitter returns to the form I’m used to getting from one of my favorite authors. This is a solid and enjoyable read with a pairing that I not only liked but contained one of my favorite female leads by this author.

Patrick O’Doul is the enforcer and team captain for the Brooklyn Bruisers. Years of fights and hard hits have taken their toll on both his body and mind, but like all good hockey players, he plays through the pain and doesn’t feel it’s necessary to get others involved. But since the Bruisers are making a serious play-off run this season, the team’s training staff is having none of that nonsense, so much to his displeasure, they assign him to see the team’s massage therapist when his chronic hip injury becomes too obvious to hide from them. Ari Bettini loves her job as massage therapist and yoga instructor for the Bruisers, and it’s working well as a place to focus her energy after a painful break-up with her boyfriend of eight years. As Patrick warms up to Ari’s healing touch, sparks start to fly between them too. But will demons from both their pasts keep them from making a run at love?

I’m beginning to think I could have a template for reviews of every book I read by this author. Within the genre, Sarina Bowen has one of the most flawless and engaging storytelling styles I’ve read. When she pairs that with tropes I enjoy (she often does) and characters I like enough to root for (she almost always does), the result is a book that causes time to pass more quickly than I expect. Like the first book in the series, Hard Hitter is on the long side for romances, but at no point was I forcing myself to continue or wishing it were shorter. Also like most of her books, this one has a compelling and completely believable plot line that involves some potentially serious issues that she handles in a way that perfectly balances angst with humor.

Patrick is the perfect type of romance hero in my book. As a long-time NHL veteran, he’s old enough to have the life experiences needed to know himself fully so that his actions in the book feel completely honest. His troubled past easily explains much about the man he turned into: he’s a loner who’s cautious about getting close to those he’s around, something that makes him come across as a bit of an asshole—he certainly came across to me that way in his limited appearances in Rookie Move—but once he’s on your side, he’s fiercely loyal and protective. He’s also flawed, largely from his upbringing, but also because he’s starting to feel his age in such a rough sport, which causes him to make some poor decisions that certainly come back to haunt him as the story goes on.

For whatever reason, when I read Sarina’s M/F romances, I usually find the heroine only tolerable to maybe likable in the best case scenario. Here, though, Ari is a character I really liked. She’s friendly and outgoing with a nurturing personality that comes through in her persistence. The recent break-up with her jerk of a boyfriend, one that quickly moves from annoying to dangerous, has her shaken and unconfident when it comes to acting on the feelings she develops for Patrick. Put all this together, and she has the most important characteristic I could want for someone in a book, she’s relatable. And that makes me want things to work out for her all the more. Put them together, and the result is irresistible.

Sure I’m a gay man and Hard Hitter is not a gay romance, but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. As much as I loved Sarina Bowen’s M/M romances and would love to see another one, I hope she continues writing the books she wants to write. I know I plan to keep reading them, because even if they have lady parts in them, I will always be reading them for the wonderfully crafted stories they contain.

The author and/or publisher generously provided me a complimentary copy of Hard Hitter in exchange for this fair and honest review.