Rookie Move

October 17, 2016
Bowen's (Steadfast) launch novel for the contemporary romantic Brooklyn Bruisers hockey series hits with little force while skating to an abrupt, lackluster finale. Georgia's a young interim PR director for the Brooklyn Bruisers NHL team. She's dismayed when her father is named as the team's new coach, and crushed when she finds out that her first love has just been traded to the team, six years after she broke his heart. Leo's been biding his time since college, dutifully playing with a minor-league hockey team. Then the call comes bringing him up to the big game. Unfortunately, Georgia's father hates him for unknown reasons, and Leo now has to work with the woman he never forgot. The typical plot devices are employed to bring the two heroes together, including the interfering best friend and the manufactured player-trade threat. Georgia's past as a sexual assault survivor is trotted out in what feels like a heavy-handed and contrived statement, yet later in the book it's handled with surprising finesse. This romance lacks the chemistry necessary to make it memorable.

July 1, 2016
Hockey forward Leo Trevi is picked up by the newest NHL franchise, the Brooklyn Bruisers, but he's not sure his skating talent will mean much considering that the team's publicist is the woman who broke his heart and the coach is her disapproving father.After a tragedy her senior year of high school, Georgia Worthington broke up with Leo, the boy she loved, on graduation day and never looked back. Now 24, she has her dream job as senior publicist for the Bruisers, and she wants nothing more than to hold onto it. Her reputation as an ice queen doesn't bother her--she's not interested in the players, hot as they may be. She's been lukewarm toward men for years and, though she won't admit it, has never really gotten over Leo. So when her father is named the team's head coach and Leo is signed, things get complicated. Leo makes it clear early on that he's still interested, and her dad makes it clear that he has a grudge against her ex, which makes no sense since Leo was her rock and a true champion when the unthinkable happened all those years ago. Unfortunately, Leo and Georgia's attraction becomes team news, and not only does it fuel her father's animosity toward Leo, it also potentially threatens her job, since a publicist should never bethe news. Plus, Leo and Georgia have never dealt with the issues that drove them apart in the first place, which left Leo confused and Georgia guilty. And then there's the pesky trade deadline, which is always a threat if the coach is determined to get rid of you. The sexual and emotional tension between Georgia and Leo is taut, while their complicated past and present conflicts are potent and heart-wrenching. Bowen shines in a new hockey series that successfully spins off her highly popular new-adult Ivy Years titles.

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August 1, 2016

Thrilled when he is traded to the NHL's Brooklyn Bruisers, hockey forward Leo Trevi is caught up short to find that not only is the team's publicist Georgia Worthington his high school sweetheart, but the new coach is her overprotective father. Georgia and her dad are less than pleased to have Leo on the team, and he has no idea why. Yet the attraction between Leo and Georgia still sizzles, and as their relationship deepens, it becomes clear that they need to sort out the past if they are ever to have a future together. VERDICT Engaging characters, a well-handled plot, and simmering sexual tension make this laughter-tinged second-chance-at-love romance a hot, lively read and a credible start to Bowen's new series. (Note: Hockey knowledge would be useful but is not required for enjoyment.) Bowen (The Fifteenth Minute) lives in the mountains of Vermont.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2016
Georgia Worthington has a good gig going as the interim senior publicist for the Brooklyn Bruisers hockey team, and she is determined to prove that she can excel. It's a little weird when her father is hired as the new head coach but nothing she can't handle. Leo Trevi's NHL dreams are finally a reality. Recently traded to the Brooklyn Bruisers, Leo can't wait to join the team. The last thing Leo expects is to be face-to-face with Georgia, his ex-girlfriend, and, worse yet, her grudge-holding father, who just so happens to be his new coach. Despite the less-than-ideal situation, both Leo and Georgia do their best to be professional. But after a few botched PR events, it's clear that Leo and Georgia were never really over as a couple, and the two can't ignore the heat that continues to rise between them. This sexy read is the first in Bowen's Brooklyn Bruisers series, and it tackles the popular sport-romance genre with ease, promising more fun Bruisers novels to come.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)