Must Love Hockey by Sarina Bowen Series: Brooklyn #5.5
on February 22, 2022
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 152
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible
Q: What’s the opposite of a “meet cute?”
A: Meeting a handsome guy at the very moment you’re breaking out in hives all over your body.
The mysterious allergic reaction I have at the hockey game is terrifying. But it’s just a little less terrifying when a big, strong equipment manager for the Brooklyn Bruisers saves the day.
That’s how I meet James “Jimbo” Carozza. When I’m alone and frightened, he gets me the help I need, and delivers me safely to the emergency room.
Too bad I don’t even get his number…
A hockey fan has a severe allergic reaction and the team equipment manager comes to the rescue. Sarina Bowen’s hockey romances are familiar, enjoyable territory for me though it’s been a bit since I picked one up. I’ve had this shorter in between story setting on my ereader collecting dust and finally got around to it thanks to a reading challenge prompt. What a charmer!
Must Love Hockey is 5.5 in the Brooklyn series and part of a greater world of stories centered around an exciting and sexy pro Brooklyn hockey team. Each romance installment is standalone and this one for the equipment manager is no exception.
Emily is at the game of her favorite hockey team with her boyfriend for him to schmooze some clients from work. She’s having a grand old time, but he is only there for work. Afterward, when he and the clients want uptown drinks, Emily has been feeling off and declines. He’s annoyed and brushes off the fact that she’s not looking or feeling right. Thankfully, a big, handsome charmer notices her physical distress and comes to her rescue in the nick of time. Emily is at her worst and feels a little delirious when the equipment manager brings her into the inner sanctum of the stadium and one of the biggest names in hockey gives up his Epipen to the cause.
Jimbo is attracted right away to the cute and fun Emily. He can’t understand how a guy could put drinks with a client before her health. Jimbo gets her into the emergency room and gets to spend time with her. She’s taken, but he can’t help hoping she’ll come to her senses and pick him.
A friendship blooms between this pair over their shared love of the sport and that health scare she experienced. I appreciated how the situation was handled since Emily had a boyfriend. Emily and Jimbo learn they are both struggling with parental expectation for them- her mom wants her to get a good steady career guy and his dad wants him to follow him into the family business. Slowly their friendship becomes an attraction and sweet Jimbo knows they are right for each other so with the help of the team family and Emily’s fandom, he forges a connection over hockey.
It was fun and sexy and a perfect quick read entry in the series reminding me what I love about the series and the author’s books. A good bet for those who enjoy hockey romance.
About Sarina Bowen
Sarina Bowen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. She lives in Vermont’s Green Mountains with her family, six chickens and too much ski gear and hockey equipment.
In 2016, Sarina became a Rita Award winner! The Romance Writers of America honored HIM by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy with Best Contemporary Romance, Mid-Length.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
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Looks like a fun series, Sophia💜
I’ve not read them all, but I sure have enjoyed the books and novellas I have read. Hockey is strong in these and the romances are sizzling without being overly dramatic. 🙂
This sounds cute, but the name Jimbo would drive me crazy. lol
Haha, yeah, she doesn’t call him that, at least. 🙂
This sounds like it would be a good read. I hope you have a nice Easter.
It was a nice quick hockey romance by a fav authors.
And, you have a Happy Easter, too, Mary!
I love this series, but I’m a few behind. I like the sound of this novella. I’ll look up if there’s an audio version.
I read the first three and then got distracted. I had this novella as a freebie and it said standalone so I skipped ahead to it. It was a fun one and I’m glad I did.
Cute! 😀
It sure was. Loved Jimbo!
The plot line to this sounds like one I’ve read, or maybe I just read the synopsis because I own a free ebook of it I think? I need to read it! Great review!
LOL, yes, it was a freebie for me, too. Worth grabbing it up, Lisa!