Pipe Dreams (The Brooklyn Bruisers #3)

A 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 playoffs, 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.

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What I thought about Pipe Dreams

This third installment of the Brooklyn Bruisers series is all about goalie Mike Beacon and Lauren Williams. Lauren has been tapped to coordinate things for the team while they are in the playoffs and she's not happy about it. She'd done with hockey after Mike dumped her after a year of being together and she can't really stand the sight of him, and to be honest, I didn't blame her for that when the whole story gets exposed.

But Mike had some pretty good reasons for what he did (okay, maybe he could have done it in a different way...) and he's on a mission to apologize to Lauren and see if they can at least be cordial to each other. That takes some time and effort. I love the way these two come back together through the course of the book. Even though Lauren still feels the connection and attraction to Mike, she needs to protect her heart and I didn't blame her for that because there are always obstacles in any good romance. And Mike is just as determined off the ice as he is on the ice, and he eventually starts to break down Lauren's barriers.

Mike's teenage daughter provides some drama, as does Lauren's secret project. (not going to spoil it for you!) I love that Lauren really knew what she wanted in life and wasn't afraid to go for it herself. She didn't need a man for that, and really, I think secretly she couldn't see herself with anyone but Mike.

There's a lot of love between these two, even though they have to work through some of their past before they can enjoy it. This might have been my favorite book in the series. Both Mike and Lauren were more seasoned characters that understood that life didn't always go the way they had planned, but they still managed to keep a positive spin on things, and I liked that about them.

I loved the hockey in this book too. Sarina Bowen captures the excitement that is having your team in the playoffs very well, and I was totally caught up in the Bruisers bid for the title. *sigh*

This is a terrific hockey romance series and I hope we will see more sports romance from Sarina Bowen in the future. I just love her writing. It's like THE BEST comfort reading material around. She always leaves me feeling satisfied.

ARC provided for review.