CREDITS:
Photo by Wander Aguiar,
Design by Hang Le
A new stand-alone hockey romance from USA Today bestseller Sarina Bowen.
On
the eve of her thirtieth birthday, sports agent Bess Beringer is ready
to make some changes. Armed with a five-year plan—indexed and color
coded—she’ll tackle her personal life with the same zeal that she brings
to her successful agency.
A big, tall, ripped hunk of hockey
player who’s just been traded to the Brooklyn Bruisers is not a part of
that plan. Mark “Tank” Tankiewicz has a lot of baggage. He’s a
ride-or-die loner with a bad reputation. He’s on the rebound. He’s also
the sexiest thing on two legs, and for some crazy reason it’s Bess that
he wants.
She knows better. But then she falls stupid in love with him anyway. And for a while it seems like maybe he’ll do the same.
Until she asks him for the one thing he can never give her…
Excerpt
Tank: Did you SEE that beautiful goal???
Bess: Yes baby. That’s why I sent you a text last night that said NICE GOAL BABY in shouty caps. Didn’t it come through?
Tank:
It came through. But I just wanted to talk about it some more. Because
did you SEE that beautiful goal? When Castro accidentally passed to
nowhere but I got my stick on it anyway? And before you could say TANK
IS A STUD, I put it in?
Bess: Gorgeous goal, hot stuff! I may have spilled my beer I was so excited.
Tank: Where did you spill it?
Bess: All over my naked breasts.
Tank: Really?
Bess: No. But the purpose of this conversation is stroking your ego, right? So I thought I’d just roll with it.
Tank: LOL! I’ll take it.
Bess: :)
Tank: You were right, by the way. After the game, Castro told me I had to get the Brooklyn Bridge tattooed across my ass.
Bess: Well that’s a good sign. If they’re pranking you it means they like you now.
Tank: I got a goal. They like that at least.
Bess: What did you tell Castro about the tattoo?
Tank: I said, sure, buddy!
Tank:
And, get this, I told him that if we connect on ten goals this
season—in either direction—not only will I put the bridge on one ass
cheek, I’ll put his face on the other.
Bess: OMG. What did he say to that?
Tank:
“Let’s not get carried away.” Honestly he looked terrified, which was
the point. I told him I was just crazy enough to do it. And then I
wondered aloud what the blogs would write about that.
Bess: You are an evil man.
Tank:
Never bullshit a bullshitter. But enough about me. Let’s talk about
you. Specifically, I need to know if you’re naked right now. Please say
yes.
Bess: I’m sitting in my office waiting for a conference call. So that would be no.
Tank: Lie to me, baby! I miss you.
Bess: There’s no need to lie. The next time we’re in the same zip code again, you can make your dreams come true.
Tank: Now there’s a plan I can get behind. Literally.
Bess: Indeed. Got to go now! Call starts in two minutes.
Tank:
One more thing, hot stuff. Have you seen Henry again? I keep leaving
voicemails, asking when I can visit. He texts me back, but I can’t get a
phone call. I just want to talk to the old codger.
Bess: Same. I sent him a present but when I asked to visit he shot me down. Now go beat Florida.
Tank: Maybe you should send me a few motivational photographs to improve my game.
Bess: A good workout followed by a protein drink and then a nap would improve it more.
Tank: Says you.
Bess: I am a professional. I know things. Get some rest! I’ll be watching tonight.
What I thought about Sure Shot
Tank is the new guy in town, just traded to the Brooklyn Bruisers by one of their biggest rivals. He's not exactly fitting in with the younger guys on the Bruisers, and it hasn't been an easy transition personally as he's just about finalized his divorce. But when he runs into Bess Beringer at a party things start looking up.
Bess has moved her business from Detroit to New York City. Her clock is ticking and with all the babies around her, she wants a baby of her own. She develops a five year plan to get her there. But she doesn't factor in running into a former lover who lights her up. As soon as she sees Tank, a flood of memories from the time they shared years ago when they were both "rookies" at their jobs sets off all sorts of warning lights. There's a definite spark (well, more than a spark) between them.
Bess knows dating an athlete could seriously impact her credibility as a sports agent, and Tank is still stinging from his divorced. But try as they might, they just can't keep away from each other. There's some real feelings of friendship and love oozing off the pages here, and it's so very easy to get wrapped up rooting for their happy ever after. Tank has a sense of honor and maturity that I absolutely adored and I loved the chapters in his point of view.
Tank has a few secrets too, and it's one that is gut-wrenching and difficult and if you've gone through it, you'll relate to what he's saying. I found that to be one of the most refreshing parts of this book -- for Tank to articulate what he went through, and how he felt about it. It's a situation not usually told from the male point of view, and I really loved that about Sure Shot. I don't want to say much more and spoil the reveal for you, and you'll probably guess what's going on, but they way they end up accepting and handling it is just fabulous.
It was great to visit with a few characters introduced in the True North series and characters from previous books in the series. I loved every single thing about this book.
If you are a fan of contemporary romance and aren't reading Sarina Bowen, you really should give her books a try. Sure Shot is a fabulous tale of love that definitely ranks as one of my favorites of 2020 and is one of the best in this sports romance series.
An ARC was provided. This is my honest review.
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.
