My 4 star review is up on Goodreads and will be posted on blog and social media upon release. UPDATED 5/2/17

I was really worried I was not going to like this installment because I have not liked the heroine Lauren in the previous books. But Sarina managed to use flashbacks and Lauren's point of view in her favor and allow me to actually connect with a woman who previously appeared cold and unfeeling. It was easier to see her vulnerability and pain.

Mike Beacon is the goalie for the Brooklyn Bruisers. He and Lauren had an almost two year relationship but then he left her to go back to his almost ex-wife and daughter with little explanation. He had his reasons, but did not fully share them. He assumed she would move on and it would be better for her in the end. He did what he had to do, and has just been holding his life together and dealing with being a parent to a young teen while also living the life of a busy hockey player.

But two years later, Lauren is a closed-off work-a-holic who avoids Brooklyn and the hockey team as much as possible and stays in Manhattan working for the manager's other business. But when the assistant for the hockey team has to take off work, Lauren has to fill in...and come face to face with the man who left her behind and the team that used to be part of her daily life. And to deal with lingering whispers from critical wives that blamed Lauren for past events.

Mike sees this as a way to maybe mend the pain from the past and have a new beginning. But he has a lot of making up to do. She has hardened her heart, has trust issues, and is still feeling hurt and anger. And she has her own plans for her future that she is ready to embark on.

But Mike is persistent and determined to earn a second chance. And he will do what he has to do to convince her to let him back in her life and her future. But he also has a girl at home that might not be so fond of that plan.

This is a story of obligations, sacrifice, loss, broken hearts, forgiveness, and second chances. Lauren ended up being a smart, funny, independent, caring, and likable heroine. Mike was pulled in various directions, but he was determined, loving, devoted, and charismatic. I really liked their chemistry, connection, and shared history. His daughter was a bit of a teen drama queen, but I loved her Manny Hans.

Can Mike be the man everyone needs him to be and make everyone happy? Will Lauren be willing to risk her heart and future plans on another chance with the man-who-got-away?

This one was not really angsty or dramatic. It was a sweet, funny, and at times emotional second chance love story. It was told in present and flashbacks in third person point of view giving us their full story. It focused more on the hockey aspect this time as they were going for the play offs and Stanley Cup, and Lauren was working directly with the team.

It can easily be read as a stand-alone, but I liked getting more with our friends Georgia, Leo, Patrick, Ari, Silas, and especially Becca and Nate. But we still need more Becca and Nate! And Silas is a prime hero candidate too. Hopefully Sarina will add more to this series.

Lauren Williams may be known for being an ice princess, but she's also one of Nate's trusted right-hand man. So when Becca suffered a concussion and has to rest, Lauren had to step in and take over her job (temporarily) as manager of the Brooklyn Bruiser's front office. The problem is Lauren would rather be anywhere else than in the Bruiser's office. Readers of this series will remember her aversion to hockey and the team but we never really knew why. We do have an inkling that she and the Bruiser's goalie had a thing in the past but it was never fully revealed in the other books yet.

In Pipe Dreams, we finally get to know the reason behind Lauren's aversion to hockey. And yes, it does have to do with her past relationship with Mike Beacon. Mike was the former captain of the Bruisers. We found out that he stepped down as captain after his estranged wife fell ill and he had to devote his extra time with her. What we do not know then was that this event was also linked with the demise of his and Lauren's relationship.

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I have been intrigued with Lauren since the series began. I thought there was more to that whole ice princess routine than meets the eye. But at first, I thought, "Oh no, she's going to cause trouble for one of our heroine, isn't she?" But then Sarina Bowen sort of turned that on its head when she volunteered to babysit for Becca's neice (sic) in the previous book.

Since then, my opinion on Lauren changed. I wanted to know why she's the way she is. I loved that she's capable, accomplished and ambitious. She's also heartbroken and vulnerable. And boy, her past with Mike was a doozy. It's tragic and it's one of those things where you really don't have any choice in the matter. And that's what makes Lauren's heartbreak even more relatable.

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I was prepared to hate Mike for what he did with Lauren. But when I started reading this book, I realized that things are more complicated than that. Mike had to make the best decision he can for his family, and while I feel for Lauren and I wish he didn't break her heart, I understand where his coming from.

It also really helped that Sarina Bowen didn't write Mike's wife as this shrew who had no personality except to be the bad guy in the story. Again, it was more complicated than that. I actually felt sympathy for Mike's family especially his daughter. Okay, I admit I was a little leery when it seemed like Elsa is going to be the "obstacle" that's going to keep our main couple apart. But again, Ms. Bowen did her character justice. She's not just a prop but a real character with a story arc.

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The whole team featured prominently in this book as they chase the Stanley Cup. I enjoyed seeing them in action. My only complaint about this book was  (view spoiler)

Apart that, I liked this one a lot. I've always enjoyed Sarina's writing. Her characters are simply likable and her stories tends to really resonate with me and with a lot of readers. Pipe Dreams is an enjoyable, low-angst, second-chance romance that shouldn't be missed.

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I LOVEDDD this!! Omg. Pipe Dreams might be my favorite of the Brooklyn Bruisers series. I freaking loved Lauren and Mike so hard! Their second chance romance is angsty, emotional, and SO sweet. Mike is definitely a man who knows how to grovel and win back the love of his life. 😉 If you love second chance romances or sports romances, you need to read Pipe Dreams in your life!

Widower, single father, and hockey goalie Mike Beacon lost the love of his life after an act of misplaced good intentions. Years later, Lauren is back in his life (albeit unwillingly) to take care of the team’s owner. Mike sees this as his chance to make things right with the only woman he’s ever loved… and possibly make her love him again. Will he be able to break down the walls around her heart – that he put up? Or will he have forever lost the best thing that ever happened to him?

"A year from now he knew they’d wake up every morning in a bed together. He was sure of it, even if the details weren’t worked out yet, and even though he wasn’t allowed to speculate."

Lauren is known as the Ice Princess for her stone-cold facade. After a devastating heartbreak, she closed herself from all emotions to avoid ever having to feel that kind of self-destruction again. But when the cause of her heartbreak is back in her life and determined to win her love again, can she hold strong and stop the heartbreak from happening again? Or will this second time around end up being the real deal?

“I love you,” he said. He was just going to keep saying that forever, and he wanted her to know it.

I adored this book so, so much! It was everything I hoped for and more in Mike and Lauren’s second chance romance. And despite how angsty it was, it was also pretty low on drama, which I found myself appreciating. Despite the complicated mess their relationship turned out to be, Lauren and Mike’s love for each other was simple and never in doubt. I wholeheartedly loved these characters and their story!

This is another open plea to Sarina Bowen to please, please give us Nate and Becca’s book!!! Some developments happen in Pipe Dreams, but I NEED MORE!!! Please.

Lauren Williams keeps things running smoothly in Nate’s Manhattan offices, but rarely steps foot in the Brooklyn Bruisers portion of his business holdings. When she is around the team, she is coldly efficient, remaining closed off and staying only as long as absolutely necessary. But with Rebecca out with a head injury, she can’t avoid the team or the past she has tried so hard to forget. 

A veteran on the team, Mike Beacon leads from between the pipes. But off the ice has been rougher than he planned. Now a widower and single father, he fights to find balance between work and his daughter, and now that Lauren is working with the Bruisers again he can’t forget the year they spent together. 

Lauren hates the memories that return when she has to work closer to the team just as much as Mike likes to remember them. But Lauren has decided her plans don’t need to include a man and she will have a child on her own. 

I loved learning more about Lauren and her past with the team. I knew it would take a good backstory because she was so hard to like in earlier books in the series, but after learning the hurt she was shielding it all made sense. Mike had some big walls to pull down in order to make her even think about spending time with him again, and rightly so. 

Mike had other challenges to work through as well. His daughter has heard things about Lauren that make her take swipes at Lauren despite of and because of the relationship with Mike. This is a girl who has lost just as much as her dad, but doesn’t quite have the full story. 

Setting this story in the middle of the Stanley Cup tournament means neither Lauren nor Mike have a lot of extra time to devote to something new and they each have a lot riding on keeping everything drama free. It made the moments they had together all the more meaningful as they had to find time together. 

I loved watching previous couples as they moved around Lauren and Mike. Trevi and Georgia, O’Doull and Ari, and all the other teammates have to work together as the team fights through the playoffs. Even more fun than seeing all my favorite established couples was watching Nate and Rebecca continue to circle around each other. Nate is extra protective of her after her head injury, even as she just wants some independence. 

This was a fun second chance romance between two co-workers with history. It was a relatively easy read without unnecessary drama. This may be my favorite of the series so far, and I hope there is more to come. I need to know what really happened between Nate and Rebecca during the Stanley Cup series.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren has earned the reputation as an Ice Princess, and not without merit, so much so she even has a glare named after her. Going by what we’ve previously seen of the right hand woman to the team’s manager, she’s stand offish and has made her resentment at being at the club rather clear. The time and distance away from the stadium have been therapeutic but she is in no way looking forward to being back, or the prospect of running into the team’s goalie, Mike Beacon.

As a result of misplaced good intentions, Mike let the best thing that ever happened to him slip through the net. His attempts to break the ice are not forth coming but he did not reach his level of success without hard graft and tenacity. Although Lauren has her guard up, he makes it his mission to break through her defences. 

I was so impressed by how little unnecessary drama there was. Mike and Lauren were such likeable characters and I so much enjoyed cheering them on toward their much deserved happiness. Pipe Dreams is the perfect hat trick to a series that comes to an end much too soon for my liking. 

And on that note *cough* Nate& Becca's story *cough**

**4.5 stars**
It's not secret with my friends that I love hockey romances, but second chance hockey romances? SIGN ME UP. The Brooklyn Bruisers series by Sarina has quickly become one of my favorites and Pipe Dreams was no different. I loved Mike and Lauren's story. Their story was just what I wanted in the sense of a second chance romance. It was bumpy but beautiful.

I loved watching Lauren and Mike get reacquainted with each other in Pipe Dreams and things that happened to break them up. I loved that the story gave you glimpses of the past but focuses on the present time as well. You see small pieces of Lauren in the first two books and I'm not going to lie, I thought she was rude. What I didn't give her credit for was how the sudden break up with Mike truly affected her. She wasn't rude, she was just heartbroken. I loved Lauren and felt for her the entire time. I can see why she was acting the way she did and how she still had her guard up when it comes to Mike, but when I loved was how Mike didn't quit her. He tried until he saved the best shot ever, Lauren.

I loved Mike from page one. He was truly himself and that was what made him swoony to me. I loved how you could see he was real. He didn't try to pull out any special stops or anything to make Lauren want him, he was himself. He's an amazing goalie and a great father, but he was missing the one thing that made him whole. Watching him win he back was just what I was looking for and I truly loved every second of their story.

I hope this isn't the end. I hope we get more. This series has been one of my absolute favorites by Sarina Bowen.

***ARC Provided by the Publisher via NetGalley***

3.5 Stars

Mike and Lauren have a history.  And, it is a painful one.  They were attracted, he was married, things happened, they got together and then they split up.  At least, that is the story she has, and the one that others were allowed to believe.  It is the reason Lauren really doesn't want to give him a second chance.  He is the reason she is no longer a part of the hockey world, and the reason she no longer works directly with a team, so there is a lot that she has done to make it to where she doesn't see him in her daily life.

There were a lot of things that worked.  The reason he had for ending them makes them being able to restart quickly make sense, especially as he starts to tell her what happened, and why, and what he was thinking when he made the decision.

This quick restart, however, is a bit complicated by the fact that Lauren has started the process of having a child on her own.

The combination of their past and the rush placed on the relationship with the fertility treatments both worked and left me feeling like I was not given everything I needed in order to really be on board with them.  The rush of the relationship had not one, but 2 reasons.  And, while it worked, it did leave me feeling like this was a relationship on warp speed and that I was not getting the depth I wanted out of it.

Not that the book was bad, not at all.  Mike loves Lauren.  You can tell this right off.  And, he doesn't try to hide it from anyone.  And, it is nice to read a book where the hero just plain loves the heroine.  Mike loves Lauren, it shows, and it was fun.

I do recommend this title.

As you might know I love Sarina Bowen's books. I've been reading the Brooklyn Bruisers series since it started in the end of last year and I was super excited to read this one. First of all, I loved the previous two books in the series... even if I loved Rookie Move a little bit more than Hard Hitter). Secondly, this book has a single dad. I don't know why but I love single dads in romances. Also, this is a second-chance romance... Yeah, there was a lot for me to like in this book and I can tell you it didn't disappoint. I loved this book a lot.

Let me start by talking with the characters... I absolutely adored the main characters in this book. Lauren is just an awesome girl. She was this strong, independent woman who knew what she wanted for her life and knew she didn't need a guy to be happy. I loved her and she was such a great girl. Mike was also amazing. First of all, he was a great dad. Elsa wasn't the easiest teen ever, especially because some things happened in her life that changed everything, but he still tried to talk to her even when it wasn't a nice conversation. He was also super loyal... to the point where he would do something he thought it was right even if it wasn't what he wanted. They were also really good together. Once they were together again they were together for real. I just think there was a certain thing that happened way too fast and I would like that they would have talked about it before. I just loved the characters in this book because even the side characters were amazing. CAN I HAVE A BOOK ABOUT NATE AND BECCA NOW???? PLEASE?? I need to know what's happening between them.

Once again I really loved the writing style in this book. I've read a few Sarina Bowen books so far so I already kind of know her writing style and I know love it. I love how it is a fast pacing read but it's still deep and it makes you emotional at some points. I just love her books... A LOT.
Overall, this was an amazing book and I 100% recommend it to everyone who loves a good sports romance (or even any kind of romance) or to everyone who loves Sarina Bowen's books.

I wasn't sure how this read would turn out for me since Lauren's character came off as very cold in the previous book, but this series has been going so well for me I couldn't pass up the opportunity to read it. I didn't have anything to worry about because once we got to see her character more you saw the pain she was trying to hide and it really made me feel for her. 

Lauren and Mike were really fun characters to read about and I was happy that they didn't let the past ruin them. They had a great connection that was really evident in this book, even when Lauren was trying to deny it. I loved that Mike didn't give up in his pursuit of Lauren and how he finally convinces her to give him another chance. 

What I really liked about this book is that the author kept it pretty light. Of course there was a little angst between these characters but there was never any unnecessary drama brought up just for the hell of it. I liked that the main focus was on Lauren and Mike moving forward with their lives instead of living in the past. 

Bottom line, this is a must read for all lovers of a second chance romance. It can easily be read as a standalone but if you're anything like me the little teases of Nate and Becca will have you begging for their story.

His love was like a tidal wave. He couldn’t have held it back one more second if he tried.

Funny story—I opened this book expecting something completely different—and no, I don’t mean that the blurb for Pipe Dreams is misleading. Rather, I was remembering the synopsis for another book (co-)penned by Sarina Bowen, Stay, so I was a little… surprised at first. But in a good way, because as soon as I’d solved my am I in another universe? book mystery, I recalled why I’d been anticipating this book so damn much.

Because Lauren.
Because Mike.
Because second chances.

And, in the end, it all boils down to this: I loved this book. It was a little more hockey-heavy than the previous books in the Brooklyn Bruisers series, and I found myself quickly engaged and on the edge of my seat, waiting to see what would happen to Mike, Doulie, Leo and the boys. But more than that, I was engaged and on the edge of seat waiting to see what would happen between Mike and Lauren.

Pipe Dreams was a slow burn re-connection of two people who had been fooled by fate, and that made it hard for me to put it down. I am, after all, a complete sucker for a well-written second chance romance. And hells bells, this one is well-written—pulling me into the one more chapter loop, making me wait to see what/who would give and when.

Put simply, I read this book into the wee hours, and enjoyed every moment.

Normally, I’d swoon and gush about the hero (and Mike had some swoonworthy moments, to be sure), but instead, I want to talk about Lauren. Because her progression throughout this series from snide side-character to maligned heroine was a thing of beauty. She was warmer, kinder, and more open than we’d yet seen, while still being herself. Her new self. I didn’t just love her, I also liked her, and it was impossible not to root for her, whether that meant a perfect happily ever after or a set of double middle fingers pointed squarely at the man who broke her heart.

As for which one it ended up being… well, you have to find out for yourself. I was slightly surprised we didn’t get a little more time with the Bruisers in those critical final chapters, but nonetheless, I closed Pipe Dreams having read a book that wasn’t what I expected, was what I anticipated, and that made me happy. Pucking happy.

(And also, hopeful for one more book in this series, because Nate and Becca need to be a thing. Stat.)

“This feels right. We feel right. Whether it’s two years that passed or twenty-two, if I hold you in my arms it will always feel exactly right.”

~ 4.5 STARS ~

Hockey hotties? Check!
Second chances? Check!
Slow burn? Check!

Sarina Bowen's hockey books are some of may favourite sports books out there. There is something about her writing that drags me in takes me on the journey along with her characters. Mike and Lauren's story is not all rainbows and butterflies, Mike has enough baggage to hold them back - at least for a while.

I love the pull and the spark between our lovelies. It is a force to be reckoned with.

I adored seeing more of the couples from the first two books, but most of all I loved seeing the progression in Nate and Becca's relationship, and hope that we get more of them soon.

I read Pipe Dreams in one day, and now I am impatiently waiting to see what Ms Bowen brings us next.

PIPE DREAMS is a second-chance romance between Lauren and Mike, who broke up two years before due to a personal issue Mike had to deal with.  I won't lie, how Mike ended their relationship years ago was all kinds of wrong, but then I guess there wouldn't be a story if he had ended things the right way.

Due to Lauren's cold and unfriendly demeanor in the previous two books, I was worried I wouldn't like her in her own story.  But after being in her head for a few pages, I wasn't worried anymore.  We find out why she acts the way she does—and I could certainly understand it—but in this book her demeanor does a complete 180, which is normally great, but I felt it changed too quickly and easily.  I liked Mike; he's a nice guy and a good dad, but he didn't make me swoon.  I admired the reason behind his breakup with Lauren, but again, he could have handled it so much better.

Just like the change in Lauren's behaviour, I felt their relationship was rekindled too easily.  Yes, Lauren tells Mike exactly how badly he hurt her, and they don't come together until the second half of the book (from memory), but they fall into bed and then fall back into a relationship without any real discussion, while making a huge life changing decision.

PIPE DREAMS is told in dual POVs and while it's part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone.  The story includes flashbacks to when they first dated, and I don't know why but I had a hard time following the switch between the past and present.  I know it sounds like I didn't enjoy PIPE DREAMS, but I really did.  It held my attention and Lauren and Mike are both likeable characters.  It's just that after several days between reading it and reviewing it, these are the points that stand out the most.  We get a lovely HEA for Lauren and Mike, and it looks like we've seen some progress in the potential relationship between Nate and Becca.  Nate seems like such a geeky sweetheart and I know I'm not the only one who'd love to see their story.

4.5 Stars - Top Pick

We meet both Lauren and Mike in Rookie Move, the first book in the Brooklyn Bruisers series. As first impressions go, Lauren’s isn’t a particularly good one. She doesn’t come across as friendly with the other women, cool, blonde, sophisticated, and very unhappy. She works for Nate, the owner of the Brooklyn Bruisers, in his Manhattan office but claims to hate hockey. Yeah, there’s a story behind that. I’ll get to it in a little bit.

In Hard Hitter, second book in the series, you learn a bit more about Mike Beacon, the goalie. An unplanned pregnancy kind of forces his hand and he marries his high school girlfriend when he was nineteen. The marriage isn’t a happy one but before they can divorce, his wife is diagnosed with terminal cancer. And then there’s Lauren. She comes across as a little friendlier, interacting with the women more.

In Pipe Dreams, we get the whole story of Lauren and Mike’s ill-fated relationship. I knew it would be fantastic and I was right! Okay, long story short, Lauren and Mike had been attracted to each other from almost the moment he joined the team, back when his now 13-year-old daughter was a toddler. For eight years they remained strictly in the friend zone. He’s not a cheater and she doesn’t mess with married men. But then his wife cheats on him and he leaves her. They file for divorce and Mike and Lauren finally give in to their long simmering attraction. Their relationship lasts for almost two years and then his wife is diagnosed with terminal cancer. For reasons I won’t get into, he feels compelled to go back to her and leaves Lauren high and dry.

Usually, I’m not a huge fan of long or multiple flashbacks, but Sarina Bowen makes very good use of them in Pipe Dreams. I wanted to get a firsthand look at how things unfolded and then fell apart between them. It also gave me a much closer look at Lauren, a heroine I quickly grew to like (a lot) and with whom I empathized. Mike hurt her a lot and it was heartbreaking to read how she left him sobbing voicemails as she tried to get him to tell her what she’d done wrong and why he’d left her. It’s easy to understand why she has her heart on lockdown and she’s reluctant to let him have another go at breaking it again. And here’s the thing, she wants to be a mother and at thirty-one, she wants that sooner than later and sets plans in action to make it happen.

On top of being good-looking and sexy, Mike is a good and decent man. There simple isn’t much not to like about him. He refuses to tolerate homophobic name calling and speaks out against it (his daughter’s violin teacher/babysitter/house guest is a gay man). He’s a great father and he’s still in love with Lauren. When work circumstances throw them in regular contact, you can imagine how that goes. The sheets are hit, and they’re hit hard. But getting back together isn’t going to be easy.

I liked the way Ms. Bowen handles Lauren’s interaction with Mike’s daughter Elsa. Elsa makes it clear she doesn’t like Lauren in ways I found typical of a teenage girl. Keep in mind that Elsa’s still dealing with the death of her mother. Poor Mike is in a difficult situation—again—he loves his daughter but he’s in love with Lauren and is determined that things between them will work come hell or high water.

I enjoyed catching up with the couples from the first two books, and it was really nice to see what happened to Nate and Becca. I thought maybe they’d get their own book but I can’t see that happening now. Wouldn’t mind a novella to see how it all played out. Nate totally intrigued me. I think he’d make a great hero.

That said, Pipe Dreams is an engrossing read that packs a wonderful emotional punch and hot love scenes. I loved watching Mike and Lauren finally get their happy ending. This story comes with a high recommendation, especially if you love an excellent second chance at love romance.

~ Beverley

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE LOVE LOVE this series!!! Who is my GO-TO author for ALL THINGS sports romances? Yep, it's ALWAYS Sarina Bowen! This woman gives us THE BEST characters and THE MOST scintillating and most entertaining storylines out there. I always DEVOUR anything this woman lays out for me and they are ALWAYS one-night reads. Once you start, there is ABSOLUTELY NO putting it down. 

"Come here, sweetheart." ... "I need to kiss you."

And there goes my heart! Mike Beacon is just EVERYTHING! That man! JESUS! I just want to EAT HIM UP! And Lauren Williams? Man, is she a spitfire or what? She is determined, independent, feisty, and bitter and HOLY HELL is that a lethal combination for sexy goalie Mike Beacon. She let him burn her before, and she has absolutely NO PLANS to get burned again, no matter how frustratingly sexy that man is. Even though she is forced to work with the team and the sport she ran away from years before, she has no plans on changing her new life's course. And Mike? Well, he has no place in it as far as she's concerned. She can get through this. She can resist his charms. She can do her job and then get as far away from Mike as she can. This is all just a blip on the radar and she will not be swayed. But the gorgeous, sweet-talkin' goalie has different plans for Lauren. He plans to fight and fight hard to get Lauren back in his life. He knows she wants that to. He just needs to convince her of that fact.

"This feels right. We feel right. Whether it's two years that passed or twenty-two, if I hold you in my arms it will always feel exactly right."

A sports romance filled with so much passion and intensity, PIPE DREAMS was another INCREDIBLE installment of one of my favorite sports romance series, the BROOKLYN BRUISERS series. All of these characters are just so WONDERFUL and I cannot get enough of them. Sarina Bowen gives us gorgeous and strong hockey studs that quickly fall to the feet of beautiful and sassy women. The pairing of Mike and Lauren is just pure MAGIC and I loved every single SEXY and EMOTIONAL moment of it. I NEVER want this series to end!

Sarina Bowen’s Pipe Dreams is a thoughtful and emotional love story with the perfect blend of reality and fantasy to make it feel relatable while also still feeling like escapism, and I loved it. It has all the fun associated with a contemporary sports romance but also delves into some of the complex challenges faced by couples in second-chance relationships. While it is the third book in Ms.Bowen’s Brooklyn Bruisers series, they are all stand-alones and do not need to read in order.

Mike Beacon and Lauren Williams have a complicated history. They met and got to know each other over a period of six years working together for the professional hockey team, the Brooklyn Bruisers. Lauren was on the administrative staff in the front office while Mike was the team’s captain and one of their star players. He was married with a daughter at the time, and he and Lauren developed a solid friendship with an easy connection and genuine affection. They also were both very attracted to each other, but neither ever acknowledged or admitted their feelings – even to themselves – since Mike was married. It was a line neither ever contemplated crossing.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Mike’s marriage has been emotionally dead for years; so when his wife cheats on him, he accepts that his relationship is over and files for divorce. He now allows himself to recognize that he likes Lauren as more than just a friend, and he seeks her out never expecting that she feels the same. They fall quickly and madly in love, have a blissful year-long romance, and are planning their future together when Mike suddenly breaks up with her and returns to his not-quite-ex-wife with little explanation. (His divorce was a bitter and lengthy process, but hadn’t been made final during that year, when he was with Lauren and his wife was in a relationship with someone else. Neither considered it cheating, but the public was less forgiving labeling Lauren as the ‘other woman.’)

Lauren was devastated by the unexpected and abrupt breakup. She immediately transferred out of the Bruisers’ office, and has spent the last two years staying as far away from hockey as possible. She won’t even watch a game or follow the team’s progress, because it is too painful to be reminded of Mike. When the team suddenly needs someone familiar with the organization to provide temporary administrative help, Lauren is the only available option. She’s asked to return to the team, and she reluctantly agrees knowing she will see Mike, now a widower and single father.

When Lauren does see Mike again, it is more painful than she imagined. She’s haunted by memories of their time together and still loves him through the haze of her anger. She doesn’t realize that Mike never stopped loving her but felt he needed to get back with his wife. He regrets not explaining why he ended their relationship and feels guilty for hurting Lauren, and he wants and needs to make things right again and, hopefully, reclaim what they had before. He commits himself to fighting for her forgiveness and for her love knowing he has a steep hill to climb before she will ever absolve him or be able to trust him.

Mike is not afraid of a challenge, and he sets out to pursue her with single-minded determination but also with compassion and patience. He mans up and acknowledges his mistakes without trying to make an excuse for his behavior, and he never attempts to dismiss Lauren’s heartbreak or her anger. They slowly and painfully excavate their past, and although the process is gut-wrenching and emotional, there is also laughter and light-heartedness along the way that reminds them of how good they were together. They share an intense chemistry that has not diminished in the years apart, and he is not above leveraging that attraction. If wooing were a super power, Mike would be a superhero.

The only black marks against him I can find are his reasons for not explaining why he was breaking up with Lauren when he did. His decision was bone-headed, but he does explain his thought process – or lack thereof. He is so charming that I can give him a pass, but I understand why it might be difficult for Lauren to forgive and forget.

When I read the synopsis of Pipe Dreams, I was initially hesitant to read it because I am a bit squeamish about second-chance romances where the breakup and time apart are painful. But I decided to give it a try, because I think Ms. Bowen is a phenomenal writer and I trusted her to mend my heart if she broke it. She did, and Pipe Dreams demonstrates that romances that include some of the messy and complicated realities of relationships and life – including divorces that take forever – feel more relatable, and this makes the reading experience more powerful and satisfying. I feel like I was with Mike and Lauren on every step of their difficult journey, and I felt every emotion – the good, the bad and the ugly cry. I experienced those bittersweet moments when they began to heal and realize there was a possibility they could find love again, and Pipe Dreams will make the most cynical reader believe in second chances and happy ever afters.

4.5 Stars

I stayed up until 5:15am this morning reading this book because I simply. Couldn’t. Put. It. Down! I needed to find out what was going to happen next.

Pipe Dreams is book 3 in the Brooklyn Bruisers series and while, technically, it can be read as a standalone, I recommend you pick up the first two books in the series, they’re awesome and you’re missing out if you haven’t read them.

I didn’t quite like Lauren in the first two books of the series, however, just a couple of chapters into Pipe Dreams and I already loved her. She was strong and hard-working and I found her reactions relatable and realistic all things considered. I loved Mike, too, but I really wanted to slap him for what he did to Lauren when they got together the first time and how he kind of railroaded himself back into her life. I would’ve liked there to be a bit more groveling, but I was satisfied with what we got. It was undeniable they had great chemistry and that they were hot together, fitting perfectly in each other’s lives. 

I have been wanting to read Nate and Becca’s story since I read Rookie Move and while we didn’t get it (please, please, Sarina, even if it’s just a novelette, although I wouldn’t say no to something longer 😉), at least we got some glimpses into it and it was awesome.   

I think the ending was a bit abrupt, maybe, but it could be that I just wanted more of Lauren and Mike and Elsa, I felt she was missing from that ending. 

The writing was superb, as always, and the story was captivating, fun and hot, with just a bit of angst. Definitely recommendable!

***Copy provided to the reviewer via NetGalley for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***

Pipe Dreams by Sarina Bowen

This was a wonderful second chance romance written by the talented Sarina Bowen and set in the world of the Brooklyn Bruisers. It's the story of goalie Mike and personal assistant/office manager to the team owner, Lauren. 

Mike and Lauren have a past. A significant past and one that neither has really moved on from. While it's been years since they last crossed paths and with so many unanswered questions, Lauren is finally ready to start in a new direction and make things happen for herself. Given that she's now running two offices, she and Mike are now constantly crossing paths (much to her dismay) and he wants back in her life and to hell with the consequences. 

I love a good second-chance romance, I love single dad stories, and I love sports romances so I *really* wanted to love this story as much as I have the previous in the series but a small part just really didn't sit quite right with me. Perhaps I expected better of Mike; it was almost as though he didn't put any thought into his decisions or the effect that would have on other people, namely his daughter. I didn't feel as though a single dad would not take his child's feelings and thoughts into consideration no matter how long it's been since he last saw the love of his life. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but that's how I saw it. Nonetheless, it was highly enjoyable book and series I recommend. I particularly loved the story within the story - that's just driving me crazy! 

*arc received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review. 

**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.

Pipe Dreams is the story of the prickly, snooty administrative assistant to Nate, Lauren. She is NOT well liked and I wasn't sure her story would be welcome. But, I should have trusted Sarina Bowen. My heart BROKE for Lauren.

Lauren and Mike (the goalie for the Bruisers) were in love. He had just gotten divorced from his wife though and Lauren was concerned people would talk. That didn't stop them though because they really were in love. And for a year or so, things were amazing. Then Mike bails on her, goes back to his wife, and everyone whispers that 'the husband stealing hussy got what was coming to her'. Lauren is heartbroken and develops a wall around herself that pushes everyone away.

Pipe Dreams is a mix of flashbacks to the time when Lauren and Mike were in love and present time, where Lauren has done everything in her power to have NOTHING to do with the Bruisers, even though her boss owns the team. I loved getting to see a different side of Lauren. I loved seeing her open up to Georgia and Ari and Becca because she realizes how snooty she has been and that these ladies, new to the organization, have no idea why she hates the team. And, of course, Georgia, Ari, and Becca welcome her, listen, and support her. Developing female friendships in books is so important because so often women are portrayed as catty, vindictive, and conniving. I love when a group of women come together and don't play into the cat and mouse games.

Mike's story is heartbreaking. First, he knocks up his girlfriend at 19, they get married and he is off playing hockey all the time, his wife leaves him, then she gets sick and he has to step up for the sake of their daughter forgoing his own happiness for the sake of his family. He has a great deal of guilt over his ex-wife, Shelly. He feels he ruined her life by getting her pregnant at 19. She had to abandon her plans of college and become a stay at home mom and a hockey wife. Mike was gone all the time so she was lonely as well. As a reader, you can see the impossibility of his situation and can understand why he made the choice he did. However, I was still irritated at the WAY he did it and how much it crushed Lauren. He looks like Saint Mike and she looks like a wife stealing whore. Its certainly what Mike's teenage daughter thinks too!

Lauren is forced by her boss to take a more active role with the Bruisers and this forces her to have to see Mike all the time. It rips her heart apart daily. The only way she survived all this was to shut Mike totally out of her life and focus on everything else. I expected to not love Lauren based on the previous books, but I adore her! I struggled a bit more with Mike. I, like Lauren, just wasn't sure. I don't know that I could ever trust him again. I'm not sure I could forget that kind of pain. Because I loved Lauren so much, I wanted to protect her from everything. I wanted to be there to step between her and Mike and act as a buffer for her so she didn't get hurt any more. Do you see how much I loved her?!?!? I went all mama bear whenever Mike came around.

Pipe dreams is a second chance romance that is filled with pain, regret, and sorrow. It shredded my heart and I loved every minute of it!

Note: If Becca and Nate's book isn't next, I might go crazy!! I need it!
Link live on 5/2/17

4 sweet stars

I love this series and I'm always excited for the next book!Pipe Dreams was an intense,emotional and sweet story.It's a second chance romance with a slow burn.Both characters are lovable!Lauren is smart and independent, you can easily connect with her.Mike is one of my favorite so far!I like him a lot, he has everything I wanted in a hero.Lauren and Mike have some really intense and sweet moments.I love that in this book we don't have a lot of drama.I'm sure Mike will captivate you with his personality!!

I have to say, I originally wasn't very happy going into Pipe Dreams despite having loved the Sarina Bowen books that I have read simply because the couple wasn't who I was expecting it to be. But fret not! Bowen was able to once again win me over with her swoony boys and her even swoonier romances. As always, reading a book by her just brings me pure joy.

Most of the books that I've read from Sarina Bowen have been second chance romances, and Pipe Dreams was one of those two. I'm not complaining though because she does the trope justice, and manages to make her stories fresh regardless. Lauren and Mike's relationship started shortly after he catches his wife cheating on him. Now, some of you may not entirely approve of how their relationship develops : [spoiler]he isn't divorced when he gets together with Lauren, but he and his wife had separated[/spoiler], but I was fine with it, because it was done tactfully, in my opinion. I loved the flashback scenes we got to read about these two. There was something sweet and genuine about their relationship, and I absolutely loved the comfort level that they shared as well. Unfortunately, tragic news separate the two of them and leave them both heartbroken. I have to say I was quite frustrated at Mike for how he decided to handle the news, and I was hoping for a lot of groveling. Thankfully, we get that. I really really wanted to be mad at Mike for breaking Lauren's heart, but he was such a sweetheart, and so ridiculously charming. It was hard not to fall for the guy. 

Lauren was a little more guarded, understandably so, and upon their reunion, she was quite cold towards him, but I completely understood where she was coming from. I really did love that she hadn't let the heartbreak infiltrate every aspect of her life, and that she was quite successful in her career. Honestly, she was badass and I found her to be very admirable. I loved that she didn't easily give in to Mike's wooing, but that she made him work for it. And oh my! Mike sure knew how to woo a girl and melt her hurt. The second part of their romance was relatively quiet, slow, but very swoony. They both had to talk out their past, and their emotional connection was undeniable. I love that Sarina Bowen doesn't have to rely on overly dramatic tropes to make her story flow and shine. There were no stupid misunderstanding between Mike and Lauren the second time around, and I loved that. I was initially a bit worried that Mike's teenage daughter would cause some trouble, but though she initially wasn't a fan of Lauren, she wasn't too much of a detriment to the progression of Mike and Lauren's relationship.

Pipe Dreams was a great romance, that perfectly balanced out the sweet, the angst and the sexy. The backdrop of hockey and  the camaraderie between the teammates only enhanced the story. I'm still very much desperate for Nate and Becca's book because holy chemistry, and I hope Sarina will write it! In the mean time, I'll be thinking about how lovely this series has been so far, and exploring more of her backlist.