This story was a rollercoaster of emotions—plenty of laughter, heartfelt moments, and even some tears.

Bruce, the male lead, is an absolute sweetheart. At 6'5", he’s a towering, talented goalie for the DC Eagles, but beneath all that, he’s a fun-loving guy with a kind soul. The female lead, Farrah, is picking up the pieces after a tough divorce when she crosses paths with Bruce at a bar. They hit it off immediately, spending hours deep in conversation. Their night ends with an unforgettable kiss—but no exchanged contact details. Later, Bruce discovers that Farrah is actually the sister of his team captain, which immediately complicates things—she’s completely off-limits.

Much of the story revolves around Bruce’s attempts to win over Farrah without creating tension with her brother. Farrah, meanwhile, is hesitant to dive into something new. Her past marriage left her with scars, and she’s finally regaining her balance. The dual perspective really helped bring their struggles and emotions to life.

One aspect of the book that stood out was the way it portrayed PCOS. Farrah grapples with the reality that she may never have children, which played a role in her divorce and adds another layer to her hesitancy with Bruce. The book also touches on adoption and fostering, handling both with care and positivity.

I absolutely loved the chemistry between Bruce and Farrah, as well as the tight-knit bonds among Bruce’s teammates and their partners. The Eagles function as more than just a team—they’re a family. Since this is the fourth book in the series, there were quite a few recurring characters, and I occasionally mixed them up, but it wasn’t a major issue. Even without reading the previous books, this one worked well as a standalone.

As a hockey fan, I appreciated the moments that focused on the sport itself, but there weren’t so many that non-hockey readers would feel lost. Key hockey terms were explained along the way, making it accessible for all.

On the romance side, the book leans more toward sweet than steamy. The physical intimacy stays behind closed doors, though there’s plenty of flirtation and suggestive banter.

A big thank you to the author and Booked With The Emilys for the chance to read an early copy! These thoughts are entirely my own.

“𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰’𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑭𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒉.”

I’ve never ran faster to Netgalley for an ARC like I did with this one and I’m so so grateful to have been accepted. TW: PCOS, infertility.

My favourite fictional hockey team the DC Eagles are back and after watching his teammates all find their forever person Bruce McBride is longing for the same.
When he thinks he’s destined to for the single life one night at a bar he meets a woman that sets him on fire in all the right ways. Not only is she beautiful but she’s funny and they hit it off sharing the best kiss of both their lives.
Bruce doesn’t think he’ll ever see her again until he’s standing in his teammate Remy’s kitchen and there she is. His mystery woman is Farrah, Remy’s younger sister.
Remy has made it clear that no one is to date his sister however the chemistry Bruce and Farrah have you can feel it right off the page. The pining and the longing is just *chefs kiss*

If you haven’t read this series I really can’t recommend it highly enough. For all my spice lovers this is closed door but as I’ve mentioned before you don’t feel like you’re missing anything. This series is just a wholesome good time with amazing characters.
@leah.brunner.writes I will read anything you write and I can’t wait to see what you do next. Thank you for this series.

Secret or Shutout is releasing on the 27th of March.

Farrah - divorcee with pcos/infertility.

Bruce - NHL Goalie.

The met in a bar and discover the next day she is his captains sister.

I loved following their story go getting together.

Forget cinnamon rolls, Bruce is a complete cupcake. I loved reading his and Farrah’s story. While we all know the chances of a happily ever after are high with romance books, the same can’t be said for hockey games. I was on the edge of my seat.

Bon travail, Leah Brunner!

Pub date: 3/27/25

#secretorshutout
#leahbrunner
#dceagles
#hockeyromance
#netgalley

This gave me a hallmark rom-com vibe; while it had cringy moments, it was overall a cute, fluffy romance. It's more of a medium-burn romance, so you need to wait for the main characters together, but when they do, the payoff is excellent! My only complaint is that the FMC can come off as a little immature for her age. 3.5 stars!

I LOVE love love Hockey romance!!! & this one hit me in ALL the feels! It can feel a bit repetitive sometimes when its the same type of girl who gets the guy.. but this.. was different and I really enjoyed it!

This is book 4 in the DC Eagles series and I want MORE! A pro Hockey goalie meets a woman in a bar only to discover later she is the sister of his captain/teammate/best friend. I am absolutely loving this trope lately! Farrah and Bruce end up reconnecting after that night at the bar, but once Farrahs brother finds out about the budding romance between them.. things change for the worse. Especially during the playoffs. Thus.. a secret relationship! As someone with PCOS and fertility issues, who is curvy and in my 30's, I felt I could really relate to this character. Thank you Leah for shining a light on this hormonal disorder that is super chaotic and causes so much trauma and anxiety, you touched on it really well.
Thank you NetGalley and Leah Brunner for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

*HOCKEY
*mature FMC and Curvy
*He falls harder
*She’s his good luck charm
*PCOS awareness


*****Secret or Shutout is a dual POV, fade-to-black romance that can be read as a stand alone. This work of fiction contains mild language, depictions of PCOS, infertility, and divorce. If you are sensitive to these subjects, please use this content warning to make an informed decision about reading this book.

Leah Brunner covered many tender topics in 'Secret or Shutout" her latest in A Hockey Romance series. I had issue with it, however, in that it was ponderously slow developing in my estimation. It took me a long while to muster enough enthusiasm to finish it. It was worthwhile that I finally did finish it, but I prefer a more tightly paced story. I have no other objections and can recommend it to those enjoying a leisurely trip through a heartfelt story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I absolutely loved getting to know Farrah and Bruce and reading their story! I love their characters. I am a huge Leah Brunner fan and can't wait to read more!

Wow, this book. I loved every single minute of it. The characters, the world-building, everything was just great. I loved everything about this. I would recommend this book if you like those brothers' best friend books that also have some real-world problems built into them. It spoke about some real problems and thoughts that women may feel in real life and still found a way to narrate them beautifully.

I even read the bonus chapter, and that was just the cherry on top of the storyline.

There were a few spelling mistakes here and there, but overall it didn't affect the story at all.

Thank you for netgalley for providing this e-arc
This book deals with health issues so be aware of that when going into it. This book follows Bruce and Farrah and their love story, this was not a light book as it did deal with many health issues and did often mention infertility.
Farrah after a tough divorce goes to a bar where she meets our main character Bruce, the next morning she finds out that Bruce is her brother’s teammate and he is younger than her, this of course causes many problems for Farrah but Bruce is still obsessed with her.

I absolutely loved this book! First of all the cover is beautiful and it made me want to read the book. I really loved the main characters and their chemistry in this book. And their character development was great!

“ Farrah, I don’t want to build a life with you because of what you can give me someday. I don’t cherish you for your ability to have children or not. And I don’t love you based on any conditions.” Can Bruce be more swoony? Everything is against their relationship, but Farrah and Bruce are mean to be together. Farrah needs to fight her demons and insecurities and Bruce needs to show her he will be always there for her. The Eagles hockey team and their hunky players are amazing. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy. This is my honest review.

It was a fun, cute read. Honestly I feel like I would probably enjoy reading the others in this series but it’s just a little too wholesome for me. The characters were charming and the banter was funny. I love that it dealt with a difficult topic and everything wasnt complete sunshine. For my non smut girlfriends this would probably be a 4 star but I need more than some steamy kisses and cake related innuendos. Overall 3.5

I really enjoyed this! This was such a cute and sweet hockey romance. I loved Farrah and Bruce. Farrah was such a relatable character. Her struggles were so real and I loved how patient and caring Bruce was. He really stepped up to show he wasn’t going anywhere. He was such a sweet golden retriever. The pining and tension was perfect. I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bruce meets Farrah at a bar, and they instantly hit it off. They share one unexpected kiss only to part ways without exchanging numbers. But when Bruce walks into his teammate's house the next day, there Farrah is. And it turns out she's his teammate's sister.

Read if you like:
-Pining
-PCOS Rep
-Moving On After Divorce
-Golden Retriever MMC with Green Flags for Days
-Kristoff from Frozen (IYKYK)

I ate this book up! Bruce is exactly the type of MMC I adore! And as someone with PCOS, Farrah's story felt so authentic. The struggle and the guilt were so real. Now, if only I can get a Bruce to pick me up and bridal-carry me when the pain is too much. *sigh*

While Mitch and Andi are still my favorite couple, Bruce is definitely my favorite character of the series. He's got such a big heart and that really carried this book. I highly recommend Secret of Shutout!

This book was so sweet and fun!! Loved every minute. The romance was so swoony. The friendships were heartwarming and fun. The PCOS rep was well done. Leah always crushes the hockey references.
Lovely!

Secret or Shutout by Leah Brunner
4.5 stars – Secret or Shutout by Leah Brynner is the end (book 4) of the DC Eagles Series. This is the Bruce and Farrah story we have been waiting for. Bruce and Farrah meet in a bar one night and share an unforgettable kiss. The next day, she discovers that he is her brother’s teammate, and he has forbidden her to date them.

Will they or won’t they give in to their chemistry? Brunner did a wonderful job with this one. I felt like I really knew the characters and rooted for them to find a way to make it all work out.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Leah Brunner for an ARC. This independent, honest review is happily shared.

“Referring to Farrah as my friend feels like referring to hockey as just a game.” -Bruce

Y’all this hockey romance spoke to my heart…it was so tender and emotional, but yet energetic and uplifting! Bruce and Farrah had a kiss in the past and don’t revisit it until some time later, after Farrah is moving along from some personal baggage. Come to find out Bruce has been hooked on Farrah the entire time, from the start.

I really appreciated the PCOS rep we see with Farrah, as I’m not totally familiar with it myself, and I loved seeing her strength shine through it - inside and out - as well as witnessing Bruce be a totally caring (hot) gentleman!
The whole crowd of supporting characters - both Bruce & Farrahs’ families - Jackson, and all the teammates & their S.O.’s was so incredibly fun and it felt like the whole book was family/friends turned to family-oriented. I loved everything about this and found it to be a very sweet story 🥹

READ IF YOU LIKE:
🏒hockey romance with Stanley Cup playoff vibes
🫶🏼PCOS rep
🩷amazing supporting characters
🧁baking & ovens…(you just have to read to know!)
❤️‍🔥slow burn
💋hot kisses (but closed door)

Absolutely loved this book. I have not read any other books in the DC Eagles Hockey Series and still loved it. This was also my first book I have read by Leah Brunner and I am a fan. I will definitely be reading more of her books. This was a very easy, fun, and heartwarming story to read. I am super thankful I was able to get this ARC. Bruce McBride is a star goalie for the DC Eagles and everyone on the team thinks he is a player. Bruce runs into Farrah, who is the hockey teams captain’s sister, on the night that her divorce is final. They do not know who each other are until the next day when Bruce goes to his captain’s house:

This romance book is loaded with tropes (reverse age difference; hockey; he falls first). The story has engaging characters, with a very swoony MMC. Farrah is the sister of the D.C. Eagle’s hockey team's captain. She’s a great baker who has moved to D.C. for a new life after a difficult divorce. Farrah is starting a party-planning business in D.C. with the wife of another hockey player. Bruce is the D.C. Eagles’ talented, gorgeous goalie. Farrah and Bruce have an amazing kiss as strangers, before they discover each other’s identities. Despite numerous obstacles (including Farrah's brother making it clear that she's off-limits and some challenging hockey games as the D.C. Eagles get closer to winning a Stanley Cup), these characters can’t resist exploring their strong attraction. This book has well-written dual points of view and a HEA. There are some sensitive issues such as infertility and divorce as noted in the author's description, but those issues are handled sensitively. Another good story in an entertaining series! I received an advance copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.