Secret or Shutout
Author: Leah Brunner
Narrate by Alex Picard; Lee Samuels

Published March 27,2025

This is my first read by Leah Brunner and of the DC Eagles series. I love a brothers best friend romance trope! I absolutely need to read the rest of this series because I am HOOKED! I can’t get enough of these hockey romance books. Farrah and Bruce are so cute together, and come on the fact that Bruce will literally do anything to prove his love for Farrah is the sweetest!
I really liked that Leah focused on Farrahs PCOS and that Bruce was adopted. It warmed my heart that they were navigating through medical issues and overcame them and having the option to be able to adopt.
All her other books have been added to my TBR pile because I ate this one up!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Thank you @bookedwiththeemilys and Leah Brunner for a #gifted copy
‌
I love this series so much! I was anxiously waiting for Bruce and Farrah’s story and it was the perfect ending to series.
‌
After sharing the best kiss of his life with a beautiful woman, whose name he didn’t get, Bruce is shocked the next morning to find out, she is his hockey team captain‘s sister. AND that she’s married?!
‌
Fast forward a year plus later and Farrah is living at her brother’s. No longer married. She’s the nanny for his toddler and has a new business with her friend Mel, who is married to one of Bruce‘s teammates. Obviously Farrah and Bruce can’t avoid each other. And when they end up in the same place, there’s definitely chemistry.
‌
Bruce is just dreamy! He definitely fell first and was determined to show Farrah he is nothing like her ex. Farrah is so sweet and has such a big heart. After the way her ex treated her, it’s understandable why she was hesitant to start a new relationship! My heart broke for the things experienced with her PCOS and I loved how Bruce helped her through her pain and grief.
‌
I adored Bruce and Farrah’s romance. When they are trying to keep it a secret but you can tell they really want the world to know, it was adorable. And of course, I loved seeing all the guys and their wives again! Sad to see the series come to an end.

Once again Leah did an AMAZING job!!! I was sad to see an end to the Dc Eagles but with every ending comes a new beginning, and that looks awesome!!!
Bruce and Farrah were perfect. He was so patient with her and knew she was worth the wait. Farrah had so much to work through and did so with the help of her family, the Wag group and of course Bruce. I love the closeness the players have with each other and the girls have also. It made me happy to see Farrah with a Wag jacket of her own. 😉
The narrators did an awesome job at bringing these characters to life and making them feel like they were in the room with me.
Thank you to the author for my review copy. These words are my own

Secret or Shutout continues the storyline of the DC Eagles hockey team. It can be read alone, but I did enjoy catching up on all the other characters this series has introduced along the way. I have truly enjoyed this series, so I was thrilled that Bruce gets a story. There were many, many lines I adored, and Bruce is such a kind and faithful guy. I didn’t connect well with Farrah and while this is a closed-door romance, there was so much focus on the physicality of their attraction to one another. I would like to have heard more about the attributes, beyond their bodies, that drew them towards one another. Those were qualities that were mentioned as an afterthought, so their intense draw towards one another didn’t quite compute in my mind. Having said that, I still love this series and recommend it, I just didn’t connect as well to this one as I have with others. I did really enjoy the narrators and thought they did a wonderful job bringing this story to life. They captured the personalities, the emotions, and the pace.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I was able to find the audiobook on my NetGalley app. Like I remembered that I had downloaded it I was just in a different spot.


I loved this book. It was so cute, super fast and easy.!!
The narrators did such an amazing job. I felt like I was able to follow along easily, and they fit the characters perfectly.

“Because it didn’t feel like just a kiss to me. It felt like THE kiss.”

Thoughts:
Meet Cute
Yeux Bleus
Bruce..tough, sweet, golden retriever
Farrah-so sweet, sassy and kind
Brother’s Friend/Hockey Team
Tension & Chemistry
WAGS
DC Eagles Team (love them)
Secret Dating
“Big Brother”

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

Excited to be back with the DC Eagles and get our goalie Bruce’s story. He is such a sweet golden retriever and I love it! Farrah has every right to not want him since she’s older and Cap’n Remy (Ford) is her brother. The banter and chemistry is off the charts with these too. The way Leah writes about PCOS in a way that recognizes it but doesn’t make it too hard to read is wonderful.

“Knowing someone who cares about me is here and taking care of me.”

I love the family feel with all the players in this book. The WAGS are my favorite and I love their relationships with each other and Bruce. This was such a great story of strength and compassion. Bruce’s family and circumstances were so great for this story. I loved how he was able to connect with Farrah.

“There’s no world where a life without you is better.” “Now I know him. And I like what I know.”

Content:
Fade to Black-married couple
Mild language
Mild Innuendos

“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. I love you for who you are.”

The narrators were spot on with this Audio! It was amazing and you could feel all the emotions and tension in their voices. Whew!!! I highly recommend this book as an audio. The feels are there and the tone of the narrators voices fit perfectly with the characters. The back and forth between them immersed me into the story I was here for it.

Let me start by saying—I really tried to like this book. I made it most of the way through (with just two hours left) but ultimately had to stop. The pacing felt painfully slow, and the plot leaned heavily on manufactured, false high-stakes scenarios that didn’t feel earned.

The characters, particularly the female lead, were frustrating. She seemed consumed by a series of relatively minor challenges that she elevated into overwhelming, dramatic conflicts. It came across more as self-pity than genuine struggle, which made it hard to empathize with her journey. I will say that some of this might have been amplified by the narrator's tone—perhaps more than the author intended.

As someone who has personally experienced the heartbreak of infertility, I wanted to connect with and honor her story. But even with a diagnosis like PCOS, there are empowering and proactive ways to support the body and fertility. Instead of showing that, the narrative leaned into a victim mentality, which was disheartening. I had hoped to see a story of resilience, not resignation.

The one redeeming factor? Our steadfast book-boyfriend. He was an absolute gem—sweet, supportive, and the only reason I kept reading as long as I did.

In the end, I know this book will resonate with many readers, but for me, it just didn’t hit the mark.

This was an easy read/listen. I have read the previous DC Eagles book in the series but not the others and that didn’t take away from this book. It can be read as a stand alone, even if it is the last one in the series.

The forbidden love trope felt tired and strained in this book with Farrah being Remi’s sister- the captain of the team- and how even Farrah’s mom talked to her about not dating Bruce. Farrah is in her early 30s for Pete’s sake. They are adults! That took it too far for me and really made the book juvenile. The lack of development in Bruce and Farrah and all their make out sessions added to it.

Lots of mention of PCOS which many women can experience but I don’t know if it’s the narrator or Farrah, but it didn’t make me sympathetic towards her. I believe there’s a variety of drs that would take it seriously or not. And maybe hospitals are different around the country but in the ER you can have friends visit. It doesn’t need to be family only and she wouldn’t have been swept into the ER right away, she’d have to wait in the waiting room for hours because it’s based on severity UNLESS she were bleeding out. Obviously it was fictionalized for plot points but the book became a caricature.

I did like Bruce! Maybe it’s because I haven’t read the beginning books but he didn’t seem like much of a bad boy/player. I couldn’t stand it when Remi gave him the silent treatment….

This book released last month and thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the alc. These are my own thoughts and opinions. A lot of people love this book and series so don’t let me turn you away from it. I think I had different expectations.

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. Highly recommend Secret of Shutout!

I even went back and listened to the audio a month later and still love this story just as much!

Leah Brunner is incredible so it's no surprise that I adored this one. She wrapped up one of my favorite series so perfectly. Bruce and Farrah were an absolute delight and Leah has an incredible gift of adding just the right amount of tension, yearning, banter, and authentic experiences to her stories. I literally smiled and squealed over Brucie and Farrah more times than I can count.

Farrah...As someone who thankfully has two precious boys, but has struggled with infertility and reproductive issues, I felt so seen and represented by Farrah's story. Her arc was so poignant and real. I think Leah did an incredible job of portraying exactly how awful PCOS can be. I love that she didn't shy away from depicting the physical pain and emotional toll this disease can wreak on a woman. I think this is the most honest representation of women's reproductive health that I've ever seen in a fiction book.

Bruce...I'm not typically into blonde guys, but this one certainly changed my mind. Brucie was just so incredibly gone for Farrah the first time he met her and it was so sweet to see him slowly win her over. I really enjoyed his normally goofy personality, but then it was also neat to see him shift and become someone solid and dependable for Farrah. He pretty much worshipped the ground she walked on and I loved that for her after all she'd been through.

Things I loved:

❤️The bar
❤️Catching up with the rest of the guys and girls one last time 😭
❤️Bruce helping out at Mel and Farrah's events
❤️The relationship between Farrah and Nella
❤️All those yummy cake flavors 😋
❤️Bruce's truck
❤️"yeux bleus"
❤️The relationship between Bruce and Jackson
❤️Adoption rep
❤️WAG jackets
❤️The La Cornue 💙
❤️Epilogue and bonus epilogue (absolute perfection)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️

I wasn’t expecting to like this as much I did!

I loved the audio for this! It was such a sweet read and I loved their meet cute. I also really enjoyed having a mature FMC that was starting over in life so to speak when it comes to love. The narration was really good! Alex was new to me and I loved his voice. I would recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an advanced listener copy of this book.

I really enjoyed listening to this book, even without having read the previous three in the series. The dual narration by Alex Picard and Lee Samuels brought the characters to life. The connection between Farrah, the sister of the team’s captain, and Bruce, the team’s goalie, was heartwarming and tender throughout.

If you're looking for something light, fun, and touching, this audiobook is a great pick. It has the sweet, feel-good vibe of a Hallmark movie, complete with fade-to-black romance. Leah Brunner also sensitively weaves in more serious topics like infertility and PCOS, adding emotional depth without losing its charm.

Overall, it’s an easy, enjoyable listen that I’d definitely recommend to fans of hockey romance and cozy love stories with heart.

I have loved prior books in this series so was pretty excited about this one. I enjoyed it okay but it was my least favorite that I have read from this author. I think it was just the characterization of the MMC but so many cringe comments. Additionally the mmc’s nickname for the fmc did not translate well to audio and took me out of the story every time.

I thought this book was cute but a little bit predictable. I definitely enjoyed and appreciated the PCOS rep! If you want something easy and fun I’d recommend this. Reverse age gap and teammates sister are also a few other tropes featured in this closed door romance!

Thank you NetGalley for the audio ARC of this book. This was a cute, spicy hockey romance that also highlights some serious health issues in reference to PCOS and potential infertility. I loved the bond of the entire hockey family.

I love never good hockey romance but the writing in this one is absolutely awful and it was struggle to finish.

The chemistry between the MC is undeniable and the build up is worth it. Such good PCOS representation! To have the character go through an ovarian cyst rupture helped me be able to express to friends and family how severe that pain can be. When you’re in the hospital you almost feel like your body is tricking you, especially when they say there is nothing to do about it but give you pain meds. The character growth throughout the book is slow but develops well. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a hockey romance with a HEA and PCOS rep.

Triggers: PCOS, ovarian cyst rupture, infertility

Secret or Shutout was such a good listen! This is book #4 in the D.C. Eagles Hockey series by Leah Brunner, but, it works just fine as a standalone. I really enjoyed listening to this book; despite not reading book three (yet!). The chapters in this book alternates between Farrah, the team captain's sister, and Bruce, the team's goalie. The audio does a great job bringing both of these characters to life with the dual narration. The narrators put emotion and emphasis in the readings. This really grabs your attention and draws you into the story. It is a mix of sweet romance with some difficult to broach topics, infertility and PCOS being the main one. This book was incredibly engaging, and the pacing is just right. This is a slow-burn fade-to-black romance, but it is still super swoon-worthy. Both characters have great depth to them making them very dynamic and real. Overall, I would recommend this audiobook to hockey romance fans or anyone looking for an emotional romance with lovable characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

There were parts of this book that I truly did enjoy so I am a bit conflicted with writing this review.
Here is what I liked:
There were some really funny moments that I laughed out loud. The banter between the team mates was really fun.
The hero was generally funny, he had a golden retriever energy that I did enjoy. He was so caring and supportive of the FMC. So sweet.
The heroine's struggle with her pcos condition felt very authentic and relatable. I felt it was representation that came across as true to her struggles and identity and not something that was tacked on.
I LOVED the Mitch cameos. Mitch will always be my favorite DC Eagle ❤️
.
What I didn't like:
I thought that the use of innuendo was too overdone for my taste. A sprinkling doesn't bother me, but I felt there were so many that it was an attempt to use innuendo in place of actual humor.
It cam across as an adult version of a kid who learned butt jokes.
Imo.
Sometimes the heroine's attraction came across as more lust driven then love story, but I sometimes get a little picky about those things.
I prefer books where physical attraction and interaction isn't the only driving force in a relationship.
I want to see characters grow in love and respect not just wanting to see the other person scantily clad.
My own personal preference.
.
All in all I will probably try another one if this authors books but if the heavy handed innuendo keeps up I may quit. So sad to say because Desire and Defense was one of my favorites.
I listened to the audio version of this book and really enjoyed the voices and how it was put together.
I recieved a complementary copy of this book through Netgally. All thoughts and opinions are honest and completely my own.

I loved all the D.C. Eagles stories and SECRET OR SHUTOUT by Leah Brunner is no different

SECRET OR SHUTOUT is a sweet, slowburn romance that brings a great series to a close. I loved the tender connection between Bruce and Farrah, and how it grew over time. The book doesn't shy away from really difficult issues like PCOS and infertility - these topics gave the book more heart.

I would have loved a few more sparks between Bruce and Farrah. I liked their connection but felt it needed more emotional punch. The fade to black style is perfect for the series too.

So, if you're looking for a solid, feel-good read, check out SECRET OR SHUTOUT

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ARC! Opinions are my own