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

4.25⭐️ 2🌶️

I really enjoyed this hockey romance. I’ve recently found out that I really like hockey romances. Bruce was so much more than what people gave him credit for. Their relationship was real, and sweet. I loved that this story talked about infertility and PCOS.

Favorite quote: “you can also have more than one feeling at a time. you can be happy for someone you love, and sad for yourself at the same time. those emotions can coexist together.”

Thank you @NetGalley and @Dreamscapemedia for the Audio ARC. This is the last book in the D.C. Eagles Hockey series. I loved Bruce, he was like a big teddy bear. He is the goalie for the team and one night has a shattering kiss with a stranger. Than he finds out the women he can not stop thinking about is his team captain newly divorced sister. Bruce yearns to be with her but Farrah needs to heal first. The sexist thing Bruce does is wait for her to be his.

I really wish I knew this was a fourth book in a series. But other than that I really loved this book. It was super cute and heart wrenching at times. I’m excited to read the others in this series!

I have loved this series so much!! Bruce and Farrah’s story was the perfect ending to the D.C. Eagles Hockey books and it was just so good!!
And the audio was amazing! The narrators did a fantastic job and I couldn’t have loved it more!

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?

Now, a year and a half later, Farrah is living at her brother’s, so she can be a nanny for his toddler and has a new business with her friend Mel, who is married to one of Bruce‘s teammates. So, the odds of Farrah and Bruce being in the same time at the same place are pretty high! And when that happens, no one can deny the sparks that fly!

Oh my gosh, Bruce is the kind of guy that dreams are made of! I loved how hard and fast he fell and how determined he was to let Farrah see that he is nothing like her ex and is everything good that she could want or need! Farrah is so sweet and after being burned by her ex, I didn’t blame her for being 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.

This book was just SO good! And Bruce might be my new favorite Eagle! Although, I did love seeing all the guys and their wives again!!

This was a fun one. I’m not a huge sports fan but I did enjoy this book. They talked about sports but it didn’t overpower the plot.
I loved the narrators and thought they did a great job with the different voices.
I loved the group of friends that they had- they were all sweet and supportive of each other.
I also liked that the main character wasn’t perfect in every way- she struggled with infertility and other health problems. It made the story more relatable/believable.

2.5⭐, 1🌶️

I am very disappointed in this book unfortunately. I hated that it was a cliche teammates sibling trope where the only reason to deny the relationship is his historical bad boy/ lady killer persona. I was very annoyed that Remi became the bad guy in this book, especially because of the choice to make Bruce and Farrah prioritize Remi's needs because of his autism and making it "super important" to not bother him. Idk it gave me the ick.

I hated the third act breakup. I almost DNF'ed right there because I was so frustrated - Bruce fighting so much for Farrah and her rejecting the relationship over and over made me want to shake her. Like girl PLEASE go see a therapist. All your friends and family clearly aren't helping you. Idk, just could not relate to her character.

The rest of the series were cute and non-spicy hocket romances, but I could have lived without this book. Which is FRUSTRATING because Bruce is so perfectly teased in all the previous books

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy of the audiobook.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Alex Picard and Lee Samuels. They did an amazing job on their POV chapters and the various voices. I ate this story up all in one sitting.

This was the perfect ending to a very enjoyable series. In this book you will find the sister of best friend troupe, closed door romance, PCOS and infertility topics, and divorce topics.

I love that the MMC was a total golden retriever and was referenced to look like Kristoff from frozen.

Bruce and Farrah are soo good together, even with the Reverse age gap and the Disability she has it was soo good! Going through a Divorce is hard I imagine, and having gone through what she did because of her Disability was devastating. And Bruce was always so caring and Loveable I Loved him so much! Book 4 was a great Read and Listen!

“The jealousy monster tries to convince me that because I kissed Bruce, he’s mine.”

From the moment they locked eyes at the bar, there was instant attraction and an even hotter kiss. Imagine Bruce’s surprise when he sees Farrah at his Captain Remy’s house. Turns out the girl of his dreams is Remy’s sister , which means she’s completely off limits.

Farrah went through a rough divorce and doesn’t think she can trust herself to open up to anyone. Not only do they have Farrah’s well built walls to overcome, there’s also the matter of her brother Remy who is Bruce’s teammate. But Bruce keeps showing up for her and proving that he’s nothing like her ex. Now it’s up to Farrah to figure out if she’ll jump in and take a risk.

Bruce is just the sweetest, a golden retriever at heart. The way he shows up for everyone that matters especially Farrah and his little brother Jackson.
Farrah’s gone through a lot and I’m glad she moved to DC to help out her brother because not only did she meet the love of her life, she also found some ride or die girlfriends.

Such a sweet and cute romcom with a swoony, rom com watching hockey goalie and a sweet and sassy baker.

*Please check the content warning because you might be sensitive to some topics mentioned in the book.

This was a sweet hockey rom-com. Light in the spice so if spice isn’t your thing this is for you!

❤️ she is older and he chases her
- Farrah is older and Bruce chases her regardless of the baggage and insecurity she has! Her past marriage was awful and heartbreaking and Bruce goes out of his way to show her that not every man is a jerk.
❤️ baker & hockey player - enough said 😂
❤️ her brothers friend
- Remi is not only Farrah’s brother and Bruce’s friend but also Bruce’s coach. So much tension with the forbidden love! It starts to take a toll on hockey and friendships.
❤️loved the Canadian references
❤️Bruce. All of him. His cockiness, his family and him being a “Big Brother” to Jackson.
❤️it brings to light a lot on PCOS
💔the narrators were great but I could have done without the baby voice for Nala

This was a sweet and sassy book and the third in the series!

Publishing date was March 27th so get your copy now!!

Okay-hear me out. Secret or Shutout is book 4 of the DC Eagles Hockey series. Is it an interconnect standalone? Technically. But- do this book justice and read them in order. I did not do this, so if you dont want to take my advice, you wont be lost, but this friend group is so massive and loveable I want you to get the best reading experience for this one. Another honest fact for ya. I was not expecting to love this story as much as I did. I haven't heard of this series before and when it popped up on Netgalley I had some time and it was Hockey, so I was like I’ll give it a shot. You can now find me diving into Leah Brunner’s entire backlist. So thank you Netgally and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity!

Secret or Shutout is the long-awaited final story in Leah Brunner’s DC Eagles Hockey series. It’s a forbidden romance with a reverse age-gap. This series contains a novella, Passion or Penalty, and Desire or Defense, Flirtation or Faceoff, and Betrothal or Breakaway. This story will be enjoyed more if read/listened to after the earlier stories. This is a closed-door sports romance told in dual POV, with some mild cursing (no F-bombs).

31-year-old Farrah Remington is the younger sister of Ford “Remi” Remington, Captain of the D.C. Eagles hockey team. She was introduced in Betrothal or Breakaway because she moved in with Remi and his wife, Amber, to be a nanny for their infant daughter, Nella. Farrah is recently divorced and has relocated from their hometown in Ohio. On the evening after her divorce is final, Farrah goes to Charlie’s Bar to drink her sorrows away. She meets a handsome man, and they talk, flirt, eat chicken wings, and share the best kiss of their lives. The only thing they don’t do is reveal their names or occupations. The next day she is shocked when the Nordic kissing god walks into her brother’s house, and she learns that he’s the 26-year-old goalie.

6'6 Bruce McBride is a giant blond loudmouth NHL goalie who loves women. He was adopted as a newborn by a small dark-skinned couple who had a daughter, Avery. The McBride’s loved the big fair-skinned super-sized baby boy and encouraged him in his hockey career. He moved to Washington, DC from Quebec, Canada, knowing no one. He became close friends with some of his older teammates, who have all married and settled down. Bruce wants to find a good woman to settle down with too. When he started feeling lonely, he signed up for Big Brothers, Big Sisters and was matched with a boy in foster care, Jackson. Bruce is the only one in his friend group who doesn’t live in the cul-de-sac; instead, he lives in a penthouse condo in downtown DC.

Bruce is instantly smitten with the beautiful Farrah and is so disappointed when he discovers that she is Remi’s sister. The players have a rule about their sisters being off-limits as romantic partners. While Bruce has been a “player” in his love life, he stopped dating after he met Farrah. He secretly admired her from afar for 18 months, while she got over her broken marriage. When the other players’ wives found out about his crush, they arranged things so that Farrah and Bruce could spend time together and get to know each other.

Farrah and Bruce pretend that they never met, and certainly never kissed. Farrah is dealing with infertility and reproductive problems and is afraid that no other man will ever want her. After 18 months, Bruce wears her down and she secretly spends time with him. However, she knows that her brother will explode if he finds out, and she’s concerned about the age gap between herself and Bruce. The DC Eagles have made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs, so they are especially cautious about causing conflict between the teammates.

Secret or Shutout is my favorite story in the DC Eagles Hockey series. Bruce was such an attention-getter from the first book, and I have been waiting for him to finally meet his match. Farrah’s reproductive health issues and fears about infertility are a relevant topic for many readers, providing a realistic storyline. Remi’s protectiveness towards Farrah is admirable, and the reader waits anxiously for the inevitable clash between Remi and Bruce when their secret relationship is exposed. The descriptions of Farrah’s baking creations were so clear that I wanted to get out my baking pans!

While I enjoyed all of the stories in this series, I believe that Farrah and Bruce had the most chemistry. It was wonderful to see earlier characters in the series, and Secret or Shutout was an excellent conclusion to this hockey romance series. I really appreciate this author for creating the first closed-door hockey romance series; previously hockey romances were all spicy.

I enjoyed listening to Secret or Shutout; the narrators, Alex Picard and Lee Samuels, do an outstanding job giving life to Farrah and Bruce. While Ms. Picard has done a fabulous job voicing all of the female characters in this series, I especially want to mention that she did realistic children’s voices, including toddler Nella. Lee Samuels did an excellent job portraying Bruce and lent earnest emotion to his voice. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook for a richer experience than reading.

I received an advance review copy of the ebook (ARC) from NetGalley and LBP, LLC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I received an advance review copy of the audiobook (ARC) from NetGalley and DreamScape Media for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Secret or Shutout
By: Leah Brunner

The vibes:
- NHL hockey player + baker
- brother’s best friend + forbidden/secret romance
- he takes care of her & always shows up
- divorce, PCOS, infertility, adoption/foster care rep
- 4th in a hockey rom com series

This was top tier romance & an easy 5 stars for me! The way Bruce talks to/about Farrah is swoon-worthy 😍 Bruce is a total cinnamon roll. I love the brother’s best friend trope & even more so when there’s strong connections with other characters from other books in the series!! This series is fantastic 🤍👏🏼

I listened to the audiobook & the narrators were so great!! 🎧

Trigger warning: infertility, PCOS, divorce

Thank you to NetGalley & the author for access to this ARC in return for my honest review!

Secret or shutout is the 4th book in a series of interconnected standalone hockey romance books. I have not read the previous books in the series and I could tell that there were some previous stories from other characters, however, I didn’t feel like it was too telling to read out of order.

The FMC has a lot of prior demons she needs to work out before she can accept the love she’s feeling, and the MMC is a giant golden retriever, waiting for her. The story is cute and sweet, but there’s not much to stand out against other hockey romances. I really The male narrator and his soothing voice, I was impassive about the female narrator.

The FMC does go through fertility issues and lives with PCOS, so be aware if that’s a trigger for you before you start reading. I don’t think I’m going to continue the series, as I said, there wasn’t much that stood out to me.

3.5 🌟 Secret or Shut Out was a sweet, closed-door romance that really hit me in the feels. It’s a heartwarming story that balances light, cute moments with more serious, emotional themes. I appreciated how Leah Brunner explored the female main character’s journey with PCOS and the struggles that can come with trying to conceive. It felt honest and compassionate, and it was refreshing to see a romance novel touch on something so real.

What stood out the most to me was the way the author highlighted different paths to family planning, showing that there isn’t just one “right” way. The male lead’s unwavering support made the story even more touching—his love and understanding added so much depth to their relationship.

Overall, this book is both adorable and meaningful. If you’re looking for a clean romance with heart, emotional depth, and great representation, this one’s worth picking up.