Book Review: Temporary by Sarina Bowen & Sarah Mayberry

Author: Sarina Bowen, Sarah Mayberry
Series: N/A
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Rennie Road Books
Release Date: September 12th 2017
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Author
Blurb (from Goodreads):

The most beautiful man I've ever seen is the one who can ruin everything...

The first time I lay eyes on Callan Walker, I know he’ll be trouble. With his smug grin, hot Aussie accent and thousand dollar shoes, he’s just the kind of rich guy who always gets what he wants.

And he wants two things: a night of sin, and my cooperation as he outmaneuvers his powerful mother to take control of his uncle’s estate.

I can’t afford either one. I’m the only thing standing between my little sister and the foster care system. He may have money and charm on his side, but I have something even more powerful -- pure desperation. This temp job at his mother’s company can become a full time job for me. It has to.

But when Callan’s eyes rake over my body, sometimes I forget my obligations. His piercing gaze finds the fun, optimistic girl I used to be and not the tired person I’ve become.

And it works--if only for a moment. Our night together was a mistake. I can't afford to get sucked into his high-powered family’s treachery. But the closer I get to Callan, the more layers I find beneath those expensive clothes. Though I can’t forget this is temporary. He’s temporary. I have too much to lose.

Too bad my foolish heart didn’t get the memo...

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

I read this book a few days ago and I have to say, it's probably one of the best contemporary books I've read in a while.

This book has a lot of pain and turmoil in it. I love that at its core, it's not just about two people falling in love, but about dysfunctional families and people who should be in your corner but aren't, just based on a tiny difference, that really is nobody's business but yours.

Callan is a very hurt individual, one that is trying really hard to get away from his family, but he seems stuck between parties, fancy yachts and hot, nameless women. It takes the death of his beloved uncle to wake him up and force him to try to do something more with his life, something meaningful. I was truly sad for him, that the only thing powerful enough to wake Callan up was the death of his uncle, and it truly shows just how lost he was. Because although he got away from his mother, who's just the most evil woman I've read about in a while, it seems like he's given up on everything that was important to him. It isn't until later in the book that we find out just why that is, why he's not even trying to do something important or useful, and why he's that lost. It really made me sad to read about his family.

On the other hand you have Grace, who's the sweetest woman I've read about in a while, one that struggles with being the best big sister and guardian for her little sister, one who is willing to give up her dreams in order to keep her sister in school, happy, fed, with a roof over her head. I really liked her dedication to her job, even if it was not the right job for her. Clearly she can do more, she deserves a better job, and it's sad that in today's economy, you have a lot of young people having to accept unfit jobs just to get by. I really respected Grace, because it takes a lot of courage and strength to take care of her little sister, to be a role model, at such a young age. I was angry for her when the shit hit the fan, so to say, because she clearly did not deserve to be treated the way she was.

The cool thing about this book is that, even though not physically present, I felt that Jack, the dead uncle, was written in such a way, that he felt like a true character, not just a plot device. I really enjoyed that, and I loved how he was portrayed. I felt like he was there the whole time, and that's something I truly enjoyed. I would love to learn more about him, if a sequel is at any point in the future in the works *makes puppy eyes*

The book is pretty fast paced, and I really enjoyed reading every single page of it. The ending was a bit surprising, and it made me hope for a sequel, because I need it in my life. But even without a sequel, this book was fantastic and I would recommend it to every contemporary romance fan out there.

Book Review: Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen (ARC)

Author: Sarina Bowen
Series: Brooklyn Bruisers #1
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Release Date: 06 Sep 2016
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

The first novel in a sexy new series featuring the hockey players of the Brooklyn Bruisers and the women who win their hearts—from the USA Today bestselling author of the Ivy Years series.

In high school they were the perfect couple—until the day Georgia left Leo in the cold...

Hockey player Leo Trevi has spent the last six years trying to do two things: get over the girl who broke his heart, and succeed in the NHL. But on the first day he’s called up to the newly franchised Brooklyn Bruisers, Leo gets checked on both sides, first by the team’s coach—who has a long simmering grudge, and then by the Bruisers’ sexy, icy publicist—his former girlfriend Georgia Worthington.

Saying goodbye to Leo was one of the hardest things Georgia ever had to do—and saying hello again isn’t much easier. Georgia is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional, but when a press conference microphone catches Leo declaring his feelings for her, things get really personal, really fast...

*Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my opinion or my rating of the book in any way.

Sports romance is becoming one of my top 5 romance subgenres. This paired with my newly discovered love of hockey, made me desperately need to read Rookie Move. Let me tell you, it was an awesome decision.

It's always interesting to read about second chances, about high school sweethearts getting a second chance at a relationship, mostly because it's interesting to see how they evolved and how the relationship can grow, but also because it's cute. I admit it! My inner romantic goes giddy over second chance stories, I think I've already told you that. Georgia and Leo's story is particularly beautiful because of what happened to make them break up. It's a sad story, really.

Georgia was a great character. Her story is heartbreaking. There's a beautiful scene between her and her roommate, Becca, where she realizes that fear and courage aren't mutually exclusive, and I loved that scene. And it also touches on the fact that some crimes affect your loved ones as well. Georgia is fearless even with her past, and I loved reading about that.

Leo was such a sweetheart. I loved him so, so much. I think even as a teenager, he was a great man, and I was so happy that he got to find his happy ending, because a guy like that deserves that and more. We don't get to see much of his life from the time he was apart from Georgia, aside from a few mentions here and there. I would have wanted to see more of that, but this is probably due to the fact that Brooklyn Bruisers is a spin-off to Bowen's Ivy Years, and there's a possibility that some of those scenes are in those books.

I was also glad that there was a lot more sport in this book. The sport wasn't just something some of the characters did, but at times it kind of felt like another character in the book, which was nice. I am curious to see how the author will approach the various aspects of the sport in the future books, depending on the main character's involvement in the team. And, yes, I may be very happy about who the hero of the next book is.

This was my first Sarina Bowen book, but I'll definitely check her other titles out while I'm waiting for the next Brooklyn Bruiser book to come out.