Five nights. Two adversaries. Only one bed in their hotel room.
I’m at the height of my athletic career. Yet my arrogant brother is always trying to recruit me into the family business: a global security company so secretive that I don’t even know its name. Pass, thanks. I don’t need a summer job. But the jerk ambushes me with a damsel in distress. That damsel is Alex, the competitive, sassy … Alex, the competitive, sassy girl I knew when we were kids. Now she’s a drop-dead gorgeous woman in deep trouble.
So guess who’s on a flight to Hawaii?
It’s going to be a long week in paradise. My job is keeping Alex safe, while her job is torturing me with her tiny bikinis. Or maybe we’re torturing each other. It’s all snark and flirting until the threat against Alex gets serious. And this jock must become her major league protector.
Moonlighter is a stand-alone novel. No cliffhangers, no prior experience necessary. Contains: hackers, hockey players, and a hotel room with only one bed.
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I love this book it is absolutely wonderful!! This story honestly has so much going for it because there are so many awesome and crazy things happening, but they are all interconnected and tie together nicely. There is a fantastic story line with lots of romance, intrigue, action and all the other good stuff I look for in a romance!! The characters are amazing! I adore Eric and Alex and love that they knew each other as kids because it makes their re-connection so much more incredible and fun. Of course there is the fact that we get more of the Brooklyn Bruisers since Eric plays for them and we’ve met him before. We get this new intriguing company his brother Max heads up that Eric “moonlights” for during this book for reasons that make a lot of sense when you read it. We get Alex who we have also met before and of course Nate & Rebecca and other familiar characters. I enjoyed every moment from beginning to end which is something I tend to do while reading a Sarina Bowen book! Can’t wait for more from this intriguing and entertaining new series.
4.5 stars
Eric Bayer thinks he is about to enjoy his brief vacation before hockey season starts up again, but his family has other ideas. Next thing he knows he is on a trip to Hawaii to help with security for an old family friend. The girl who always challenged him and made him smile. But he is kind of moody, focused on hockey and dealing with an injury, not excited to be on this trip, and not interested in relationships.
Alex Engels is a Tech Goddess and CEO. She is smart, successful, and still bossy. She is a work-a-holic, but also dealing with some new personal issues. Due to circumstances she needs protection and to feel safe. That is why Eric is lured in by his family’s security company to take this assignment.
They have not been together in years. Neither expected the chemistry and sexual tension. It’s undeniable and ill-advised, but they are adults and think they can handle it. Alex is stressed and there is a lot on her plate, so it is good to have an old friend around. And some extra stress relieving is not bad either.
But there is a reason she needs protection, and they are not even quite sure who she needs it from. So Eric will have to be alert and aware and use the resources of him and his family company. But he may find it is more than the bargained for. And Alex has everything to lose and needs people on her side. But it’s just supposed to be a short fling…reality is a whole other story.
This is witty, sexy, and heartwarming. These two are so much fun and have such great banter and chemistry. I really enjoyed both of their personalities. I loved their competitiveness, but also their power exchanges. I liked the merging of her corporate tech world, his family’s security company, and of course Brooklyn Bruisers hockey. There is also a suspense thread running through the story with multiple possible antagonists and motivations. So these two are dealing with a lot of external drama while trying to figure out what they really want and what choices to make for the future. And even though there are some familiar faces and references, this can be read as a total stand-alone. But with that being said, I hope we see his security guru brother, Max again or maybe even the rookies, Anton and Drake.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this read. I loved Alex and Eric, their dynamic, their banter, their really freaking hot encounters. The shenanigans going on in this novel is absolutely on my top-ten fictional sexytime list of the year. Not that I have such a list. Officially.
Bowen always writes the very highest quality of witty romance, but with Moonlighter she’s introduced an element of suspense that took the reading experience to an even higher level. It’s simply awesome. It has it all. Romance. Delicious smut. Endearing characters. And humour. Because Moonlighter is hilarious.
I devoured this book. It sucked my right in and wouldn’t let me go until it spit my out – exhausted and with a tremendous book hangover – at the end. I don’t honestly know how I will survive the time until the second The Company book is released.
Suspense isn’t at all my genre of choice. And I’m unsure whether Moonlighter qualifies to be labelled romantic suspense, but the suspense angle of the story was fabulous. It didn’t detract one bit from the love story or the humour. It only made the story better which was a marvelous surprise to me.
Bowen’s writing is always spot-on. Her stories are always awesome. But there was just something extra about Moonlighter. It was probably the characters. I don’t get how she always manages to create the most lovable characters but still make them unique, but she does. And I’d say that Eric Bayer is probably my new favourite book boyfriend. And that’s saying something because I have a lot of those.
https://reflectionsofaswedishgirl.blog.se/
Oh my. Where to start…
I adored, adored, devoured this book.
Eric, hockey player for the Bruisers. Brother and son to owners of a secretive global security company.
Alex, female CEO to a cable conglomerate with a wicked ex and some other surprises along the way.
Eric’s family tricks him into being a fake boyfriend/ undercover bodyguard to their old family friend… Alex.
Sparks fly. Chemistry ignites.
He is exactly what she needs, fun, funny, strong.
She is everything and more he wasn’t looking for.
This is a tale of love, intrigue, heat and heart.
I highly recommend this read! And eagerly look forward to Max’s story as well as keeping up with these two.
This book was perfection.
Sarina Bowen
*4 Stars*
I enjoyed this book as with all Sarina Bowen books. Eric was a really easy to like/love character. He was sweet and adorable, but also so protective and rugged. Alex was a very focussed character, but she had so much going on. She was a strong female lead. There was a mystery involved in this storyline, and I was kind of on the right track for it, but I wasn’t totally there until it was revealed.
Enjoyed this and would recommend.
This book is so good! I’ve read almost all of Sarina Bowen’s books and while it’s hard to pick a favorite, I think this one is it. Perhaps because it’s a bit different, with more suspense/mystery than others. I think I’ve read it 3 times already.
Eric Bayer, one of the players of the Brooklyn Bruisers, is convinced to play boyfriend but actually be bodyguard for Alex Engels, an old friend and successful executive, who is having issues with a stalker. She is going to a conference in Hawaii and needs protection. Eric’s father and older brother run a very successful worldwide security company, the name of which is so secret it’s only called “The Company” – oh, surprise (not), that’s the name of this series!
Their witty interactions are great, I love them both. The sexy times are volcano hot!
I highly recommend this book!
Books with babies/pregnancy aren’t really my thing. But this book was sweet, intriguing, a little suspenseful and really funny. I laughed out loud multiple times.
Erik Bayer has been asked to help with his family’s ‘company ‘ while on hiatus from hockey. Alex is the pregnant client he needs to help.
This is a fake relationship book with a bit of suspense. Lots of fun and really lovely.
The narration was pretty good but every now and then the female narrator sounded really surprised and it didn’t make sense.
But a really enjoyable listen overall.
Oh when hockey and protector romances collide you get Moonlighter! Eric is a Brooklyn Bruiser but asked by his family to help protect an old family friend Alex while she’s at a conference in Hawaii. Go to a beautiful country with a beautiful woman, what could go wrong? Well he didn’t reckon on falling in love and so their story is told.
It’s never a chore listening to Jason Clarke read. He has such a lovely deep raspy voice and is so good at conveying emotions. He gives us the fierce protector that is Eric. Lucy Rivers did a great job of letting us feel Alex’s emotions too. A fantastic audiobook all round.
I loved that there were still hockey elements in this book, as you know I’m a hockey romance addict but there was a shed load of action too. There are twists and turns, one of which will smack you like you’re being checked on the ice. There is fun and laughter but also lots of care and tenderness too with a sprinkling of heat to keep you turning those pages and from hitting that stop button.
A great start to the spin off series from the Brooklyn Bruisers
I love everything Sarina Bowen writes!!
This wasn’t what I expected, but that happens when you don’t read the synopsis. I trust Sarina Bowen and buy her books blindly.
I liked reading more about this world Ms. Bowen is creating. Most of her books take place in the same universe. Of course I love seeing characters from other books like Nate and Becca. Side note: I really want to re-read Brooklynaire. And I liked getting to meet Eric’s family. Another book in this series better be about Max and Scout. Also, Duff. Is he not the most adorable man?
This had some romantic suspense elements, but wasn’t super suspenseful. I would call it the right level of suspense, for me. Eric can be funny at times (plus, my boy Duff) so that adds levity. Sometimes I don’t like romantic suspense, because people just bang in the middle of crazy situations where they should be aware of their surroundings. It just drives me crazy. This didn’t have that.
Alex was an awesome heroine. She’s a bad-ass CEO. And she knows she can do her job. But she also has perfectly natural insecurities.
The romance progressed really well. There is an immediate sexual chemistry, but not insta-love. I’ve been re-reading Sarina Bowen books lately and she is good at writing that balance. And I loved that they were friends when they were awkward little kids. It’s so adorable. Eric’s journey to falling in love with Alex was well done. I loved reading it.
There is a pregnancy element to this story. That is not my favorite trope/plot element to read. I don’t really have any complaints about the execution-it’s just personal preference.
I’m always happy to spend more time in a Sarina Bowen book. I am looking forward to reading more of The Company. Hopefully soon.
Entertaining story. I liked the attraction between the two characters but thought they both were a little immature on several occasions. The writing was witty and the story had a good pace. I would read other stories in this series as I am curious about Max’s story.
Great plot line, interesting characters, steamy – and a great intro to the Company series. I read Moonlighter after reading Loverboy, the second book in the series, and was psyched to realize Eric and Alex from the hockey series reappeared.
Eric’s struggle to accept a life off the ice was realistically portrayed and well-handled. In the hockey books, I wasn’t such a fan of Alex, but I found myself rooting for the two of them. Loved this book, and I don’t think I’ll ever look at a sled again the same way.
I was relatively enjoying this book until page 178. On that page is an absolutely awful phrase that is used as an exclamation about Jesus. His name had already been used inappropriately and took His name in vain. I gasped as the awfulness of the expression and I IMMEDIATELY stopped reading the book. The author’s name is now on my list of writers that I will NEVER read again. If you are a Christian, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!
I love her books and have read most of them. Great characters and stories that keeps me coming back!
I will happily read anything written by Sarina Bowen, but Moonlighter was just okay for me. I loved Alex’s intelligence and independence. Eric is such a steady and faithful sweetheart to his teammates, his family, and Alex.
I would love to be treasured by Eric the way he cares for Alex. Alex can be cold towards Eric sometimes though. Blame it on her having a bad day or being fearful, but I had no patience for her game playing or disregard for Eric’s feelings. When they are in sync, though, it’s Swoonsville.
The mystery regarding Alex’s safety and her company was only mildly intriguing to me. However, I wanted the puzzle to be solved, and given the amount of time spent focusing on it, it seems odd that the reader is left hanging with an unresolved plot.
Eric’s cyber security genius brother really intrigued me. I hope to learn more about him in a future book.
Recommended for fans of:
Childhood friends turned lovers
Athletes
Artificial Intelligence
Hawaii
Eric is a NHL player who is facing knee surgery. While is out, his brother Max enlists him in the family security business to play pretend boyfriend while guarding CEO tech guru Alex, who has taken over her father’s company and is pregnant with another man’s baby. There was a great dynamic between Eric and his brother, Max. Loved how Eric evolved and fell for Alex. I listened to this on Audible and I loved the narration! 5 amazing stars
Well did this book have a little bit of everything or what, we got some sports, some espionage, CEO action and some security guard action.
Absolutely loved everything about this book, i didn’t want to put it down loved, i must admit i read sure shot before this book so i had already got a feel for Eric and Alex but not enough that this book was still a fantastic story and it was great to meet Eric and Alex.
These two were quite funny and even when they thought they were on the same page with their feelings you knew it wasn’t going to take long till one of them caught feelings. I loved how Eric was a hockey player but loved the story of his father and brothers company and how they tried to get him to join them by giving him a job to protect Alex.
That’s obviously when the story starts to heat up with Alex needing protection and why. Both these characters were great and i loved the story.
Another Fantastic story by Sarina Bowen and i can’t wait for more of the The Company series
Read: 6/9/2020
Moonlighter was the first book in Sarina Bowen’s The Company series and was a spinoff from her Brooklyn series.
Eric Bayer was a veteran forward for the NHL team, the Brooklyn Bruisers. He was currently in off season and was summoned to his father and brother’s security company for lunch. Eric never turned down an invitation for lunch, but maybe he should have this one! Enter Alex.
We first met Alex Engels briefly as a close friend to Nate in Brooklynaire (book one, Brooklyn). Alex was the most successful female CEO in America. She was in need of some security and went to her long time friends of the family who owned a security firm. Enter Eric, her childhood friend.
Bowen humorously took us through the meet up after not seeing each other since childhood – oh wait, they did have one embarrassing encounter in the recent past, so amend that to only seeing each other once since childhood. Bowen then took us through the meshing of the two lives for the storyline. It was well written, well developed, creative, suspenseful and fun.
As to the characters, I loved Eric. He was snarky, confident, alpha and very lovable. As for Alex, I liked Alex but at times I didn’t love her. She was cold. But I did love her with Eric. Not that she needed him to be likable, but he brought out her humanness and less robotic personality. Together they worked.
All in all, it was an entertaining read. It merged the series, Brooklyn Bruisers, Brooklyn and now The Company. For more of Eric and Alex, read Sure Shot next, book four, Brooklyn. And hopefully we’ll get more of them in this series as well. I’m not sure where Bowen will lead us but I assume Max and Scout – they would be fabulous together! And Duff – please let us have a book on him too. And Anton for Brooklyn – OMG, they’re both awesome! So many options, but wherever Bowen leads us, I’m all in!
Sarina never disappoints! Another sexy, sweet, and suspenseful read! Moonlighter was the first book in Sarina’s Company Series and a spin off of her Brooklyn series. It can be read as a stand-alone but who doesn’t want to read about all the other hunky hockey players??
Eric was trying to keep his hockey career in check but his brother was also trying to get him to work in the family business. Would he be able to dodge his brother or would he persuade him into taking a job by dangling an old friend’s safety in his face? Could he protect Alex and his hockey career or would he have to choose?
Alex was a powerful woman, which of course made her a target. Without knowing exactly who was after her made it difficult to keep her secure. Would Eric be able to keep her completely safe or would her heart be on the line?
Oh Eric!! He made me swoon…he went from grumpy to grand gesture! I hope she continues this series, I really want Eric’s brothers story!!
Eric and Alexandra spent a summer together on Martha’s Vineyard when they were kids. Now he plays hockey for the Brooklyn Bruisers and she runs her family’s cable conglomerate. Eric’s father and brother, Max, own and run the security company that keeps Alex and her company safe. Max recruits Eric to play her boyfriend at a conference in Hawaii that her ex is also attending – and so the adventure begins. This book contains a very sinister man why is pursuing Alex, corporate espionage, a personal assistant who goes over to the dark side, murder in the street, a midnight run to the hospital in the snow, a feel-good happy ending, and Bess Beringer is back! I’m looking forward to her book and the next “Company” book!