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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Over the past year or so, I have read almost all of Sarina Bowen’s books and there isn’t one that I haven’t loved. This new series jumps off with two characters that were introduced in the Brooklyn Bruisers series and was such a roller coaster!!
From the series I’ve read, I know that Sarina Bowen has a talent for angst, humor, heat, and sports. This book had all of that plus some serious suspense!! The Company is the place that Jason Bourne, Jack Ryan, and every Navy SEAL tech guru has gone to work. It’s mysterious but in demand. It’s the best in the world so of course this is where Alex turns when she needs help getting an unwanted ex out of her life.
Alex is the HBIC. She’s sass and smarts and is breaking all the glass ceilings. Eric is funny and strong and ready to get back to hockey. I loved these two separately but together they are on a whole other level. This suspenseful, fake-relationship/ friends-to-lovers story is AMAZING!! I can’t wait for the next winner from this series!!!
Moonlighter by Sarina Bowen
Moonlighter is the first book in Bowen’s new series, The Company and it features Eric Bayer, a character from one of my favorite series, The Brooklyn Bruisers. Eric is feeling the tolls hockey is taking on his body and while he fully plans to rest on his break, his brother has other ideas which include sending him to Hawaii to play bodyguard/boyfriend to Eric’s childhood friend, Alex Engeles. Given that Alex didn’t recognize Eric when they bumped into each other not so long ago, he’s not particularly eager to help but the apprehension doesn’t last all that long.
I’ve had this book on my kindle for well over a week now. I was excited to read it but at the same time, I didn’t actually want to read it because then it would be over. Then when I started I worried that I’d built it up too much and that I’d be left disappointed. Silly me! I started this book and could barely stand to put it down! I’m lucky enough that I managed to read this over the weekend and only stopped for sleep. This book had everything and ticks all the boxes: the flirtation and banter that I’ve come to expect from Bowen, the sports references I love, the kickass heroine who I’ve decided is my new best friend, the somewhat grumpy hockey player I want to cuddle like he’s my own personal teddy bear, and of course, the suspense I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED!!!! This book kept me on my toes with twists and laughing at some of the comments tossed around. Bingley was a highlight for me and I’m going to request one just like him for my next birthday. Speaking of requests, I would love love love Bowen to write Max and Duffs stories sooner rather than later. I neeeeeeed more of The Company please!!!
*I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.
Moonlighter is book one in a delightful new series by one of my favorite authors, Sarina Bowen!! This is a spinoff of sorts from the Brooklyn Bruisers (my favorite). Eric Bayer is an aging hockey player who is the black sheep of his uber successful family. He gets suckered into helping his brother with “The Company”. All he has to do is a be a fake boyfriend to an old family friend…that always ends well!
Max’s (Eric’s brother) company is super secret and part of what they do is provide security. Max is providing security for Alex, and he needs Eric’s help. See, turns out Alex has an idiot of an ex who can’t take no for an answer. Oh, and she is pregnant with his baby. Eric doesn’t want to help, but Max sort of forces his hand. He gets a free trip to Hawaii out of it! Of course Eric and Alex hit it off.
Eric is genuinely funny throughout the story. He has lots of quippy lines and his banter with Alex is great. She has a deadpan type of humor. She’s also a brilliant, fierce girl boss CEO! I love that a pro hockey player is the least successful person in this book. I also loved how Eric loves Alex. Their story is full of the unexpected but Eric just seems to roll with it, no matter what and then one day he realizes he loves her. I also liked that Eric’s hockey career was coming to an end and he had to face that. In most sports books, the heroes are top notch and if they get injured, they bounce back triumphantly. Eric is dealing with the decision no pro athlete wants to make and he struggles.
Moonlighter gives you a touch of danger as well which I always appreciate. Alex and Eric build a relationship over months and their chemistry is great. You really believe in their feelings for one another. I was completely engrossed in Moonlighter and I can’t wait to see where Bowen takes “The Company” next!
If you love a book that is filled with hot hockey players, funny, sexy, and is filled with a suspenseful romance, then this is the book for you!
Author Sarina Bowen delivers us the sexy Eric Bayer who I have totally been wanting to see what would happen with him.
This book is a standalone in the Brooklyn Bruiser series but believe me when you finish reading this book, you will want to grab the others and find out all about these hot sexy men & ladies!
I loved how Eric is soo committed to being Alex’s fake boyfriend to keep her safe.
Alex is one strong woman and I loved the relationship she has with Eric.
This book had me on my toes on finding out if Eric could keep Alex safe while letting himself fall hard in love with her.
Excellent chemistry, mystery, suspense and lovable characters.
Go get this book and find out if Moonlighting can be the key to finding love.
5 popped!
Alex is a CEO who gets tired of hearing how she needs help just because she is a woman. She can make up her own mind. She only needs help right now since she is a victim of industrial espionage.
Eric is about to lose his mind. His brother does not ask for his help – he demands it. Then the person he is to protect is none other than the woman who turned him down several months ago? How will he keep sane?
This was an excellent start to the new series. I love visiting the Brooklyn Bruisers, and having some of our favorite characters here was a joy. I honestly loved this book with the suspense, heat, and banter. I do not often say this – this was just a fabulous read. I started off with laughter, and by the time I was tearing up for the characters there was no doubt I was completely hooked! I cannot wait to read this series next installment.
***This ARC copy was given in exchange for an honest review.
I am in love with this new series and all it has to offer! Ashley @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Well when Eric and Alex see each other for the first time since they were kids Alex doesn’t recognize him…and it hurts! When Eric is railroaded by his brother to be the fake boyfriend and not to touch can he do the job? These two have chemistry that will not be stopped and Sarina does a great job of showing all the faults that these two have and how they should make it work.
Also, Sarina the complexity of the tech world and what is real and what could really happen girl you made me think twice….I can’t wait to read more of this series!!!!
So, I have a secret: I have a new, favorite author in the romance world. Can you guess who?
Well….
Sarina Bowen.
Seriously, I’ve read her last two books in the Brooklyn Bruisers series and I’m overwhelmed. When I read a book that just hits all the marks, my heart starts racing and I find myself just giddy as hell. Readers, that is exactly what Moonlighter has done to me.
Here’s another secret: a couple of years ago I picked up the first book in the Bruisers’ series at a local Barnes and Noble. I sat and read the first chapter and put it back. I’d like to go and slap my past-self. I admit I’m a different reader than I was 2 years ago, but now I’m primed to be a huge fan girl for Bowen and I’m super excited to be doing that as she starts a new series with Moonlighter, The Company.
Right now, Moonlighter is my favorite book of 2019, edging out a book that I just finished on Sunday. Good week, right? Eric, Alex, and the supporting cast of characters just wooed the heck out of me. Rarely I read a book that has the chemistry that these characters have. We’re talking family dynamics, fantastic back and forth banter, and a sweet, sexual chemistry between Alex and Eric that just blew me away. Plus, there’s the start of a series’ espionage arc that has me hankering for the next book RIGHT NOW. And, I’m not even a big fan of romantic suspense, but this book did it for me.
Also, there’s hockey. Smart hockey. Hockey that tells me that Bowen knows her game. Eric’s subplot regarding his age (he’s 34, which is borderline old for hockey players) and physical condition was written perfectly, the medical and sports facts seamlessly woven into Eric’s story. It felt real and that’s exactly what I look for when I read a sports romance.
Then there’s Alex’s pregnancy. I’ve read more surprise baby novels than I can count, but can’t remember reading one where the hero isn’t the father. This adds an element to the story that works on so many levels that you could knock me over with a feather. There’s a running joke about Alex’s need to eat all the time (can I say that this book made me hungry?). There’s a subplot with the actual baby daddy that played out in the espionage storyline. Then there’s the baby’s birth that seemed outrageous, but then I realized that it was exactly what would happen with two people who spent a summer as children doing outrageous things. I also felt that Bowen handled the story of a dedicated business woman who is also pregnant so well.
Eric and Alex are now on my list of top favorite couples. There’s not a big, dramatic arc for them. Instead we see a two people who spent a summer together as children reconnect. These two put a smile on my face every time they shared the page. More so, they’re sexy as hell together. Here’s another secret: I rarely read love scenes in a book past the first one. Not so in Moonlighter. Each love scene was so meaningful and so well written that I couldn’t turn away.
Then there’s the secondary characters. In this book Bowen introduces readers to The Company, which is NOT the name of a top-notch security company (Max won’t even tell Eric the name of the company). Among their cliental is Alex and the Bruisers hockey team. It’s run by Eric’s brother Max and their father. The dynamics between the Bayer men is hilarious and believable. There’s a handful of Max’s employees that lend a helping hand, including Duff who starts off as a funny kid but develops into a sexy, take no prisoners security guy by book’s end. Many of the Bruisers make an appearance as well.
As I just hit 700 words, which is a little outrageous for a review, I will stop here. Moonlighter is a standalone novel that will make you smile and leave you breathless. 5 stars. Heat level: 3.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for honest feedback.
Moonlighter will publish in late October by Tuxbury Publishing.
Yeah Baby, the Brooklyn Bruisers are back and we are finally getting Alex’s story! We first really meet Alex in Brooklynaire, she is an old college friend of Nate, and a genius and CEO to boot. I love how Sarina Bowen has layered the timelines, this book takes place just after Brooklynaire, and we get to see a lot of our old friends :). While this book takes place in the same universe, it is part of a new series centered around a private security company owned by the family of Bruiser’s forward Eric Bayer This story has hockey, humor, friends to lovers, suspense, espionage, and intrigue. You are constantly engaged in the mystery part of the story while falling head over heels in love with the blossoming romance. When these hockey boys fall they fall hard an it is quite spectacular!
I received an arc of this book and voluntarily give my review
While Moonlighter can totally be read as a standalone, if you have read Sarina’s Brooklyn Bruiser’s series, you would have met Eric there. I’ve been intrigued by his character, and his book was everything I could hope it would be. (You also briefly meet Alex in the same series, but it is nothing that takes away from the plot if you haven’t read that series, promise!).
Alex and Eric first met at pre-teens, when they were stuck together for the summer, under not so fun circumstances.
A few years later (about 20 of them), and Alex and Eric come face to face once again, under not so fun circumstances. This time it’s in a room at a multi billion dollar security company that is own by Eric’s father and brother. Alex needs some protection from her ex, who to put it simply, is not a nice guy. And Eric is the guy volunteered by his brother to take on the role of Alex’s bodyguard and fake bff.
(Who doesn’t love a fake dating story!?)
Alex isn’t the girl that Eric remembers from childhood. She’s powerful, intelligent and a bad*ss CEO- who is also completely vulnerable. And Alex can’t get over how much Eric has changed as well. He’s no longer the skinny, moody kid she knew- well, maybe he is still a bit moody- but now he is a buff, hot, hockey player.
Pretending to be a couple should be easy peasy for them, right?
Riiiiight…..
If you like books with sexual tension, witty banter, sizzling chemistry, and some twists and turns, then you need to read this one! It’s a sweet, fun and swoony book that left me wanting more in this series.
No man has ever overwhelmed me like Hurricane Eric. That was a category 5 experience.
Moonlighter had swoon-worthy men, kick-ass women, sexy times and a who-done-it plot that kept me thoroughly entertained!
Eric Bayer was the sexy, dirty-mouthed hero who was a protector at his core. Not only did he watch out for his teammates, but when his childhood friend found herself in trouble, he was unable to turn his back on her.
She tastes like desire, and smells like heaven.
Alex Engle was an independent, free thinker. She was fighting the “good ole’ boys club” as the CEO of the cable company that her father once ran. Depending on anyone was never an option for her, as her lonely childhood taught her. Then Eric showed back up in her life. Wanting to get all up in her business and do things for her. He wanted to be a presence in her life. And she didn’t know what to do with that. He wanted to pretend to be her fake boyfriend, to take care of her. Could she handle a few days of pretending with Eric Bayer?
The truth is that I need Eric as my smokescreen. It’s a perfectly good plan. I just didn’t expect to experience a hormone spike every time he got near me.
‘Moonlighter’ is the first book in ‘The Company’ series and if this book is any indication where this series is headed, I am sure to love it!
I was provided a review copy by Sarina Bowen; this did not influence my opinion of the book.
Wow this book will appeal to a wide range of readers because Moonlighter is the perfect combination of hockey and suspense so lovers of sports romance will love this story as will romantic suspense lovers and let’s not forget the romance in general lovers.
Eric may be a professional hockey player but his family run one of the best security firms around and when they recruit him durning the off season he can hardly say no especially when he finds out the woman he is protecting is his childhood friend. What follows is a story that’s got s few twists and turns as we dive into the world of corporate espionage and let’s not forget the sizzling chemistry and the witty banter, all in all it’s the perfect read. I could tell you so much more about Eric and Alex’s story but I think you are better off reading it with no preconceived ideas, with no expectations, just jump in like I did you won’t be disappointed. I was captivated from the first page and there was no putting this book down until I had read the last line so needless to say I’m excited for book 2 in the new The Company Series. I Loved it and I’m sure you will to.
5 Star Review of Moonlighter (The Company #1) by Sarina Bowen
Where do I start? From chapter one I was all in with Eric and Alex’s story. Hockey and suspense, what a great combination. Eric and Alex, are two halves of a whole; they are simply meant to be.
Eric is a professional hockey player, off for the summer, and now it seems thanks to his brother, he has added security specialist to his list of accomplishments despite his protests. However all that changes when he finds out the woman he is being asked to protect is childhood friend Alex.
Alex is feisty, sassy and I really loved her. I fell hard and fast for Eric, he is just so swoon worthy that you cannot help but fall for him. The chemistry between Eric and Alex is sizzling and intense.
Not only was it romantic but there was also drama and suspense that had me intrigued. This was a well written, steamy, fast paced story with characters you cannot help but like and relate too. I cannot wait to see who is next in this series.
AHHH! Sarina Bowen did it again. I fell in love with Eric Bayer in the amazing Brooklyn Bruisers series. He was the older, wiser, surly, closed off hottie of the Bruisers’ locker room. But we saw a new side of him in Moonlighter and I was here for it!! Eric and Alex were all potent chemistry and spitfire banter. I loved the electrifying attraction, element of suspense and the new and engaging start to a series. Moonlighter was magic!
Lord. There is nothing I love more than sassy banter and great chemistry. But Hackers come close. They are just a weak spot that I can’t deny. So the fact that Moonlighter combines a security firm and a smart and banterific story of a hockey player and a highly intelligent woman needing protection – Sigh. This story and all of it’s sexy goodness hit all the right spots! It was full of swoony moments and was a delightful, engaging, smart romance that I love. An added boon was that being in both Alex and Eric’s heads was pretty amazing as there were laugh out loud moments that had chuckling and smiling from ear to ear.
Overall, I loved Alex and Eric together. She was feisty, strong and assertive and he was sexy, rugged and delicious. It was amazing watching the sparks fly and seeing how the always steady, stoic and solid Eric tumbled like a ton of bricks for his childhood friend. This was another solid gold star win for Bowen! Now I can’t wait for more books in this new series! 5 stars! ~Ratula