Thank you to Sarina Bowen and her team for the advance reader copy of The New Guy, set within the Brooklyn Bruisers world and the first book in the Hockey Guys series!
This book is a culmination of so much I love about Sarina Bowen’s work. First off, it’s part of the Brooklyn Bruisers world one of my fave hockey romance series ever. Plus Sarina is so good at writing M/M love stories. Yet, she has not written a gay hockey romance since Him and Us, which she co-wrote with Elle Kennedy. Everyone will eat up The New Guy. If you especially loved Him and Us then The New Guy will pull on the same emotional heartstrings.
My name is Hudson Newgate, but my teammates call me New Guy.
That was my nickname in Chicago, too. And Vancouver. That’s what happens when you keep getting traded. Brooklyn is my last chance, especially after my poor performance last season.
But I can make this work. The new guy knows to keep his head down and shoot the puck. The new guy puts the game first.
What he doesn’t do is hook up with the other new guy—a hot athletic trainer who lives in my building. Gavin needs this job with my team. He’s a single dad with responsibilities.
We can’t be a couple. My arrogant agent–who’s also my father–will lose his mind if I’m dating a dude. And my team needs me to score goals, not whip up a media circus.
Too bad Gavin and I are terrible at resisting each other…
Check out my more detailed thoughts below…
- Characters: Our heroes are Gavin and Hudson. We met Gavin fresh to New York City, ready to start a new chapter in his life. I got attached to him so quickly. He is a single dad, as his late husband died in an accident and had adopted this young girl two years before he and Gavin got together. Jordyn is an adorable kid, and no surprise because her dad Gavin is such an incredibly endearing and kind guy. We meet Hudson when Gavin does, in a bar watching a hockey game. Hudson should be playing for the Brooklyn NHL team but he’s out with an injury. He is the perpetual “New Guy” who keeps getting traded around the league. He’s got a controlling father as his agent, who is forcing him to remain in the closet. I loved how Hudson can be adorably awkward especially when it comes to his feelings for Gavin.
- Setting: I love this world so damn much! As Sarina grows her Brooklyn hockey world, I just never want to leave it. Previous fans of Sarina’s hockey books will be ecstatic as there were just so many sweet moments with the other team members and the extended organization.
- Pacing: I enjoyed every moment of this story so much, that I never wanted it to end. I loved that right away it was set up that we were not only an epic love story but also the first time that in Sarina’s hockey world, we would see the ups and downs of navigating coming out as a hockey player. I hope we see even more diverse stories come into this universe.
- Romance: This relationship starts off with a great meet cute. Just two guys in a bar, that should be watching a hockey game, and instead are unable to keep their eyes off each other. Plus we get such a steamy kiss as a tease for the intensity to come. Sarina did a great job of building the sexual tension between Gavin and Hudson. Once those two collided every scene was not just super hot, but brought an emotional intensity. I cried after so many scenes in this book, which is not something I usually find myself doing when I read Sarina’s books.
The New Guy receives five out of five stars.
You can pick up the story below…
Amazon | Apple Books | Kobo | Nook | Audio
Thank you again to Sarina and her team for the review opportunity. Thank you for reading and supporting my blog!
