Book Review: Love Lessons by Sarina Bowen

I will never not be excited to return the Brooklyn and these characters. And as many of the (now) side characters have grown and evolved.

This has a trope I struggle to describe. IT’s the the “I’ll teach you about smexy times so you can impress someone else.” It isn’t my favorite, but Sarina Bowen has some sort of witchcraft that makes me enjoy a trope I normally don’t. 

Vera and Ian are neighbors who have some conflict-mainly on Vera’s end. He is an enforcer for the Brooklyn Bruisers and is dealing with a fight that went bad last season. Vera is a shylist who recently started her own business. She’s also friends with Charli and Neal from the previous book. While there is some animosity, Vera and Ian are very physically attracted to each other.

The bulk of this takes place in Italy. Vera, Ian, and other Bruisers/Bombshells go on a summer trip to Italy. Brooklyn’s great, but it’s nice to travel a bit.

This definitely felt a bit steamier than other Brooklyn books, but maybe it’s just been too long since I read those. I love the chemistry between Vera and Ian. It felt real and organic. It did occasionally feel like Vera was more important, but overall I was happy with them.

I listened to this on audio and I definitely recommend that version. Both Joe Arden and Rose Dioro brought these characters to life beautifully. 

As long as Sarina keeps writing these books, I’ll keep buying and reading them.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: The Best Men by Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely

I definitely recommend reading the prequel novella. The audio is available for free on Sarina Bowen's YouTube channel. I think it sets up the story well and makes the beginning more clear.

This has a lot of tropes that I and many romance readers love. There's bickering, personality clashes, and some forced proximity. There's also "let's just bang...oops I fell in love." Mark is also a recently divorced dad with a daughter, Rosie.

The romance was fairly steamy. You could feel the chemistry jump off the page. Sometimes I would've liked Asher and Mark to talk a bit more, but I still buy their love story. They do have pretty good banter.

I've read a couple Lauren Blakely books so I don't really know her style. This definitely had a lot of the hallmarks of a Sarina Bowen book though. It was funny and I love when she includes bits of her financial background. I also work in that area so I'm sure that's why I like it. Although this was a lot lighter than most of her books. It kind of gave me Good Boy vibes.

Oh, I really liked the friendships here, too. They were mostly little short bits, but they were so good. I love a positive and supportive friendship. They also help make the story feel more flushed out.

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author. This is my honest review.

Thanks for reading!
Holly