Bombshells is hockey romance at its finest. It has everything you want in a sports romance, and nobody writes hockey romance the way Sarina Bowen does. It’s her super power. And with the introduction of Bombshells, Brooklyn’s women’s pro hockey team, she took her game to another level. Bombshells is simply unputdownable. ‘I really hadn’t anticipated that my brain could be stolen by the goalie on day one.’ Bombshells is Anton Bayer’s story. He’s a charming, fun-loving guy who’s determined to make some changes in his life to focus on his hockey career. His only goal is to prove to his coach, and himself, that he can fulfill his potential. But he wasn’t counting on the Bombshells’ goalie to detonate his plan. ‘No other man has ever made me feel this way—like I’d walk through fire for just one more kiss.’ Sylvie’s dream of playing hockey professionally came true out of the blue. She packed her things and moved to Brooklyn from Toronto with little time to make any plans. But living in Brooklyn would give her the chance to finally be with the guy she had always thought was “the one”, Bryce Campeau, Anton’s friend and teammate. Except things didn’t go the way she expected. There’s a lot to love about Bombshells. The writing is fantastic—as always, the story flows and progresses perfectly, and the characters are lovable, three dimensional and relatable. Both Anton and Sylvie are the kind of people you want to be friends with. All the Bruisers are. There is a small town vibe in the way the Bruisers are like a close-knit family. You also get to meet a few of the Bombshells players to make things interesting for the future. The potential is endless and really exciting. I really loved the way the story evolves. It works perfectly as a standalone, and the progression is exactly right. The way Anton and Sylvie’s friendship grows and becomes something else is delicious. Their banter, the tension, the emotional turmoil, the longing... it is extremely well done and so addictive. There is very little angst but there are emotional aspects that give the story,and the characters, depth and intensity. And there is nothing to worry if you don’t like love triangles because this one is definitely not that kind of triangle. It’s actually extremely well done and very original in my opinion. ‘In my whole life I’ve never gotten turned on by somebody’s hockey skills. But I guess there’s a first time for everything.’ Bombshells is intensely hockey-y. I know nothing about hockey, but the way Sarina Bowen describes it brings it to life in my mind. The action on the ice gives the story an edge that complements the action off the ice. It’s perfectly balanced. Then there’s the whole women’s sports aspect that is discussed in the book, and it makes the point of how insanely difficult it is for women to be professional athletes in a very organic way. I loved seeing a woman shine in this book as an athlete, specially as a hockey player. It’s simply outstanding.