Moonlighter

It took me ages to read this one purely because it’s not my favourite trope, heroine pregnant with another man’s child. However, I will say Alex is taken by surprise by the whole situation including the baby and tried valiantly to resist Eric, but ultimately, who could resist him. I loved the cross-over into this series from the Brooklyn Bruisers adding depth to the cast of characters. Colour me intrigued by ‘The Company’ so secret it doesn’t even have a name!!!! The new characters are utterly compelling, I am looking forward to seeing where the series takes them. The cyber-espionage component of the plot was frankly, disturbing and far too realistic for comfort. Especially when you look at devices such as Alexa and the Google Assistant, it isn’t beyond the realm of possibility that the technology will evolve into ‘The Butler’ even if I do want one myself 😁 It is this aspect of Moonlighter that remains open with a suspect still on the loose. Alex and Eric have a long history having been childhood friends making their relationship and quick transition into intimacy believable as the attraction has always been simmering in the background. For me, however, the thriller elements of the plot had my attention more than the romance (I know SHOCK right)

Oh man, I liked Moonlighter WAY MORE than I expected. Ok, here's the thing. I am definitely into grumpy athlete book boyfriends, but I think I kind of overlooked Eric Bayer because he felt so much older than the other dudes in the Brooklyn Bruisers series. Maybe that's because we first meet him in Overnight Sensation, where the main couple is Jason Castro and Heidi Jo Pepper, who are pretty young. Like early 20s. So compared to them, Bayer felt older because he was having a lot of injuries and basically down in the dumps because he had to consider retirement. There's a lot of drama in the book, but it's more external than internal, which is why this is a bit more of a romantic suspense than Sarina's other books. Moonlighter sees Eric Bayer taking on a bodyguard role for Alex Engels, a tech executive and friend to Nate Kattenberger (of Brooklynaire), as she attends a conference in Hawaii and launches her new product. Eric's father and brother run a security company that is so secretive that no one even knows it's name. Between dad Carl Bayer's past work as a police chief and security guard, and brother Max Bayer's former job as a CIA analyst, the two of them have built a multi-billion dollar security and espionage company that keeps executives safe. Eric basically learned the job at the dinner table, and is forced to play Alex's boyfriend for a week as she deals with her ex - the father of her unborn child. During the week, though, Alex and Eric quickly find themselves drawn to each other because of their childhood friendship, and their need for, well, sex. It doesn't hurt that they're sharing a bed. Meanwhile, someone is definitely after Alex - or at least her data and her work. There's a whole hacker/tech industry subplot that heightens the situation and makes it feel scary, cool, and more important than ever that Alex have someone in her life she can trust. I won't go further into the plot because there's a lot of it, and it's worth watching unfold because the pacing in this book is GREAT. Sarina Bowen basically walloped me with Moonlighter. Both Alex and Bayer are older than some of the guys in the Brooklyn Bruisers series, and because of that, their relationship felt more honest and more mature. And I LOVED it. They didn't play games with each other. They were honest about being a fling at the beginning, and realistic about their chances with each other. They're both a bit world-weary, and they have a right to be. But they also can't deny the very real chemistry between them. Moonlighter just builds super well - the connection between Bayer and Alex feels so natural, and I loved how much they just couldn't stop being together. They're both sexy and sassy, and the way Bayer is so attuned and attentive to what Alex needs is...SO attractive. Of course, because Bayer is a hockey player, there are cameos from the other Bruisers in this, and as usual, I loved seeing all my favourites. But I felt like this was a really unique way of looking at the team - different from what we've seen. Eric is a dedicated player, one who absolutely loves his job and is determined to keep playing, but we also see just how much more he can offer besides being a jock. I don't want to spoil anything, but it's a nice look at how an older player moves on. I devoured this book over a few days and I'm super excited to see where The Company series goes next. I definitely need a Max book after this! ---- ARC provided by author's publicist for review. This in no way influenced my opinion.

5 plus stars Romantic suspense with a side of steam, great entertaining banter and amazing characters made this story an absolute pleasure to read! Alex and Eric have found a place in my heart and I loved everything about them! The suspense had my heart all a thumping and I wondered in which direction the story would go! Its a definite must read in my opinion and if this is how the first book of the series will be, no doubt we have some great writing to look forward to! Hands down an absolute favorite of 2019!!