Title: Hard Hitter
Author: Sarina Bowen
Series: Brooklyn Bruisers #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2017
Patrick and Ari are a ridiculously wonderful and fun couple. Which, I’m beginning to understand is part of the Bowen charm. I also like that although they’ve known each other for a long while, it’s the changes in both their lives that pull them together and make them realise that there’s something there. It’s a great story of getting to know one another, but not without the super (often) awkward moments of initial meetings.
Patrick’s history is a little bit sad if I’m being totally honest. I mean, a guy who grows up in foster care and all of the hang-ups that come about his not great experiences? It’s certainly tragic. But I do love how it informs the rest of the story and the central conflict. Particularly, I love how it’s his scarring from the past that has actually prevented him from REALLY getting to know Ari.
Ari’s story though is somehow even more tragic and difficult to read about. Mostly because the danger and abuse is actually ongoing. It’s a reminder that we can all find ourselves in abusive relationships and not quite know when things started to go wrong. I spent the entirety of this story with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Spoiler alert, whilst bad things happen, they weren’t anywhere near to the level that I was expecting.
Hard Hitter was a great story about two people with tragedy in their past finding a bright new future. It definitely gave me all the warm fuzzy feelings and was a great reminder to keep doing yoga and visualising a positive future.
Earth and Skye 
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