RELEASE DATE: MARCH 15, 2022
What I meant to do in Vegas: Let my hair down for once and celebrate winning a medal at my first women’s hockey all-stars competition.
What I actually did: Got senior prom drunk and woke up married to Brooklyn’s star winger, the great Neil Drake.
He’s the heir to a billion dollars, and I barely survived my childhood. Our friendship is based strictly only on hockey, takeout food, and smack talk.
And now holy matrimony. Although we both know it can’t last, especially once his evil family gets wind of our Vegas shenanigans…
Contains: Meddling teammates, meddling parents, ugly jewelry, and a pretend-kiss that nearly sets the world on fire.
Amazon: https://geni.us/AmazonShenanigans
Apple: https://geni.us/AppleShenanigans
Kobo: https://geni.us/KoboShenanigans
Nook: https://geni.us/NookShenanigans
Google: https://geni.us/GoogleShenanigans
Audio: https://geni.us/AudibleShenanigans
ADD TO GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57574313-shenanigans
by Sarina Bowen
Series: Brooklyn/Bombshells
Format: Advanced Listener's Copy (ALC)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
A few facts: (1) I adore Sarina Bowen and her highly addictive books. (2) I love a good wake-up-in-Vegas-married trope. (3) When Sarina Bowen writes a wake-up-in-Vegas-married story, it’s pretty much perfection.
What Totally Worked For Me
Neil Drake. Sarina Bowen always writes heroes that melt my heart, but Neil Drake knocked me off my feet and shot right to the top of my favorite Bowen characters. Neil was the sweetest, gooiest cinnamon roll and I loved his innate kindness, his thoughtfulness, and his willingness to give Charli what she needed, even at his own expense.
Charli. Few heroines have been more deserving of a happily ever after than Charli - a girl who came from nothing, learned quickly not to trust, and had no one in her corner. Charli had some serious walls up, and came across as one tough cookie, but seeing her slowly let down some of those walls with Neil, and feel the comfort of someone having her back, was everything,
Hockey. Tired of “hockey books” that don’t actually contain any hockey? You’ve come to the right place. Neil and Charli are both fierce competitors and dedicated athletes and Bowen highlights that in Shenanigans. We get both the action of the games and the behind-the-scenes aspects of the professional athletes and I ate it up. The scene when Neil and some of the other Bruisers attended Charli’s game was… *chef’s kiss*.
The Romance, the Suspense, the Feels! The way the relationship between Neil and Charlie unfolded – from the first shockwaves in Vegas until the very end – was everything. I loved the friendship, the banter, the flirting, and the romance. Their chemistry was off the charts and I went from fanning myself to my heart melting. The plot threads with Neil’s family and Charli’s cousin had me 100% invested and I was so satisfied with the outcomes. I seriously adored Charli and Neil together and they are without a doubt one of my favorite couples in the extended Bruisers/Bombshells world.
The Narration. Jason Clarke and Vanessa Edwin were stellar in their roles. Jason is a longtime favorite of mine and hearing Neil’s voice was like swimming in melted butter. Both Jason and Vanessa brought these characters to life and I could hear and feel the emotion in their voices. Individual voices were distinct and it was always easy to know which of the cast of characters was speaking.
But Not So Much
The Inner Kitty-Cat. I have only one minor quibble but it really bugged me. Charli made numerous references to her “inner kitty-cat.” And I cringed every time she said it. Not only was it just… ugh, no… but it reminded me too much of Anastasia Steele’s “inner goddess” in Fifty Shades. It didn’t work for me then and I’m afraid it didn’t work for me here.
