Here's what you really need to know: Sabrina Bowen is one of the best hockey romance writers out there. Her characters are vivid, the game is important and central, but not ostracizing for non-fans, and the relationships are fabulous. I *inhale* these books and wish she would write them all faster so I can binge them.

Thus, if you've clicked on this review to find out if the book is worth your time, it is. I promise. Just go get it.

In HARD HITTER, Bowen explores the themes of touch and trust and their connectivity. By having the heroine as an abuse survivor who reclaims her body through training in yoga and massage, Bowen also places this book in the national conversation about survivors in a prescient way. I spend a lot of my professional life reading about and working with women who have survived assault and Ari felt real and raw to me. I've actually told a few contacts in that world that they'd appreciate this book and I do hope they read it.

O'Doul was a crotchety captain in the last book and in this one we learn why. As much as reading about rookies getting their dream job is fun, it's even more fun to read about guys who are at the other end of their careers. What does winding down a dream look like?

All in all, HARD HITTER by Sabrina Bowen is simply a great contemporary romance read.