Secret or Shutout by Leah Brunner: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

A 6'5 NHL goalie walks into a bar and meets the love of his life...no, this isn't the start of a bad joke.

I had a chance encounter in a dimly lit bar that led to an earth-shattering kiss with a beautiful stranger.

But then the next morning my world is rocked again--when I walk inside my team captain's house and see her.

Farrah Remington isn't a mysterious stranger after all, she's the little sister of my captain and best friend. A woman firmly off limits to anyone on the D.C. Eagles.

Now, I have to pretend that kiss never happened. But the more I see Farrah, the hotter our chemistry burns, and the stronger our connection grows--until we can't resist each other any longer.

Sneaking around isn't ideal, but what my team captain doesn't know won't hurt him (or p*** him off in the middle of the Stanley Cup playoffs).

I'm with my dream girl and my team is sailing through playoffs...until the truth comes out.

Now my team captain hates me, I can't keep pucks out of my net to save my life, and the woman I love won't speak to me.

Can I save my relationship, my friendship, and enough goals to help the D.C. Eagles finally win the Cup...or will I get shut out of Farrah's life forever?

Secret or Shutout is a dual POV, fade-to-black romance that can be read as a stand alone. This work of fiction contains mild language, depictions of PCOS, infertility, and divorce. If you are sensitive to these subjects, please use this content warning to make an informed decision about reading this book.

The Author

Leah Brunner is an Amazon top 25 best selling author who writes romance filled with explosive chemistry and relatable, flawed characters. She loves writing character driven stories that will tug at your heart strings and also make you smile.

When she's not writing, she can be found spoiling her Maine Coon cats, or watching The Office with her kids.

Although she's a Midwestern girl at heart, Leah is a proud Air Force spouse and has moved all over the United States with her husband and three children.

You can find Leah on Instagram @leah.brunner.writes

Or join her Facebook reader group: Leah's Lit Lovers

Book Review

Secret or Shutout is the fourth and final full-length book in the D.C. Eagles Hockey series. While those who have read the previous books will enjoy catching up with familiar characters and may have a bit more understanding of the team's brotherly dynamic, I do think this could be enjoyed as a standalone as well. (That said, it's a fantastic series and one I'd highly recommend.)

Sigh. This book... my goodness! From the moment I read the first book in this series, I have been completely obsessed. I truly thought that absolutely no story could top Mitch and Andie's... and yet, with each book, Leah somehow managed to top the last. While I'm sad to see this fantastic series come to an end... what a way to go out! Bruce and Farrah's story truly was the perfect blend of swoony and tender and I was absolutely here for all of it. The chemistry between these two was absolutely flying of the pages right from the start. For those of us who don't like to wait for that first kiss, we get it right in the first chapter... and boy what a kiss! But when she keeps her distance afterwards, we also get that amazing tension and longing... I love a good 'he falls first' and Bruce certainly falls hard. Farrah's struggles with PCOS and fertility added so much emotion to their story... and made it that much better. It truly was a beautiful story and the perfect way to end the series. I absolutely loved it. 

Secret or Shutout is a closed-door romance. It does have a fade-to-black moment (married couple), some steamier kisses and innuendo throughout. There is also a good amount of mild/moderate language throughout. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/3QPJu5r