Hard Hitter
Brooklyn Bruisers • Book 2
by Sarina Bowen
Narrated by Nicol Zanzarella, Rock Engle
Why You'll Love This
Two narrators, one slow thaw — Zanzarella and Engle make a grumpy hockey enforcer melting for his massage therapist feel genuinely earned.
- Great if you want: grumpy/sunshine romance with real emotional stakes
- Listening experience: slow-burn that builds steadily to a satisfying payoff
- Narration: dual narration captures both POVs with distinct warmth and tension
- Skip if: you prefer fast-burning romance without a long wind-up
About This Book
Patrick O'Doul is the kind of player who takes the hits so his teammates don't have to. As captain and enforcer for the Brooklyn Bruisers, he's built his identity around toughness, which makes it nearly impossible to admit that years of punishment have caught up with him. When a chronic injury forces the team's hand, O'Doul finds himself in the care of massage therapist Ari Bettini, a woman rebuilding her own life after a painful breakup. What starts as professional reluctance on both sides slowly gives way to something neither of them planned for.
Nicol Zanzarella and Rock Engle bring distinct, well-matched voices to Ari and O'Doul, grounding the slow-burn tension in genuine emotional chemistry. Engle captures O'Doul's guarded stoicism without making him cold, while Zanzarella gives Ari warmth and quiet resolve. Bowen's pacing rewards patience, and the dual narration makes that payoff land harder in audio than on the page.
