The author has PCOS herself but said Farrah's journey is different from hers. And that's totally fine. The grief around not being able to get pregnant easily was palpable, and I liked that, it made sense. But the story did not have a complete focus on the (in)ability to become pregnant. There was also medical gaslighting! Even though the term was not used. It was clear; the doctor brushed her off and told her the pain she was in could not be that severe (ruptured cyst). Farrah's emotional journey centered around her (in)ability to give a man children for the most part. But I'm glad the physical pain and medical gaslighting were not glossed over!

I would have loved to see Farrah talk with another person with PCOS. To give her perspective, hope, community, validation. Having your pain and grief and stuggles validated by someone who knows exactly what you are going through is SO powerful. A conversation/friendship like that would have made this book much stronger in my opinion!

Farrah felt really alone in her struggles. Not just because her old friends chose her ex-husband over her. But also because she has no chronic illness girlies in her life. Us chronically ill people need each other for (mental) support! And I missed that in this story. Even if you don't have these people in your area, we usually seek it out online. Because we need community. People who truly GET IT.

The hockey Wives & Girlfriends were amazing to Farrah. Really included her. And that was sweet. But they will never understand what it's like, until they become chronically ill themselves. Likewise with Bruce. He really took care of her. Treated her right. He wants to be (and actually is) there for her. Wants to make her see how he is not like her ex-husband. That he will not leave her. But Farrah has her grief to work through. Has a distorted selfimage because of the emotional scars of her past relationship. And Bruce can support her to the best of his abilities. But he will never truly get it or understand it.

I just wish Farrah had a chronic illness buddy. It would have been super healthy for her, emotionally as well! But that did not happen. It made everything harder for her. And that made me a little sad! Because I know it could have been better and more healing for her. Because having someone who gets it heals a piece of you.

Apart from that, the romance was cute! Closed door but plenty of chemistry. It was very family centered and heteronormative. Always husband/wive, never partner. 'Feminine health' instead of health. Because not only "females" have PCOS. Trans people too, intersex people too... It definitely caught my eye. I would have liked to see more inclusive language.

Secret or Shutout is the 4th book in the D.C. Eagles Hockey series. It is a group of interconnected standalone books, each following a member of the D.C. Eagles hockey team.
This book follows Farrah Remington, baker and sister of the D.C. Eagles captain, and Bruce McBride, goalie for the Eagles and the captain's best friend. Bruce and Farrah have a meet-cute as strangers in a dimly lit bar as strangers, only later do they find out they are not strangers at all. Farrah is off limits as far as the team is concerned, however, Bruce doesn't seem to see her that way. I absolutely loved Bruce McBride more than I had originally thought I would. He might be my favorite player now! Also, going into the book, I thought I might not like the age gap between Bruce and Farrah (Bruce is younger); however, I actually ended up loving this fun twist on a classic trope. Brunner also writes with so much tenderness and heart for Farrah, who deals with PCOS and infertility. I appreciate her care in dealing with these hard topics. As always, Brunner writes the hockey portions of the book to balance out the romance in a way that is fun to read and easy to understand. I also loved getting to see the rest of the team mentioned in this book.
Secret or Shutout is dual POV. I loved having both characters' points of view in this story. Brunner writes Bruce McBride so well.
Content: fade to black, mentions of PCOS and infertility
Thank you to NetGalley. These are my own opinions, and I was not required to leave a review.

Secret or Shutout is the long-awaited final story in Leah Brunner’s DC Eagles Hockey series. It’s a forbidden romance with a reverse age-gap. This series contains a novella, Passion or Penalty, and Desire or Defense, Flirtation or Faceoff, and Betrothal or Breakaway. This story will be enjoyed more if read/listened to after the earlier stories. This is a closed-door sports romance told in dual POV, with some mild cursing (no F-bombs).

31-year-old Farrah Remington is the younger sister of Ford “Remi” Remington, Captain of the D.C. Eagles hockey team. She was introduced in Betrothal or Breakaway because she moved in with Remi and his wife, Amber, to be a nanny for their infant daughter, Nella. Farrah is recently divorced and has relocated from their hometown in Ohio. On the evening after her divorce is final, Farrah goes to Charlie’s Bar to drink her sorrows away. She meets a handsome man, and they talk, flirt, eat chicken wings, and share the best kiss of their lives. The only thing they don’t do is reveal their names or occupations. The next day she is shocked when the Nordic kissing god walks into her brother’s house, and she learns that he’s the 26-year-old goalie.

6'6 Bruce McBride is a giant blond loudmouth NHL goalie who loves women. He was adopted as a newborn by a small dark-skinned couple who had a daughter, Avery. The McBride’s loved the big fair-skinned super-sized baby boy and encouraged him in his hockey career. He moved to Washington, DC from Quebec, Canada, knowing no one. He became close friends with some of his older teammates, who have all married and settled down. Bruce wants to find a good woman to settle down with too. When he started feeling lonely, he signed up for Big Brothers, Big Sisters and was matched with a boy in foster care, Jackson. Bruce is the only one in his friend group who doesn’t live in the cul-de-sac; instead, he lives in a penthouse condo in downtown DC.

Bruce is instantly smitten with the beautiful Farrah and is so disappointed when he discovers that she is Remi’s sister. The players have a rule about their sisters being off-limits as romantic partners. While Bruce has been a “player” in his love life, he stopped dating after he met Farrah. He secretly admired her from afar for 18 months, while she got over her broken marriage. When the other players’ wives found out about his crush, they arranged things so that Farrah and Bruce could spend time together and get to know each other.

Farrah and Bruce pretend that they never met, and certainly never kissed. Farrah is dealing with infertility and reproductive problems and is afraid that no other man will ever want her. After 18 months, Bruce wears her down and she secretly spends time with him. However, she knows that her brother will explode if he finds out, and she’s concerned about the age gap between herself and Bruce. The DC Eagles have made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs, so they are especially cautious about causing conflict between the teammates.

Secret or Shutout is my favorite story in the DC Eagles Hockey series. Bruce was such an attention-getter from the first book, and I have been waiting for him to finally meet his match. Farrah’s reproductive health issues and fears about infertility are a relevant topic for many readers, providing a realistic storyline. Remi’s protectiveness towards Farrah is admirable, and the reader waits anxiously for the inevitable clash between Remi and Bruce when their secret relationship is exposed. The descriptions of Farrah’s baking creations were so clear that I wanted to get out my baking pans!

While I enjoyed all of the stories in this series, I believe that Farrah and Bruce had the most chemistry. It was wonderful to see earlier characters in the series, and Secret or Shutout was an excellent conclusion to this hockey romance series. I really appreciate this author for creating the first closed-door hockey romance series; previously hockey romances were all spicy.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and LBP, LLC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

⭐️⭐️⭐️️⭐️/ ️🌶️🌶️

Book four of the DC Eagles Hockey by Leah Brunner does not disappoint. Continuing the amazing storytelling that has taken place in the previous three books, Secret or Shoutout brings vibes of forbidden romance, older love interests, and laugh out loud moments. Giving readers a wide range of emotions, Leah doesn’t hold back in this second chance (for one) romance that I couldn’t put down.

I knew I was going to like Bruce immediately. The goalie for the Eagles, he is a giant cinnamon roll with a heart of gold. His love of the game and his team is evident as you get to know him throughout the book. As he tries to win over Farrah, I loved seeing him be vulnerable with her and allow her to be her. Letting her come to him, not pushing her until she is ready, but still being there for her as a friend created lovely reading filled with romance and tension.

Farrah is newly divorced and although the kiss between her and Bruce is amazing, she isn’t sure she’s ready for more yet. When they find out they have a mutual connection, that also slows her down when it comes to possibly wanting more. As she continues to get to know Bruce, keeping their relationship quiet for now, she can’t believe that she has found someone who makes her feel beautiful. Especially since these areas are where she felt lacking in her marriage.

I loved this story! Plenty of romance, banter, and tension; but closed door spice makes it a book all can enjoy. I loved the reminder of meeting someone where they are at and loving a person for all of them. Bruce helps Farrah see she is perfect as is, and the things she struggles with make her who she is. Leah provides wonderful characters, great team dynamics, and a love story that is worth the read.

As always, review any author notes before reading.

Tropes:
🏒Hockey Romance
💟Reverse Age Gap
🏒Teammate's Sister
💟Hockey MMC x Curvy FMC
🏒Off Limits Romance
💟Forbidden Romance
🏒PCOS Representation
💟Love After Divorce

A billion stars!!!! This is one of my favorite hockey romance series and my emotions are all over the place!! This book had me super emotional and then super glued my heart back together. It was heavier than I was expecting but it’s such a beautiful story. Bruce had me in tears. He flew up to the top of my book boyfriend’s list. The way he loves Farrah and was fighting her made my heart swoon. Farrah’s story was heartbreaking. I ached for her so much. It’s such a realistic story and I feel like it’s so important for woman to read. We put such pressure on having children, i understood exactly where she was coming from even during the hard and angsty moments. Ugh this book was beautiful I can’t rave enough about it. I can’t wait to see what Leah Brunner does next, I desperately want a Noah book!! I need more of this world I’m not ready to say goodbye!!!! I recommend this book to any romance lover, it’s perfection!

I feel like I'm in the minority on this one but this was my least favorite of the series.

I didn't feel any chemistry between Bruce and Farrah.

Also, if I had a brother and he reacted the way Farrah's brother did after she was in the literal emergency room in debilitating pain but his only concern was the fact that she slept in Bruce's guest room I would be LIVID.

Secret or Shutout caps off Leah Brunner's D.C. Eagles Hockey series, and what a sweet finish it was! Farrah shares a life-altering kiss with a man in a bar who turns out to be Bruce, the goalie on her brother's Stanley Cup-bound NHL team. She's freshly divorced and he's bound for deep trouble if his captain finds out, but this may be a secret that's too hard to keep. I have enjoyed this series, and I really enjoyed these characters and spending a last bit of time in the D.C. Eagles world. The way Bruce and Farrah supported each other and helped each other mature was really endearing to read. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet (closed door) hockey romance!

Thank you to LBP LLC for gifting me with an ARC to review! All opinions are my own,

I absolutely loved Secret or Shutout! This book had so much heart and depth, making it an incredibly emotional and satisfying love story. The characters were so likable and enjoyable that I found myself thoroughly cheering them on throughout the entire book.

One of the standout aspects for me was the inclusion of PCOS representation. As someone who also has PCOS and has been struggling with it more lately, I deeply appreciated seeing it handled realistically and with care. It added a level of authenticity and relatability that made the story even more special.

This book checked so many of my favorite romance tropes—hockey goalie/hockey romance, forbidden love, reverse age gap, and brothers’ best friend and teammate. Plus, the way he takes care of her? Absolutely swoon-worthy. The romance was perfectly done with an unforgettable first kiss, and while it’s a fade-to-black story, the chemistry and emotional connection between the characters were undeniable.

The cameos from the first three books were such a fun touch. It’s easily tied with book one as my favorite in the series. If you love sports romance with heart, depth, and great representation, this is a must-read!

I read book 1 in this series ages ago and then it suddenly popped into my head and I tore through the rest of this series. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC- it was an absolute joy to read this book. It was fun and sweet and a little sad but in a good way to see the end of this series. I loved the PCOS rep and the way the author dealt with talking through that. Well done, Ms Brunner!!

The D.C Eagles Hockey series ends on a high note with a teammate’s sister, reverse age gap, he falls first, PCOS rep and closed-door romance.

I have been looking forward to finally getting closer to the dear goalie Bruce since he was first mentioned in the series, and of course Leah Brunner delivered a heartbreaking and gut wrenching story.

I fell in love with Farrah immediately. She is such a kind woman, who was left in the dirt by her ex-husband and all their mutual friends, and moves in with her brother to help with her new niece. Meeting Bruce on the day she finalises her divorce, and having off the charts chemistry only to find out that he is her brother’s teammate, is obviously not the best way to start her new life in D.C.
Farrah struggles with infertility and PCOS and the way Bruce shows up for her gets me so emotional. It is just impossible not to root for them.

Thank you to Netgally and Leah Brunner for the free advance review copy for which I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to LBP LLC and NetGalley for the arc copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Farrah Remington is getting over a bad breakup. With the finalization of her divorce, she decides to blow off steam at a bar alone. Her night quickly turns into arguably one of the best when she meets a handsome blonde stranger and they make out in a booth. They're both too drunk to remember exchanging numbers or even names, so the pair go their separate ways with the sweet memory. Imagine Farrah's surprise when she sees the handsome stranger at her brother's house the next day. Turns out, he's the goalie for the D.C. Eagles Hockey and her brother is his team captain. Clearly, he's super off limits.

Over the next year and a half, Farrah and blondie Bruce fight temptation to kiss again/build any sort of relationship. Finally, their walls start to deteriorate and before long they are hiding feelings from everyone, including Farrah's overprotective brother. Bruce is ready to come clean and go public, but he doesn't want the truth to risk the team's chance at winning the Stanley Cup. Farrah has some unresolved baggage from her marriage that she can't help let getting in her way of happiness with Bruce. The pair must decide if they can overcome their fears or if their fling is the farthest they're willing to fight for.

Overall, this was a cute book. This was my introduction to Leah Brunner's work, but I have read plenty of hockey romances prior. This is definitely fade out/1 pepper in the spice department. I would've enjoyed more spice, but it didn't take from the story. I love the PCOS representation and found myself relating so hard with Farrah. As someone with PCOS, I can attest that it's very hard to accept and live with, which only someone who has it would really understand. So Leah, thank you for giving a voice to us. I am eager to see if this series continues, mainly to know if Farrah and Bruce are able to have the family they both crave.

Be really enjoyed this series, and while this book was good, it didn’t hold up to the standard of the others. I generally enjoyed the story, but I wanted more depth from the characters. There was just too much of the same repeated themes that left the characters just slightly more flat. There was also just some disconnect in the plot that left me wanting more. I didn’t feel the chemistry like in the previous novels, but it was still sweet overall. Additionally, it was nice to see previous characters come up again. 3⭐️, 1🌶

I am learning that I really like a reverse age gap. What is it about an older woman falling for a younger—but still mature—guy that gets me? I’m not sure, but I love it!!

Farrah has been through so much already, and then she goes through even more in this book. It was difficult to read at times, but I appreciated the PCOS representation and that Leah did not shy away from the difficult moments. Farrah was strong, yet vulnerable. She was scared to let herself trust again. Yet, she couldn’t help but fall for the goalie on her brother’s hockey team.

Bruce was a giant teddy bear and I loved him. I loved his secret message board antics and how they were scattered throughout the story. He was gentle and patient and took care of Farrah in the sweetest ways. He was one of those guys who would help any of his friends at the drop of a hat, and sometimes worried more about them than about himself. 

And speaking of friends, this series has such an amazing found family. They all show up for each other in the best ways and I love how there are platonic friendships between some of the women and men and just how much everyone cares for each other.

Noah and Jackson were so great and added a lot of hilarious moments. And of course, Nella was a cutie and helped Bruce show off just how sweet he was.

And the baking!! All the cakes Farrah made sounded so delicious and made me hungry every time they were mentioned 🤤

I really enjoyed the conclusion of this series, but now I’m so sad it’s over. There was a separate bonus scene set in the future that gave me some closure, but also just made me want even more of these characters 😂

Content warnings: divorce, PCOS, infertility, innuendo

(I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

This book was the perfect ending to the series. Bruce is the sweetest, all he wants is to find love and a family, as all of his friends have found their person. I loved how he showed up for Farrah and made her believe that she could trust again after going through a divorce. There was so much chemistry between them and I loved the banter. This is a closed door romance but there were still lots of kisses and it never felt like it was lacking! I would definitely recommend! It can be read as a standalone, but getting to know the other characters and their stories will make it even better!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

He falls first, the story of Farrah and Bruce. Can be convince her to give him a chance? I liked how it was told from both points of view.

Wow!! Leah Brunner has done it again! First of all, I want to say thank you so much to Leah and Netgalley for the ARC. This was one of my most anticipated reads for the year since the DC Hockey series is one of my favorite series of all time and this book delivered. It was so much fun to read and my only disappointment is that I can't read it again for the first time! I love Bruce and Farrah and their story was so real, but enjoyable to read. Leah handled the hard topics well and really showed emotional depth in these characters. I cannot say enough good things about this book. Please do yourself a favor and read these books! You won't regret it!

This was such a fun, engaging read. I thoroughly loved this book!
I didn’t want to stop reading and couldn’t wait to see how the two main characters would come together.
Brunner did such a wonderful job bringing this story to life.

Secret or Shutout is a clean, best friend's little sister, dual POV, romantic comedy. Oh, my gosh! I love Bruce - and his old truck! And Farrah, her PCOS broke my heart. So I got to mend right along with Farrah. I loved all Bruce did to show Farrah how much he cared about her and that he would show up for her. I loved all the witty banter in this book. As soon as I reached the end, I wanted to start reading it all over again. This well written book will stick with me for a long time. It is perfect in every way. I love a book with this much humor, even in difficult situations, found family with the team and charismatic characters such as Bruce and Farrah. The entire series is great, but this book is my favorite.

A fun read with a slow burn that takes its time building the happy ending we're wanting. Bruce is a sweetie and knows early on where his heart lives. Because of that he's ever so patient with Farrah as she takes a little more convincing to make sure her heart is in the right hands. Enjoy!

I love Leah Brunner. I am a proud member of her fan club. I have already and will continue to read anything that she writes. That being said, this might be one of her best books yet.

This book tackles some heavy topics, but in such a sweet way. At no point while reading did it feel too heavy. The book address PCOS (#ownstory) and infertility. The FMC, Farrah, separated from her husband because his inability to be a man and still love Farrah as they discovered her fertility problems. This story follows her accepting her reality and the reality that someone can love her no matter what her body can and cannot do. Her progress wasn’t linear or perfect, but it was healing.

Within this was obviously some fun romance. It’s completely closed door, but with more than a few innuendos (cake anyone?). Steamy but sweet. Also, brother’s best friend/best friend’s little sister was fun to explore in the DC Eagles friend group. I found the romance part of this story to be perfect as well.


Things I loved:
-Bruce McBride.
-Farrah Remington.
-Them together.
-The entire friend group dynamic. This is how an interconnected companion novel series is done. The complete look into two characters life with each book and sneak peeks into the others throughout. Their interactions are so fun!
-The exploration of their characters outside their relationship too. They were not two card stock characters whose sole purpose was to be in love. They had wants, needs, passions, and lives.

Things I didn’t love:
-the fact the book had to end at some point.
-Having to say goodbye to the DC Eagles. That bonus chapter was so sweet.


Thank you netgalley for the chance to read Secret or Shutout in exchange for my honest review.