oh behave. you cant hand me a book like this and have it end. you cant give me character like this and have them be over. you cant give me a series as good as this and have me fear the day they have to end forever. like erm now? because we have done the team in all ways we can havent we?
please leah email me anytime to save me from my grief at this series ending. or or or immediately let me know you have another series just as good.

seriously now there are book i love. thriller. soppy. fluffy. hard.harsh and even dark. and when each of these genres hit they hit. what im trying to say im not just someone that falls flat in a swoon at romance novels.(allthough nothing wrong if thats you!)
but a book is a book and if a book is great then its great. this is what this is. aswell as being part of a series so you fall in love with each book and then all as a whole. your come to cherish each of them and all of them.
yup im a fan if that wasnt clear.
each time i think she wont have me adoring a mmc more. and each time im done in. because this mmc was the one. he was patient and kind and brilliant. and i love how its the male we hear from first in the blurb. its unapolgetically the male in their first saying ive fallen for this woman. usually we get the blurb where the woman (still love them ones by the way) has to fall or not. love or not. and then its later we hear and see the males. but this one even from the back cover had me loving our mmc and rooting for them both.
our fmc had her own troubles. and i really felt for her throughout. its something we dont hear enough of and is surrounded in so much shame in misconception. and often nowadays its surrounded by people trying to make money off "fixing" it with a tablet fill with roots from your garden or other such nonsense.
smashing book. thankyou!

Leah Brunner has done it again. This was everything and a great way to end the D.C. Eagles series, but could there be more in the future? I certainly hope so.

After her divorce, Farrah Remington believes loving another man and having a family are in the cards for her, but could a surprising, yet amazing kiss with a stranger at a bar change that? And what happens when that stranger is her brother’s best friend and teammate?

I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say Bruce was the absolute best male hero in this story. He was patient, supportive, helpful, and amazing in this story.


I graciously received an advance e-copy from the publisher on Netgalley for review. All opinions are my own.

I love this series so much and this book didn’t disappoint! 💕

Bruce is a fantastic MMC! He falls head over heels for her after the first night meeting her. Bruce continually showed up for Farrah time and time again throughout the book. I also loved how the prologue gave you his perspective on a scene from Remi’s book (Betrothal or Breakaway).

Farrah was also a great FMC! She deals with learning how to trust herself and others throughout the whole book. This is something that ties into her PCOS diagnosis. Watching her grow as a person and learn how to navigate the heavy blows that came with her medical condition was inspiring.

This series is one of my favorites! Throughout all of the books you see their relationships grow in different ways. As we learned new things about each character in their book, so did their teammates. It creates a very believable sense of closeness that I sometimes feel gets left behind in other book series. Watching their friendship grow into the family dynamic it is in this final book is truly beautiful. The way each of the teammates find love and those wives/fiancées welcome Farrah into the fold was wonderful.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book was super cute! I love when the guy falls first, and Bruce fell for Farrah right away. This was a closed-door, minimal drama book which I really enjoyed. This whole hockey romcom series has really great characters.

What a sweet little romance book!
Bruce was down bad from the meet-cute and it was adorable. He sure made it hard for Farrah to resist all his efforts.
Please remember if you’re suffering with PCOS and reading this book that everyone’s experiences are different.

I was lucky enough to receive Secret or Shutout as an ARC through NetGalley, and I’m so glad I did!

This was my first book by Leah Brunner and my introduction to the D.C. Eagles Hockey series, but I didn’t feel lost jumping into the story. While I’m no stranger to hockey romances, Secret or Shutout still managed to feel fresh and engaging. Bruce and Farrah had such strong chemistry that I was hooked from the start. Even though this is a low-spice romance, the emotional depth and connection between the characters made their relationship feel just as intense and satisfying.

One of the standout aspects of this book for me was the representation of PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). As someone who has struggled with persistent ovarian cysts since my late teens, I deeply connected with Farrah’s experience. It’s not often that I see this kind of representation in romance novels, and I appreciated how Brunner handled it with sensitivity and realism. It added an extra layer of depth to Farrah’s character and made her feel even more relatable.

Beyond the romance, I enjoyed the dynamics between the supporting characters, especially the camaraderie among the hockey team. The tension between Bruce and Farrah’s brother added an extra layer of conflict that kept me invested in the story.

Overall, Secret or Shutout was an enjoyable, heartfelt read that perfectly balanced romance, personal struggles, and found family dynamics. While I wish there had been a little more spice, I still found myself completely wrapped up in Bruce and Farrah’s journey. I definitely plan to go back and read the rest of the D.C. Eagles Hockey series, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for more from Leah Brunner in the future!

Final Thoughts: If you love hockey romances, forbidden love, and emotional but light-hearted stories, Secret or Shutout is definitely worth picking up.

This was a sweet romance, it was just a little slow for me. Farrah is well-written and Bruce sets the bar high. It definitely isn’t a dud, just not the one for me.

Bruce is on a night out at the bar where he meets a gorgeous stranger and they proceed to make out. The next day, he goes to a social gathering with his teammates and their close ones, and lo and behold who's there? The stranger from last night! She turns out to be team captain's sister and she's also married 😳

I can't believe this is the last book in the series. I'm not ready to let go off this team just yet! "Secret and Shutout" is definitely a good way to end this series. It's sweet and heartfelt, with a lot of tension!

I just loved Bruce. He's a bit of a womanizer, but with a huge heart. He was adopted and now helps kids like him. He's so caring and wonderful, but also have a little bit of edge to him.

Farrah has gotten a divorce and is trying to find her footing again. She's a baker so she always bakes for her brother Remy and his friends, which is how she and Bruce run into each other again. And their chemistry is off the charts! And she's 5 years older than him, which creates this special kind of tension. I just wanted to see them together so bad.

What I particularly appreciated about this story is the PCOS plot. I myself don't struggle with it, but I did get the similar surgery (ovarian twist and removal) to Farrah in late January and am still in a recovery process for it. I was so shocked to see such a topic included in a book and it made me feel so seen. We need to talk about it, spread awareness, women's health isn't taken seriously enough.

I'd love an extended epilogue 5 years down the road Bruce and Farrah have their home with a bunch of adopted babies 🥰

I really enjoyed this hockey romance!! The mmc Bruce gives HUGE golden retriever vibes. The way he falls so hard and fast for Farrah is so sweet and he is constantly there for her even when she tried to push him away.

Bruce is a 6’6, blonde goalie who’d do anything for his friends and family. Farrah is learning how to be single after her recent divorce and is starting a business with her friend. Her love language is baking cakes for any occasion.

This is one of my favourite hockey romances that I’ve read in a while without the spice. Would definitely recommend if you need a sweet romance!

I’ve read the entire D.C. Eagles series by Leah Brunner and I have loved it. This book was so good that I read the entire thing in a 24 hour period. Leah is a queen of banter. I read all types of romance novels from sweet to spicy. My main focus is whether the story is good. Leah’s stories always are, so I never miss the spice. This story has some kisses and the implication of some spice at the very end of the book. I laughed and smiled through the whole thing. The MMC is a hockey player, a sweetheart, the perfect man and my current book boyfriend. He’s described as a goofball, but underneath it all he is a man who cares about those round him. He’s a respite foster parent and he looks for ways to help people. The FMC is older than the MMC by just a few years. She’s coming out of a bad marriage and she has health issues which lead her to believe that the MMC won’t stick around. They meet in a bar before they know that they have any connection and the chemistry is off the charts immediately. They don’t trade names and each of them regrets the oversight. Shortly after, they meet “officially” and discover the connection. He pursues her immediately and she spends a great deal of energy trying to avoid the attraction which leads to some tears, but this is a romance, so there is a HEA.

If you love the banter, or the tropes hockey, best friend’s sister/team captain’s sister, age gap or he falls first, then this book is right up your alley. This is a stand alone novel., but I think it will be even more enjoyable for you if you read the series in order. All of the characters appear in the entire series and the entire world is fleshed out if you read them all.

I really enjoyed seeing the characters progress in this story. The story was well paced and well written. I was hooked from the beginning and devoured it in just a few sittings.

This book was amazing but everything she writes is. I love that Bruce and Farrah their relationship or weird friendship is very fun to read. Bruce kinda fell first and hard, Farrah the poor girl had a rough go but Im glad they worked things out. You will love this no spice Hockey Romance.

Secret or Shutout has a great storyline and relatable characters. I loved the characters and the PCOS representation. Sweet hockey romance is one of my new favorites, and this book definitely delivered all of that. Bruce and Farrah are another great D.C. Eagles couple.
It was more gritty than I normally read, however the language was hockey appropriate. It had innuendos and a fade to black scene that’s over my comfort level in reading. That’s my reasons for less than five stars.
Thanks to the author for an ARC. It was a pleasure to give my opinions and help others find their next read.

I really loved Secret or Shutout, by Leah Brunner! Hockey romance is one of my favorite sport romance genre right now and this one was really good! This book is about Farrah and Bruce who meet one night at a local bar and share an earth shattering kiss, but never share their names. The next day, they find out that Farrah's older brother is Bruce's captain on his professional NHL team. Farrah is recently divorced and way more than a little gun shy. She also thinks Bruce is too young for her, so they let their chemistry go for the next 1+ year. After Farrah has done some healing from her divorce, the slow burn to a HEA begins. .
This book has infertility at the heart of it and author did a great job with this sensitive. As someone that suffered through years of infertility and was finally gifted the best son in the world, I appreciate a book that covers the absolute heartbreak that can come with infertility and show a couple that can weather that storm.
Thanks NetGalley and Leah Brunner for an advanced copy.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a cute book. I read the previous book in the series and liked it enough that I wanted to check this one out. If you are looking for a light, sweet read, then you would probably enjoy this book. It’s definitely a plot very similar to others I have read but I liked the main characters well enough. The ARC I received really needed some more editing, though.

Bruce my man you are setting some very high expectations for my husband to live up to.

I loved everything about this book. It had me in my feels from start to finish. I have adored this series from the start and have been looking forward to Bruce’s book and it did not disappoint.

Farrah is a curvy baker who has to overcome so much to be able to trust again and Bruce was the perfect person to do that with. Throughout the book their character growth was so special to read.

Whilst parts of this book were heavy and upsetting, they showed how hard it can be for women who struggle with fertility and it was done in such a kind way. It was interwoven through some beautifully touching moments, friendship fun, and amazing banter.


• he falls first & harder
• brothers best friend/teammate
• PCOS & infertility rep
• he takes care of her (MY FAVEEEE)
• age gap
• dual POV
• hockey

I love all of Leah's books, especially this series, but this book will always have a special place in my heart. I have PCOS and both of my boys are adopted. I really appreciated the authenticity about the infertility journey and all of the emotions it entails. Of course, the plot line and characters are great too!

A sweet and heartwarming story. Farrah and Bruce are just perfect for each other. Bruce is the perfect book boyfriend. He cares so much for Farrah and you can easily see that. Farrah struggles a bit with letting Bruce in but eventually she comes around. It can’t be easy for her, struggling with PCOS. My heart goes out to her. It was sweet how Bruce was always there to take care of her. I loved that! I have read this whole series now and it does not disappoint!

This was a wonderful end to the series! I loved the chemistry between Bruce and Farrah, and it was enlightening to see her move past her divorce and work through her feelings toward her lost marriage and her infertility. Bruce was a perfect match for her in so many ways. I loved continuing to see all the other players and their wives. I am just sad this series is over!!

Bruce Freaking McBride. I didn’t think I would love anymore more than Remy, but Bruce’s book topped them all. The chemistry and banter. The French. The baking. The infertility subplot. Farrah and Bruce are my new fav Eagle couple! I love a messy, realistic storyline with a happy ending. I hope we get more Eagles books!