Ryker by Sawyer Bennett

Ryker by Sawyer Bennett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I LOVED RYKER!!! But seriously, how can you not love a book that starts with a single dad making his little girl giggle by asking her if aliens have landed? Then Ms. Bennett follows that up by showing said dad, who is the 6-foot-6 goalie for the Cold Fury hockey team, being terrified of a spider. One of the best book openers ever. I was laughing at and falling in love with Ryker all at the same time. Add to that a tough-as-nails leading lady who refuses to be intimidated by men twice her size and has no qualms taking on the job as general manager for the Cold Fury hockey team or the soon-to-be ex-wife who’s come to realize that the grass wasn’t greener on the other side and it was a total winner in my book.

Ms. Bennett addresses the double standard that many professional women face and does it in a unique setting. Right off the bat, Gray is greeted with disdain by some players solely for being a woman. It doesn’t matter that she played hockey in the Olympics twice and medaled both times, nor that she was responsible for recruiting a large number of the players on the team as the head scout, they’re disturbed by the fact that she has to sit to pee. Surprisingly little is made of the fact that her father is the team’s owner as there is far more hate slung at her simply because she wears a skirt – and she does because Gray is proud of the fact that she is a woman and refuses to hide it because she knows what she’s capable of. Unlike some of his teammates, Ryder holds her in high regard because she is responsible for getting him signed with Cold Fury and when she explains her management style, he is even more impressed with her ideas for the team’s future. But he is equally astounded when he finally sees her as a woman and wonders how he missed all that before and how he’s supposed to keep his hands off of her now. Because the attraction is not a one-way street, a good amount of sexual tension builds and it is hot when it finally explodes. The chemistry between Gray and Ryker is off the charts and that makes the fact that they have to hide their relationship even worse. This is where the double standard comes in because if anyone were to find out that she is involved with one of the players, her reputation would be shredded even though as the general manager she has absolutely nothing to do with who plays when.

The conflict that arises when Ryker’s soon-to-be ex (just waiting on the judge to sign-off) tries to reconcile makes for some serious and entertaining scenes. I was flabbergasted when Hensley found out about Ryker and Gray and had the nerve to call Gray a homewrecker. Seriously!?!?! Woman you cheated on your husband and left him for one of his teammates, willingly leaving your daughters with their father so you could travel with your new man and you’re calling Gray a homewrecker? I had some unpublishable names for that woman! And I for one did not feel bad at all with the threat that Ryker made to Hensley if she exposed his and Gray’s relationship because her threat was uncalled for. I had no sympathy for that woman. As scary as it was, the incident between Gray and the dismissed team player was just what she needed to make her realize what was truly important in her life. That she had a great dad who helped her to set the stage for the best possible outcome made the outing of Gray and Ryker’s relationship perfect. I absolutely loved Ryker and am already salivating for more of Ms. Bennett’s Cold Fury Hockey series.

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
Check out the Ryker by Sawyer Bennett Blog Tour post on Wicked Reads.


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