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.
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Zack by Sawyer Bennett

Zack by Sawyer Bennett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

Having read Garrett, I knew that Zack was going to be an emotional read as it was going to focus on Zack’s recovery from the car accident in which Gina, his long-time girlfriend and the mother of his child, died. From chapter one, it’s easy to figure out where the ending is headed, but that does not mean that the story is predictable or unenjoyable because I freaking loved this book. Ms. Bennett has created a seriously sexy but broken hockey player who is suffering from a huge case of survivor’s guilt with Zack. But her true talent shines with Kate. I never would have believed it possible to create a dorky and socially awkward young woman who doesn’t seem to possess a shy bone in her body that is completely believable, and yet she did – even better, she made me love Kate completely.

Kate has a rather sad past that would have left most people emotionally crippled and bitter, but she’s not and her past gives her an unusual understanding of some of what Zack is dealing with. It also gives her the ability to accept him as he is, know that almost all of his lashing out comes from a place of guilt (even if it is not until much later in the book that she learns the full depth of his guilt), the ability to forgive him when needed because of that, and the wherewithal to call him out on his skewed thinking and BS when he needs it. She does all of this while taking on the role of his son Ben’s nanny – a job she does wonderfully thanks to her experience with her nephews. Not surprisingly, when Zack realizes that Kate is hiding a stellar body under her too baggy clothes the level of comfort he has obtained with her grudgingly during her employment quickly becomes more until he can no longer deny that she has done what no trip to a strip club has done since Gina’s death – ignited a fire inside and making him feel again. Despite dancing around it, the sexual attraction becomes too much for him to fight and when he gives in, it is WOW! And it just gets better and better with each encounter that occurs in the book. I have to give it to Kate with her willingness to give a strictly sexual relationship a go even knowing that she was likely setting herself up for heartbreak. Now THAT scene broke my ever-loving heart because the author made me hurt for BOTH Kate and Zack.

Beyond the not-the-least-bit-simple relationship between Zack and Kate, there is so much about this book that I enjoyed. The interactions between Kate and Ben were absolutely lovely and I got a kick out of her solution to his tantrums. I found Zack and Ben’s interactions to be just as touching because it was clear how much Zack loved his son. Other than the supremely hot sex scenes, my favorite scene was when Kate kicked Michelle out of the house. Kate is one mama bear you do NOT want to rile because as sweet and innocent as she seems, you do not want to piss off a southern woman. I laughed my butt off at that scene. I loved how Sutton and Ryker involved themselves in Kate’s life and how Zack FINALLY showed Kate that he had his act together. I loved Zack and cannot wait to read Ryker (which I already have marked off on my schedule) and hopefully I’ll find some free time on my reading schedule to work Alex in first as I still have to back and read it.

Check out the Zack by Sawyer Bennett Blog Tour post on Wicked Reads.

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Garrett by Sawyer Bennett

Garrett by Sawyer Bennett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

Well bully for you Ms. Bennett, you made me cry. Several times. Are you happy now? I know I am because despite bawling like a baby, I loved every page of Garrett. Admittedly, I knew going in that this was going to a have sad moment or two because the blurb pretty much tells you that Olivia is dealing with a potentially fatal medical condition. So yeah, tears were anticipated. What I didn’t expect was for Ms. Bennett to rip my heart out, stomp it on the floor, and then shove it in a blender and turn it on high. This is a sports romance for heaven’s sake – angsty sadness is okay, total emotional annihilation, not so much. But Garrett was worth every single tear I cried, including the full-on blubbering that occurred when I read the subheading for the Epilogue.

Just like not all my tears were sad tears, not all of the emotions that Garrett elicited from me were sad. On the contrary, I found myself laughing quite frequently as both Garrett and Olivia had a wonderful sense of humor and had no problem whipping it out when the situation called for it, and even when the situation didn’t call for it. And a sense of humor wasn’t the only thing being whipped out… (Oh yeah, I went there). The chemistry between Garrett and Olivia is intense and as Olivia concluded, the sex scenes are “off-the-charts mind-blowing.” Whew! I really must start watching hockey because hockey-based romances have become my favorite type of sports romance.

Add a bit of angst and a whole lot of romance to the tears, the laughs, and the sex, and it’s no wonder I loved this book. I do enjoy an emotional rollercoaster ride when it’s the result of a good book and Garrett certainly took me through my emotional paces. I should note that while this is the second book in the Cold Fury Hockey series, it can be read as a standalone. That said, I am stoked that I snagged a copy of Alex on sale a few weeks back and now have to find time to read it because I loved Alex and Sutton and so want to read their story to find out how they got together. Reading Alex will also give me an excuse to reread Garrett, especially if I do so right before the release of the next book in the series, Zack.

Check out the Garrett by Sawyer Bennett Blog Tour post on Wicked Reads.


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