Meet the Arizona Vengeance, hockey’s hottest new team. They’re burning up the ice—until a one-night-stand with the coach’s daughter freezes one player in his skates.
Bishop Scott, co-captain. Not too shabby, huh? It’s all part of my fresh start with the NHL’s latest expansion team, and that means new teammates, a new coach, a new city, and a big new contract. Basically, I cannot f***ing wait to show my old squad what they’re missing.
But first, I decide to check out the town before the grind begins. Turns out Arizona chicks are totally smokin’, and I’m fortunate enough to meet one who’s looking for the same thing I am: a night of anonymous, unforgettable, no-strings-attached sex.
Fast forward to the Vengeance arena. It’s the last place I expect to see her again—let alone in her own office. Then bells go off and I finally realize who this girl is: Brooke Perron. My new coach’s daughter. All of a sudden, we’re picking up right where we left off, which means our hands are all over each other. That’s when her dad—my boss—walks in. And before I can get a word out, Brooke’s introducing me as her fiancé.
Sure, she just saved my ass. So why do I get the feeling Brooke’s going to turn my world upside down? Maybe it’s because this fake relationship feels way too real. . . .
REVIEW: 4 STARS
"No matter what led us to this moment, right now I'm yours..."
HONESTY FIRST: Well, if you've been following me for any amount of time, you know I am definitely no lover of fake fiancé/fiancée/marriage/relationship books. I honestly hate them. They are all dumb to me and I literally roll my eyes every time I come across one. They never live up to the hype or the reason that they are faking it.
~ "You need to for the sake of the company."
~ "You need to for status."
~ "You need to produce proper heirs."
~ "You need to join forces with the enemy to take them down."
Blah, blah, blah. Just NO. You will get a DNF out of me quicker than any other trope if it's a hidden twist in the book, which is why I avoid them if I can. I loathe them. I am of the kind that speaks her mind, so you aren't talking me into a fake relationship for any reasons I don't wanna accept - first of all, and basically - true love is not something you mess with. Period. So, why did I read this one? Well, for one, I love Sawyer Bennett and read everything she puts out, and two, I agreed to read it long before I ever knew the synopsis, so that had me biting my nails a bit. And I always stand behind my recommendations, or review them accordingly.....so I took one for the team.
So, dammit. Leave it to Sawyer Bennett to make me read through this trope and actually enjoy it. Ok? Ugh. Now, before I try to tell you why YOU should read it, let me tell you this much: this one had a slight twist to it that made it semi-conceivable as to why they would carry on this charade. I will admit that it got a little far fetched for me at one point and I was side-eyeing it a bit, but the characters and their personalities made me enjoy it and I was able to finish it with a smile on my face. Was it predictable? Well, sure. It was pretty much a guarantee of what was going to happen, but I loved seeing who it happened to first and it just flowed very smoothly.
If I am not a huge fan of this genre (who am I kidding), why and how could I possibly give this 4 stars? This one had a few things that really worked for it. It's not just that it's SB and I love her, because I will always be honest in my reviews no matter how much I love the author. If the book doesn't work for me, it doesn't work and I will let you know. Again, I stand behind everything I post about on my blog. But the characters....the personalities. Let me explain that one. Bishop thought he was going to get a one night stand. Bishop thought he was going to walk away. Bishop definitely lives up to hockey players' playboy ways. But Bishop has a softer side he doesn't show anyone. I loved Bishop.
"In this moment. . . right now. . . not sorry at all for how this has all gone down."
Not always does SB write an alpha badass. She usually writes a down to earth man with a cocky, yet dorky side to them. It makes them more endearing. Relatable. Real. But the insecurities, the wondering who is really feeling what, the emotions that were inevitably bound to come....I liked it. It worked for me. Yes, at first glance, he wasn't exactly boyfriend material. He sounded shallow, cocky....so sure of himself that he came across as somewhat of a douche. But that was SB setting the stage. For the beginning of what has clearly started out as a worthy series. Seriously, I love the way she can develop and start a new world and give us a glimpse into all the characters that will be comprising the stories to follow, yet never detract from the main couple and their story at hand.
Shockingly enough, I really did enjoy this one. In the end, this book gave me the smiles. I even giggled a few times out loud because of what was said/done. It was enjoyable overall, so I'm glad I read it. Bishop has a verrrry dirty mouth, and he's not afraid to use it; Brooke sure enjoyed it. She was somewhat of a pushover, always trying to make sure others were ok, but that also lent a sort of softer side to her that I wanted to hug. Her heart was bigger than her brain sometimes, but it was always in the right spot. I really enjoyed this one. The one thing that left me hanging was that the end of the book felt too short. Too quick. I would have loved to have seen a little more from it, but I can walk away knowing I will see them in the books to follow, so I am very definitely looking forward to this series and the stories to come...especially Tacker's.
I'm pretty sure I don't know how to write a short review at this point. Sorry!!
"...no one should touch what's yours."
~BEE
PURCHASE
~ABOUT SAWYER BENNETT~
Since the release of her debut contemporary romance novel, Off Sides, in January 2013, Sawyer Bennett has released multiple books, many of which have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.
A reformed trial lawyer from North Carolina, Sawyer uses real life experience to create relatable, sexy stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From new adult to erotic contemporary romance, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.
Sawyer likes her Bloody Marys strong, her martinis dirty, and her heroes a combination of the two. When not bringing fictional romance to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to a very active daughter, as well as full-time servant to her adorably naughty dogs. She believes in the good of others, and that a bad day can be cured with a great work-out, cake, or even better, both.
Sawyer also writes general and women’s fiction under the pen name S. Bennett and sweet romance under the name Juliette Poe.
~CONNECT WITH SAWYER~
A reformed trial lawyer from North Carolina, Sawyer uses real life experience to create relatable, sexy stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From new adult to erotic contemporary romance, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.
Sawyer likes her Bloody Marys strong, her martinis dirty, and her heroes a combination of the two. When not bringing fictional romance to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to a very active daughter, as well as full-time servant to her adorably naughty dogs. She believes in the good of others, and that a bad day can be cured with a great work-out, cake, or even better, both.
Sawyer also writes general and women’s fiction under the pen name S. Bennett and sweet romance under the name Juliette Poe.
~CONNECT WITH SAWYER~
ARC REVIEW
AFFILIATE LINKS USED
COPY PURCHASED FOR GIVEAWAY
Great review Bee!
ReplyDelete