Ryker: A Cold Fury Hockey Novel (Carolina Cold Fury Hockey)

Ryker: A Cold Fury Hockey Novel (Carolina Cold Fury Hockey) - Sawyer Bennett #IWantTheGoalie

This isn’t your typical sports romance novel. Yes, it does have a sexy sports figure with a hot craving for a very self-assured woman. There is where the similarities for the romance stop. Ryker is definitely a hunky, alpha hockey player who wants a relationship. Yep, a relationship. He’s not the typical lead male character who is going to sow his wild ‘player’ ways with the right woman. Nope, he actually wants a personal connection and isn’t the one-night stand typical book boyfriend. Our heroine, Gray, is one of the strongest female leads I have read in a long time. She knows what she wants; however due to her drive, she’s given the idea of a long-term relationship a back seat. Ms. Bennett takes the reader through their relationship ups and downs throwing in obstacles along the way. Some of those complications have you pause. Will they have a HEA together in the end or separate knowing the short term was good but not the best for them? I know I did and you will need to read to find out which path they follow.

Ryker is everything you want in your romantic Hero: he is a loving father, loyal to his friends and teammates, protective of others – just the ideal man. Yet, it’s Gray whom I felt the most connection to throughout the book. As a professional woman myself, you have the drive to reach the top of your career ladder. You balance personal life to make sure you do not damage your professional goals. For anyone who has been in Gray’s place you can relate to this character. You are constantly on vigil about how others perceive you all the while trying to make a difference in your chosen vocation. And no kidding, it’s real, the personal relationships suffer those choices. As a reader through this story you get to experience all the trips and slips as they navigate. In the end, who is the most deserving person in the relationship to have all their professional aspirations reached? Pick this book up to find out.

By far, the favorite part of the book for me was the epilogue. I read it four times before I wrote this review. Best possible ending for Gray. If you haven’t gathered so far, I definitely recommend you read and devour this novel. It has everything you are looking for in a contemporary romance, strong characters and steam-up-the-glasses scenes. Although part of a series, this novel can stand-alone for an initial read. If you are like me and read them all – this was a perfect story to close the series on.

This book was given to me as an advanced reader copy. This review may be updated to include quotes and additional thoughts upon publication release.