Holy Pucks Batman! RYKER is one fantastic Hockey Romance from the lovely Sawyer Bennett! One you will not want to miss. Check out more about the book, the series, read Tina’s Thoughts and an excerpt from the book, and enter the giveaway!
RYKER
Cold Fury #4
Sawyer Bennett
Genre: Sports Romance
Release Date: September 8, 2015
The rugged men of the Carolina Cold Fury hockey team are winning hearts once again in another scorching novel fromNew York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett.
The stakes have never been higher for Carolina Cold Fury goalie Ryker Evans. With his contract running out, he’s got a year left to prove he’s still at the top of his game. And since his wife left him, Ryker has been balancing life as a pro-hockey star and a single parent to two daughters. Management is waiting for him to screw up. The fans are ready to pounce. Everybody’s taking dirty shots—except for the fiery redhead whose faith in Ryker gives him a fresh start.
As the league’s only female general manager, Gray Brannon has learned not to mix business with pleasure. And yet even this tough, talented career woman can’t help breaking her own rules as she gives Ryker everything she’s got. She hopes their hot streak will last forever, but with Ryker’s conniving ex plotting to reclaim her man, the pressure’s on Gray to step up and save a tender new love before it’s too late.
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I fell in love with hockey because of a book and then when I saw it live it became something I couldn’t get enough of. So when I find a good hockey book I hold tight and never let go. After finishing RYKER, I thought to myself, how did I not know about this series and the amazingness that is the Cold Fury Hockey team. Somehow I missed it all completely but it is ok because now I have 3 books to download and catch up on. RYKER was the best sports romance that I have read in quite some time. It takes a fabulous sport, a passionate love story, and a cast full of great characters to the next level giving us something to gush about in the end!
One of my favorite things about this book was Ryker himself. He is not your standard athlete in a romance book. He is an alpha man but not in the traditional sense. It is a subtle presence that naturally draws you to him. He is not overbearing but instead kind and flirty. He isn’t cocky but a team player, someone who wants what is best for the whole no matter the outcome for himself. His love for his daughters has the power to make you warm and fuzzy on the inside. His gentleness is such a standard of strength that enhances his grace and protector stance. He is powerful and all man, which is displayed many times between those covers, but there is a sweetness to his character that made him more than the dominating figure of so many romance novels these days.
Gray is the perfect puzzle piece to Ryker. She is gorgeous, intelligent, and strong. She brings healthy dose of feminine power to the table. I loved her take charge attitude and the way she perceives every obstacle she comes into contact with. Gray is such a dominating character and when her edges begin to soften as she falls for Ryker, she becomes an incredible female role model. She is bright and fierce when she needs to be but she learns to embrace love and life in a new way with Ryker.
The team aspect of this book is great! I loved watching the interactions and the support they had for one another. Cold Fury was a team with a mission and they learned to come together despite their reservations and support one another. Seeing a glimpse into the locker room and the conversations of the team mates allows the reader to see a side of hockey that is fascinating. The team aspect of any sport is like a family and watching them work through problems is enlightening. When you add the adrenaline and the excitement that accompanies hockey, you have a great theme within the story.
Gray and Ryker’s romance is full of passion and respect. I loved how they saw each other and the steps they would take to be with one another. Their situation was not easy and they were so determined to have it all- a fact that could have been selfish but instead it was exactly as it should be. These two deserved love, the big, exciting, butterflies in your stomach, romantic kind. They deserved each other as equals in both friendship and romance. Watching this unfold was lovely and I appreciated their commitment and determination to fight for what they wanted.
You love sports, romance, hockey, or just a plain good story? Then make sure to one click RYKER! It will leave you satisfied and yet begging for so much more! I am excited to read the previous titles in the series and I am looking forward to what Sawyer has in store for the future of the Cold Fury hockey team!
My phone gives a short chime and I pull it out of my pocket. I can’t help the curl of slight disgust that comes to my lips when I see an email from Hensley. Most people would agree: A man is allowed to be disgusted by his wife when she sleeps with another man. Even more so when that other man is a teammate.
But that’s not why I curl my lips and wrinkle my nose. No, I’m pretty much past that, and I know I’m past it because I just don’t think about it anymore. In fact, I’m expecting the final divorce decree in the mail any day now. Our hearing was last month in Boston and my lawyer assured me it would sail through with no hitches, mainly because Hensley and I were able to agree on a division of our assets and custody of the girls coming to me.
No . . . there is absolutely not a single remaining bitter feeling left in me about the loss of my wife and her betrayal to our marriage. It’s over and I’m ready to move on.
I am, however, completely affronted by Hensley’s attitude toward her daughters. Those precious silver-eyed beauties whom she dumped on my doorstep before she checked out of their lives so she could run around the country with her boy toy during hockey season.
A quick glance at her email and my stomach knots up. A simple reminder that she’ll be in town next week when the Boston Eagles—my former team—will be here in Raleigh to play the Cold Fury. Because Hensley is still currently fucking my former Eagle teammate Patric Sutter, and living with him on the road, she’ll be here for a visit. Obviously, she wants to spend some time with Violet and Ruby.
I hit Reply, but before my fingers can even begin to type what I hope will be a fairly calm response—because let’s face it, I’m not going to keep her away from the girls—my phone starts ringing, immediately followed by a picture of Zack popping up.
Zack Grantham.
My teammate. My best friend.
Boyfriend to Kate Francis, my girls’ part-time nanny and the angel who helped me get grounded when I needed it most.
“What’s up?” I say, leaning back against the hallway wall. I keep an eye on the space below the bathroom door, making sure the spider doesn’t come prowling out. I have my foot poised to strike out and stomp the little fucker if it shows.
“Dude . . . turn on the TV right now to channel thirty-three,” he says in a rush.
I don’t think to question the urgency in Zack’s voice and quickly step into Violet and Ruby’s room to grab the remote. I deftly change the channel to the sports news network as I sit on the end of Violet’s little twin bed decorated in purple flowers and white lace.
“. . . while this is still very much speculation, it appears the wheels are in motion for the league to see its first female general manager in its ninety-eight-year existence. Sources inside the Cold Fury office will do nothing more than confirm that while Brian Brannon has stepped down from his position as the team’s general manager, he will still retain his position as president and CEO of the organization. A more formal statement is expected later today.”
The male reporter turns to his co-anchor at the desk, a beautiful blonde who looks more like a beauty queen than a sports reporter and says, “So, Jessica . . . potentially historic news coming out of Raleigh, North Carolina, today.”
The blonde nods seriously and turns to face the camera. “Very historic and also controversial. If these rumors are true, Grayson Brannon, daughter and heir to the Brannon fortune, will become the first female general manager of a professional hockey team. I’m sure this is going to spark a lot of heated debate over her capabilities, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.”
The male reporter nods sagely and looks down at a digital tablet sitting before him on the desk. “Already, Twitter is blowing up with comments about the potential change in management.”
A news graphic appears to the left of the reporter on the TV screen, showing some of the tweets as he reads them out loud. “Here’s one from @FuryFan4Life . . . What the hell is @Carolina_Cold_Fury thinking? A woman general manager? Ridiculous.”
The blond reporter props her chin in the palm of her hand, watching her co-anchor as he reads the tweets, her face the perfect mask of concerned interest.
“Gray Brannon is more than qualified. Give her a chance,” he reads aloud. “That’s from @carolina_girl_87.”
“There’s going to be a lot of polarized opinions about this,” the blonde says, and the camera zooms in on her. “But everyone needs to remember, Gray Brannon may be young, but she has the experience needed—”
I hit the mute button on the TV, not needing to hear all about Gray Brannon. I know plenty already.
“Think it’s true?” I ask Zack as I put him on speakerphone.
“No idea. I was just watching TV and this breaking news came on.”
Almost as if by eerie design, my phone chimes and a text appears. It’s from the Cold Fury office and simply says, Team Meeting 5PM.
“Did you just get that text?” Zack asks.
“Yup, and I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s true.”
Zack gives a low whistle. “Ballsy move for Brannon.”
That it is.
Moving his daughter into the position of the team’s general manager. Fucking ballsy as hell and I’m guessing it’s going to cause some dissension in the ranks.
Not from me, though. I personally think Gray Brannon can do the job. She is, after all, the one personally responsible for getting me traded to the Cold Fury, and for that alone she has my support.
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Grab the other books from the Cold Fury series!
ALEX (Cold Fury #1)
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Hockey star Alexander Crossman has a reputation as a cold-hearted player on and off the rink. Pushed into the sport by an alcoholic father, Alex isn’t afraid to give fans the proverbial middle finger, relishing his role as the MVP they love to hate. Management, however, isn’t so amused. Now Alex has a choice: fix his public image through community service or ride the bench. But Alex refuses to be molded into the Carolina Cold Fury poster boy . . . not even by a tempting redhead with killer curves.
As a social worker, Sutton Price is accustomed to difficult people–like Alex, who’s been assigned to help her create a drug-abuse awareness program for at-risk youth as part of the team’s effort to clean up his image. What she doesn’t expect is the arrogant smirk from his perfect lips to stir her most heated fantasies. But Sutton isn’t one to cross professional boundaries–and besides, Alex doesn’t do relationships . . . or does he? The more she sees behind Alex’s bad-boy facade, the more Sutton craves the man she uncovers.”
GARRETT (Cold Fury #2)Carolina Cold Fury star Garrett Samuelson never wants to miss out on a single minute of fun. Whether he’s playing hockey, hanging out with friends, or walking the red carpet with a new date on his arm, he lives every day to the fullest. When he meets Olivia Case, he sees someone who’s exactly his type—confident, sexy, smart . . . his next fling. But the more he pursues her, the more Garrett shares a side of himself that other women don’t normally get to see.
Olivia has been keeping a secret. While Garrett lives for the next thrill, Olivia’s not sure she’ll live to see the next day. She’s undergoing treatment for some serious medical issues, and she doesn’t have time for a relationship with no guarantees—especially one with a hot-as-sin womanizer who won’t take no for an answer. But as she gets to know the real Garrett, Olivia can’t help falling for him . . . hard. To reveal the truth would mean risking everything—but you can’t score without taking the tough shots.
ZACK (Cold Fury #3)Rising star Zack Grantham has been stuck in a downward spiral of grief ever since the car accident that left him a single dad and put his career on hold. Back on the road with the Carolina Cold Fury and still crippled by emotional baggage, he’s in need of some serious help with his son. But while the nerdy new nanny wins his son’s heart, Zack isn’t sure he’s ready for a woman’s touch—even after getting a glimpse of the killer curves she’s hiding under those baggy clothes.
Kate Francis usually keeps men like Zack at a distance. Though his athlete’s body is honed to perfection, he refuses to move on with his life—and besides, he’s her boss. Still, the sparks between them are undeniable, tempting Kate to turn their professional relationship into a personal one. But before she makes a power play for Zack’s wounded heart, Kate will have to open him up again and show him that love is worth the fight.
USA Today and New York Times Best-Selling Author, Sawyer Bennett is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. Her husband works for a Fortune 100 company which lets him fly all over the world while she stays at home with their daughter and three big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.
Sawyer is the author of several contemporary romances including the popular Off Series, the Legal Affairs Series and the Last Call Series. She will be releasing her third book in the Cold Fury Hockey Series with Random House Loveswept, June 2015.