Book Review: Ryker by Sawyer Bennett

I'm so excited for today's release of RYKER by Sawyer Bennett. 

It's a must read!!

The rugged men of the Carolina Cold Fury hockey team are winning hearts once again in another scorching novel from New 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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Globug's Review

 This series just keeps getting better and better. Ryker has edged his way to the top as my favorite player on the Cold Fury hockey team. Other than being one of the best goalies in the league and worthy of being on the cover of GQ magazine I'd have to say my favorite thing about Ryker is his love for his two daughters.

I also love that he didn't turn into a man-whore after his skank wife cheated on him. His girls and his focus on the game become his priorities. The real game changer comes in the form of a sexy and oh so smart Gray Brannon. I loved her character right from the start. She's a genius with an MBA and skills as a hockey player as proven by her Olympic medals. Her father steps down and promotes her to the position of General Manager of the Cold Fury team and the biggest upset about it is because she's a woman. Which reminds me of another reason to love Ryker. He's one of the only players on the team that supports Gray and recognizes her ability to do great things for the team.

Ryker and Gray have undeniable chemistry but for Gray the risks that would come with getting involved with Ryker are huge. On the one hand Ryker isn't looking for a relationship but he doesn't do flings and he know's he wants Gray. I loved that for a woman who is so smart and strong willed as well as gorgeous and intimidating she also comes across as a sweet and vulnerable Daddy's girl.  She has one of the best Father's I can ever remember out of all the books I've read. 

The heat between the sheets is crazy good. Ryker has oral skills that may require you to prepare for a moisture control situation. In true hussy fashion the ex-wife struts in hoping to reclaim Ryker. No worries, Ryker is not blind or stupid and he sends her packing but Gray almost let her ruin everything. 

There are a few really sweet moments when Gray is getting to know his daughters. Another one of my favorite parts is when Zack, Garrett, and Alex help Ryker come to an understanding of what's more important, his love of the game or his love for Gray. Then hold onto your heart because Bennett drops a major bomb on the plot. I was ready to throw my kindle and blacklist her forever if she had let anything happen to Gray. 

Bennett brings it around with a heaping pile of happy and oh my god Ryker and Gray are the best couple ever! I'm not sure how she can top this one but I'm anxiously looking forward to it.

** ARC copy provided by NetGalley

 Ryker purchase links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1F23KnQ
B&N: http://goo.gl/ZJGy8c
iBooks: https://goo.gl/cMB6bX
Google Play: http://goo.gl/weQpgr

 

Author Bio & Links

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling 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, the Last Call Series and the Carolina Cold Fury Hockey Series.

FaceBook ♥ Pinterest ♥ Author Website ♥ GoodReads ♥ Twitter

Release Day Blitz: Worth The Fall (McKinney Brothers #1) by Claudia Connor {Review + Giveaway}

Adult Contemporary Romance

Expected Publication September 9th 2014

Loveswet Romance

Kindle format provided by publisher via Netgalley

Prepare to be swept away by a talented debut author with a passionate, powerful story to tell. They meet on a beach. . . . Abby Davis isn’t wearing a skimpy bikini or sipping umbrella drinks, not when she’s busy chasing around four little ones. And Matt McKinney isn’t looking for fun—he’s a Navy SEAL, a grown man with a long list of missions . . . and fallen brothers. They only have a week. . . . Abby has brought her children to this beach to start over, to give them the enjoyable memories they deserve. Matt’s been sidelined by a combat injury, and haunted by the best friend he lost and the promise he made: to remain a SEAL—focused and dedicated. This leaves no time for what he’s always wanted: a family. But a week is all it takes. . . . Matt opens her heart while Abby soothes his soul. And though they plan to say good-bye when the week is over, something magical happens on that beach, something neither can forget. Something utterly, completely worth falling for.

{Review} Bring On The Heat (Boys Of Summer #1) by Katie Rose

Adult Contemporary Romance

Expected Release August 26th 2014

The Boys Of Summer #1

240 Pages

ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley

House-sitting for a rich and famous friend has its perks, and Darcy Hamel isn't shy about enjoying them. Especially when it means scoring a ticket to an exclusive fashion show hosted by the New Jersey Sonics. An avid baseball fan, Darcy has always dreamed of meeting the team—especially the starting pitcher whose body is as hot as his fastball. But there’s a catch. The gala is by invitation only. To get behind the velvet rope, mild-mannered Darcy will have to pose as party girl Lydia Logan. Schmoozing is one of the downsides of fame, but Chase Westbrook knows how to liven up even the dullest event. And nothing spices a night up more than a beautiful socialite with a naughty reputation. What Chase doesn’t expect is a hint of sweetness beneath her sultry façade. Flirtation turns to seduction and leaves him aching for more. Chase just doesn’t know who the real Lydia is: the spoiled tease crying foul over some missing diamonds or the alluring woman making a play for his heart.

Waiting On Wednesday: Worth The Risk (McKinney Brothers #2) by Claudia Connor

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.



Adult Contemporary Romance
Releasing January 20th 2015

 

When a McKinney brother falls in love, powerful emotion and overwhelming desire are never far behind.

Two hearts locked away . . . Hannah Walker spends her days coaching children through injury and trauma, one therapeutic horseback ride at a time. She knows all too well how violence can change a child and leave scars that never heal. It’s easy for her to relate to the kids; what isn’t easy is the thought of facing her own harrowing past.

Millionaire playboy Stephen McKinney could use a little coaching himself. Five years ago he encountered his most horrible nightmare—and the nightmare won. No matter what he achieves, nothing can make up for that awful night . . . or so he believes.

Both desperate for a second chance . . . Stephen is used to getting what he wants. And he wants Hannah. So when she turns him down, he’s intrigued. What he doesn’t know is that her secrets will lead him to a place he never wanted to go again . . . to a side of himself he’s tried to forget . . . a side that would scare Hannah away from ever loving him. Now his only chance to win her trust is to bare his soul, risking everything he tried so hard to protect.

 

Teaser Tuesday: Worth The Fall (McKinney Brothers #1) by Claudia Connor

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading Anyone can play along! 

Here are the Rules:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Prepare to be swept away by a talented debut author with a passionate, powerful story to tell. They meet on a beach. . . . Abby Davis isn’t wearing a skimpy bikini or sipping umbrella drinks, not when she’s busy chasing around four little ones. And Matt McKinney isn’t looking for fun—he’s a Navy SEAL, a grown man with a long list of missions . . . and fallen brothers. They only have a week. . . . Abby has brought her children to this beach to start over, to give them the enjoyable memories they deserve. Matt’s been sidelined by a combat injury, and haunted by the best friend he lost and the promise he made: to remain a SEAL—focused and dedicated. This leaves no time for what he’s always wanted: a family. But a week is all it takes. . . . Matt opens her heart while Abby soothes his soul. And though they plan to say good-bye when the week is over, something magical happens on that beach, something neither can forget. Something utterly, completely worth falling for.

{Review} The Sexiest Man Alive (Love And Life On The Lam #4) by Juliet Rosetti

Genre: Chick Lit/Contemporary Romance

Age Group: Adult

Expected Publication Date: July 8th 2014
Publisher: Loveswept/Random House

Pages: 263

Series: Love and Life on the Lam #4

Format: eARC

Source: Netgalley provided by publisher

Juliet Rosetti’s steamy Escape Diaries series—perfect for fans of Kristan Higgins and Susan Elizabeth Phillips—continues as Mazie’s on-again, off-again relationship with certified hottie Ben Labeck simmers out of control.

Mazie Maguire doesn’t need some lousy awards panel to tell her what she already knows: Ben Labeck—the chiseled, 6'3" photojournalist and hockey player who drives her wild—is the Sexiest Man Alive. And she especially doesn’t need the rest of the world to know it, too. Watching every last woman in the Milwaukee metro area throw themselves at the man who shares Mazie’s bed is more than any respectable single lady should bear.

So when Ben has the nerve to “forget” to call for a week, Mazie decides to call it off for good. But as she jumps back into the dating game, Mazie catches the attention of some real bad boys: The Skulls. When the motorcycle gang kidnaps Mazie in a case of mistaken identity, she suddenly sees Ben’s behavior in a whole new light. She’d do anything to wake up in Ben’s surprisingly tender arms one more time—so long as the Sexiest Man Alive doesn’t go and get himself killed trying to save her.

{ARC Review} Hold On Tight by Serena Bell

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: Adult

Publication Date: June 17th 2014

Publisher: Loveswept

Pages: 272

Format: eARC

Source: Provided by Netgalley

In Serena Bell’s heartwarming novel, a young mother and a battle-scarred veteran must decide if they can rekindle the sparks they once shared.

Fighting for his country gave Jake Taylor’s life shape and meaning. Now as an injured war hero he struggles to find purpose, until he runs into the gorgeous woman he dated briefly—and disastrously—before being deployed eight years ago. Turns out Jake doesn’t just need to figure out how to be a civilian . . . he also needs to learn how to be a dad.

Eighteen, pregnant, and totally lost, Mira Shipley couldn’t track down the soldier who fathered her child, so she put college on hold and focused on making a good life for her son. Now she’s determined to be something more than Sam’s mom, her parents’ daughter, or Jake’s girl—as hot as she finds her old flame’s take-charge attitude in and out of bed. Soon Mira and Jake realize that their passion didn’t disappear when Sam was conceived—and that instead of running away, sometimes it’s better to hold on tight.

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from other Loveswept titles.

Tangled Thing Called Love (Love and Life on the Lam #3) by Juliet Rosetti {Review}

Genre: Chick Lit/Contemporary Romance

Age Group: Adult

Expected Publication Date: April 28th 2014
Publisher: Loveswept/Random House

Pages: 280

Series: Love and Life on the Lam #3

Format: eARC

Source: Netgalley provided by publisher

Mazie’s boyfriend—photojournalist and sex god Ben Labeck—might be trouble on two very strong, very sexy legs, but he’s got no idea what he’s signing up for when he invites himself along to the family farm in Quail Hollow to meet the Maguires. Mazie knows that bringing a guy home is a recipe for disaster, especially when she’s not sure whether their relationship is serious or just seriously steamy. That goes double when she finds herself reluctantly squeezing back into a bikini and sash for the anniversary of a supposedly cursed local beauty pageant. All this is wreaking havoc on Mazie’s love life. Suddenly Ben’s too busy playing gentleman farmer on the Maguire estate to indulge in a more discreet kind of play in Mazie’s bed. And when he’s not tilling the soil, he’s digging up dirt on the Curse of Miss Quail Hollow. Maybe that swimsuit competition isn’t such a bad way to get Ben’s attention back where it belongs—and get him to admit that he’s head-over-heels in love with her.

Crazy For You (Love and Life on the Lam #2) by Juliet Rosetti

Genre: Chick Lit/Contemporary Romance

Age Group: Adult

Publication Date: December 9th 2013

Pages: 275

Series: Love and Life on the Lam #2

Format: Kindle

Source: Purchased from Amazon

In the tradition of Janet Evanovich and Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Juliet Rosetti ups the ante in her laugh-out-loud funny Escape Diaries series, as Mazie Maguire must use any means necessary to keep her main squeeze out of the slammer. Once you escape from prison and ride off into the sunset with the gorgeous guy who helped you nail a killer, you live happily ever after, right? Well, not exactly—not if you’re Mazie Maguire, and the flow chart of your life looks like a pinball machine. Mazie has broken up with her guy, Ben Labeck, she can’t pay her rent, her car is infested with mice, and she’s working at a coffee shop where the dress code is teddies, thongs, and toe-cleavage heels. Now Ben is the chief suspect in a murder investigation, and Mazie’s tapping into her fugitive wiles to keep him out of jail. Strictly as friends, she vows. No kissing, no touching, no romance. But how is Mazie supposed to keep her thoughts platonic when her “buddy” is giving her erotic back rubs, and a make-believe-we’re-newlyweds charade puts her in the mood for a wedding night?