Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Book Release Blitz for Van by Sawyer Bennett (REVIEW)


As a fan of sports romances I’ve found this hockey series delightfully entertaining with each new installment a reason to celebrate!  Today readers get introduced to the hard-hearted Van by Sawyer Bennett, along with getting my impressions of this scorching tale of making a life on your own terms.  Once you’ve been fully tempted by this romance of opposites attracting make sure to add this ninth installment in the Cold Fury series to your bookshelf!

Score one for the Carolina Cold Fury hockey team as a stone-cold badass melts for a woman who makes his blood run hot.
As one of the league’s toughest enforcers, Van Turner is ruthless on the ice. He plays hard because it’s the only way to channel the rage boiling inside, and a reputation as an A-hole is better than everyone knowing the truth. Van has spent his entire life running from a secret that’s kept him from getting involved in relationships—or accepting lucrative deals with East Coast teams. Then the Carolina Cold Fury makes him an offer he can’t refuse . . . and Van meets a woman he can’t resist.
Simone Fournier is the stubborn one in her family—and that’s saying something, considering her brothers are two of the Cold Fury’s biggest stars. Simone gets what she wants, and what she wants is Van. Still, there’s a part of him Simone can’t reach, no matter how hard she tries. In private, he’s all fire and passion. In public, he freezes her out. Van may want to push her away, but Simone won’t let him go that easily. Because this time, she’s playing for keeps.


FIND AT GOODREADS here.

BUY LINKS:  AMAZON  |  BN  |  iBOOKS  |  KOBO  |  GOOGLE PLAY  |  AUDIBLE


MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

The sexy and rugged men of the Cold Fury hockey team are back in this tale of overcoming the past to find a future worth living for.  This is an erotically-charged tale with a strong-willed heroine and an emotionally bruised hero with a buried heart of gold whose connection is combustible.  It’s a scorching tale from the very start that slowly revealed itself to be a heartwarming tale with an ending that had me cheering.

Simone Fournier is the sister of two hockey gods who’s a bit uncertain what she wants to be when she grows up.  For the last year she’s been living a lie, living a life she never wanted, but with the truth coming out she finds herself on her brother’s doorstep ready to regroup.  Her plan to make amends doesn’t go quite as planned though as she continues to feel lost when it comes to her future career.  Luckily for her she finds a delightful distraction in her brother’s stoic and sexy roommate, Van.  They’re a combustible couple from the moment their eyes meet and from then on it’s a sensual battle of the sexes teeming with tension.  It’s a tug-of-war that has Simone using all her womanly wiles to break through Van’s emotional walls, a war that’s ultimately immensely satisfying and full of unexpected heart and soul.  Simone’s a larger-than-life heroine who lit up every scene she was in.  She has a kind heart, is close to her family, and is unwaveringly supportive of those she cares for.  She may be a bit flighty when it comes to her career aspirations, but she’s very comfortable when it comes to her sexuality.  She’s unafraid to go after what she wants, comfortable in having a casual relationship with Van based on sex...at least until she gets a glimpse of the hurt little boy hiding behind his guarded heart.  She’s an immensely likable heroine, brash and self-assured, with a refreshing and modern view of sex and romance that makes her the perfect match for the cold and commanding Van.

Van Turner is a man with a past he’s buried deep, a past that’s unspeakable and that’s left its indelible mark on his heart and soul.  His past taught him that no one is who they seem and that the biggest smiles hide the most blackest soul. He learned that the only one he can count on is himself and the woman who sacrificed herself to raise him.  He now lives a closed off life, barely interacting with others and interested in only random hook-ups.  He’s a Grinch who keeps to himself and who’s happy to not get involved.  Every decision he’s made, along with the formidable wall encasing his heart, is related to his past and the time has come for his battle to end as Simone is a mighty huntress determined to claim him.  Van’s very bitter at the start, angry at the world, but the more time he spends with Simone the more it becomes clear that his walls are starting to crack.  He goes from cold to hot in the blink of an eye when she goads him.  His smiles come faster and are a hard-won reward.  He may have been unlikable in the beginning but I quickly warmed up to him and became his cheerleader once he revealed his tragic past and the fears he has over how it will affect his future.  Even when Van was his most abrasive he was teeming with sensuality, a master of dirty talk who knew every button to push to make his and Simone’s encounters burn up the pages.  By the end he became a hero worth rooting for with a grand gesture that utterly charmed me.

Ms. Bennett’s Cold Fury series continues to delight with this tale that beautifully balanced fun and flirty banter with erotically-charged encounters that became more emotionally intense the closer Van and Simone became.  Though the premise was a bit familiar the characters kept if fresh.  With its take-charge heroine and emotionally bruised hero in need of healing, this romance worked its way into my heart and had me aching for both of them as they worked through each layer that history made Van Turner into.  It was a journey full of smiles, sexiness, and a bit of heartbreak that captivated me and had me cheering this couple on every step of the way.  Surrounding this combustible main couple was a cast of secondary characters who felt more like family.  The men and women of the Cold Fury hockey team were a colorful and supportive group whose stories intertwined with this installment to keep me fully immersed in the storytelling.  Some storylines were made even happier while others are just starting courtesy of the delicious taste we got of Reed, another up-and-coming hockey player who appears flirty and carefree, who I know will quickly become fodder for reader’s nighttime dreams.  Fans of sports romances will want to add this series to their bookshelf as each installment continues to satisfy with a near-perfect balance of action on and off the ice that pulls at my heartstrings while making me blush.

My rating for this is an A-

*I got this book from NetGalley for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

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.

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