A retired hockey player, disillusioned by the sport and by love, gets pulled back into the world of the NHL and matters of the heart he left behind when a female team owner comes calling in this sweet and sexy tale. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Drake by Sawyer Bennett, along with my impressions of it, then add this fifth installment in the Pittsburgh Titans series to your bookshelf!
Drake McGinn turned his back on hockey after the league betrayed him. Will the Titans be his chance to clear his name and take back the career he once loved?
After I made the decision to divorce, my ex-wife set out on a smear campaign against me, telling anyone who would listen that I was betting on hockey and throwing games. It wasn’t surprising that my ex told the lies, but the fact that the media, league, and fans chose to believe her baseless claims was unforgivable. I walked away from it all and never looked back.Having settled into life as a single dad to three boys, I’m content. I have more money than I could ever need, and plenty of time to do whatever I want, whenever I want, and whoever I want. So when Brienne Norcross, the team owner for the Pittsburgh Titans, shows up at my house with a job offer, I have no problem turning her down. But the no-nonsense billionaire, with sinfully seductive red lips and killer heels that would look hot as hell thrown over my shoulders, won’t take “no” for an answer.
Now I need to find balance between hockey, my boys, and the explosive chemistry Brienne and I can no longer deny. A cast-off hockey player and the league’s only female team owner? I can think of a million reasons why it could never work but can’t bring myself to care about a single one of them. Game on.
**READ THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS OF DRAKE here.**
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
The queen of hockey romances returns with the continuing ups and downs of the Pittsburgh Titans as a single dad comes out of retirement to help a female team owner determined to keep rebuilding her team after the emotional highs and lows that have befallen them. Action on and off the field, lives fueled by hockey and hearts once broken, are slowly rebuilt as an unexpected connection forms between two people who've built some pretty big walls around themselves. As the fifth installment in this series the overall storyline might feel a bit familiar, but Ms. Bennett has imbued it with great depth, heartfelt moments, and a satisfying bit of steam to make it a richly rewarding romance.
Drake McGinn's life once revolved around hockey...until his divorce led to lies being told about him and a disillusionment of all he thought about the world of hockey. His ex-wife burned him but good and had him walking away from the sport and locking his heart away. He's a devoted single dad when the story starts, a man with trust issues who keeps his relationships with women merely physical. He's a man carrying feelings of betrayal towards a sport that he once gave his all to, a man with vulnerabilities that were slowly revealed in a tale that pulled at my heartstrings. Drake's a delicious hero who's been put through the wringer due to his ex-wife's machinations and its unexpected results. He's content raising his sons (as seen in scenes that were unabashedly charming) and is at first entertained by the constant attention from female team owner, Brienne, in trying to get him to return to the sport. The moment he gives in to her business offer though is the moment his life changes irrevocably. While he rebuilds his life on the ice, he finds his heart being rebuilt through his growing feelings for Brienne. Their connection might've started out strictly physical, but through heartfelt talks and moments of painful honesty, through being willing to show his vulnerable side, the two of them grew closer together in an immensely satisfying romance that had me adding Drake to my list of book boyfriends.
Brienne Norcross is one tough cookie! She's a strong-willed heroine determined to get her team to the top after the tragic plane crash that destroyed the team...and killed her brother. She's a knowledgeable woman, one who's unafraid to go toe-to-toe with others, and one who likes to call the shots...both in and out of the bedroom. After a disastrous first meeting with Drake, Brienne becomes even more determined to get him on the team. And so begins a sensual dance that brings them closer and closer together in a relationship that begins on a very superficial level before becoming even more meaningful and romantic through open and honest dialogue. Throughout their time together Brienne's thoughts about sex are depicted as very masculine, a unique and modern viewpoint that makes her interactions with Drake even more combustible. In showing her vulnerabilities to Drake she never shows weakness and remains the strong and capable woman who you want the Titans to win for.
Drake and Brienne are a sizzling couple from the very start, ones hardened by the actions of the world around them, who find a healing connection that warmed my heart while making me blush a time or two. Erotically-charged encounters led to surprisingly emotional depth that pulled me into their romance completely and made me like them even more as their softer sides were revealed. Their interactions with others were another delightful addition to the book as the teammates formed a tight, brotherly bond that made Drake feel a part of their world again. Brienne too found a sisterly bond with heroines from the previous books, a bond that was missing for her until now and it helped her let her hair down. Drake's scenes with his sons were endearing as well, charming and showing how deep his devotion to them is. From the first page to the last this book checked off so many boxes for me with its combustible romance between two emotionally bruised people. It was super sexy with two people giving as good as they get, balancing these scenes with sweet and heartfelt emotions. On a whole this was an immensely satisfying story, beautifully crafted with appealing and likable characters...and I highly recommend it and the books that precede it!
My rating for this is an A.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
**GET GLIMPSES OF THE OTHER BOOKS IN THE PITTSBURGH TITANS SERIES here.**
AUTHOR INFO:
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both women’s and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.
A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.
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