BOOK INFORMATION
Ryker
Cold Fury Hockey # 4
Cold Fury Hockey # 4
By: Sawyer Bennett
Releasing September 8, 2015
Loveswept
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BOOK SUMMARY
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 is on Gray to step up and save a tender new love
before it’s too late.
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ALEX
GARRETT
ZACK
EXCERPT
My father has never been one for pomp, sugar
coating, or long segues. He cuts right to the chase. “I know you all have seen
the news stories and I hate that it was leaked before I could talk to you. As
of today, I have officially stepped down as the acting general manager of the
Cold Fury.”
No one utters a word. Not a sound is made.
This tells me that indeed, everyone has already heard the news.
“I’m appointing my daughter, Gray Brannon,
in my place.”
And there it is . . . a distinct rustling
sound as bodies shift in their seats. My father continues on, making firm and
clear statements about my qualifications.
Graduated Princeton when I was nineteen.
Got my MBA from Kellogg at twenty-one.
Ph.D. in statistics from Berkeley at
twenty-four.
Genius level IQ of 142.
Okay, Dad . . . that’s a little much. Get to
the good stuff.
As I half listen to my father talk with
pride about my two Olympic medals while playing for the U.S. women’s ice hockey
team—one silver, one gold—I let my eyes roam over the group. The two front rows
are composed of the coaching, equipment, and training staff. The players sit in
clique-type groups based on what lines they play on. This isn’t by design, but
I’m betting more because they have a unique bond and camaraderie. They almost
have a sixth sense that enables them to read each other while on the ice.
My eyes pass over Ryker Evans, our team’s
goalie, and then snap right back to him. He’s not watching my father but rather
me, and I find myself unwillingly sucked into those silver-gray eyes. It
happens every time I look at him, whether it’s in person or he’s giving an
interview on TV, which is again proof that I am indeed a woman.
His lips tip up in acknowledgment of me and
his eyes radiate congratulations. He gives me a nod of approval and then slides
his gaze to my father, who is now lauding my scouting efforts for the Cold
Fury. I’ve been the senior scout for the past two years and have scored some
great players for the team.
I don’t immediately move my own gaze on, but
rather take an unfettered moment to appreciate Ryker’s bold handsomeness. He’s
called the Brick Wall in this league because he’s big. I mean really big for a
goalie, but he’s still one of the most agile net minders I’ve ever seen. And
still speaking as a woman for just a second, he has the face of a GQ cover
model. In fact, I think he’s actually graced their cover twice if memory serves
me. Dark hair, liquid silver eyes, and a beard of what looks like no more than
three days’ growth that never gets shorter or longer, even during the playoffs.
I’m quite sure when he’s ready to retire he could have a second career as a
model if he was so inclined.
As it stands, however, I am far more
interested in Ryker Evans for his athletic abilities than his face and I
consider him to be one of my greatest acquisitions as a scout. I thought that
even when our playoff hopes were crushed during Ryker’s first game in a Cold
Fury jersey when he failed to stop a penalty shot, securing for us a big fat
loss. I thought he was still a fantastic prospect even when the organization’s
CFO, Bill Bowman, berated me in a staff meeting for insisting on such a pricey
acquisition to the team.
I remember that day with actual fondness.
Bill got all red in the face as he ranted at me, and my father just leaned back
in his chair at the head of the conference room table and let me take it all on
my shoulders. My father never fought my fights once I became an adult and I
loved him for it. It meant he respected me.
It didn’t matter that it was wholly unfair
to put that loss on Ryker’s shoulders. The fact is, the team—as a whole and
with our regular starting goalie, Max Fournier—blew a three-game lead in the
playoffs against Atlanta. Ryker came in cold off the bench when Max suffered a
season- ending knee injury and was immediately placed in the net to face off
against one of the best players in the league for a penalty shot.
And when he missed it, he became the pariah
of the Cold Fury team.
At least for a little while.
But right now, it’s kind of hard to be the
outcast when you have a .936 save percentage.
Yes, now my boy is back. He’s become a team
leader—a man the younger guys look up to. He’s killing it on the ice, and I
believe nothing is going to stop him this season. I can see it in his eyes, the
tilt of his chin, the set to his shoulders. Ryker Evans, the Brick Fucking
Wall, is going to lead this team—my team—straight into the playoffs. He has
something to prove and that’s fine by me . . . whatever motivates him best.
“—which means that the only one who has to
prove herself to you is Gray. I’m not even asking you to give her a chance
because I know she’d never ask that of you either. I’m just telling you to
watch and judge her on her own merits.”
My dad steps away from the podium and gives
me a wink. He sweeps a hand out, indicating that I now have the floor. I didn’t
have any expectations that I was going to be greeted with open arms. I didn’t
expect applause, wolf whistles, or even metaphorical banging of hockey sticks
to welcome me. In fact, I got more than I ever anticipated just from that quick
nod of approval from Ryker Evans.
That’s fine by me.
Just makes this all the easier for me as I
step up to the podium and prepare to cement my place in history.
CAT'S REVIEW
So, I picked up "Ryker" with a bit of apprehension - I've read the first four books in this series and fell in love with each one. I thought, how could Ms. Bennett write another story that made me fall in love again? Well, she did and in love I fell. Ryker is all male - tall, strong and sexy, professional Hockey goalie. He's a great dad and simply adores Gray. I didn't know if I'd like Gray in the beginning. But she also stole my heart. She tries to be this strong and tough woman but in reality, she's just good at her job and is truly a girl looking for true love. Her insecurities, especially with Ryker's girls, touched my heart. There's some forces against this relationship and I really liked how they handled it, especially Ryker. However, Gray outdid herself at the end. That was, for me, one of the sweetest endings. Ms. Bennett managed to incorporate so much in this one - there's love and romance, of course, but there's also some danger and an annoying ex as well as the issues of working together. I'm happy to say that "Ryker" is now on my read again list, along with his fellow Cold Fury hockey brothers. It is not necessary to read the first three books in this series, but I would highly recommend them. You won't be disappointed. (Received copy from NetGalley for honest review)
★★★★★
AUTHOR INFO
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.
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