Since I discovered the Cold Fury series a few months back with my introduction to Zack, I’ve been eagerly awaiting Ryker’s story. I mean…he’s the goalie! I love the goalie! And his intro in the previous book was definitely enough to rev me up for his romance.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
One-Sentence Synopsis
A seasoned goalie and his team’s first female general manager give in to their mutual lust, determined to keep it a secret in order to keep their jobs and their integrity. For a full synopsis, see this book’s Goodreads page.
The Good Stuff
This book had a lot of great stuff, and I had a hard time putting it down. Ryker is a nice guy trying to do right by his daughter, be nice to his cheating ex, and making sure that Gray knows she has his full support. He’s a strong hero that doesn’t go overboard with the alpha.
The element of Gray being the team’s first woman general manager gave the story something deeper to mull over than just the relationship. She’s a strong, smart woman, given a position that is usually given to men, and there is a wide range of opinions from the other players. This, in turn, flows into the question of career vs. love for both of them, but how it’s slightly different for men and women.
I ended up enjoying Gray and loving that even though she was strong, she still allowed herself some vulnerability and acknowledged that there was more to her than her education and professional position.
The Romance Factor
It was hard for the romance in this to beat the one in Zack, at least for me. Still, it definitely gave it a try with the developing relationship between Gray and Ryker and how they navigated their relationship around professional constraints. It does get a bonus for a damsel-in-distress moment and a heavy dose of angst. 4/5
The Steam Factor
Bennett continues to bring the hotness. While this one wasn’t as risque as some of her others, it was definitely enough to make a reader blush. 5/5
Final Thoughts
I’m guessing this is the last book in the series (though I’d be okay with being wrong), and I loved the high hockey note it went out on. It was also fun to see cameos from past characters. This is the series that introduced me to hockey romance and is thus far, the best that I’ve read.
The Romance Factor 