Early Review: Zack by Sawyer Bennett

Zack by Sawyer Bennett

Zack by Sawyer Bennett
Series: Cold Fury Hockey #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: June 9th 2015
Links: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett goes for a hat trick with the latest romance in a sexy series about cool-as-ice hockey players and the women heating up their lives.

Warning: The following contains spoilers from a cliffhanger in Garrett.

Rising star Zack Grantham has been stuck in a downward spiral of grief that has put his career on hold. Back on the road with the Carolina Cold Fury, still crippled by emotional baggage, and now a single dad, he’s in need of some serious help with his son. But while the nerdy new nanny wins his son’s heart, Zack isn’t sure he’s ready for a woman’s touch—even after getting a glimpse of the killer curves she’s hiding under those baggy clothes.

Kate Francis usually keeps men like Zack at a distance. Though his athlete’s body is honed to perfection, he refuses to move on with his life—and besides, he’s her boss. Still, the sparks between them are undeniable, tempting Kate to turn their professional relationship into a personal one. But before she makes a power play for Zack’s wounded heart, Kate will have to open him up again and show him that love is worth the fight.

OH MY GOD. YES. I. Loved. Zack! I’d been seriously SO excited for Zack’s book after reading what happened to him in Garrett. My heart was devastated for him… But I knew that his tragedy would make for an even better book. And yes, Zack absolutely did not disappoint! It’s currently my favorite of the Cold Fury Hockey series, which I highly recommend! It’s a fantastic series about hot, sexy hockey players who fall hard for their women… what’s not to love!?

Zack is a lot different than the two previous books in the series. It has a more serious tone to it, and at the same time, I laughed the hardest in this book. An odd combination, but Sawyer Bennett rocked it. I was a bit worried about how Zack would play out, but I should’ve trusted the author from the beginning. I absolutely adored Zack and Kate’s story – I loved the angst, the forbidden-ness, the sweet moments… it really was a fantastic book.

My insides feel dead, my capacity to care for much of anything seems lost, but there are two things that still keep me functioning. It’s the prospect of playing hockey again, and, most important, my son, Ben.

Zack Grantham is grief-stricken and devastated over the accident that led to the death of Gina, the mother of his son, Ben. Even though he never married Gina, he still loved her, and his heart is still in mourning over her. But life moves on, and when Zack is finally able to get back into hockey, he needs to hire a nanny to take care of Ben when he’s away.

Enter Kate Francis. A dorky, nerdy, hilarious twenty-three year old woman working her way through college. Kate is seriously the most endearing, adorkable heroine ever. I honestly love Kate more than Zack, because she’s just so funny, heartwarming, and incredible. I love Zack too, but he got frustrating sometimes… But Kate is pure heart and gold. I adored the way she took care of Ben and grew to actually love him. She’s so great with him, and she’s fantastic with dealing with a grieving Zack. She’s the only person to have been able to make him smile and laugh since Gina died.

Zack may not have thought much about Kate when she first starts working, but one glimpse of Kate in her short, revealing pajamas and Zack is hooked. The tension between Kate and Zack is out of this world… this book is hot, hot, hot!!! I was fanning myself like crazy once they start a sex-only relationship. Some scenes, like the one in Zack’s man cave… hot. damn. Of course, Zack doesn’t want feelings involved between them because he thinks he’s no longer capable of love after Gina. Which I get, but Zack is stubbornly oblivious to his own growing feelings for Kate.

There’s a part of me that wants to show her everything.
To show here all about exploration and intimacy and all of the different ways I could make her come. I want to learn her body and have her get to know mine. I want her wild with abandon, and every time I take her I want it to be in a way that completely possesses her.

Zack was frustrating in this book, with his refusal to accept his loving Kate, yes, but it was the kind of frustrating that I could understand. Sawyer Bennett did an excellent job in writing and explaining Zack’s character – we can appreciate how he loved Gina, but we can firmly see that Zack grows to be IN LOVE with Kate. His love for the mother of his son doesn’t at all diminish his love for Kate.

“You were what has been missing all my life.”

What was so unexpected about this book was how funny it was. I was expecting the angst, what with the guilt and forbidden aspect to Kate and Zack’s relationship, but I had no idea I would be cracking up so much throughout this book! Kate is so, SO funny. She says the most hilarious, crazy, adorkable things… she’s a complete dork! And Ben was absolutely adorable too – Ben and Zack together totally melted my heart.

If you’re a fan of the series, Zack is a must read! It wrung so many feelings out of me, but by the end I was smiling like a goofball. It was the perfect combination of sexy, angsty, and emotional. Aside from Zack’s frustrations, this book was nearly perfect!

4.5 hearts
lacey

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.


Reading Order: Cold Fury Hockey series

Alex by Sawyer Bennett Garrett by Sawyer Bennett
Zack by Sawyer Bennett Ryker by Sawyer Bennett Hawke by Sawyer Bennett

#1 ~ Alex: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Garrett: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Zack: Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Ryker: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Hawke: My Review • Ebook • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Max: Ebook • Goodreads (Dec. 13, 2016)

Check out a special guest post with Sawyer Bennett, in which she interviews the Cold Fury players!


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