Lucas: A Cold Fury Hockey Novel

Book 8 gives us Lucas Fournier, Max's younger brother. Luc enjoys his life of hockey, partying and woman and has no interest in settle down just yet. When Luc is traded to the Cold Fury, he is excited to be playing with his brother and the possibility of winning the Stanley Cup. While at a team function, Luc flirts Stephanie Frazier, the Museum curator. One thing leads to another and the two of them find themselves leaving the museum for a night of intense pleasure. Imagine Luc's surprise when Stephy shows up four weeks later with the news that she is expecting and that's where the fun begins. Luc comes from a very close and loving family. While it may not be the perfect time to have a kid, he finally accepts the news. He explains to Stephy that he wants to be very involved in everything. This throws Stephy for a loop. She is used to having to do everything for herself, since she doesn't have a family in the true sense of the word. I loved Luc. He was such a great fun and sexy guy. He rushed head first into the pregnancy with such great excitement. Stephy reacted very differently. While she knew she wanted to keep the baby, she just wasn't sure she would be a good mom. Stephy is very guarded with her life because of her past. Stephy doesn't let anyone in and certainly doesn't accept any help from others so she is very wary of Luc. The two of them agree to relationship of mutual pleasure until the baby is born. Of course this leads to deeper feelings on both of their parts. Luc wants it all with Stephy, but because of her past, she can't. It was a VERY long and emotional road for Luc and Stephy to get to their happy ever after, but it was certainly worth it. I really enjoyed Luc's little sister, Simone. She is going to be a real ball buster and I can't wait for her story with Van!

I had a sense of deja vu with this book, but in a good way. And the main reason being that Lucas reminded me a lot like his older brother Max. Being bros and best friends will do that. They both have an easygoing, happy-go-lucky personality, and their tight family bond only endears them more. Lucas is an all or nothing guy. And when he falls for a girl, it's hard and fast. It is just crazy that the girl who catches his eye is closed off. It's going to take a great deal of TLC from Lucas to win Stephanie over. Lucas is steadfast in what he wants and how to be an upstanding guy without being all alpha. He wasn't perfect but knew when to make amends. Stephy was like a fish out of water most of the time. She was very stubborn but with the circumstances they found themselves in, her stance on life slowly changed. The most being her self worth, best quality of all. She was definitely a work in progress throughout the book. I love sports romances and I love ice hockey so this book was a winner especially with the dual POVs. I did feel the ending was concluded very quickly and the epilogue didn't fulfill all my needs. Although, it set up the next book, Van's story, nicely and I am sure we will hear more from Lucas in that edition. * I received a copy for an honest review.

Sawyer Bennett’s Cold Fury Hockey series is on a winning streak with book eight, LUCAS. Luc is the younger brother of Cold Fury Hockey goalie, Max Fournier (book six). Luc was recently traded to the Fury. He meets museum curator, Stephanie Frazier, at a gala and has a one-night stand with her, but unexpected circumstances bring them back together. This contemporary sports romance is suitable for adult audiences. The story takes place in Raleigh, North Carolina. I love that Lucas was traded to the Cold Fury and that Max and Luc could play professional hockey together. Max is a great character, so I enjoyed reading more about him and getting to know Luc and their sister, Simone. The Fournier’s are a wonderful family, the opposite of Stephanie’s family. Her parents are something else. It’s amazing she is well adjusted as she is. I’m glad she had Hilda when she was growing up. Her past causes a lot of emotional issues for her. Sawyer Bennett does a fantastic job with her character development. Lucas is a remarkable guy. He is insightful and thoughtful (most of the time). He is good at expressing himself. Family is important to him. He grows up faster than he was intending. Stephanie is smart and fun. She has always relied on herself and finds it difficult to open-up to others. She doesn’t have any close friends. She has always felt unworthy. She doesn’t know what it is like to have a true family. Lucas and Stephy are good for each other. They make each other better people. They have amazing chemistry. They face multiple obstacles and become stronger for it. I enjoyed the plot. LUCAS was skillfully written and believable. The story was interesting from start to finish. I loved the characters and didn’t want their story to end. Fortunately, we get to her Lucas’ sister Simone and his roommate, Van Turner story next. I cannot wait for book nine, VAN, expected to be released on November 28, 2017. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.