I love the Cold Fury! I hope you never run out of players to write about Sawyer Bennett. I would think with trades, retirements and rookies, you could keep this going forever. One can hope.
Lucas Fournier is new to the team and Max’s younger brother. He is the epitome of sexy, charismatic, super hot hockey player and king of the one night stand. That's all he has felt he was capable of until Stephanie Frazier comes into his life. Due to their undeniable chemistry, their one night hook up becomes more. I enjoyed this story and really loved Lucas, I had a difficult time warming up to Stephy though but if Lucas was willing to give it a try, so was I. After learning about Stephy's past it was easy to see why she had a hard time with relationships but boy was she a tough nut to crack; luckily Lucas isn't a quitter. This was quite the emotional roller coaster ride, but a ride well worth taking. Another 5 star read in a fantastic hockey romance series!

A solid 4 star read! Loved the chemistry and the humor to this great couple! Totally felt the angst and the passion of Lucas and Stephanie!

3.5 "I’m about orgasms." Stars

After my last Sawyer Bennett read (not from this series), I declared we were having a break but then she goes and brings us Lucas and seeing as I adored his big brother, Max, not reading his story would be cutting my nose off to spite my face. So, with some trepidation, in I went and here I am eating my words because I enjoyed it.

"I’m into hookups and one-night stands because that’s all I have to give someone.”

The reason was largely down to Luc and his personality, and whilst a player, only interested in no-strings sex, underneath he's thoughtful and has a huge heart—pretty similar traits to his brother. And when he meets museum curator/also preferrer of no-strings shenanigans, Stephanie Frazier at a charity dinner, sparks fly, clothes are shed and they indulge in one night neither will ever forget.

"I’m single. You’re single—or at least I assume you are—and we both enjoy sex."

Although Stephanie could be frustrating, and hugely so, her reasons for being detached, closed-off and untrusting were understandable because loving relationships are alien to her. But if there's a family to show her the possibilities it's the Fournier's and when Max's parents enter the mix in come the moments that make you smile and pull on the heartstrings.

"...just because you have the potential to hurt my son doesn’t mean you’re not good for him."

There's no getting away from the fact that this is a sex-fest with a fairly simple storyline and a dose or two of angst thrown in along the way. And even though the ending was rushed, overall it was an easy read and I've been left intrigued enough over Luc's roommate, Van, to see what the score is between him and Simone—Luc and Max's baby sister.

The opening chapters got me hooked. The story fully developed, there were enough secondary characters that I felt like I had a complete picture and I loved how they all interacted with each other.

Stephanie and Lucas meet at a social event being held at Stephanie's workplace. She catches Luc's attention and they have a one night stand. Things do not end on a good note when they discover a broken condom and so begins their unexpected journey.

Stephanie has baggage a mile wide and deep. Her parents never wanted her and made a point of ignoring her or just plain sending her off to boarding school so they wouldn't have to deal with her. She has learned to rely only upon herself and lets no one in. She figures if she is alone, no one can hurt her. That thought process is fine for a young adult, but not so much for a 28 year old woman. She pushes people away and lashes out without much provocation.

Lucas is fine with no strings attached and thinks his career needs to come first. He is surprised when Stephanie shows up at the bar he frequents after a game and can tell she came looking for him. When she lets him in on their unexpected surprise from their night together, he is left reeling.

Both of them try to come to some kind of common ground. They know they will now need to be in each other's lives but question to what extent they should be involved together. You just know things are not going to go smoothly when Stephanie suggests they become friends with benefits. Lucas knows he was intrigued by Stephanie and wants to get to know her more, so he readily agrees. Thus beings their tumultuous travel through a relationship. There was a lot of push/pull and Stephanie acting like a toddler at points. Lucas was strong and able to withstand a lot of her BS so I gave him a lot of credit for it. Everyone has a breaking point and it was tough to see Luc reach his at one point. I felt Stephanie needed to own up to her baggage and not use it as a crutch to be a self-absorbed snot at points. It was interesting how it all worked out in the end. Sawyer Bennett does a great job of setting up Van's book at the end. I gratefully received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Another great addition to the Cold Fury series! If you haven't started the series yet....this is your chance! Loved the chemistry and intensity of Lucas and Stephanie's story. Also, loved the tease of what is to come for Van!

ARC received for review

Another great Cold Fury book. Lucas was all kinds of yummy, just like his brother Max. Now Stephanie I wanted to smack upside the head every other page. Lots of previous Cold Fury peeps.

Now Van, Lucas' roommate, is up next. He's so grumpy and dirty I really want him to be a person who would visit Ms. Bennett's Wicked Horse.

Lucas Fournier is amped! Not only is he now part of The Cold Fury Family, he’s playing professional hockey alongside his big brother Max and together they are going to bring home the Stanley Cup. He’s pretty much got everything he needs or at least that’s what he thinks until one night with Stephanie Frazier and a faulty condom creates a situation that’s going to tie them together for the rest of their lives. While this may not have been in his immediate plans, Luc is confident that the two of them can get through this together.

An exceptional story by Sawyer Bennett. Lucas was a well-balanced story with a good plot.

4 To Be Loved By a Fournier Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
Now that may seem like the craziest title ever...But if you give me a moment, I can explain. You see, Lucus is the younger brother of Max...and both of these men come from a family that is friggin' amazing. These men may have had some hiccups along the way on finding "Their Person" but when they do... They end up going all in....And their all in just works for me...

I happened to have loved Max in the 6th entry to the Cold Fury Series. These brothers have a sweetness and love of family. They had the gift of parents who would encourage and support no matter what. This was the foundation of these men... this was what guided them through all of the years growing up, experiencing the ups and downs of a career in sports... this was what made them who they were.

So to be loved by a Fournier ...I am all in...

Now don't get me wrong... There is a story to be told and nothing is easy with these brothers... they seem to find the most stubborn women...And these women have their legitimate reasons...they do challenge us readers to be patient and understand why they maintain this continued level of stubbornness or fear of seeing what is right before their eyes...

But I am jumping ahead...

The whole basis of this story is told exceedingly well in the blurb...
Lucas is part of the Cold Fury now and they are focused on winning the Stanley Cup. The team is in the running and all Lucas wants to do is prove himself to the team and show he deserves to be there. To play with his brother, Max, is something they both had hoped for from the start... and now it is a reality. Nothing is going to ruin this for Lucas.

Lucas has never denied himself from enjoying all the Puck Bunnies who avail themselves to him. He has been active in all the "extra curricular activities" being a Hockey player can easily participate in and has no plans to be involved in any long term relationship. The only long term relationship for Lucas right now is with Hockey.

Lucas is behaving himself at a Cold Fury Charity Event minding his own business when he spots a beautiful woman doing something that catches his eye...

Stephanie Frazier is stunning... she is self assured and in control at all times. She has had to be that way in order to survive and develop into the capable person she is. She has never experienced support or sacrifices from her parents...she was an imposition to them and they let her know it from the start. Her only warmth growing up was from a nanny...So Stephanie learned very quickly, she had only herself to rely on... and she became an expert at it.

When Stephanie approaches Lucas...or actually a skeleton of the main attraction of the museum where she is now the interim curator, both of them feel the sparks of attraction...They flirt, they acknowledge the flirting and then they go and act on the flirting like two very healthy, passionate grown ups will do.

Both are Extremely Compatible in their desires and ways of enjoying them... and after, there is no embarrassment or shame, just a very intense experience that both of them will remember for the pleasure it brought...

Oh, and also the unplanned results....

Yes, there is a result and it is this main upcoming event which is the crux of the story and how these two develop into the couple they become.

From the start, our Lucas is not someone who lays everything out and understands he has found his One... Nope, he is scared sh!tless but also knows he will do the responsible thing. He will be there for Stephanie as a willing partner, letting her know she will not be alone in this ...she will have someone to lean on. However, Stephanie's whole existence has been based on Never Trusting or Believing she can lean on anyone without being severely hurt...which is just the opposite of Lucas' upbringing.

So this is the conflict...Both of them want what is best...Both of them are physically attracted to each other...and both think they can do the physical without the risk of emotional complications....

Hahahahahahahaha Snort, hahahahahahaha, Giggle, Hahahahahahah Sigh....

Yeah, I know...

So we go on this journey... with Lucas who is just delicious and see him fall really hard for this woman. He sees the pain she has experienced; he wants to figure out how to alleviate it yet not frighten her away...Because this woman is like a cat on a hot tin roof when she gets defensive...

Stephanie is not the most touchy-feely character... she can be down right difficult to accept... as it takes her an extremely long time to see what is in front of her. Also Lucas in trying to be careful with her, takes awhile to come to grips with how he is feeling about Stephanie. too.

Overall, though, it is this guy I fell for and wanted to see a full Happily Ever After...Because,
When a Fournier loves you, they go all in.

~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~

It Is Time...
Time to see what the new Cold Fury Hockey Team Member has in store for us...

Let's see...
He is Max's younger brother...
He has one singular focus... Hockey...
He is not hurting for Extra Curricular Enjoyment...

Nope, Not At All...
But No Commitments or Connections which would distract from his main goal...
His First and Only Love...Hockey

That is until HER...
She is closed off...
She is not having any charm or engagement...
Well, there was that one time...

Now Lucas must break down walls...
And he will...
Because She is Worth It...

Lucas - September 19th 2017

A gifted copy was provided by Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept for an honest review.

Lucas is a professional hockey player in his late twenties, enjoying all the perks that come with the job (abundant sex with puck bunnies.) Stephanie is an interim curator at the museum where Lucas' team is holding a fundraiser. It's insta-lust at first sight!

I usually dislike this trope because it substitutes a lot of "hawt" sex for real emotion and the relationship ends up feeling superficial to me. In this case, though, the author did a great job of showing what's behind the super-charged chemistry and the emotional foundation was solid by the end of the story.

Lucas and Stephanie have a hot hookup that ends up in an unplanned pregnancy. Lucas has a moment of panicked doubt when he find out about it, but he soon resolves to be there for his kid and for her. Stephanie is the one who doesn't want any emotional involvement, though she's on board for more hawt sex.

As the characters are revealed, it starts to make sense why they are the way they are. Lucas comes from a close-knit family and has always know that he would have his own; he just thought it'd be further down the road. Stephie was horribly neglected by her own parents and doesn't really know how to let anybody close; she really does have severe commitment issues.

I loved how Lucas fell slowly in love and was all in as far as the child was concerned. I got a bit tired of Stephanies' issues, though. It felt like she just kept beating her head against them instead of trying to overcome them. She knows she has a problem but just accepts it as a give instead of trying to solve it. She does develop a friendship with another character as well as falling in love with Lucas, a fact that helped me buy into the HEA and her eventual full recovery.

This is one of the few insta-lust books I've read where I totally believed in the HEA by the end. Highly recommend for anybody who likes: sports romance, unplanned babies and great heroes.

Welcome back to the Cold Fury Hockey team and they are fighting for the Stanley cup... but this season things are a bit different. The younger brother of Max, who we all know in love, Lucas is now on the team and ready to prove his spot.
The book starts off getting us right into it where Lucas meets Stephanie... and lets say their night gets interesting... fast forward a couple of weeks and lets just say this is where are story takes a turn.
This book has a good mix of humor, surprise pregnancy and some hot steamy sex. I will say i melted for Lucas, he could be a bit of an ass at times but overall a great guy. For Stephanie, she was harder to love, I felt bad for the life and my heart hurt for her. Overall i enjoyed this book and give this book 4 stars.

I have read all of Sawyer Bennet's Carolina Cold Fury books. This one is really good! Her writing style is consistent and easy to read. Her characters are well-developed and story stays on target.

Lucas is a GREAT character -- caring, fun-loving, compassionate, understanding (to a fault IMO), and more. It is great to see an added family dimension to the series with Lucas being Max's brother. One of my favorite parts of series romances -- catching up with previous characters! Lucas quickly transitions from a bed-hopping bad boy to a dedicated dad-to-be. I was surprised by his immediate switch, but Ms. Bennett does an excellent job explaining this by introducing his parents and their strong marriage.

My biggest issue with this book was our heroine, Stephanie. She is DAMAGED -- a lifetime of neglect from her parents has stunted her emotional development to disastrous levels. In order for Stephanie to EVER have successful relationships (romantic or otherwise), she needs INTENSIVE therapy/counseling. Ms. Bennett does reference previous counseling Stephy received in college, but by her own admission it did NOT help. There is no way Stephanie could so quickly change her ways as she does in the final chapters of the book.

In light of the stigma associated with mental health issues, Ms. Bennett had a perfect opportunity to show how there is no shame in seeking help. One of the most truthful moments in the book is when Lucas tells Stephanie she will probably damage their child just like her parents did hers. If she does NOT get help, that's exactly what will happen. The fact that Lucas backtracked on that statement so quickly a few chapters later was frustrating. The comment was harsh, but truthful.

Overall, it was a great addition to the series. I will look forward to Van's story soon!

I started loving Lucas at first; after all, he's the younger brother of my Cold Fury fave Max. At first, Lucas and Stephanie were a smashing combo of sex, youth, confidence and fun, as they faced their oops situation head on. Unfortunately, Stephanie's stubborn petulance and childhood issues collided with Lucas' immaturity, and I ended up rolling my eyes and gnashing my teeth over the events in the last third of the book. I'm disappointed because the first fifty percent of the story was so promising.

Still, it was fun to catch up on the rest of the Cold Fury guys and gals, even if Jules got on my nerves for siding with Stephanie over Lucas. As always, looking forward to the next Cold Fury adventure.

Luc Fournier is Marc Fournier's "little" brother, and he has just joined the Cold Fury hockey team.  He's happy, single, and loving the life of a hot and famous hockey player.  He's a little disgusted at seeing his brother and other teammates being so domesticated, and swears he's going to be single for a long, long time.  Then karma bit him.  He had a one night stand with a beautiful girl he met in a gala and the condom broke.  And he ended up joining the future father gang ahead of all his friends and brother.  Having been raised in a family with a high moral compass, Luc is determined to do right by his baby.  Stephanie is a little standoffish and secretive, but she's also determined to get along with Luc so they can co-parent their child.

I love all Sawyer Bennett books.  In this Cold Fury world, the good part is you get to see all the characters from previous books, so it's a blast.  Even more, we get to see a lot of Marc and Jules.  Jules is like Luc's conspirator in dealing with Stephanie, because she's sometimes very remote and Luc can't get through to her.  Stephanie is fun and sexy but keeps her feelings very closed up.  She has a hard time opening up to people, even though she yearns to feel the closeness of friends and family.  Stephanie was raised by nannies, her selfish and self-indulgent parents had no time and no desire to raise a child and frequently told her so.  She feels like no one can love her and has a very thick core of protectiveness around her heart, which leads to intimacy problems. She has a really strong sense of worthlessness and it breaks your heart.  It's very difficult for Stephanie to let someone in, and she's trying but not fast enough for Luc.  Luc, on the other hand, wants to help, wants to give her what she never had, and makes mistakes by being pushy and smothering.  Both make a lot of effort and make mistakes but they develop a deep connection.

I love how she gets integrated into the circle of the Cold Fury girlfriends/wives.  She's organizing a non-profit in which school age kids visit old folks in nursing homes.  The old folks are cheered by the kids and the kids get after school care.  Jules helps Stephanie organize it.  Luc's parents also appear, and we see Luc's little sister have a thing with Van, Luc's roommate.  So now we know who will be the guy in the next Cold Fury book.  I love this world, with the families, the friends, the teamwork and the support they give to one another.  It's a feel good book apart from the smexy times.

Really Sawyer Bennett? REALLY?! Why must you continue to do this to me? Another guy to add to my list.
Lucas Fournier is amped! Not only is he now part of The Cold Fury Family, he’s playing professional hockey alongside his big brother Max and together they are going to bring home the Stanley Cup. He’s pretty much got everything he needs or at least that’s what he thinks until one night with Stephanie Frazier and a faulty condom creates a situation that’s going to tie them together for the rest of their lives. While this may not have been in his immediate plans, Luc is confident that the two of them can get through this together.
While Stephanie Frazier may come from a wealthy family she knows nothing of unconditional love and family. Her parents made it pretty clear that she was more than an inconvenience in their lives than a blessing. With role models like that, how the hell is she going to raise a child? For all the doubt she has, Luc is full of confidence.
If you loved Max, you’re going to love his little brother just as much. This guy is swoony! He says all the right things most of the time and it’s not just him feeding Stephanie lines. He’s a really nice guy. Like his brother and the rest of the Cold Fury team, Lucas has had his man-whoring days. As a matter of fact it was a night of being a man-whore that led to his situation, but at the core of it all Lucas wants that dream with a wife, kids, dogs and the white picket fence. He just didn’t realize how badly he wanted it.
Of all the characters you’ve come across, Stephanie is one that will break your heart and make you just want to hug her. Sawyer did a very good job of making you feel Stephanie’s heartache. While Stephanie could be slightly annoying with her independence you understood why she was that way and you really rooted for her. You just want to grab her, shake her and say “Let love in girl! Just let it in!” The thing about Stephanie is she was so starved for love and attention but she didn’t have a clue. Her parents were straight assholes and the only thing missing from this story was someone putting them in their place or someone kicking their asses (insert angry face).
So once again, Sawyer has given us a loveable couple made up of a hot, compassionate guy and a strong independent woman. I was in from the first word and read straight through in a day. One of my favorite reads this summer.
My favorite line:
I want to go out and get a ring and put it on your finger with superglue so it doesn’t fucking come off ever.
GOD, Don’t you just want to eat this guy up!!

I really enjoyed Lucas. I love him as a person. He's not quite Max, but he's still lovable. He's got a great head on his shoulders and knows what he wants. He's great with Stephanie and making her feel like she's wanted and loved. Stephanie on the other hand can be frustrating. I completely understand what she's been through and how terrible her parents are, but her attitude throughout the book is angering. It takes her a long time to see what's right in front of her and that she deserves it all. When she can put all of that behind her she's a great character. I wasn't expecting the storyline to go how it did, but I liked it, especially that it was different from the other Cold Fury books, which can be hard to do considering there are now 8 of them. I also loved that we got to know more about the Fournier family. I'm interested to see how Van is going to play out. He's not the nicest guy around so I don't know how it'll be inside his head.

I have some very serious mixed emotions about this book. For the most part I liked the story a lot, however there were so many reason to also NOT like it, I'm not sure how to think. It starts out well and kind of devolves into a mess.

On the plus side, Luc was lovable and his family was terrific. I adored their support for and devotion to each other.

Also weirdly on the plus side was that Stephanie's family was SO hideous, it makes you want to cry for her and her emotional abandonment.

However, where my belief in the book flies out the window is in Stephanie's weird pushing away. It's just WAY over the top. Also, I totally disbelieve that anyone who spent virtually her entire adolescence at boarding school and summer camp would suddenly develop a problem going away to college to the point she sought counseling. Her devotion to her nanny also seems completely contrived if she was hardly ever in her presence. I doubt her parents would have even kept the nanny employed for the brief occasions their daughter would have been at home.

Two other things that got to me were the "great idea" Stephanie comes up with for her non-profit business and Luc's supposedly hideous statement to her towards the end of the book. First of all, I don't get how a non-profit would even be needed for a project like that (maybe it's just me, and I don't understand day care enough). And I for one thought Luc's comment to Stephanie was justified! It wasn't some random nasty, out of character thing he said; it was the truth. Yes, it was hurtful, but it made her do some serious thinking.

OK, and one other thing got to me in a big way. If you'll notice, these beefs of mine all have to do with things at the end of the book and how stuff was resolved. I feel the author was ready to be done with the story and wanted to tie up loose strings. So this problem was ***SPOILER ALERT*** we have a woman who is concussed with a freshly broken arm and is on morphine, and suddenly she feels well enough to go change her clothes to go shop for an engagement ring??! Who are we kidding here??! Ridiculous. She was meant to still be in the hospital.

The book had great potential, but it turned into a predictable, formulaic mess with plot holes left and right.

I have loved all of the books in this series and this one is no exception! I thought that Lucas and Stephanie were well written characters despite my frustration with Stephanie at times at her inability to see Lucas for who he was and always using her upbringing as an excuse to not give Lucas a chance at a relationship. I loved Lucas since he was the most patient man I have ever read despite the circumstances of their relationship and how they came together. I enjoyed the brief look at the previous characters in the series as well as the glimpse of what is to come. The plot of this book moved along well and I was hooked from the beginning. I would recommend this book to others as well as this series.
I voluntarily reviewed and ARC copy of this book via NetGalley.

Even after not having read the previous books in the series, I felt that this could very well be read as a stand alone. Since there really wasn't mention made of the other players other then Lucas' brother Max and teammate Van...whose story is next in the series...it wasn't hard to delve right into the story.

There was a lot of strong emotions running throughout the story. From passion to anger and plenty in between, there was no shortage of intensity to keep the story moving at a very fast pace. There wasn't any real hockey game play to speak of, but the character dynamics filled the gap in a very satisfying way.

The sparks between Lucas and Stephanie flew from their first meeting. They were explosive in the bedroom, but also caring for each other without recognizing it. The push and pull between them, mostly on Stephanie's part, was exasperating at times, but in the over all scheme of the story, it was necessary.

Now I'm reallocate looking forward to Van's story.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.