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.

I hope Bennett continues adding to the Cold Fury roster, because this is a series that always delivers exactly what I want and need.

Once again, she gave us what appeared to be a typical bachelor, who was just out looking for a good time, when deep down inside, he was a hidden romantic who wanted it all. I think that One Direction song sort of applies here, what makes Lucas such a romantic, is that he doesn't think he is. Watching him as he tried to navigate his relationship with Stephanie was a swoonfest. He was so willing to work at his relationship with Stephanie, and to slowly nurture it in hopes that it would grow. He also had such a beautiful relationship with his family. I loved spending time with the whole crew, because he helped me see where all Lucas' wonderful traits came from.

Stephanie was a very independent and sexually empowered woman, but she was packing a LOT of baggage. Bennett did a wonderful job painting the full picture of Stephanie's background, but I still thought that Lucas deserved kudos for his perseverance. There were times that I wanted to reach through the page and smack Stephanie good, because Lucas was a good thing. They had chemistry that was off the charts, they enjoyed being with each other, and talking to each other, and things were just better when they were together.

This was a little bit of a roller coaster, but I loved the ride, and cannot wait to get Van's story!

I'm not sure what is happening lately, but all the books I am reading have amazing male leads and the heroine is kind of blah for me. That said, I LOVE the Cold Fury series and was really looking forward to Lucas. He comes in as Max's little brother. Although they share similar genes and sense of family, Lucas brings us a whole different look at a difficult relationship.

Stephanie and Lucas have a super hot one night stand. Until it turns into more. I do give Stephy some credit in that she is well aware of her flaws. Lucas earns her trust and she starts to share some of herself. It just takes her soooo long to get to the acceptance level that she becomes annoying. And it isn't just Lucas she puts walls up against. His family, the other WAGs, her employer, the hospital. She just is not even willing to try. Given her predicament both physically and financially, I would have thought her brain might get in line with her heart just a bit quicker.

Thank God for Lucas Such a great guy. Even he can only give so much of himself before it doesn't seem worth it.

Great to catch up with some of the other players. Loved that Simone has wormed her way into her brother's limelight again. Should be an interesting next book coming. Good addition to the series!

Requested and received an ARC from NetGalley.

Sawyer Bennett usually gives me a story that even if I don't LOVE it, I always enjoy it. That hasn't changed with this book. I never quite connected with Lucas and I think that was because of his ability to lash out which seemed the complete opposite of how the character was written to be. A couple of times I was even hoping Stephanie would just pack up and move away since I at least understood where she was coming from and acting in the way she did. My one true gripe is the ending. That was over so quick it was like hitting a cement wall doing 60mph. It's also what took the book from a 3.5 star to a 3 for me. No epilogue, so unless we get some info in a future book we will be left with a whole lot of questions as to how their future might have played out.

The 8th book in the Cold Fury Hockey Series was a very enjoyable read. I don't usually enjoy first person dual POV but with Sawyer Bennett I make that exception because her stories are entertaining and the pacing and flow of the story doesn't drag. I'm a fairly new Sawyer Bennett reader so I haven't read the previous Cold Fury books but I didn't feel like I was missing anything by not having read the previous 7 books. I would like to read the other couple's stories that made an appearance in this one but this story was really only about Lucas and Stephanie. Lucas was a great hero. Loved him from the beginning. Loved how hot the chemistry between him and Stephanie were. At first I thought Stephanie was a refreshing heroine. She was bold and independent but towards the end her insecurities almost ruined their relationship. It kinda went on too long in my opinion. I was frustrated right along with Lucas because she just wouldn't open herself up. But alas, there is an HEA. If you haven't read any of Sawyer Bennett's books, you really should try but be warned that her work leans towards erotic romance. I'm not sure if that's the true category description but that's how I classify it. So if you like fun and very sexy stories and enjoy 1st person POV, you'll really enjoy her works.

*I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book*

I love the guys of Cold Fury. Lucas is the sweetest man, quite the opposite of what Stephanie expected or thinks she deserves. Emotionally stilted, Stephanie is not ready for what's coming her way. Lucas knows that he will be an awesome family man, just didn't know it would be this soon. Never a dull moment.

Another book and another gorgeous Cold Fury player!

Book 8 and I am still loving this series which takes readers on a fascinating journey into the world of sporting alphas. We’ve had characters which are dominant, characters which frustrate, and this time we just have a sweet, generous, kindhearted and generally loveable character in Lucas.

A player, in both senses of the word, Luc is happily enjoying singledom until he comes across Museum curator, Stephanie Frazier. When he realises that Stephanie is more than his match where hot dates are concerned, he jumps, literally, at the chance of one night with her but it’s one night that will change his life forever.

Stephanie has as easy-going and fun-loving personality but with a major insecurity complex. Having lived a wealthy but unloved childhood, she finds it hard to make friends and even harder to commit to someone and love…. love is an impossibility, or so she thinks.

Clearly enamoured with Lucas, and vice versa, the duo start a less than conventional relationship. Whilst clearly enjoying each other’s company, in between the sheets so to speak, it’s difficult to foresee them having anything more than a physical connection with each other, at first.

Another delightful Fournier man, Lucas adds his own blend of special to this story and despite his kindness towards Stephanie, and her “little” problem, she is impossibly frustrating and continuously rejects what he has to offer. Whilst full of drama, readers are also treated to an unusual love affair and it’s definitely one to savour.

This was an easily enjoyable story, despite the drama. Luc was definitely the highlight in this instalment!

A one night stand that turned into a baby and so much more. Luck and Stephen are such great characters. Lucas has a lot of depth to him. Stephie has never known love or even friendship. Lucas throws her for a loop. It was such an interesting story. It's part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
****I voluntarily reviewed and gave my honest opinion of this Advanced Reviewer's Copy of this
book from Net Galley****

I love me a hot as sin hockey player!
Lucas def fits the bill. He is hot, young, and ready to score! He has the pleasure of running into Stephy one night, and he can't shake her. His eyes find her icy blue ones and I think he knew he was done for.
Stephy is a young independent gal who trusts no one and needs no man to make her happy. She is a fiery red head who protects her heart at all costs. Lucas and Stephy fall into an easy routine after they face some obstacles. Lucas is fiercely protective of her, and she takes that as a sign of needed to slow down. She has been burned before and is NOT looking to let her walls come down. Lucas shows her what he has to offer and what he is willing to do for her, but will she be able to love herself enough to accept what he is offering? I think you need to read that to find out!
#Acrocanthosaurus #Strings #CherryGarcia #CasuallyComplicated #CrotchMonster

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
This is the second book in this series I have read. It's an easy romantic sports story with a sexy hot athlete as the hero. I really liked the character of Lucas and his caring nature and strong family relationships was heartwarming. The chemistry between him and Stephanie was sizzling and there were some steamy scenes.
An enjoyable read.

Sparks fly when hockey hotshot Lucas Fournier and museum curator Stephanie Frazier meet at a fancy gala. A night of unbridled passion turns into something more when the condom breaks and suddenly, Steph and Luc share a connection for the rest of their lives. The only problem – aside from the obvious – is that Steph doesn’t do commitment. Can Luc push through her walls and get her to accept the love he wants to give her?

I’ve picked up some Sawyer Bennett books over the years, but they’re just gathering virtual dust on my Kindle shelf. I know that Sawyer Bennett is a pretty big author in the romance genre, so I was excited to be approved for this ARC on Netgalley. Unfortunately, aside from the rather heated beginning, this book fell flat for me.

First of all, at least half of the blame lies on me. I really, really dislike the “surprise baby” trope, and somehow missed that in the blurb. And this book is really, really focused on the baby aspect. It’s not that I dislike kids (I love babies) or that kids in my romance novels bother me (they don’t). I think it’s more that I read romance to escape from my daily life, and the reminder that something as simple as a condom breaking could change my life forever just does not relax me one bit.

Honestly, this book stressed me out.

Now, Luc seemed like a great guy. I appreciated how open, honest, and straightforward he was. Stephanie, on the other hand, totally rubbed me the wrong way. I get that she had a bad childhood, but her whole standoffish vibe and refusal to let Luc in grated on my nerves.

Throughout the book, Luc constantly tries to break down Steph’s walls, and she will not let him in. When Luc confronts her, there’s this whole attitude of “you can’t upset a pregnant woman” that really bothered me – let me tell you, I am of a certain age where literally everybody I know is having children. I have had five coworkers give birth to seven children over the last two years. Relatives and friends have also had babies. You can upset a pregnant woman. I mean, obviously, don’t try to stress her out, but absolutely call her out if she’s acting like an idiot! And Stephanie acted like an idiot throughout a good 75% of this book.

There’s this one conversation which basically goes like this:

Luc: Could you please open up a bit? I feel like I hardly know you.
Steph: Um, excuse you, I had a bad childhood and I am literally pregnant right now?
Luc: Yeah, but maybe you could like… talk to me?
Steph: HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF NOT TALKING TO YOU WHEN I HAVE ACTUALLY SHARED VERY MINIMAL FACTS ABOUT MY LIFE!
Luc: But… like… I want to know more.
Steph: This is why I don’t date. I’d rather be single. You are so mean.
Luc: Okay. I am legitimately sorry and I can’t believe I actually asked you a question while you’re pregnant with my child. Carry on.
Yes, there are also scenes where Luc acts like a total jerk, but it’s not completely unwarranted. There’s always something leading up to it. His actions never come out of the blue and are, while possibly poorly worded, legitimate responses to Steph’s actions. All Steph does is sit around and complain about how nobody could ever love her when she has a man she even admits is perfect sitting down next to her, trying to love her despite her reluctance.

Anyway. Can we move on to the plot? Or, rather, the lack of plot? Because this book is mostly just gratuitous sex tied together with a very flimsy plot of a) a surprise baby, b) Steph’s familial issues, and c) Steph’s job prospects. All in all, not a lot of plot for a book that’s ~300 pages. And, the thing is, the sex scenes aren’t that great. Sure, the first one is pretty hot, but then they start getting repetitive and I found myself skimming them.

Serious question: Do actual adults in actual relationships really spend this much time having sex? I mean, I get that it happens when you’re in your first real “adult” relationship, no longer living with your parents, trying to assert your independence or whatever. But do actual adults really have sex marathons that last for four days? If so, how is that even pleasant? How does your body handle that? Do you really have nothing better to do?

The majority of the book revolves around the fact that Steph is pregnant, and actual pregnant women comment on the fact that they’re pregnant less than Steph does. Actual women that I know with hyperemesis gravidarum, who are hospitalized for their condition, talk about throwing up less than Steph does. (I hope that super graphic vomit scene is cut out of the final version of the book because it was absolutely disgusting and does not belong in a romance novel.)

There were a few things within the story itself that rubbed me the wrong way. I’m just going to break this part up into bullet points:

The former curator’s “scandal.” I’m not going to delve into any spoilers about what happened, but suffice it to say that I don’t really and truly understand what the scandal was. As long as they’re not hurting anybody, what people do in the privacy of their own home or outside of office hours should have no bearing on their position at work.
The old-fashioned OB-GYN. I work in a medical office, so I’m really sensitive to the portrayal of doctors in fiction. Steph’s OB is completely unprofessional, like to the level where I’m not sure how he’s still practicing. He makes snide comments about “I didn’t realize you were married” (I didn’t realize that babies couldn’t be conceived without a ring on the finger) and “Stephanie is probably going to want you to leave the room now” (maybe let her make her own decisions).
The stripper. Honestly, she came out of left field and gave off these clear “I’m only here as a plot device” vibes – obviously, since we never saw or heard from her again.
Simone and Van. The problem I had with these two is that I cared about them more than Steph and Luc. I saw their relationship coming from a mile away and, at Simone’s first appearance, made a note about how I was sure that she was just there to set up the next romance in the series, and, lo and behold…
The name dropping. Lucas is #8 in a series, and though it supposedly functions as a standalone, I felt like I was missing quite a bit by not already knowing these characters. There are comments throughout about how X and Y got married or are expecting and there was a clear implication that this should mean something to me, but it just didn’t.
One thing I do really have to commend the publisher on is finding a cover model that actually looks like the description from the book. The last two books I read with faces on the cover looked nothing like the description of the hero, so this was a welcome change.

I guess, all in all, I was disappointed with Lucas. I wanted to like it a lot more than I did, but it’s not necessarily a bad book if you’re into this kind of story. I can’t see myself going back to read the previous seven books in the series, but I’m still planning to read the Sawyer Bennett books that I already own.

Final rating: ★★☆☆☆

I received a free ARC of Lucas from the publisher (via Netgalley) in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed Lucas and Stephanie's story. I have read all the books in the Cold Fury series and they are all great!

Lucas and Stephanie are complete strangers when they meet each other at event at the Museum that Stephanie works at. There is an instant attraction on both sides. They exchange a few words and decide to meet after the event. After their night together at Lucas's house Stephanie left and they haven't had any contact.

Lucas is a hockey player and very well known m. He has just been traded to the Cold
Fury, which his brother also plays for. He has 2
Brothers, one sister and parents who love each other and their kids very much.

Stephanie is an only child and her parents are very wealthy. Although her parents are wealthy and she has had the best of everything her parents didn't mean to have her. Her parents only care about their careers and she was raised by a nanny. So Stephanie isn't use to a
normal family and she has never had a relationship. She typically has one night stands.

About a month after Stephanie and Lucas were together Stephanie shows up at the bar that the Cold Fury team goes to after home games. She tells him she is pregnant and Lucas reacts badly. Stephanie tells him when her girst appointment is and he go if he wants and she leaves. Lucas is in shock and goes to his brother and tells him what is going on. Max being the older brother calms him down and helps him figure out a plan. Lucas goes to Stephanie's work the next day and apologizes for the way he reacted. Lucas tells her he wants to be involved in the pregnancy and get to know each other as well because they are basically strangers and known nothing about each other.

Lucas and Stephanie hang out and continue to sleep together but they don't call it a relationship. Stephanie doesn't want to call it that, because of how she was raised she doesn't know how to accept or give love. Lucas understands, although he has developing feelings for her and he knows she has them for him he just keeps spending time with her without pressuring Stephanie.

This is a good book, with dual POV and plenty of sexy scenes. I loved Lucas because of how sweet he was to Stephanie. Once he realized she was pregnant with his child he was 100% sold out to her and the baby even though Stephanie held back because of her childhood. Read this book!

I received a free copy for an honest review.

Lucas is the 8th book in the Cold Fury Hockey series and follows yet another member of the The Carolina Cold Fury hockey team.

I liked Lucas and his storyline, but I have to say this wasn't my favorite book out of the series. I felt like their was a lot (I mean A LOT) of sexual scenes and not too much else as far as content and storyline.

However, Sawyer still can write her tail off- so I will definitely keep reading this series and other books by her.