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.

"I relied on the one person I knew could never let me down, and that was me."

Another #HockeyHottie in the amazing Cold Fury Hockey series. Each book I think that he's my favorite, until she writes another one.

Lucas is Max's little brother and they are both playing on the same team. I really enjoyed catching up with Max and Jules while getting to know Lucas. They are both good men, from a good family with loving parents and siblings. But that doesn't mean they don't give each other hell. Their banter is very entertaining. Luc's mother describes him as a serial dater. That's her polite way of saying he's a manwhore. I also enjoyed meeting his younger sister. She's a spitfire that gives him lots of sass. I'm really looking forward to spending more time with her in a later book.

Stephanie is a loner. Life has done a number on her and she has built up her walls so high that nobody has been able to reach her. She's sweet and funny and very sociable, but she doesn't have friends or relationships. She follows hockey, so she recognizes Lucas at the gala where they meet. They flirt and spend a night together. She only does casual, relationships are off the table. But she doesn't forget him, or the best night she's ever had...

Lucas doesn't expect to see her again, so he was shocked but happy to see her when she showed up at one of his after game hangouts. She had a little surprise for him. Did the player get played? Or will the ice queen warm up to him? He's not intimidated by ice, will he be able to melt hers? One-click and find out, you won't be sorry!

I'm totally addicted to this series and I can't wait to get my hands on Val. The line forms here...

3.5-4 Stars

I enjoy the series and was excited to read Lucas's story. The story between Lucas and Stephanie didn't go as I had hoped but then I wasn't the writer.
The pair had amazing chemistry in the bedroom but it did translate outside the bedroom for me.
Lucas was a sweet , sexy funny hockey player who could be a charmer. Through the entire book he tried to charm Stephy . She was resistant to his charms until the very end. While I understand her reasoning I had a hard time liking her at times.

This book fell flat for me. I've only read one other book in the series (Alex) but I really liked it and I like her writing style so I was pretty excited when I got an ARC.

My biggest problem with the book was the lack of content. It was mostly just sex and internal dialogue. Every time I felt like we were finally going to have a "scene" it just turned into yet another chapter of sex. In fact, there were SO MUCH sex that we had "fade out" sex scenes. I wanted more situations, more of the two of them connecting. Everything was very glossed over and there were a lot of instances where we were told they had meaningful conversation, but not a lot of the actual conversations. The ending wasn't so great either. Things get resolved quickly, but there is nothing about the baby. The epilogue is about Van so we never get an update on how the rest of the pregnancy went. I don't think anything needed to be said about Van to set up the next book because it was pretty obvious where that was going.

Stephanie bothered me a lot. When I first got into this book I was really excited to have a strong, independent, unapologetic h. I remember actually thinking "Yes! She's going to be awesome!" and she was for a little while. The problem was, she was insecure for too long. I understood why she had a hard time accepting love, but Luc was giving it to her in droves. While she didn't doubt his feelings, she wouldn't accept them. I'm probably one of the only people who actually thought the comments he made to her in their fight needed to be said. How could she expect to raise her child with love if she doesn't know how to love? She needed to be knocked on her ass to realize how horrible she was being. If anyone owed anyone an apology, it was her.

Luc was a really awesome H. He had a really great heart and I LOVED that he stepped up to the plate immediately. I understand why he would want a paternity test originally because he didn't know her and he is an athlete with a lot of money. Many crazy women would try to use that to their advantage. He was extremely level headed and a very strong character. He actually made the book for me.

Overall, I recommend this book if you're already reading the series. As a standalone I'm on the fence because I just felt like it was missing content, but it was an intriguing story.

First of all Lucas, second of all Lucas and third of all Lucas! Super likable character and that is what made this hot book character even hotter. I loved the character, Lucas! This story was interesting and made you root for both Stephanie and Lucas. The author did a great job of conveying the important details of the characters and storyline with out being overly repetitious.

I really enjoyed this book. The surprise pregnancy plotline is always a favorite of mine. Add in a dash of sports romance plus a truly sympathetic portrayal of the effects of emotional abuse on a child and this is a great read.

This continues Sawyer Bennett’s series about hockey players for the fictional Carolina Cold Fury. This story is about Lucas Fournier who has an extremely hot one-night stand with Stephanie, a woman he meets at a fundraiser for the Natural History museum.

It’s not much of a spoiler to reveal that Stephanie gets pregnant since this happens early in the novel. Once she tells Lucas, he demonstrates what a sweet guy he really is as he tries to get to know Stephanie given that they’re going to be sharing a child. However, she has serious issues because of her upbringing. Lucas, on the other hand, comes from a very loving and supportive family with whom he’s very close. The challenge for him is to help Stephanie overcome her personal insecurities and let him in...all while sharing some smokin’ hot lovemaking.

Even if you haven’t read any of the earlier books in the series, you can still enjoy this one. And you’ll probably want to then go back and read the other books.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. I'm addicted to this series, so I was soo happy to be able to read it also in advance!
Here are some of my thoughts about "Lucas":
- I felt so sorry for Stephanie, for what she had to endure as a child, but also during her adult life. Parents should be the people from who you get unconditional love, and reading about her childhood, how she grew up, and also how her parents keep treating her, it broke my heart. I totally got her reticence at starting something lasting with Lucas, she never had a model to look up to, and she's scared about what will happen if she lets go. Her parents can't even be called this, I have no words at how people can treat their own children like this, but I know that unfortunately people like them exist in real life. Lucas is a god send miracle for her, the perfect guy to get her all the love she missed previously in her life, both personally and by having a loving family behind his back who accepts Stephanie between their folds.
- Lucas is a really good guy, a real gentleman, up to his duties and with the right priorities in mind (see accident episode). He tries relentlessly to make her lose her guard, with so much patience. He's still human, so he has some moments when he lose his hope, but I think this is absolutely comprehensible, because it mustn't be easy to try to win a stubborn and scared woman like Stephanie.
- I loved the secondary characters, Jules and Max😍 so happy to read more about them! And I'm soooo curious about Van and Simone. She's a firecracker, so I'm sure their book will be a rollercoaster 😍

This was my first of the Cold Fury books and I absolutely loved it. Really need to go back and read the seven (seven!) others that I've missed out on. 2:30 am and I just finished it because I couldn't put it down. And oh man that tease for Van's story was glorious and I'm excited to see what makes him tic. Lucas and Stephy were great and I loved their story. Their chemistry was off the charts good. Plot and storyline were well written as well. Would definitely recommend. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I liked this one. I love this series, but this one kind of fell flat for me. I couldn't relate to the characters maybe? I love that Lucas is Max's brother. I love that a lot of characters from previous books were in this one.
Sawyer Bennett has a way of making her characters lovable and then they break your heart, then fix it up.
Stephanie was maybe a bit too stand offish for me. Lucas really takes the swoon cake. He seemed nearly perfect!