Rising star Zack Grantham has been stuck in a downward spiral of grief ever since the car accident that left him a single dad and put his career on hold. Back on the road with the Carolina Cold Fury and still crippled by emotional baggage, 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.

It has been four months since tragedy struck Zack Grantham's life. He lost his love,  is now a single parent, and recovering from a wrist injury, but his emotional recovery is not occurring as quickly. The only thing he lives for is his young son, Ben and to get to play hockey again with his team, The Cold Fury. Otherwise he feels dead inside, numbed by pain, memories, and guilt.

When his sister helps choose a new nanny for his son, Zack is not sure what she has got him into. Kate is blunt, sassy, way too chipper, nerdy, and a bit weird. She hides her beauty under baggy clothes and is not on the prowl for a man. She needs the job badly and is willing to deal with a cranky, depressed, moody boss. 

Her quirky behavior, silly nicknames, and disheveled style just made her completely "adorkable". She really was goofy and geeky and in some ways childlike, but she was also mature, smart, independent, and dedicated. Her life had been challenging and she knew how to work hard. She appreciated any little thing and was incredibly giving. But she had such a bright spirit and the light about her that Zack was drawn to even when he didn't want to be. 

Zack was a mess. He was suffering from grief and so much guilt for various reasons. But he was a wonderful , hands-on father and a good friend to those he cared about. Since the accident and his loss he really had been dead inside and just hadn't really been inspired by anything other than his son and the chance of getting back to playing hockey. 

But despite his doubts, and resistance, Kate begins to worm her way in with her hidden beauty, dorky sense of humor, and charm. He begins to feel more alive and finds passion, but also puts up boundaries. He is afraid to feel, afraid to hurt her, full of guilt, and unable to truly move on. But he really was only willing to give a small piece of himself and did not want any emotional attachment and was sure he could compartmentalize it. He knew he didn't have anything to give and so he made sure she knew there could be no emotional attachment. I thought she was quite understanding about his needs and issues. But it is a situation that is easy to cross over the line and eventually someone was going to get hurt. 

This was really a journey of self realization for Zack and him needing to deal with his issues, regrets, and and to really own his own feelings. He had so much guilt and so many insecurities about his past and his own feelings that he really had to face if there was a chance of healing and moving on. Sometimes I wanted to shake sense into him. He was one of those guys that could be a total ass and clueless, and could totally frustrate me, but I could not help but like him too. He had a vulnerability about him and was so lost, but also so scared to hold onto something. But he certainly was not a fast learner. 

I loved getting more with the other couples Alex and Sutton and Garrett and Olivia from the first two books, and also meeting his new teammate and friend, Ryker who will be the subject of the next book. I am already intrigued by his story and I liked the camaraderie he built with Zack. I adored Kate's relationship with Ben. Her personality was so conducive to dealing with children (and sullen men too).

I really like this series and the hockey team aspect of it, but I also enjoy the fact that Sawyer Bennett writes such interesting characters with depth and complicated back stories. Each of the books has unique characters that have had challenging situations to get through that weren't easy, but find ways to persevere with those around them for support. Due to some of the subject matter, this one could have come off much darker and more negative, but the humor and the fact that Kate was so goofy and upbeat helped balance it out. It was an emotional, humorous, sexy, sweet, and heartwarming story of second chances, true love, and the value of friends, family, and living life to the fullest.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my. When I was reading Garrett and reached the point where Zack’s story changed, I was gutted. This was a story that I knew would bring me to tears, though I couldn’t have guessed exactly how.

Zack Grantham is a mess following the death of his long time girlfriend and the mother of his son. He is grieving. He feels guilt. But he feels little beyond those two emotions, and can barely function, let alone parent. His sister, Delaney, steps in to help out, but when she has to return to work, Zack knows he has to hire a nanny to help out during the upcoming season.

Kate Francis is determined to get out from the poverty of her childhood, and returning to her father’s trailer is the last resort she is not long away from reaching. Her last chance at independence is as a live-in nanny. And she is a rabid Cold Fury fan, so when she learns her new employer is Zack she knows a little of his backstory.

She is quirky and funny, always trying to make those around her laugh. I loved her blunt honesty and habit of saying exactly what she was thinking. She started out seeming nerdy and dowdy, but learning the why behind her physical appearance had me rethinking that first impression.

I knew this was going to be an emotional story. With the unresolved guilt Zack was still feeling about Gina, there was a lot of dark feelings that needed to be worked through. At several points, I found myself outright crying as I followed his journey.

But for all the tough emotions, there was chemistry through the roof between these two. Not only does Zack have his issues to deal with, but Kate carries her own baggage that has to be put aside before they can act on the attraction between them. There were a few moments where it felt close to insta-love simply because of where Zack had been inside his head before they met, but they way the relationship progressed kept that feeling closer to lust than love in the early stages.

And while I’m on the subject of chemistry and attraction, this book has one of the best fade-to-black scenes I can think of. Usually fade-to-black scenes cut just before things get really good. This one hits at the height and is just the perfect blend of heat, sexiness, and leaves just a little bit to the imagination.

As the third in the Cold Fury series, there are plenty of returning characters to make this feel comfortable. Kate befriends Sutton and Olivia quickly, and especially leans to Sutton for advice on handling Zack. Garrett and Alex play roles as Zack’s friends, and Ryker, Cold Fury’s new backup goalie gets a deeper introduction as he and Zack realize the similarities in their stories despite differing circumstances.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

RYKER (Cold Fury Hockey #4)
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Expected Sept, 8, 2015