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My Review:Title: Erik
Author: Sawyer Bennett
Series: Arizona Vengeance #2
Published by: Indie
Release Date: November 5, 2018
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Jason Clarke, Ava Erickson
Genres: Contemporary, Sports Romance
Source: Chirp
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2022 Audiobook Challenge, Lenoreo's 2022 COYER Winter
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iTunes ✩ Libro.FM ✩ Chirp
My rating:
Blurb:The Arizona Vengeance are developing a reputation on the ice as one of hockey’s top teams. But one player’s reputation off the ice might just keep him from scoring. . . .
I’m having the time of my life with my new brothers on the Arizona Vengeance. We may be an expansion team, but after notching some big wins, the entire league knows to watch out for Erik Dahlbeck. That’s me.
The only person who doesn’t seem to think I’m so great? Blue Gardner, the hot-as-f*** flight attendant on our team plane. I sure wouldn’t mind joining the mile-high club with her, but besides bringing me lukewarm coffee, she won’t give me the time of day. Whatever I did to rub Blue the wrong way, my teammates think it’s hilarious. After all, we’re used to women flocking to us. #puckbunnies
When I run into Blue back on land, I’m shocked to learn how she spends her time off: taking care of her handicapped brother. There are layers to this girl I never imagined, layers I can’t wait to peel away. And that’s a new feeling for me.
But first I’ve got to find a way to melt that ice-cold stare. Because as much as I try to pretend I don’t care what Blue thinks of me, how can you not care when you’re falling for someone?
4 stars — This was a solid sports romance. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I’d had the time to just binge listen to it, but alas I kept having longer breaks between spurts of listening, so it was hard to stay super sucked in.
The narrators were fantastic. I feel like I like Mr. Clarke more and more as time goes on. His sexy times voice is just *mwah*. This is only my second time with Ms. Erickson, but she felt like the perfect Blue.
I appreciate that we get a lot of team time in these books. Not necessarily the whole team, but we get to see some of the boys hanging out with one another, and it just increases my curiosity for stories that have yet to be told…and satisfies my desire to see glimpses of past couples (in this case just Bishop and Brooke). I also really love how much hockey is in these books. Not so much that it overwhelms the story for someone who is not an avid watcher, but for someone who is — lots of great detail, and generally feels very accurate.
I kind of enjoyed that Erik and Blue were kind of on a level playing field in the romance perspective. They’d both had mostly casual sex previously, and this was both of their first relationships. It was kind of adorable watching them both flounder their way through it — not knowing what was too much too soon. Erik in particular was adorable in how much he wanted to do everything right. I was worried I wasn’t going to buy his sudden shift from “manwhore” to committed, but for some reason it mostly worked. He was just enthralled with her on a different level. And she made him work for it, which I loved.
I laughed a lot in this book, and my heart ached a few times. It was mostly a pretty low angst book, and I was kind of needing that so it was perfect. Blue was sweet, down to earth, sassy when needed… I ached for how much guilt she was carrying around, but loved that she genuinely had a great relationship with her brother. Erik was surprisingly sweet and open to new experiences. When he falls in love, he goes all in.
Their chemistry was pretty solid throughout, from friendship to more. I always felt their caring for one another, and their chemistry was definitely hot.
So yeah. I’m really enjoying this series, and I can see trying to squeeze in a read whenever I need something a teensy bit lighter.
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